Category — e. What to Budget for Walt Disney World

This page is part of the series The Tightwad’s Guide to Walt Disney World

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 a little 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

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This is part of The Comfortable Guide to Walt Disney World

OVERVIEW: THE MOST COMFORTABLE PLACE TO STAY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD: RECOMMENDATIONS

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 continues the discussion that begins here of where to stay at Walt Disney World for a subset of first time visitors: those seeking the most comfortable visit.

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

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

MORE ON THE MOST COMFORTABLE PLACE TO STAY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD: RECOMMENDATIONS

This site suggests elsewhere a standard room at Disney’s Polynesian Resort for first time visitors who can afford it. The Polynesian is one of the three most kid-appealing Walt Disney World resorts, and is far and away the most convenient.

There are more expensive Walt Disney World resort hotel standard rooms, but not better ones for first-time family visitors.

However, for some families, even rooms as large as those at the Polynesian—and the rooms in its newer section are the largest standard Walt Disney World resort rooms—may be crowded, cramped, or short on privacy.

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This is part of The Comfortable Guide to Walt Disney World

OVERVIEW: THE MOST COMFORTABLE WAY TO TOUR THE THEME PARKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

This site provides precise instructions elsewhere , including how to tour the parks 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 one of several on how to tour the theme parks at Walt Disney World for a subset of first time visitors: those seeking the most comfortable visit.

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

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

MORE ON THE MOST COMFORTABLE WAY TO TOUR THE THEME PARKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD [Read more →]

This page is part of the series The Tightwad’s Guide to Walt Disney World

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 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 →]

This is part of The Comfortable Guide to Walt Disney World

OVERVIEW: THE MOST COMFORTABLE WAY TO TOUR THE THEME PARKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

This site provides precise instructions elsewhere , including how to tour the parks 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 is one of several onhow to tour the theme parks at Walt Disney World for a subset of first time visitors: those seeking the most comfortable visit.

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

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

MORE ON THE MOST COMFORTABLE WAY TO TOUR THE THEME PARKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
[Read more →]

This page is part of the series The Tightwad’s Guide to Walt Disney World

OVERVIEW: THE BEST RESORT HOTEL BARGAINS AT 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 continues a series on where to stay at Walt Disney World for a subset of first time visitors: tightwads.

MORE DETAILS ON THE BEST RESORT HOTEL BARGAINS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

[Read more →]