1. Eat breakfast in the hotel room. Cereal for DH, (Milk is carried in the gift shops and we found out that one bottle will last for 2 bowls of cereal if we bring a small soft-sided cooler and refill ice am and pm.) PopTarts and cereal bars for me. Fruit Bowls and juice boxes for the both of us, those are stashed in the cooler to for the am. DH has to eat 2 hrs after breakfast. He brings PopTarts for that and gets milk in the park.
2. Share snacks, most fruit cups, frozen drinks (lemonade), are large enough for the both of us, inbetween rides. Or bring snacks into the parks with you.
3. Soda. Bring warm cans and at least one souviner cup, for every two people, into the park with you. When we were thirsty, we stopped at a food stand and asked for a cup of ice. Half the ice went into the souviner cup with halg the can of soda. The other half of the soda went into the ice cup.
4. Only eat one sit-down meal a day. and make that lunch if you possibly can. Meals are less expensive at lunch time and often it's the same menu, just smaller portions. Try getting the last lunch PS for dinner and picking up a snack of popcorn and water later in the evening. Use the menus at
Deb Willis's Site and let the family plan where you all will eat and what you will have when you get there.
5. Break-up hotel stays. For the days we did non-Disney parks, (SeaWorld, Universal), we stayed at a nice hotel outside of Disney , that was closer to those parks. The rate was only $49.00 per night, it had free continental breakfast, microwave and fridge in room and free transportation to the parks mentioned above. It was a three-diamond AAA hotel.
6. Do reward programs. Next year, for the most part our sit-down meal every day will be paid for with giftcertificates from the rewards programs that we do. Rewards programs will also pay for a four-night stay at a non-Disney hotel, while we visit non-Disney parks.
7. Don't buy a package. They have extra stuff in them that you don't always get to use.
8. And bring your own medicine and first-aid in case someone gets sick. The price of Tylenol NyQuil and Band-aids is unbelievable, everywere at WDW
9. Book and non-Disney hotels early. The one we are staying at next year, has AAA rates that sell out very quickly. I'm booking as soon as they are scheduling them. Usually 11-12 months in advance.
10. Get a book that has touring plans and plan, plan, plan for everything, rides, PS's, counter service meals, breaks, rain-ponchos, tips, dead batteries, film, transportation. EVERYTHING!! Always have a plan B. Write it all down in a small notebook that you can keep with you. In the days, weeks, months and years
before your trip, when you see clearances, sales and closeouts for items you might need, you will be able to buy them and put them away for the trip.
These are just some suggestions that I mostly found here that helped with our trip last year. They worked so well, I will use them again next year. Hope you find something that you can use too.