How to Plan a Cheap Disney Vacation with 3 Travel Rewards Tricks

How to Save Money on Your Next Disney World Vacation

Planning a trip to Disney World can be an expensive endeavor, but with a little creativity and know-how, you can still enjoy the magic of the parks without breaking the bank. In this blog post, we'll share three tricks for a cheap Disney World vacation that will help you save money while still having a magical vacation. 

Are you dreaming of a magical Disney vacation but worried about the cost? Don't fret! With a little bit of planning and some travel rewards tricks, you can make your Disney dreams a reality without breaking the bank. In this blog post, we will share three tips to help you plan a cheap Disney vacation and make the most of your travel rewards earned from your everyday spending.

Also check out our YouTube video on travel hacking Disney:

Trick 1: Use Points for A Free Hotel Stay and Free Airfare

One of the easiest ways to save money on your Disney vacation is by using hotel points earned from your travel rewards credit cards. If you want an on-property experience and be able to use points for your hotel consider options with Marriott such as the Dolphin, Swan, and Swan Reserve. All 3 have many of the perks of an on-property resort, but can be booked using Marriott points. For these hotels consider signing up for a Marriott credit card to earn some free night awards and sign up bonuses. Check out our posts on the Amex Bevy and Amex Brilliant.  Near Disney World there are many off-property hotel options using Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt reward points. The "on property" Marriott option do charge for parking and a resort fee, while it is significantly less than the cost of a night's stay if you were to pay cash, it is money being spent.  Many off-property resorts will not charge a resort fee or parking fee is booking with points.  We are soon going to Disney World and staying at an off-property Marriott Imperial Palms Villas which I booked completely using points. The Marriott Imperial Palms do not charge a resort fee when booking with points and parking is free.

If you are new to travel hacking and just starting to earn travel rewards using credit cards look for which hotel chain you would like to stay at for your trip. Pick a travel reward card for that chain that offers a sign-up bonus. Once you have reached your first sign-up bonus, move on to the next card within your desired hotel chain until you have enough points for your stay. To learn more about how to start travel hacking check out our post "Travel Hacking 101: Ultimate Guide to Getting Started". To learn more about choosing your second (and third) travel reward cards check out our post "Your Next Moves: After First Travel Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus".

Once you have earned enough points for your free hotel stay move on to earning miles for your airfare. Find out which airline you would like to use for your travel and find the co-branded credit card for that airline. By using these cards for everyday expenses and paying them off in full each month, you can earn points or miles that can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, and even Disney tickets.

Trick 2: Saving on Meals

When planning a trip to Disney World, the cost of meals in the park can really add up. When it comes to saving on meals at Disney World, there are several strategies you can use to keep your food costs down. One option is to bring your own snacks and drinks into the parks. An advantage of some of the off-property hotel options is the availability of a full kitchen. We wanted a truly budget vacation, so having a full kitchen in our hotel room was very important. We can easily have one meal a day in our room, and be able to stock up on snacks to bring with us into the parks. We decided to eat one meal a day at a sit-down restaurant in the parks so we do not miss out on dining experiences, bring food with us for one meal at the parks, and eat one meal in the hotel room. 

Trick 3: How to Save Money on Disney World Park Tickets

Several different websites offer discounts on park tickets which may be less than Disney's website. In my previous post about "Disney Magic on a Budget: Guide to Discount Disney Tickets", I compared Undercover Tourist, Disney and Get Away Today's costs for park tickets. Consider traveling off-peak to save money on park tickets, check out Disney's website to see the cost of park tickets at various times. Entrance costs vary significantly based on the date and how many park days you are purchasing. If you really want to limit the cash spent for your trip, consider using credit card reward points to cover the cost of your park tickets. Keep in mind that this is not the best use of points, however it can cover your tickets. If you have an American Express card that earns travel reward points, you can use your points to pay at check out for vendors that offer to pay with Paypal. Undercover Tourist allows you to pay with Paypal at checkout when purchasing park tickets. I was able to use American Express points earned on my and my husband's Amex Gold cards to pay for 2 park tickets for our upcoming trip. To read about how I planned my entire Disney World Trip for $1,400 check out my post "A Guide to Planning Your Disney World Using Reward Points". 

Planning a cheap Disney Vacation can be made easier and more affordable by using travel reward tricks. By taking advantage of credit card reward programs and airline miles you can significantly reduce the cost of your trip. Additionally, by planning ahead and being flexible with travel dates, travelers can take advantage of lower prices and discounted rates. With some strategic planning and a bit of effort anyone can enjoy a magical Disney Vacation without breaking the bank So start earning those reward points and get ready to experience the magic of Disney World without the heart price tag!