Disney World Is Slashing Prices for a Limited Time. Here's How to Save Big on Your Next Visit

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There's an old joke that you could send your kids to college or pay for a week-long vacation at Disney World. It's not a particularly funny joke when you think about it.

It's hard to put a price on a weeklong stay at Disney because there are numerous factors to account for. These include the size of your family, the time of year you're going, the specific parks you're choosing to visit, and where you stay. But in a word, it's fair to label a family vacation at Disney as "expensive."

That said, you may be able to get away with spending a bit less on a Disney trip, depending on when you go. Disney is not only offering a limited-time deal on a specific parks package, but it's also working on lowering prices on some of its hotels and dining plans. So if you've been struggling to save enough money for a Disney vacation, some relief may be in sight.

Some Disney deals to keep in mind

Although Disney didn't broadly advertise this, in May, it began offering a discounted three-day ticket that allows visitors to enter Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day. That deal, which is available through Sept. 24, is considerably cheaper than the highest daily Park Hopper ticket, which comes with a $254 price tag, depending on the time of year.

Disney is also lowering the cost of some of its lower-end hotels. A night at Disney's All-Star Movies, Music and Sports Resort could cost as little as $100, depending on the time of your stay. Disney's hotel discounts could slash the cost of an on-site hotel stay by as much as 27%,

according to a Bloomberg analysis. Disney is also offering new dining plans that could reduce the cost of eating at the parks by 20% to 30%.

How to save even more on your Disney trip

Staying at a lower-end Disney hotel could result in savings on your next trip. So could signing up for a more budget-friendly dining package. But if you want to lower the cost of your next trip considerably, there are additional strategies you can employ.

1. Research dates

First, look at Disney's rates calendar to see when it's cheapest to enter the park. Going during an off-month might not only leave you spending less for park access, but help you avoid some crowds, leading to a better experience. (To be clear, Disney will always be crowded. It's just a matter of how crowded.)

2. Consider skipping Park Hopper

Consider limiting yourself to visiting one park per day, which may be a lot cheaper at the time of your day. There's more than enough to do in any given Disney park to keep busy from morning to night. So if you're going for enough time to check out each park individually, you might spend a lot less if you limit yourself to a single park per day.

Now it's true that the above-mentioned Park Hopper is a pretty good deal. But before you buy it, see what the cost is for a single park per day. If you're visiting Disney between now and Sept. 24, which is when that deal expires, you're going at a time when the weather is very hot. You might need a break during the day to hit the pool and cool off, so you may not even get good use out of a Park Hopper ticket.

3. Don't rule out staying off-property

While you might snag a great deal at a discounted on-site Disney hotel, staying off-property might save you even more. And also, Disney's dining plans aren't such a great deal if your kids are picky eaters. And reservations at popular restaurants can be hard to get, anyway. You may want to save your money and stay at a hotel nearby that gives you access to regular restaurants that won't cost nearly as much. Or, rent a private vacation home with a full kitchen and prepare most of your meals there.

A Disney trip might easily lead to a massive credit card bill, depending on the specifics of your trip. But while visiting Disney will never be a cheap vacation, it doesn't have to break the bank, either. Just be strategic about when you go, what you do, and where you stay and eat.

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