The Rachel Cruze Show - How to Go to Disney Without Debt

Episode Date: April 15, 2019

Disney World is one of my favorite places on earth, but it can cost a small fortune. Good news is, it doesn’t have to! In this episode, you’ll learn: How to know if you, your family and your bank account are actually ready to go to Disney. Twenty-one ways to save time and money at Disney—I’m talking thousands of dollars and hours of time saved! The best-kept Disney dining secrets from our Disney food expert, Rachel Bshero.  Resources (everything mentioned in this episode): Zander Insurance        The Contentment Journal Churchill Mortgage The Contentment Journal Show Notes – Download the Disney Savings Goal Tracker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going to talk all things Disney, and better yet, how to go to Disney without debt. My friend and Disney expert, Rachel Bichiro, you don't have to do the character meals. You're going to see them other places, so save some money. Knowing these little gems and little quick ways to save money here, there, helps tremendously. At the end of the day, you're in a beautiful park. Take the pressure off of yourself. Hey guys, welcome to another episode of the Rachel Cruise Show podcast, and this episode was really fun. Okay, I had a great time creating this one, filming it, shooting it, all the things, because

this is a full episode dedicated to how to go to Disney without debt. Yeah, that's right. So, get ready because you are going to dive in to all things Disney. And as you will hear in my voice, I was very, very excited to film this episode. So there's a few times you may want to turn on your volume because I get a little loud because I'm that excited. So I hope all of you Disney lovers out there enjoy this episode. And if you're not a Disney lover, listen, enjoy it. Keep listening because there's some fun nuggets in there as well about life. So here is this episode. Guys, I cannot even tell you how excited I am. 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. Live in a debt-free lifestyle in 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 will 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 like one of the greatest moments of my life. I mean, I had so much fun. Like, I can't even,

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 Bishiro, she used to you 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, okay? I wanted 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. 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 like 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, like a lot of money, to do something that Amelia's not even going to remember? Like, we'd be going for you. And I was like, mm-hmm, that's exactly right. We are going for partly me, like, 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 in Magic Kingdom because she was only three at the time. So we did it that way. Whence it 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? 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 one through three, 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 crews, tower of terror, all the things they're 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. Coming up, I'm going to show you how you can save thousands of dollars and hours of time on your Disney vacation.

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. Fabulous. Use it. Save up for that Disney trip.

All right. Keep your hands beat inside the vehicle at all times because this mine 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 round. We did that with a million. 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 hotels 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 or life changing, but then the next night, like, go right 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. 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 spent up to a hundred percent more when you use your card or your Disney Magic Band versus cash. So people, use cash while you're there. You have to have reality. And that just brings you back to reality, because you're going to be in this magical land. Reality is cash. Use cash. And, 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 kind of 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 photo past 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 discounted tickets, people. No, no, no, no. You are there because you have saved up for the Disney trip. Don't sit through that stuff, no, no.

Number 14, Disney is 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, like, all the time? We'll have to take them out when they're older. He looked at me like I was nuts. Like he does love to time. I was like, oh, yeah, 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 Bell and 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 going to 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 tail, and after be our guest, they get to go and dance with a bell. Like, they have a big part, and there's 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, grow louder, and sure enough she got picked. 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, like, number 16, when you stay on property, you have free transportation to and from the airport and to and from the parks. So 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 like way less. You get to go on so many rides. Number 18, the dining plan package is not always a savings. Okay, so there are restrictions and rules around it. It actually can be really expensive.

So research that. Number 19, you have the ability to book fast passes three months out versus 30 days out. So if you stay off property, the fast passes you may want, maybe 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. All right, coming up next, I'm bringing on my friend and Disney expert, Rachel Bichiro, who wrote for the food blog for three years at Disney to talk about some fun insider tips to Disney dining. Okay, Rachel, yes. You worked. Where? At Walt Disney World. And where did you meet your husband?

At Walt Disney World. Where, Rachel, tell us. At your guest restaurant, we were both working there. I mean, it's true. Live in my dream. My dream life. Okay. So what did you do?

Go all Disney World. So I did food and beverage marketing in public relations. Part of that was writing for the Disney Parks blog about food, which is where all the people go. Great. To learn all the food tricks. Yes. 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 like a few of your like 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. Okay. 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 really great money-saving tips. 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.

During lunch, because someone said the lunch menu is cheap. than the dinner menu. And I was like, well, that's perfect because you're kind of kind of paying an arm to leg for those. And so we did. We did the lunch, and you're exactly right. It worked out so well. Okay, so there's the sit-down restaurants. Yes. And then there's, like, the quick service. Quick service. Yep. 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 simon rolls? Is it the same as Gaston's? No. Oh, separate. Ooh, do tell.

So that's in Magic Kingdom. I'm talking about the one in Epcot. So they have, like, authentic French pastries and baguettes and sandwiches and salads. And it's pretty inexpensive. Like, you can get stuff for under five bucks. So good. So the character meals are really expensive. And I'll say, we had hit or miss.

So 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 gyms all over Disney like the pastry place in Epcot. Didn't know that. Okay, what are some other great places that people can eat? 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. They're a little bit quieter. 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 like 10 bucks. Oh, so good. Yeah, it was really great. Oh, that's fun. Eat this is art and watch the fireworks. Okay. So I love saving money. You know that about me, Rachel. So what are other, like, quick money saving tips food-wise that you can think of? You can bring in bottles of water to fill when 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 will save you like $3. Yes. So you can't bring like 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 hungry at Disney World. It's true. It's true. So keep snacks. One of my other favorites, Vienna, Pizza. I know you love it. Yes. So they have amazing pizza. They fly their flour and tomatoes in from Italy, like real deal. No way. Pizza.

You can get a large pizza, big salad, and share. And it'll feed like a family of four or five. Yes. Amazing. Oh, I love it. Rachel, so good. I mean, seriously, the food part, it's a big deal. And so knowing these, like, little gems and little quick ways to save money here,

there helps tremendously. So thank you. Thanks for coming on. Yeah, absolutely. Love it. Well, I hope those of you still listening, my Disney people out there, I hope you enjoy that episode. And as enthusiastic as I was, you may think that I go to Disney all the time. And in fact, I've only been three times, but that's how obsessed I am.

So I do have a goal to go more in my life. And that's a good thing, right? We talk about goal setting, be looking at the future, figure out what you want. And mine is to be at Disney more and more in my life because I love it that much. So I do want you to remember, though, the best way to go to Disney World is when you have saved up and you can pay cash for it. I do not want you going into debt for Disney. So remember that as you're going on your Disney journey. So thanks to Rachel Bichiro for coming on and make sure you guys click the subscribe button for this podcast if you haven't already.

And if the spirit leads, you are welcome to leave a review. And remember to get anything that we talked about in this episode, make sure to click the link in the show notes. So thanks again, you guys so much for listening. And remember to take control of your money and create a life you love and live happily ever after.