Your dream Disney World vacation is called a dream vacation for a reason: Disney World vacations don’t come cheap!
If you plan to travel with your family on vacation, the costs will add up quickly.
With the prices for flights, tickets, daily food, shopping, entertainment, and more, it’s easy to find yourself faced with expenses you really can’t afford.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to plan your Disney vacation without burning a hole in your wallet.
To help you plan your Disney trip on a budget, here is your ultimate guide to booking hotels for less.
Gauging Hotel Affordability: Booking Hotels For Less
The hotel where you stay can honor or demolish your budget. Finding affordable stays requires looking into the differences between hotels as you work your way down the list of affordable options.
Disney resorts are defined by price, the amount of space per room, and the amenities included.
Beyond these basics, you need to factor in convenience and proximity to Disney World when you’re looking into booking hotels for less.
Disney World’s Three Vacation Stay Options:
Before listing the options, let’s go over the differences between the three stays at Disney World.
1. Disney Value Resorts:
To begin, the cheapest resorts are the value resorts. These go for a minimum of $125 a night to $370+ during the high season.
Value resorts are standard rooms offered at all All-Star and Pop Century resorts. Rooms are 260-277 square feet.
If you have four or more people and want more space without paying the additional costs for a moderate resort, you can find value family suites up to 565 square feet if you book quickly.
Starting with the value resorts, take your pick from five options:
- All-Star Music-$123-$603 per night, depending on the room type
- Pop Century- $123-$264 a night for a standard room and $160-$302 a night for a preferred room
- Art of Animation- $195-$356 per night for a standard room and $442-$856 per night for a family suite
- All-Star Movies- $123-$297 per night, depending on the room
- All-Star Sports- $123-$294 per night, depending on the room
2. Disney’s Moderate Resorts:
Moderate resorts are the second cheapest option, with rates beginning at $240 per night and up to $435 per night for standard rooms during the high season.
The Moderate resorts also have large suites capable of housing six adults per room. Moderate resort rooms are approximately 314 square feet for a standard room.
Disney’s moderate resorts offer more affordability, including:
- Coronado Springs- $240-$477 per night depending on room type; $992-$1750 per night depending on the suite
- Port Orleans French Quarter- $266-$434 per night for standard rooms
- Caribbean Beach- $248-$515 per night depending on room type
- Port Orleans Riverside- $266-$520 per night depending on room type
3. Fort Wilderness Resort And Campground:
For the cheapest option available, families can also park their campers or set up tents at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.
These spots start at $91 per night, with more expensive cabin availability at $429-$816 per night, depending on the time of year.
To book hotels for less, Fort Wilderness, albeit unconventional, is your cheapest on-site option.
As you consider cheap hotel options, be sure to factor in the costs for resort amenities. Part of what you’re paying for in your hotel room is proximity to theme park conveniences.
Convenience And Proximity To Disney World:
One of the reasons value resorts are cheaper is because they are far from the reactional features like arcades, running paths, and water slides that moderate resorts have.
If you stay at a value resort, the main food options are food courts and the pool bar.
At the moderate resorts, you’ll have waterslides, fitness classes, fishing, and other outdoor activities. You also stay right in the middle of the magic: Disney World is located right outside your door.
Moderate resorts have access to more dining options like table service and restaurants. You can find fast-food service and Disney dinner shows as well.
Are There Discounts On Disney Resort Hotels?
You can also find discounts to consider booking hotels for less. To make your stay even more affordable, travel during the low season and find hotel discounts at Disney World resorts.
Typically, you will hear about these promotions about six months before the off-season. Subscribe to Disney World emails to learn about travel deals ahead of time and start booking hotels for less.
Other Ways To Save:
1. Contact A Disney Travel Agent:
If you’re not satisfied with the average pricing for the resorts at Disney, you can work with a travel agent instead to start booking hotels for less.
Get in touch with a Disney Vacation Planner to start booking hotels for less and plan your vacation around your budget.
Some agents can even offer you a payment plan so that your vacation is paid off in chunks that apply to your financial needs.
These Disney agents can also link you up with Disney discounts that apply to your trip.
Once you’ve received a discount, contact the Walt Disney Travel Company to have it applied.
Most Disney agents are commission-free, so you get all the perks of booking hotels for less without paying a dime for their help!
2. Stay At Off-Site Vacation Rental Homes:
Another way to start booking hotels for less is to stay off-site while you have your Disney World vacation. By staying close by but not on Disney property, you can save a bunch!
Off-property rentals like vacation homes and apartment units typically charge between $200-$275 per night for a five-to-six-bedroom space.
These prices are much lower than the resort hotel rates, and with it, you get more privacy, more space, amenities to cook meals, and more time with your family.
You Won’t Miss Out On The Disney Magic:
Whether you book a room at one of Disney World’s resorts, rough-it on the campgrounds, or stay off-property, you won’t miss out on the Disney Magic by booking hotels for less.
