THE most magical place on Earth can end up costing you a pretty penny – and although it might be worth your kids’ beaming smiles, there’s no denying there’s a lot of saving that needs to be done.
Well, a Disney travel agent has revealed the six ways to save money when you book your next trip.
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Cathy Diercksen revealed how you can travel to Disney for cheapCredit: Cathy Diercksen
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With her tips, people can save up to $1K each tripCredit: Getty
Speaking exclusively with The US Sun, Cathy Diercksen who is a platinum planner for Marvelous Mouse Travels, shared that you can save anywhere between $500 to $1,000 depending on who is part of your travel party.
VALUE RESORTS
The first thing you want to do when booking your trip to Disney is pick to stay at what is considered a value resort inside the parks.
“It really depends on the family size and the make-up of the family, so if you have kids who are under the age of three, they get in for free,” she explained.
CHOOSE WHEN TO GO
Another way people can save on their trip to Disney is by choosing off-peak dates.
These could be the second week of January, the beginning of February, and the first week of June.
However, Diercksen recognizes that parents might find it tough because they depend on when their kids are off school.
“Not only are the hotels going to be expensive, so are your flights. But I always say to avoid the holidays, set a strict budget, and stick with it!”
SKIP THE PARK HOPPER
“When my clients come to me for a first-time visit, I tell them to skip the Park Hopper and focus on visiting one park per day,” the Disney travel agent explained.
The Park Hopper allows people to visit more than one park in a day, according to the park website.
“You don’t have to worry about moving around the entire day and you can actually take breaks. It’s less stressful and doesn’t overload the kids,” Diercksen.
“You never know how they will react since it’s their first time.
“And if you don’t book a Park Hopper pass, you can schedule a down day where you can get to wake up later, chill by the pool, do stuff on your own time so you’re not feeling rushed.”
STAY INSIDE THE PARKS
A huge misconception when it comes to booking a trip to Disney is that staying inside the parks is super pricey.
Diercksen explained that it’s actually the opposite: people will spend more money staying outside of the parks.
“Time is money. So if you’re staying outside, you’re paying for transportation, whether that’s renting a car or depending on Uber.
“You’re also paying to park that rented car and you’re wasting a lot of time driving and finding where to park.
“If you stay out of the park, you also won’t have the flexibility to move in and out of the park. And although it might cost you a bit more to stay inside the park, ultimately, you won’t waste time you could use to take photos with your favorite Disney characters.”
Additionally, when you stay inside the park, you can enter the park before everyone else, so you immediately have a headstart.
HIRE A TRAVEL AGENT
When booking your next trip to Disney, don’t hesitate to approach a travel agency like Marvelous Mouse Travels.
Travel agencies are paid by the vendors, so you won’t be charged an extra fee just for booking through someone rather than the website itself.
The perk of using a travel agent is that this is their job so they will always have your best interests at heart. Therefore, if a promo pops up on their radar, they will work to apply it to your trip so you can save as much as possible.
They will also offer help with what parks to visit and at what time and how to get the best bang for your buck.
On top of all that, they will always offer advice that you might not know on your first or second time around, like picture packages and luxury meals.
INSTACART WATER AND GATORADE
Instead of spending money on buying water and drinks at the actual parks, some people will use food delivery services like Instacart or DoorDash to get cases delivered to their hotel room.
They can then bring the drinks with them into the park inside a cooler. This will save you tons of money each day and you can make sure everyone stays hydrated at all times.
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There are six tips to save money when going to the parksCredit: Getty
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