Disneyland: How to Save $, Tips & Tricks That Worked For Us!
Does it feel like EVERY SINGLE PERSON you know has been to Disneyland recently? Open Instagram and there is for sure an influencer there right now; even our radio show’s very own Chris Scheetz is visiting this week!
There truly is something “Magical” about Disneyland ( cliche I know!). But it’s no secret it can be really expensive to go. We recently went to Disneyland in Anaheim to experience the holiday themed magic there with our 2 girls ages 6 and 2 at the time. The holidays in Disneyland usually run from about November 12 to the first week in January. We went December 1-4; spending 2 days at the park and here is a little insight into what helped us stay within budget and make it an awesome trip.
LAX or SNA ( John Wayne) Airport?
You will probably find better deals flying into LAX airport. Keep in mind you will have to hire a shuttle service to get to you hotel in Anaheim or rent a car. SNA is literally 20 minutes from Anaheim so a much more convenient airport however you pay for that convenience and it’s likely not a direct flight. LAX is about 40 mins - 2 hours depending on the time of day you are driving.
We used Airmiles to fly into LAX; it was a direct flight from Edmonton to LAX on Westjet. No complaints. However just be aware ( people had told me but I had rose coloured glasses haha) the car rental situation is going to take some time. You have to take a short bus ride from LAX to the car rental terminal ( it’s easy) and then wait in line. In my mind this was still worth it as we did find a great car deal through AMA.
HOTELS- STAY OFF SITE ( BUT CLOSE!)
We stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott at Anaheim Resort & Convention Centre. It was AWESOME! I absolutely loved having a kitchen in the room ( great for lunches or late night snacks) and the fact that breakfast was included. These rooms were made for families; they are large and most have a separate sleeping area. I love this for when the kids are pooped but you want to watch a little TV or do something other than sit in a dark room while they sleep haha. As I mentioned, breakfast was included and had a wide assortment of good food both hot and cold. From Mickey Mouse waffles to eggs to yogurts to fruits; bagels and sausages. There was everything.
The walk was between 10-15 minutes. We had a double stroller ( more on that in a bit) so this was a very easy jaunt for us all.
A website I found REALLY helpful for rating the hotels near Disneyland can be found HERE. There are a ton of great ones. ( Honourable mention to the Howard Johnson - everyone talks about that one and they have a wicked waterpark area. They didn’t have the room we wanted for the dates we were going otherwise I think we would have tried there!). (TIP: My friend Kira actually has a discount code for the HoJo; if you message her on Instagram she will happily give it to you!)
Staying on site would be a DREAM. It is lovely to just walk right into / out of Disneyland. You never leave that “magic” . However you do pay for that. Here are some real world prices we were looking at in comparison: Our 3 night stay at the Residence Inn cost us $1500 CDN taxes in ( this included breakfast) ; where as a stay at the Disneyland Hotel or The Grand Californian would cost us about $2700 CDN / $4000 CDN taxes in respectively. And no breakfast included and these were standard ( but beautiful) rooms (no kitchens or separate sleeping quarters).
*It is important to note we were in HIGH season. Like the highest of the high haha. Prices throughout the year would fluctuate quite a bit.
Lastly; one last tip on hotels - GET FREE CANCELLATION. I always book with free cancellation and keep checking the prices. Sometimes the closer to your dates you get, the prices will decrease. Then you can simply cancel and rebook. This exact scenario happened to us with the Residence Inn and we ended up saving about $400CDN on the same room for the same dates.
STROLLERS
Don’t let anyone shame you for a stroller haha. I was a huge hater of them….until we got one. And HOLY this changed our whole experience. The secret is to rent one! Then you dont have to take it on the plane or mess with it in your car. We rented a double stroller for our girls from One Stop Mobility and they were a dream to work with. It worked out to $85 Cdn to rent the stroller from December 1-4. And best of all; THEY delivered it to our hotel and picked it up. I would not recommend renting one from Disneyland park as you have to return it at the end of the day. It was really nice for the girls to hop it at the end of the night, fall asleep and us just head back to our hotel.
As for safety; there are huge stroller areas all over the park that you can leave your stroller at while you ride the rides and no one worries about stealing anything. I would of course take your purse with you but honestly no one wants diapers, wipes and the snacks you brought haha. Speaking of that….
SNACKS IN THE PARK
Of course you gotta try some of the park food but I found (thankfully!) Disneyland REALLY understanding when it comes to bringing snacks and water bottles into the park. Instead of paying $5US every time you need a drink; bring a water bottle and fill up at one of the many water fill stations. We also brought granola bars and other snacks for the girls which saved us if we were waiting in a longer line or just not ready to sit down for a meal at the moment.
Also - get a pickle! They are SO darn good and GIANT. You can find them easily in Critter Country.
CHARACTER DINING
In my opinion- one character dining experience is def worth it. It’s pricey but its a great way to have one on one interaction with A LOT of the characters. They come right up to your table and spend time with you and take pictures. This way - we didnt have to chase them all around the park and stress about getting those Mickey and Minnie pics!
Just make sure to make your reservations. They open up 60 days in advance. You can make them HERE.
THE PARK ADMISSION TICKETS ARE GONNA COST NO MATTER WHAT
This is for sure where most of our budget went to. I think it hurt us only going for 2 days; I think if you go 3 or more days it is a better deal for sure. Keep in mind kids up to 3 are FREE ….so if you have a 2 year old that is turning 3 soon like we did; GO! At least you save one ticket haha.
DISNEYLAND PARK VS CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE VS PARK HOPPER
I honestly don’t know if its worth getting park hopper passes for everyone for every day. I think if you dedicate one day to each park that’s the smarter way to do it. You aren’t rushed and you truly get to enjoy the individual park for all that it has to offer. This is just a personal preference though. Park Hopper IS really fun as you can go back and forth but my advice would be to only do it for one day if you are going 3 days.
GET THE APP BEFOREHAND AND GET TO KNOW IT
It only LOOKS intimidating I promise. Download the Disneyland App at home and get to know it. It will give you park maps, ride wait times, options to use your Genie + if you have bought it ( More on that below) , make reservations and so much more. Play around with it and by the time you get to the park; you will know it like the back of your hand. It is NOT hard & it is such a useful tool.
SHOULD YOU GET DISNEY GENIE +?
I am a huge believer in upgrading to Genie +. It’s like a “skip the line” pass. At least for your Park Hopper day. Yes it is an added cost( around $25 per person) but you can REALLY use it to your advantage especially if you have got young kids! Plus my fav part is the fact that there are official Disney Photographers all over the park that will take your photo and its all included. It’s literally uploaded to your phone in an instant and trust me when I say they know ALL the angles for the park. I loved all the pics they took. Plus all your ride pics ( think Splash Mountain, Radiator Springs, Space Mountain etc) are all uploaded too. More information on Genie + and how to use it can be found HERE.
ROPE DROP
This is the NUMBER ONE tip I can give - do it! Get there right for opening. It sounds hardcore but it is seriously the best time to go to Disneyland. For those first 2 hours you literally can walk on so many rides; it’s a glorious time. It’s also a GREAT alternative if you don’t want to purchase Genie +. Do it at least one of your days; you won’t regret it!
KNOW THE RIDE HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS
Measure your kids beforehand and get to know the rides they can and cannot go on. I was pleasantly surprised at how many rides our 6 year could go on. I was also 6 months pregnant when we went and was happy to find out there were still lots of rides I could enjoy ( including Haunted Mansion- YAY!). All heights for rides can be found HERE. As for all you pregnant mamas - check out HERE for the rides you CAN go on!
KEEP YOUR EXPECTATIONS LOW
I say this for ANY travel with kids. There are gonna be meltdowns and they’re not gonna want to smile for a pic and they might even be scared of Mickey Mouse. And that’s ok. They are kids; just let go of your own expectations and leave the pressure off of yourself. Easier said than done I know. But have a talk with yourself even a few times a day ( I certainly did haha) and in the words of Elsa; let it go. Kids feed off your energy. If you’re feeling the pressure for the perfect picture or perfect time at Disneyland they are going to feel it and its going to be a disaster. I speak from personal experience haha.
DON’T SAY NO TO A MID AFTERNOON HOTEL NAP
Again I was such a non believer in this; until we did it. I thought going back was for wimps and you should just push through. But I discovered this trip that if you head back in the early afternoon (especially if you rope drop and are there for opening!) having a few hours back at your hotel to rest is WORTH IT! Get your feet up, hydrate, let the kids sleep and recharge a bit. Head back out to Disneyland and you can literally stay out ALL night until close without feeling like you are dying haha. I loved this and I will do it every time.
BUY YOUR MERCH BEFORE YOU LEAVE ON YOUR TRIP
Buy those Mickey Mouse shirts where they are cheaper - at home! You will without a doubt pay an arm and a leg if you buy them on site. It makes a great souvenir but if you’re wanting that Disney “look” you can do it for so much cheaper at home. Most stores carry something Disney. My favs are always Old Navy, Target (if you are buying down there) and Gap. There are a TON of local Etsy designers that can make your personalized shirts for you or even your dream Mickey Ears. If you’ve got the time; search around at home before you commit to buying on site.
Truth be Told : My husband and I are the EXACT opposite. He does not look at prices haha. He did in fact buy the girls new Mickey Mouse ears on site ( to the tune of $65 US for both) BUT they did come with the guarantee that if they broke or frayed during our time there they could get new ones. I was impressed with that. And they were adorable.
LASTLY- THINGS TO BRING WITH YOU TO THE PARK
Something to identify your stroller with - a brightly coloured scarf is great! Literally hundreds of strollers can be lined up in some spots, this makes it easy to spot yours!
Fanny pack - seriously!!! Or a backpack. Both are allowed. A fanny pack is great cause you can keep all of your important stuff with you ( cash cards etc) and still go on all the rides with it.
Snacks- the individual goldfish bags are great for having in your fanny pack! Time waiting for rides or princesses are never that bad because Disneyland does a really good job of adding things to see and watch throughout the entire cue. But if you're on the edge of a meltdown or need to stretch just a bit more time - snacks (we found at least) are the secret weapon!
WIPES - Oh my gosh you will use them for everything. Hands, tables, chairs, your stroller - literally went through packs in days haha
Battery pack. Using the app all day long WILL drain your battery. I highly recommend THIS ONE.
I hope these tips and money saving tips helped you if you’re planning on heading to “The Happiest Place on Earth”. No matter what; the memories you take from this trip are gonna be talked about for a long time. It’s a wonderful place; full of wonder and amazement for people of ALL ages. I’m in my late 30s and I felt like a kid again. It is so exciting being there. Disneyland is a dream destination but remember it can also be done on a budget. You don’t have to go all out and spend tens of thousands of dollars.
xoxo Jacks
