Saving for your Disney Vacation The Easy Way!

Disney vacations can be expensive—I’ve got four kids, I know! But your dream Disney vacation is not out of reach. I’ve got some tried-and-true ideas that can make saving for your Disney vacation simple and quick! Follow these easy recommendations to get you started. You’ll be strolling down Main Street with a churro in each hand before you know it! 

I have used every one of these tips to help my family save for our Disney parks vacations and found them to be very helpful! 

Saving For Your Disney Vacation

Saving for your Disney vacation can be daunting. Whether you’re visiting the Disneyland Resort or the Walt Disney World Resort, it will be expensive. Disney Resort vacations are pricey, but they are still within reach for your family! I’ve outlined some simple steps and helpful tips to make saving for your Disney trip easy! You’ll be booking that Disney Resort vacation package before you know it! 

Set A Goal

A goal without a plan is just a wish! Stop wishing and start planning for your Disney vacation. Saving for your Disney vacation might take a little effort, but you can do it! Do some research into how much. your vacation is going to cost. Are you going to stay on-property or off-property? Do you prefer a deluxe resort or one of the value resorts? Which theme parks will you be visiting? How much will tickets cost you? What about travel expenses and food? 

Take some time to price things out. Figure out a ballpark figure for what your vacation will cost. Dream big, or be conservative! This is your Disney vacation. Do it your way. 

Write down your goal and put it in a place where you will see it often. Add pictures of the things you’re excited to do on your vacation and place them with your goal. This is a great way to keep you motivated! 

Open A Vacation Savings Account

Open a vacation savings account. Don’t skip this step! You need a place to put all your hard-earned money when saving for your Disney vacation. It’s much easier to save for something specific when you have an account dedicated to your goal. Plus, watching the balance grow will motivate you to keep going. Having a separate place to put your money will help make saving for your Disney vacation much easier! 

Set A Grocery Budget

Sit down and plan a realistic grocery budget for your family. Figure out how much you need to spend each week at the grocery store. When you have your grocery budget, see if you can come in under budget each week! If you can come in under budget, save the difference. So, say you came in $20 under budget on your weekly grocery trip because you shopped some sales. Take that $20 and put it into your Disney vacation savings account! 

 I like to make this into a little game for myself! I plan our meals based around sales. I’ll focus on using things I already have at home in my pantry and freezer. Sometimes I’ll skip out on some extras I don’t really need so that I can come in under budget. 

 To win the game, come in under budget! It feels so good! I transfer the difference into our travel savings account. You’ll be amazed at how quickly these savings add up. Coming in under budget is easier if I shop online and pick up groceries. This keeps me from impulse buying!  

Ibotta

This is one of my favorite ways to earn extra vacation money! Ibotta allows you to earn cash back whenever you shop, both online and in stores, all by using the app. This free cash-back rewards program usually gives me around $100 or more per year! The more you use it, the more you earn! You can even link your loyalty cards in the app, and it will search for deals for you. Don’t skip this easy way to earn a little extra Disney money. 

Save Your Pennies

Save your pennies. I’m not joking. Literally, save your pennies(and all loose change). Get your whole family involved. Make a special jar just for coi s. Your kids will love watching it grow, and you’ll be surprised by how much you save! Find a penny on the ground? Pick it up! We usually end up with around $ 85 each year just by saving our pennies. I know it doesn’t seem like a lot, but little things add up and can make a big difference!

Eat Out Less

I love eating out. It’s one of my favorite pastimes. Not cooking dinner? Yes, please  Sign me up. Unfortunately, eating out can be incredibly expensive, especially these days. Take a long look at how much your family is spending eating out. I’m not suggesting you cut eating out altogether! But see if there’s room to make a change or two. If you eat out three times a week, why not cut it down to two times a week? Add that money you would have spent on dinner to your Disney savings account. 

We’ve found that ordering water instead of soda can save us a lot of money! Make sure you save the difference by adding it to your vacation savings account. 

Shopkick

Shopkicks is a fun way to earn a little extra cash. You use the app to earn points( called kicks). Earn kicks in stores and online just by walking into stores, scanning products with your app, and making purchases with your linked card. Redeem your kicks for gift cards (including Disney gift cards!).

Save On Household Bills

Are you paying too much for household bills? It’s a real possibility! Call any company you pay monthly each year and see if there are any savings or discounts you’re missing out on. Call your utility company, insurance company, phone company, and cable company. Ask them if you’re getting the best rates. You will be shocked at how much you can save by simply asking. Make sure you add the difference you’re saving each month to your vacation fund!

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Have A Bake Sale

Get your family involved in saving for your Disney vacation by having a bake sale in your neighborhood! Tell people you’re raising money for your Disney vacation. People love getting behind a good cause, and saving for a Disney vacation is a good cause! Friends will be excited to help you reach your goal. Plus, they’ll walk away with delicious baked goods. And your kids will feel the satisfaction of earning money and working towards a goal. Win, win!

Cut Back On Your Coffee/Soda Runs

Take a look at how much money you are spending on coffee/lattes or soda. It’s probably more than you think. Take a minute to figure out how much you could save if you made it at home a few times a week. Cutting back just a little bit will add up in the long run and help you out when you’re saving for your Disney vacation. Add the money you save weekly to your Disney savings account! 

Ask For Gift Cards Instead Of Presents

I don’t know about you, but my kids have bunches of toys. Every birthday and Christmas, they get bunches more than they really need. Instead of toys, why not ask for gift cards(or cash) to help you out when you’re saving for your Disney vacation? I’ve learned that people love to give gifts that are actually useful and appreciated. So, when the holidays roll around, tell people you’d love some Disney gift cards to help you save for your next Disney vacation! I think they’ll be happy to help you out. 

Ditch Your Cable Or Satellite TV 

Yikes. Does this one scare you? Cable can be incredibly expensive. Do you really need it? Do some research and see if your favorite shows are available on a less expensive streaming service like Netflix or Disney Plus. If you can do without it, you’ll be able to add a ton of money to your Disney savings account each month. 

Cut Out The Gym

Cut out your gym membership and work out at home. This option isn’t great for everyone. But if you’re able to quit the gym, you can save a lot of money by working out at home. You can take advantage of the great outdoors and jog or hike outside. There are also tons of free workout videos on YouTube. So, if you’re not taking full advantage of your gym membership, that money might be better spent in your Disney savings account. 

Rakuten

Rakuten is another rewards app that I love. I get cash rewards for shopping, just like I usually do. Seriously, they send me a check every few months. I typically make around $100 a year doing this. It’s pretty fun getting a check in the mail instead of bills and junk ads! It’s free to sign up, and you can start earning immediately! This is a great way to earn extra money without any effort!

Pick Up A Side Hustle

There are tons of things you can do to earn a little extra cash right at home; maybe a side hustle is just what you need to earn some extra money for your Disney vacation. You could offer to babysit for friends or family. Drive for Doordash or Uber. Sell your homemade crafts on ETSY, or pet sit for a friend.  There are so many options! Years ago, I ran a little bakery from my house. You better believe I used all the extra money I made to fund my Disney vacation account. A side hustle can really help when you’re saving for a Disney vacation. 

I hope these idea on saving for your disney vacation were helpful for you. Keep in mind that saving for your Disney vacation is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep at it, be creative, and get your whole family involved in the process. You can do it! Your Disney family vacation is a worthy cause, and all of your hard work will be worth the effort when you’re enjoying the most magical place on earth! You’ll be hugging Mickey Mouse before you know it, and then you’ll be ready to start planning your next vacation. Thanks for reading these money-saving ideas! If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear about them in the comments! 

Before you head to the parks, make sure you check out my post about saving money while you’re on your Disney vacation. There are a lot of little things you can do to keep spending in check. Things like not buying a park hopper ticket, bringing your own stroller, and remembering to pack snacks can really make a difference! 

Disneyland Planning Help

I’ve got bunches of information on planning a Disneyland trip that will be so helpful for you! My complete guide to visiting Disneyland is a great place to start. It’s a step-by-step guide for planning your vacation, which will be helpful. Check out my top 10 Disneyland tips. This post has the best tips! My guide to when to visit Disney Land will help you pick the best times for your vacation. I’ve also got a post on rope dropping at Disneyland that’s very helpful. 

If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed with planning your Disneyland park days, it’s a good idea to check out my downloadable touring plans. They have a step-by-step guide to the parks and give you the best way to tour Disneyland without waiting in those long lines! It’s seriously the best option to take the stress out of your Disney day! 

I have a super popular planning phone call! In this call, I can answer all of your Disneyland vacation questions and give you lots of tips and information tailored just to you and your group!

Make sure to check out my podcast for lots of Disney planning information! You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Just search for “Mix In Some Magic.” Follow me on Instagram for more Disney tips and lots of Disney fun!