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Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida? Are you overwhelmed by the number of articles giving tips and tricks to make your travel to the most magical destination easier? You have spent hundreds of dollars on tickets, more money on the perfect hotel, and you have spent hours packing because you never know what the weather will be in Florida. Let’s face it, Florida’s weather can be bi-polar.

Travel Experts Weigh In

I asked travel influencers to weigh in. This article contains little known tips on traveling to Walt Disney World from the experts!. The advice in this article will save you money and provide tips for adult enjoyment while experiencing the parks with your families.

Let’s get to it! Add these proven tips to your travel itinerary to make the most of your trip to Walt Disney World, Florida:

Tip 1: Never Pay Full Price For Your Disney Vacation

Kristi Corder is a wife, mom, chiropractor, educator, and health consultant who lives her life “way beyond the norm.” She currently travels full-time with her family in their 39’ RV and roadschools her children.

Never pay full price for a Walt Disney World vacation. That’s right! There are tons of ways you can save money on your next visit to the “Happiest Place on Earth. Here are a few of my tips to do just that.

Save Money On Your Disney Vacation

If you have a Target Red Card (we use the one linked to our checking account, not the credit card option), you can save 5% when buying gift cards in the store. Purchase Disney gift cards and then use them to pay for food in the parks, souvenirs, or even to pay off the balance on your trip. Say your family’s trip will cost $3000, you would save $150 by using the gift card method. That doesn’t sound like much, but that $150 could pay for a character dining experience or two different meals for the family at any of Disney’s quick-service restaurants.

Do you have a friend who uses the Disney Rewards credit card? If so, ask them to send you a referral link to sign up for your own card. After signing up and getting your card in the mail, use it to pay a $500 deposit on your trip. Once you do this, you’ll then be eligible for a $200 statement credit. That means you’ll only pay $300 for $500 towards your trip! Plus, any future purchase on the credit card will earn you 1% back in Disney Rewards dollars.

In addition, if you plan your trip far enough in advance, you could always request Disney gift cards for things like Christmas and birthdays, but be sure to keep them in a safe and familiar place until it’s time to book your trip. If you’ve already booked, call and apply those gift cards right away!

For more tips on travel, check out Kristi’s website!

Tip 2: Get The Most Out Of Your Disney Dining Plan

I’m Alison Netzer, family travel blogger sharing my pearls and (sorta) wisdom gleaned from trips with a family of five. I live in Baltimore, MD. I’m a wife, mother of three, and owner of two high-spirited chocolate labs.

To save money on dining while traveling to Disney, families opt to purchase the Disney Dining plan as part of their Disney vacation package. If you opt to purchase any of the Disney dining plans other than the deluxe dining plan, you will be short one meal per day. The quick dining and dining plans for Disney only cover two meals with two snacks included. Most families using these plans will chose to not to use the dining plans for breakfast and will either pack breakfast bars with them or go to their hotel marketplaces and buy breakfast before heading out to the parks for the day.

My Tips For Optimizing Your Disney Dining Plan

What I have learned is you really don’t need two snacks per day. Snacks can easily be shared among family members. One snack per person per day is plenty. Given that meals portions are generous, it doesn’t leave much room for snacks.

What can you do with all those extra snacks? You can use them for breakfast items in your hotel marketplace. Keep in mind, you will not be able to get a full breakfast platter, but you will be able to purchase a pastry, perhaps a cereal cup, bowl of fruit, or even a breakfast sandwich. Snacks go a long way in the hotel marketplaces and can be utilized well for your morning pick me up. Have those Disney refillable cups? Fill them with your morning cup of Joe before heading out. They will get you going for a long day out.

For more tips on the Disney dining plan, check out Alison’s article.

Tip 3: Drinking Around The World At Epcot

Hi, I’m Alex Peters, author of the Wayward Walrus. I am a travel storyteller and adventure aficionado. The Wayward Walrus was birthed through a not so healthy amount of skepticism for status quo expectations and boredom of the environment I had surrounded myself with.

While Orlando is usually synonymous with family oriented fun, being a local to the area means you experience the theme parks a bit differently than those only visiting for short periods of time. Us locals get creative with our time at the various parks. One of my favorite theme park pastimes is drinking around the world at Epcot!

One of the biggest mistakes for those participating is by starting in Mexico. With how strong those margaritas are, chances are you won’t make it around the entire “world”. Instead pace yourself and start on the other side of the park with Canada and work your way around the world, ending in Mexico. For more tips and tricks, check out my full guide on how to drink around the world at Epcot!

*Remember you must be 21 to legally drink in the United States and always drink responsibly!

Tip 4: Save Money By Bringing In Your Own Food/Drink

If you have not purchased the Disney Dining Plan as part of your Disney vacation package, I recommend bringing in your own food and drink. All parks allow you to bring in food, snacks, and drinks.

A bottled water purchased in the park could run you upwards of $2.50 each! In the hot summer months of Florida, you will need several bottles over the course of the day. Why not save significant amounts of money by bringing your own? If you have a stroller, pack a small collapsible cooler and even pack lunch for the day. You can leave it in the bottom of your stroller.

If your kids are bigger and you travel without a stroller, I highly recommend purchasing a backpack cooler. When visiting the Disney Water Parks, my family packs drinks, food, and snacks all with the ease of carrying the cooler on our backs!

In summary:

Planning a trip to Walt Disney World can be overwhelming. Implement these easy, no hassle tips from travel experts to save money and add some adult fun to your family trip.

RECOMMENDED ARTICLE: Check out my tips for saving money on travel no matter where the destination.

Do you have any tips for traveling to Disney that you can share with my readers? If so, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a comment!