I often hear the going to a Disney park isn’t something a lot of families can afford to do anymore. Prices do go up, but if you have a will there’s a way. We’ve compiled a new list of way your family can save money for a Disney vacation.
1. The Tried and True Change Jar
This method is one that I know many families use. When I was a kid the pole in the middle of my parent’s spiral staircase was hollow, so they would put money down in it and save for a trip. It worked! This is like that, but way less complicated (it’s really hard to use tweezers to get money out of a long hollow pole.) Start saving all your change. Or, some people save every $5 bill they get, or every $10 bill they get. Taking it out of change an putting it right into a safe “savings” place. I’ve also heard that if save up only dimes you can end up with a sizable amount of money when you fill up a jar. Pay with cash more often and save your change, be it bills, dimes, or all of it.
2. Vacation Club
Some employers or banks will offer a “vacation club.” When you join a set amount is taken out of your paycheck and put into an account towards a trip. Or you can just open one and add to it as you would like. I know some people who’ve gotten a raise, and instead of taking the money each check, they have that money put into the account so they never miss it. After awhile, you have enough for a Disney vacation.
3. Coupons
I am a huge fan of this one. Couponing is easy, you can even print valid coupons from the internet. You can literally “print money.” Take a bit of time before you shop and find sales you can match coupons to. Then, take the money you saved and put in into your trip savings. A lot of stores will price match sales too, and you can just take any savings and roll it into your trip.
4. Coupon/Refund Sites
Along with coupons, you can also download some easy to use refund/coupon sites. Ibotta is one of the ones I often use. It’s easy to sign up and use. They list items and quantities and when you buy them and scan your receipt you can get the advertised money back. Now, they even offer money back on all kinds of places, Walmart, Target, Amazon, clothing stores, drug stores, and even Joann Fabrics–over 288 “stores.” There are online cashback opportunities, and store loyalty card opportunities too. It adds up quick and you can get money just for signing up! When you are ready to cash out you can turn it into gift cards, or just deposit it into your Paypal or Venmo accounts. You can help us out by using code glusjsg. Other great ones are eBates and Walmart Savings Catcher (you can put your savings money onto a Bluebird American Express card to help pay for your trip.) There are many more out there. Please share if you have some good ones you like to use!
5. Garage/Yard Sales
This is a great way to save money and earn money. You can earn money by getting rid of the items you have lying around. My parents used to also do this to help pay for our Disney trips. It’s also a great way to save money from shopping garage sales. Find clothes, toys and other items that you need, at a fraction of the cost. Take the money you saved and put it into your vacation savings!
6. Ebay/Facebook Marketplace/Craigslist
Just like garage sales, these are a great place to sell extra items that you have. It’s also a good place to get deals on things you might want or need and the extra savings can go right into your vacation account.
7. Watch for Disney Deals
Different times of the year Disney will offer specials. Sometimes it’s room discounts, sometimes it’s free dining, and sometimes it other things. Keep your eyes peeled. Also consider going at “off season” times. Disney bases their prices on how busy they expect to be at different times of the year. Going at a “less busy” time might mean deals for you. There are also deals on flights or car rentals, if you keep watch.
8. Use a Travel Agency
If you don’t have time to constantly watch for deals, a travel agency is a great way to go. Usually, if you book and a better deal or special comes along, your agent will do what they can to get you the best deal. Sometime finding discounts you didn’t even know existed! Plus, authorized Disney-centric agencies offer services for FREE. We recommend the agency listed at the bottom of this article. It saves money and a lot of hassle.
9. Using Gift Cards
Disney gift cards are readily available at most retailers, but some places like Target, Costco, and Sams will occasionally offer discounts on Disney Gift cards. There are even stories of people going to Sams Club and buying a couple of dozen packs of cards. The savings is about $8.00 per $100. For a $3,000 trip one would need to buy 30 gift card packs. 30 X $8.00=$240 in savings!
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