Tell me about Your best budget DL Trip

[Look_Its_Nikki]

I know the usual about bringing food into parks and stuff like that but, I'm trying to figure out how what everyones best budget trip was.


I have been to DL many times, but always with my DBF and he not a budget person when he is on a trip. If he wants to eat there or do that it doesnt matter how much $$ it cost.

Now for me I get very excited to save $$. It makes everything so much more worth it. I'm planning a trip soon to take my mom and my DD6 to DL. I know I can get a nice hotel with priceline ($39 a night) and we don't do breakfest, just a muffin in room at most. The only big thing we would do would be Princess dinner.
So I thought it would be fun to hear from my fellow budget disneyland lovers out there and how much they have saved/spent on there trips.

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

Go up Harbour to the disney outlet for souvieners rather than buying in the park! Also on the orange county tourism site you can get 10% off coupon.
http://www.anaheimoc.org/Articles/Archive/Webpage10153.asp

Leave the park and eat at Mcds. There is also a 10% off coupon on that same site.

DON'T eat at the Ihop or Dennys in the Disney area, as they have jacked up their prices quite a bit, and eating in the park can be cheaper!

Get a double cheeseburger meal for lunch and cut the burger in half - 2 cheeseburgers (now I have heard of some people going as far as to bring another bun into the park and putting one hamburger patty on it - but to me that is just silly - I couldn't imagine packing hamburger buns into the park with me! lol).

If your room has a microwave/fridge, order a couple of large pizzas your first night and keep them in the fridge for late night snacks or dinners. That $20 worth of pizza can go a long way!

Eat at Taste Pilots Grill in DCA. HUGE portions that can easily feed 2 people. The chicken burger is like the size of 2 burgers! I think the cheeseburgers were too. Price isn't bad either. Also, they have a nice section with lettuce, tomatos, etc... to top the burger, and I have seen some people make a side salad out of this....not sure i would do that....but have seen it done, and I guess if you are buying food there its not that bad to do that.

Get a small grocery delivery to your hotel that includes a case of water. Bring a bottle of water each into the park. Sometimes we get those individual flavor packs as well for them. Water is about $3 a bottle in the parks, and you can get a case of 24 for about the same cost!

That is all I can think of right now...

 

[Littleprincess2010]

Thanks Lollipop, those are some great tips. I know this isn't my thread but we too are trying to see how far we can stretch our budget so thank you Nikki for starting this one!!

I love the idea of the pizza the first night and then you have dinner for a couple of nights.

Im also really glad you warned us about the Ihop and Denny's, we were planning on going to one of them but we will hold off and stop at one on our drive home (to Canada, lol)

I'd love to know how much food you can bring into the parks? We'll probably have one backpack and I will have a small pack for our DD's stuff. I'm thinking 1 water bottle per person(4 people)? And for snacks, what kind of things can you bring in? How much?

Thanks!!

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

We actually have packed a small lunch - sandwich per person and a piece of fruit each, with a waterbottle each. I don't bring sweets in because I prefer to buy something in the park! I was traveling with a diabetic and was ready to say 'we have a diabetic with us and need this food', but were never questioned or asked.
I don't think they want people lugging coolers in the park, but a kids size lunch tote is fine.

 

[Littleprincess2010]

Thanks again Lollipop, we'll be having breakfast at the hotel and probably dinner there too, but lunch we wern't too sure about. We'll probably do some sandwiches and fruit now Im really excited about all the little treats you can get at the different places in DL.

 

[kkmcan]

We've done a couple of really cheap trips.

For one trip we did we had our annual passes already, stayed at the Hojo for $59/night. Brought our own breakfast muffins, made coffee in the room. For lunch we brought in protein bars, fruit, beef jerky and water bottles. For dinner we either used my Disney reward dollars to purchase dinner or we left for our break and ate off property. Also we drove so we only spent $100 for gas.

Last Oct, we went for a quickie trip. My mom was heading over at the same time and we planned to do the Trick or treat party together. We were only going to do one day at DL (buy a one day ticket) and the next evening we would do the TOT party. Well, my wonderful mother surprised us and bought our one day tickets! We stayed at the Anaheim Plaza ($59/ night- Hojo ent. rate wasn't available boo-hoo!) . Again we brought our own breakfast and snacks and water which we always do. Dinner was at Whitewater snacks- mom treated us! That was one cheap disney trip. For entertainment on our TOT party day, we pin traded around downtown disney and spent some time at ESPN Zone just hanging out upstairs. Kids played a few games. Then we shopped at World of Disney. Just bought my charm for my bracelet. I don't believe the kids spent any money there.

We can do majorly cheap trips if we only do 2 days max or we have annual passes. Also, my dh's parents own a Wyndham timeshare there so if we can manage to reserve that like we have a couple of times, we can travel to Disney cheaper than anywhere else!

 

[Dobie]

My best BUDGET trip was August 2008, to celebrate DD's high school graduation. We flew down on miles and stayed at the Sheraton for 5 nights for on points. So the whole trip was under 1000 for 6 days.

 

[Littleprincess2010]

My best BUDGET trip was August 2008, to celebrate DD's high school graduation. We flew down on miles and stayed at the Sheraton for 5 nights for on points. So the whole trip was under 1000 for 6 days.

That is awesome!!

 

[jennie-pooh]

We went in February 2008 on the cheap! We stayed at the Motel 6, at 40 a night. We walked back and forth most of the time, I lost 4 lbs or so on the trip! We brought lunch into the park and snacks too. My kiddos are non stop eaters, so it was a must for us to keep costs down. One meal in the park most days and only souvenir shopping on the last day. The kids had a BLAST and so did we.

 

[Judy from Boise]

last years spring break we turned in Alaska points for free airfare, and Hilton points for 4 nights lodging at the Hilton, and they had a special running so adults payed the same cost as a child's pass. So the main expense were two child 3 day hoppers.

 

[Dizneydaz]

Some great ideas here! Here's a few more of mine (I use some of these as well when we got to WDW for 8-10 days.):

Hot cups of water are free in park. (Just like cups of ice and water)And always given with a smile. Bring in tea bags, hot chocolate mix, or even cups of soup. Also, if you keep your receipt for coffee purchase you can get free coffee for the rest of the day (at CS locations) I haven't done the coffee thing, only the hot water for tea.

Share meals. We share many meals at the parks. The fried chicken at Plaza Inn is so splitable. I don't know many who can eat a 1/2 a fried chicken themselves. My DM and I just shared this meal a few weeks ago. It was piping hot and so good! I don't like the green beans they serve (frozen, and rubbery) so I ordered double mashed potatoes. Oh so good and all nice and hot-it was a cold night.

We do the breakfast in the room too-saves valuable time and money.

If you think your DD6 will want souvenirs (and who wouldn't?) buy some things at local dollar stores, Target $1 spot, etc. and give them to here while at DLR. You can usually find inexpensive Disney things around. Or you can tell her she has a certain amount to spend on souvenirs. You'll be surprised how kids rethink buying something when they have to spend their own money.

For a free snack while at DCA go to the Mission Tortilla Factory and get free tortillas. Also stop in across the way at the Bread Factory and get some free slices. (You don't even have to take the tour)

Bring a few Ziplocs with you and then if you have any leftover food or snacks you can take them with you for snacking later or heating up in your room.

If you plan on eating at Mimi's join their online club. I believe you'll still get a coupon for a free breakfast. Don't join too early though, the coupon is only good for a limited time.

Have fun!

 

[oc_tony]

You can "pre-pay" parts of your Disney vacation (i.e. food, park admission, souvenirs) buy putting money on a Disney gift card. It doesn't really save you money, but it puts a little toward your trip whenever you have the spare dough, and you don't feel bad spending it once you're there because it's already paid for. This is how we do a lot of our purchases when we go to WDW.

 

[Look_Its_Nikki]

Its funny every time we go we get better and better and saving money. I think back to our first trip and think how stupid we were.

$100 in gas
$39 a night hotel room
muffin in room in the am
Lunch at Rainforest is were our budget goes out the window. Lol.
My DBF Loves that place becaus they have his fav beer there and he finds it very relxing. Yes weird I know. But then we go a quick dinner pizza or something. So we do good. $150 in food and drinks for the day.

Other then the drinks we do really good money wise.
I liked the Holiday inn on s. manchest ave. we would get it priceline $39 a night and happy hour in the bar $3 well drinks and 3 draft happy hour beer. and i think half off the apps. And it was good food too.

 

[nottellin']

Im also really glad you warned us about the Ihop and Denny's, we were planning on going to one of them but we will hold off and stop at one on our drive home (to Canada, lol)

Hi fellow Canadian! WE also drive, and are 'budget friendly'.
We save money by bringing in our own water. We also pack a Foreman grill and use it for quick lunches (grill cheese, hot dogs, chicken breast etc). We always eat lunch and then have a nap. After we nap we eat again in the room before we go to the park.
I find one of our biggest expenses (other than hotel and tickets) is food, so we do a mini shop at Target on harbour for some groceries.
We but Ap's so that we can fit more than one trip in per year (it might be an option depending on how many days you are planning on being at the parks).

I hope some of that helped.