2 College Students go to Disneyland

[Larissa]

Hi everyone!
My friend and I are trying to do a trip to Disneyland in early February on VERY limited funds. We're going for a 3-day non-hopper pass and we will be walking to and from the park.
Anyone have any tips for 2 Canadians with Canadian credit cards travelling to Disneyland?
We appreciate all tips. Thanks!

 

[Gigi22]

Are you flying? You need to look at airfares now, as they will make or break your trip. A friend just booked from Eastern Canada to San Diego return in late March/mid-April for over $1000 Canadian.

 

[Mackie]

You might look into buying the Disney Gift cards while you are there. You can use them like a credit card in the Parks. We bought U.S. cash before we left (better exchange rage) bought the gift cards with cash, asap that we arrived. That way we avoided the credit card charge and exchange rate.
The Gift cards worked really well for us. And they were kind of fun to use.

Be careful to not put to much on the cards. You can't easily cash them out. We made a budget and got a little under what we planned to spend on food and stuff. You can always add to the cards if you run short.

Of course you still have your credit card for off property purchases.

Good Luck and hope you have a blast!

 

[hockeygirl14]

When I did my cp at WDW we were all about saving money in the parks. Some of the things we did:
- Split meals at sit down restaurants or order appetizers instead. American food portions are huge compared to ours!
- Bring your own water bottle with a filter to the parks. You will save money
- Eat breakfast at home and bring granola bars
- Skip out on photopass - they will take pictures with your camera
- Don't buy every souvenir you see... I made a list of things I liked and only bought a couple things. Think to yourself: will I use this outside of disney?
- Backpacks & comfy shoes are key!
- Bring your own poncho/jacket/sweater in your backpack.
- Eating outside the parks saves money - maybe budget for one or two special meals and eat outside of the parks.
- Plan your days efficiently - you'll get the most out of your park tickets that way!

Also for flights check cheapoair. if you have flexible dates that will really help out. I also recommend using hotwire for your hotel, I've never had a problem and you'll only be there to sleep. Lots of their hotels offer free breakfast and you can pick the area.
Try to find more cost effective ways to get from the airport to your hotel - look into a hotel with a free shuttle.
Use cash instead of your CC if possible - you avoid fees and its easier to keep track of.