5 Ways To Save On Your Disney Trip

I have truly learned a TON about Disney World, in the last 9 weeks, as I have slowly and very intimately planned our dream vacation, with kids.  I say "dream vacation WITH KIDS" because if just Darren and I were going on vacation alone, I'd be planning it much differently.  :)

One of the best parts about planning this trip was learning about all of the ways we could save money.  This trip is by no means an inexpensive one, but to truly do Disney the "magical way", I suggest saving up your money until you can really do it right... at least the very first time you go.  I hope these saving tips allow you and your family to do something extra fun with the extra money!

1.  Target Red Card Savings

The BIGGEST savings that our family benefited from was by using our Target Red Card to pay for our vacation.  Let me explain... 

I have a Target Red Card.  My card is a debit card, but the credit card also works the same exact way.  Target entitles ANY PURCHASES, in their store, including gift cards, to 5% off of your TOTAL order.  I had no idea gift cards were included in the 5% off.  My travel agent, Tabitha, told me to go to Target, by "x" (the cost of your trip) amount of Disney gift cards and pay for the gift cards using your Target Red Card.  So that I do not disclose the cost of our trip, let's use $5,000.00 as an example...  

Go to Target.

Collect in hand, $5,000 worth of Disney gift cards.

The cashier will ring up $5,000 worth of gift cards to the register.

Use your Target Red Card to pay for the gift cards.

Your total order will actually be $4,750.00

You receive - $5,000 worth of gift cards
You pay - $4,750.00
Your TOTAL Savings - $250.00

There are three dilemmas when paying for your trip this way.  1. If for some reason you need to cancel your trip, your trip will be reimbursed to you, but BACK onto the gift cards.  Basically, you will HAVE to spend that money with Disney eventually.  I was not concerned about this dilemma because WE ARE GOING and if for some reason we had to cancel our trip... we purchased the travel insurance... so our travel insurance will cover everything.  2. A federal state law prohibits Target from selling more than $3,000.00 worth of gift certificates per customer, per 24 hour period.  SO, if your trip is $6,000.00, you will have to visit Target, on two separate occasions, in order to take advantage of this savings. A slight inconvenience, but well worth the savings, especially if you are an avid Target shopper. 

3. Your hands will get dirty and reading off 1,000,800,455,000 numbers to your travel agent, to pay off your trip, is LONG and tedious. Scrapping all of the magnetic strips off of the back of the gift card, to reveal the code, is messy.  Eventually, I just got smart and peeled them off, instead of scrapping the strip with a penny.

2. Use Tabitha Woodard With Pixie Travel

Depending on the cost of your trip, Tabitha gives each of her customers an incentive for booking a trip with her AND remember, she does it all for FREE.  So, not only do you receive a gift from her, but you also get to have her do all of the grunt work for you, for free.  Tabitha granted me a $75 gift card to Disney.  This card could be used towards payment for your trip, at Disney, or at Disney.Com. Even if you know Disney like the back of your hand, use her.  It's FREE money!!!!!

3. Refer A Family Member OR Friend To Tabitha Woodard

If you refer a friend to Tabitha Woodard and your friend or family member books a trip with her, you will also receive, from her, a $25 gift card to Disney.  I referred my sister Ashley to Tabitha and that referral awarded me an additional $25 gift card. From Tabitha alone, I received a $100 gift card to Disney.  

4. Apply For A Disney Chase Credit Card

Anyone who applies for a Disney Chase credit card AND gets approved, will receive a $50 gift card to Disney, within a few weeks after your first card purchase.  The purchase can be a pack of gum, it doesn't matter, as long as you purchase something.  I applied, got approved, and received a $50 gift card to Disney.

5. Use Tabitha Woodard AND TELL HER I SENT YOU!!!!!

I feel STRONGLY about using Tabitha.  God literally sent me a blessing, in disguise, when I "found her".  If you are reading this post and eventually plan to travel to Disney, be it your FIRST time or your 100th time, USE TABITHA and tell her I sent you. IF you do, I will receive a $25 gift card to Disney and as a thank you, I will mail you a $10 check.  Basically, by dropping my name, you will earn an additional $10.

For now, absorb these 5 ways to save into your brain and store them there for when TABITHA plans your trip to Disney for you.  :) If I recall any others, I will update the post.