Category — The Tightwad’s Guide to Walt Disney World

EATING ON THE CHEAP AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

This site recommends here that families following one of its itineraries purchase the Disney Dining Plan, and has other suggestions here for those who can’t, or won’t.

This page addresses a different group: those trying to spend the least possible on food at Walt Disney World.

It’s part of the Tightwad’s Guide to Walt Disney World a series about the most inexpensive way  to visit Walt Disney World. Its companion series is about the most comfortable way to visit Walt Disney World.

I am publishing both series at the same time to help those who are looking for bargains and deals on some things, so that they can spend more on others!!  Links to everything in the two series are at the bottom of the page.

BASICS OF DISNEY WORLD DINING

The basic dining plan can be quite expensive unless you were going to buy the same number of sit down meals anyway.  The quick service dining plan is much less expensive, and, particularly if your kids are younger than 10 when they visit, can be hard to beat.

But even so, neither of these plans will cover everything you eat, and some may wish to spend even less than the cheaper dining plan costs.

The only way to do that is to gather and assemble meals and snacks in your room, taking some of them into the parks with you to eat there.  This works very well for breakfasts, sandwiches—which can be either lunch or dinner—and snacks.

Doing so will cost you time, both in gathering your foodstuffs, and preparing them.

The rest if this page has some suggestions on how to gather your supplies. [Read more →]

OVERVIEW: AIR TRAVEL 201–THE TIGHTWAD’S GUIDE TO CHEAP FLIGHTS TO WALT DISNEY WORLD

This page contains help for finding cheap flights to Walt Disney World.

It assumes that you know a thing or two about flying.

If not, check out the “Air Travel 101 for Walt Disney World” material that begins here.

If you are an expert on air travel already, or just looking for even more information, a very rich source of advice on air travel and other travel topics can be found in Scott McCartney’s The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel.

[Read more →]

OVERVIEW: HOW LONG TIGHTWADS SHOULD STAY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

I have noted elsewhere in the instructions for typical families visiting Walt Disney World for the first, and perhaps only, time, that they should plan to be there for 8 nights and 9 days to see all of its best, while also building in sufficient time to relax and rest.

I have also noted elsewhere that to save money on a trip to Walt Disney World, you will find more promise in optimizing when you go and where you stay than in shortening your trip.

However, as part of the Tightwad’s Guide to Walt Disney World (see the bottom of this entry for more on the Tightwad’s Guide), this page provides some thoughts on a minimum length trip to Walt Disney World.

MORE ON HOW LONG TIGHTWADS SHOULD STAY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

[Read more →]

INTRODUCTION TO THE TIGHTWAD’S GUIDE TO WALT DISNEY WORLD

This site provides precise instructions elsewhere on where to stay at Walt Disney World. These instructions are designed for typical first time family visitors who are not sure whether or not they will ever return.

This page completes and summarizes a series on where to stay at Walt Disney World for a subset of first time visitors: tightwads.

• Tightwads can’t, or won’t, spend what this site recommends. Either they simply can’t afford to, or they have too much fun finding bargains to do what is typical.
• This new series of instructions for tightwads is paired with an additional new series, for another subset: people looking for the most comfortable way to visit Walt Disney World.
• I am publishing both at the same time because there’s another subset, perhaps the biggest: those looking for bargains and deals on some things, so that they can spend more on others!!

TOP FIVE TIPS FOR DEALS AND BARGAINS ON WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT HOTELS

[Read more →]

THE TIGHTWAD’S GUIDE TO STAYING OFF-SITE AT WALT DISNEY WORLD: OVERVIEW

I’m fairly firm elsewhere that you should stay at an “official” Walt Disney World resort. (See this for a list of these.)

There are many reasons for this instruction. For tightwads, the most relevant are that

• Staying in an official resort lets you use Disney’s Magical Express for airport to resort transportation, and Disney’s transportation system for on-site transportation, and thus avoid ground transportation and rental car costs, and
• If you do all the meals in the suggested itineraries of this site, you will save much money by signing up for the Disney Dining Plan, which is only available if you stay in such a resort

However, some of you will pay no attention to my advice, and others will have really good reasons to save money by staying offsite.

Particularly good reasons would include

• Those who both are driving to Walt Disney World, so will have no use for the Magical Express, and have no intention of doing anything close to the number of recommended meals of this site, and thus won’t benefit from the Dining Plan
• And/or large families who can’t find affordable enough choices among this site’s options for large families looking for low-cost accommodations at official Walt Disney World resorts

Given that, below I share some thoughts on staying off-site.

THE TIGHTWAD’S GUIDE TO STAYING OFF-SITE AT WALT DISNEY WORLD: OFF-SITE HOTELS

[Read more →]

THE TIGHTWAD’S GUIDE TO GETTING WALT DISNEY WORLD DELUXE RESORT ROOMS AT ROCK BOTTOM PRICES

I am writing this from a one-bedroom standard view villa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Kidani Village.

As I write this, it is one of the three times of the year that it is value season, the lowest price period at Walt Disney World.

During the value season, this room costs, including tax, $540 a night.

I’m paying $297. That’s 45% off. And—with a little more advance planning—I could have paid about $250. And I might have been able to pull off a trickier way to get it for even less.

Anyone could do this. Here’s how to get Walt Disney World Deluxe resort rooms at rock-bottom prices.

MORE ON GETTING WALT DISNEY WORLD DELUXE RESORT ROOMS AT ROCK BOTTOM PRICES

[Read more →]