Over the years,I have always dreamt of taking the kids to Walt Disney World Resort one day. The cost of doing so has always put me off though. Looking at package holidays to America can bring up prices up to tens of thousands, just for a basic holiday because we are classes as a large family.
We have decided that if we ever do go to Disney, we will DIY it ourselves. In the long run, this will work out better for us as travel agents can’t cater for what we want and their packages include things we don’t need.
Here’s how we’ll do a DIY Disney World holiday…
Booking A Villa Near Disney
Staying in a Disney hotel has its positive points (close to the attractions and free transport around the parks) but it can also bump up the price of a holiday by a heck of a lot. There are plenty of Clickstay villas near Orlando Disney which can be rented for the length of time you require and are just beyond the borders of Disney World.
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| Villa #88884 – Fabulous Family Owned Superior Villa in Davenport, Florida |
What’s more, because you’re renting a whole house, you get your own private pool, garden and a heck of a lot more space, with plenty of public transport going to and from the parks. You can look for ones to meet your budget as Clickstay offers budget friendly homes with shared pools, right up to luxurious villas in gated communities.
Find The Cheapest Days To Fly
When you go to a travel agent, they’ll use certain companies to book through. DIY-ing it yourself means that you can compare every airline to find the cheapest, and find the days which have the best prices. I find that sometimes it’s best to work to an irregular date – 7, 10 and 14 day holidays are more expensive – yet if you book for 12 days, you can usually find that an airline will have some good prices.
Theme Park Tickets
The best value tickets tend to be those booked in advance and covering longer periods. A 14-day ultimate ticket which includes unlimited admission to four theme parks and the two amazing water parks costs £419 for adults, just £20 more expensive than a 7-day ticket. This means that you get your whole holiday to explore the parks without having to rush between to to fit your days.
Bringing Your Own Food
Since we will be staying outside the resort and in our own villa, it means that we get a fully functional kitchen. And since we’ll be in the centre of Orlando, it means that we can go shopping and fully stock our kitchen to accommodate meals. Buying sandwich things and taking a picnic with us when we enter the park will save us a small fortune as dining in Disney is very expensive.
Plus there are so many restaurants around the outskirts of the resorts that will be a lot less expensive than eating inside. It also means that you’ll get to try some of America’s big and famous eateries whilst staying there, or have a BBQ in your very own garden – and let’s face it, buying a beer is way cheaper at the store than in a resort.
Doing a DIY holiday this way means that we get more money to spend on days out together, as well as being able to explore the rest of Florida on days we don’t spend in the Disney Resort.
Now, it’s just a case of deciding when we want to go, and finding the best flights for us, to create the perfect DIY holiday to Walt Disney World Resort…
Would love to go when my youngest is a bit older
Will CERTAINLY keep these ideas in mind – saving pounds extra fun
Great tips, now to save some pennies and get planning xx
Thank you. I NEED these tips. Gitta save up yo take the kids!
I would love to take the kids to Disney World so it would be great to do it at a more affordable price x