Please HELP!!!

[hugabearjo]

My love is Disneyland, and I want to plan a trip to my favorite place with the beaches near and all. However, I really have to budget this trip well.

So here is my question and problem. WDW seems to offer all kinds of specials, from upgraded tickets to even FREE dining packages. But, I rarely if ever see specials for DLR. I priced individually and rooms are more expensive in Calif. Car rental more expensive, etc. The only thing cheaper is tickets, and even then not by much.

I know that there are probably specials out there please help me find them so I am not tempted to go to WDW again. We enjoy WDW but, really want to go to our first love.

Thanks for your help.

 

[junglejoy]

How funny! That's been the opposite experience for us. DL is always much more inexpensive for us. I think the hotels are a better deal because there are so many hotels within walking distance of DL that aren't Disney hotels, and so you can get quite a great deal.

I would check with getawaytoday.com and costco.com for packages. We usually can get the best deal doing our own thing, but they have very good prices and great service!

If you're truly looking for a bargain there is always motel 6. It's fairly nice for a motel 6, but not within walking distance so you'd have to take the ART shuttle or pay for parking.

We personally like howardjohnsonanaheim.com. You can usually get an entertainment rate of $54 a night if you call the hotel directly. Reserve your room first at the regular rate and then about six weeks before your trip call the hotel (not 800 number) and you can usually get the better rate.

Right now the parkhoppers are a great deal! You can get the adults at kids prices. This is through April, I think.

 

[teacups]

Where are you located? I am in Idaho, which of course is much closer to DL than WDW, but know folks here (Idaho) who never go to DL becasue WDW is so much cheaper. I know the kids fly free deal is on from SOME airports, the all play kids price, and some hotels have stay so-many nights get one free. Thats about all Ive ever heard of, so that all seemed like reason for us to plan a trip in April. Can you tell us your $ budget, days, how many in your family, transportation plan... that kind of thing? Someone here will surely jump on board with details for you. (One thing we are planning differently this trip is that we are staying offsite rather than DLH. That will end up saving about a thousand $ over last year. It was fun once, but not needed for that price difference.) Good luck!

 

[hugabearjo]

Thanks for the quick response. I live in Oregon. I can't take advantage of the kids fly free because mine are too old I think but, more then that I have $$$ in credit on southwest that I need to use.

The first trip I was planning I found DLR to be much cheaper but, hotel prices have gone up drastically since then. I have always stayed off site at both DLR and WDW, I stay at the Hampton Inn, and we had been able to get the room for between $75-$85, the lowest I could find today is well over $100.

I am plugging numbers and plugging numbers... I guess it upsets me that Disneyland is treated like the step child it is all about WDW. Don't get me wrong, we had a good time at both but, California gets the tail end of everything including discount codes it seems.

Thanks, I really want to come to Calif. I will keep working on it.

 

[challada]

I agree w/the feel of "stepchild" for CA, but it's still our preferred park too. I've also noticed that it's about the same price for us to fly across the country to FL as it is to go to CA.

Use your SWA credits for flights...they are cheapest by far for airlines and you can fly into LAX for a cheaper flight than Orange County.

Watch for offsite hotel specials. I think you can get offsite cheaper than any Disney hotel ever. If you have AAA, get one of their agents on top of it for you and they will let you know as soon as a special is released.

For food, I would suggest the cheapy way we do it: book a hotel w/breakfast (freebie), pack snacks (cheapie) and eat ONE good meal (usually in the park...that's the only food expense for the day).

Sign up for Alamo car rental's "club" and you will get emails of cheap rates.

 

[Amy&Dan]

My experience is that WDW is usually cheaper overall. I live in Denver, so airfare usually runs even. WDW offers very good deals for onsite rooms, my all time best deal was $49 per night at Pop Century two years ago this month. Thats even hard to find at some of the motels offsite at DL. And of course that Free Dining is an incredible deal. Food in general is also cheaper at WDW because you aren't paying southern cal prices! Off season, however you can get some good deals at Disneyland. In September of 05, we were able to get the "stay four nights, get one night free" at the Paradise Pier. Our nightly room rate averaged to $109 a night, not a bad deal. They run that "stay four nights" most every year in the offseasons. Also, they frequently have the "everybody plays for the kids price" deal where everyone pays the under 10 price on their park tickets. Another good thing is that if one person in your party gets a Deluxe Annual pass, the whole family can take advantage of discounts on food (10% at most counter service and table service places) which add up. And again, you only need one AP. WDW doesn't offer those type of AP discounts on food purchases. However, AP discounts on rooms at the DLR are hard to come by, unlike WDW where they offer such great AP code rates for their onsite rooms.

In the end you just have to research and hopefully be able to travel off season to get the good deals. But it can be done. Also, check Expedia I have gotten some great last minute deals (again, always off season) for good neighbor motels, tickets and airfare.

As far as Disneyland being the stepchild, I do sometimes feel that too in that WDW seems to get the most mention in advertising. But in all when it comes to pricing, its about supply and demand. Disneyland fills their parks with locals and Disneyland is not seen as a destination in itself for most people, unlike WDW. WDW owns the land around it, owns the hotels, has its own airport shuttle service and they have vast amount of control over their pricing. And people come from all over the world just to go there and stay only there. Disneyland is just so different in its makeup, its no wonder its deals are different and harder to come by. Good luck I hope you get it all worked out in a way thats financially feasible!