Saving Money When Booking
Avoid the busy season if you can. You should generally plan to avoid weekends and major holidays. If you’re able to visit during the week, go between Tuesday and Thursday. There are also several times during the year when Disneyland has fewer guests, including: Mid-January through mid-March, with the exception of President’s Day weekend. Mid-April through mid-May, except during typical spring breaks. Mid-September through mid-November, except for the week surrounding Halloween. Although these times are less busy, be aware that “less busy” and “completely empty” are not the same thing. There will still be lines and lots of people, even in the “off-season.”
Look online for discounted but reliable tickets. Disneyland itself may occasionally offer discounted ticket prices, or bundled deals for a resort stay plus tickets. This is the safest option for buying discounted tickets, as third-party sellers may not be reputable. If you’re in California, you may be able to visit Costco, Safeway, or AAA locations to find small discounts on tickets. Residents of Southern California can also get discounts on tickets during certain times of the year. If you’ve got proof of residence, give Disneyland a call to plan a trip within that time slot. Do not buy tickets from roadside stands, Craigslist, or eBay. These aren’t authorized sellers, and their tickets are usually scams. You don’t want to lose money you could be spending on a visit to see Mickey!
Plan to stay for at least three days. Single-day tickets are the most expensive option per day. The cost per day decreases drastically for each day you add after 3 days. If you’re able to make your trip a bit longer, you’ll get more park time for your money. Although tickets are cheaper for longer visits, the longer you stay at Disneyland Resort hotels, the bigger your overall cost.
Choose a hopper pass to get bang for your buck. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are just a hop, skip, and a jump away from each other. If you purchase a hopper pass, you can move back and forth between the two parks. This gives you the freedom to avoid longer lines at each spot. You’ll also spend less adding a hopper to your ticket than you would on an individual park ticket to either location.
Book a hotel with a free shuttle service. If you stay at the Disneyland Resort hotels, shuttle services are free. You can also find a variety of other hotels in the area with this option. Go for these if you can, as parking on-site at Disneyland is expensive and time-consuming. While the Disneyland Resort hotels are fun and magically Disney-themed, they will almost always be more expensive than other options in the area. Search through both types of hotels to make a list of the pros and cons.
Buy a SoCal CityPass to visit other parks in the area. If you’re going to be in the region for several weeks, look into purchasing this bundled ticket. It gives you discounted prices for a three-day hopper pass with Disney, plus one-day passes to LegoLand California and SeaWorld. Be aware that LegoLand and SeaWorld are located near San Diego, about a two-hour drive from Disneyland.
Fly with miles or on off days if you can. If you’re planning to fly into Los Angeles, this could quickly eat away at your budget. If you have a credit card with a miles plan, check to see if your ticket can be purchased that way. You can also try to fly during the week rather than on weekends to slightly decrease your overall cost. You can also use online services that compare different airline prices, as well as the costs of flying into nearby airports. A little flexibility could go a long way!
Getting the Most out of Your Trip
Start early in the morning and take an afternoon break. Wake up early and get to the park right when it opens. It’ll likely be slightly less crowded for the first hour. Take a quick and refreshing break in the afternoon if you need it. Then, come back and stay until the park closes to take advantage of nighttime festivities! If you drove and parked, your best bet is to stick around for the whole day. Find an air-conditioned ride or a shady spot to relax during the afternoon slump.
Download the official Disneyland app on your smartphone. Go to the App store on your iPhone or visit Google Apps for Android phones. Search for “Disneyland app.” This will give you access to park maps and real-time updates on wait times for attractions. Be sure to download the app for Disneyland and not Walt Disney World. This app, My Disney Experience, will not be much help to you!
Check the daily FastPass availability. Disneyland recently unveiled a new FastPass system. Use the Disneyland app to check FastPass availability for your favorite rides at the beginning of each day. If there’s availability, purchase Disney’s Max Pass for a small daily fee. You can use the MaxPass to get unlimited PhotoPass downloads for the day. More importantly, you can make FastPass reservations for that day from your phone using the Disneyland app. MaxPass is a daily add-on to your ticket, or can be purchased as an annual add-on for a higher fee. This is a very different system than the one used at Walt Disney World, so visitors more familiar with the Florida-based park should beware!
Book your dining plans ahead of time. Generally, it’s a good idea to eat outside the parks to save money. Pick one or two must-do dining experiences, such as an amazing Disney restaurant or a breakfast with your favorite characters. Go to Disneyland’s website to book these meals as early as six months out. You can have breakfast with Minnie and Friends at the Plaza Inn in Disneyland Park. Stop by the Blue Bayou restaurant for a Cajun-style dinner in New Orleans Square at the park.
Visit busy attractions first and do smaller ones next. There are several rides that will almost always have longer lines. If these appeal to you, get them out of the way first. Try to hit them early in the day. Some rides with typically longer wait times include: Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters Star Tours Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage Indiana Jones Adventure Space Mountain Matterhorn Peter Pan’s Flight Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Try to use FastPasses for rides with longer wait times.
Don’t wait for more than 15 minutes for most attractions. When you walk by the entrance to a ride, it’ll list its current wait time. For most rides, it’s not worth it to wait more than about 15 minutes in line. Some will climb up to 45 minutes or even an hour, and you should definitely skip those. If you really want to stick it out in line for a beloved ride, do so. Limit those longer waits to just one or two attractions, however. You don’t want to spend your whole vacation in line!
Enjoy the fireworks if you love light displays. Disneyland has several nighttime light shows and firework displays. These can be pretty magical, especially for first-time viewers. If you’ve never seen them before, plan to take at least one night to camp out among the crowds. People will begin scoping out a spot to view fireworks a few hours before they begin. You’ll need to decide how much time you want to dedicate to firework viewing.
Avoid the fireworks to hop on lots of rides. Because so many people choose to watch the fireworks, this is also a perfect time to ride the rides without dealing with long lines. Plan to use most of the nights on your vacation to take advantage of this short but sweet period of low wait times.
Avoiding Costs at the Park
Pack your own meals when you can. Even if you’re flying in from out of town, it’s a great idea to stop by the grocery store before you check into your hotel. Stock up on cereals and breakfast foods, as well as supplies to make lunches. Packing these two meals can really cut down on costs. Even if you don’t have access to a refrigerator, you can buy non-perishables like sandwich bread, peanut or almond butter and honey, fruit, instant oatmeal, and granola bars. It’s much harder to pack food for dinner, unless you book a hotel with a kitchenette and kitchen supplies.
Choose cafeteria-style options when you eat in the park. Especially for dinners, you’ll likely need to plan for some meals in Disneyland. For day-to-day dining, go for spots that aren’t sit-down restaurants. Fancier locations be more expensive, and they’ll usually have longer wait times. Try the French Market Restaurant in New Orleans Square or the Galactic Grill in Tomorrowland for good lunch options. When looking up casual dining options on Disneyland’s website, check out the ones listed as “Quick Service.”
Don’t buy souvenirs at the park. Buy souvenirs ahead of time online or at popular retailers. You can find Disney stuff pretty much everywhere for relatively affordable prices. In the park, however, shirts and cups will be super expensive. If you (or your child) absolutely needs a Disney souvenir, pick it out ahead of time. Plan on that item being your one major splurge inside the park.
Bring your own stroller or wheelchair. Disney charges pretty high fees for these items, and they can’t be taken outside the parks. Either bring your own or use local rental centers to keep costs reasonable. Having to check in and out a stroller or wheelchair each day will also eat up time that you could be spending on rides.
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