DL on a BUDGET!

[lk2500]

depending on where you live i second checking out jetblue to long beach (LGB).

recently saw some seats in august through october this year go on sale $44 each way ($110 w/tax roundtrip) from portland. pretty sick price.

How did you see those rates for Jet Blue? Do you just subscribe to their Twitter feed or email list or what?

 

[SplashMo]

Bring a case or two of water with you in the car. (Or buy on the way). bring a bottle for each person into the park each day. Ice Water is free in the parks. Also bring a snack. These also give you more touring time as you do not need to wait in line for water...

 

[Amy5869]

Super excited about the MIMI's Cafe tip! Thanks! Just by signing up to there E-club I got a coupon for a free breakfast when you buy one! I will say that it expires though so don't sign up maybe until right before you go? Depends on how good their other coupons are but with a family of 3 small ones, that just saved me $10 and their breakfast's are huge so we will be able to share.

Also, McDonald's is right there on the walk into the gate and we usually do that for breakfast if we don't cereal/pop tarts in the room. We stay at the Fairfield and they have a Pizza Hut inside and we do a pizza deal using their coupons one night and that saves us $ too!

I agree the Monte Cristo and Pomme Frittes are AWESOME and HUGE. A great way to share a meal.

 

[smiles33]

PP already listed some great tips re: buying souvenirs ahead of time (we didn't buy any inside the parks because I stocked up on a Disney.com website clearance sale beforehand) and food (highlight some signature items, like Dole Whip, but pack breakfasts/snacks to save money).

The one thing I didn't see mentioned that may not always be offered is to look into the Disney VISA incentives to open a new account. We got an offer for a $200 Disney gift card if we signed up for the Disney VISA. That paid for one adult's 3 day park hopper! There's no annual fee and we also earn cashback all year (we pay off the credit card balance in full so we don't pay any interest)!

 

[KateDrake]

I think you can do Disney on a budget and still have a great trip! Here are some of my favorite tips I've discovered over the years:
Our biggest money saver is where we stay. When we're on a budget we usually book the Anaheim Del Sol through Get Away Today. It's certainly not luxurious, but I can usually get it for $85 a night, and often they have fourth night free deals. It's about 7 minutes from the park entrances, so super easy to walk. They have a free breakfast, which isn't great, but we usually eat a piece of toast or some cereal and then supplement with what we've brought with us. So give that a try if you can't do the HoJo Entertainment rate (which is by far the best deal I've ever heard of!)
If you are driving, taking a cooler and a bunch of snacks is a great plan! I usually just bring some snacks like apple sauce, fruit leather, string cheese, crackers, etc. for my DD3, but I know some people manage to do entire meals! I always take a good stock of these into the park in my Camelback water bladder thing. That keeps the perishables cold, but also keeps me from buying as many drinks in the park. Instead of grabbing a Coke or a bottled water from a stand, I've already got a drink on hand.
One other area that has saved us big bucks is that I refuse to buy kids meals in the park. My DD3 never ends up eating even half of her meal, and then is always asking for a snack later. So my suggestion is to bring along some boxed drinks for your children (chocolate milk, juice, whatever other "special" drink they would get in a Disney kids meal) and then just have them share your food. Portions at Disney are hearty, and we've found that two adult meals is still often too much food for all of us. We'll often just share a single entree and then supplement with Dole whips and Mickey pretzels
Purchasing souvenirs in advance is also a great idea! The Disney store online seems to always be running some type of promotion, and I think right now is their bi-annual sale. So give that a try, it's much cheaper!

 

[krispin41]

I also like to buy Disney gift cards when I have some extra cash around, also, I received some as gifts for my birthday.

 

[Bungle]

You can obviously save a lot of money by shopping around for hotels, using coupons at local restaurants, but what saved us a lot of money was the envelopes. As soon as we set a date we make our spending envelopes and each week a little money goes in it. What is in there when we go is what we spend. The kids really enjoyed having their own money too.

Another thing is eating meals instead of a lot of snacks. We found that snacks, especially in the park, can be pretty expensive when it would only be a bit more to actually have a filling meal.

Take a trip to target and buy a case of water, some fruit snacks, and just general necessities that will cut down on spending.

Even on a budget (we have done MANY budget trips) you can have an amazing time.

 

[Gina]

If you are flying, you can order groceries from Vons.com, and have it delivered to your hotel. We got water, soda, milk (in shelf-stable boxes), juice boxes, string cheese, pre-sliced apples and some other snacks. It was easy to put those in our soft-sided cooler and take them into the park for snacks throughout the day. If you need them, you could also have diapers and wipes delivered, and then you wouldn't have to worry about carrying them on the plane. Delivery is free with your first order. I found it to be a little more expensive than the grocery store here at home--but much cheaper than in the park or at 7-11.

Thank you!! I seriously had not thought of this at all. Trying to budget for food on an extremely budgeted trip, when you're used to free dining at WDW, has been a challenge for this DLR noob. Especially since DS & I are the types who like to be at that park gate bright and early, and usually just grab a muffin and coffee/chocolate milk in the food court on the way out to the parks in the mornings. We can eat regular breakfast at home - no time for that when Disney awaits! Lol.

Quick question on the Vons thing: Would it be better to place an order for non-perishables to have it waiting for us, and then hit up some little store for things like milk?

 

[JadeDarkstar]

quality inn near hojos (just about as far as hojos is. had rooms for 69 a night and free breakfast sounds good wal-fuls and other stuff hot.

also free water and Ice in parks saves a lot. one 16oz pepsi filled three med glass of free ice for us. we do this in stead buying drinks.
I only buy the suv- glasses if i buy drink.

also in the baby center they have cold water for any one to fill water bottles up. Its also a nice cool place

In Oct im gona try to have (three Bottles of water for each of us not plastic if can get one that will last- mettle or some thing maybe)

I get pizza the first day and it last for snacks all week.
I will be taking a cooler backpack in this time. with drinks for us and crackers and cheese and string cheese and jerky sticks for snacks. We plan one meal a day in park the rest is cheap mc d's or snacks

don't forget to split. we learned this in may we could have split the burger at village hus and we will next time.

we love the golden horse shoe or stage door cafe. it worked last time for us. we get my son the kids meal here because i get moz sticks and split it with him and take two chicken from him. my dh loves the fish and chips.

i budget what my son and me and dh can buy at the park and we dont go over it. of course i do have an extra 10 this time for each of us at the party so if we have to have a bag or pin at the Halloween party it wont come out the other money we have.

My son knows what he has to spend and i let him chose what he wants. He knows if he see's something first day make a choice to get now or wait till last day . He picks to wait for his big gift till last day. we will get his pillow pet this time and i will get one pair glow ears for f and woc. Those are gifts already planed on being bough so don't come out his 40 he is getting this time.

I give him same amount me and dh have for our own special buys. (food and snacks don't come out his special money)

 

[JadeDarkstar]

one more tip buy disney pins from mousepinsonline get a grab bag they always work never sell fakes and it is the funnest thing in the park to do we always make sure we have some my kid , dh and me all have fun with this. we even try to get 50pins in stead 25 some times so we can trade more. my dh has all but 1 pin to a black coldren set all from trading with cms.
25pins are 40 i think and 50 are 70 but to me its well worth it

 

[chrissiecutie]

Thank you!! I seriously had not thought of this at all. Trying to budget for food on an extremely budgeted trip, when you're used to free dining at WDW, has been a challenge for this DLR noob. Especially since DS & I are the types who like to be at that park gate bright and early, and usually just grab a muffin and coffee/chocolate milk in the food court on the way out to the parks in the mornings. We can eat regular breakfast at home - no time for that when Disney awaits! Lol.

Quick question on the Vons thing: Would it be better to place an order for non-perishables to have it waiting for us, and then hit up some little store for things like milk?

I've ordered milk & other perishable items. The key here is to schedule your grocery delivery for AFTER you've arrived at the hotel. When you do the online order, at the very end, there's a list of different times to have your order delivered. So just select a time well after you've arrived. Typically we arrive at the HoJo's about 3pm. So I choose the 5-7pm time slot. Make sense?

And don't forget to look for those FREE delivery deals! I paid nothing to have my order delivered to the HoJo. The delivery guy even brought it up to my room- sweet!

 

[chrissiecutie]

You can book it now. You need the card at check in.

You can get the cards with Entertainment books sold for your area or any other. Also on Ebay usually for a couple bucks. The problem is you will need a 2013 card, which won't be available for 5 months.

Yes! Here's what I do...make your HoJo reservation with in house res ASAP. Seriously- rooms at this rate go fast!

Then about a month or 2 out from my trip, I buy the ET card off ebay. I just bought one for our upcoming trip in Oct, cost me $1.49 and that included shipping. The card is BRAND NEW and I can activate it online on the ET website to get access to even more coupons.

Pay careful attention to the expiration date and if you have any doubts, just ask the ebay seller when the card expires. I would guess that by Oct, you should be able to buy 2013 card on ebay.

The HoJo does NOT ask for your ET card # or anything when you make the reservation. You only have to show it to them when you check in, they don't even make a copy or write down the #. Which IMO, they should at least make a copy and attach to your res but that's just my prior hotel management voice talking.

And to the other poster in regards to the MiMi's coupons....yes, wait until about 1-2 weeks prior before signing up. Otherwise, you won't be able to use it in time. And you can use more then 1 email to can more then 1 coupon!

 

[cp11]

OP- HoJo's currently has lots of dates avail at the ET/Retro Rate of $59/night for Jan & Feb http://www.boards.hojoanaheim.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14. When planning on a budget, I always start here! You just CAN'T beat $59/night for a clean, comfy hotel within walking distance! Call in house res asap so that you can get this rate- they sell out quick!

Are you driving or flying? Jet Blue currently has flights for $89/one way flying into Long Beach. Well...coming from my area anyways. If driving, take advantage of being able to pack your own meals and depending on how long of a drive, try to drive straight through- thus saving you hotel costs.

When we drive, I always make & freeze some meals ahead of time. Think homemade mac & cheese or chili- both reheat in the micro very easy and are filling crowd pleasers! I also bake some muffins (Costco sized!) and freeze those for breakfasts in the park.

Try getting the "gas buddy" app for your phone, so that way you can always find the cheapest gas while on the road.

You can sign up for restaurant coupons before you go- I recommend 2 weeks prior as most coupons will expire within 2 weeks of signing up. I know that MiMi's which is right next door to the HoJo's has coupons for FREE entrees all the time. Just go to their website and sign up!

Getawaytoday also offers coupons for the Anaheim area and you can always try the SoCal state tourist websites for additional coupons.

And if you're visiting any other theme parks or doing anything else while in SoCal, try buying tickets ahead of time to save money. For example we are going to a few museums in San Diego. By simply buying them online prior to our trip, I can save $5-10. It's not much, but every little bit helps!

My budget is $2500 for 2 adults/1child for 10-14 days. This includes ALL meals, hotels, gas, activites/tix, souveniers, etc. And most times I am able to stay within my budget. I would LOVE to be able to double that and spend $5K but if we want to go every year or so....this is just the way we have to do it. And personally, I would much rather go yearly and do it on a budget then have to wait every few years!

Good luck! You can do it!!

I love your tips. We are from Washington also and have a trip planned for next summer. I was just debating on the cost of driving or or flying because of the cost of gas. I can't believe your budget for 10-14 days. Now, if only I could convince the hubby and kids on driving . . . .

 

[chrissiecutie]

I love your tips. We are from Washington also and have a trip planned for next summer. I was just debating on the cost of driving or or flying because of the cost of gas. I can't believe your budget for 10-14 days. Now, if only I could convince the hubby and kids on driving . . . .

Thx!

I have to admit that we do stay with family for about 2-3 days, so I have no out of pocket expenses during those couple days.

For us, I always price flying vs. driving and we do whatever is cheapest. If price is about the same, we always choose to drive. When we drive, we can extend our vacay by a few days and play tourist on the drive. So flying is usually a 7-10 vacation while driving is a 10-14 days. This trip, we are driving and spending 14 days & my budget is $2500. Right now, I'm about $100 over budget but that's only because I wasn't able to get the HoJo Retro Rate. If I'm lucky & the Retro Rate opens up, then I will cut about $300 off, just with this alone!

PM me if you need help or have questions! I ALWAYS have to convince DH to go and crazy man that he is, he thinks $2500 is TOO MUCH for a 14 day vacay! And this is why I plan our vacations....if he only knew!

And I highly recommend getting the Gas Buddy app (if you have a smartphone) because it will tell you the cheapest gas near wherever you are! So this is just good to know even when you're at home & not on vacay! Based on current gas prices & milage & factoring in our car & it's MPG- it will cost us only $125 each way for gas. And with gas prices expected to continue to dip down a little, I figure I can come in under this by the time we leave for our trip....but of course I overbudgeted for this, just in case.

 

[Started With a Mouse]

I've ordered milk & other perishable items. The key here is to schedule your grocery delivery for AFTER you've arrived at the hotel. When you do the online order, at the very end, there's a list of different times to have your order delivered. So just select a time well after you've arrived. Typically we arrive at the HoJo's about 3pm. So I choose the 5-7pm time slot. Make sense?

And don't forget to look for those FREE delivery deals! I paid nothing to have my order delivered to the HoJo. The delivery guy even brought it up to my room- sweet!

Although I've never done this on a trip, highly recommend the Vons delivery service. Just make sure if you are getting milk, other perishable products (or even your diapers), to check the 'substitute item okay' box, then maybe a little note (other brand 2% milk okay, or other brand of #3 diapers okay, etc.). Vons is awesome, their delivery drivers are top notch.

 

[whoopsiedoodle]

OMG I DID IT!!!! I booked the kids suite at HOJO's for the end of Feb!!!! I can't believe we are actually going!!! THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR ADVICE!!!!

 

[smiles33]

OMG I DID IT!!!! I booked the kids suite at HOJO's for the end of Feb!!!! I can't believe we are actually going!!! THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR ADVICE!!!!

WOOHOO! Have a great time! We LOOOOOVE that Kids Suite.

 

[SA mom]

Get a starwood american express card before July 31st and you can get 15,000 points and the card free for a year. You do have to spend $1,000 in total over the first three months to get the reward. That is enough points for two free nights at the Sheraton Park or the Sheraton shaped like a castle.

We started this in 2010 before a November trip to WDW. We put everything on the card, groceries, insurance, mortgage, taxes, everything. We had enough points for 5 nights at the Swan. This year it was 6 nights at the Sheraton Park on Club Level. Heavenly.

Stay 4 nights, get your 5th night free. I love free. If you are making purchases anyway and you can pay off at the end of the month, this is definitely something to think about.

 

[Gina]

I've ordered milk & other perishable items. The key here is to schedule your grocery delivery for AFTER you've arrived at the hotel. When you do the online order, at the very end, there's a list of different times to have your order delivered. So just select a time well after you've arrived. Typically we arrive at the HoJo's about 3pm. So I choose the 5-7pm time slot. Make sense?

And don't forget to look for those FREE delivery deals! I paid nothing to have my order delivered to the HoJo. The delivery guy even brought it up to my room- sweet!

Thanks!!

 

[Twinprincesses]

I slowly buy Disney gift cards throughout the year. The kids each get a couple for their souveniors and then we use them for our meals.

Also we do other things in California (Hollywood, Santa Monica etc) so I look at Groupon or Living Social and snag up good deals for restaurants.