Money-Saving Keys to Orlando’s Magic Kingdom

Like those Seven Pillars of Wisdom described by Lawrence of Arabia, seven approaches to vacationing at low cost in Orlando can never be sufficiently stressed:

Timing is everything. The least expensive dates for a visit are from just after Labor Day until just before Christmas, then the first three weeks of January and from late April to Memorial Day. Avoid school vacation times.

Buy airline tickets in advance from a cut-rate carrier. Take advantage of 21-day advance-purchase air fares from a cut-rate airline such as Southwest. Fares can run as low as $136 from Columbus, Ohio, on Southwest.

Book rooms in the area’s modern, low-cost motels. At properties throughout the theme-park district and in neighboring Kissimmee, a family of four can stay for as little as $35 a night, sometimes even receiving breakfast, shuttles to theme parks and meals for kids younger than 11. Solid options include Wilson World in Kissimmee, telephone (800) 669-6753; Days Inn East on U.S. 192, tel. (800) 329-7466; Comfort Inn at Lake Buena Vista, tel. (800) 999-7300; and Best Western Plaza International on International Drive, tel. (800) 654-7160.

If you must stay at Disney itself, the cheapest options are the All-Star Resorts, tel. (407) 934-7639, where rooms for a family of four start at $74. Finally, rates as low as $25 a night per family are offered by many of Orlando’s RV campsites, such as the Kissimmee/Orlando KOA, tel. (800) 562-7791, Tropical Palms Resort, tel. (800) 647-2567, and Raccoon Lake Camp Resort, tel. (800) 776-9644.

Dine at all-you-can-eat buffets. The Ponderosa chain has three locations on International Drive and two on U.S. 192, where unlimited breakfast is $3.99 ($2.99 for kids), lunch is $5.99 ($3.49 for kids) and dinner is $7.49 ($3.99 for kids). At a half-dozen Shoney’s, all-you-can-eat meals cost $4.99 for breakfast and $7.99 for dinner, less for children. As an alternative, Gooding’s Grocery Store at Crossroads of Lake Buena Vista Mall is great for stocking up on snacks, and there’s a small in-store eatery with ample fried chicken, ribs, mashed potatoes and such.

Stock up on passes and cards. Before you arrive or once you’re there, get the Orlando Magicard from the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, tel. (800) 551-0181, or visit the Official Visitors Center at 8723 International Drive for discounts on lodgings, meals, car rentals (15% off at Alamo Rent A Car, tel. [800] 462-5266) and other sundries. Look for discount coupons in free publications distributed at hotels.

Carefully juggle theme-park admissions. Buy two days’ entrance to the chief Disney parks, Magic Kingdom and Epcot, for $42 per adult per day ($34 for age 3-9), and combine those two days with four additional days at Universal Studios, Sea World and Wet ‘n Wild via an Orlando Flex Ticket costing $99.95 ($82.95 for ages 3-9). (You buy the Flex Ticket at Universal, Sea World or Wet ‘n Wild.) In this manner, a family of four can spend six full days at all the theme parks for about $660.

Plan in advance for your meals within the theme parks. Food carts in the Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland and Liberty Square offer giant smoked turkey legs for $4.25, and at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland they serve fresh tossed salads big enough for two for less than $3.95. Over at Epcot, try the stir-fry ($6.25) at the Lotus Blossom Cafe in the China pavilion; $6 burrito and taco platters in Mexico’s Cantina de San Angel; and the Germany Biergarten’s $10.95 all-you-can eat lunch buffet. At Universal Studios, a filling basket of fish and chips goes for $4.99 and a shareable beef taco platter for $4.79. At Sea World, Mama Stella’s Kitchen serves a good $4.59 pizza for one.