Tips On How To Make A Disneyland Vacation More Affordable

Have you been dreaming of taking your family on a Disneylandvacation but your financial situation may not be forgiving enough for you to go?Or perhaps you have the time and money right now but are nervous about Murphy’s Law catching up to you after the fun has been had by throwing yet another unexpected expense in your way?A family vacation is almost always over budget and frighteningly costly, however I may be able to give you some great tips to ensure a wonderful time that doesn’t make you completely empty your pocket book.

1. Packages

Check with the resort for package deals that may be money savers.If you purchase tickets for many people, over a period of time, such as four days instead of three, Disney will knock the price down a few dollars.It is not usually a ton of money but every little bit helps.

1. Off Season

Go in the off season.Everyone loves to go in the summer months because summer is what we Americans generally view as “vacation” time.However we forget that many of the destinations that we would want to visit that are warm and summery may be simply too hot in the summer!Who wants to spend their entire vacation complaining about the heat or wishing to be indoors, or waiting in the long lines that never seem to end, listening to other scolding parents and complaining children, thinking to your-self, “Why didn’t we just go camping?”Your Disneyland vacation should be one to remember and most definitely not a cry fest.Most people that do not live in the direct vicinity of Disneyland or other theme parks, realize that the off season is not only not as crowded but can have great weather and amazing activities and special events that will wow you and your family.

Check out times near Halloween for special trick or treating parties and reduced priced tickets.You could also make your vacation a Disney Holliday by attending the park during the Christmas season, where the Disney Imaginers actually make it snow!You may miss out on certain rides, especially ones that include getting wet, but at the end of the day there will be so many other magical events and specials going on around you that missing out on getting wet will not be such a problem.Or simply get both great things by bringing a change of clothes in your back pack!

1. Hotels

Whatever season you attend the park checking with neighboring hotels vs. the package deals the resort would give you, could save you even more money.Worried about having to pay parking?Not a problem.Park your car at the hotel and take the shuttle!Most hotels near the resorts know where you are going and have set up a free shuttle service that runs to and from the park even after closing!If you are an adult going for your honeymoon or just a romantic get away, don’t worry about needing one person to drive back to the hotel after a friendly round at the Downtown Disney gastronomic section.You can both have fun and still be safe.Check with the Disneyland resort first before you book a separate hotel because depending on the current Disney rates and promotions this could actually cost you more money.

1. Food

Eating in the park can be expensive.Meals bought in the park do not include drinks and run upwards of $5.99 for a kid’s meal and $7.00 for an adult entrée.Doing this two to three times a day for a family of three for a three day visit will run you easily upwards of $118.94 before tax!Lucky for us, most hotels give a free continental breakfast in the mornings, however breakfast at the Disney Hotels may cost you extra, and don’t forget snacks.Disneyland and California Adventure have amazing smells and food all around so entering the park even on a slightly empty stomach could be enough to make anyone cave and buy the expensive meal.

One great thing is that the food in the park is quite large and you could get by sharing a meal with another family member or friend attending the park with you, however if you have a large appetite or hate sharing eating outside of the Disney gates can save you loads!Bringing food, snacks, and drinks inside a back pack will save you a fortune!Drinks in the park are not refillable so a large soda is around $3.99 and as I am sure you know, even between two people will not last you to your next ride.Bring water bottles and refill at the water fountain stations that are around the park or outside the park if you decide to leave for lunch or dinner.Save some money out of your food budget to perhaps enjoy one in park snack or treat as a family while you are there, as depriving yourself of the fun around you will of course make you feel like you did not get the full experience, but most snacks are also large enough to share!

Keep in mind too that the Disneylandresort does not cater to food allergies and if you or a loved one has Celiac or Gluten Intolerance, a milk allergy, or soy, eating in the park could aggravate their system.Their food services are made to order much like a fast food joint and they can not guarantee a lack of these allergens in any of their food.Special menus are not available and although you can make requests to get the chili not in the bread bowl or no cheese on top, special menus are rarely available and if so only at the expensive sit down restaurants, costing you easily thirty dollars or so a plate.Downtown Disney, the nightlife district just outside the park, has the same prices and sometimes more expensive as far as food prices go so make sure to do research and find cheaper places that are off of Katella or Ball Road in Anaheim.

1. Souvenirs

I remember my first time at the park.I was turning nine.We had no idea there would be so many collectables and the first thing we saw that we had no clue of, the autograph books and pens.I just went to California Adventure with my son and had completely forgotten about these books.They are small books, a bit larger than a large index card with a Disney cover.They cost almost $8 a piece before tax.They are simply filled with plain white paper.What are they used for you ask?To get the autographs of the characters wandering the park of course!You see children running to stand in line to get the John Hancock of their favorite Disney friends.Besides this they sell Disney pens that you carry with your autograph book that usually have some Disney design, including a black Mickey or Minnie pen click topper.

These items are simply a must have for any young Disney fan and I guarantee you as a parent will be wanting to get your child one to fill the second you see the look on other children’s faces as they walk away having had their picture taken with the character and having a book full of autographs that they can look back on for years to come.Here is my tip.Now that you know this is something you will need, before you go make them yourselves!Please see my other article explaining how you can make a personalized pen and autograph book before your trip.

Other products can only be found in the park.Even your local or nearest Disney Store may not carry certain items.This means those Mickey Ears that everyone needs to have that first time at the park are simply something you have to budget for.However T-Shirts and Costumes, some children walk the park dressed as their favorite Disney princess or Character, could be made before your trip, thus saving money.Some families get really creative and actually have other patrons jealous of their one-of-a-kind items, wishing they had been that smart.

1. Know the Park

Knowing how the park is laid out and how you are going to get the best experience possible is a great thing to know.Disney has maps online of every one of their destinations, helping you familiarize yourself with the layout.Disney parks are so large that if you have never been there before you may find yourself staring at the map for a half hour after you get in, just trying to figure out your best plan of action.Making sure that you get the best experience and don’t miss a thing is very important.Try to get to the park early and first thing you need to do is decide if you want to ride one of the larger rides that day.Certain rides will always have a long wait no matter what time of year or time of day so Disney has come up with the “Fast Pass.”This is a slip that holds your place in line.Simply go to the ride you are wishing to ride, place your ticket in the fast pass deposit box and out will come a place holder ticket.On the ticket it will say when you should return to ride.Note that you can only hold one fast pass at a time until the fast pass expires, therefore pick one large ride a day and get your pass the second you enter the park, or wait in line there immediately.Spontaneity on vacation is very important but at Disney, especially during the spring and summer months, a small plan of action will help you get more for your money.Also check the times of the shows and special events that you wish to attend before entering the park knowing that if the wait is long on a ride you may have to go back to that ride to make it to your show.

Here is a quick list of long wait rides forDisneylandand California Adventure:

SplashMountain

SpaceMountain

The Matterhorn- NoFastPass

BigThunderMountainRailroad

Pirates of the Caribbean- Lines can be long but waits are faster than most due to the amount of people per boat.

TheHollywoodTowerof Terror

ScreamingCalifornia

Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

Goofy’sFlightSchool

Soarin’ Over California- Get this at the start of your day!

GrizzlyMountain-You WILL get wet!

At the end of the day, these are not tips that can make a Disney vacation off of a no money budget, but they will help you stick to the budget you have created, and perhaps save you enough money to be prepared for that bump in the road coming when you return home.I hope that these tips have been enlightening and can help your first Trip to theDisneylandPark or other Disney destination, be memorable and exciting adventure!

*Here is another great hub for single moms!