Riding fast roller coasters with cousins. Eating fried fish and Key lime pie at dockside restaurants, past bedtime. Showing Great Aunt Susie the manatees at the local aquarium. Tiffany, Julia and Lexi, my three little Florida travelers, love to play tourist each year, especially when traveling with our extended family.

But, like so many, we have yet to win the lottery and must keep to a budget. Over the years, we’ve learned some resourceful ways to enjoy Florida regularly without taking out a second mortgage.

 
Join the Club 

It may seem expensive, but joining a Florida museum may be a good option if you are going to be on an extended trip and visiting multiple cities. Membership in G. Wiz in Sarasota allows for visits at 21 other science museums across the state of Florida. If you are planning a visit a few months out, joining way ahead of time will also allow you to time your visit to include special programming and exhibits that might only be available to members, or are only available on special days.

 
Book Ahead at Home

At Universal Studios Florida & Universal’s Islands of Adventure, you can save almost $30 on a two-day ticket by buying in advance compared to the front gate. Other theme parks and attractions have these deals.
 
 
Find a Fridge

Many major chain hotels have found that one of the top requests for guests is an empty refrigerator. Suite hotels like the Staybridge Suites Lake Buena Vista have actual kitchens and larger refrigerators, but non-suite hotels are following the trend, encouraging guests to have a place to bring drinks and snacks. In addition, some hotels have gone further. At Orlando’s Gaylord Palms, guests who buy special travel upgrades are given bottled water.

Plan far ahead before the least-expensive options are sold out, check with individual properties for special deals and share your trip (both the fun and the expenses) with family and friends.
 
Time Your Trip

Carefully timing your trip can also lead to impressive savings, possibly cutting hundreds of dollars off your hotel bill. For a family staying at the Holiday Inn in St. Augustine’s historic district, a room was about $25 less in July than in March, when many schools have spring break. It’s not a giant difference, but on a week’s vacation, it adds up.

The best rates at Disney resorts are January 1-February 14, August 5-October 3 and November 25-December 19. Disney hotels offer extended theme park hours for resort guests at no extra charge and a meal package which enables you to save at more than 100 restaurants.

Some resorts also offer 10 percent off if you pay in advance of your stay. The theme parks also periodically offer deals to guests in uniform including police, fire military and EMT.

 
Go for the Big Resort

Don’t write off the big resorts which sometimes are a bit more per night. Our children pestered us about the Nickelodeon Family Suites for months after seeing the ads. We took advantage of a special, and it turned out to be more affordable than we thought because we never left the hotel and went to theme parks another day. The Nick had pool areas resembling water parks, free live shows and poolside entertainment. A mini-mall area with an arcade and budget-friendly restaurants such as Pizza Hut and McDonald’s helped. No vehicle is necessary as the hotel offers free transportation to the parks.

At the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort and Hotel in Panama City, not only do they have themed pool areas, but special deals and rates include beach chairs and full, family breakfasts.

 
Bonding Time 

Another affordable option is to hold a mini family reunion or catch up with friends. You can do this by renting a house or larger suite and splitting the costs. Some rentals can accommodate as many as 12 to 15 guests.

Weekly rentals in The Beaches of South Walton area include 3-bedroom houses on the beach with a heated pool. You can share cooking duties, play board games at night, take turns babysitting and really unwind. Start your vacation this week; invite friends over for dinner and pick out your cottage online. For instance, Pristine Properties Vacation Rentals of Port St. Joe not only has cottage listings online but also has slide shows and pricing by week.

 
Think About Next Year

It pays to ask about your next vacation while on vacation. In some hotels, returning guests get 25 percent off.

 
Plan, Share 

Vacationing in Florida on a careful budget can be done if you do your research. Plan far ahead before the least-expensive options are sold out, check with individual properties for special deals and share your trip (both the fun and the expenses) with family and friends.