So I get a call from my mom telling me that my Grandma wants to pay for me and DD to go to Disney World with my Aunt! YAY! I will have to help with gas and then pay for our food and souvenirs. But I am SO excited. I have never been to Disney World. I know that everything is very expensive. Does anyone have any tips on how to keep the costs down once you get there?

__________________
Check out my Mommysaver's Blog!

Sounds like FUN! We are going to Disney World this year too!

__________________
Check out my blog for great product reviews and giveaways. http://sheilacakes.blogspot.com

How fun!! You will have a great time. We were in Disney World in October. We brought a bag/backpack to carry snacks and water. The kids each carried their own water bottle using a clip on their belt loop. I packed Chrystal Light packets so they could refill water bottles. WAY CHEAPER than buying snacks and water everytime they were hungry/thirsty. I also bough glow sticks and carried those in my bag. The kids played with these during parades etc. They also came in handy when we left the park in the dark. It was easy to follow. If you have other questions, feel free to ask.

Go to the Dollar Tree to buy souvenirs, sunscreen, glow sticks/necklace/bracelet. Every store has a Disney section, so you can buy all your souvenirs at Dollar Tree, Walmart, Walgreens, etc. Downtown Disney is a great place to do some window shopping. The McDonald's is more expensive there but you can have lunch, window shop, and play at the Lego store. The only park that offers refills is Animal Kingdom, you can get the cup on Ebay usually for less than in the park, I think they are around $8 in the park. Check Craigslist in Orlando for tickets. Disney employees have a pass that gets them and 3 other people in the parks but only 12 times a year. Associated companies' employees usually get 2 -1 day hopper passes a couple times a year and people sell them all the time even though they are not supposed to sell them. Hopper passes allow you to visit all 4 parks in 1 day, not that you would want to, but 2 parks in one day is do-able. The gas station right outside of MGM Studios usually has the best gas prices on Disney Property. Pickup coupon books inside the hotels and restaurants. When we lived just outside of Disney, if we went out to dinner at Golden Corral, we just walked around the register to the exit, grabbed a coupon book and took out the coupon to save 10%. There are lots of restaurants in those books so they can save you some money. If you plan on eating at any of the seafood buffets on Irlo Bronson in Kissimmee(hwy 192) Go before 6pm, most offer an early bird discount from 4pm-6pm. They are pricey even for the early bird(around $25 per adult, $20 for kids). If you are doing a character breakfast, call now and make your reservations. Many Disney restaurants fill up weeks before, so if you plan on eating at any of the restaurants, call a month or 2 before you come. You don't have to be a guest at the hotel to eat in the hotel restaurants, the Polynesian resort has a wonderful restaurant, O'hana's. Super yummy and it is all you can eat. Again expensive, expect about $50 per person. I would suggest buying a tshirt at the Disney Store before coming to Florida. That way you won't be tempted to spend $18-24 on a tshirt for her.

__________________
"He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money."
Benjamin Franklin

Dollar Tree in Orlando? That is a good idea! My daughter won't know any different!

__________________
Check out my Mommysaver's Blog!

I would do a search of Disney b/c there were alot of posts in different places. That would help narrow any questions. It can be overwhelming your first time out with trying to figure t all out. I would sign up for mousesavers.com newsletter. we just went in Jan.

__________________
allgirls, mom to 3 girls

I was at our Disney Store at the mall last Sat and they had all t-shirts (children and adults) for $5 so I grabbed a few for upcoming trip. MUCH cheaper than buying a t-shirt in the World! Check out the clearance dept of the Disney Store also for things to pack and bring with you. Target's dollar spot had Cars and I think Bambi things a few weeks ago.

There are a TON of good tips here, I am a big fan of visiting disboards.com they are EXPERTS at all things Disney and have great ways to save $$$ at Disney. Also, there is a moms panel online that is set up by Disney Moms Panel | Walt Disney World Resort it really has a lot of good tips as well.

__________________
One happy wife and mommy!!!

The moms panel on the WDW resort website is a fake. They may be moms, but they are disney employees answering the questions. Not that it matters much, at least the info will be factual.

__________________
"He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money."
Benjamin Franklin

It is not fake at all. My husband met two of these people when they were at Disneyworld getting their training on how to answer questions and getting all of their information. They all spent like two weeks there for training. My husband was there for a materials meeting, they were all in the same building. These people were not employees of Disney prior to this panel getting put together. The entire reason for the panel is to have people available to answer questions because they've gone through the steps of booking their own vacations, pinching their own pennies, setting up their own itinerary for their trip.

And no, it really wouldn't matter if they were fake or not, because their job is to deliver information that people are asking for. The information all has to be correct, or Disney would look like a bunch of fools.

__________________
One happy wife and mommy!!!