It is NOT CHEAP to vacation in Disney World, and that is a fact.

However, there are certainly ways to bring down the cost of taking a trip, even if you’re choosing to stay on property at one of Disney World’s incredible hotels. If you’re taking a trip soon and are looking to really get those costs down, we have some tips you NEED to use!

Always Checking Disney’s Deals Online

This one sounds simple, but Disney REALLY loves to hide some of these special deals from us. You can get so caught up booking your vacation (whether out of panic or excitement) that you forget to look into those special deals. And if they’re not staring you right in the face, it’s hard to find where they are!

Disney has a deals and discounts page on their website that you can check out any time to see what deals are being offered. Often, they’ll offer seasonal promotions (especially if it’s a slow season), ticket and hotel stay bundles, savings if you’re staying for a longer period of time, and so much more.

It never hurts to check, so take a few extra minutes, check out the deals, and save yourself some cash!

David’s Vacation Club Rentals

If you’re looking to stay at a DVC (Disney Vacation Club) Resort but aren’t a DVC member, not to worry. You don’t have to pay that whole stay out of pocket! Use our friends over at David’s Vacation Club Rentals and save some major cash!

David’s Vacation Club Rentals is a service that allows DVC members to sell DVC points they’re not using that year to people who want to use them at a LOWER price than Disney sells these hotel rooms for! This way, the DVC renter is getting some money back on their points, and you’re getting to stay in an amazing room that otherwise may be way out of your price range. It’s a win-win, AND it’s completely safe and acceptable to do.

Learn more about David’s Vacation Club Rentals here!

Membership Discounts (Annual Pass, AAA, Disney+, etc.)

Lots of memberships you may already have can also help you save on your Disney World hotel stay — even if that membership has nothing to do with Disney World! We’ve frequently seen Disney World hotel discounts and deals come and go for Costco and AAA members in the past, among many more.

If you’re a Disney World Annual Passholder, Disney Vacation Club member, or you have an account with Disney+, Hulu, and/or ESPN+, it’s also worth checking to see if those memberships get you any discounts on your Disney World hotel. To check this, you can go to Disney World’s hotel deals and discounts page, or sometimes see if you have an email from these companies letting you know about a new deal.

Do you qualify for these Costco deals? Check it out here!

Use a Travel Agent

If all of this sounds a little overwhelming, we totally get it. If you’re still hoping to save as much money as you can but you just don’t have the time or energy to go searching through all these deals, we recommend getting in touch with our travel agent — Small World Vacations!

Travel agents are completely free for you to use because they get commissions from Disney when they book your vacation.  Travel agents are fantastic because they already KNOW about all the deals, and will ask you if you’re a subscriber/member of any of the companies with deals, and can apply them all for you. They also have invaluable knowledge of the parks, and can recommend activities to do, or not do, to ensure you have a great vacation.

Check out our ultimate guide to Disney travel agents here!

Bottom line, booking a Disney World trip is expensive, but many times, experts don’t pay full price, and now you know how to save too! We’re always telling you about the latest Disney deals, so stay tuned to DFB for all the latest news!

What’s your favorite way to save money on your Disney World vacation? Tell us in the comments!

The post Disney World Hotel “Sticker Prices” Are SCARY. But Most Travel Experts NEVER Pay Full Price. first appeared on the disney food blog.