Saving money before the trip

kikismom

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 15, 2019
Hi all! I just got the dress below this week for our upcoming trip.

https://www.target.com/p/girls-disn...e/-/A-77678829?preselect=77551167#lnk=sametab
We are doing Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for the first time and wanted to save on the dress by buying one before. This dress is amazing! It's made out of a leotard and is so super soft on the inside. I know my daughter will gripe about the itchiness of the dress of we get the ones they sell in the park.

Thought I would share and also ask how do you save money before and during your trip? We are doing some splurges this time and I'm looking to save other ways.
 
I got the okay for February trip at Christmas😲 So I have 6 weeks to fund this trip without going too deep in my savings. I have used reward points for flights, hotels(2 free nights out of eight) Rebooked my rental car 6 times(saved $200) Cashed in my Disney movie rewards for Disney gift cards. Redeemed my rewards points at my grocery store for Disney gift cards. I did buy a new Minnie water bottle for the parks. Buying fountain drinks can easily reach $100 over 5 days.
 
That is a pretty dress! Love the color too.
We bring cases of water with us, purchase Disney, Starbucks, Wendys, etc gift cards @ Target for the 5% discount, or at Frys (Kroger) to get the points for $$ of gas, do Swagbucks for Starbucks gift cards. First time trying snacks, treats, meals we usually share so we do not waste money if the item isn't liked. Stay onsite when we can get a decent rate.
 


That is a pretty dress! Love the color too.
We bring cases of water with us, purchase Disney, Starbucks, Wendys, etc gift cards @ Target for the 5% discount, or at Frys (Kroger) to get the points for $$ of gas, do Swagbucks for Starbucks gift cards. First time trying snacks, treats, meals we usually share so we do not waste money if the item isn't liked. Stay onsite when we can get a decent rate.

Ooh inlove the sharing idea for first snacks! I'm totally doing this on our trip.
 
Ooh inlove the sharing idea for first snacks! I'm totally doing this on our trip.

It does help the wallet a bit, at least in our household. Whether it is a new beverage (blue milk) or snack (newest churro), etc, it adds up fast. We love sharing salads and tacos at Rancho de Zocalo. Check out the menus on the Disneyland site/app to see what is being served where in the parks and DTD. Many people have posted pics of the foods here and online. Plus, there are videos on youtube with reviews of food too. Magic Journeys does a great job with giving the cost, as well very good video of the food and/or beverage. They opinion is honest and kind. If they do not like an item, they will say why, in a kind way.
 
Hi all! I just got the dress below this week for our upcoming trip.

https://www.target.com/p/girls-disn...e/-/A-77678829?preselect=77551167#lnk=sametab
We are doing Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for the first time and wanted to save on the dress by buying one before. This dress is amazing! It's made out of a leotard and is so super soft on the inside. I know my daughter will gripe about the itchiness of the dress of we get the ones they sell in the park.

Thought I would share and also ask how do you save money before and during your trip? We are doing some splurges this time and I'm looking to save other ways.

I'm all about saving a few bucks when we're at DL. Some stuff that's worked for us includes:
  • if you can, stay at a hotel that includes free breakfast.
  • if the hotel doesn't offer free breakfast, at least get a hotel with fridge & microwave in the room. Bring food from home or get a grocery delivery to the hotel so that you can eat a quick breakfast in the room before you head off to the parks.
  • scour the menus & food prices on Allears.net.
  • eat mostly at quick service locations, where you can order a kid's meal even if it's for an adult.
  • if anybody has a smaller appetite, consider having them share with somebody else in your group.
  • bring some snacks into the parks with you.
  • give yourself a snack/treat budget per day, so your kids can learn that money doesn't grow on trees and they have to choose wisely.
  • decide ahead of time how much you'll spend per person throughout the trip on souvenirs.
  • get free ice water at the quick service locations instead of spending $3-$4 each for a soda all the time.
  • bring your own water bottle into the parks and refill it with the free ice water. For a family of 4, that alone can save you upwards of ~ $16 per meal.
 


Something I do months in advance is I start putting away money each paycheck. It all depends on what went on between checks but sometimes it's just $5 sometimes it's more. I managed to save over $500 for spending money for my WDW trip this pas Dec. It took me about 9 months to save that. Felt great as my credit card didn't take a big hit.

I've already started the same process for my DL trip in April.

I also will watch out at Shop Disney for Sales - if there is something special I want I can usually get it for less when shopdisney has a 20% off everything sale.
As for tips for saving money - As much as I like Marriotts or would like to stay accross the street. I will shop around at hotels to see what the best price is - I'll look for Free parking( I drive down), free breakfast.
 

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