Money saving tips you have for Disney

[julie007]

What are your tips that you have found for saving money to make it thru these times and actually be able to afford Disney?

My parents are getting our Season passes for us for myself and DH birthday and Christmas gifts. We are only 2 1/2 hours away so I am packing a cooler to save on food. There is a microwave in the food court. As well as a tub with snacks. Bringing water and drinks. Will also invest in the refillable mugs since we will be there 5 days.

Then of course we have my disney buck from Sunshine Rewards! And DD birthday is in December. Asked people to give her Disney Dollars for her to spend.

[schaery]

I use my Disney Visa (to get the points) to pay for alot of things that I already have cash for. I always pay it back with the cash I had. We used to eat out every Friday night but now we only go out every other Friday night and save the money. DH used to stop for coffee and bisciut every morning (bad for the wallet and the waist) but now eats breakfast at home. We've always taken our lunches for work. I plan my errands carefully so that I can do them all together that are on the same side of town to save on gas. Every penny that I don't have to pay someone else is more money for vacation.

To save at Disney, we always have a room with a fridge, even if we have to join a fridge swap. We're not big breakfast eaters so we just need a fridge to keep milk for cereal, yogurt, coffee creamer, etc. in for breakfast. We purchase the refillable mugs. We take our own water to the parks, plus I put snacks in my camera bag. Although we really enjoy many of the table service restaurants, we generally just eat 2 counter service meals a day to save $$. We do normally make ADR's though for 2 of our favorite TS restaurants if we're going to be there for a week.

[faithhope]

Bringing our own water and snacks, and mainly doing counter service meals, but the best thing for me has been doing SR. I'm taking $425 this year from SR, that will be used on EXTRAS.

I also spend hours finding the cheapest flights, and the cheapest tickets, and figuring out what discount I can get on the room. We go off season...
I think I'll just miss you... we are going the week before you Dec 8-11.

For our trip next year... I will work harder on SR... I will do more surveys, do more offers, and find ways to do more of my shopping via SR so hopefully I can bring even more when we go next year.

We also decided this year for the first time to buy the 10 day no expiration tickets, so our days will be paid for next year as well.

[Magical JenK]

SUNSHINE REWARDS!! is my #1 tip. It adds up fast & has allowed me to do 3 trips in 2008! Only one of which was really planned & that's for next month!

I also save all my change & wrap it before our trip & have been able to use that money for a rental car for a week.

I stash my $1s! A few times a week I will grab a couple one dollar bills & put them aside as Disney Cash fund. I counted yesterday & I have $94 in that alone. I've read someplace people stash the $5 but I just couldn't do that yet! Ha!

I also use my Disney Visa for gas, bills, etc & pay it off every month. We got new furniture last year & that really helped w/the Rewards balance! I'll have over $250 on that too.

Can't wait! To me, saving for Disney is a game & I LOVE it!!

[chipndale]

I also use my Disney Visa for gas, bills, etc & pay it off every month. We got new furniture last year & that really helped w/the Rewards balance! I'll have over $250 on that too.

Can't wait! To me, saving for Disney is a game & I LOVE it!!

I second the Disney Visa. DH has alot of work expenses that he used to pay cash for or use another credit card. I got him his very own Disney Visa card and made him use it for all his work purchases. So far this year he has racked up $621! All of which is free money because he company pays us back! He was shocked the other night when I told him how much he has on the card.

I too make a game out of it. I started a change container by the washer machine - any money let in pant pockets, jackets, etc. becomes part of the Disney fund.

[julie007]

Yep I forgot the change thing we (well I should say Me) also do that. Amazing how fast this adds up!

Not sure if where you live if you have CVS pharmacy or Winn Dixie supermarkets but I have really started playing thier BOGO and their cash register money back things. Half the time I end up making money at CVS if you do it right with coupons.

[fourfoxesinpa]

My kids are now packing lunch almost everyday. I bought a themos leakproof container at Target for their milk - saving some $ each day. The extra $ goes into the Disney Crock (an old WDW popcorn tub)

We also bought a space heater, turned the heat down and will throw any savings into the "fund."

We take our own snacks into the park, water bottles to refill and take drink powder to mix into the water so we don't buy any soft drinks.

We also use our Disney Visa for everything and pay it off in full.

[schaery]

I think I'll just miss you... we are going the week before you Dec 8-11.

We also decided this year for the first time to buy the 10 day no expiration tickets, so our days will be paid for next year as well.


I'll be at Pop Dec. 7 - 13. Does the no expiration add alot to the cost of the tickets?

[schaery]

I too make a game out of it. I started a change container by the washer machine - any money let in pant pockets, jackets, etc. becomes part of the Disney fund.

I have a washing machine change jar, too. Know what really makes me happy? When DH forgets to empty the $20's from his pocket. He knows what goes in the jar stays in the jar.

[kimntrent]

For me every penny counts. We are dreading the upcoming year if it is anything like this year. But my sunshine keeps me going. I know that for every 100 I make on here is 1 day at Disney.

[mmm611]

Don't pay for water in the parks at all. If you go to a CS restaurant or any window of a CS place, ask for a cups of ice TAP water. It's FREE and cold. I spent a week at Disney in July 2007 with my family and I didn't spend a dime on water. My mom even ended up having me grab a freebie water for her a few times.

It's nice when your water gets warm or you get tired of carrying bottles, Just toss them and stop by the nearest CS place for free ice water!

[gpp2001]

I'll be at Pop Dec. 7 - 13. Does the no expiration add alot to the cost of the tickets?

The no expiration adds a lot to the cost of the tickets. We used to buy the park hopper ten days before the Magic your way and we are still using those tickets but the new Magic your way tickets we only buy what we're going to use - last year I let two days go because it was too expensive to add no expiry to a ten day for two days.

Have a great trip!!

Karn

[gpp2001]

One thing I do - is if I get a check from someone for anything - I cash it and put it in my vacation fund. If it's a large check and I need the money, I'll put it in the bank but if I don't need the $$ - it goes into the vacation fund!! Checks that I do this with are for reimbursements or health savings plan.

Karn

[MdCaterer]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this one: Another great way to save change is to always pay with dollars even if item is $1.01 then you save the change and it all goes into a vacation jar. That change adds up very fast.

[mmm611]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this one: Another great way to save change is to always pay with dollars even if item is $1.01 then you save the change and it all goes into a vacation jar. That change adds up very fast.

Yep, I do that. When I get enough, I make a roll and take it to the bank. The only thing is, since I'm now in an apt, I need to save any and all quarters for laundry, so it's only the rest of my change that can go in the Disney money jar!

[iluvamystery89]

we drive to wdw from NE Alabama, so we always take a cooler with a half gallon of milk, my natural pb, 2-3 apples, juice boxes, and whatever else needs refrigeration. we do this so we can eat breakfast in the room as we get ready in the mornings, then all we have to do is drain the water each morning and add ice before leaving for the parks. i have a water bottle with a filter (innovapurewater.com), and as others have suggested, i ask for ice and/or water at restaurants and carts to put in it. we save change, have a piggy bank ("the pig") on the kitchen counter for extra dollars and i'm working online to pay for this year's trip. also, you can split meals at CS-i've never done this, b/c my DH insists on having his own meal, lol, but many swear by it.

[Alice28]

Grrr- just wrote a giant reply and lost it when I accidentally hit the escape key!

In sum:

**ebay old stuff or craigslist it. I've made tons of money this way.
**SR (of course!)
**if you're doing more than a handful of sitdowns, I think the DDP is the way to go. It always always works out for us to basically be getting our counter service and a snack for free considering how much the sit down restaurants cost after tax and a drink!
**bring snacks/drinks of your own in the parks
**eat breakfast in the room
** if you have kids, make them save their own spending money. Make it a challenge. My kids LOVE to do this and always save at least $75. I might kick in another $20, or tell them I'll buy them something at the end of the trip that is $20 or under.
**change
**do any odd jobs that might work out- babysitting? yardwork for others? I have no idea what your situation is...but I work 1 day a week now at either my daughter's preschool or the church's preschool. It's not a lot of money, but some months it's $100-150.