Questions about $$$$

[Mugglemama]

Where is El Pollo Loco? We are staying at the Tropicana is it on that side of Disney or another side?

to be honest, i don't know where the tropicana is, sorry! but, the el pollo loco that we go to is at 969 S. Euclid. this is how we get there...

we exit the mickey and friends parking structure to ball rd. at the ball rd. intersection, we turn left onto ball rd. drive straight on ball rd. for a few miles, you will pass a few streetlights, but the first REALLY BIG, MAJOR intersection you will come to is Euclid. we go ahead and cross euclid at the intersection, continuing straight. once you get across euclid (while still on ball rd.), you will find yourself driving right past el pollo loco on the right (it's on that corner). you will notice immediately that there is a driveway for you to pull into the parking lot of that shopping center, so, just turn right and then follow the signs to the el pollo loco drive thru!

if you want to make things really easy on yourself, type in 969 south Euclid on Google Earth, and you will see the exact route to take from DLR to get there.



also, as far as souvenirs go, you can find tons of stuff at your local disney store (do you have one anywhere near you?) they are having huge clearance sales right now. we always get our disney character shirts and plush disney character dolls there, for like $5 each!! good quality, too. it's a good place to find disney pens, etc.

 

[nottellin']

OMG! You guys are AWESOME!

Thank you all! You guys are so helpful. So many great tips!

This is what we do:

Split most in park meals. Kids can definately split meals.

Never buy soda, always ask for free water in a cup.

Bring your own water bottle if possible.

Eat at counter service, not table service places.

Give your kids a set amount they are allowed to spend in the stores.

Bring a protein snack in the park with you to fill in if you get hungry while waiting in lines. Granola bars, peanuts, ect.

Market House gives a free coffee refill if you save your reciept.

Bring plastic baggies. You can save some of the kids' meal items they don't finish. They can eat it later instead of throwing it away. Plastic bags are also good for protecting things on wet rides too.

Have a snack instead of a meal. We will sometimes get an ice cream and call it lunch! Don't feel you have to eat a meal just because it is "meal time".

This will be part of my plan of attack for sure!


It's nice to know I won't go bankrupt going to Disneyland!
I think $100/per day *should* be reasonable.

 

[rszdtrvl]

We must be bringing a TON of money~~

DH and I have everything paid for : tickets, park admission, hotel, transfers.

But we are still planning on bringing $1000.00 to spend. That does not mean we will spend it all. But we want to have that much just in case.

We are a family of 3 and are staying for 4 nights.

 

[disneedee]

adults can order the kids meals and sometimes those include a drink, and a souviener container.

 

[party-five]

I have to agree with the $100 budget per day. That's what we plan on for food and snacks. We also bring a case of water from walmart or sams club and freeze it in the hotel and refill everyday so we don't have to buy that. We usually plan about 200 for "other" stuff in the park - total for the trip not daily. Also, we budget about $100 for "perks" because we always do a character meal! And we prepay for the Fantasmic priority seating.

 

[c&m]

Wow, $7000 for 2 days! That must have been quite a trip!

We do what the other previous posters do to save money. The key savings for our family of 4 are:

- Sharing meals. We find the portions at the GCH's White Water Snacks enough to share between 2 people. The personal pizza there can be shared between 3 kids. And the prices there are really good.

- Buying the Disney souvenirs at the Dollar Store in S. Harbor and Chapman (next to the Target). We spent only $10 on souvenirs on our last trip, buying souvenirs for my DD's 9 closest friends.

- Renting a $7 locker for the day and storing water bottles (bought at Target or Vons), snacks, etc. there so we don't have to buy at the parks.

- We would buy cereal and milk and eat breakfast in our room (unless our hotel included a free breakfast).

- Buying coffee at the market on Main St. and then getting free refills through the day (you need to show the receipt).

 

[fairycat]

I found that after I bought my super cute NBC water bottle for $12 at DLR it was the best investment EVER!!!

Forget buying bottle water outside or inside the parks, get a good workout water bottle (or find a cute character one in the parks) and fill them up at many of the outdoor seating restaraunts!

Rancho, Tomorrowland Terrace, French Quarter, and many others have cold water bottle fillers. We have used these all through the parks and we didn't spend any extra money and had cute bottles we could use else where too!

And you can get ice if you eat at the restaurants too!!

 

[Petticoat Pirate]

I know one of the things we are doing this year FOR SURE is bringing our own rain parkas from the dollar store for Grizzly River Run. We didn't even go on last year due to the price of the parkas--I think they were about $7 or $8 each? Yikes. It was our last day so money was running low, with four of us we just couldn't justify. It was cold and drizzly already, so we didn't feel like getting soaked. We'll be prepared this year, cuz we're not missing it again (never been on).
P.S. We stayed for 6 days at the DH five days in park bought pretty much what we wanted, ate pretty much where we wanted including one night at Goofy's Kitchen, one at Blue Bayou, four of us and it cost around $3,500!! That must have been some amazing TWO DAYS!!

 

[Cinderella_68]

YMMV, but we are sit-down restaurant fans. We do at least one a day. The one trip that we didn't, because my BIL thought it would be less $$ to eat at counter-service, we actually spent MORE money on food! Because the kids never actually filled up and we bought a whole lot more snacks! Plus the rest factor really helps the kids to wind down a bit and actually eat.
The kids and I have to eat when we get up, so we eat at the hotel, either room service or cold cereal and fruit, if we have a fridge. Then we'll have a late lunch or early dinner at a table service restaurant. That fills us up and we will usually have an ice cream or pretzel or another snack later in the evening. Plus the kids like to keep small snacks in their fanny packs. I will purchase them ahead of time, and they are things that I wouldn't normally buy them at home, like fruit roll-ups, gummy snacks, individually packaged items that don't melt or crush. Oh, and the Smucker's Uncrustables are a hit with them, too. Keep them frozen until you leave the room.
We bring a couple of refillable water bottles from home, or pick one up as a souvenir if we find one we like, and keep those handy for ice and water from the restaurants/snack stands. Just ask when making a purchase, for a glass of ice water or two. I like to bring my individual drink mixes, or I'll drink soda all day and be dehydrated! The kids like them, too, and they have the benefit of being sugar free. And they are lighter than juice boxes to carry.
DH and I always remembered being kids and eating what our moms packed, and looking longingly at the hot dogs and hamburgers and pretzels, etc., so we don't go overboard with the bringing food. To us, part of the fun of Disneyland is the tastes of DLR. (Nobody else makes a Monte Cristo Sandwich quite the same...sigh)
But given the choice of bringing sandwiches and being able to go to DL or not being able to go, bring on the ham and cheese!

 

[nottellin']

Thank you all for your tips

We are planning on doing some restaurant dining but we will pack snacks and bring water. Maybe a few fast food lunchs (off site).
We will also eat in our room before we go to the parks for the day. I've decided to give the kids each a set amount of money so they can buy things that they want too.

Hopefully it doesn't turn out to be like our last trip

I think a HUGE part of the problem last time was we just picked up and left. We decided on a Friday it would be nice to go and left Saturday morning so there was NO planning. We didn't relise that the cost of things like water, or sun screen or hats would be so expensive in the parks. We also didn't know of all the shopping around the park like Target and Walmart.

So this time around I am going to be a planning queen...right down to the last detail if I can help it.

You guys are all awesome and I really appreiciate all the great tips

 

[fairykin]

I don't know if anyone told You but i believe that You can order online from Vons and Costco and they will deliver to your hotel.

I'd just call and confirm with your hotel that they will accept delivery.

Also.. Plaza Inn.. has really nice platters.. they easily feed two people.
When we go we usually have 3 adults and 3 children.. and order 3 fried chicken platters with mashed potatoes and green beans. Those run around 13 dollars. They also have another choice.. roast beef i believe? i could be wrong.

 

[bumbershoot]

I know one of the things we are doing this year FOR SURE is bringing our own rain parkas from the dollar store for Grizzly River Run. We didn't even go on last year due to the price of the parkas--I think they were about $7 or $8 each? Yikes. It was our last day so money was running low, with four of us we just couldn't justify. It was cold and drizzly already, so we didn't feel like getting soaked.

FWIW, the $8 ones last and last. Mine is finally ripped, but I'm actually probably going to get some bright colored duct tape and do it back up. It's thick and covers me and has snaps and is good.

I have tried the thin dollar store ones and they cling like saran wrap, are impossible to fold up (the disney ones you can fold back up and shove into a clear plastic Disneyland bag you can ask for at any store counter), and you end up wasting a ton.

So they really can be worth it, if you buy the Disney ones.




OP, I would really urge you to check out the menu links, just so you know. So you're not suddenly faced with a family that is revolting about eating snacks, and leaving *yet again* for fast food meal (note: the McDs on Harbor is more expensive than normal ones I've heard, and the IHOP on Harbor has been said to be one of the most expensive IHOPs anywhere)...leaving and coming back, especially by car, is a big time "suck".

So I'd at least be aware of what there is, what people in your family might want, if suddenly they NEEDED food right then and there, what is easily shared (platters at Rancho del Zocalo and Cocina Cucamonga), where the good kid's meals are, and so on.

Otherwise you might plan on absolute frugality, but be surprised to suddenly be spending way more money, and it might be disappointing again. Shoot for the middle ground.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

I agree with Molly, plan on not spending much but when you get there sometimes you get sucked into the moment when your kids are hungry NOW and leaving to go get the car just isn't an option But do order snacks and water and get them delivered....water is so spendy in DL!!