Best way to save a ton of money at Disney

[MrsPete]

Interesting thought: An Uber is probably cheaper than the insane cost of parking. We're looking at an off-site condo for our family. Say it's a 5-mile drive to the parks -- what's an Uber likely to cost? Will an Uber have a car seat for a toddler?

As for souvenirs, we stopped buying them decades ago

 

[hsmamato2]

Interesting thought: An Uber is probably cheaper than the insane cost of parking. We're looking at an off-site condo for our family. Say it's a 5-mile drive to the parks -- what's an Uber likely to cost? Will an Uber have a car seat for a toddler?

As for souvenirs, we stopped buying them decades ago

It could be cheaper, but uber prices can surge at various times,and depending on group size, you might need a larger one(I always like Lyft bc I can schedule a ride ahead of time easily) and I don't think there's a sure way to know if they have a carseat or not (Uber with toddlers is not as easy) my past Lyft/Uber experience has been from airport-springs area,and cost was always 35-45$ all in..... (party of 3 adults)

 

[motherof5]

That’s true but WDW and Disneyland are very different vacations. I would not call the poly and Marriott comparable nor is harbor blvd comparable to the seven seas lagoon.

Well said!

 

[LiDa]

That’s true but WDW and Disneyland are very different vacations. I would not call the poly and Marriott comparable nor is harbor blvd comparable to the seven seas lagoon.

I live 90 minutes from Disneyland & never go, but I dream about getting back to WDW. They are so very different. Disneyland is a day trip for locals who pack a lunch & don't mind much not getting to see much because of the crowds because they know they'll be back. WDW is an immersive experience where you can be there for 2 solid weeks of constant stimulation & entertainment w/o ever setting foot in MK. You go to escape from life for a week, not a few hours.

Of course, I'm not judging those who go to Disneyland & love it, esp if it is their Disney Fix. But it's not the same thing.

 

[DCLMP]

I live 90 minutes from Disneyland & never go, but I dream about getting back to WDW. They are so very different. Disneyland is a day trip for locals who pack a lunch & don't mind much not getting to see much because of the crowds because they know they'll be back. WDW is an immersive experience where you can be there for 2 solid weeks of constant stimulation & entertainment w/o ever setting foot in MK. You go to escape from life for a week, not a few hours.

Of course, I'm not judging those who go to Disneyland & love it, esp if it is their Disney Fix. But it's not the same thing.

I get it. I'm a 5 hour drive from Disneyland and have been 3 times in the last 12 years. I've been to Florida probably a dozen times. I grew up 20 minutes from Disneyland and went every year as a kid. It was a big deal to go once a year. There was no such thing as annual passes. My parents would have never wanted to go more than once a year anyway. We were upper middle class and they liked to do other vacations like snow skiing. Snow skiing was my parents thing.


The first time we went to WDW I was so impressed by the immersive experience. That was in 2009 and we weren't glued to our smart phones....I mean blackberries and flip phones. The immersive experience is still semi there, but technology has changed it.

 

[LiDa]

I get it. I'm a 5 hour drive from Disneyland and have been 3 times in the last 12 years. I've been to Florida probably a dozen times. I grew up 20 minutes from Disneyland and went every year as a kid. It was a big deal to go once a year. There was no such thing as annual passes. My parents would have never wanted to go more than once a year anyway. We were upper middle class and they liked to do other vacations like snow skiing. Snow skiing was my parents thing.


The first time we went to WDW I was so impressed by the immersive experience. That was in 2009 and we weren't glued to our smart phones....I mean blackberries and flip phones. The immersive experience is still semi there, but technology has changed it.

I find your POV refreshing! There are so many people I meet in SoCal who say something to the effect of, "Why would I go to WDW when we have the original?" Well, because it's just different. My friend & I once tried to list things you can do at WDW that don't involve the theme parks. It was a LONG list!

Having said all of this, I am still waiting for the post-COVID era when I feel comfortable in the canned-sardine-like crowds at Disneyland so I can go back with confidence & see what it's like now. WDW first, though.