The memories of our first family visit to Walt Disney World are so clear, it seems as if it was only yesterday. We were so excited to finally be “going to Disney World”, none more so than our then 7 year old daughter. After saving for what seemed like forever, we made our dream a reality, and it was a wonderful vacation indeed! I learned a lot preparing for that trip, about the best way to plan a Disney vacation. One of the most important things I learned was that there was a great deal of research and planning required in order to save money on a trip to Walt Disney World. I also learned that having a Disney savings guide is extremely important in order to be able to have an affordable Disney family vacation.

The challenge though is in choosing the best Disney travel guide for your family, as there are so many out on the market. And each seems to be so promising, with all those colorful pictures of happy families enjoying their happy vacations. How do you know which will actually help you save money on your Disney vacation? This article will hopefully provide some help as I share reviews of a few of the most popular ones and offer some opinions on what each has to offer.

Let’s start with Birnbaum’s Walt Disney World. This is the classic, Disney-approved, travel guide that you see everywhere. I bought this for our first trip and found it to be quite helpful to start. It has great pictures, good maps to help you get comfortable with the layout of the parks, and some good guidelines for the rides and attractions. What it does not have is a lot of detailed information on how to save money: as the “official” Disney vacation guide, it does not discuss in any detail non-Disney options for food or lodging. With this in mind, while a nice little guide to start the planning process (especially if it is your first visit), it is not my first choice for a Disney savings guide.

The most well-known of the many Disney vacation guides is the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It is also one of, if not the, biggest Disney World travel guide. This can be a good thing, as the author presents an unbelievable amount of information on nearly every aspect of a trip to the Orlando area. And it is unbiased, a fact that many who are partial to this book, truly appreciate, as it presents a perspective beyond the Disney “world”. This means that the reader will find many options for potentially saving money, making this a useful Disney savings guide. What is not so good, at least to some, is that the sheer size of this book can make it a challenge to actually wade through all that information….and it is certainly not a guide to carry to the parks for easy reference.

Of the many Disney travel guides that I have reviewed, the one that I personally believe to be the most helpful when it comes to cost-cutting ideas is the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide. Written by a former Disney castmember, this is actually an e-book that presents a good deal of helpful information that can be very useful in planning an affordable Disney vacation. With the many cost-savings tips, strategies, and suggestions, the reader can potentially save hundreds of dollars when visiting Walt Disney World. And knowing how to save that much money makes it truly a great choice for a Disney savings guide. As for the idea of an e-book, all I can say is that I personally love the flexibility that a book like this offers. I can download it immediately, read it through as I wish, and then print out only what I need to take to the parks with me.

There are a lot of Disney World travel guides available, and it can be difficult to know which is the best to choose. But in my opinion, if your goal is to save as much money as possible on your Disney vacation, then the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide will be an excellent choice. It is well-organized, easy to use, has hundreds of cost-cutting ideas and strategies, and offers lifetime access to the author’s website for the most current Disney updates. It is definitely my recommendation for the best Disney savings guide.

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