Are economy trips possible?

[darnheather]

Mom of 2 kids. We live on the east coast within 2.5 hours of the DC area airports. Wondering if it's possible to do a 3 day four night trip for the three of us including airfare, tickets, and hotel for under $3000. So far I haven't been able to get under that playing with things on my own. Dates are not a factor as we homeschool and we would in fact prefer midweek while school is on for lower crowds.

Maybe I'm just having sticker shock? When we did DW in 2013 my spouse came with us, we did four nights and five days at mid-level onsite with free dining. We drove and used on site dog sitting and still only spent around $3100. I know that flying is more expensive than driving but with DL it seems like everything is more expensive.

 

[Xenorye]

From someone who lives in the midwest, it can certainly seem like everything is more expensive out west. Maybe it's true, maybe it's perception, maybe a bit of both. I think a big part of it is that airfare from the east coast (or even in the midwest) is so much more expensive than flying up and down either coast.

Another big part of it is where you're staying. You won't be able to get under $3,000 staying onsite. However, DLR is different than WDW in this regard, as they only have 3 onsite hotels, that would all fall under the deluxe category at WDW. The Value/Moderate categories are taken up by the offsite hotels that are right across the street or just down the street from DLR. Look into these Good Neighbor hotels and you might be able to swing it. Consider purchasing tickets and the hotel through LMTClub.com -- I saved quite a bit doing that.

Edit: For reference, wife and I are doing a no-kids trip May 17-20, staying at the Desert Palms Hotel & Suites with four-day park hoppers. Cost for us from Oklahoma City for flights, hotel, and tickets was $1,700.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Is $3,000 using offsite hotels? Because DL only offers deluxe onsite accommodations, and they are generally not considered to be the same caliber as WDW deluxe hotels (Paradise Pier is considered to be more of a moderate, but it isn't priced like that!). As PP said, it's so not necessary to stay onsite at DL! There are numerous motels/hotels within walking distance of the DL front gate- heck some of the closest are closer than the Disney hotels!

Also, make sure to take tax into consideration with those hotel costs. My last stay onsite tax was running about 17%. (Although there is no tax on DL tickets, so that's nice.)

 

[WonkaKid]

I've traveled the world -- 30 countries so far -- and have always done it cheaply. A few things I can suggest to make a DL trip more affordable:

• Use Airbnb to book a place walking distance from the park. Such places are far less expensive than a hotel and you won’t need to rent a car. I’ve seen places mere blocks from the park for approx.. $45 a night. You may need a bigger place, obv.

• Check airfares regularly. They often change daily and I’ve saved hundreds by simply watching and waiting.

• Pack your own lunch so at least you’ll avoid buying one or more meal(s) in the park. Likewise for snacks. Certainly one or two park treats should be in your budget. They’re pricey, as you know, so be strict .

• In a similar vein, make good use of the free water in large cups at places like Pizza Port and Rancho del Zocalo. Soda’s bad for you anyway – body and pocketbook ;-).

Hope these help and hope you all have a great time!

 

[Xenorye]

Use Airbnb to book a place walking distance from the park. Such places are far less expensive than a hotel and you won’t need to rent a car. I’ve seen places mere blocks from the park for approx.. $45 a night. You may need a bigger place, obv.

I don't want to veer too far off-topic, but I think I read somewhere that Airbnb in Orange County was about to end, or be so regulatory that they don't continue supporting it much, or something along those lines.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Everything is more expensive in California because the minimum wage is higher, the payroll taxes are higher and insurance is generally higher. So, any business that employs people has to pay a lot more than they would in another state like Florida. Therefore, they have to charge more.

Aside from the airfare and park tickets, you could an economy stay. I don't know if Alaska Airlines goes to your airport, but if it does, you can get their credit card which will give you a companion ticket every year for around $120. - that would be the cost for one person's round trip ticket. You may find better overall deals with other airlines, just keep shopping.

There are less expensive places to stay near Disneyland in the outlying areas such as Garden Grove. Some will include a free hot breakfast. They will be about a mile or 2 from the parks, so you may want to consider cost of transportation with those. Stay in a place that has a kitchen and prepare your own meals as much as possible. I agree with WonkaKid to just drink the free water. Sugary drinks are unhealthy and they won't help anyone make it through long days of crowded parks.

 

[VandVsmama]

If your goal is <$3000 for airfare, tickets, hotel, AND other travel expenses (like food, souvenirs, & airport transfers), then <$3000 is going to be pretty hard. We live in AZ, so we drive to DL and including all of the costs of the trip (including gas for the car), a 3-4 night trip is usually about $3000. Here's my breakdown of costs for a 3-day trip we're planning for next year's Food & Wine Festival:

• gas $150
• hotel - $589 (assuming $99/night at Desert Inn & Suites, staying for 4 nights)
• tickets - $1248 (3 adult tickets, 1 child ticket; 3-day park hoppers)
• souvenirs - $200 ($50/person)
• food - $800 (includes money for the travel days)
• TOTAL = $2987

The above assumes:
1. We bring in snacks each day so we have 1 "bring your own" snack per person per day. Food budget includes buying 1 snack per person per day in the parks.
2. We don't drink soda & instead drink the free CS water & use water bottles.
3. We either stay at a hotel with free breakfast or we eat cheap breakfast in the room using the hotel room's fridge & coffee maker (for hot water for oatmeal).

 

[Jedi Mouse]

It looks like round trip airfare can be had for around $325/person (I checked midweek flights in Sept), so that's $1000.
Three day tickets for three is $810 ($945 for hoppers) and a budget hotel within walking distance to avoid parking and rental fees can be had for $100/night midweek.

So hotel, airfare and park admission, plus some incidentals like a taxi/Uber to and from the airport on both ends should set you back less than $2,500. That leaves food and souvenirs.
It's doable, especially if you are flexible and plan ahead to get the best deals.

 

[GatorChris]

I feel your pain, but from the opposite end. We're truly WDW lovers at heart. But it costs the 5 of us over $2K just to get there. Plus only a few of the moderate hotels have room for 5, and those rooms never ever end up on the free dining plan. So we've been doing DL since 2013. It takes less than $100 in gas to get there, so that makes it more economical.

But DL never offers any kind of free dining plan. That's because they only have 3 hotels that are outrageously priced, but somehow still stay full. At WDW, they have a ton of hotels, so they offer free dining to help fill them up. We usually stay across the street at HoJo or some other hotel and pay in $150-200 range at DL. That's a bit cheaper than a Disney Moderate, but you lose all that savings when you pay full price for food. There are no great discounts at DL. Really wish there were, but then the place would be even more crowded than it already is.

 

[Helene_C]

I booked Alaska Air nonstops from DC airports (leaving from BWI, returning to DCA, prices were similar for the two) in August for $330 per person. (Booked this about four days ago.) We've got the HoJo booked for four nights, totaling $750 with taxes. If you can get similar flights, and buy tickets through LMTclub (I bought before the last price increase, but right now 1 adult + 2 kids for 3 days is $710), I think you can do it if you don't overspend on food. You can go cheaper than the HoJo, and/or travel at a cheaper season than August, so I think it's doable. Hunt for cheap airfare dates - that's the make or break part.
(I should have added LAX transportation to my numbers - we're thinking about the Disneyland express bus, which will be $84 RT for one adult and two kids.)

 

[GlitteryOtters]

I don't have the experience traveling with kids, but I do many solo or me plus 1 family member Disneyland trips, flying in from the Detroit area, and I do all of them on a budget, so I'll throw out my tips in case any of them can help you.

1) If your kids would be OK with the longer drive from the airport, check out the flight prices in/out of LAX in addition to Orange County airport. Flying into SNA from Detroit is often nearly double the cost of flying into LAX, and the ground transportation costs from LAX aren't too bad. I use Supershuttle & usually search around for a discount code online & end up, after discount, paying close to the same price as a non-discounted Supershuttle transportation from Orange County airport.

2) Definitely stay off site and look around for good discounts (coupon codes with travel companies like Expedia, free hotel nights stay with hotels.com, or use discounters like lmtclub.com). And watch for deals or price dips. My husband & I are going in August for a week, staying at our favorite budget independent motel nearby & walking into the park. Total hotel cost is less than $570 for a week including tax because I watched the price like a hawk & cashed in one free hotel night's stay I had earned with hotels.com on my last trip to Disneyland.

3) Bring your own food or order it sent to your hotel via Amazon prime or Vons delivery (are they still offering your first delivery free? If so, that makes it even cheaper). Haven't used either of these, but have friends who have done so & been very happy. I usually plan one counter service meal & 1 snack in the parks each full day in the park & pack the rest of my food. I routinely fly in with my suitcase half full of sandwich rounds, nut butter packets, oatmeal packets, disposable bowls & cutlery, instant soup cups, trail mix, snacks, even fruit & always stay at a hotel with a fridge & microwave.

4) If souvenirs/gifts are a part of your park visit, shop locally for Disney merch or t-shirts, whatever & bring them with you & present them to the kids when you arrive. The best Disney shirt I own, the one I get all the compliments & "where did you get that?!" comments while in park actually was bought for $11 on clearance at Kohls! I usually budget a small amount for a trinket or two within the parks and do not even look in any of the more expensive shops/more expensive sections of the shops.

5) Tickets--don't pay full price, definitely look into getting them via lmtclub.com as that will save you a lot. I have an AP, but my husband is buying a 4 day pass for our trip this summer & we found they were definitely the cheapest.


Good luck, I hope you can figure out a travel plan that fits within your budget!

~Meg

 

[agamble]

It sounds like a lot of people have given you possible scenarios for airfare, hotels, and tickets that show it is doable. Tickets and airfare are pretty non negotiable. They're going to be what they are. You can save on hotels by looking around and booking early. For a family of 4 you should be able to get a hotel for around $100 per night, especially during school season. Get one with a free breakfast. The best area to save in is food. You might be limited in what you can bring with you, but you may be able to pick up some snacks to take with you from a local stop. Certain companies will give you a stop on the way from the airport to the hotel and that would allow you to pick up some food. We generally eat breakfast in our hotel and bring snacks to tide us over. If we eat lunch at the parks we might share food and/or bring food in for the kids. We eat quick service food as it's in the $10-$15 per adult range. Quick service options are decent at DLR and a lot of places have large portions that make sharing easy.

 

[GenGen22]

My suggestion is definitely shop around to get the best deals on everything. I feel your pain to take my family of 5 to WDW would cost us quite a but as well. My suggestions are shop for flights about 6 months out and try to get the cheapest flight you can get. Try to book w/Southwest if you can to get free baggage so, you don't have to pay for that. Book an offsite hotel that offers free breakfast so, that is one meal you don't have to pay for. When we travel all together we tend to eat offsite as it's usually cheaper than eating in the parks. I would look at websites like mousesavers.com to get ideas on how to save on meals here. We buy gift cards from Costco and sign up for their restaurant clubs like they have on Mousesavers as it gets expensive when paying for a whole family. I would look at getawaytoday.com for hotel deals as they have 3rd & 4th night free deals. I would not book a package as it is cheaper to pay for everything separate. Also if you have a rewards program with your credit card company you may be able to get Disney gift cards or restaurant gift cards etc. I would research on here for more savings options. If theres a will theres a way.

 

[Mama Bear Me2]

I don't want to veer too far off-topic, but I think I read somewhere that Airbnb in Orange County was about to end, or be so regulatory that they don't continue supporting it much, or something along those lines.

YES ... short term rentals (eg. AirBnb) are regulated and being "phased out". I "think" a complete ban will occur on Feb. 11, 2018.

CAUTION: if you go this route, ensure that the renter is "licensed" (ie. has a legal permit from the city to operate as a short term rental). I've read online that some renters had their utilities, water "cut off" during their stay because the short term rental was operating illegally "without" a permit. As well, I've also heard that renters should be careful renting if the dates booked are later in the year (ie. booking months in advance) ... since a complete ban occurs Feb. 11, 2018 some owners may actually "sell" their unit prior to the complete ban date ... wouldn't want to have sudden cancellations by owner for your booked nights!

Hope this helps!

 

[todzwife]

There's not a whole lot you can do about the price of tickets, but staying a little further from the parks can save some money. We're staying at Anaheim Lodge for $66/night. We're factoring in $20/day for parking and it was still cheaper than staying closer. It's clean, but bare bones.
Bringing food in saves a TON. I've got 4 kids, we spent $500 on food the whole week we were there by bringing in our lunches and only eating dinner in the park. We also brought breakfast foods. You can do grocery shopping when you get there or there may be some options for delivery...I'm not sure. When budgeting, the food was the biggest expense that we could actually lower.
Our trip expenses for the week:
Tickets $1980 (4 adult 2 kid, 4 day park hoppers)
Hotel $852 (Desert Inn and Suites- booked 10 months in advance)
Food $500
Other $200
Kids each had $25 to spend however they wanted.
Gas to get there because we drove from AZ. $200

 

[tzeitel]

We just went this past Oct, 2 adults, 1 teenager, 5 nights. Not really budget since we have done it for less but this could (maybe) give you an idea. Can't help on airfare since we flew from CO. We got 5 day hoppers from lmtclub (best prices by far) $845.91, and we also got the hotel from lmtclub (we usually book directly with the hotel but this was sort of last minute and my go-to places were booked) $583.20 (BW Stovall's). We rented a car from Dollar $126.02.

Food total was $726.85, which included -
ESPN, Carnation Cafe, Outback, Red Robin, Cafe Orleans, Rainforest Cafe, and Trader Sam's. We also went to cs - EoS, Ralph Brennan's, and Flo's. We did snacks - Dole Whip, ice cream at Gibson Girl, churros, donut, sodas. I got 3 travel mugs with drinks, poison apple cup with the ice cream (you know all those little extra souvenirs)

For souvenirs we spent $296.52, and that included 6 mugs at Trader Sam's. We got DD Mickey ears, I got a shirt, DH got a hat, plus a couple of little things.

That total is $2,578.50 - our flights were $528 so that brings it $3106.60 for 5 (not very budget) days.

This May we are going for 5 days again. We upgraded our passes on our Oct trip so we dont have to worry about tickets. The hotel I booked in June (yeah I plan way ahead, but the earlier the better the rate ) $643.60 @ Desert Inn and Suites. We will not have a car this time so DH and I will sign up for Uber before we leave - you get a $20 credit for your first ride so that will cover the transportation to/from airport. We are doing the MSEP dinner package at BB ($198) and the WoC dessert party ($237) - we are going for my birthday so we are doing special things we would not normally do. The only other TS we have booked (not really necessary but I like to have a basic plan) is River Belle Terrace. The rest of the meals will be cs which run around $40-45.

I do a lot of reward sites, from these I get Walmart cards, Starbucks, Southwest or Paypal - the WM cards can be used to buy Disney cards. Starbucks has milk, sodas, Mickey cookies. Our flights were paid with SW gift cards - just the other day our flights went down in price and now we have a credit

We also sign up for every email/reward program - we have Mimi's, Red Robin, Landry's (RFC), Outback, Jamba Juice. And I buy discounted gift cards - check out giftcardgranny which shows where to buy cards and who has the best deals.

 

[MommyLove]

A great budget hotel option is the Howard Johnson in Fullerton. They have a free shuttle to/from Disneyland, parking is free, and they have an AMAZING buffet breakfast in a huge dining room free every morning. We stayed there last month for a night and after experiencing it, we'll do it again. It's a bit run down, but it was clean. A solid budget option in our opinion.

 

[darnheather]

Thanks so much everyone. I found that booking Paradise Pier for four nights, three days of park hoppers, airfare, and transportation through the Disney website was running about $3000. I don't think that's horrible, but seems high for the amount of time and doesn't include any food or souvenirs. I'm glad to hear that people are paid a higher wage in the area. I'll play some more with off site hotels but in general have found that so far the package deal is better.

This is a bucket list item for me and them as we've been to three other Disney parks and one cruise. They want to go on another cruise this year and I have one booked but I really want to see Disneyland.

 

[todzwife]

Thanks so much everyone. I found that booking Paradise Pier for four nights, three days of park hoppers, airfare, and transportation through the Disney website was running about $3000. I don't think that's horrible, but seems high for the amount of time and doesn't include any food or souvenirs. I'm glad to hear that people are paid a higher wage in the area. I'll play some more with off site hotels but in general have found that so far the package deal is better.

This is a bucket list item for me and them as we've been to three other Disney parks and one cruise. They want to go on another cruise this year and I have one booked but I really want to see Disneyland.

Unfortunately the Disneyland hotels are REALLY expensive. Staying off site will save you a LOT of money.

 

[Xenorye]

Unfortunately the Disneyland hotels are REALLY expensive. Staying off site will save you a LOT of money.

True indeed. However, OP, if you're going bucket list, and staying onsite is part of that, you're not getting out any cheaper. There is talk of building a fourth hotel, but I believe the plans are to go deluxe again.