Yes. Certifiably! I’m 41, a dude, a dad, and I live 750 miles from Walt Disney World. Oh, and I’m about to take my 5 1/2 year old to WDW for the third time by myself! Told you I was crazy. Although, maybe a better word is passionate. I’ve discovered something about myself in these 41 short years, experiences trump things, every time. Disney creates experiences better than anyone, and it draws us like a moth to a flame. So, how do we make it happen? We are budget travelers all the way! Mainly so we can go more than once a year! There a three key things we do that work well for us! Let’s unpack those…
- Rent a stroller.
There are multiple stroller rental companies in Orlando but we use Kingdom Strollers for one specific reason: they deliver and pickup from your resort and you don’t need to be there! It’s waiting for us when we arrive at our resort, and it’s one of those amazing $400 strollers! If you go for a week it’s around $70. We have our own strollers, but we fly and that’s just one more thing to haul through the airport.
- Spring or Fall.
Crowds are better, period. For us, having a preschooler gives us the advantage to go when the rest of the country is in school. Now, with that being said, things have changed over the last few years and the crowds have grown. Even with the annual growth in numbers it’s still our favorite time to go. Another big draw for us are the temps during that time. Cooler nights and no summer crowds- double bonus!
- Stay on Disney Property.
This is a must for us. The perks always seem to outshine the money we might save. If you’re flying to Orlando, Disney transportation is a free option both to and from the airport and to the parks as well! Some offsite resorts include transportation to the parks, but not all, and definitely not as often as Disney transportation. I think that the Value resorts have the best system. All of the bus lines are at the front of the resort. Some of the Moderate and Deluxe resorts have multiple stops at the front of the resort. We have hopped on a bus, gone around to the other stops at the resort for 15 minutes, and still been on property! No thanks. Another perk is the Free Dining Plan. This isn’t always offered, but when it is it’s typically in the Spring and Fall. We don’t usually pay for the dining plan, but if it’s offered for free on our dates we get it.
What about you? What “musts” are on your list for travel and accommodations?
