Comments on: 16 Ways to Save Money on Your 2026 Disney World Vacation

By: JC

JC — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:13:49 +0000

Tom, would love to see an update of the 1-day “no parks” itinerary mentioned here! Quite a bit has changed since 2018, and I’d also be interested in how having a toddler may have changed your “free” days!

By: Christy

Christy — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 11:22:11 +0000

Caffeine fix – try the Crystal Lite packets with caffeine. I’ve kicked the soda habit for days at Disney as well but don’t always want more coffee. We love the peach/mango flavor. In moderate weather, we don’t even worry about keeping the drinks cold.

Park Hopping – We stopped paying for hopping 3 years ago and don’t miss it at all. With MK closing “early” by historical standards, the hour or so gained there is mostly lost in the transition from one park to another. Of course, the best use is for an Animal Kingdom day but we rarely visit that park these days. It’s a math problem. Adding Animal Kingdom means adding a park hopper which makes that park just too expensive for the parts we love there. Some folks may want a 2nd chance at their favorite evening entertainment or a specific ride, but this hasn’t been necessary for us.

By: Tom Bricker

Tom Bricker — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 02:54:08 +0000

In reply to Steve. Good catch. I updated everything in the article today (and added an entry--15 for '25 versus 14 for '24), but missed that. Thanks!

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 01:59:18 +0000

In reply to Mickey1928. Yeah this is old but still mostly accurate . The bit about Rise of the Resistance is off. Just show up for early entry and you should be able to ride without buying a park hopper.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 18:55:52 +0000

Yes! We do many of these things! The only one we don’t do is the very first one as we typically try to make it a full seven (or more, if we can swing it) days to maximize our return on travel costs. I would add one more though when it comes to food: order kid’s meals. They are plenty of food! Plus, who doesn’t like getting a chocolate chip cookie or other sweet included with their meal?

By: Mickey1928

Mickey1928 — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 13:50:49 +0000

I don’t know if anyone’s out there reading this as it’s a pretty old column even though it’s chock full of pertinent valuable still timely info.
What with 166 responses, this one bit I’m about to mention might be covered elsewhere. It’s not a game changer that will enable you to make the trip to WDW but it’s a little something.
If you’re hotel has a refrigerator/freezer and you have a car to go shopping or use tip #9 Walmart grocery delivery, buy a 6 pack of Mickey Ice Cream Pops or Ice Cream Sandwiches. $7.99 – $8.49 is the average price when not on sale. That’s SIX (6) for the price of one at the Parks or your hotel QS. Break them out when using the pool or some other activity (movie night, campfire, exploring). The only difference is the wrapper. They taste the same and melt just as fast whether you’re in the Magic Kingdom or the Walmart parking lot.