Spill your secrets on affording Disneyland!

[yeaUHS]

well since i'm pretty young(college student) heres a few things i've learned...


1. If you're planning on driving, go with a few friends
-gas is too much nowadays, so why not split the costs along the way? Having to spend 10 bucks each to fill up a tank will save you along the line!

2. If you like tasting new spots around DLR, DCA,DD, eat out once a day
-let's face it, food at disneyland is aloooooot of money! bring food to your eat at your hotel, this should save you some money!

3. If you like souveniers, self control
-personally, I like getting stuff everytime I visit DLR, but watch yourself, even though you are in another world, at the end of the week when you get home....you do have bills to pay!

4. If you visit frequently, invest in a AP
-AP's are clutch especially if you visit multiple times a year, you even get benefuts!

 

[mlggator]

Sorry, thought I had started a new topic.

 

[Blackunicorn]

uhhhh...

Price - FREEEE
1) Get an apartment near Disneyland
2) work for Disneyland...
3) pay your apartment fee with your salary at Disneyland
4) have fun on your off day.

simple, easy and weeeeee!

That's what I'm going to do when I grow up!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

cool pic of gc, what were the ballones and stuff animals and cards from?

 

[Blackunicorn]

...This year's trip will probably cost about $1200 for airfare and hotel, then I'm buying our park hoppers at my credit union, cheaper than ANYWHERE else.
A 5 day adult park hopper is $170. I will probably upgrade to an AP while there to save even more for next year's trip...

Well, I made a post about ticket prices and then realized I had looked in the wrong column...sorry!

*whacks herself on the forehead*

 

[bumbershoot]

Someone posts asking how they can save a few bucks at Disneyland & you guys are talking about Pine Bathrooms in Wash. St. Parks.

This is one eclectic & well traveled board.


hound

sorry 'bout that. realized too late that i ought to have at least addressed op's ??s, or at least put "ot".


to the op...i'm not well-travelled w/ disney yet, but we don't have any of the same, or even *any* non-negotiables like yours. i adore a luxury hotel, but IMO if it isn't a Westin in walking distance, I have almost no interest in spending thst much on a hotel!


(sorry about the typing...)

 

[bumbershoot]

OK, my 3 year old isn't sitting on my right hand anymore (it was cozy, I didn't want to move him) so I can type properly .

This trip is part of a bigger trip for my HS reunion, so getting to CA is part of a "different" budget. The DL part is getting from the Bay Area to Anaheim, and if we get Ding's that might be 150ish plus fees and taxes, OR if my dad lets us borrow a car and we feel it's worth the lost time, maybe we'll do that.

I bought package through Costco, 3 nights off-site and 4 days of parks, plus a character breakfast and lots of little trinkets (and a $20 Disney giftcard) for just over $900.

We've been moving and I just turned in a leased car (12 years of leasing, great experience for 11 years, but now I'm just DONE with it) so we have lots of *current* expenses, so haven't been able to save each month for the trip, but we know the funds will be there by the month-before when we pay for the rest of the trip.

We want to upgrade to APs while there, because my brother lives in San Diego and will have us down anytime we want to. We want to do a little trip to see him in December and would love to see the holiday stuff even for a day-visit, and then we're going down that way again in January...so having an AP would definitely work for us for this 365 day period!


I've been doing Sunshine Rewards to earn money by doing surveys and the like, plus getting credits back for shopping I would do anyway (DH is getting too small for his clothes while DS is getting too big!), and that is going to result in some nice gift cards for food or souvenirs while we're there. I'm also doing My Points, which is going to help pay for our reunion hotel (staying with dad much of that stay, but the reunion is over 3 days and I have NO interest in commuting over the mountain each day and night).


With a 3 year old I think we'll hold off on the balcony seating. Plus, we're going in late September during the week, so I don't know if that even applies for our trip.

I'm interested in going to the Pirates dinner adventure, but might wait until later trips. If it were just the two of us, we'd probably go, but I have a hard time believing it or the Medieval dinner are SOOOO good that they are worth doing on every trip. Could be wrong, I've never gone!


We actually had Paradise Pier booked, but then when I found out it's actually further away than some of the offsite hotels, we switched. I'd rather be closer, and it's not worth it to me to pay more for being further away. However, when I cancelled that hotel I didn't know that you got extra EE days by staying onsite...I'm kind of annoyed at myself for not finding that out until later, but that's OK.

those are my thoughts.

 

[victorandbellasmom]

We use dh's bonus checks to help fund our disney trips. I also love to use coupons when i go grocery shopping. The amount I save from coupon usage I take and put into our disney fund. That's my incentive to cut coupons on Sunday and look for deals. We also cut back on how often we eat out when we know we have a trip coming up. About 2-3 months before our trip, we'll limit eating out to once a week (that includes McDOnald's, pizza, teriyaki, Red Robins etc..) A month before our trip we completely stop eating out. It's amazing what we can save on that last month with out eating out. We fly when we can get a good deal (we paid $64 each way for our trip in Feb) and drive when we can't. We also use our disney visa card for perks in the park and to rack up disney reward points whch we use towards meals in the park. Since we try to do 2 trips a year, we have APs which cuts down on parkhopper costs and also gives us discount to food and hotel.


Thanks Bumbershoot for the reminder. Mypoints is also something I do. I use my points to get a $25 gift card to the Rainforest Cafe before each trip. With the safari club and the $25 gift card we can walk out of there paying under $20 for a family of 4. This'll be my 3rd $25 gift card to get for just opening emails.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i do my points and am gona use it next year for my united miles card. ill get half my ticket free that could work well (wdw is far)
Disney land. im trying to talk my dad in to coming with us and we would drive. in stead of flying.
I think the dinning is worth it this time. next time it may not be. but we want charcter meals. Ive never been abel to and im making this a grate trip for bdays.
Im buying gift cards for rain forest cafe, and disney card (when i save money up I eather pay off some of the package (tickets and dinning) or have to buy something for the trip i know ill spend it if i dont get it out my hand.

(im doing that too. only once a week can we eat out starting this week , its actely 5months a head of our trip. Then ya all nov we will not splerge on anything and save everything up.

 

[bumbershoot]

WThanks Bumbershoot for the reminder. Mypoints is also something I do. I use my points to get a $25 gift card to the Rainforest Cafe before each trip. With the safari club and the $25 gift card we can walk out of there paying under $20 for a family of 4. This'll be my 3rd $25 gift card to get for just opening emails.

And thank YOU for the idea to save what you've saved from coupons. I think it will be painful, but I think I'm going to start doing that.

I was going to get the Rainforest GCs, but they are 3500, while the Marriott is 3250, so it just makes more sense to do that. I think.

 

[AJA55]

Ok Saavy. I go on two or three vacations a year. Love Disney but as someone else said … there’s a lota places to see in this great big beautiful world. I’m very fortunate to be virtually debt free. We paid off the first mortgage and only owe on the line of credit that we use for repair work on the house. Cars are also paid for and I make a monthly payments to a savings account for the next car purchase. No three digit income, lottery winnings or inheritance here.

Our upcoming trip is a spendee one because we wanted to stay onsite. We are doing one tour and only one dinner out. We stop early for lunch and eat big, breakfast is in the room with food ordered online and all the other dinners will be on the cheep. No oober munchies and our souvenirs will be one thing that is useful. We’ll come in around $3,000 for the two of us.

I charge everything AND payoff the card each and every month. The card I have is an Airline affiliate. We receive a $50.00 companion voucher each year. And every two to three years we have enough points to get airline tickets for the price of the taxes.

I have worked for the same place for around 8 years. I get 5 weeks vacation. But this is also my sick leave. I don’t get ill that often. Oh… I’m single, no kids, in my 50’s and my mother and I live together. (we both paid off the first mortgage…didn’t want ya all to think I was mooching off the old lady) I do take time off for mom’s Dr. appointments. But it’s not like when I had the care of a younger set. Their more susceptible to colds and the flu.

Again I am fortunate that mother and I get along very well. Several years ago she said that she wanted to travel as much as we could, for as long as she was able. Can’t say no to mom. (wellll except for that time she wanted pinch a guys behind in Savannah, oh and that incident with wanting to play human lawn bowing, at a museum… oh and the time she asked a gentleman what was under his kilt…..)

Sorry about the novel !

 

[victorandbellasmom]

And thank YOU for the idea to save what you've saved from coupons. I think it will be painful, but I think I'm going to start doing that.

I was going to get the Rainforest GCs, but they are 3500, while the Marriott is 3250, so it just makes more sense to do that. I think.

Your welcome about the coupon tip. Safeway had a deal last week buy 10 products (pepsi& lays)get a coupon for a $25 giftcard. We'd use the giftcard coupon to get presents for father's day, graduation and birthdays. Well, that week's shopping trip saved me over $125 (due to gift card coupon) so that $125 went to our disney fund.


When I first began mypoints, it was only 3250 points to get a $25 Rainforest giftcard. I only noticed the 3500 points last month when i went to order my gift card.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

wow see i cant cash out my points yet becouse im saveing up for united .. but i also signed up on todays excapes. a year for 20 dolelrs wasnt bad. (i had seen alot more gift Cards there..if you buy 10ones u get a 5 doller one free..its intresting.
They also have disney tickets and stuff and I might go to them..if at the time i buy its better.
I cant seem to find good coupons that id use..i was on dipers big time..but lately havent found any food ones good.

 

[Hound 109]

sorry 'bout that. realized too late that i ought to have at least addressed op's ??s, or at least put "ot".

to the op...i'm not well-travelled w/ disney yet, but we don't have any of the same, or even *any* non-negotiables like yours. i adore a luxury hotel, but IMO if it isn't a Westin in walking distance, I have almost no interest in spending thst much on a hotel!

bumbershoot, i hope you know i was having fun.

(i'm the biggest "take a thread WAY off-topic dude" on the Dis )

& I agree with you about lodging. From now if i can't afford to do GCH...I'm gonna do a Harbor Motel (that we can walk to/from).

hound

 

[moko]

$1100.00! Yikes! And I thought $312.00 was a little high. You won't hear me complaining about plane fares anymore.

Why so much? Alaska isn't that far from Seattle, is it? (Of course, I'm not a very good student of geography either)

I know Canada is in between, but jeez....

I'm no geography whiz either - it's just sad. LOL! It's about 3 1/2 hour flight (1500 miles) to Seattle from here. Like I said, though, if they didn't offer the kids fly free "special", I wouldn't have paid more than $850 a ticket. I envy anyone that can get tickets for a few hundred bucks. I think I'd be going to DL at least 2-3 times a year.

 

[Saavy?]

Between paying for airfare,the Disneyland Hotel stay, Parkhopper tickets X 6 days, balcony seats for Fantasmic, Medieval Times, oober munchies, and a few souveniers... it takes me a year to save up for the trip.
(now the above is our annual routine, our traditional things to enjoy, and absolutely non-negotiable).
:

I want to start out by saying I appreciate the advice given to me on this post. However... some of the replies stung of critisism -vs- advice, so I wanted to explain why I have the "non-negotiables".

1.) Airfare.
It is a 16 hour drive one-way. This takes 4 extra days of traveling just to get there and back. We have done this in the past and felt exhausted before even beginning our vacation. I hunt for the lowest priced airfare and have come to the conclusion it just doesn't exist for my rural region (even driving 2.5 hours to the nearest large airport made a negligible difference in price). If we fly, we are IN the park the same day we arrive.

2.) Disneyland Hotel
The primary reason for this choice is that it is the closest hotel to the monorail. When you work 12 hour shifts going Mach II with your hair on fire, your feet have a say in how far they are willing to tote your tush around.
I also like my world to consist of only the hotel, DTD, and the parks while I visit. No car, no shuttle to/from the parks, no busses, no highways, no outside reality interference to deal with.

3.) Parkhopper X 6.
Obvious... the number of days we can visit the parks.

4.) Fantasmic! balcony seats.
Yes, it is spendy... but it sure beats the snot out of wasting time sitting on your can holding down a piece of pavement for hours when you can be enjoying other things. And unless that piece of pavement is in a certain area, your view of Fantasmic consists of darting left, darting right, just in order to see around the person in front of you (especially if a child is riding on their shoulders), as well as standing/sitting shoulder to shoulder with others in a claustrophobic crowd (forbid the thought of having to pee and making your way to the BR without squishing someone/something en route). The balcony offers an unobstructed view of the show, is relaxing, and the desserts and drinks are excellent.

5.) Medieval Times.
I take a different family member or friend with me every year.
This is always one of the things they want to see for the 1st time. I am more than willing to "endure" a repeat showing because to be honest with you... I drink ONE TIME a year... and you guessed it... it is at Medieval Times. We don our renaissance outfits, take the transport shuttle (our designated driver) and drink a few of those marvelous strawberry daiquiris and proceed to wave flags wildly, shout out "WELL DONE GOOD SIR!!!", stomp our feet, bang our mugs on the table, do the "body wave" with our stand, and generally have a rip snorting hoot of a time while there. And, BTW, they DO change the winning knight.

6.) Oober munchies.
I also use the Albertson's grocery delivery service to decrease the food cost of the trip. That is for breakfast, fluids, snacks and late night munchies. I don't know about you, but I crave some of the Disneyland food and wait a year to get back to it... corn chowder in the fresh sourdough bowl, those glorious corndogs, those criss-crossed weird frenchfries, etc.

7.) Souvenirs
Varies year to year. The one "must" is the gift gag for the ER staff to use for one year (I will make a post on this another time & use it as a question). Have not been for 2 years and the last one was the "Poombaa hat" (now worn out beyond recognition).

I was simply looking for savings tips.
I did not intend to ruffle any fur for pete's sake.

What it all comes down to is what is important to each of us to experience during our time there. Of course our priorities will differ, we are not clones of one another. We all have our unique preferences and loves . It depends on who you are with, how much time you have, and how much you can afford.

 

[Master Mason]

What it all comes down to is what is important to each of us to experience during our time there. Of course our priorities will differ, we are not clones of one another. We all have our unique preferences and loves . It depends on who you are with, how much time you have, and how much you can afford.

I honestly thought that's what everyone was trying to say. Everyone has their priorities, nothing wrong with yours in anyway, it is just an expensive way to do it, if that's what makes you happy then you should absolutely do it that way, but if you want to go mulitple times a year, with the same budget, then you have to figure out what can give.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

I think all of those things are just fine if that's what you want out of your vacations! But yes for all of that we'd only go once a year also. Not too many people could do a spluge trip like that 2-3 times a year.

I believe that's what everyone was saying though. There are ways to get to go more then once affordably. But you have to be a little more flexable in your must haves. Otherwise yes, your not going to afford to go often.

(BTW our offsite hotel was closer then the DLH. I know it's nice being onsite. We like it too, and do it when we can swing it. But if it's between staying offsite or not going at all. Gonna pick offsite every time! )

 

[Saavy?]

(BTW our offsite hotel was closer then the DLH. )

I would be interested to know what hotel / motel is the absolute closest to the entry gates of the parks please.

I have looked at the maps, but they still appear rather far from the pallisade area.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Sure! Have you seen this website? It shows which hotels are really close:

http://www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap

I think some rooms at the Grand Californian are going to be the VERY closest (not really some in the back though).

But I believe Best Western Park Place Inn and Suites IS the closest one to the crosswalk. It's a 5 minute walk to the gates. We stayed next door to it at the Tropicana, just a few extra steps. All of those right across the street there are going to be closer then the Disneyland Hotel. I know there is another website that even breaks it down to how many feet each one is away. Maybe someone will post it!

Trust me I'm not a big walker myself. My feet get in really bad shape with blisters after one day! I also have health problems that tire me out so the less steps the better for me. So I've done some research on how I can help myself with that! I love the Disneyland Hotel though, and sometimes it just is worth the extra steps I know! Hope this helps!