Please help poor college student plan

[colaz]

Hello, I posted on here yesterday asking for help with airports...I think I have that figured out with a fairly decent price. Now I need help with a hotel and the tickets!

I've never been to Disneyland, and neither has my friend that might be going (if we can keep this cheap, we can afford it). I've spent a long time looking through the tips.


First question 1. Is three days long enough for Disneyland and CA Adventure? I am not sure if we can afford much more, but right now the tickets I found start on May 1nd and we fly out on the 5th ( First and lastnight not in park...get in late and leave early). Is there a better way to do this (stay at a different hotel for those two nights)?

Hotel 2. Is it cheapest to buy through the disney website (and do the neighbor magic package thing...you know what I mean) and get the 3 day parker hopper package, or would it be cheaper to buy the plane ticket/hotel through expedia or travelocity? Can you still get the neighbor package if you don't go through the website? Right now we are looking at the Ramada Inn, because the cheaper one (Jolly something) is booked for when we want to go.

Transportation 3. I looked through mousesavers, and right now I think paying the $20 or $30 bus pass will be cheaper (there and from the resort). Does the magic neighbor package provide transportation? Or do we need to buy it through the hotel? I didn't quite understand that? Would it end up being cheaper renting a car (and can I, I'm only 22)? I have no idea how expensive that would be.

Pluss...4. Any other information you can give me to save money would be wonderful! Is it cheaper to buy through the hotel or through disneyland? Tips on food (I read what mousesavers had to say). ANYTHING would be appreciated!

Thanks so much!

 

[brenda1966]

Personally, I would not book a package deal through Disneyland unless I was certain I was getting a deal. From everything I've read, you don't get rock bottom prices when booking Disney packages. If you price it out separately on your own, you'll get a better price.

I'd look at hotels on harbor, right across the street. There's a map on the web site somewhere about which ones are right across the street. This way you won't have to pay for ART, you'll just need supershuttle to get to your hotel. Also there's a McDonalds there for cheap meals. I'd look up the hotels online and see what the rates are, also call them directly -- not their 1-800 number, but directly to that motel and see what the rates are. I've found that expedia or orbitz doesn't always have the lowest rate, that booking directly on the phone with them or through their web has been a tad cheaper.

Passes are cheaper bought beforehand. I just buy from the Disney web site because you don't have to pay shipping. The additional 4th and 5th day on a hopper are significantly cheaper. You really pay for those first 3 days. But I guess it depends on how many nights you can afford to stay.

I'm going in July and will do a 4 day hopper even though I'm just there for 3 nights. First day we'll do a 1/2 day in the park, then two full days, and then a 1/2 day on our last day (we don't fly out until 6pm). The extra day on the hopper is just worth it to me to spend more time in DL.

Good luck! Booking and coordintating it all is a lot of work.

 

[brenda1966]

to add about renting a car. If you're just going to DL, forget the car. Since you're under 25 you will have a hard time finding a rental place that will even rent to you and you will pay dearly as they will charge you extra due to your age.

 

[tgm105]

I don't know about hotels and transportation, but I would say that three days should be enough to see both parks. (I would split it two days to one in favor of Disneyland.) Also, and don't hold me to this, but I believe that if you eat at the places in Downtown Disney, rather than at the parks, you can get AAA discounts.

Hope that helped.