Walt Disney World on a Budget-Part 1

Visiting Walt Disney World

Getting an Annual Pass for Florida Residents

Since we are seniors, we have no interest in visiting the parks during the busy times, so we looked for cheaper ticket options that offered lower prices that excluded going on weekends or other very busy times. 

We had two options open to us at the start of January 2023:

We could have bought four day Disney Weekday Magic Tickets that are valid for use Monday to Friday only, from January 10 through April 27, 2023—subject to the following blockout dates:

March 13 to March 17, 2023

April 3 to April 7, 2023

April 10 to April 14, 2023

Or we could buy the Florida Resident "Pixie Dust annual passes" that have the same blackout dates during this time frame but enable us to go again and again for an entire year.

The before tax price on a 4 Day ticket is $215 for one person to visit just one park per day and $255 if you wanted to park hop from one park to another, after 2 PM. This doesn't include the $25 per day for parking at each theme park, for a total of $100, if you are not staying at a Walt Disney World resort hotel. In total, my husband and I would have to pay $530 for four days in the parks. If we wanted to park hop, it would be $610.

Our Pixie Dust Passes cost $399 each before taxes, which gives us free parking and park hopping, so our total costs is $800 which is higher by $190 to the comparable park hopper pass $610 and $270 higher than the one park per day passes. Since we plan on going for another 4 days before the end of the one year period, we are ahead of the game only during our second trip to Disney, regardless if we use the park hopper options or not. 

We were able to reuse our Magic Bands, but we wouldn't have bought any new ones, if the battery had run out on them.

In conclusion, if you don't plan on going again to Disney within the year, you're better off buying the 4 day Florida Resident Ticket specials that come out in January, but if you plan on going again within the next year, you should buy the Pixie Dust Annual Pass. We plan on going again in March and November of 2023 and maybe again in January of 2024, before the pass runs out.

Would we go as often, if we didn't have the annual pass? Probably not, but it gives us something to do and we have a good time planning our trips.

Booking our Off Site Hotel end of January 2023

Normally I am the one who researches for the best hotel and books it. However, this time, my husband got involved and in the excitement of booking one at such a cheap price, that included breakfast and free parking, I neglected to verify the ratings. Big, big, big mistake! We booked at  the Clarion Inn & Suites Kissimmee-Lake Buena Vista South, Kissimmee, FL. One night was paid for by points I'd had on my account and the other four nights were $64 plus $10 resort fee. We had to pay the $10 resort fee for that first night too.

The features we were looking for were free parking, free breakfast, a fridge and microwave as well as a coffee maker. The pool was a nice feature, but often, it's just too cold in January to use it, so it wasn't a must. We opted to save the $11 and book a non-cancellable booking. Yep, I've regretted that choice a lot! The reviews, when I finally read them, after booking, rated the hotel between a 2.4 and 2.8 on Expedia, Google, Choice, and TripAdvisor out of 5. I admit, I got scared and before the 24 hours were up, I called Choice hotels to try and cancel. Unfortunately they would not allow me to cancel. So, we decided to make the best of it and treat it like a camping trip. We packed cleaning supplies, our own towels and bed linen, coffee maker and those door stops that you can shove under the door to prevent intruders while you're in the room.

Of the offered amenities, the ones crossed off were not actually available when we went there.

The first room I was offered had a sheared security lock and the door sweep was missing and was sitting on the air conditioner.

We asked the front desk manager to have the room changed and he gave us the keys to the second room. Unfortunately the security lock was also sheared and the fridge didn't work in that room. We asked for a third room and we ended up with a room that had a working fridge but the microwave was dirty and moldy. We later saw that the ironing board and the smoke detector were missing. The smoke detector was replaced on the second evening but only after we'd reported it for a third time. We swapped out the microwave from the second room and I cleaned the room myself using the rags and cleansers I had brought. If your recall, after reading the reviews, we expected it to be dirty. Although, it wasn't as bad as some reviews said.

The bed linen looked very clean but we opted to used our own and used the second bed as a place to store our stuff. We didn't want any of it on the awful carpet.

We cleaned the fridge and filled it with our food. It worked well and was a good size.

We swapped out the microwave from the second room and we cleaned it before using it. I always feel the staff may be using the same rag to clean the toilets as they do for the rest of the room's items.

The fridge was okay and the microwave from the second room was older but worked.

We used our own bedding, but the bedding that was there seemed clean. I just couldn't get past thinking of the reviews reporting used linen used. Since we had brought our own, we felt we should use it.

I cleaned off the sink but it was pretty clean any how. I also washed the floors, which, again, weren't too bad.

I had to tighten the toilet seat bolts but the seat was pretty clean. I cleaned it again, as well as the tub, just in case. I felt pretty good staying there now.

The closet was a decent size and although we had an iron, which I didn't try out, we didn't have an ironing board.

We put in the door stops to ensure the door wasn't opened while we were there.

We noticed the entire motel was in disrepair. I was disappointed that the website didn't inform us that the pool had been unserviceable for a long time.

I really feel the website should note when things like the pool and hot tub are out of order. I think this one has been out of order for well over a year; based on the previous reviews.

There was a lot of mold and mildew that should have been addressed throughout the exterior of the hotel. A good pressure wash was indeed needed throughout the outside of the hotel.

The ice machine was not functioning and it looked very dirty. I wouldn't have used it anyhow, for anything I wanted to drink.

Many tables and chairs in the lobby were broken and stacked up against the wall. The daily breakfast wasn't so bad, but I just didn't trust it. I don't like it when the bread is removed from it's original package and put in a holder. You never know how old it is or who's touched it before you want to eat it. 

The cereals and coffee stand seemed fine, but I didn't try them. We had brought our own coffee maker that was definitely clean and our own coffee that tasted how we like it. My husband ate waffles a couple of times, scrambled eggs and sausages too, but again, not something I would do. It all seemed fairly clean and normal for budget hotels.

Several air conditioning units were past their prime and the railings going up the stairs were separating from the walls. There is no reason for this lack of maintenance as safety cannot be compromised, in my opinion.

This railing is a fire and safety hazard.

Our Meals

Yes, we did bring our own food for our suppers. That is why a fridge and a microwave is so important for us. It isn't just that we are frugal, but we just don't eat the kind of foods offered at Disney. Most is sugary treats or pasta, breaded or doughy options. Definitely not low carb, whole foods diet we are following. It did take a bit of preparing, but that was easy to do as I made double portions in the days leading up to our trip and just froze what could be frozen until I had five meals that could be heated in the microwave. 

We brought taco meat, low carb soft shell flour tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes and salsa for the first night and hamburgers with coleslaw for the second night. All the meats were cooked and frozen and the salads prepared but dressing was not put on them. 

Chicken with cheese and pesto, veggies and cauliflower rice was our meal for the third night and on the fourth night we had spaghetti made with low carb pasta. 

On the fifth and last night there, we had a chicken and vegetable casserole. All of the meals just needed  to be heated up in the microwave. We didn't even dirty plates for the last three meals as we just ate out of the individual serving sized storage containers. It was nice to sit back with an adult beverage, we'd brought as well, and not worry about having to leave the room once our day at the parks were finished.

For our breakfasts, my husband ate that the hotel free breakfast, but I ate boiled eggs I'd brought from home. I had prepared snacks for our lunches consisting of nuts, cheese, hard salami, carrots and baby bell peppers. We'd brought some Propel and Lemonade packets to mix with water and ice we could get at Disney for free. It all fit in our little backpacks and didn't need to be refrigerated.

The only things we bought at Disney during the five visits was an ice cream cone for my husband on the fourth day and a coffee each on the last day. So, we spent about $20 in total for the entire five days on bought food.

Our Disney Itinerary

We went to Hollywood Studios on the first day, hitting the Rise of the Resistance at rope drop. Because we weren't staying in a Disney resort, we were only allowed in at 9:00 AM, while the Disney Resort guests were allowed in at 8:30 AM. For the most part, we waited an average of an hour per ride, give or take 15 minutes or so. We got to do all the rides we wanted to do, including the Slinky Dog dash. This ride, for some reason, has the highest wait times. We waited just over an hour for it. We practically walked on the Star Wars tours ride and skipped the Rocking Roller coaster because it's just too much for me. We really enjoyed the Minnie and Mickey Runaway Railway ride. All in all, it was a good day and we got to do all the rides we wanted. However, we were just too tired by 5 PM and didn't stay for the fireworks. We'll have to plan this for next time to see if a break during the day will reinvigorate us sufficiently to go back to the parks at night for the fireworks displays. 

We went to Magic Kingdom on the second day and got there just before it opened at 8 AM. This park was being closed early; at 4:30 PM, for Disney's annual cast party. I had read that the crowd levels can be lower when the park closes early as most guests don't feel they get their money's worth if they don't get a full day at the park. That was exactly what happened.  Almost every ride was "walk right on" and we did everything we wanted to do by 2 PM. We left the park around 3 PM and relaxed in our hotel room. It would have been a great day at the pool, if the hotel actually had a working pool. Once again, we were too tuckered out to go back to another park for the fireworks, as we'd originally planned to do.

On the third day we went to Epcot at 8:30 and lined up at the rope for 9 AM opening. At 7 AM that morning, we'd joined the virtual que for the Guardians of the Galaxy ride and were slated for 3 PM. We went straight to the Remy's Ratatouille ride and got on within 35 minutes. We then went to Frozen but had to wait a full hour in line. That was awful because the little kids were whining in the boring lineup. We even got our bums wet on the seats, so it wasn't that pleasant over all. The boarding time for the Guardians of the Galaxy bumped up to 12 PM and we got on that just after doing Test Track. We did the normal rides that were just walk ons, like Soaring, the Earth one, and Figment. We went around Epcot trying to find something we could eat at the Festival of Foods stands, but it was all junk food. Since we were driving, we didn't opt for any alcoholic beverage. While there seemed to be some vegetarian options, there were no low carb options we could see. All in all, we again left early because we just couldn't stay late enough to see the fireworks.

We went to Animal Kingdom on the fourth day, hitting Avatar ride first. This was over an hour wait and it didn't get much better throughout the day. The other Pandora boat ride took us about 45 minutes to get through the line, but I loved it. We went on the Kilimanjaro Safari ride next and then went to the Lion King presentation. We basically walked on to Yeti roller coaster and the Dinosaur ride. This is where my husband just couldn't resist getting an ice cream. At that same restaurant I was able to get ice and water for our water bottles; no problem. We did the Safari ride again, just around 4 PM and it was a walk-on. Then, before leaving the park, we did the Avatar ride again because it was down to an hour wait again. We were home by 6 PM. We had thought about going to another park for the fireworks but again, we were too tired.

We went back to Epcot on the fifth day, again getting into the virtual que for the Guardians of the Galaxy. We spent about 30 minutes in the line for Remy's and skipped going to Frozen all together. The lines for that ride were way too long and we didn't want to get wet bums again. Our luck with the warm weather ran out that day; the weather turned cold and rainy, so we tried to hit the indoor rides only. We finally went to the American show, which turned out to be very good. We had coffees at Starbucks, while waiting for our time to board the Guardians ride. The ride went down and we only got called after 2 PM. Once we were done that ride, we drove home. It was now very cold and windy and we had done everything we wanted to do. We were back in West Palm Beach before 6 PM.

The Final Cost of Our 5 Days at Disney Holiday

$400 each for Annual Passes = $800 + tax = $853.86

$341.26 for hotel 5 nights

$8 ice cream and $12 coffee = $20

$25 toll fees

$50 gas

$60 worth of food

$10 wine

$3 water jugs

Total for all = $1,363.12

It would have cost us $1297.96 if we'd have gotten the Florida resident park hopper tickets for 5 days and paid for parking at the parks.

Quite honestly, the crappy hotel wasn't that bad; although we definitely will never book at a hotel with less than a 4 out of 5 rating. Our choice to eat our own food works for us and gives us time to wait in just the ride line-ups and still get everything done; without needing to buy a Genie + . You definitely need a car to do it this way and because of this, the driver cannot drink any adult beverages at the park. 

Our Planned Costs for Next Trip for 4 Days at Disney

We're trying a new hotel for the next trip to Disney. It's a nicer hotel and we're only going for three nights, rather than 5 nights. We're paying almost $100 USD more than the price of the last hotel, so it should be a lot more enjoyable. It's the Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando at Disney Springs. The fun part about this hotel is that it offers the early entry, just as if we were at a Disney resort. Also, it's a 15 miute walking distance from Disney Springs and it offers food and beverages for free at 5:30 PM until 7 PM. Because some things don't need to be bought again, like our Disney tickets and backpacks, it'll end up costing us much less. We're hoping to have good weather so we can actually use the pool. This has a great rating and has just opened. We're hoping to enjoy it as much as we can by just visiting the parks in the mornings and lounging around the pools in the afternoon. Perhaps we will be refreshed enough to go back to the parks in the evening for the fireworks; or maybe just stroll around Disney Springs. I don't think we'll need to bring very much of our own food; just the lunches. If we don't like what is being served at the free supper, we can get something at the many restaurants available.

Updated costs after my second trip to the Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando - Disney Springs Area

The hotel was amazing and our room was very spacious and new. Exactly as advertised. We ended up not buying any food or wine because it was all included with the price of the room. Since we had early hours at the Disney parks, we were able to get all our rides in and those shows we wanted to see, before noon. We spent most afternoons at the pool and indulged in free coffee any time of the day, my hubby had soda and popcorn after 4 PM.

$458.97 for 3 nights at hotel + $75 parking + tax = $538.86

$20 toll fees - we used our Sunpass only on the Florida Turnpike as our hotel was closer to the parks

$50 gas

Actual costs: $608.86

If we'd have opted for the Florida Resident passes for four days plus parking, we would have paid twice the cost of $1261.56. So already our Annual pass has paid off.

Some of the meals were:

Pulled Pork with steamed veggies

They offered buns for the pulled pork and baked potatoes with butter, sour cream and cheese. 

Lots of choices for breakfast. I chose scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon and sausages. There was also fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, oatmeal, muffins, yogurt, fruit, or toast.

The minestrone soup was flavourful but it had noodles and no vegetables.

This is considered two servings of wine, so I still had a half more of that for free. Definitely way more booze than I needed.

All meals offered lettuce and tomatoes and cheese on the side with three choices of dressing packets.

Meatballs and gravy with steamed veggies on the side. It also included a baked potato with sour cream, cheese and buttery spread, if you wanted any.