One of my favourite family holiday destinations is Orlando in Florida.  After having an incredible stay in August with a collaboration with SeaWorld we literally landed back in the UK and immediately booked a return visit for February!  We were lucky we managed to book before Thomas Cook sadly went into administration as the same holiday we booked had gone up £3000 more because of the increased demand!  I am hoping things will settle down again.  But in the meantime, you can save money on a holiday to Orlando by doing some of the following things:

Attractions

We will be booking the Discovery Cove Ultimate package when we return which includes a day in Discovery Cove then unlimited Aquatica, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld for 14 days.  These attractions are significantly cheaper than other attractions in Orlando.  For the four of us it will cost only £672 for the non-dolphin swim or £932 with the dolphin swim.

Other well-known attractions can cost £1,700 for 14 days unlimited.  The Discovery Cove Ultimate package offers so much in terms of entertainment and value for money.  It’s a good idea to book your theme park tickets in advance as they don’t always have the 14-day unlimited deals when you arrive at the gate.

Accommodation

You can book luxury Orlando villas quite reasonably.  Now my boys are getting older we appreciate the extra space on holiday.  But mostly with a villa you can really save money as you can make the most of having your own kitchen.  Eating out in Orlando can be one of your biggest expenses, whereas if you head to Publix (I love that supermarket!) you can stock up for your stay and save a small fortune.  Some of the parks will even allow you to bring in individual sized snacks and bottles of water too, so double check and bring in what you can.

Flights

If you are willing to go off season you can find some good deals.  I was impressed with the cost of our holiday in February when I initially booked it.  It helps if you can be flexible.  Keep checking back and experiment with dates.  You can save more money booking indirect flights, but I personally prefer the convenience of a direct flight.  Instead you could consider flying into Orlando Sanford International rather than the more popular Orlando International Airport.  If it means you can save money on a holiday to Orlando a little extra hassle might be worth it!

Hire Car

The question to ask yourself is do you really need one? Sometimes when you factor in the cost of parking at your hotel and the theme parks, it might work out cheaper to try a taxi company like Lyft or Uber instead.  If you download their app, they often have additional discounts to bring the cost down further.

Some hotels come with free shuttle buses to the theme parks.  Check when booking your accommodation what services they offer.  We saved £200 by deciding against the hire car.  But if you prefer the freedom and convenience of being in charge of your own transport you might not be keen to do this to save money on a holiday to Orlando.