So you have made the decision to visit Walt Disney World: congratulations! Now comes the fun part, planning your trip. If you are like most people, figuring out where you will be staying is one of the first decisions you need to make. And if you are also like most people, you want to save as much money as possible on this decision.
The challenge then is figuring out what is the least expensive place for you to stay while at Disney World. Think you already know the answer? Well…let’s just say that the key here is to have an “open mind”: when it comes to planning a Disney vacation, you just may be surprised at the least expensive option.
To start, most people think that it is always cheaper to stay off-property, and that is just not always the case. Some times it is…and some times it isn’t. There are a number of variables that will come into play here: time of the year, size of your family, and need for transportation while there, will all factor in your decision.
As I’m sure you realize, the busier times of year will be more expensive…and you may possibly have less choices, especially if you are not planning far ahead. Disney will not typically offer as many promotions for these times of year as they will for the slower times. So off-site may be your best choice during peak season…but again, not always…
You need to look at the size of your family: if you have a number of children that will require more than one motel room, then a larger “suite”, villa, or rental home may be the most economical as compared to renting multiple rooms. The Walt Disney resort has some properties that can accommodate larger groups of people, and there are definitely times when Disney offers some great discounts that can really save you money. In other cases, some hotels/motels, both on and off property, may offer specials where two rooms could be cheaper than one room in a different location. You will also want to look beyond the traditional hotel/motel option and consider renting a vacation home, condominium, or time-share. If you need the additional space, do the math: in some cases, it can be a definite cost-saver.
And then you will want to consider how you are going to get around while at Disney World. You can stay with Disney and use their free resort transportation, consisting of buses, monorail, or boats. If you end up off-site then you will need a way to get to the parks: find out if your hotel/motel has a free shuttle. If not, or if you are staying in a private property, then you will need to factor in the cost of renting a car or van.
When considering transportation, don’t forget about the cost of getting to and from the airport, if you are not driving. One of the perks of staying on Disney property is Disney’s Magical Express bus transportation to and from Orlando airport…which is free. It’s a benefit of staying with Disney that should not be overlooked, because when you combine this with free transportation to and from the parks that means you really have no cost for car rental or parking. Again, you need to do the comparisons to see what works best for your family.
So now that you know what to consider when planning where to stay at Disney World affordably, it’s time to get out that trusty calculator and make some comparisons. Happy planning!
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