When you’re planning a group trip to Disney World you want to save money anywhere you can. We recently ran across an interesting article on 9 Secrets to Saving Big at Disney World. Not all of the points apply to group travel, but we found four of them to be great starting points for group travel planners.
1. Share accommodations
If you let everyone pick their own roommates you’ll likely end up with empty beds. The best way is to simply take charge and assign rooms so that you can share accommodations most effectively. Be sure to look into the many discounted Orlando hotel resorts that can save you big, or consider renting a vacation home. You can have up to 7 bedrooms, plus separate eating and dining areas – all for less than you’d pay at a resort. These homes are within 15 minutes of the Disney theme parks so they’re centrally located, too. They’re often the best value for larger groups.
2. Share meals
It’s true that meals in Disney are expensive – but they’re also huge! Sit down at any counter service restaurant and just take a minute to observe how much food is thrown away and you’ll quickly see that food could certainly be shared. If you have finicky eaters who don’t like the idea of sharing, let them know that you’ll start off sharing and if they want extra food you’ll buy it for them. Chances are they’ll be more than happy with half a meal.
3. Be flexible with dates
The absolute best way you can save money on a Disney World trip is to travel during the off season. Not only will you get a better rate on hotels, airfare, special events, and even some meals, but you’ll get much more bang for your buck on account of the lower crowds. You can get a lot more done if your wait times are 5 minutes instead of 50! Note that some times of year you may think are “off season” are actually the busiest – most notable most of the month of December.
4. Stick with breakfast or lunch for character meals
If your group plans to check out a character meal or two, make sure you choose breakfast or lunch when available. These can be considerably cheaper than lunch and when you’re paying for a large group the savings can really add up. Just check the menu and description to be sure that the characters are still there. In some cases characters aren’t at every meal.
These tips can help you save big on your group travel date to Disney World. Make sure you pick up your discounted park tickets too and get the best overall deal.
