Save on Disney Trips: The Good and Bad - Put on Your Party Pants

Disney can be a little expensive. And by a little, I mean really freaking expensive. A single-day Magic Kingdom ticket crossed $200 for the first time in 2026, so the real question is whether you need to rob one bank or two. Your kid doesn’t need those braces anyway, right? Fortunately, there are ways to save on Disney trips, some more effective than others.

The quick verdict: Disney gift cards, renting Disney Vacation Club points, traveling off peak, and authorized ticket resellers are the strategies that actually move the needle. Credit card sign-up bonuses help. The dining plan, the Disney Visa for everyday spend, and most of the “park six miles away with a cooler” hacks do not. Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly of each, with current pricing where I could verify it.

What Do You Need To Know to Save on Disney Trips?

1. Do Not Sacrifice Quality to Save Money on Disney Vacations

2. Ways to Save Money on All Types of Disney Trips

2a. How to Save Money on Disney Gift Cards

2b. Travel at Off Peak Times to Save on Disney Vacations

2c. Use Miles and Points

3. Ways to Save Money on Disney Theme Park Trips

3a. Rent Disney Vacation Club Points to Save Money on Walt Disney World Vacations

3b. Ways to Save Money on Disney Tickets

3c. Save on Dining

3d. Budget for Lightning Lane

4. Ways to Save on Disney Cruises

4a. Book Cruises Early

4b. Use a Travel Agent for Cruises

4c. Book a Future Cruise Onboard

4d. Book Shore Excursions Directly with the Provider

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How Do I Save on Disney Trips?

1. Do Not Sacrifice the Quality of Your Trip

It is natural to look at the Disney price tag and start frantically thinking of ways to save. Some people will tell you to stay off site and bring your own food, then label this advice a “Disney hack to save money”. As much fun as parking six miles away and hauling a cooler around all day for a warm bologna sandwich may sound, don’t follow this advice.

You are investing a substantial amount of money to go on this trip. Don’t make it miserable.

How can I save money on a Disney vacation without sacrificing my experience? There are several solid ways to do so.

2. Save Money on All Types of Disney Trips

2a. Save Money with Disney Gift Cards

If you’re wondering how to save in Disney World, Disney gift card specials should be stop number one.

They are one of the best ways to save money at Disney because they are accepted everywhere. Use them to book hotels, purchase tickets and dining plans, and spend them in the parks and on the cruise ships. You can also use them at Disney Springs and the restaurants at the on property resorts to save money on food at Disney.

Purchase these at a discount from several places.

How Many Do You Need to Bring on Your Trip?

You can use gift cards for meals, snacks, and drinks to save money in Disney World and the other theme parks. Before your trip, research what you might buy and where you plan to eat. Disney has all of its menus online. Stock up on enough gift cards to cover those expenses during your trip.

Places to Makes Your Disney Gift Card Purchase

There are several places to save on Disney gift cards.

Year Round Sales

Disney gift cards can be purchased year round at stores like Target (with the Target Circle Card, formerly the RedCard), Costco and BJ’s (with a membership). These stores have historically discounted the cards in the neighborhood of five to six percent, though the exact deal moves around and gift card promotions come and go. It’s not a thrilling discount, but you can usually find one running somewhere.

Grocery Deals

Watch your local grocery store for Disney gift card sales. Meijer, for example, has run roughly ten percent back on gift cards a few times a year, and other chains rotate similar promos. Treat any specific percentage as a moving target and confirm the current offer before you load up. When you stack the store deal with what you earn in miles and points on your credit card, it can turn into a genuinely good return.

Online Disney Gift Card Deals

Raise

Raise sells discounted Disney gift cards that earn Raise Cash. They are often sold out, so you need to check back frequently.

Gift Card Deal

For the brave among you, Giftcarddeal.com has historically sold gift cards at a steeper discount than the big-box stores, sometimes in the fifteen-to-twenty-percent range. Resale discounts swing hard, so check what’s actually live before you get excited. And no, it is not for the faint of heart.

Some reasons it may not be a good option for you include:

1. They don’t always have the Disney gift cards in stock. You need to keep checking.

2. They do not accept credit cards. You have to pay through Zelle, Skrill, Google Pay or Apple Pay.

3. My order is routinely not filled in a timely fashion. This is not an option if you need the gift cards quickly.

With all of that said, I was incredibly nervous about essentially wiring this company money the first time I used it. I have done it a few times now, and nothing disastrous has happened. There was once an issue with a gift card not having funds on it, but they promptly issued a new one.

What Are the Downsides to Using Disney Gift Cards?

You Have to Keep the Disney Gift Cards Until Your Trip is Over

Save the Disney gift cards until your trip is over! If you need to cancel, the refund will go back onto the original gift cards.

Managing Disney Gift Cards is Tedious

Disney gift cards come in various denominations. Inevitably, I end up with two hundred $50 gift cards that I have to manually enter over a period of days. My husband refers to this practice as money laundering. It takes a ridiculous amount of time, but if you’re motivated to save on Disney trips like I am (read: cheap), it is satisfying.

You can combine gift cards on the Disney gift card website, so you only have to keep track of a few, rather than two hundred. The website lets you keep balances of up to $1,000 each on five gift cards. If you have more than five, set up an account under another family member’s name.

You Can’t Get a Refund

As mentioned above, you cannot return gift cards for cash. If your trip falls through, you are sitting on a stash of Disney dollars that’s good for exactly one thing: more Disney. Anyone who has had a trip canceled out from under them knows the money would have been more useful in a bank account. Only park money in gift cards that you’re genuinely committed to spending at Disney, and consider your tolerance for risk before going all in.

Are Disney Gift Cards Worth it?

Disney gift cards require some juggling, but they will save you a substantial amount of money. They are definitely worth it if you are OK with the fact that you cannot get a refund in real money if you cancel your trip.

2b. Save Money on Disney Trips by Traveling at Off Peak Times

Prices for hotels, theme park tickets, and cruises vary throughout the year. If you can travel at an off peak time, you will save a lot of money.

What Are the Downsides to Traveling During Off Peak Season?

Off Peak Season is Off Peak Season for a Reason

Disney doesn’t have an off peak season to be nice. Off peak season is when school is in session and the weather is bad. If you don’t want to pull your kids out of school or risk sailing in a hurricane, this is not the season for you. If you are willing to brave it, pack a poncho.

Offerings Are Limited

Disney limits hours and offerings during off peak season. Rides don’t go down for months at a time for renovation when the parks are packed; they do it when nobody’s there. Traveling with smaller crowds is great, but check the refurbishment schedule and confirm the rides and shows that matter most to you will actually be running. And whenever you go, pack smart rather than hauling your whole house; my minimalist Disney packing list keeps you from overdoing it.

2c. Use Miles and Points

Miles and points are a great way to save money on Disney World vacations. You have several options, some better than others.

Disney Visa Chase Cards

Disney offers two credit cards through Chase. Eh.

These cards offer some ways to save a nominal amount when you travel, like small discounts at select retail and dining locations. Note that I said select, not all.

Disney Premier Visa

The Disney Premier Visa Card still carries a $49 annual fee, but Chase restructured the rewards. It now earns 5% in Disney Rewards Dollars on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN streaming subscriptions, 2% on select Disney purchases plus gas, grocery, and dining, and 1% on everything else, so the old flat “2% on most things Disney” pitch is gone. The welcome offer has recently run around a $200 Disney gift card plus a $100 statement credit after $500 in spend in the first three months, but card offers rotate constantly, so confirm the live terms before you apply.

Disney Visa Card

The Disney Visa Card is the no annual fee version. It earns 1% in Disney Rewards Dollars on everything. The welcome offer has recently been in the neighborhood of a $100 Disney gift card plus a $50 statement credit after $500 in spend in the first three months. As always, the exact bonus moves around, so check the current offer before you sign up.

Is the Disney Visa Card Worth Getting?

The introductory bonuses and small Disney Visa perks you get during your trips are nice. I have one of these cards, but do not use it for everyday spend. This is particularly true because Disney Visa rewards come in the form of Disney dollars, not actual dollars. For the paltry reward percentages, you can definitely do better with other credit cards.

Disney gift cards purchased with another credit card are a better deal, but holding the no annual fee version for limited use isn’t going to hurt you.

Pro tip: Chase has a 5/24 rule. If you have opened or been added as an authorized user on five cards (not just Chase cards) within the last 24 months, you will likely be declined for these cards. If you’re juggling enough plastic to play Solitaire, my guide to managing credit cards without accidental foreclosure is worth a read.

Capital One Venture Cards

Capit al One’s Venture cards earn bonus miles that can be redeemed by erasing travel purchases from your statement. You can book Disney packages with one of these cards, then erase the charges.

Venture sign-up bonuses change constantly, so I’m not going to quote a number that’s wrong by the time you read this. Pull up the current offer and the spend requirement before you apply, and make sure the bonus is worth the spend you’d have to push through the card. If you’re new to this game, my points-and-miles guide for beginners walks through how to actually evaluate a sign-up offer.

These cards aren’t your best option in all spending categories, but they are great for everyday bills.

Note: Purchasing Disney tickets alone may not trigger the eraser. There are reports of ticket only purchases coding as entertainment, not travel. If this happens, the eraser will not work.

Target Circle Card

Target’s old RedCard is now the Target Circle Card. It takes 5% off most purchases at Target with no annual fee.

One catch: the 5% explicitly excludes Target gift cards and prepaid cards, and third-party gift cards like Disney’s generally fall outside the discount too. The program rules don’t name Disney specifically, so don’t assume the 5% applies to a Disney gift card until you’ve confirmed it at checkout. Five percent isn’t exciting either way, but it’s better than nothing when you don’t have time to screw around with other options, and there’s no fee to hold the card.

American Express

You can book the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resort through the American Express travel portal. This is not an on property hotel, but comes with some of the same perks.

Delta Vacations

If you have Delta miles to burn, you can book Disney World trips through Delta Vacations. Be sure it is a good value redemption before you book this way.

3. Save on Disney Theme Park Trips

3a. How to Save Money at Disney World Resorts by Renting Disney Vacation Club Points

What Are Disney Vacation Club Points?

Disney Vacation Club is Disney’s version of a timeshare. ~~Suckers~~ Customers are locked into recurring dues for decades, well after their children leave the nest.

Fortunately, those who no longer wish to use their points can rent them to others. You can book Disney World, Disneyland, Aulani, Hilton Head Island, and Vero Beach in this manner. This is the single best way to save on Disney hotels.

As an added bonus, resort parking is included when you stay on points. If you drive to Disney World, this is a great way to save on Disney parking.

Why Should You Stay on Property?

You can save money staying off property, but should you? I personally wouldn’t.

Convenience

I enjoy saving money as much as the next guy, but I do not like to travel halfway. Some offsite properties are lovely, but they lack convenience. There is something magical about the Disney bubble that your kids will miss elsewhere.

Early Theme Park Entry

Every Disney resort hotel guest at Walt Disney World gets Early Theme Park Entry: 30 minutes in all four parks before everyone else. This is a real, standard perk now, not a “coming soon” announcement, and Disney has confirmed it through 2027. Thirty minutes doesn’t sound like a lot until you’re standing at rope drop watching on-property guests walk straight onto the headliner ride you came for. Deluxe resort and DVC guests also get Extended Evening Hours on select nights, also confirmed through 2027.

If you’re staying off site, you can’t rope drop your way around the crowds the way on-property guests can. That head start is one of the strongest arguments for staying inside the bubble, especially now that skipping the line otherwise costs real money (more on Lightning Lane below).

Is Staying On Property Worth it?

Disney has quietly peeled back perks of staying on property over the years, but I still think it’s worth it. You get a well-themed resort, Early Theme Park Entry, and free bus, boat, and monorail transportation between your hotel and the parks once you’re there. Staying off property adds the hassle of getting yourself in and the cost of daily parking on top.

One perk that’s flat-out gone: Disney’s Magical Express, the free airport bus that whisked you and your luggage from Orlando International straight to your resort, ended on January 1, 2022. The free internal park transportation still exists, but getting from the airport to Disney is now on you. The paid replacement is Mears Connect, and rideshare or a rental car are the usual alternatives. Budget for that airport transfer; it used to be a freebie and now it isn’t.

If you’re weighing specific resorts, I broke down whether one of the pricier options earns its rate in my take on Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.

Where to Rent DVC Points for Disney World and Disneyland

David’s Vacation Club Rentals

David’s Vacation Club Rentals allows you to rent from Disney Vacation Club owners. They accept credit cards, so you can accumulate miles and points.

DVC Rental Store

DVC Rental Store provides the same service, but charges a fee to use a credit card. Not cool when you are trying to collect miles and points.

Rent Disney Points From Owners Through a Private Contract

A quick Google search will lead you to forums where private owners rent points to individuals to save on Disney World vacations. You may be able to save a little more than if you go through one of the brokers above, but it comes with more risk. The owner has control of your reservation. If you get ripped off, Disney will not do anything about it.

What Are the Downsides of Renting Disney Vacation Club Points?

When you rent Disney Vacation points, there are downsides. You will need to decide if you can live with these to save money at Disney World parks and Disneyland.

Advanced Planning Required

Disney Vacation Club points can rarely be rented at the last minute. You need to book WAY in advance.

Disney allows its members to book eleven months before their trips. You should aim for that timeframe as well. Availability is limited. If you wait until a couple of months before your trip to try to book, there will be no inventory.

Pro tip: You can contact David’s Vacation Club Rentals at the twelve month mark to put in your request.

Bonus pro tip: People who can no longer travel sometimes try to sell their confirmed reservations. No changes whatsoever can be made to these types of reservations. If you want a last minute booking and can be flexible, you may be able to find a great deal.

Payment in Full Required at Time of Booking

When you contact a Disney Vacation Club rental company to submit a request, you generally put down a small, refundable deposit. When they confirm a reservation, payment in full is required.

No Refunds

Once your reservation is confirmed, there are no refunds. Really. Even during the pandemic, exceptions weren’t made for cancellations while the parks were open. If that’s the bar, assume your money is gone the moment the reservation is locked in.

Pro tip: If you think you might need to cancel, buy trip insurance or skip renting Disney Vacation Club points altogether.

Limited Housekeeping

When you stay on Disney Vacation Club points, you get limited housekeeping, or “mousekeeping” as Disney ~~nerds~~ lovers like to call it.

The official position is housekeeping will only change your trash and linens on the fourth day of your trip if you stay seven nights or less. However, the last time I was there, linens and trash were exchanged daily. You don’t get a full cleaning unless you stay eight nights or more. This is a big fat who cares for me, but it might matter to your family.

Different Room Configurations

It varies by the property you choose, but you generally get a villa when you rent Disney Vacation Club points. The villas often have different sleeping arrangements than regular hotel rooms. Our last room came with one bed and one pullout couch. My kids didn’t notice, but yours might be more observant.

You can find the layouts of the rooms online. Make sure the room will work for your family.

Is Renting Disney Vacation Club Points Worth it?

Is it worth it to rent Disney Vacation Club points? Absolutely. No question.

Upscale Disney hotels are notoriously steep. Renting Disney Vacation Club points to book hotels can cut the cost in half without sacrificing your experience that much.

You can still add a dining plan (back since January 2024) and ride the free buses, boats, and monorail to the parks at Disney World when you stay on rented points. This is a no-brainer.

Pro tip: If you’re too late to rent Disney Vacation Club points, you may be able to find discounted rooms on sites like Expedia or Travelocity.

how to save money at disney resorts Animal Kingdom

3b. Save on Disney Tickets

The rack rate prices for Disney tickets are astronomical. Ten year old kids are adults in the land of Disney. Do not pay full price for that nonsense.

How can I save money on Disney World tickets?

Children Under Age 3 Are Free

Children under age 3 get into the theme parks free, so don’t buy tickets for them. Disney prices “child” tickets for ages 3 to 9 and charges full adult fare starting at age 10, which is its own special kind of insult, but the under-3 freebie is real money saved.

Skip the Park Hopper at Disney World

Disney World and Disneyland offer single-park-per-day tickets, plus Park Hopper tickets that let you bounce between parks for an added charge. At Walt Disney World the Park Hopper add-on runs roughly $65 to $105 depending on ticket length and travel dates. Skip it. The four WDW parks are spread out, and the time you’ll burn schlepping between them on Disney transportation isn’t worth the money or the effort.

The two Disneyland parks sit directly across an esplanade from each other, so park hopping is genuinely more worthwhile out there. Skipping the hopper to save a few bucks won’t ruin a Disneyland trip, but it’s not the obvious win it is in Orlando. For more on getting the most out of Anaheim, see my Disneyland trip planning guide.

Stay Longer

What now?

Disney tickets get dramatically cheaper per day as you add days, and the 2026 pricing bears this out. A single-day Magic Kingdom ticket runs roughly $139 to $209 depending on the date, but the per-day cost craters when you buy a longer ticket: a median one-day ticket lands around $184, while a four-day ticket works out to roughly $165 per day, and stretching from four days to ten adds only about $216 total. If you were already planning several days, buying them as one multi-day ticket beats stacking single days. Book a longer stay, get a better per-day value, and stop sprinting through the parks. (All figures exclude Florida’s 6.5% sales tax.)

Consider an Annual Pass

Annual passes won’t make sense for most families, but if you’re visiting multiple times in a year, the math can work. At Walt Disney World, the top-tier Incredi-Pass (no blockout dates, available to anyone) runs around $1,549 plus tax, with cheaper Florida-resident tiers like the Pirate Pass around $829. At Disneyland the equivalent is the Magic Key, sold in tiers that as of late 2025 ran roughly $599 for the SoCal-resident Imagine Key up to $1,899 for the top Inspire Key.

Two warnings: pass types sell out and rotate availability constantly, so the one you want may not be for sale when you go to buy it, and the standard date-based ticket no longer requires a park reservation (that requirement was dropped in January 2024), while passholders still face reservation rules on some dates. Run the numbers against the number of days you’ll actually go before you commit.

Places to Purchase Tickets

Direct Purchase

Theme park tickets will not be the cheapest on Disney’s website on their own, but if you purchase them with discounted Disney gift cards, they might be. Do the math.

Pro tip: Check to see if any of Disney’s discounts apply to you. Florida residents, military personnel, and miscellaneous others might be entitled to a better price than the general public.

Discount Brokers

Websites like Undercover Tourist and Viator are a solid way to save on Disney tickets and other theme park admission. Undercover Tourist is an actual Disney-authorized reseller (it’s listed on Disney’s own authorized-seller page and has been around since 2000), so you’re not gambling on a sketchy third party. For Disneyland, also check Get Away Today, the longtime go-to for Southern California parks. You can’t use Disney gift cards on these sites, but they’re great if you want to pay with a credit card and rack up points.

Check Your Local Grocery Store

If you live near a theme park, check your grocery store. Some have discounted tickets. Target even sold Disneyland tickets nationwide at one point. These may not be your best option, but compare the prices just in case you can save on Disney park tickets while purchasing your White Claw.

3c. Save on Dining

Disney Dining Plan

The Disney Dining Plan and Quick Service Dining Plan came back on January 9, 2024, after a long pandemic hiatus, so you can buy in again. It’s natural to assume a dining plan saves money. It often doesn’t. For 2025 the Quick Service plan ran around $59 per adult and $25 per child per night, and the standard Dining Plan ran roughly $98 per adult and $31 per child per night (tax included, gratuity not). To break even you have to eat a lot, and order the priciest things on every menu, every day. Price out the meals you’d actually order against the per-night cost before you buy. If you decide it’s worth it, you can pay for it with discounted gift cards ahead of your trip.

Grocery Delivery

If you will be spending a lot of time in your room, a grocery delivery is an option to further save on food. These are available through companies like Amazon and Garden Grocer. Be sure to only order what your room and refrigerator can hold.

Free Water

Counter service restaurants at Disney will give you free cups of ice water. You don’t need to purchase a drink every time you are thirsty.

Eat Your Most Expensive Meals Early

Meals at Disney World cost more at dinner. If you want to do an expensive character meal, book it for breakfast or lunch.

Order What You Want

You can share meals, and adults can order off the kids’ menu. I am not advocating for this. I love food. However, if you want to share or order a kids’ meal, you do you.

how to save money on the disney dining plan Mickey Mouse

3d. Budget for Lightning Lane (Skipping the Line Now Costs Money)

Here’s a line item this post didn’t used to have, because it didn’t used to exist. Free FastPass+ is dead. The free system that let you reserve ride times in advance is gone, and Disney replaced it with a paid one. If you’re budgeting a theme park trip in 2026, you have to account for this or get blindsided at the gate.

As of July 2024, the paid skip-the-line products at Walt Disney World and Disneyland are:

Lightning Lane Multi Pass (the old Genie+): lets you book a stack of shorter waits across a bunch of rides. At WDW it’s date- and park-priced, running roughly $15 to $45 per day per ticket. Magic Kingdom sits at the top of that range; EPCOT and Animal Kingdom can start lower.
Lightning Lane Single Pass (the old Individual Lightning Lane): pay per ride for the most in-demand attractions, roughly $12 to $25 each depending on the ride and the day.
Lightning Lane Premier Pass: the newest, priciest tier, an all-day skip-the-line pass that has ranged roughly $129 to $449 per person plus tax depending on park and date. For most families, this is a hard no.

A booking note: WDW resort hotel guests can start booking Multi Pass up to seven days ahead, while off-site guests are capped at three days out. One more reason the bubble has an edge.

Is Lightning Lane Worth it?

This is a “save your day, not your dollars” purchase, and I want to be honest about that. Lightning Lane does not save you money. It is an extra cost on top of your ticket. What it buys is time and patience, which on a hot, crowded day with melting children can be worth every penny.

If you’re going during a genuinely off-peak window, get to the parks at rope drop, and use Early Theme Park Entry, you can ride plenty without paying a dime extra. If you’re stuck going at a busy time, want to hit the headliners, and value not standing in a 90-minute line with a toddler, Multi Pass can be worth it. Skip the Premier Pass unless money is genuinely no object. Either way, decide before your trip so it’s in the budget and not a surprise.

4. Save Money on Disney Cruises

How can I save money on a Disney Cruise? It will be expensive regardless, but you can make a dent. (If you’re still deciding whether to sail at all, I weighed that in are Disney cruises worth it.)

4a. Book Disney Cruises Early to Save on Disney Trips

Disney Cruises are the cheapest they are ever going to be on opening day. The prices continue to rise as more cabins fill. Booking cruises early is one of my favorite money saving Disney tips.

Booking early got a little less scary in one way and a little riskier in another. As of June 2025, Disney cut the initial booking deposit from 20% of the fare to 10%, so less money is tied up up front. The catch: deposits are now non-refundable for most guests, where they used to be easier to get back. Cancellation deadlines and exactly how much you can recover vary by sailing and how close you are to final payment, so read your specific reservation’s terms before you assume you can walk away clean. Concierge deposits remain non-refundable but can sometimes be transferred to another booking.

What is the Downside?

Generally, the only real harm in booking early is parting with the money you use to pay the deposit. Cruises increase by thousands of dollars from the day bookings open to the sail date. You definitely want to jump on that early.

4b. Use a Travel Agent to Save on Disney Trips

Disney pays travel agents a commission that is built into the price of the cruises. If you don’t use a travel agent, Disney keeps that money. The fare will be the same whether you use a travel agent or not. You can still pay over time with Disney gift cards either way.

Can a travel agent save money on Disney? Not directly, but you still come out ahead.

Travel agents often give incentives to book cruises with them. Dreams Unlimited Travel, for example, gives a generous onboard credit. The amount of the onboard credit is calculated based upon the price of your cruise, but is generally hundreds of dollars. This is a great way to save on a Disney Cruise because it requires no effort on your part.

If your travel agent doesn’t offer a financial incentive or charges you a fee, I would find another one.

What is the Downside?

There really isn’t a downside to using a competent travel agent. However, Disney cannot accept payments directly from you or make changes to your reservation if you have a travel agent. There are horror stories online of botched reservations and people being ghosted, so vet your agent before you sign up.

4c. Book a Future Cruise Onboard the Ship to Save on Disney Trips

Reserve a Future Sailing

Rebooking onboard is one of the best ways to save money on Disney vacations. While on a cruise, book another cruise. If you rebook on the ship, you can get 10% off a future cruise on most sailings. You are used to eating Ramen every night at home. Why stop now?

Note: When you book a specific sailing onboard, you pay the rate on the day you book. You will probably not get the cheapest rate that ever existed.

Book a Placeholder

To get the best rate, book placeholders.

You can purchase a placeholder onboard for $250. You have two years from the date of purchase to assign it to a sailing and sail for 10% off, and on some sailings that discount has run as high as 20 to 25%. The cruise has to commence within that 24-month window.

Pro tip: Wait for a new batch of sailings to open, then book on opening day with your placeholder. The $250 is applied to your deposit when you book.

Bonus Pro tip: Whether you book a future cruise or placeholder, you can list your travel agent to get onboard credit from the travel agency on the next cruise as well.

Note: You must SAIL, not book, within two years, or you will lose the placeholder. If the placeholder expires, the $250 is refunded back to the card you used to put the money down. Keep that gift card!

What Are the Downsides?

As long as you can afford to part with the money you put down onboard, there isn’t a big downside here. These deposits are generally refundable. However, some cruises are blocked out from the onboard booking promotions. Make sure you can use it for the cruise you want.

4d. Book Shore Excursions Directly with the Provider to Save on Disney Trips

Disney is not new to the whole profit thing. You can book shore excursions operated by independent companies directly through Disney. For a substantial markup.

Booking independently is one of the best ways to save money on Disney Cruises. Peruse Disney’s website to figure out what you want to do, then go directly to the shore excursion provider’s website to book.

Note: Disney cruises have been sailing normally for years now, and booking an independent operator directly is still a legitimate way to save. Policies and excursion availability change, so confirm the details before you book anything that can’t be canceled.

What is the Downside?

If you do not book shore excursions directly with Disney, the ship can leave without you if you return late. While this sounds bad, I doubt it is actually an issue.

Shore excursion providers bend over backwards to make sure you get back to the ship on time. These companies make their money from cruisers. The last thing they need is a reputation for making people miss their ships.

Save on Disney Trips FAQ

What is the cheapest way to buy Disney World tickets?

Buy multi-day tickets rather than stacking single days, since the per-day price drops sharply as you add days, and pay with discounted Disney gift cards where you can. For a credit card option, compare an authorized reseller like Undercover Tourist against Disney’s direct price. Check whether any Florida-resident, military, or other discount applies to you before you pay full freight.

Do I still need a park reservation at Disney World?

Not for standard date-based tickets. Disney dropped the park reservation requirement for those in January 2024. Annual passholders still face reservation rules on some dates, so check if you’re going that route.

How much does it cost to skip the lines now that FastPass+ is gone?

Free FastPass+ is gone. At Walt Disney World, Lightning Lane Multi Pass runs roughly $15 to $45 per day per person, Lightning Lane Single Pass is about $12 to $25 per ride, and the all-day Premier Pass has ranged from around $129 to $449. Budget for it before you go or skip it by arriving at rope drop with Early Theme Park Entry.

Is the free airport transfer to Disney World still a thing?

No. Disney’s Magical Express, the free airport bus that also delivered your luggage, ended January 1, 2022. The paid replacement is Mears Connect, and rideshare or a rental car are the other common options. The bus, boat, and monorail transportation between your resort and the parks is still free once you’re on property.

Is the Disney Dining Plan worth it?

It’s back (since January 2024), but it often won’t save you money. For 2025 the Quick Service plan ran about $59 per adult per night and the standard Dining Plan about $98 per adult per night. You only come out ahead if you eat a lot and order the priciest items. Price your actual meals against the per-night cost before you buy.

Final Thoughts – Save on Disney Trips

The cost of a Disney vacation is going to sting. You will probably find yourself thinking (or saying aloud in mixed company) something along the lines of “WTF, how is this balloon $36?” several times throughout the trip. Hopefully, the smiles on your kids’ faces (between the crying and whining about being too hot) will make it all worth it.

Save on Disney trips and make memories. You will not regret it.