I've been going to Disneyland for as long as I can remember. Sometimes we saved for a long time so we could have a really nice, lots of extras, type trip. Sometimes we would go spur of the moment without any kind of budget and we still made it work. I have comprised this post of the different ways we were able to enjoy the special magic of Disneyland, without breaking the bank. Some things may seem extreme, but they are honestly things I have done. Most of the tips are more logical and doable for all families and people that want to go play in the park!
The key factors you should include in your budget are: transportation (how to get there, either drive or fly and if you will rent a car or not), lodging, food, souvenirs, tickets, and extras such as parking.
1. Transportation
We usually drive, I can't remember the last time I flew to Disneyland, definitely wasn't while I was living in Utah. It is only a 10-11 hour drive, so it is doable for us. When you get 2 or more people going on the trip then gas for driving is cheaper than a plane ticket for everyone. My husband insists on going the speed limit or just under in order to save on gas. It works. We only fill up twice each way, which equates to about $360 total in gas, including driving all over Southern California. We drive an SUV, so that is why it is a bit more for gas. We are planning to take our Fiat on an upcoming trip and it should cost considerably less. The plus side to driving is we do not need to limit what we pack, we can bring pack 'n' plays, strollers, food, the dog, everything without worrying about taking it on the plane. Also we do not have to rent a car while there. Most hotels will have some kind of shuttle or recommend a shuttle that usually cost about $20 a person each way to/from the airport. But then you are limited to only going places around your hotel, unless you want to figure out the bus system or spend money to get a taxi.
Of course some people have frequent flyer miles or work for airlines or what not that make flying cheaper. It just depends on how far away you live, what condition your car is in, and how many people are going that you need to take into consideration.
2. Lodging
I have honestly slept in the car on one trip, but that is not recommended. Instead I recommend a quick search for hotels in Anaheim to find the best fit for you. Search engines like Travelocity, Hotwire and Priceline have great features that can help you find the hotel that fits all your needs. There are TONS of hotels around Disneyland at pretty much every price. Some are nicer than others, but if all you plan to do is sleep there then you don't need to be that picky. I usually require that my hotel have a continental breakfast, free wi-fi and parking, and within walking distance to Disneyland. Some times we have brought our dog and will need a place that accepts pets. We have never had a problem finding a hotel with all these requirements. I usually spend around $85 a night. There are other hotels that are cheaper that do not have things like a free breakfast. if that price is still too high for you.
3. Food
Disneyland is known for having amazing food, but that amazing food also costs a lot of money. One of the ways I have saved the most is by not planning to buy all my meals at the park. The main reason I want my hotel to have a continental breakfast is so I can load up on a big (free) breakfast before going to the park. Also I go to a grocery store first thing when arriving in Anaheim so I can bring my own food with me. Disneyland will allow you to bring as much food and drinks as you want into the park, as long as you do not bring alcohol or anything in a glass bottle. There are lockers you can put your food or any other things you want in so you do not have to carry it around the park. The lockers do cost $7-$15 a day depending on the size you need to rent. I have never rented a locker, I just carried my food in a back pack or under the stroller.
Some things I recommend bringing are: granola bars, cheese, fruit, sandwiches, water, fruit snacks and beef jerky. These things travel well, do not need refrigeration and pack a lot of protein to help give you energy when you are feeling sluggish throughout the day. When I went to Disney with my mother-in-law she brought a five course meal with us to the park, I'm talking rice, chicken, salad, fruit, you name it. It was really nice to have that with us, but I do not usually bring quite that much food with me. We usually plan to eat one meal in the park or just buying our favorite thing, mine being a pineapple float and my husband's a turkey leg. These two items alone coast around $12 total. Knowing we are going to get at least something in the park helps as we are walking buy all the amazing smelling foods and drinks, but by bringing most our food with us we are saving a ton of money.
4. Souvenirs
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| The ONLY thing my son wanted was a balloon, which is a pretty inexpensive souvenir. |
My husband and I have kind of an unspoken agreement that pictures are our souvenirs. Whenever we travel we try not to spend our money on trinkets or accessories, but rather take tons of pictures and then display them in our home and make lots of fun scrapbooks. The Disney photo pass cast members are always willing to take pictures with your camera as well as their own. I know I can trust giving my camera to them because they are trained on how to take a good picture. I can't tell you how many times I have asked a passerby to take a picture and it has come out awful. So make sure to find the cast members with the cameras to help you get that perfect shot.
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| a Disney photo pass member took this shot. |
Now that we have kids, however, it is really hard not to want to buy every toy and stuffed animal in the park! A lot of people have suggested to buy t-shirts and dolls off property, like at a generic store so you can give them to your kids while you are in the park and save a lot of money in the process. My only problem with that is, because I am a die hard Disney fan I know when items are exclusive to the parks and know I cannot get them anywhere else. So I've had to really reign myself in and set a strict budget when it comes to stuff for the kids.
Another thing to be aware of is there are some free things the Disney parks offer such as buttons and maps. They may not be that exciting, but it is something tangible you can bring home from the parks.
5. Parking
The parking at Disneyland keeps going up. If you pay for 3 days of parking that can be over $50. I recommend staying in a hotel that is close enough to the park to walk. I have stayed on all sides of the park and recommend finding a hotel on the east side. That will put you on the opposite side of Down Town Disney. If you have to walk through Down Town Disney it can be a pretty long walk and after walking around the park all day, those extra steps make a big difference. Some hotels will offer a shuttle to the park for free and that is even better. I have stayed at hotels where I could walk to the Disney parking garage, but it was a pretty long walk. Then I had to wait for the shuttle and walk through Down Town Disney, it took a while and was pretty long, but did save me money. Again, if you can, try to stay on the east side of the park.
6. Tickets
The cheapest way to get tickets to Disneyland is through a member of the military. They have 3 day hopper passes for cheaper than a one day hopper pass at regular price. There is a catch however, that person has to be with you when you go to the park. In other words you cannot have them buy them for you and then you go when you want, they have to be with you at the gate with their id the first day you use the tickets. The other catch is they have to buy them in advance. You cannot go up to the gate, show your id and get your discount, you have to buy them at a special base or online and bring the tickets with you when you go to the front gate.
Another option is going with a package deal. There definitely are packages out there that can save you money. Packages through the Disney park itself are pretty good, but honestly Disney is designed for you to stay longer. The more days you go to the park the cheaper the tickets are per day. The packages the parks offer for the Disney hotel, meals and tickets are a great deal, but still more expensive then I can afford and usually for more days than I wanted to go. I have gone through GetAwayToday and think they are the most affordable of the different packages I have found. You can also trust them. Their packages usually include hotels around the area and park tickets.
Be aware of scams! Whenever you Google cheap Disney tickets a lot of different options come up. There are some people that want to rent you tickets. This is where they buy multiple day tickets and then "rent" them out to different people. You have to return the tickets at the end of your trip, but there is no guarantee this will work. Disney is pretty good at security and making sure people are not getting away with anything they shouldn't, so I would personally not recommend this.
And there you have it, buy taking these 6 things into consideration you can help save a lot of money. Even taking one or two of these things into consideration can help save money. My most important tip is making a budget and sticking to it. Perhaps only bring cash with you, that way you will not be tempted to spend money you may not have budgeted. Keep a tally of what you have spent so you are aware of it. It is easy to hand your card over again and again and have no idea how much you are actually spending. Disney is a magical place and it does not have to cost a fortune to have just as much fun as if you did!
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