In post one of this series on getting to Disney on a Single Mom Budget I shared how I planned in advance to buy the park hopper tickets and book our flight. In part two I shared how I researched and found our hotel at Downtown Disney for about $25 per night. Now I’ll share how we were able to get to the parks and other attractions using Disney Transportation.
Our transportation needs were met through using shuttle buses. When we landed in Orlando we took the Mears shuttle to our hotel in Downtown Disney. I paid for round trip tickets for the both of us. They would pick us up and drop us off at the airport for an affordable price. The driver was friendly and very helpful as well.
When we got to our hotel we found out the Disney Transportation schedule. The good thing about it was the Disney buses came like clockwork. We never had to wait longer than 15 minutes for the bus. Another great thing is the busses took us between the parks as well. So when we left Magic Kingdom we could take the bus to Animal Kingdom. Having the park hopper tickets made it easy to visit the parks we wanted to see.
Tip: If you plan to fly into MCO-Orlando, book a roundtrip shuttle in advance. There are several companies that run from the airport to Disney. I used Mears and could book online. You don’t have to worry about rental cars, parking fees, or navigating through traffic. Use the Disney bus system to get where you want to go.
Summary
- When I went to Disney World with my daughter in 2004 I was able to get some good deals and have a really great time. But while I was there I looked at the luxury hotels and wished I had saved a little more money to splurge.
- The trip was virtually worry and stress-free though. I didn’t have to worry about driving because we flew. I didn’t have to worry about transportation because the bus picked us up from the airport and we had shuttle service to the parks.
- I got multi-day passes at a discount at the military installation where I worked so we could visit the parks as often as we wanted to. Food was no problem because my daughter ate free and I didn’t eat much anyway. In short it was a very good trip because I was able to pay for all the things I wanted.
- But if I had saved for a year or two the trip would have been even better. So save up your pennies, make extra money by selling stuff you don’t need, do freelance work, and look for discounts. You can have the trip of a lifetime because you planned for it in advance.
- Another tip is to pay for things over time. Buy the plane ticket months in advance when you have the money.
- Reserve the room and send the money when you have the right amount.
- Simply take each element of the trip and pay as you go so by the time the day comes you will have very little to worry about financially except spending money.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
