Look for discounts. A four-night visit for a family of four typically runs about $2,800, says travel site Hipmunk.com—$1,260 for park tickets and $1,550 for a Disney hotel—plus airfare. You may be locked into paying full price for park tickets, but Disney usually offers 20% to 30% off the sticker price for its hotel rooms (look for a package that throws in the Disney Dining Plan). Search for Disney World’s Special Offers and Deals. The biggest discounts are between the winter holidays and spring break.
Skip the “park hopper.” If you’ll be at Disney for four days or more and want to visit all four parks, buy the standard pass that allows you to visit one park per day and skip the one that lets you wander among parks at will. At recent prices, a family of four will save at least $275 on a four-day pass.
Pack a lunch. The dining plan will save you money only if it’s part of a discount package, says A.J. Wolfe, of the Disney Food Blog. Otherwise, skip it. Depending on the season, it can cost more than $100 a day for guests age 10 and up. You can bring food and drinks into the park—but no alcohol or glass.
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Buy costumes beforehand. At Disney World, you’ll pay double or triple what you’d pay at a store back home. So let little Elsa or Tiana pick out a dress before you go.