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Mom and Daughter at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Room
  • On Feb 3, 2008
    Lori from PA Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    I am a teacher and so our only option for Disney is a summer trip. How do you make it affordable? For a week, it is $5000 plus with room, air, meals, and park tickets. How does the average family manage?

    Lori,
    Traveling in the Summer brings not only large crowds but inflated prices. However, I’ve helped some teachers with their Summer travel. First, you will find less crowds if you travel the earliest week in June that you can get away or the latest week in August.

    Book the components of your trip separately. This usually yields the greatest savings.

    Book your hotel with a AAA rate, if possible. Consider staying at a Value resort . Call the WDW Dolphin and Swan resorts and ask if teacher rates are available. The greatest resource for learning about discounts is at mousesavers.com. Sign up for their monthly newsletter.

    For tickets, try using Undercover Tourist. Consider buying at least one annual pass if you can also get discounted rooms at the time you would be visiting. Check mousesavers.com for the historical dates of annual pass discounts.

    Airfare - watch for deals. I would recommend using Southwest. Sign up for the Ding airfare alert.

    Meals - do not plan on more than one sit down meal per day. If you plan a character meal, try a late breakfast. Have a granola bar in your room and enjoy your late breakfast/early lunch. I usually order the counter service kid’s meal for myself. Picky kids are just as happy with a PB&J sandwich that you’ve packed. Stock up on snacks, water bottles, etc to help with meal costs.

    Obviously if you have a large family, you’ll have to be more creative. Food is more difficult to budget. See the menus at allearsnet.com and look for ways to save. Can your kids share a meal? Try Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney for less expensive sandwiches.

    Lastly, you can always reduce your number of nights. Get a late flight out on your last day and you can still use the hotel pool, go to a theme park and visit Downtown Disney while saving on one night’s lodging. I hope this helps give you some ideas on where to start digging for those savings! Let me know if I can help any further with your trip.

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Meet the Panelist: Kimberly, Tennessee

I am a stay-at-home mom with a 12 year old son. I thrive on planning vacations, especially to WDW. Inspiring families to vacation at Disney with a memorable itinerary and budget-saving tips is extremely rewarding for me. Learn More About Kimberly

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