Planning a Disney vacation is all about balance. Yes, it’s expensive and can feel overwhelming at times — but it’s also full of the kind of memories your family will talk about for years. The good news is that there are ways to save money throughout your trip, which means you can free up room in the budget for the extra magical experiences that feel worth the splurge.
Here are some of the ways we save money at Disney so we can spend a little more on the fun extras.
Food:
1. Breakfast
Breakfast can add up really quickly, even at the quick-service restaurants in your resort.
My kids aren’t adventurous breakfast eaters when they’re traveling, so they usually gravitate toward muffins, coffee cake, pastries, and similar options. On our first trip, they each picked out an item from the bakery, and when we got to the register, the cashier cheerfully announced:
“One breakfast bowl and three desserts — that’ll be $32.25.”
Desserts. For breakfast.
Listen, I’m all for vacation treats, but paying that much for sugar at 7:00 AM felt a little excessive.
That’s where the Walmart delivery comes in (see my other post about snacks). On our second trip, we had yogurt, bananas, apples, clementines, and Belvita Breakfast Biscuits delivered directly to our resort.
Not only did this save us a ton of money, but it also made mornings much faster and easier. We were able to get to the parks earlier, take advantage of early entry, and ride some of the most popular attractions before the lines got long.
2. Coffee
Disney resort rooms include coffee makers along with regular and decaf coffee, tea, creamers, and sweeteners. If you’re not particularly picky about coffee, making a cup in your room before heading out can save a surprising amount over the course of the trip.
At Disney, I am an iced coffee person. So our routine usually includes a stop at Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company where I grab a Shakin’ Jamaican Cold Brew while the kids split a donut before we head to the Skyliner or our first ride of the day.
3. Drinks
Disney resorts offer refillable souvenir cups for use on resort property, but they can’t be used inside the parks. That means you’ll still end up purchasing drinks throughout the day if you don’t bring your own.
The cups also only work during your current stay, so future trips require either a reactivation fee or purchasing new ones.
Since we aren’t big soda drinkers anyway, we skip the souvenir cups entirely, which saves our family close to $100.
Instead, we add cases of seltzer to our Walmart order. Our rental stroller from Kingdom Strollers included a cooler bag, so we filled a zip-top bag with ice each morning and kept drinks cold all day. It saved us from constantly purchasing bottled water and drinks inside the parks.
Souvenirs
It is very easy to get swept up in the adorable merchandise everywhere you turn — in the parks, resorts, and gift shops.
Disney merchandise is genuinely cute and good quality, but it’s also pricey. If you’re not set on buying only official Disney items, there are lots of ways to save without sacrificing the fun.
1. Bubble Wands
The bubble wands sold in the parks are adorable… and expensive.
Before our first trip, I bought official Disney bubble wands online during a sale to try to save a little money. The kids barely used them, and then I spent the rest of the day carrying them around or worrying about leaving them in the stroller.
Now I’ve seen plenty of families bring less expensive bubble wands from places like Walmart, and honestly? The kids seem just as happy for a fraction of the price.
2. Lightsabers
At Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you can pay to build custom lightsabers, which I’m sure is an incredible experience for dedicated Star Wars fans.
But for our kids — whose Star Wars knowledge is still pretty limited — I ordered lightsabers ahead of time online and packed them in our luggage.
When we walked into Galaxy’s Edge and they spotted the Millennium Falcon, I surprised them by pulling the lightsabers out of the backpack. They were thrilled, and we saved a significant amount of money.
3. Ears
I have a whole separate post dedicated to Disney ears, because there are endless options.
Disney’s official ears are adorable, but many styles cost $35+ each. For our family, that just wasn’t practical.
Instead, I found cute and comfortable alternatives online for around $7–$12 each. That allowed us to coordinate different ears with multiple outfits throughout the trip for about the same price as one or two official pairs.
Park Tickets
Our family prefers a slower, more relaxed pace in the parks, so we dedicate one full day to each park rather than rushing between multiple parks in one day.
Because of that, we skip Park Hopper tickets and also don’t purchase Premier Lightning Lane options. That alone saves a substantial amount per person each day.
We also typically bundle our resort and park tickets together as a package, which can help lower the overall cost a bit more.
Now for the Fun Part: The Extras
This is where we take the money saved in other areas and put it toward experiences that feel extra magical and completely worth it.
Fireworks Dessert Party:
On our first trip, we grabbed a sidewalk spot for the Magic Kingdom fireworks about 90 minutes before showtime, thinking we were ahead of the crowd.
We were not.
As the area became more packed, the kids got restless, hot, tired, and overstimulated. By the time the fireworks started, my husband was holding our daughter up so she could see, my son couldn’t see over the adults in front of him, and I spent most of the show worried about getting separated in the crowd.
On our second trip, we decided to splurge on the pre-fireworks dessert party.
And honestly? It completely changed the experience.
There were specialty drinks for adults and fun “fancy” drinks for kids, a huge dessert spread, an ice cream station, and additional snacks like cheese and crackers. But the real value came afterward, when we were escorted to a reserved viewing area for the fireworks.
No fighting for a spot. No sitting on pavement for two hours. No blocked views.
We even got to watch Tinker Bell fly directly overhead during the show.
It felt incredibly magical, and for our family, the stress-free viewing experience alone made it worth the splurge.
Fantasmic Dining Package:
Hollywood Studios offers a similar option for Fantasmic! through select dining packages.
You book a participating restaurant and choose the Fantasmic dining package instead of a standard reservation. The meal costs slightly more, but it includes extras like dessert and beverages, plus reserved seating for the show afterward.
Instead of lining up early and hoping for good seats, you walk straight into a preferred viewing section when it’s time for the performance.
Character Meals:
One of the most magical parts of Disney — especially for younger kids — is meeting characters.
There are character meet-and-greets throughout every park, but they often involve long waits and tight schedules. You may end up missing a favorite character because they leave for a break or because you need to get to a Lightning Lane reservation.
Character meals are a more expensive option, but they’re also incredibly efficient. You get to meet multiple characters while enjoying a meal, usually in air conditioning, without spending large chunks of your park day standing in line.
One of my favorite planning “wins” from our last trip was booking Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at 11:20 AM.
That timing allowed us to pay breakfast pricing while still using it as lunch for our family.
Less expensive, less crowded, and my daughter got to meet Ariel, Aurora, Snow White, Belle, and Tiana all within about an hour — while eating fruit and bacon in a castle-setting.
No waiting in line. No chasing characters across the park. Just pure Disney magic and then right back to rides afterward.
Take Away:
At the end of the day, there’s no “right” way to spend money at Disney.
Some families prioritize souvenirs. Others go all in on food, Lightning Lanes, character meals, or special experiences. The key is figuring out what matters most to your family and adjusting the rest accordingly.
For us, saving money on breakfasts, snacks, drinks, and certain souvenirs allows us to comfortably say yes to the experiences that feel extra magical — the fireworks dessert party, special dining experiences, and little moments that turn a fun trip into unforgettable memories.
Disney can absolutely be expensive, but with a little planning and balance, it doesn’t have to feel impossible.