Your best Money Saving Tips for Orlando Holidays

[Elise79]

take minimal clothes, you know your going to buy loads while there

oh DH I should save money by stocking up on baby cothes in Florida instead of dragging him around the shops here (imagine that a man incouraging shopping)

There is a shop called Carters at the premium outlets(? the ones where Dixie Stampede used to be) that has some really nice stuff. I bought some while we were out there and DH Aunt lives in NY so sent over a load more as a present once DD was born!

 

[Snowy-girls]

what are they for?

They are a flavoured powder which when mixed with water gives you a flavoured water to drink.Most popular are gatorade sachets .x.

 

[Snowy-girls]

Our girls are not big eaters-so at the CS in the parks they will share a meal+drink.Even me+dh sometimes share a meal,knowing that we will be eating a full dinner later in the evenings offsite.

At UNI/IOA if you buy a souvenir bottle/cup thingy,you can then get refills for 69cents-price may have changed by now,and make sure you take it back with you when you go again another day.This also saves you even more $$ as you won't need to buy a drink with your meal at a CS there.
US+IOA even have the offer of you purchasing an extra bun so you can split your double burger meal you buy at a CS.This comes in especially handy when having children who don't/can't eat a huge meal,so they can share.

Also at any CS adults can choose from the childs menu-if i don't share with hubby-this is what i do.

 

[UKMark]

They are a flavoured powder which when mixed with water gives you a flavoured water to drink.Most popular are gatorade sachets .x.

We buy the walmart ones. They're much cheaper

 

[Snowy-girls]

We buy the walmart ones. They're much cheaper

Will have to try them next year-i do like to save a few $$ .x.

 

[Goofey's Girl]

we buy a styrofoam cool box the day we arrive. We stop in a villa so put a few drinks in and ice and keep in the car. We find it particularly useful at the end of the day when you get in the car to drive home. We each have a perfectly cold drink. I have seem people looking at us enviously.
The coolbox's are just a few dollars and last all holiday. you get them at places like walmart.

Cant wait to go 19 days to go.

 

[BRobson]

we buy a styrofoam cool box the day we arrive. We stop in a villa so put a few drinks in and ice and keep in the car. We find it particularly useful at the end of the day when you get in the car to drive home. We each have a perfectly cold drink. I have seem people looking at us enviously.
The coolbox's are just a few dollars and last all holiday. you get them at places like walmart.

Cant wait to go 19 days to go.

We do that - we take it to the waterparks as well. If you drink a lot of Coke,Sprite,Fanta at the waterparks the refillable cup there is good value £10 for the cup and all day refills then if you go more than once take the cup back and pay only $6 for the refills. We took some tumblers in our coolbox and it was a cheaper drinks option

 

[dc1964]

we buy a styrofoam cool box the day we arrive. We stop in a villa so put a few drinks in and ice and keep in the car. We find it particularly useful at the end of the day when you get in the car to drive home. We each have a perfectly cold drink. I have seem people looking at us enviously.
The coolbox's are just a few dollars and last all holiday. you get them at places like walmart.

Cant wait to go 19 days to go.

we always do that also useful for the beach and keeping beer cold, we also keep the donuts fresh from dunkin donuts, always cheaper to buy a large box and u can keep them cool al day, fill the cool box with ice from the machines in the hotel( if u are staying in one)

 

[dc1964]

Vouchers, get as many as you can and remember to use them, they are readily available, the discount is often enough to cover the cost of then tip, whilst on tipping, tip for good service only and work the tip out on the pre tax price of the meal not after tax, (found that out on these boards)
Drink water of refillable sodas at meals, alcohol can double cost of meal in my experience, mind you i drink alot.

 

[dc1964]

a good money saving tip for me is not to stay onsite, the medium and budget onsite hotels are not woth the extra money for the perceived benefits, stay off site in nice hotels and experience something other than a Disney experience.

 

[paulh]

a good money saving tip for me is not to stay onsite, the medium and budget onsite hotels are not woth the extra money for the perceived benefits, stay off site in nice hotels and experience something other than a Disney experience.

each to there own.personly if you stay onsite you can take out the cost of a car,and if flying into mco free coach retrun
Were doing 3 weeks onsite only having care for 2 in middleso were saving there
Tip if staying onsite for 2 weeks use ME (free) and hire a car for a week in middle
Paulh

 

[Lizzybear]

Vouchers, get as many as you can and remember to use them, they are readily available, the discount is often enough to cover the cost of then tip.

In addition to the vouchers if you eat somewhere check the receipt as we found a few of the chains give 10% off your next bill, I know IHOP definitely do this

 

[junior27]

Great thread.

I learned last year to try and find a petrol station way before getting to the airport. We drove through a thunderstorm, couldn't see any petrol stations and had to drive through the airport on a search. When I found one, the petrol was $1.40 more per gallon than it had been in Kissimmee.

 

[tigger300686]

Great Thread

 

[cheryl111]

If you go to one of the little time share kiosks on IDrive and have a couple of hours to waste (we went without the kids one year) do a promotional tour. We got our Universal tickets free saving us loads plus breakfast. We where there 2and half hours tops and at the end just said no were not interestred and went off to collect our free tickets.

Cheryl xxx

 

[madmumof2]

If you go to one of the little time share kiosks on IDrive and have a couple of hours to waste (we went without the kids one year) do a promotional tour. We got our Universal tickets free saving us loads plus breakfast. We where there 2and half hours tops and at the end just said no were not interestred and went off to collect our free tickets.

Cheryl xxx

That sounds great! Any idea if this happens all the time and can you book it or anything?

There's no way I can afford a time share so no worries about me caving lol but I'd glady 'waste' 2 hours or so for free universal tickets!

 

[paulh]

That sounds great! Any idea if this happens all the time and can you book it or anything?

There's no way I can afford a time share so no worries about me caving lol but I'd glady 'waste' 2 hours or so for free universal tickets!

yep it hapens all the time,your only rquied to stay 90min by law,then you can ask for your tickets.we had sales rep sit down with us while were eating,i just said as i looked at my watch,so the 90 min starts now.they dont like it but as soon as they start to talk to you the 90 min starts.
Paulh

 

[dc1964]

sounds good idea, got to be strong though i guess

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

Great thread.
Not sure I'd want to sit 90 mins tho lol! I'm one of them who gives in mind

 

[paulh]

not quite a mony saving tip,but could save heartace
When packing mix everones clothes in sutcases,so if a bag go`s missing at least you got some in anouther bag
Rember beeing on holiday once and saw one person had all there clothes and someone didnt,as they packed all there own clothes in one case each
Paulh