Travel Deal of the Day (May 7, 2009)

If you are planning a trip to Disney World, the price of the vacation can often be daunting. Be sure to note special discounts that apply to a Disney World vacation.

The Deal:
Here are a few tips to save money on your next Disney World vacation (especially relevant given the weak economy and current travel fears due to the swine flu):

(1) If you are a Florida resident, there are special discounts available - see this link;

(2) You can save a tremendous amount of money by staying off-property at a non-Disney property. Though the drawbacks of staying off-property include the fact that you will spend more time commuting to the parks and you will not have access to a few perks available to guests of Disney properties, the money you will save will likely be tremendous;

(3) Plan your trip in advance and keep checking hotel/car rates as your vacation approaches. Hotel and car prices change constantly, so be sure to check prices every few weeks (and check daily about a week or two before arrival). If travel companies expect high demand, the prices even far in advance will be high - but if fewer people book than expected, prices may drop dramatically close to your date of arrival. Also, be sure to note cancellation policies for your hotel and car reservations as you want to ensure that you can take advantage of a lower price without paying a cancellation fee;

(4) As always, be sure to consider Priceline and Hotwire for hotel and car deals; and

(5) There are great web posting boards where frequent Disney visitors share tips - check out Disboards (for instance) to find great Disney advice.