By Sally French | NerdWallet
The winter holidays are probably the greatest instances to go to Walt Disney World. The parks and lodges are decked out in contemporary decor and there’s no scarcity of holiday-themed leisure. Characters flip up for pictures carrying winter garb whereas some rides get festive overlays (for instance, the Jungle Cruise turns into the Jingle Cruise).
But the season additionally makes for one of the crowded — and costliest — instances to go to the Disney resort, as Disney engages in variable pricing the place tickets price extra on high-demand days. If you’re headed to Disney World this winter, these lesser-known tips can save time and money.
1. Find the least busy day to go to
(Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World)
Disney journey planning website Touring Plans collected 43 million common wait instances for rides over the previous 13 years to greatest predict crowds by day. After ranking days on a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the least busy and 10 being the busiest), listed here are Touring Plans’ crowd predictions for the six days earlier than and after Christmas 2023:
- Tuesday, Dec. 19: 7.
- Wednesday, Dec. 20: 7.
- Thursday, Dec. 21: 6.
- Friday, Dec. 22: 5.
- Saturday, Dec. 23: 7.
- Sunday, Dec. 24: 7.
- Monday, Dec. 25: 8.
- Tuesday, Dec. 26: 8.
- Wednesday, Dec. 27: 9.
- Thursday, Dec. 28: 9.
- Friday, Dec. 29: 9.
- Saturday, Dec. 30: 9.
- Sunday, Dec. 31: 8.
If there’s one greatest day to go to, it’s Friday, Dec. 22. And usually, the week earlier than Christmas is much less busy than the week after.
2. Consider Disney’s eating promotion deal
(Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World)
If you’re staying at a Disney-owned resort, a limited-time eating promotion may sweeten the deal. You’ll obtain a Dining Promo Card (to be used at most Disney eating places) once you e book a minimal five-night keep, price as much as $1,000.
The card’s worth is correlated to the worth of your resort room, so vacationers who e book rooms within the Deluxe tier of Disney resorts obtain $200 per night time, whereas rooms booked at Disney’s lower-cost lodges obtain $60 per night time.
Depending on the room you e book, this promotion might be a deal. For instance, NerdWallet discovered availability at considered one of Disney’s top-tier lodges, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, for underneath $500 per night time on some nights in December.
While the package deal requires a minimal five-night keep plus park tickets, receiving a eating present card ($800 if you happen to e book 4 nights on the Animal Kingdom Lodge) price about 40% of the general room price could be interesting.
The promotion covers stays on most nights by way of March 5, 2024, together with Thanksgiving week and the week earlier than Christmas (arrival dates between Dec. 26 and Jan. 8 aren’t eligible).
3. Order small plates on the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays
If you’re not staying at a Disney resort lengthy sufficient to qualify for the eating promo, dine on the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays.
Between Nov. 24 and Dec. 30, momentary meals stands serve seasonal worldwide dishes consistent with the park’s world theme. For instance, the Japanese-themed Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen serves cranberry boba and the L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen serves potato latkes.
Epcot pageant dishes are sometimes smaller than conventional restaurant entrees, however costs are decrease. Many meals objects price lower than $5, and virtually all are lower than $10.
4. Replace theme park visits with free actions
(Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World)
Rather than shopping for a theme park ticket, take a free, self-guided tour previous the large and complicated gingerbread homes on show within the lobbies of six Disney-owned lodges. Among the biggest shows is at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. According to Disney, the resort’s pastry group spent 500 hours baking gingerbread and 480 hours adorning the home, which options 10,000 items of gingerbread.
Getting to every resort could be an journey in itself. Two lodges, Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, are positioned on the resort’s monorail line, which doesn’t require a ticket to board. Almost all of the resorts are additionally accessible by boat (once more, no ticket wanted), which is usually a scenic and stress-free technique to get round.
If you need one other free Disney World exercise, go to the resort’s leisure district, Disney Springs. During the vacations, you may wish to stroll previous the procuring middle’s 19 Disney-themed bushes or go to Santa Claus.
5. Consider an after-hours social gathering as an alternative of a theme park ticket
Walt Disney World presents two units of after-hours events this yr (each run a handful of nights all through the season): Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom Park, and Disney Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Party ticket costs aren’t low cost, as each begin at about $160 (and might price greater than $200 on peak nights). In truth, they typically price greater than customary theme park tickets. But for sure vacationers, they could be a greater deal. That’s as a result of capability is extra restricted than throughout the day, sometimes leading to shorter experience wait instances (eliminating the necessity to pay for upcharges like Disney Genie+, which presents paid, specific line entry).
The events additionally supply leisure you may’t discover wherever else, and — at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party — you get complimentary cookies and cocoa.
Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @SAFmedia.
The article 5 Ways to Save Money and Time During the Holidays at Disney World initially appeared on NerdWallet.
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