While Disney is known to be insanely expensive, there are ways to enjoy everything on a budget.

Decide which of the four parks appeal to your family the most and visit those. You do not have to visit all four parks every trip! It’s easily to have FOMO, but being stressed about blowing the budget the whole trip can really ruin a vacation. Skip the park hopper ticket and pick two or three parks to really explore.

Spend a day at your resort. Each resort has pools and daily activities such as campfires and movie nights which have no extra charge (s’mores ingredients do cost extra so bring your own.)

Explore Disney springs. This shopping and restaurant district has no cover charge to enter and frequently has live music throughout. Walk around the shops or grab a drink from one of the bars and soak in the sunshine

Visit other Disney resorts. If you are staying on the Skyliner or monorail, it’s super easy to jump between resorts. While you won’t be able to use the pools, you can still go explore the other resorts, try the restaurants, do some shopping or take in all the unique theming Disney is known for.

Enjoy Disneys Boardwalk area. This area has three different resorts and multiple restaurants all on a boardwalk surrounding Crescent Lake. With carnival games and silly attractions, it’s guaranteed to provide a few hours of enjoyment for the family. You can also rent Surrey bikes to ride around the lake!

Head to Fort Wilderness for some outdoor activities such as horseback riding and archery lessons. While these do have a fee, it’s definitely cheaper than another day park ticket.

Head to the Polynesian resort to sit on the beach and watch Magic Kingdom fireworks at night. While you won’t get to see the castle projections like you would in the park, you can still enjoy the music while getting to relax on a beach and have a great view of fireworks. (Friendly reminder: There is no swimming at the beach, so save the swimsuits for your resort pool.)

Sleep in! It’s so easy to pack your days full on vacation, but this is your time to relax too. Stay in bed until 10, watch some Disney plus or play a card game in your room. It’s 100% ok to just not do anything!

Day Trips

Want to get out of the Disney bubble? Head to Universal Studios, Busch Gardens Tampa, a day at the beach, the Everglades or Kennedy Space Center.

Disney quick service restaurants are a great way to save money. There are tons of options that go beyond burgers and pizza. Many portion sizes are large, so items can be split between family members and you don’t have to worry about the added cost of tips as you would with sit down restaurants. There are also no age limits on kid menu items. If you aren’t as hungry, order the kids portion to save even more money and not waste food. My favorite locations are:

• Casey’s Corner or Columbia Harbor house in Magic Kingdom

• Satu’li Canteen in Animal Kingdom

• Connections Eatery in Epcot

• ABC Commissary in Hollywood Studios.

Another way to save money is to do a grocery order to your hotel. You are allowed to bring and food or drinks (non-alcoholic) into the parks. Doing a grocery delivery to your hotel on day one can save huge amounts of money. Order drinks, snacks and easy to grab breakfast items so you don’t have to spend four dollars on a bottle of water or three dollars for an apple. If you have a refrigerator in your room, take a cooler with sandwiches and really watch the savings add up!

You also have the option of eating off property. I know, this is blasphemy to some of you but hear me out. You are paying a premium just to eat on Disney property. Head off to local places to try some different options that are probably cheaper and might even offer better quality than you can get at some of the Disney restaurants. Even if you want quick options, one dinner at McDonalds could save you a bunch of money compared to Disney Quick Service options.