Walt Disney World has a reputation for being magical… but of course, expensive. After 15+ trips to Disney, I can confidently say: you don’t have to spend a fortune to have an unforgettable Disney trip. In fact, with a few smart strategies—especially using Disney Vacation Club (DVC) rentals—you can get the deluxe Disney experience for a fraction of the price.

We have made every mistake when it comes to going to Disney. Don’t make the same mistakes we did and read The top mistakes people make when going to Disney and what to do instead.

Here’s exactly how we do Disney without blowing the family budget.

1. Rethink Where You Stay. Use The Disney Vacation Club Rental Store:

If you take one tip from this post, make it this one. Disney hotels fall into three categories:

Value
Moderate
Deluxe

Most families assume deluxe resorts are too expensive and out of reach… but that’s where the DVC Rental Store comes in. We have a whole feature on The Disney Vacation Club Rental Store - Think Disney is too expensive for your family? Think again with the Disney Vacation Club Rental Store : Our step by step guide on what it is, how it works and how to book!

For example, we recently stayed at the Saratoga Springs Resort over Spring Break in March 2025. We had two bedrooms, 2 massive bathrooms, a living room, kitchen, a washer and dryer. Our cost was 43% cheaper than if we would have booked through Disney direct!

My best friend and her family stayed that same week and we did the trip together. Their room for their family of 4 was just $1,782 - for a discount of 50%!

So, What is the DVC Rental Store? Is a Scam or Legitimate Business?

I remember googling “Is Is the DVC Rental Store a scam the first time I heard about it. It really seemed too good to be ture. But it is NOT a Scam and it truly is 100% legit! We have used it to stay at Disney 3 times now.

Disney Vacation Club is Disney’s version of a timeshare.

However, if you are a DVC member, you might have unused “points” that you will lose if you don’t use them. Because of this, 3rd party sites like DVC Rental Store were created to allow members to “rent out” their unused points. And because these DVC members are highly motivated (AKA they don’t want to lose their points), you can book those stays for 30–60% less than Disney’s listed prices.

Think of it as DVC Rental Store facilitating the exchange between the DVC member who has extra points and you and me who want to buy some.

Additionally, sometimes a Disney Vacation Club Member uses their points and makes a reservation at Disney - only to realize they will not be able to make the trip happen. In this case, they can sell their “confirmed reservation” (this is where we personally have found the VERY best deals).

So, there are really two ways to book a stay at Disney through the DVC Rental store:
1.Check Availability and Price and Browse Confirmed Reservations.

2. If you are undecided and want to compare a few different options, DVC Rental store recommends starting with Check Availability & Price.

If you are looking for a rental with availability already reserved, or want to browse the types of rooms and discounts you can find through the DVC Rental Store, then the Browse Confirmed Reservations is for you.

Disney’s Saratoga Springs

This is a complete DVC property - all rooms are villas. Studios, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom

Why This Is a Game-Changer for Families:

Bigger rooms - more space for kids to play and sleep
Villas with kitchens or kitchenettes
Access to deluxe resorts like:
- Animal Kingdom Lodge 🦒
- Beach Club (walking distance to Epcot!)
- Polynesian Village 🌺

Our Experience:

We have stayed at multiple properties using the DVC Rental Store including: The Grand Floridian, The Contemporary (Bay Lake Tower) and Saratoga Springs. These were all deluxe resorts and we paid less than the price of a moderate hotel—and having extra space made the trip so much smoother with kids. We LOVE having the a kitchen or kitchenette to make some food while in the room.

Tip: Book early—DVC inventory goes fast, especially for popular resorts. But you can find properties up to a few weeks out.

➡️ Book a Disney Resort for up to 60% off using our link!

2. Travel During “Off-Peak” Times

Timing matters more than people realize. It will be cheaper and less crowded to go when not as many people are there. Think times kids are in school. That is usually when it will be least crowded and cheaper! This means lower hotel rates (including DVC rental store), cheaper flights and shorter lines for rides (meaning saving money on lighting lanes)

Best Times to Go and Save:

Late January – early February
Late August – September
Early May
Early December (before holidays)

3. Skip Park Hoppers

Park Hopper sounds great… but with kids, it’s often unnecessary. We will save money by doing one park per day. You can choose to stay there all day and with bigger kids this is a fine option. With that said, we sometimes will go first thing in the morning - get there for early access, ride the bigger rides and then leave by 12-1pm. Go back to our hotel and rest (little kids nap) and big kids swim or just have some down time. Then we will go back to the same park around 4-5pm and spend the evening there staying for the fireworks.

Why you should skip the park hopper:

Traveling between parks can be a lot of time and energy
Kids do better with a slower pace
You’ll save $60–$100+ per ticket

Instead, plan one park per day and enjoy it fully. The only time I would suggest getting the park hopper is if you are not going to be there for a long time and want to be able to visit multiple parks in one day. For example: You have 2 days in Disney and want to go to all 4 parks.. then it could be worth it.

4. Buy Some Groceries & Snacks

One pretzel is about $8 depending on where you get it from. We like to get a couple things and split instead of doing a true sit down meal while in the park. Then we will usually try to do a true sit down meal for dinner.

Food is one of the sneakiest budget killers at Disney. This is where having a DVC villa or kitchenette really pays off!! You can make some quick easy meals in your room. Meals can be upwards of $20 for one person. Some stands have cheaper, smaller portions as good options. Choose to not have many sit down meals but look for kids meals if you are going to sit down in the park and eat. or places that serve pizza as a cheaper option.

You can also purchase some groceries, drinks, beer and wine in most of the resorts. They each have their own little grocery store. Each one is different but we have found bread, bagels, snacks, eggs, cream cheese & more in most of them. You can always grab some items from here if you don’t want to do a full grocery delivery.

Easy Ways We Save Money:

Grocery delivery - We Instacart some groceries, snacks and drinks for the week on the first day we are there. We use these to make breakfast, like bagels and cream cheese before going to the park.
Pack snacks in your park bag
Eat breakfast in your room

5. Be Strategic with Lightning Lanes

You don’t need to buy lighting lanes every day for every park. You can go and not pay for extras if you are strategic and have a plan. But the thing is you have to know what to do. For instance, when you go to Animal Kingdom - get there for the rope drop, immediately do Avatar Flight of Passage, then straight Kilimanjaro Safaris, and then Expedition Everest. Those are the 3 big rides of the park and you can certainly get through them before the lines get too long. Then you can casually walk around and decide to do the other rides or shows with shorter wait times. Animal Kingdom is probably one of the lesser busy parks though. So when going to Magic Kingdom you do have to plan ahead and this is where I would plan to purchase some lighting lanes for because it is the busiest and will have 1-2 hour wait times for some popular rides.

What We Do:

Buy Lightning Lane only on high-priority days like when visiting Magic Kingdom where there are a lot of very popular and busy rides.
Utilize the early entry and get there before the park even opens (rope drop). If you are staying at a Disney Property (anything that could be booked through the DVC Rental Store) you have access to the early entry times. Each park is different so check the times on the app or website but it is usually 30 minutes before the public has access to the park.
Only focus on 3–4 must-do rides per day and do the not so popular rides with smaller wait times in between.
Also be aware, even if the park says it opens for early entry at 8… they might let you in a little bit earlier. We have been let in as early as 7:30! It depends on the day and the park but if you get there and wait for the rope drop, you can ride the biggest rides but with almost no wait times.

6. Take Advantage of Free Disney Magic

When you stay at a deluxe resort through DVC, even just exploring the hotel feels like an experience. Some of the best Disney moments cost nothing:

Fireworks shows
Pool time - host trivia, volleyball and lots of poolside games
Resort hopping - especially using the monorail
Movie nights at resorts
Character sightings - we saw multiple characters just walking around our resort! We were able to interact and take pictures with them without waiting in a line or making a dining reservation (although this does guarantee you will get to see specific characters if there is one you want to see, then booking the dining reservation may be worth it!).

7. Build in Rest Days

This will save money and sanity. This might sound counterintuitive, but fewer park days can actually:

Reduce ticket costs
Prevent burnout
Make each park day more enjoyable

On off days:

Utilize your resort pool. Most of the Disney resorts have great kid-friendly pools!
Walk around Disney Springs (Downtown Disney). There is great shops, free entertainment, and lots of things for kids to see and do.
Mini golf or some family activity
Resort hop - Explore other resorts! It is free and encouraged to go to some other Disney resorts. We love getting on the monorail and going to The Polynesian, The Grand Floridian and The Contemporary. The kids love playing on the playgrounds, shopping and exploring new places. Also, it is of course fun to ride the monorail!

8. Souvenir Hack for Kids

We usually give the kids a good traveler budget. Each day they know they will earn a set amount usually $5 per day. This helps with their overall behavior and they get to pick how they want to use that money. It can be with souvenirs or an extra treat. Throughout the trip they know they get to use this money so they love checking shops and deciding what they are gonna use it on. I really have seen a huge change in my kids since implementing this with them. I always remind them traveling is a privilege and so is getting to buy a souvenir.

Other things we have done to cut down on cost:
- Buy Disney-themed items BEFORE your trip. You can buy some stuff off amazon and lay something out each morning. The kids will be so surprised each day - way cheaper and avoids overpriced park shops.
- Go to the souvenir shop or a Walmart near Disney! They usually have sooo many options of souvenirs to pick from. I saw mickey ears for $10 ($37 in the parks)! I also saw snow globes, stuffed animals, electronic bubble wands, etc!

9. Skip a Rental Car

When staying at a Disney property you don’t need to rent a car! Take an uber from the airport - it’s only about 25 minutes to most of the Disney resort properties! Then use Disney transportation because it is FREE! You can take buses, the monorail and the skyliner all for free when getting around. Uber/Lyft only when needed! This will save you a bunch of money on rental car fees, parking fees and gas!

10. Get Free Water

Most people don’t know this but you don’t need to buy water bottles. You can ask for free ice water at any quick service location. Another thing you can do is bring a reusable water bottle and fill it up. This will save you $5+ per drink, multiple times a day!

Final Thoughts

You Don’t Have to Choose Between Magic and Budget. Disney World can be affordable, you just have to approach it differently. For our family, the biggest shift was discovering Disney Vacation Club Rental Store: It allowed us to:

Stay in better accommodations
Have more space (huge with kids)
Spend less overall

FAQ about doing Disney World on a budget:

Q: What is the cheapest month to go to Disney World?
A: The cheapest times to visit Disney World are typically: Late January to early February; Late August through September; & Early May. These periods usually have lower crowds and lower hotel prices.

Q: Can you bring your own food into Disney World?
A: Yes, Disney allows guests to bring their own snacks and non-alcoholic drinks into the parks. This is one of the easiest ways for families to save money during their trip. We brought some bottles of water and a few protein bars. We didn’t want to lug around more than that and things like popcorn and soft pretzels are not expensive in the parks.

Q: Are there free things to do at Disney World?
A: Yes! Some free activities include: Fireworks shows (you can see a lot of the shows from more than just the park), Resort hopping, Outdoor movies at resorts, Exploring Disney Springs, & Transportation experiences (like the Skyliner or monorail).

Q: What are the benefits of staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort?
A: Booking through a DVC Rental Store makes these benefits much more affordable! Deluxe resorts offer:
- Larger rooms and villas (great for families)
- Early access to the parks
- Better locations (walking distance or monorail access)
- Extra amenities like pools, dining, and activities
- Free and easy transportation to the parks, other resorts and Downtown Disney

Q: What is the biggest mistake families make when planning Disney World?
A: One of the biggest mistakes is overspending on things you don’t need, like unnecessary upgrades or overpacked schedules. Slowing down, planning ahead, and focusing on priorities can save both money and stress. Also, getting souvenirs can add up quickly! Let each of your kids pick one thing and tell them this at the beginning of the trip. Then we usually make it a point to go to Downtown Disney and visit the World of Disney store. This is the biggest selection of Disney souvenirs in one place.

*** Jolly Good Travel is an Affiliate partner with DVC Rental Store, a brand who we have independently used and loved for years. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Jolly Good Travel. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. DVC Rental Store is a Jolly Good Travel affiliate partner, but we always provide honest opinions about every hotel stay, airline and partner program we review.

How to do Disney World on a Budget in 2026