When is the best time to go to Disney World: choose the right time
Accommodation, dining, purchasing branded souvenirs such as T-shirts or Mickey Mouse ears, as well as tickets to the amusement park itself – the cost of a trip to Disney World can quickly add up if you don't take care to plan a fun vacation with or without children. It's worth planning your trip carefully if you want to stay on budget. Use the following tips to save money on your vacation, keeping in mind the most expensive and cheapest times to visit Disney World.
When is the best time to visit Disney World
The favorite theme park, like other popular attractions in the world, is no exception, and the time of the highest activity is often the most expensive. However, this means that during relatively off-peak seasons, you can get a pretty good deal.
Disney World operates year-round, so it's not easy to find obvious periods of minimal activity. Nevertheless, it is still possible to track when the number of visitors is the lowest and prices are lower throughout the year. If you plan to visit theme parks on a tight budget, it's important to be flexible. For example, adults traveling without children or families with kids who don't go to school yet can skip the vacation schedule and visit Disney World at a less popular time, especially avoiding winter holidays. This will not only save money but also allow you to avoid the longest queues for rides. In addition, most visitors gather on weekends throughout the year, so it's better to choose a weekday in the middle of the week.
Another tip on how to save money on a trip to Disney World is to regularly monitor the park's official website. You should especially pay attention to the "Special Offers" section. Here, you can often find favorable options for purchasing tickets and accommodation in nearby hotels, which also usually offer a shuttle service to the early entry service. There is also an option to leave your email address to receive notifications about special promotions. Planning your trip under limited-time offers will help you save a lot of money on your trip.
The company uses the principle of dynamic ticket pricing, so the entrance to the park will be most expensive during busy hours. You can often find cheaper options for the middle of the week than for the weekend. The highest ticket prices occur on major holidays, including:
- Thanksgiving;
- Christmas;
- New Year's Eve.
Experts recommend January, after school holidays, and February for a cheap visit to Disney World. Another option, if you are not planning a winter trip, is to choose the end of August and the beginning of September, when children have already returned to school and the summer vacation season is over.
The most expensive time to go to Disney World
As expected, prices rise the highest during the winter holidays, and the week of Christmas and New Year's Eve will be the most expensive in most cases. Other holidays that are in high demand for visiting theme parks include:
- Thanksgiving (November 23);
- Easter period, including spring break (April 1-16);
- Halloween (October 31);
- Memorial Day (May 26-29) and other federal holidays.
Also, during the summer holidays, the parks are very hot and humid, so if possible, it is better to plan your vacation for May or the end of August and September to feel more comfortable and avoid dizziness.
If you want to enjoy Christmas or Halloween celebrations and see the bright-themed decor, a good solution for an inexpensive trip to Disney World is to visit the park at the beginning of the season. Your favorite theme park starts celebrating early, so you can plan your trip a few weeks before the big day while enjoying the magical atmosphere and saving money. To take advantage of favorable offers, you can choose the first week of December when children are still at school and the crowds are not as large as during the Christmas holidays. Visiting Disney World at a less busy time also means that you can minimize additional costs, such as paying for the Genie+ tariff, which allows you to avoid queues at popular attractions (more than 40 on the list). The cost of this service is $20 per person.
How to save money and when to spend it
When organizing an inexpensive trip to Disney World, you should pay special attention to finding accommodation, as this can be the largest expense item during your trip. For example, you can choose a more affordable resort. For example, the Pop Century complex offers modern and branded amenities and a convenient transfer via Skyliner. The money you save is worth spending on the famous fireworks party, which will give you an unforgettable experience.
Another option for saving money is to visit less expensive fast food restaurants in parks or resorts, but we recommend that you still arrange one or two gourmet meals in the signature style. Also, some hotels offer breakfast for children with their favorite cartoon characters and specialties that are not to be missed.
Walking around a theme park requires a lot of energy, so we recommend packing extra snacks, such as nuts, crackers, or favorite sweets from home, to avoid wasting time and money on visiting food outlets and queues.
An important point is the strategy of buying tickets. The longer you stay, the more you can save. For example, the cost of a one-day pass starts at USD 109. Seven-day tickets start at $69 per day. Also, if you choose a resort that offers a lot of entertainment and amenities, you can spend a day or two not in the park, but on the hotel grounds, swimming in the pool, attending kids' clubs or other free activities.
Choosing a hotel
When traveling to a famous theme park, it's best to stay at a Disney-owned resort to get the full experience. In this case, you get extra time on the rides (formerly known as Extra Magic Hours), priority table reservations, and pre-access to Genie+. You also don't need to worry about transfers and travel, as some of the complexes are adjacent to the park.
Just like entrance ticket prices, the cost of accommodation fluctuates throughout the year, so it will depend on your choice how cheap your vacation to Disney World will be. The highest cost is typical for the period of vacations and weekends. Mostly, the price increase is observed from January to March, April, to the beginning of summer, and in September there is a slight decline, reaching a peak at the end of the year.
We advise you to keep an eye out for promotions and special offers offered by Disney from time to time.
Other tips for saving money
In addition to information about the cheapest time to go to Disney World, you should check out other tips to help minimize costs.
- Give the greatest attention to the choice of accommodation. For example, Marriott Bonvoy members have the opportunity to use their points to save on a stay at one of the nearby resorts and stay at the Walt Disney World Swan or another hotel.
- When traveling in a large group, consider renting an apartment on Orlando Airbnb, where you will have enough space to cook and relax. Besides, you can divide the costs among everyone.
- Take a reusable water bottle with you to fill it up for free if necessary, rather than buying drinks in establishments.
- You can buy Disney merchandise, such as T-shirts and sweatshirts, even at supermarkets like Target, although some of the accessories sold at the park are too cute to pass up.
We also recommend bringing a small umbrella or waterproof poncho, as it can be difficult to avoid rain at certain times, especially in the summer.