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!
10. Sell Unwanted Gift Cards
Another great way to earn some money for your trip is to sell any extra gift cards you got but aren’t going to use. Sites like Raise, Cardpool and GiftCardGranny, will let you sell your cards and make some money. I have purchased cards from these sites, but I haven’t sold on there. You can also sell on places like eBay.
11. Reward Credit Cards
Reward credit cards are a great way to save money on your Disney trip. There are many types of reward cards from earning free flights to the Disney Visa card where you can earn money off of your trip. A lot of cards can offer “Cash back” for using them. If you have one of those, take the “cash back” and put it away for your trip. Just don’t go into debt to pay for your vacation, that doesn’t really help you get there cheaper.
12. Part Time Jobs
To take a trip, you are going to need extra money. A great way to earn that is by taking part-time or side jobs. Now-a-days part-time jobs are pretty common, as companies want to keep employees under “full time hours” to save the company money. I’m sure there are some in your area. Or, if your schedule doesn’t permit that, perhaps you could babysit, pet sit, pet walk, mow lawns, shovel sidewalks, drive for places like Uber, etc.. It might not seem like much, but after a few months it can add up to be a big help for your trip. Just make sure you have any permits or certifications you need first. Do your homework.
13. Offer Your Expertise
This kind of goes along with the “part-time job” from above, but it’s more specialized. A lot of people have skills in areas that businesses will pay for. Working as a “consultant” in your specialty area can lead to some extra money, and also some good contacts (and that can’t hurt.) If you have a marketable skill that can be used in a consultant capacity, consider doing a few hours a week. Or you could write for blogs. A lot of bigger ones will pay per story. Specialized areas often pay more and you can pad your Disney wallet quicker. Again, make sure you have the proper permits or certifications to do this.
14. Get Your Crafts On
A lot of people are turning to crafting to make extra money. Places like local craft shows or Etsy are good places to try and sell your work. Keep in mind, that there are upfront material costs or set-up / listing costs, and often business license will be needed. If you are good at your craft you can make some extra money. I personally do this and it works out great!
15. Cut Down on Extra Expenses
An arguable “easy” way to save some money is to cut down on where you spend your money. Maybe bring your lunch to work or skip the coffee in the morning. Switch from cable or satellite TV to online options, like Netflix or Hulu. Hulu now offers a cheaper alternative to live network television. We use it and it’s great. You can also get antennas that mount to your wall or window. They are pretty inexpensive, and will get you local networks and channels. Turn off your lights and electronics when you aren’t using them, lower your thermostat a couple of degrees, and so on. All add up to savings and money you can use.
16. Tax Refund
This is one of the easiest ones to do, provided you get a refund. I personally know several people who do this. Every year, take your refund and pay part of all of your Disney vacation. It really isn’t a “savings hack,” but it’s a good way to book a trip, and then use the other ideas in this post to pay for travel or souvenirs.
17. Enlist Your Family
For a lot of people, family will give gifts for your birthday or a holiday. Include them in your wish to take a trip and ask for Disney gift cards or money. Just a couple of days ago, someone posted that they asked for gift cards for Christmas and had a large part of their trip paid for from gifts they received from family members. It’s a double win because your family gets to be included and have a hand in helping you with the trip and they get to give you a gift that is useful and didn’t require a lot of effort on their part. During the holidays, easy is a good thing! Win-Win.
18. Use Your Library
The library is a great way to save money. You can take out books, rent movies, read magazines, and some offer classes that could help you with learning new skills that you could use to make more money (like numbers 11 and 12.) A lot of libraries get new releases, so rent the movie instead of buying it. If you really love it, you can always buy it. Want to read the newest book from your favorite author, just borrow it. A lot of libraries offer audio books as well.
These 18 money savers not only work for vacations to Disney, they can be applied to savings for retirement, a car, a house, getting out of debt, or any other object or trip you want to save for. After you get started doing a lot of these, it will become second nature to you.
Yes, Disney vacations can be expensive, but they are not completely out of your reach. Here’s hoping you get to take your family vacation to Disney in 2018 or 2019! Good luck!
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