So holidays in Disney World, Florida aren’t exactly cheap are they, but I’ve discovered a few ways to make those dollars go a little bit further.
Eating in Disney is an adventure and there are so many lovely restaurants and amazing cakes and gooey products to try (the last two my faves personally). However, eating on site in Walt Disney World for 2 whole weeks can cost mega bucks. Even if you time it right and book when there is a free dining plan, I feel that there is so much food available within that, I’m inevitably only paying for the convenience and not physically able to consume that amount of grub. Disney do different offers at different times of the year, so depending on your individual circumstances and where you decide to stay, the free dining plan may work in your favour. However, if you find you make a bigger saving with a ‘free nights offer’ or by staying off site, then there are ways to make your mouse dollars go further.
Guests receive priority seating when presenting their card (useful if you can’t get a reservation for a WDW restaurant) and there are occasional members-only special offers and promotions. Although not a major money saving, at some locations you receive a 10% discount on merchandise.
Check me out in A Sweet Mouse Life Store
To join there is a one-time membership fee of $25, but this goes on your card and is available to spend. They call it a $25 Welcome Reward. For every dollar you spend at one of their restaurants you’ll receive one point and for every 250 points, you’ll receive another $25 Reward. This includes the purchase of gift cards which you can order or when you top up your card online. Our family enjoys Rainforest Café, T-Rex Café and the Yak and Yeti Restaurant at Disney and there are more Landry owned restaurants in Florida if you venture further afield outside of the Disney bubble.
In addition, you’ll receive annually a $25 Birthday Reward. The Birthday Reward is automatically loaded onto the Landry’s Select Club card on the first day of the month of your birthday and expires on the 15th of the following month. So if your birthday is June 30, your card will be loaded on June 1 and can be used until July 15th. Lucky if you can holiday around the time of your birthday.
There are a few Olive Garden restaurants in Florida, all I’ve heard good reviews about. We visited the one on International Drive and the garlic breadsticks!! Well, I’ll just let you find that one out for yourself! I signed up to their newsletter and received an offer for a free appetiser or dessert, which we used on our last visit. Regular offers are emailed out and if they are valid during your stay then why not?
If you have a car it makes sense to head to a Walmart or similar and grab a few essentials for the parks, like water, snacks and fruit, as those items can be expensive day in and day out if you eat in the parks a lot. For those who don’t drive or who decide to just rely on Disney transport then why not consider a grocery order from Garden Grocer? It’s just like online shopping at home, except they deliver to quite a few of the Disney hotels. You can choose your items and a delivery slot before you go on holiday (you receive discounts for booking early) and can update the order if you forget to add something. Should you be delayed then Bell Services at the hotel will hold onto your groceries and any cold items will be put in the fridge. Leave your mobile number on your order and they will text you when it arrives. Sounds simple, so we are trying it out on our next visit. I’ll update this page with an honest review.