5 Easy Ways to Save Money at Disneyland
Good Afternoon!!
First off - a huge shout out to my readers in the USA, Germany, Philippines, Peru, AND Australia!!! It is so exciting for me to be sharing my love for Disney Parks all around the WORLD! Thank you for your support (:
This week's post actually comes straight out of my travel guide! I want to share some of the best money saving tips that I have picked up over the years that can really help out when you are trying to do Disney on a budget! Let's get started!
1. Don't buy bottled water in the parks!
It can be pricey to buy bottled water in the parks - at the snack carts it's $3.75 per bottle! There are several other options you have when it comes to water. The first is going to a local grocery store (Target is just down the street) and buying a case of waters to bring into the park with you. It is a lot cheaper to do it this way than buying that many in the park! You can also bring in a water bottle and fill it at any water fountain. If you go into the outside dining area of the Rancho Del Zocalo restaurant in Frontierland, there is an ice water tap in the condiment stand that you can use to refill your water bottles. My favorite option, however, is absolutely free! Just go up to any walk-up restaurant and ask for ice waters. They come in little kid cups, but you can order as many as you want. I have heard that you can also go into restaurants that use disposable cups (like Redd Rockett's Pizza Port), grab a large cup, and fill it with ice water for free.
2. Plan your food budget with your menu in mind!
The best way to keep your food budget down is to plan out your meals. You can download the Disneyland app and check menus and prices for all restaurants and snack carts! You can see what kinds of foods and restaurants you would be interested in and have the pricing figured out for meals as you plan the budget instead of getting sticker shock once you order your food!
3. Bring your own snacks!
Did you know that Disneyland doesn't prohibit outside food or drink? Just make sure nothing is in glass containers! Don't get me wrong, it is always worth it to buy a churro or a cream cheese filled pretzel (my favorite) or an ice cream cookie sandwich at least once or twice during the trip. But realistically, you are spending a lot more money than you need to be if you are buying an in-park snack multiple times a day. What we like to do is stop by the Target down the street on the way in from the airport and stock up on all kinds of snacks. Then we fill up my purse or a backpack with what we want for the day. The last time we went, we only spent about $25 on granola bars, crackers, and water for the entire week, and still came home with extra snacks. That $25 would have only gotten us 5 snacks in park!
4. McDonald's.
That's right. McDonald's. If you are staying at a "Friendly Neighbor Hotel" across the street from Disneyland, then you are also very close to the McDonald's right in front of the Fairfield Inn (our favorite hotel). This is a perfect stop on the way into the park for a cheap breakfast, and a perfect stop on the way back to the hotel for a midnight snack. My brother and I have become very familiar with midnight stops to the McDonald's as we were the only ones in our family who stay up late enough every night to close out the park! There are also several restaurants and fast food places around Anaheim that offer alternative dining options if you want to cut down on in-park food prices.
5. Uber and Lyft
It may be obvious to most, but I am very much a late-comer to the wonders of Uber and Lyft. We discovered this only after years of paying for a $45 taxi ride from the airport to the hotel and a $100 shuttle back. Never again! Of course you should always compare prices, but know that from Long Beach Airport to the Disneyland area, taxi drivers (by law) charge a flat rate of $45. Coming back, however, the rates can sky rocket (hence why we just bit the bullet and got a shuttle for $100). This last time, however, my husband and I decided to call a Lyft to get us back to the airport since we were leaving extremely early in the morning. We only paid $25 with tip! Way worth it!
What other money saving tips do you use in the parks? Leave us a comment below!
If you are interested in buying a copy of my Disneyland Guide, feel free to contact me at any time at enchantedpumpkinblog@gmail.com. I sell my guide for $10, or you can request a personalized one for $15 that I will customize entirely to your family’s needs!
As always, if you have any tips, tricks or questions you would like to submit to our blog feel free to send us an email at enchantedpumpkinblog@gmail.com! And don't forget to hit that blue follow button at the top of the page!
-Lindsay Prout
First off - a huge shout out to my readers in the USA, Germany, Philippines, Peru, AND Australia!!! It is so exciting for me to be sharing my love for Disney Parks all around the WORLD! Thank you for your support (:
This week's post actually comes straight out of my travel guide! I want to share some of the best money saving tips that I have picked up over the years that can really help out when you are trying to do Disney on a budget! Let's get started!
1. Don't buy bottled water in the parks!
It can be pricey to buy bottled water in the parks - at the snack carts it's $3.75 per bottle! There are several other options you have when it comes to water. The first is going to a local grocery store (Target is just down the street) and buying a case of waters to bring into the park with you. It is a lot cheaper to do it this way than buying that many in the park! You can also bring in a water bottle and fill it at any water fountain. If you go into the outside dining area of the Rancho Del Zocalo restaurant in Frontierland, there is an ice water tap in the condiment stand that you can use to refill your water bottles. My favorite option, however, is absolutely free! Just go up to any walk-up restaurant and ask for ice waters. They come in little kid cups, but you can order as many as you want. I have heard that you can also go into restaurants that use disposable cups (like Redd Rockett's Pizza Port), grab a large cup, and fill it with ice water for free.
2. Plan your food budget with your menu in mind!
The best way to keep your food budget down is to plan out your meals. You can download the Disneyland app and check menus and prices for all restaurants and snack carts! You can see what kinds of foods and restaurants you would be interested in and have the pricing figured out for meals as you plan the budget instead of getting sticker shock once you order your food!
3. Bring your own snacks!
Did you know that Disneyland doesn't prohibit outside food or drink? Just make sure nothing is in glass containers! Don't get me wrong, it is always worth it to buy a churro or a cream cheese filled pretzel (my favorite) or an ice cream cookie sandwich at least once or twice during the trip. But realistically, you are spending a lot more money than you need to be if you are buying an in-park snack multiple times a day. What we like to do is stop by the Target down the street on the way in from the airport and stock up on all kinds of snacks. Then we fill up my purse or a backpack with what we want for the day. The last time we went, we only spent about $25 on granola bars, crackers, and water for the entire week, and still came home with extra snacks. That $25 would have only gotten us 5 snacks in park!
4. McDonald's.
That's right. McDonald's. If you are staying at a "Friendly Neighbor Hotel" across the street from Disneyland, then you are also very close to the McDonald's right in front of the Fairfield Inn (our favorite hotel). This is a perfect stop on the way into the park for a cheap breakfast, and a perfect stop on the way back to the hotel for a midnight snack. My brother and I have become very familiar with midnight stops to the McDonald's as we were the only ones in our family who stay up late enough every night to close out the park! There are also several restaurants and fast food places around Anaheim that offer alternative dining options if you want to cut down on in-park food prices.
5. Uber and Lyft
It may be obvious to most, but I am very much a late-comer to the wonders of Uber and Lyft. We discovered this only after years of paying for a $45 taxi ride from the airport to the hotel and a $100 shuttle back. Never again! Of course you should always compare prices, but know that from Long Beach Airport to the Disneyland area, taxi drivers (by law) charge a flat rate of $45. Coming back, however, the rates can sky rocket (hence why we just bit the bullet and got a shuttle for $100). This last time, however, my husband and I decided to call a Lyft to get us back to the airport since we were leaving extremely early in the morning. We only paid $25 with tip! Way worth it!
What other money saving tips do you use in the parks? Leave us a comment below!
If you are interested in buying a copy of my Disneyland Guide, feel free to contact me at any time at enchantedpumpkinblog@gmail.com. I sell my guide for $10, or you can request a personalized one for $15 that I will customize entirely to your family’s needs!
As always, if you have any tips, tricks or questions you would like to submit to our blog feel free to send us an email at enchantedpumpkinblog@gmail.com! And don't forget to hit that blue follow button at the top of the page!
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