1 Shop around. Don’t accept the first price a travel agent quotes. Companies such as Travel City Direct offer virtually the same package as their sister company, Virgin Holidays, but often considerably cheaper. Travel agents will often price match their competitors too so it’s worth looking around for a better deal.

2 Consider diy-ing your holiday by building your own package. Shop around for flights and consider flying indirectly to save money. Aer Lingus flies from Scotland, via Dublin, to Orlando. Passengers clear US immigration in Ireland making your arrival in the states much faster. Hire a villa directly from the owner. You’ll be able to choose specific holiday accommodation rather than settle for the villa your tour operator allocates you on arrival. Check out sites such as Owners Direct and Homeaway or join Facebook groups such as Its Orlando Time Advertising where owners post details of their villas.

3 Do not buy your park tickets from the travel agent where you booked your holiday. High street travel agents usually mark the price up and are a poor deal compared to specialised ticket companies. Attraction Tickets Direct send real tickets (not print outs that have to be exchanged at the gate on your first visit) and will price match.

4 If you are flying Virgin try to book the ‘bubble’, the upper deck economy seats. It’s quieter, you get served more quickly and you’ll be one of the first off the plane and not be stuck at the back of the custom’s queue. Be quick though – these seats are booked up quickly.

5 When flying into MCO (the main Orlando airport) try to avoid putting your suitcases onto the conveyor belt that runs between the two terminal buildings. This often becomes backlogged and passengers can wait an hour or so for the baggage to reappear.

6 At the hire car desk be alert to any attempts to upsell you. A common tactic is to suggest that the trunk will be too small for your luggage coupled with a recommendation that you upgrade to the bigger, more expensive vehicle. Resist the temptation – most American cars are pretty big and there will most likely be adequate space for your luggage.

7 Return your hire car with a full tank. While returning your hire car empty may seem like an easier solution – no need to waste time finding a petrol station on the way to airport – it’s the more expensive option. The rental companies encourage us to do this because it’s very difficult, and nerve wracking, to return the car with an empty tank and there will almost certainly be fuel left in the vehicle. Yet you will still be charged for a full tank of petrol, plus the company's refuelling mark-up.

8 Download Navmii onto your phone and avoid having to pay for Satnav. If you have downloaded the maps for your destination before leaving home you do not have to turn on your mobile data, it works with your phone’s GPS.

9 Be careful when approaching the tolls on the highways. If you drive through a Sunpass toll, rather than stopping at the pay booths, this can be a costly affair. Some rental companies will bill you the fee plus a huge admin charge. Others, such as Alamo, only charge a maximum of $19.75 for the entire duration of your rental, plus the toll fee. Ask at the hire desk before setting off.

10 Don’t buy a ticket for every theme park if you are only visiting for two weeks. The parks are huge, the tickets expensive and you will struggle to get round them all without feeling completely exhausted.

11 Pace yourself. In the summer months temperatures soar and the parks become very crowded. Consider visiting in the morning, having a bit of pool time in the afternoon before returning in the evening for the parades. Evenings tend to be less crowded.

12 Use Disney’s new Fast Pass system. You register your park ticket online (at My Disney Experience) and book your ride passes online 30 days before you visit, if you are staying outwith the Disney complex, and 60 days before if you are staying onsite.

13 Download the Disney app to your phone and fast passes can be booked and changed as you go. Use up all three Fast Passes and the system allows you to book extras.

14 Visit Animal Kingdom in the evening – the temperatures are cooler and there is a host of entertainment around the park, from African dance troops to solo musicians as well as the 9pm lights and dancing spectacular, Jungle Book Alive With Magic.

15 Stay the night in a Universal Hotel, such as The Hard Rock Hotel, and you’ll receive free Universal Express passes for both the day you arrive and depart, saving you $65 per day, per ticket.

16 If you don’t have fast passes for the most popular attractions ride them during the parades. You will most likely still have to queue but there will be a much shorter wait.

17 Don’t buy expensive bottled water in the parks. Buy a slab of water from the nearest supermarket, put them in the freezer for 30 minutes then decant into a cool bag. This will keep them cool all day. All the cafes and restaurants will give you a free cup of iced water on request and some, like Harambe Market in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, have water fountains where visitors can help themselves. Busch gardens have several soft drink dispensers where you can refill your empty bottle.

18 Budget for parking at the parks. The $20 a day fee can take a big chunk out of your spending money. However, parking is free at Disney for guests staying onsite and only a bargain $5 if you arrive at Universal after 6pm. The SeaWorld Group offers free parking on its three-park combo ticket, which includes SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica.

19 Food in the parks can be expensive. Most theme parks, with the exception of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, are happy for guests to bring along their own cool bags with drinks and snacks. Save your money to buy a refreshing treat, like a Dole Whip or Dipping Dots. However, if you have your heart set on dining with the Disney princesses or eating at the dinosaur themed T-Rex make sure you book ahead – online bookings open 180 days in advance.

20 Consider ordering a child’s meal at restaurants both inside and outside the theme parks. American portion sizes are generally huge and a child’s meal is often the size of a standard portion here. Share the sides – a full meal is usually too big for an individual. Ask for the leftovers to be boxed. Wait staff are more than happy to do this and you can always have it for breakfast.

21 Tipping is a controversial topic but the standard amount is 18-20%. Beware of paying the tip twice though – for parties of six or more this is often already added to your total. Check your bill.

22 Keep the cost down when dining out. Many restaurants offer discounts at certain times of the day. For example, Mannys Chop House offers a reduced Early Bird Special between 4-6pm and the Cracker Barrel chain has a down-home lunch of the day at a bargain price. Don’t forget to use discount vouchers. Coupon books can be found in supermarkets and restaurant foyers and offer reductions on food and attractions, including 10% off at the cut price Golden Coral buffet restaurants.

23 If you fancy a day away from the theme parks try the Gulf coast beaches of Sarasota, Anna Maria Island and Clearwater. The Sea Screamer at Clearwater (about an hour’s drive from Disney) is a giant speedboat which whizzes guests around Tampa Bay and almost guarantees dolphins playing in the boat’s wake. Book ahead online in high season.

24 Take a trip east to the Kennedy Space Centre where there are daily talks from astronauts and a fantastic coach trip out to see the launch pads and the actual space shuttle Atlantis. The drive takes around an hour from the theme parks, via a toll road. Make sure to set off in plenty of time as there’s lots to see. Buy your tickets in advance to save time and money.

25 Get informed before you head off to Orlando. Join one of the many online, interactive Orlando holiday groups. On the web, the DIS forum is a huge site where members can post and read holiday blogs, browse the holiday planning threads and ask questions. On Facebook join one of the many UK groups, such as Its Orlando Time, a group with over 60,000 members, Disney and Orlando for The Brits and Florida Dreaming – all friendly sites where you’ll get lots of practical advice.

Attraction Tickets Direct provided Garry Scott and family with tickets for Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, and a SeaWorld three-park ticket for SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica. www.attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk