Disney World has been bringing joy to thousands of people for over 40 years, but at a price. Most would agree that their trip (or trips) was well worth it, but all the same it can be difficult to take a Disney World vacation while keeping to an affordable budget. Here are some sites that offer some helpful information on how to take a great Disney World vacation at a reasonable cost.

A stack of Disney dollars, currency that can be bought (or collected using Disney credit card points) and only spent in Disney World.

7 best resources for Saving Money on a Disney World Vacation

Here's my article on the Top 10 Free Disney Souvenirs - all gleaned from years of saving money at WDW.

You’ll find 10 great tips loaded with information on Budget Disney at We Just Got Back, as well as several other helpful articles on the topic. Some of the best advice given was about when and where to purchase Disney themed merchandise so as to use a minimum amount of money on souvenirs and on how to take advantage of a refillable drinks program through a certain purchase.

A wall of plush Disney characters.

Do you know MouseSavers? This whole site is chocked full of helpful information for saving as much money as possible on your Disney World vacation. Some of the most useful information was on how to use booking sites not officially affiliated with Disney to get the best package deals and the specific dates of which seasons are best to avoid or make the trip.

The site Disney with Children has some useful information on both how to keep a Disney World vacation affordable, how to get the most out of your vacation, and plenty of anecdotes on personal Disney adventures. The author writes about staying at the Swan and Dolphin as a way to stay in the middle of the magic for often less money that other Disney luxury resorts.

At thecentsiblelife.com, you will find an article with a personal story of a family’s trip to Walt Disney World on a budget - containing information on how to manage such a trip and reader comments with additional advice. One interesting part is the personal story cautioning against the Disney Dining Plan, a somewhat controversial Disney “money saving” offer. How much money it actually saves (if any) is disputable. Some families find it a lifesaver while many others find it more of a living nightmare.

Pizza at Via Napoli, delicious and authentic pizzeria in "Italy," Epcot.

With great planning advice and links to other helpful websites, findingdulcinea.com will help you plan a family trip to Disney for less money. An interesting and helpful recommendation given on this site is that people surfing the Internet for Disney vacation planning information first visit the official Disney parks homepage to determine what they would like to do and then go to unofficial, insider sites for the real deals so that they can accomplish the goal’s they have set.

familyfrugalfun.com provides 10 helpful tips for saving money on a family vacation to Disney. Some of the tips are particularly useful to families with young kids, such as advising on renting a stroller before entering the Disney parks and driving through the night on the car trip down.

A sea of strollers parked in Fantasyland.

Kathryn Blanco is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program.

All photos courtesy and copyright Kathryn Blanco