How to Plan a Disney Vacation on a Budget

Check out hotels close to Disney in Lake Buena Vista. This is the town that Disney is actually in and can keep travel time down if you don't stay on-site. Orlando advertises Disney as one of its vacation destinations, but staying there makes your travel time longer, especially with traffic.

Compare the prices of the hotels in the area to the value resorts at Disney. Disney value resorts range in price from $80 to $150 depending on the time of year, but include a major perk with their free shuttle service to the parks, which will save on gas. The value resorts also include free parking if you do choose to drive, which will save you $10 a day. Choose the option that is most beneficial to you, but remember that staying on park grounds will keep you slightly closer to the golf courses.

Get a hotel with a refrigerator and go to the grocery store. Buying your own food for breakfast and lunch will save you quite a bit of money. If not staying at a resort hotel, you can also look for a location that offers a free continental breakfast.

Buy tickets for as many days as you are planning to attend the parks. Do not buy tickets each day you go, but buy them in advance for the number of days you think you will be attending. Park tickets are cheaper when bought for multiple days. As an example, single-day tickets are around $79 per day for an adult ticket and closer to $25 per day when bought as a 10-day pass.

Do not purchase the added options with your ticket if you think you won't use them. Options that can be added include water parks, park hopper and no expiration date. These can add hundreds of dollars to your tickets and, if not used, can be a waste of money. If you don't think you will take the time away from the golf course to go to the water parks, then removing this option is not a big deal. Park hoppers allow you to visit all the parks in a single day, but you must remember the travel time that is required to get to other parks. This wastes time that could be spent enjoying the park you are already in, and if you purchased a multiple-day pass, you can always go to the other park another day. A no-expiration-day option can be helpful if you have something going on in your life that you think might interrupt your vacation, but if not, it is a costly option.

Pick a time to travel that gives you added perks and discounts. The off-season at Disney can be very beneficial if you can go during those times. An example is in August and September just after schools start back. During this time the resort hotels are significantly cheaper and Disney offers additional perks such as free meal plans. Meal plans are an option that can be added to a package when staying at a park hotel, and normally include one snack, one counter service meal and one table service meal per day. Having this included for free can save you hundreds of dollars, some of which could be used for an extra round of golf.