Let’s see the difference in price between three vacation options for the following family – 2 grandparents, 2 parents, and 3 children, staying in Orlando for a week in August before school starts again.

Lodging

While there are certain perks for staying on theme park property (priority access to the parks and attractions; complimentary airport shuttles; and luggage delivery), the price reflects these minor amenities. Our vacation homes rival these hotels in space and luxury by offering you resort-style décor and amenities for a fraction of the price. Many of our homes feature open floor plans, spacious bedrooms to accommodate large groups, multiple bathrooms, full-size washers and dryers, in-home movie theatre and game rooms, private pools, and access to an elite resort clubhouse.

• Theme Park Resort Hotel: 15,645.38
• Our Resort Vacation Home: 1,801.00

Theme Park Tickets

Prices listed are for seven 6-day tickets with the option to hop from park-to-park.

• Theme Park Resort Hotel: 3,412.49
• Our Resort Vacation Home: 3,402.71

Dining Options

Nobody wants to cook every meal on vacation, but the freedom to do is imperative and can only be offered by staying in a vacation home. As opposed to theme park resorts, in which you’re forced to eat every meal in the parks, all our homes come with a full-size kitchen, equipped with the essentials to help you save money on dining. For those with strict dietary needs, children with strong food preferences, or for anyone looking to eat healthier meal options, a vacation home provides you the freedom to cook what you want, when you want – and still have the option to eat in park or at a local hot spot. *Note: price is an estimate on weekly family size spend on grocery items and dining out budget.

• Theme Park Resort Hotel: 3,257.75
• Our Resort Vacation Home: 1,600.00*

Transportation

Aside from airfare, ground transportation is going to be a necessity for having the freedom to vacation on your time, not a theme park’s! The following prices are quoted for a mini-van, seating up 7, for the duration of the week. One priced through the theme park; the other, through our partnered car rental service.

• Theme Park Resort Hotel: 490.39
• Our Resort Vacation Home: 469.69

Theme park hotels are charging roughly three times the cost of our vacation homes. You don’t have to sacrifice luxury for affordability. We provide you the vacation you need for the price you want!

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Search for Special Offers

Like all businesses, Disney has its high seasons and its low seasons—and it will try to make the most out of its low seasons with special deals. Head over to https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/ to find what kind of bargain you can take advantage of! It’s true, though, that many special offers have certain stipulations in order to use them. This means that you’re more likely to find something that suits you if you’re pretty flexible with your timetables and room conditions.

Watch What You Order

Theme park food is notorious for disrupting all dreams of having an accurate vacation-cost estimate, and Disney is no exception. While we can’t lower the costs of food for you, we do have two pieces of advice. First, recognize that many orders are automatically made into combos. However, you can order many items à la carte, skipping the sides to save a few bucks here and there. Secondly, curb your soda cravings. Many people in the U.S. are accustomed to three sodas per day, but this can run you an extra $10 per person in the park.

Bring Your Own Stroller

It’s possible to find a cheap, portable, fold-up stroller for just $25 or $30—outside of the park, that is. If you forget one, the park will rent them to you for $15 per day. These strollers are not collapsible however, which makes them cumbersome when your youngster wants to stretch their legs or when you sit to eat. If you’re going for more than one day, invest in a stroller.

What’s in Your Wallet?

If you use your credit card often—responsibly, we hope—you may have racked up some reward points. Look into your rewards program and see if any of these points can be put toward your vacation. Even if none of them can be used for free tickets, see if they can be used elsewhere to cut the vacation’s overall cost, such as airfare, car rental, groceries, and the like.

Don’t Stay with Disney

Second only to perhaps number one on this list, this advice will make the biggest budget difference. While “value” rooms in Disney hotels can cost as little as $85 per night in September and January, they can run upwards of $180 per night during the summer—and this is for the cheapest, bare-bones room.

Instead, look around for a place to rent! Check out Tropical Escape Vacation Homes’ many luxurious condos and simpler abodes—not only can our prices rival those of Disney’s, they also get you way more bang for your buck! If you’re going to spend over $100 or $150 per night on lodging, why not spend it on a place where everyone gets their own room and you don’t need to share your pool? If you check out Disney’s deals and ours, we think you’ll find there’s a strong argument that not staying in a Disney hotel might be the best option for a Disney vacation!

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The Landing is the waterfront district which is the nearest to completion. This district features several new shops that have recently opened their doors to the public including a vintage shop Chapel Hats, a casual shoe store Havaianas and Sanuk (these shoes are so comfortable!), The Art of Shaving, a barber and shave shop and a core vegan, the gluten-free menu has debuted at McKenna’s Bakery NYC a delicious bakery you can smell from blocks away, yum! Stay tuned later on this year for the debut of the STK Steakhouse with an exclusive rooftop dining area and delicious high-end meals.

Visit Orlando Disney Springs Today

Several different bridges were built to create more walkways where you can get a glimpse of the fabulous views and to get you to your most favorite places even faster. Disney Springs decor will be set back to the 1900’s with new signage and ambiance created around the theme. Disney Springs will still be free to park and will have plenty of space for you to do so! A second parking garage is in the works with 4,000 spaces and a connecting ramp to Interstate 4, a widened 10 lane Buena Vista Drive and two pedestrian bridges are also in the plans for a project due to be completed in late 2016.  This will make it easier to park at this exclusive waterfront dining, shopping and entertainment experience.

A few of our favorite restaurants will be getting a face-lift including Planet Hollywood and Paradiso 37. Planet Hollywood’s famous globe will be transformed into a planetarium with views of stars and a new outdoor terrace and bar will be created. This will include more seating and more views. Same goes for Paradiso 37, seating will almost double with more waterfront views. The Boathouse, a restaurant coming to the former Pleasure Island area, is set to open this summer and will feature a nautical theme with breathtaking water views. Guests have the option to enjoy a unique experience on a 40-foot Italian water taxi that’s going to hold up to 25 people serving champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries and toasts with the captain while cruising the waterway!

View a sneak peek of whats to come here!

Many more surprises to come for the new and improved Disney Springs, stay tuned!

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