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SKIP the water bottles

Water bottles World Showcase

Image: Brittany DiCologero

Your mind is in the right place if you’re worried about staying hydrated in the harsh Florida heat, but you don’t need to spend lots of money on water to do so. Since water bottles in the parks cost upwards of $3/bottle, you could actually blow through some serious cash by the end of a week-long vacation. Instead of stocking up on bottles, ask for a cup of water in any nearby quick service location. These cups of water are complimentary, and they won’t even have the funky Florida tap water taste since the water is run through the filters in the soda machines.

You may still prefer to have a water bottle on your person– and that’s okay too! But don’t get stuck repeatedly buying them in the park. Whether you’d simply rather have the ability to pull a bottle out of your bag while you wait in line for an attraction or you want to conserve paper and plastic (complimentary cups are not refillable for sanitary reasons), using a filtered water bottle can be an easy fix. There are tons of options out there for refillable water bottles, but we prefer the standard Brita filtered bottles. These bottles are extremely reasonably priced, and are the same high quality you can expect from other Brita products. They won’t leave your water tasting like plastic from the bottle and they’ll filter out the everything you don’t want to drink from the tap.

SPLURGE on experiences, not souvenirs

Festival of Fantasy

Image: Brittany DiCologero

Regardless of how tight your budget is, you’re still going on vacation! And as such you probably want to splurge on something. My suggestion for the big splurge of the week is to spend the extra money on an experience rather than merchandise. Whether it be a signature dining experience, a day at the spa, a backstage tour, or anything else you may be looking forward to, put your extra money towards something you can do rather than something you can have. If the thought of me telling you to skip out on shopping has you panicked, don’t worry! You can download the Shop Disney Parks app (for ios and Android) and you’ll be able to order many of the items you see in the parks long after your trip– so if money is tight, you won’t feel the pressure to spend it while you’re there!

SKIP the dining plan (probably)

Chefs de France

Chefs de France. Image: Brittany DiCologero

You read correctly, you should (probably) skip the dining plan. As advertised, the Disney Dining Plan can save you up to 35% off the cost of dining during your Disney vacation. It’s true, there is a 35% savings in it for you… if you eat at the right restaurants, order the right entrees, and actually eat most or all of the food. In most cases, the dining plan does not offer a substantial savings (in fact, the benefit many of our readers see is more in the fact that it makes planning easier with meals paid for ahead of time, regardless of what they cost).

While most guests are not getting the best deal with the dining plan, there is a chance it could still save you some money. Before booking the plan, read up on some of the menus where you think you’ll be dining. Do some math, and figure out if what you order would be cheaper as part of the plan or if you paid out of pocket– keeping in mind the possibility that you may not be inclined to order certain things in the first place if not for the sole reason of getting a good deal on the plan. You may come out ahead on the plan, so definitely do some math and give it a try, but know that on the whole, you’ll find a greater savings paying out of pocket and/or bringing at least some snacks into the parks with you. (Free dining discounts also void any possible room discounts, making it extra important to see where the greater savings lies!)

Do you have any splurges you simply can’t pass up? Know exactly what you can skip? Let us know in the comments!

 
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