Happily Hughes | Atlanta Fashion & Lifestyle Content Creator

How to Save Money at Disney

How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes

We’re obviously big fans of Disney over here.  I was talking with my husband last night and apparently we’ve been six times in the last two years.  Excessive? Maybe.  Worth it?  Absolutely!  I’m not going to call myself an expert on all things Disney, but I will say I have found ways in which to save money at Disney to get the biggest bang for our buck, and I’m going to share it with you! 

How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes

HOW TO SAVE MONEY AT DISNEY

First and foremost, book your stay at Encore resorts.  We had the pleasure of staying there our last trip and it was DIVINE.  The water park ON SITE is pictured above, as well as the fun themed rooms that were in our house!  First, a little about the property: 

  1. It’s only 5-10 minutes from the Disney Parks and 15 minutes from Downtown Disney. 
  2. There are homes with 4-12 bedrooms.  So instead of squeezing your whole family into one hotel room you can have a HOUSE with enough rooms for everyone to spread out.  You an also invite all your friends/family to join in on the fun!
  3. Each house has it’s own pool. 
  4. The property also has 3 restaurants, personal chefs, a grocery buying service, a water park, gym, and kids club.   
  5. There are shuttles every day to and from the parks.  They also have a great taxi service they utilize for other off-property fun. 

How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes

Now let’s discuss how Encore resorts can help you save money at Disney.  If you were to book a 5 bedroom home for this week it would be $300 min a night.  That’s the same as a hotel room!  BUT you have a whole home for the family to enjoy AND all the amenities of a hotel as well.  I know, my mind was blown too.  Here are the others way it saves you money: 

  1. You can either bring all the groceries you want and fully stock the kitchen or hire their grocery-buying service to do it for you.  I HIGHLY recommend eating breakfast and dinner at home.  Not only is this a huge money saver, the foods normally better than at the parks anyways.  You can also eat at the three restaurants on-site at Encore, or have the food brought to your home!  We tried all three and the options and quality did not disappoint!
  2. You can also stock your pantry full of snacks- load up your diaper bags/purses before you head to the parks so you’re not spending an inordinate amount on silly items. 
  3. The water park is AMAZING and also included in your stay.  So no need to get tickets to Blizzard Beach or Volcano Bay.  I do recommend getting a cabana for at least one day so you can stay all day and just relax. 

How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes How to Save Money at Disney by popular Atlanta lifestyle blogger Happily Hughes

Other ways to save money at Disney: 

  • Do NOT buy the meal plan.  It’s not worth it. 
  • Only do one or two character meals max.  I know they all sounds fun but your kids will get sick of it/take it for granted if you do it too often. 
  • Don’t buy the Park Hopper ticket.  Just plan on hitting one park a day. 
  • Absolutely plan at least one free day of just relaxing.  Every day at a park will burn you out SO FAST. 
  • Use your points on your Amex or other rewards card for flights etc. 
  • Discounted Disney giftcards at Costco! 
  • IF there is an after park special at Magic Kingdom like Mickey’s Not So Scary or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party buy those tickets INSTEAD of the full day tickets.  The lines are way shorter so I promise you’ll get to ride all the rides, and the after park specials are beyond amazing.  We’ve been to both so read about them at the links above.

10 thoughts on “How to Save Money at Disney”

  1. You have such a beautiful family! I cannot wait to go with my grandchildren to Disney. I was there as a child and I’ll never forget it. The house and property sound amazing. Their own water park and each house has a pool. Wow! Thanks for the tips, families have to save and stay healthy. Eating out for days on can’t be good especially children.

  2. Great tips for people planning to go on a trip to Disneyland. I think it’s really awesome that you’re sharing these especially since Summer is usually the time when people go. They can plan ahead and save more from your tips!

  3. We have annual passes to Disney and I love these tips! I hadn’t heard of the Encore resort, I’ll have to give it a try, we do a lot of long weekends in the area.

  4. Victoria Heckstall

    Looks like a great place to visit. I’ll definitely go here one day with my family. Thanks for the guide it is a great guide to save money while in Disney.

  5. I’m bookmarking the post so I remember to look at booking a house next time. That would be way better than a hotel for a week long stay.

  6. I’m bookmarking the post so I remember to look at booking a house next time. That would be way better than a hotel for a week long stay..

  7. This is all fun! Will definitely make this post a guide for our future Disney visit. Love it!

  8. We did the meal plan the last time we went to Disney and it still ended up costing more money because of trip planner didn’t tell us a couple of the restaurants used 2 meals. I would probably skip the meal plan next time we go or just plan better. I like the idea of sharing a house. You could definitely save money if you are splitting it with your family.

  9. Pingback: Orlando Summer Family Travel Guide | Happily Hughes

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