How to do Disneyland on a Budget

If you have been a follower of this blog, you know that we have been to Walt Disney World Resort (WDW) lots of times. Jack-Jack, our 14-year-old autistic son, has never flown and we drive to WDW. He calls it his happy place. We are pros when it comes to saving money for and at Walt Disney World. But our goal is to get him (and us) to Disneyland, but because of the distance, we need to budget much differently than WDW. So, here are my tips for Disneyland on a Budget.

A lot of people dream of being able to take their children on a much loved holiday to Disneyland however they often get put off by the fact that it can seem unreachable cost-wise. This doesn’t need to be the case. In fact, it can be easier than you think to plan a trip to Disney on a budget just by shopping around and deal hunting. Although it can be time-consuming to shop around the different options available and finding the right fit for your family isn’t always an easy task, when it comes to planning a trip to Disney it is all worth it. Check out money-saving tips. Shopping around goes a long way when you plan your trip to Disneyland.

Photo by Skylar Sahakian on Unsplash

Securing Airline Flights

We all know and expect flights to go up and down in price. In fact, it once was the case that flight prices would drop as they got closer to the departure date, however, this is no longer what is happening and flight prices now tend to steadily rise. Therefore, it is wise to check out release dates for flights.

Try booking in advance if you can.

It can be very fruitful to use flight comparison sites, some of these allow you look at predicted changes in flight prices so you know when’s best to book.

This can even give you the chance to save for the right time to buy.

Buying your tickets in advance will help you spread the cost out over a longer period of time.

Park Tickets

Going to Disney usually means buying several different tickets for different area attractions. Although in some cases it is possible to buy bulk tickets that allow entry to additional attractions and shows. As with everything shopping around for your tickets is a wise choice to make. You can often find discount Disneyland tickets available to book. Don’t forget though that Disneyland also offers bundles that include your tickets within a package and it’s always worth checking if this is the cheaper option. Again booking in advance with Disney is one of the better ways to book as it not only secures availability for special features such as the shows, but it also secures better prices.

Disney also allows payments. You can book your trip with a deposit, and then make payments over months, enabling you to save a little each month for the trip. By bundling everything together, you can arrive at your destination and know that you have your tickets and hotel already paid for in advance. You will only need money for dining and incidentals.

Be aware that if you take advantage of tickets and hotel, full payment is expected 30 days in advance of your arrival.

Accommodations for Disneyland on a Budget

You’ve probably already window shopped. Perhaps your children have been putting in their own requests about where they would like to stay when visiting Disney. Maybe your girls want to stay in the princess castle, and your sons are wanting to stay as close to Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge as possible.

However, if you are looking for the ultimate savings then your better option may be to check out some of the hotels that are away from the park off-site. Many of them offer a shuttle bus to the parks on a daily basis, and it also gives you the option to explore other areas too. Other than that, try looking at some of the deals that Disney offer as they sometimes offer deals such as pay for 1 night and stay for 2. Their website will show similar options to help you with a budget.

Some of the benefits of staying on-site include Extra Magic Hours – hours that the theme parks are open only for resort guests and being footsteps from the magic.

Additional ways to save money

Purchasing discounted Disney gift cards at your local wholesale club, grocery store, and more. This enables you to save some money on the cards. If you purchase the cards with a cash back credit card, you can save an additional amount. Disney will accept these credit cards to make payments on your reserved trip.

Travel offseason

Purchase princess dresses and t-shirts before you leave home. (If you want to prepurchase some souvenirs, consider leaving them in the room for your children to find them when they return from the park at the end of the day).

Watch for sales – I have seen Disneyland tickets discounted by Disney several times now since I started watching.

If you are traveling with special needs child or with someone with allergies, make sure to prepare ahead of time. This will ensure that you have a great time and don’t come home feeling like you just wasted your time and money.

Do you have any other hints and tips for doing Disneyland without spending too much? Please share them in the comments section below.