Disney ParksPlanningTips

Where To Spend Your Money In Disney

Traveling to Walt Disney World isn’t cheap.  Saving for flights, resorts, tickets, food and of course, a souvenir or two can really add up.  When thinking about where to save and where to splurge when it comes to your Disney vacation, we have a few suggestions.

There are a few areas that if you spend a little money on them or even budget a little more it can really make your Disney vacation that much more magical.

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Credit: Disney

Holiday Parties in Magic Kingdom

If you are a fan of the holidays, there is no better place to celebrate Halloween and Christmas than in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.  Back this year is both Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

These special ticketed events cost extra money, but for many Guests, they can be well worth it.  For both of these parties, Guests are given access to special experiences.  During Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Guests of all ages get to trick ‘o’ treat throughout Magic Kingdom.  At Christmas time, Guests get free cookies and hot chocolate throughout Disney Park.

Special firework shows and extremely popular parades take place during each party as well.  Mickey’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular and Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show will light up the night and transform the castle with lasers, fireworks, music and so much more.

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Credit: Disney

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade will bring the beloved reindeer, gingerbread men, and Santa himself down Main Street, U.S.A. as snow falls from the sky.  During the Halloween party, the headless horseman leads off Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade featuring the gravediggers.

If you enjoy the holidays, these two events might be worth the money for your family.  Do some digging into what is offered to make sure that you set realistic expectations.  There is nothing like celebrating the holidays in Magic Kingdom with loved ones.

VIP Tour Disney
Credit: Disney

Disney Tours

Throughout all four theme parks, Disney offers a variety of tours during normal times.  These tours are absolutely where you should invest some money as they are well worth the price.  From behind-the-scenes experiences to up close and personal interactions, these tours provide Guests with a once-in-a-lifetime experience that can’t be provided any other way.

Disney does an amazing job of providing tours for Guests of all ages and interests.  If you are a Disney history fanatic, the Keys to the Kingdom tour in the Magic Kingdom is fantastic.  You learn about how the vision of Magic Kingdom came to be, get to visit some of the rides in the Park as well as take a tour of the tunnels used underneath the Magic Kingdom.

For animal lovers, Animal Kingdom has a variety of tours that allow Guests to get up close to some of the amazing animals that live in the Park.  Caring for Giants is a tour that brings Guests close to the elephants and Up Close With Rhinos does just that- brings Guests closer to Rhinos.  These are wonderful options for animal lovers and when they return to Animal Kingdom are well worth the cost.

Finally, if you are looking for a special and unique experience consider VIP Tours.  These tours take Guests throughout the four parks, providing them with front-of-the-line access to as many rides as they wish.  This experience isn’t cheap as a private tour runs anywhere from $425 to $850 per hour with a minimum of seven hours.  If you have a lot of birthday money saved up, we would highly recommend spending it on a VIP Tour.  You truly will feel like a rockstar.

For a truly unique experience, look into one of the many tours offered at Walt Disney World.  There is definitely something for everyone.

Disney Resort

We love that Disney has three different Resort categories giving Guests of all sizes, budgets, and goals the opportunity to stay on Disney property.  Even though we love Pop Century, if you have some extra money in the budget, we think it might be worth it to upgrade to a moderate or deluxe Resort.

When it comes to the deluxe resorts, we feel that the money is worth it on some occasions.  If you know you are planning a Resort day or two, we highly recommend investing in one of the amazing deluxe resorts as they have fantastic pools, and pool bars and provide a wonderful location for a Resort day.

The other time the deluxe resorts are well worth the extra cost is when it comes to transportation to some of the parks.  If you know you are going to be visiting EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, then being able to walk from Boardwalk Inn or Beach Club and Yacht Club can save a lot of time.

Grand Floridian Friendship Boat

The same goes for the monorail resorts and Magic Kingdom.  If you have little ones and know you will be in the Magic Kingdom a lot, being able to wheel the stroller right onto the monorail and be back in a few short stops can be well worth the price tag of the deluxe resorts.  Investing some extra money in your Resort can really make a difference in your overall vacation experience.

We know that planning a trip to Walt Disney World isn’t cheap; however, if you have a little extra in your budget these are some areas we’d recommend spending on.  From special experiences to upgrading your stay, these experiences that cost a little extra can add a lot of magic overall to a trip to Walt Disney World

Jennifer Retzlaff

Jennifer became a lifelong Disney fan during her first trip to Walt Disney World in 6th grade. From that moment, Disney became a big part of her life. She quickly started to introduce her love of Disney to her family with a Disney honeymoon and then family trips when her youngest was 18 months old. She loves the magic that Disney brings to people through theme parks, cruises, and adventures. As a teacher, she tries to bring Disney magic into her classroom to help kids believe that “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It.” She is also part of the Magic Vacation Planner team as a personal travel advisor. With this team, she can now help others plan magical vacations. She loves bringing her love to Disney to readers with How to Disney.

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