Top DVC Budget Hacks for an Affordable Disney Vacation!

This week, we're discussing insider tips on how to maximize your Disney Vacation Club (DVC) membership, cut costs on travel, dining, and entertainment, and still experience the magic of Disney World to the fullest, all on a budget!
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[@sandpiper8991]

The milk and cereal for breakfast is legit though… 😂 when we want to splurge on our dinners we are happy to have cereal to offset cost :)

[@JamesTSergent]

For sure! We almost always have milk and cereal for breakfast in the villas.

[@willnic9437]

Right?! I got a half-gallon of milk one day and that was my lunch meal! Cheapest filling meal on property: $3.50!

[@HeatherKaminski-g9y]

Stop making fun of Pandas cereal and milk! lol. That’s one of our biggest hacks with a family of 4. We always have cereal for breakfast or a late night before bed snack 🎉

[@marklease7006]

So true -- cereal for breakfast is great (and PB&J for a lunch or snack). Sorry, Amy -- our 1 experience with Kroger was disappointing. Instacart from Publix has been solid (4 times).

[@shannonchampion6690]

Great episode! I have also brought milk and cereal for my youngest like Panda said 😂 Saves a ton of money on her breakfast! I can’t believe Derek hasn’t been on the Skyliner yet! Yall need to fix that asap!

[@graceschmidt1942]

I do the same as Jeff and use gift cards for food. I use Disney rewards from the Visa for any souvenirs. Both makes a big difference when I don't have a big credit card bill after my trip.

[@stbrown100]

We have so many great memories from the Boardwalk area, face painting and magic.

[@Sunflower00987]

The resort only trips are so relaxing. The freedom to go explore at your leisure or find spontaneous reservations is definitely my vibe. Thanks for all the tips!

[@JoeCosentino]

We eat every breakfast in the room and most dinners, there is a Winn Dixie on s apopka about a mile from wdw. There is also the target at the crossroads

[@lewismorgan13]

Finally realized who Paul reminds me of!! The boy on 8 Simple Rules

[@FrancesAlicia]

Yes I can see this now you mentioned it

[@frankcarey5377]

We usually use a limousine service to get to our hotel from MCO. Ya I know it’s not a budget saver but it comes with a 30 minute super market stop en route. We stock up on breakfast items and snacks for our room. We also stock up on beer and wine. The savings on the liquor alone literally pays for the limo ride. Not to mention feeling special arriving in a limo.

[@tpg5974]

We rented a car for one day on our last trip. Upon arrival I dropped the family off at the resort and went shopping for breakfast and snack items. Returned the car the next day at the car care center and was driven back to the resort. The money we saved on breakfast alone made up the difference in renting a car. Also, saving coins all year and getting Southwest gift cards through coinstar (with no fee!) is fantastic!

[@debbingham1366]

A great free activity we enjoyed was the culinary tour at Animal Kingdom Lodge (hope they still do)! You get a free tour of Jiko and Boma, along with some free samples in both locations. Started around 4:15, before dinner service started, but you will probably want to confirm!

[@holdfast1979]

I want to say I am happy Kroger isn’t going away. We used it and it was about the same as our normal grocery bill. That’s been our best grocery experience so far

[@elizabethcarpenter6922]

Grocery delivery definitely saves! Coming back in Nov and can't wait to use grocery delivery. Morgantown, WV girl here and Kroger is the bomb!

[@jarrettc7215]

We usually stay all June at OKW in a one bedroom. We have a rental car first week and hit target and wallymart. Stock up on snacks and food to cook. Usually only eat in park then once a day. Maybe. Saves tons of money.

[@MoniqueARuiz]

Jealous! All of June? The dream!

[@gwennanninga3393]

We bring bagels, coffee and peanut butter with us. We start each day with toasted bagels and coffee. Saves time and money.

[@kristinapreedy7069]

These are super helpful, especially for those of us who don’t get to visit WDW as often as we’d like! Love all the tips about things like Boardwalk entertainment, etc. And your banter and tangents are very fun - I enjoy them! As DVC members (who usually don’t reserve anything less than a 1BR) we always plan to have most breakfasts in the room - just easier and faster. We might have one or two “fancier” breakfasts in the park during a stay, but just nice to have that fridge with basic breakfast food, maybe some light lunch stuff, snacks, and cheap water! 😊

[@jimmyD2484]

The Skyliner is a great ride. Last summer while staying at beach club we timed the Epcot fireworks and got on the Skyliner and watched them from there. It was magical and memorable. Little things like that can be the most fun. Also had a cocktail in the Disney mug. 👀

[@tutuluvsminnie7129]

Nice show today. I like to use the outdoor grills at the DVC resorts to cook outside. burgers, hot dogs, chicken or steaks are better when grilled. Great for families. The grills are kept in great shape.

[@camilepunch7666]

Jeff looks like he has a hangover !!! LOL !!!

[@kivekkulat5114]

Just to add the foot golf and the mini golf are also included for free with the annual pass sports and water park add on. Some limits on timing but it’s are standard no parks day activity. Also not sure they mention but akv has bunch of free activities where kids can collect beads. Are kids do these all time while youngest naps.

[@elainebower8776]

We cook in a studio at Old Key West. I bring an instantpot with me. We buy our food at one of the local grocery stores, not Conch Flats. We cook fish, steaks and pork chops at the barbeque (located at Turtle Pond, Miller Road and South Point Pools). I microwave potatoes and frozen vegetables. I sometimes grill asparagus. We do this several days in the week. We have fruit and yogurt for breakfast. And we carry lunch into the parks. We have an inexpensive soft lunch box that we put a freezer pack in for sandwiches and fruits.

[@elainebower8776]

To make this possible, I pack a travel cube with a cutting board, chef's knife, tongs, juicer, zester, spatula, large spoons, hot pads and basic seasonings. At OKW (at Community Hall), you can borrow a grill kit with a thermometer, spatula and tongs.

[@Doolaford]

The Phineas and Ferb game had a flip phone from Verizon I think that led you around....classic!!

[@axelcheese1]

Walmart trip straight from airport is a must

[@RickKeefner-ih5pm]

Tupperware and Dash have great small gadgets for villa cooking. If you want priority seating at Epcot shows, we got tickets with ONE table dining plan credit each at Garden grill (with resort cups and alcohol included, the cost for the rest of the day was nominal). We add to our gift card each month from Sam’s.

[@lesliereynolds4492]

If you are leaving for the airport don’t take Lyft, if there is a shuttle pay for it. Took me an hour and a half to get a Lyft back to Cabana Bay from Disney Springs. I realized I need to go with a company that will replace a driver and not the private drivers who don’t show up over and over. Next time I’ll rent a car for a couple days. Always enjoy these DVC vlogs although I don’t own and may never now, I would rent though.

[@cathysnow6747]

We did the night vision goggles at AKL at no cost. Not sure if still offered we did this at Jambo couple yrs ago now. BUT they have a night safari ride from the AKL that does costs money.

[@Amy-yh8kf]

Panda is correct.....America’s largest grocery chain is closing a 60K SF distribution center near Miami, along with locations in Austin and San Antonio, and will stop its Boost delivery service across South Florida and Central Texas on May 25. The company said in a statement announcing the closures that the “facilities did not meet the benchmarks we set for success.”

[@angelinesmith6699]

Agree with Jeff. The live music at DS is excellent these days (on weekends at least…not sure about week days)

[@jimmyD2484]

Great show. Always fun watching.

[@jarrettc7215]

You could buy a bay lake hoodie. But one of its sleeves is probably sewn shut. I hear that’s where they put the WiFi routers.

[@gillianessien7417]

Love the cold open, so fun

[@lieselnobles]

Interesting that Kroger has a "cross-docking spoke" (whatever that is!) considering that they have no grocery stores here?

[@DVCFan]

Yep! We just have a warehouse that delivers to our house. It’s really interesting and robots do a lot of the work. We do miss walking through Kroger, but it’s convenient to have it drop at our doorstep. We pay one yearly fee ($59) for unlimited deliveries (min $35 purchase) and they don’t accept tips so it’s pretty inexpensive. Here is a cool video about it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWOrn36midRlidEsi=OLpFmJ6c8xlLnk2r -Amy

[@jennybarker6739]

Add a shot of gin to the grapefruit beer....so good!

[@jenniferrundle6870]

Don't forget scavenger hunts at the resorts!

[@jimmyD2484]

Also BOCCE BALL at the Rivera is one of the best free activities.

[@jennybarker6739]

The milk at the gift shop is only around.30 more than Publix. Sausage links are not bad either. Bacon is crazy expensive though

[@DisneyVacationeer]

Primo Piatto is my jam!

[@roserose45]

Wow, i'm a bit disappointed in ya'll today. The Eggs and the Milk on property are absolutely NOT over priced. We always stay in 1 Bedrooms and pack a ton of stuff for cooking, but I've been buying eggs and milk across multiple DVC resorts for years to save packing space (and avoid breaking eggs). The Bacon however is $15. Don't buy bacon at the gift shop.

[@maciemckensey6581]

Looking at the menu for the crew's cup lounge for Derricks recommendation and I don't see it :( am I'm missing something?

[@jenniferrundle6870]

They didn't list them when they returned for some reason! So weird...

[@lesliereynolds4492]

Adding to my last comment, I was at the back pickup for Lyft, guess they don’t know there is one. Don’t risk it and go to the front pickup.

[@krab1791]

During severe weather ( hurricanes), Disney power is generally not a problem. Up until the fight over Reedy Creek at least. It remains to be seen what effect the will have. Disney own(ed)s and maintains all the utilities on property which spills out somewhat and covers some of the surrounding area. My oldest up is a cast memeber and lives in the spill over area for this reason. Generally, Disney is able to keep the power on for their guests and customers. As a matter of fact, during these storms, even when they dont effect Disney directly they frequently put up power crews from out state traveling down state to support recovery efforts.

[@rushfan1979]

What's constitutes a home resort if someone has contracts at multiple resorts?......

[@dee_mcgee11]

There's going to be a lot of unhappy Krogers customers here in San Antonio.

[@purpleplumful]

Duck tales is so fun!

[@kathleenproctor5207]

Instead of Mickeys Hand why not use an image of Steamboat Willie. He is in the public domain.

[@RankingDfK]

I am lost why Mears doesn’t understand they are pricing themselves out of the market for families.

[@jarrettc7215]

Dvc putt putt competition. Huh??? Let’s get it done. Bracket. Entry fee. Then donate it to GKTW.

[@angelinesmith6699]

DVC merch is really lacking. I don’t get it.

[@JoeCosentino]

How to you resort hop when they won’t let you in in a car

[@karens8633]

You can park at Disney Springs and take the Resort buses.

[@jarrettc7215]

Man I wish I was online during this show…I could have said Amy is full of crepe! Darn

[@JoeRusso-gq7sl]

Love u guys but I can’t support pancake hate 😂

[@jarrettc7215]

Jeez. Another post for me. If you have three or more passengers on the Mears bus to your resort, it’s cheaper to just take an Uber. And you don’t stop at 4 other resorts.

[@Doolaford]

Pancakes - this is why you mooch a bite from your partner's plate, never order them yourself!