[Goofy3230]

Originally Posted by jjblond

Okay, I always bring back my refillable mugs, year after year, until they switch them, I cant help it. I have bag in the basement with about 5-6 different resorts refillable mugs. I may buy one each year, but there are six of us. if you go to the water parks. you can buy a sticker for your water park mug. instead of buying a new mug. that is like 6 dollars, and you can use one mug at both water parks. ( that is alllowed), just keep buying the stickers, they ask to see the mug and disney will put it on

This is an excellent tip. It's one my family and I use everytime we go. We've found that even if they change the mugs, as long as you bought them with a "lifetime policy" you can still use them. We've also shared our mugs w/friends and family who were in WDW, too.

[JENNY536]

"Life time policy"?


Jen

[Goofy3230]

Yes, we bought a few mugs when they first started selling them. It was stated that you can always bring these mugs back for refills for life. Now the mugs they sell are basically a length of stay mug, only to be used during your current trip. We haven't had any problems using our old mugs and we have them from quiet a few of the resorts.

[_Ariel_]

Well, I do a lot of money-saving things... I hope you guys don't mind that in my instance this is for DL and not WDW. We really, really can't afford that! But, when I go to DL (annual trip, I'm very fortunate!) we bring all of the food we will eat in a cooler. I'm not kidding, everything except for the churros-- which is the only thing we buy there. I save up my money all year for it, left-over lunch money, money I find laying around, and garage sale money. (My house gets really clean after those!) We also stay at the Tropicana, a not-so-nice hotel right across the street from DL. They are really cheap, and from what I learned, a hotel doesn't really matter...you're going to be in DL!!! My best friend's brother goes to college in Anaheim, so we get a discount...we just bring in a card that states it. Anyhoo, there are a lot of ways to get around a theme park cheap.

[Lilypalooza]

We've got the refillable mugs and love to use those.

Our favorite cheapskate thing to do is to take an empty Mr. Potato Head for each of the kids (we have them already, but you can get them really cheap at garage sales or thrifts.) Then we go to the big toy store in Downtown Disney. The kids do the computer thing where they make an imaginary Mr. P Head and print it out. Then we fill one box of cool Disney pieces as full as we can possibly get it. The kids love to play with those while I'm making food in the room, while we're getting ready, or when we get back in the evenings. Even my 10-y-o DS still loves making his Disney Mr. P Head creations.

I always take empty Rubbermaid bottles or other wide-mouthed types of bottles. We fill those with ice and add a little water. By the time we're in the parks and thirsty, we've got plenty of cold water. I love the Crystal Light idea! We'll have to try that this time.

I print off coupons from the Lake Beuna Vista Factory Stores (Outlets) website and we love to go there on an off day.

We go to the parks for a couple of days, then take a day off from parks. We go outlet shopping, swim in the pool, then spend lots of time in Downtown Disney. This gives us time to plan what we would still like to do or do again at WDW, while giving us a bit of a rest so we can enjoy the rest of our stay.

I love the free shipping deals at Disneydirect, too.

[YzmaPapa]

cheap? is it cheap when you split an entree because there is just more food than one person should eat?

[ddoll]

Originally Posted by YzmaPapa

cheap? is it cheap when you split an entree because there is just more food than one person should eat?

I wouldn't say cheap, I'd say thrifty.

[mickeysaver]

Originally Posted by boo's_parents

It is a print called "A Disneyland Tribute to Firefighters", commissioned by Disney to say "thanks" for saving some of their property during the wild fires...go to the firehouse on Main Street at MK and you can find a boatload of merchandise with that on it!!!

I was shocked to find a resin firgurine of this when we went to WDW in 2002 for the low price of only $45. I would have paid much more. It's our favorite collectable piece from the parks. Maggie

[mickeysaver]

It normally takes us at least 15 months between trips to get back to WDW. We took a year off because we both bought new trucks and we recently bought our first house. We were going to wait another year to go to WDW again, but Gabby's mom's health isn't all that great and she really wants her family to have a reunion gathering at MVMCP this year. So, we are in major savings mode.

We are splurging this time and staying at a moderate resort. We really need a vacation and wanted to have a little nicer room/resort experience this time. While there is nothing wrong with the values, we just wanted to change things up a little this trip. The next trip might well be at the values again.

Things we normally do......
Clip and use coupons!
Save our change and change into Disney Dollars
Use MyPoints to earn gas and RFC gift cards
Have a yard sale and change profits into Disney Dollars
Dollar Tree 2 for $1 ponchos.....must have
Purchase and Bring breakfast bars and small snack items from home
Purchase and bring 2 for $1 liter bottles of flavored water from Walmart
Go to bank and pick up $2 bills to leave in envelopes for the Mousekeepers
Make maximum use of the fixins bars at CS locations....free salads!
Resort Refillable Mugs.....MUST HAVE
Bring a cooler and fill with ice from resort for chilling beverages
Bring Coffee and Coffee pot from home
Bring Stain Stick....you have no idea how many shirts we have saved.
Take pictures of each other wearing silly hats, but never buy them
Always offer to take full family photos of others, so that they will return the favor at the Kodak photo spot areas.
Do TS meals at lunch rather than dinner....way cheaper
Joined Safari Club....saves on food and merchandise at RFC
Buy lots of cheap trader pins off of eBay or the boards at Dizpins.com
Bring Advil/Tylenol and bandaids in our bag to the parks...just in case
Print puzzles and trivia quizes from the net to pass time on the road to Disney

I guess that's enough for now. I know there is more, but for now this will do. Maggie

[gingles]

Originally Posted by ddoll

I wouldn't say cheap, I'd say thrifty.

Maybe I should rename my thread "Really THRIFTY tips".

[gingles]

Originally Posted by mickeysaver

I guess that's enough for now. I know there is more, but for now this will do. Maggie

Wow! Another pro! (We do the silly hats photos at that Universal Studios shop every trip now!)

[Goofy3230]

Originally Posted by mickeysaver

I guess that's enough for now. I know there is more, but for now this will do. Maggie

Gee, sounds like you've done this before, lol. I read through your tips and do lots of them myself, but your list added a few more to miine. Thanks and if you think of more, please add them!!

[markmck17]

Our only way of trying to save some dough at Disney is by having a good breakfast (usually wherever we are staying) and then making plans for a nice dinner. By skipping lunch we save a few $$. Of course you could save more if you ate lunch and skipped dinner, but we love exploring new options for dinner.

Let's face it, there aren't many ways to cut corners at Disney.... and why would you want to. I'd rather wait an extra few months to go when I can afford to do it up right!

[acarballo]

My wife and I are not much into eating large breakfast, so normally we go to the parks and purchase coffee or juice and a breakfast roll, which will cost us less than half or more of any breakfast they sell at any of the WDW resorts.

[brebre_51]

DH & I cut corners whenever possible. I have a list of items saved on my computer. Whenever we pack, I run a copy off & follow my list.
-----
We carried down, in our vehicle, a large plastic storage container and an ice chest.
We had a refrigerater in our room. We paid $10.00 a day extra for the 'fridge. In it, we kept 2 half gallons of milk, bottles of water & some canned drinks. We took plastic spoons, forks, cups, paper bowls, & paper towels. We took our coffee pot, coffee, creamer, sugar, our coffee cups, our cereal, our fresh fruit & assorted canned foods/snacks. We had our coffee & cereal in our room every morning but one. (We did eat at Chef Mickey's one morning.) DH & I bought one big salad at the resort motel for lunch. It was big enough to feed both of us. We shared a turkey leg two nights while waiting for the Spectromagic Parade to begin. For a mid-day, snack, we shared a cream filled pretzel, too. Once again, it was big enough to fill us up. We had our own bottled water which we refilled in the fountains.
----
When I pack, I pack tylenol, tums, visine, sinus pills, band-aids, neosporin, muscle rub, a themometer, safty pins, an eye glass repair kit, tweezers, nail clippers, and a hand-held mirror. Extra shoes, rain poncho's, walkie-talkies and charger (if we are traveling with Babs or Gem), dirty clothes bag, flashlight, camera with extra batteries, extra film, qt. storage bags (for opened or left-over food), cell phone charger, our hats, the sunscreen, & our Bible. We take all these things along with our regular packed clothing & tolitries. Oh, and bathing suits! I figure the more we save. The more I can spend on gifts for the grandkids & ourselves! A gift lasts much longer then the food.