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If you want to save money on a Disney vacation, one of the best ways to save is to NOT book a room at one of the Disney properties. Some people think that the whole Disney vacation won’t be complete if you don’t stay at a Disney hotel, that is fine, but you will definitely pay more for it.
I personally think there are so many more things you can do with your vacation money then spend it at one of the Disney hotels. Most people don’t go on a vacation to spend lots of time in their hotel room, they want to be out seeing and doing things.
Here is a few comparisons:
We have a family of 7, so picking a hotel is not an easy task. We don’t really fit in your average 2 bed hotel. Plus, we have teenagers and younger kids, so it is nice to have separate rooms for them. Here are some properties we could choose from at both Disneyland and Disneyworld.
Let’s say we wanted to stay at either park from June 1 – June 8th. (These are not our actual travel dates, I am using it as an example.)
These are the prices that it would cost us to stay at the following Disneyworld resorts, these prices do not include admission to any parks. We did not have a huge selection on Disney parks because of our family size.
DISNEYWORLD
Disney Properties
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa $5237
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge $11,543 (OH MY GOODNESS, I don’t think so!!)
Non-Disney Properties
World Quest Resort Orlando $1266.89
Marriott Harbour Lake $2127.37
By Staying at a non-Disney property, we are saving THOUSANDS!!!
Our family doesn’t even fit into a Disney hotel at Disneyland, so for this price comparison I am searching for a hotel for a family of 4.
DISNEYLAND
For convenience, I shopped for a package deal through www.getawaytoday.com, so these prices also include four 3 day park hopper passes.
Disney Property
Disneyland Hotel $3045
Non-Disney Property
Anaheim Marriott $1651
I did not choose the cheapest or most expensive hotel for either of these categories, you can see that you can save nearly half by staying at a non-Disney hotel. There are hotels that are even cheaper than the Marriott too.
There are some advantages to staying at a Disney resort, but for us, I don’t they are worth the extra money you pay. Plus, you will find advantages at other hotels that you won’t find at the Disney hotels. On our most recent trip to Disneyland, we stayed at the Staybridge Suites, we had a FREE hot breakfast every morning, and a FREE hamburger and hot dog BBQ on Wednesday nights. This saved us money that we would have used to buy those meals. Additionally, our room came with a full kitchen, so we saved money on lots of our meals that way too.
So, one of the biggest ways to do Disney on a budget is to stay at one of the neighboring hotels and not at a Disney resort. To save even more money, you can stay with relatives!
Make sure you check out the comments for thoughts and tips from readers. Please feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions too. I haven’t been to Disneyworld in nearly 20 years, and I can use all the help I can get!
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