Affording Disney

Whether or not to stay at a Disney hotel is one of the first budget choices you must make. I talked to some people, who see the off-site hotel as a great way to save. Others say this is the place to splurge; there are easier ways to save.

“We would stay in Kissimmee instead of Orlando. The hotels are much cheaper and it’s really not that far away.” Elizabeth explains.

For additional savings, she purchased her five-day passes through AAA. The five-day pass allows families to leave a park and return to it on the same day or go to another park on the same day without paying extra. Also, because the passes don’t expire, Elizabeth will be able to use leftover days on the next trip.

Lori Roe and her husband, Chip, have taken each of their three children to Disney World individually as a special treat and have done each vacation in a different way. They have driven from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where they live, twice, and recently flown. They have stayed on and off the resort and have finally concluded time is more valuable.

“The one thing I would recommend is suck up the cost and stay on Disney property. The upfront cost seems higher when you compare room cost on Disney property to hotels surrounding Disney, but the thing we found is that on the last trip, the savings isn’t that much. … We took a cab from the airport to the hotel, then we rode the Disney buses everywhere. They run very frequently, they are cool, you avoid the hassles and cost of parking. There are buses running to all the Disney parks and downtown Disney. There are special shuttles that take you to other sites as well (Sea World),” explains Lori.

Another perk with staying on the resort is that entry into the park is earlier for the folks on Disney property than the general population.

On-site hotels also can be great for families with babies needing to nap. One father said it was a lifesaver to be able to ride the shuttle back to the hotel with his baby, while mom and their older daughter continued to play at the park. Dad and baby took the shuttle back to meet them in the afternoon—a much easier scenario than shuffling back and forth into the parking lot.