Let's Go to Orlando! Tips for Saving Money in Orlando.

Orlando can be an expensive vacation.

When you add up airfare, hotels, Disney World or Universal tickets, food, parking and all the extras, a family vacation can easily cost thousands of dollars.

But Orlando also gives you a lot of opportunities to save money if you plan before you go.

The trick is figuring out which expenses are worth paying for, which ones can be covered with points, and which "extras" you really don't need.

Start by Trying to Get Your Flight for Free

Before buying plane tickets to Orlando, check whether a credit card welcome bonus could cover the flight.

One option is the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card.

Depending on the current welcome offer, your departure airport, travel dates and award pricing, the bonus miles could potentially cover a significant portion of your family's airfare.

See the current Delta Gold offer here.

You can also compare other airline and general travel cards on our:

Travel Credit Cards page

As always, don't spend extra money just to earn a welcome bonus.

Use expenses you were already going to pay, earn the bonus, pay off the balance and use the rewards toward your vacation.

Hotel Points Can Save You Even More

Orlando is one of the best places to use hotel points simply because there are so many hotels.

Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and IHG all have numerous properties throughout the Orlando area.

Before paying cash, check the hotel credit cards on our Travel Credit Cards page.

A good hotel-card welcome bonus could potentially cover several nights.

And because Orlando vacations are often five, six or seven nights, getting even three nights free can make a huge difference.

Don't Assume Staying at Disney or Universal Is More Expensive

This is where you have to do the math.

A $120 hotel room off Disney property may initially look much cheaper than a Disney hotel.

But what happens when you add:

Parking.

Resort fees.

Rental car.

Gas.

Theme-park parking.

Transportation.

Suddenly the cheaper hotel might not be as cheap as you thought.

Disney Resort guests receive complimentary transportation around Walt Disney World, and Disney resort stays include benefits such as Early Theme Park Entry.

Universal's hotels can offer their own transportation and park benefits as well.

Compare the entire vacation cost, not just the room rate.

Check Disney's Special Offers Page Before Booking

This is one of the easiest ways to save money that people overlook.

Disney regularly runs promotions.

As of October 2026, Disney has offers that include discounts on select hotel rooms, and certain Disney+ subscribers can get up to 25% off rooms plus free Park Hopper benefits with qualifying packages on select dates.

Those exact promotions will change.

That's the point.

Never assume the price you saw six months ago is still the best Disney price.

Check Disney's Special Offers page before booking and again before your trip.

If a better eligible promotion appears after you've booked, investigate whether it can be applied to your reservation.

Florida Residents: Definitely Check Your Discounts

If you're a Florida resident, don't buy regular Disney tickets without checking the Florida-resident offers first.

Disney currently advertises year-round savings of 40% on eligible 4-day tickets and 30% on eligible 3-day tickets for Florida residents compared with corresponding nonresident tickets.

Disney also runs additional limited-time Florida-resident promotions.

That can be a substantial savings for a family.

Don't Automatically Buy Disney Tickets Directly From Disney

Before purchasing Disney or Universal tickets, compare prices with a reputable authorized ticket seller.

One site worth checking is Undercover Tourist.

Undercover Tourist is an authorized seller for major theme parks including Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.

Depending on the dates and ticket type, you may find a better price.

The important word here is authorized.

Be very careful with random websites, Facebook Marketplace listings or people offering unbelievably cheap Disney tickets.

If the deal sounds impossible, there's probably a reason.

Check Costco Travel

If you have a Costco membership, Costco Travel should absolutely be one of your price comparisons.

Costco currently offers Orlando packages combining hotels with Disney or Universal tickets, and some include valuable extras such as waived resort fees, free parking, breakfast, transportation or resort credits.

Those extras matter.

Saving $100 on a hotel package is nice.

Saving $100 plus getting parking, breakfast and resort fees waived could be worth considerably more.

Compare the total package value rather than just the advertised price.

Go City Actually Does Have an Orlando Pass

This surprised me while researching this article.

Go City now offers Orlando passes.

The current Orlando lineup includes more than 30 attractions, with options including:

• SeaWorld Orlando

• LEGOLAND Florida Resort

• Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

• Gatorland

• WonderWorks

• SEA LIFE Aquarium

• Madame Tussauds

• Boggy Creek Airboat Tours

• Fun Spot America

• Peppa Pig Theme Park

• Daytona International Speedway

and additional attractions.

There are currently several pass formats, including an Essentials Pass, Explorer Pass and All-Inclusive Pass.

But there's a major catch:

Disney World and Universal Orlando theme-park admission are not included.

So I wouldn't automatically recommend Go City to someone spending every day at Disney or Universal.

But if you're staying for a week and want to spend a couple of days doing Kennedy Space Center, SeaWorld, LEGOLAND or other Orlando attractions, it's absolutely worth comparing.

Don't Buy an Attraction Pass Until You Do the Math

Here's the IDoLetsGo rule for every attraction pass:

Decide what you want to do first. Then price the pass.

Don't buy Go City and then start adding activities to your vacation just because they're included.

For example, Go City currently lists individual gate prices as high as approximately:

SeaWorld Orlando — $141

LEGOLAND Florida — $95

Kennedy Space Center — $83

Boggy Creek Airboat Tour — $46

WonderWorks — $40

Those attractions can add up quickly.

If you were already planning to visit several of them, compare the individual prices against the pass.

That's when an attraction pass can make sense.

Use Disney Springs as a Free Disney Day

You don't need a Magic Kingdom ticket every day of your vacation.

Build in a rest day.

Disney Springs is free to enter and parking is free.

Walk around.

Visit the stores.

Listen to live entertainment.

Let the kids explore.

Get something to eat.

Enjoy being at Disney without buying another day's theme-park ticket.

Of course, Disney Springs can become very expensive if you start shopping.

Walking around is free.

Buying everything you see is not.

Universal CityWalk Can Be Another Cheap Evening

You can also visit Universal CityWalk without buying a theme-park ticket.

Walk around, see the shops, grab dinner and enjoy the atmosphere.

Here's an especially useful tip if you're driving:

Universal currently offers free self-parking after 6 p.m., except during Halloween Horror Nights and subject to restrictions.

That makes CityWalk a great option for an inexpensive evening on a non-park day.

Don't Buy a Park Ticket for Every Day

This is one of the easiest ways to cut the price of an Orlando vacation.

Suppose you're staying seven nights.

You don't necessarily need seven theme-park days.

You could do:

3 Disney days

2 Universal days

1 pool/free day

1 other-attraction day

Or some variation that fits your family.

Theme-park days are expensive.

A pool day costs almost nothing.

And after walking 20,000 steps around a theme park in 90-degree weather, you might discover that everyone actually wants the pool day.

Don't Automatically Add Park Hopper

Ask yourself whether you're actually going to use it.

Park Hopper can be useful.

But if your family is going to arrive at Magic Kingdom in the morning and stay until the fireworks, you probably didn't need to pay extra for the ability to visit another park that day.

This is especially important with younger children.

Sometimes buying the basic ticket and enjoying one park is both cheaper and less stressful.

Bring Food Into the Parks

Disney allows guests to bring outside food and nonalcoholic beverages into the parks, subject to its rules.

This can save a family a surprising amount of money.

You don't need to pack three complete meals.

Even bringing:

Water bottles.

Granola bars.

Crackers.

Fruit snacks.

Sandwiches.

Kids' snacks.

can dramatically reduce impulse purchases.

Then spend your money on the Disney foods you actually want instead of paying theme-park prices every time someone says they're hungry.

Get Groceries Delivered to Your Hotel

If you're staying for several days, consider a grocery delivery.

Order:

Breakfast foods.

Bottled water.

Drinks.

Fruit.

Snacks.

Sandwich supplies.

Whatever your family normally eats.

Eating breakfast in the hotel room instead of buying breakfast for four people every morning can save a surprising amount over a week.

This is especially useful if your room has a refrigerator or kitchenette.

Bring Refillable Water Bottles

Florida is hot.

You're going to drink a lot.

Bring refillable water bottles rather than buying bottled water all day.

You can also ask for complimentary cups of water at many quick-service locations inside the parks.

Save the $5 drink purchases for something you actually want.

Skip the Rental Car If You Don't Need It

Whether you need a rental car depends heavily on where you're staying.

If you're staying at Disney and spending almost the entire vacation at Disney, complimentary Disney transportation can reduce the need for a rental car.

If you're staying at Universal and primarily visiting Universal, the same idea applies.

But if you're bouncing between Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Kennedy Space Center and off-site restaurants, a car may make more sense.

Calculate:

Rental price + gas + hotel parking + theme-park parking

versus:

Uber/Lyft + hotel transportation + free resort transportation.

Don't just assume one option is cheaper.

Check Your Credit Card for Rideshare Credits

Before the trip, look through the benefits of the credit cards you already have.

The Delta Gold card mentioned earlier now includes an eligible monthly rideshare credit after the first renewal and enrollment.

Other cards may include travel or rideshare benefits as well.

People frequently pay annual fees for credit-card benefits and then forget to use them.

Orlando is a good place to put those benefits to work.

Check Groupon and LivingSocial

Disney and Universal aren't the only things to do in Orlando.

For smaller attractions, restaurants and activities, always check Groupon and LivingSocial.

You may find discounts for:

Mini golf.

Escape rooms.

Restaurants.

Airboat tours.

Shows.

Smaller attractions.

We've collected discount resources on the IDoLetsGo:

Travel Savings page

Compare the Groupon price against the company's own website before purchasing.

Check Visit Orlando's Deals

Here's another resource worth bookmarking.

Visit Orlando, the city's official tourism association, maintains a large offers section for hotels, attractions, restaurants and other Orlando businesses.

When I checked while preparing this guide, Visit Orlando had more than 140 current offers, including hotel, attraction, dining, military and Florida-resident deals.

That's exactly the type of page you should check shortly before leaving.

Offers change constantly.

Look for Military Discounts

If anyone in your group is eligible for military discounts, check them before buying anything.

Visit Orlando currently has a separate category containing dozens of military offers.

Also check Disney and Universal's current military programs and your base's Information, Tickets & Travel (ITT) office.

The military price may be considerably better than a public discount.

Don't Ignore Your Hotel's Free Breakfast

When comparing two hotels, don't just compare room prices.

Suppose Hotel A costs $140 a night.

Hotel B costs $155 but includes breakfast for four people and free parking.

Hotel B might actually be substantially cheaper.

Look for:

Free breakfast

Free parking

Free theme-park transportation

No resort fee

Kitchen or kitchenette

Laundry facilities

Those aren't small perks on a weeklong family vacation.

They can be worth hundreds of dollars.

Watch the Resort Fees

Orlando hotels are notorious for advertising one price and then adding fees.

Before booking, find the final nightly cost.

Look for:

Room rate.

Taxes.

Resort fee.

Parking.

Transportation fees.

Internet fees.

Any other mandatory charges.

A $109 hotel can become a $170 hotel very quickly.

Interestingly, some Costco Travel Orlando packages currently include waived resort fees or complimentary parking, which is another reason to compare package pricing.

Be Careful With Timeshare Ticket Deals

You're going to see them.

"Get incredibly cheap Disney tickets!"

"Free Universal tickets!"

"Just attend a short presentation!"

These deals can be legitimate, but understand exactly what you're agreeing to.

A "90-minute presentation" can eat up a valuable part of your vacation, and the sales pitch can be extremely aggressive.

If the compensation is worth several hundred dollars to you and you don't mind giving up vacation time, that's your decision.

But calculate the value of your time, not just the free tickets.

And never buy an expensive timeshare simply because you feel pressured during a presentation.

Don't Buy Souvenirs Inside the Park Every Day

Set a souvenir budget before the trip.

This works especially well with children.

Give each child a fixed amount and let them decide how to spend it.

Suddenly the question changes from:

"Will you buy me this?"

to:

"Do I want to spend my money on this?"

That's a very different conversation.

You can also buy Disney-themed items before the vacation and surprise younger kids during the trip.

They don't necessarily care whether Mickey Mouse personally sold you the shirt.

Take Advantage of Free Hotel Pools

Orlando has some incredible hotel pools.

Use them.

A pool day between park days can be one of the best days of the vacation.

It costs practically nothing, gives everyone's feet a break and means you aren't buying another day of theme-park admission.

Sometimes saving money actually makes the vacation better.

Plan Your Expensive Days and Cheap Days

Instead of looking at the vacation as seven identical days, think about it like this:

Expensive Days

Disney World.

Universal Orlando.

SeaWorld.

Kennedy Space Center.

Cheap or Free Days

Hotel pool.

Disney Springs.

Universal CityWalk.

Exploring your resort.

Shopping.

A discounted smaller attraction.

Then alternate them.

You'll spend less money and probably come home needing less of a vacation from your vacation.

A Cheap Orlando Vacation Is Possible

Orlando will probably never be a truly cheap family vacation if you're visiting the major theme parks.

But you can make it dramatically less expensive.

Use airline miles for your flights.

Use hotel points for your room.

Compare Disney and Universal's current promotions.

Check authorized discount ticket sellers.

Compare Costco Travel packages.

Use Go City if you're planning several non-Disney/Universal attractions.

Use free resort transportation when it makes sense.

Order groceries.

Bring snacks and water.

Build free days into your itinerary.

And don't spend money simply because Orlando gives you a million opportunities to spend it.

Before booking, start here:

✈️ Find Travel Credit Card Offers

💳 See the Delta Gold Card

🏷️ Find More Travel Savings Sites

At IDoLetsGo, the goal isn't to spend more money so you can travel.

It's to turn money you were already planning to spend into a vacation that costs a whole lot less.