- All right. So, this episode is going to be
very supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
(upbeat music)
Guys.
I can not even tell you how excited I am about this episode.
We're going to talk all things Disney, and better yet,
how to go to Disney without debt.
That's right. Two of my favorite things:
living a debt-free lifestyle and Disney World.
I mean, just add some pizza, and we are good.
I'm telling you: Disney, I love.
Some people are Disney people.
Some people are not Disney people.
If you're not a Disney person, I still love you,
and I hope you become debt-free and all the things.
But come to this side of the world,
because it is so much happier and so much better.
When I took Amelia for the first time to Disney—
Caroline has not been yet;
my goal is another 12 months and we'll take her too—
but seeing Amelia's face, my daughter,
my own flesh and blood,
see Cinderella's castle for the first time,—
it was one of the greatest moments of my life.
I mean, I had so much fun.
I love it. I love it so much.
So, today's episode— obviously, I'm really excited—
but we're going to go over all the ways
that you can save money if you're planning
for a Disney trip. And I'm talking
about thousands of dollars of savings.
Now, Rachel Bshero—she used to actually run
the Disney Food Blog, and she's going to share
all of her money-saving secrets with us.
That's right.
But first, I want to give you
a little tough love about Disney.
I want you to feel my love for it.
Now, we've got to go a little bit down to Earth.
We've got to bring it down, people, to reality.
(calm piano music)
Here's the deal:
There's a couple things you have to remember
when you're planning for Disney.
Number one: You need to be in agreement with your spouse
that this is the time to go to Disney.
I won't say that Winston and I fought about Disney World.
I'll say we had some relationship-building
opportunity moments around the subject.
I may or may not have asked to go to Disney World
when Amelia was two months old,
and he looked at me like I was insane.
And he was under the impression that
you had to go to Disney World when your kids had memories.
He was like, "Rachel, why are we going to spend
thousands of dollars—a lot of money—
to do something that Amelia's not even going to remember?
We'd be going for you."
And I was like, "Mmm hmm! That's exactly right.
We are going for me. Yes."
But really, it took a little while—
It took some convincing. It took a few years later.
We figured out a way to go.
We did it really inexpensively because we only went
for two days. We did two full days with Amelia
at Magic Kingdom, because she was only three at the time.
So, we did it that way.
Winston got on board, we agreed,
and it was happily ever after from there.
So, make sure you and your spouse are in agreement.
Now, you have to remember, too, that there are other ways
to bring joy to your kids.
Disney is not the only way.
It's a great way, but it is not the only way.
Remember that.
And just because little Emma from preschool,
her parents took her to Disney,
does not mean that you guys have to go.
You cannot compare your life to everyone else's.
And remember: You are not a bad parent
if you decide not to go to Disney, okay?
So, now, if you're struggling with some of this comparison
around Disney, I totally get it. I've been there before.
So, listen, I came out with my Contentment Journal.
Click the link in the show notes, watch the video about it,
learn more, because contentment in life—including Disney—
is very important.
And last but not least,
when it comes to going to Disney World,
you have got to be financially ready.
Now, listen, I don't want to be the evil stepmother here,
but some of you guys are not ready to go to Disney.
It's such a hard truth, and I'm so sorry
I have to be the one to say it, but I'm going to,
because I love you too much to put you in financial distress
to go to Disney World.
So, if it's not in the budget
or if you're on Baby Steps 1–3,
which means you're getting out of debt,
you're saving up for your emergency fund,
Mickey, the fireworks over Cinderella's castle,
the Jungle Cruise, Tower of Terror,
all the things are going to have to wait.
But for now, don't worry. You can go,
but you have to pause on the dream.
But listen, the great thing is
the average person takes 18 to 24 months to get out of debt,
and it takes about a year, some people would say,
to plan Disney the right way. So, if you're in debt
but your goal is to go to Disney one day,
just tuck these tips away for later,
because you can use them.
If you're ready to go to Disney—or you're not—
and before you get on Space Mountain,
I want to make sure that you have life insurance.
Listen: People will pay thousands of dollars
to go to things like Disney. But you guys,
40% of Americans don't even have life insurance,
so we need to get our priorities straight.
There's no excuse for this, because term life insurance
is actually, really affordable and will make sure
that your family's taken care of.
I can say, personally, I have such peace of mind
knowing that if something happened
to either Winston or myself,
my family would not have to worry about money.
And that's why we use Zander Insurance.
All it takes is a simple phone call
or a visit to their website.
We recommend getting a policy that is 10–12 times
your annual income to cover your needs,
and Zander will shop around to find you the best rates
and policy that's right for your family.
So, go to zander.com and get started today.
Coming up, I'm going to show you how you can save
thousands of dollars and hours of time
on your Disney vacation.
Purchasing a home is a huge financial decision,
and you're going to need a mortgage company you can trust.
I recommend Churchill Mortgage.
They treat you like family and will walk with you
every step of the way.
When starting the home-buying process,
you need to become a Churchill-certified home buyer
and get your rates secured.
These two steps get you further in the process
and put you in a better position than a generic preapproval.
With this, you have more negotiating power,
are guarded against rate increases,
and can close seven to 10 days sooner
once you find your perfect home.
All right, so, I've gathered a list from Disney travel experts,
podcasters, my Facebook community, friends, family,
and my own personal experience
on how to save time and money at Disney.
Now, if you're just starting to save up
for your Disney trip, make sure to go to my show notes
for my Disney saving goal tracker.
It's fabulous.
Use it. Save up for that Disney trip.
All right, keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle
at all times, because this mind train is about to take off.
Here's the list.
Number one: Bring your own stroller.
Disney charges $15 a day.
Listen, lug that stroller around.
We did that with Amelia. It's great.
Number two: Don't buy a ticket for every single day
that you're there, especially if you're there for a week.
Your kids are going to get tired, and they're going to want to enjoy
a day at the hotel's pool.
Number three: The best part of the day to ride the rides
is during the fireworks, because no one is in line.
So, experience the fireworks. They're life-changing,
but then, the next night, go ride all the rides. It's great.
Number four: Buy Disney gift cards on a discount.
So, check your local warehouse clubs, like Costco and Sam's.
Number five: Buy your mouse ears beforehand on Etsy—
like these—or online, so you can wear them to the park,
because the ones in the park are expensive.
Number six: Arrive before the park opens, okay?
The parks are way less crowded in the morning,
so make sure to book your Fast Passes—those reservations—
later in the day when the lines are longer.
Number seven: Use the envelope system
for your kids' snacks and souvenirs.
Studies show that you spend up to 100% more
when you use your card or your Disney MagicBand versus cash.
So, people, use cash while you're there.
You have to have reality.
That just brings you back to reality,
because you're going to be in this magical land.
Reality's the cash. Use cash.
Number eight: If you go before your kids are three,
they actually get into the park for free.
I love it.
Number nine: Make sure to bring sunscreen and Band-Aids—
those kinda things—because you're going to pay a premium
for those in the park.
Number 10: Skip the Park Hopper tickets
and only go to one park per day.
Next, you can use the PhotoPass photographers
so you don't have to buy all the packages
with their pictures. You can actually hand them your camera
or your phone, and they'll take the pictures for you.
They're so great at that.
Number 12: Use discounts if you're military, AARP, or AAA.
Number 13: Don't listen to the timeshare pitch
to get the discount tickets, people.
Mmm mmm. No, no, no.
You are there because you have saved up
for this Disney trip. Don't sit through that stuff.
No, no.
Number 14: Disney has now tiered their pricing
by season, so travel in the off-seasons for lighter crowds
and cheaper ticket prices.
We went in September, and I'm telling you
it was like the perfect time to go.
I think the tickets were cheaper,
and there were not a ton of crowds.
It was so amazing to the point that, on the flight home,
I was like, "Winston, should we homeschool the girls
so we can go to Disney all the time,
and we won't have to take them out when they're older?"
He looked at me like I was nuts—
like he does a lot of the time—and I was like,
"Okay, that's fine. We'll stick with our original plan."
But for real. It's true.
Number 15: This is my tip. One of my favorite moments.
Someone told me this. I'm going to share it with you.
When you go to Tales with Belle in Magic Kingdom,
you audition for all these parts,
so you have to tell your kid–
and I think the younger they are,
the better this is going to work—
that they have to growl really loud,
because when it's the Beast's turn and everyone growls,
if they growl so loud, everyone's gonna be like,
"Oh, my gosh. They're so cute."
And then, they will pick your kid to be the Beast,
which means, at the end of the tale
and after "Be Our Guest," they get to go and dance with Belle.
They have a big part, and there are so many photo ops.
I felt like a stage mom.
I did it with Amelia. We were in line.
I was like, "Amelia, growl!
Growl louder! Growl louder!"
And sure enough, she got picked. And, oh,
it was absolutely precious. So, remember that.
Now, a big place to save money is where you stay.
And there's a big debate.
Should you stay on property or off property?
Staying on Disney grounds, the hotels are amazing.
But they are expensive, so you might just assume,
"Oh, they're just too expensive. It's not worth it.
But staying on property can save you some money.
So, look into it, because number 16:
If you stay on property, you have free transportation
to and from the airport and to and from the park.
If you stay off property,
you have to pay for an Uber or parking.
Number 17: You get the Magic Hours,
and the Magic Hours are truly magical.
It's so fun.
When the park closes, you get extra hours
before the park opens or after the park closes to yourself.
I mean, with everyone else staying on Disney property.
But the crowds are way less. You get to go on so many rides.
Number 18: The dining plan package is not always a savings.
There are restrictions and rules around it,
and it actually can be really expensive, so research that.
Number 19: You have the ability to book Fast Passes
three months out versus three days out,
so if you stay off property,
the Fast Passes you may want may be all booked up.
Number 20: If staying on property does not seem
like a better deal for you, that's great.
So, check out some Airbnbs
or some cheaper hotels off property.
And last but not least, bring your own food to the parks.
This is great for snacks.
You can even pack a family picnic.
Do that.
You can't bring coolers or glass bottles, but bring snacks.
Okay. What tips do you have?
I want to hear from you.
I love gathering all your tips. They're so fun.
All right, coming up next: I'm bringing out my friend
and Disney expert, Rachel Bshero,
who wrote for the food blog for three years at Disney,
to talk about some fun insider tips to Disney dining.
Okay, Rachel. You worked where?
- At Walt Disney World.
- That's right.
Yes, she did.
Okay. And where did you meet your husband?
- At Walt Disney World. (laughs)
- Where, Rachel?
Tell us. - At Be Our Guest Restaurant.
We were both working there.
Very romantic. - I mean, it's just
living my dream—my dream life.
Okay, so what did you do at Walt Disney World?
- So, I did food and beverage marketing
and public relations.
Part of that was writing
for the Disney Parks Blog about food.
- Which is where all the people go
to learn all the food tricks. - Great, great job.
- And we have the expert here,
because food's a huge budget-buster in life,
let alone on your Disney trip.
It can be very expensive, so talk me through
a few of your money-saving tips
when you think about food and Disney.
- Yeah, so, one of the biggest tips,
if you're going to be eating at a table service restaurant—
which is what they call the sit-down restaurants—
lunch is often less expensive than dinner,
so it's really great if you can do your big meal at lunch.
It's also great for traveling with small kids.
They get a break from the sun, a little bit more quiet,
so it's a really great money-saving tip.
- So good. Okay, I feel like a pro, Rachel,
because we did this with Amelia.
We went to Cinderella's—what's it called?
- Cinderella's Royal Table. - Royal Table—
during lunch, because someone said the lunch menu
is cheaper than the dinner menu, and I was like,
"Well, that's perfect, because you're going to kind of pay
an arm and a leg for those." And so, we did.
We did lunch, and you're exactly right.
It worked out so well.
Okay. So, there's the sit-down restaurants
and then there's the quick-service.
So, what are your favorite quick-service restaurants
at Disney? - Oh, my gosh.
So, my very favorite is the bakery
in the France Pavilion at Epcot.
It is so good, and it's not that expensive.
- And the cinnamon rolls?
Is it the same as Gaston's?
- No.
- Oh, separate.
Ooh, do tell. Okay. Keep going.
- So, that's the Magic Kingdom.
I'm talking about the one in Epcot.
So, they have authentic French pastries and baguettes
and sandwiches and salads, and it's pretty inexpensive.
You can get stuff for under $5.
- So good.
So, the character meals are really expensive.
- They can be. - And I'll say
we had hit or miss.
I'm wondering—a family that's on a super-tight budget
and they don't have a lot of money to spend—
should they put their money there or somewhere else?
- You know what? At the end of the day,
you're in a beautiful park. There are characters everywhere.
You don't have to do the character meals.
Take the pressure off of yourself.
You don't have to eat in the castle.
You don't have to do dining with Mickey.
You're going to see them other places,
so save some money.
- Yes. Oh, that's great.
That's so good.
Okay. So, there's hidden dining gems all over Disney,
like the pastry place in Epcot.
Didn't know that.
Okay, what are some other great places that people can eat?
- Yeah. So, I love eating at the hotels.
You don't have to stay at the hotels to eat there,
so it's a great way to get the experience.
- Smart. - They're a little bit quieter
than in the parks, but it's so great.
One of my favorite date nights with my husband
was actually going to the Polynesian.
We would get Dole Whips and then we'd sit on the beach
and watch Magic Kingdom fireworks,
and it cost us $10.
- Oh, so good. - Yeah, it was really great.
- Oh, that's fun.
Eat a dessert and watch the fireworks.
Okay. So, I love saving money.
You know that about me, Rachel.
So, what are other quick money-saving tips—food-wise—
that you can think of?
- You can bring in bottles of water to fill
once you're in the park.
You can also ask for water at any
of the counter service restaurants—
just a glass of water—so you don't have to buy the bottle.
- Oh, that's good. - So, that'll save you $3.
You can't bring a cooler or anything like that,
but you can definitely pack some snacks.
If you have any food allergies, that's really great.
They do have a lot of allergy-friendly menus
throughout the park, but it's just a really great way
to keep the kids.
No one wants to be hangry at Disney World.
- It's true. It's true.
- So, keep snacks.
One of my other favorites, Via Napoli Pizza.
I know you love it.
They have amazing pizza.
They fly their flour and tomatoes in from Italy,
like real deal pizza. - No way.
- You can get a large pizza, big salad, and share it.
And it'll feed a family of four or five.
Amazing.
- Oh, I love it.
Rachel, so good.
I mean, seriously. The food part—it's a big deal.
Knowing these little gems and little, quick ways
to save money here or there helps tremendously,
so thank you.
Thanks for coming on.
- Yeah, absolutely. - Love it.
(upbeat music)
Okay, guys.
Obviously, I love Disney, and you probably watched
this whole episode thinking, "Wow! She goes all the time."
I've only been three times,
but that's how strong the magic is.
I kind of just feel like I'm there now. I'm not going to lie.
It's just so great,
and I do have a goal to be at Disney World more in my life.
So, that is a goal I have— which, goals are good.
We talked about this, right?
Goal setting, so good. But I hope that this episode—
you got some great info. But don't forget,
Disney is 100% better when it's debt-free.
That's right.
Now, thanks to Rachel Bshero for coming on.
And make sure that you subscribe to this channel
and to my new podcast so you don't miss my upcoming episode
all about the biggest areas in your life to save money.
So, remember to take control of your money
and create a life you love and live happily ever after.