Here you will find the 6 easiest ways to save money on your Walt Disney World Vacations. We all know that while there are Disney vacations to fit all different budgets, there is always room to save! I need ways to save on every trip, in order to convince Neil to take us back. Not only do these need to save us money on vacations, food, and souvenirs, but they also need to be easy for me to do. So here are my biggest money saving tips for a Disney vacation.
Shopkicks
Shopkicks is an app that you can use to earn FREE Disney gift cards. As a gift to you, use code: SHOP258384 for an extra 250 kicks! These gift cards can be used to pay for anything Disney related, even your vacation! I started using Shopkicks about 4 months ago, and I have already earned a FREE $25 Disney gift card. In fact, after one trip to town yesterday, I am almost 25% into earning another one! They are available to use at different stores, however, I use it mostly at Target and Walmart. There are 2 different ways to use this app so let’s break them down.
- Online purchasing:
This is seriously the easiest way to earn free gift cards. I am already placing curbside grocery orders from Wal-Mart, but now I place them through the Shopkicks app. Everytime I place my pickup order through the Shopkicks app, I am awarded points for every dollar spent, usually 3 points per $1. After that your points will just show up, and will be held for 3 months incase of any returns or missed pickups. This takes no extra time or energy to do, because I am literally already placing the order the same way.
- In-store
The other way you can use this app is to use it while shopping in the stores. You can scan barcodes on items listed in the app to earn points. These points are earned instantly, and do not take long to add up. You will also be rewarded just for walking into most stores! If you are purchasing something on the list, you can earn even more points! I do not tend to purchase items on the list unless they are already needed, but I do scan items when I have some extra time.
Ibotta
Similar to Shopkicks, Ibotta is a reward system for purchasing items. There is an online option for this as well, but I prefer to use the items listed for purchasing. Again, I do not tend to buy things unless they are already needed. Many of the items on Ibotta are what we are already purchasing; groceries, diapers, medicine, ect. I have linked my Target and Walmart accounts to Ibotta so they will automatically award me the money once I check out at the store. The rewards with Ibotta are money, which I use to purchase Disney gift cards to go towards our next vacation.
Target RedCard
The most well known way to save money on a Walt Disney World vacation is with a RedCard. If you shop at Target, I highly suggest signing up for a RedCard to save 5% on all our purchases, including Disney gift cards! There is a debit card option that will link to your bank account, so there is no worry about another credit card. 5% may not seem like much, but that is $250 savings for a $5,000 vacation! I use the Ibotta rewards to purchase my gift cards at Target with the discount. We carry them with us to Walt Disney World to use on souvenirs, purchasing Genie+, and dining locations. It is 5% off your meals and souvenirs!
Disney Visa
Once again, I am referring to a debit card here rather than a credit card. If you are a member of a Chase Bank, you can opt in for a Disney Visa debit card. My husband and I both have a Disney card, which can be used at the parks for 10% discounts on food and souvenirs. Something that neither of us have to put in work for, but the savings add up! Simply tell a cast member when dining or checking out that you have a Disney Visa. If it is a participating location, most of them are, they will award you with your discount. You will have to pay with the Disney Visa, but it’s completely worth it in our opinion.
Amazon Fresh
Disney dining can be expensive, especially for larger groups. One way that we also like to save money is by having an Amazon Fresh order delivered for free to our resort. You can place this order the night before, or even the morning of arrival. Things that we tend to get from Amazon are milk, apple juice, bottled water, snacks, and Dr. Pepper. We also have diapers and wipes delivered to save room in our luggage when flying. Amazon Fresh will also deliver alcohol to your resort, another huge money saver! Warning: for alcohol you will have to be present at the time of delivery to show your ID. Otherwise, they will leave your items for you with bell services to pick up at your convenience.
Free Disney Travel Planner
Another huge way to save is by using a Disney Travel Planner, like myself. Your planner should be experienced with Disney and completed the College of Disney Knowledge Program. We are free to use because Disney is who actually pays us. If you decide to book on your own with the Disney website or via a planner, it should cost the same to you, so why not use a planner to help with everything? They are also notified of any discounts, and will be able to let you know if you are eligible for the discount, even if you have already booked the trip with them. We also are able to make dining reservations, park pass reservations, special events, and so much more! If you are looking for a planner, I would love to help you plan a magical vacation. It is so simple, and free, to start here.
That is how our family continues to save money on every Walt Disney World vacation. Do you have any other ways that you like to save money for your trips? I would love to hear all about them! Be sure to check out our packing list!
