Hi Jessica,
I'm so excited for your very first family trip to the most magical place on earth! And as a fellow mom of five, I can understand wanting to watch your budget. I'm happy to share some tips!
First, keep an eye on the
Special Offers page for any deals and read my
earlier answer about hotels for any budget that fit large families. As for tickets, I would simply caution you to be careful of third party ticket vendors. You don't want to arrive thinking you've saved a few dollars to find out that your tickets aren't valid. Currently, if you purchase 3-day or longer
tickets ahead of time from Disney, you'll save $20 per ticket over the cost of buying them once you arrive. Plus, buying them ahead of time will allow you to make three FastPass+ selections per day, saving you lots of valuable time!
Want more money-saving tips? Did you know that
you are able to bring your own food and drinks into the theme parks? While there are some restrictions on the size of coolers allowed and what you may bring in, like no glass bottles (other than baby food jars) or food that needs to be heated, bringing your own food can offer significant savings for a large family. Also, there are lots of free things to do! Enjoy a relaxing boat or monorail ride, explore the amazing Resort hotels, visit Disney's BoardWalk in the evening when it comes to life with street performers, and definitely don't forget about Disney Springs! You're sure to find magic and fun all around the Walt Disney World Resort!
I hope you and all of your Mouseketeers have a truly magical vacation, Jessica!
Missy