When planning a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth, one thing will always astonish guests: the cost. Travel has become pretty expensive over the past few years, with the Disney parks being no exception.
At the Disneyland Resort, expenses can add up quickly, including tickets, hotels, food, and merchandise. While an exorbitant cost may seem like a foregone conclusion, visitors can lower that price without sacrificing fun. Whether by necessity or desire, the best money-saving tips will not put a damper on your vacation.
1. Share Meals and Eat Lighter
At Disneyland, restaurant bills can take up a big chunk of your budget. However, it doesn’t have to be as much as expected. Many of the restaurants offer portions large enough to share. Of course, appetites vary, but eating a bit lighter at a theme park remains imperative.
There’s nothing worse than wasting precious time that could be spent on rides feeling sick from overeating. Consequently, sharing meals saves money and, theoretically, time.
Some of the most delicious and shareable meals include the fried chicken from Plaza Inn and Flo’s V-8 Cafe and the sandwiches and burgers from Carnation Cafe, Jolly Holiday, Smokejumpers Grill, and Pym Test Kitchen. Some savory lighter meals include chicken, beef, and vegetable skewers from Bengal Barbecue, bao buns from Tropical Hideaway, and tacos from Cocina Cucamonga.
2. Bring Snacks and Other Food from Home
While we love Disneyland’s snacks, from cinnamon-sweet churros to hot buttery popcorn, they’re anything but cheap. While buying a few will not break the bank, the cost will add up quickly, especially for families.
Bringing snacks from home helps alleviate any anxiety about spending too much and trying to find something you or your child wants in a pinch. Imagine your kid asking for something while waiting in a long line or just before a parade starts. No more braving the crowds searching for a churro cart only to spend nearly $6 on something they probably won’t finish. Instead, pull out their favorite food from home, and everyone’s a happy camper.
3. Book Tickets on Low Tier Days
Recently, the Disneyland Resort has adopted tiered ticket pricing. In other words, the price for single-day tickets varies depending on the day. For those with more flexible schedules looking to save money, examine Disneyland’s calendar when buying your tickets.
Single-day ticket prices for a standard one-park-per-day range from $104 to $206, with park hopping adding an additional $65 to $75. If you can go on one of the lower tier days ($104 to $164), which will be multiple weekdays throughout the year, do it. Additionally, if you plan to go for two or three days, it will often be cheaper to book single-day tickets than multi-day tickets, which have locked-in pricing.
For example, a one-park, two-day ticket costs $330. However, two single-day tickets for tiers 0-3 range from $208 to $328. Booking individual tickets requires some careful planning and time, but saving over $100 per ticket more than makes up for it.
4. Stay at an “Off-Property” Hotel
Staying at one of the three hotels at the Disneyland Resort may be convenient, but it comes at a tremendous cost. The Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian Hotel offer prime locations but will run guests upwards of $500 to over $1,000 a night. Why spend so much when the surrounding Anaheim area offers numerous hotels at a fraction of the cost?
Many hotels, such as the Howard Johnson by Wyndham Anaheim or Best Western Plus Park Place and Mini-Suites, offer a short walking distance. Others, such as the Hilton Anaheim or Anaheim Marriott, will have a slightly longer walking distance, free shuttles, or short drives. Most importantly, these other nearby hotels offer guests fine accommodations at much lower rates.
5. Bring Your Own Water
One of my top tips for anyone visiting Disneyland is always to bring water from home. Bottled water at the parks will cost $4.39 to $4.75, depending on the location. While it’s important to stay hydrated, especially on hot days, why spend that money when you don’t have to?
You can bring your own water from home in plastic or stainless steel bottles (glass containers are prohibited) and refill it at one of the many locations throughout the parks. Visitors will find Disneyland refillable stations at several places, including the Red Rose Tavern, Galactic Grill, and Rancho del Zocalo restaurants, near the Autopia and outside the Pioneer Mercantile. There are also three stations throughout Galaxy’s Edge and one on Pirate’s Lair/Tom Sawyer Island.
In Disney California Adventure, you’ll find stations in Avengers Campus near the Ancient Sanctum and in San Fransokyo Square next to the Lucky Fortune Cookery. Additionally, most restaurants offer free cups of water to guests upon request.
6. Check Out Free and Inexpensive Souvenirs
Spending a lot on souvenirs and other merchandise at Disneyland will be tempting, even inevitable, for some. After all, many guests don’t visit the parks often and want something to commemorate their trip. However, more savvy guests know better. Disneyland (and Walt Disney World, too) has numerous free souvenirs and mementos. Visitors can pick up free park maps at the entrance, as well as celebratory buttons on Main Street for birthdays, first visits, anniversaries, and general celebrations.
Kids will love the free Driver’s License they can get at the Autopia, Indiana Jones Adventure Decoder Cards, and Jungle Cruise Maps. Simply ask a cast member for each. For another fun activity that includes a free souvenir, head to the Animation Academy in DCA for a drawing lesson from a Disney animator.
Of course, some things still cost money. However, park staples like Minnie ears and t-shirts cost upwards of $40. At the same time, you can find comparable items on Amazon, Etsy, Target, Box Lunch, and Kohl’s. I buy all of my Minnie ears on this Etsy Shop. Instead, look out for the numerous pressed penny and medallion machines throughout both parks. These machines offer parkgoers unique merchandise at a very affordable price. Other merchandise that won’t break the bank include autograph books, pens, mugs, and magnets.
7. Bring Your Own Phone Charger
Nowadays, having a smartphone at Disney parks has become a necessity. From booking Lightning Lanes to ordering food on your phone, being without a charged phone would prove difficult. To ease that stress, I recommend bringing multiple portable phone chargers from home.
The park offers fuel rods that, once purchased, can be swapped out for free when drained. Still, fuel rods at Disneyland cost $38 a piece. For a less expensive alternative, purchase a set of two fuel rods on Amazon for $60 or any number of other options. I use these portable chargers from Amazon, which only cost around $20 to $25 for a set of two.
8. Take Your Own Photos
It may seem like a no-brainer, but taking your own photos can help save money, albeit a small amount. Still, every little bit counts. For those who do not purchase the Lighting Lane Multi-Pass (which includes Photo Pass downloads from park photographers), ask another person to take your picture. In my experience, I’ve never encountered anyone unwilling to perform this small request.
Still, Photo Pass does give guests some incredible shots. For a single day, one person in the group can purchase the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass for $35, which includes PhotoPass downloads. For multiple days, guests can purchase Disney PhotoPass+ One Week for $78, which will be more affordable in the long run
9. Look Out for Special Offers & Discounts
The Disneyland Resort offers discount rates on multi-day tickets and hotels several times a year. These discounts typically occur in the spring, summer, and late winter. Some are only for Southern California residents, while other deals have included $50 tickets for kids and three-day packages for under $100 per day. Guests can also save 20 to 25% at Disney hotels many times throughout the year. The key to finding these deals lies in proactively checking the Disneyland Resort website.
Additionally, places like Costco, Sam’s Club, and AAA sometimes offer discounted ticket rates. These may not always be significant discounts, but any extra savings will be most welcome when buying for multiple people.
10. Look at Restaurant Menus Ahead of Time
Like sharing meals, having a food plan and budget will save time and money during your next trip. To create this plan, parkgoers should look at each restaurant’s menu ahead of time. Guests can find these menus on the Disneyland app and website, with descriptions and prices of every item.
It will take time, but speaking from experience, carefully looking at various options helps keep me on budget and alleviates the stress of deciding where to eat. Make sure to also mobile order and make reservations when possible to save even more time because, as the saying goes, “Time is money.” Planning and budgeting will help make any trip less stressful, leaving more time for fun.
<p>The post How to Visit Disneyland Without Breaking the Bank first appeared on Travelbinger.</p>