With a family of seven, affording a trip to Disneyland is a challenge. Between transportation, airfare/gas money, hotel, park admission and food, it seems like visiting The Happiest Place on Earth is cost prohibitive. Yet roughly 44,000 people visit the park every day – so somehow they are finding a way to make it affordable. Here are 7 ways to save money on a Disneyland family vacation.

Whether you’re planning a couple’s getaway or a family vacation, these tips can help make your dream of Disneyland a reality.

While you’re saving your nickels and dimes, whip up some of these favorite Disney recipes.

Stay in a Good Neighbor Hotel

It’s nice to stay in one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels – but it’s also more expensive. I’ve experienced and toured several hotels near the Disneyland Resort. Most are within walking distance, but the ones that are a little bit of a walk also have a shuttle or access to the Anaheim bus system. I always look for the ones that have a free breakfast, but I know others want a nice pool to relax in while not in the park. Check out these Good Neighbor Hotels to see which one is right for you.

The list of Good Neighbor Hotels includes popular brands like Best Western, Marriott, Hilton or Sheraton. But there are also stand-alone, family owned hotels worth checking out.

You’ll find a wide range of prices based on the hotel chain and the time of year. Booking a vacation package through Get Away Today that includes a Good Neighbor Hotel and park admissions can help you save money on a Disneyland family vacation. Sometimes it’s the little things like free parking at the hotel, early access to the theme parks, etc.

If you visit the park in the off-season – like September, January or February – you may be able to find some discounts that can save you a few dollars.

Buy Multi-day Park Tickets

Going to Disneyland for just one day would seem pretty pricey, since a single-day ticket is $100+ per person. But going for a two, three, four or even five-day ticket reduce the cost per day.

There are a lot of rides to ride, shows to see and foods to feast upon, so a few days in the park will make your trip less stressful, because you won’t have to pack everything into a single day.

One additional way to save money on a Disneyland family vacation is to avoid adding the park-hopper option to your tickets. The park-hopper option allows you to bounce back and forth between Disneyland Resort and California Adventure; but it also costs a little more for that feature. You can buy a three-day ticket, spend one day in Disneyland Park, the second day in California Adventure, and on your third day you can decide which park you want to explore on your final day.

Another advantage of purchasing a vacation package through Get Away Today are the added perks they provide. For example, they sometimes offer an extra day free – buy a three-day park hopper pass and they’ll upgrade it to a four-day. It’s a great way to save money on a Disneyland family vacation.

Bring Your Own Food Into Disneyland

The food in Disneyland is delicious – don’t get me wrong. But feeding a whole family adds up quickly. My recommendation: Bring your own food into the park.

Just down the road from Disneyland Resort (and thus many of the Good Neighbor Hotels) is a Target, Walgreens or CVS Pharmacy. Any of those locations are perfect to grab some bread, jelly, peanut butter, bags of chips, napkins and more. You can also bring some of this stuff with you on your luggage.

Food is allowed into the park, but you’ll need to transfer the jelly out of its glass container, since glass bottles are not allowed in the park. Small plastic, sealable containers work great – putting them into a Ziploc bag helps provide some peace of mind that your stuff won’t end up covered in jelly if the lid pops off.

If you’re okay eating sandwiches for dinner, then you can just keep going inside the park. But if you want to exit the park, there are numerous less-expensive restaurants available – like Denny’s or IHOP. There’s even a Taco Bell down the street if you’re looking for tacos.

Downtown Disney offers some dining options as well.

If you do want to splurge inside the park, maybe enjoy a meal on your final evening in the park as a sort of parting gift. We’ve eaten dinner out of the park, but grabbed a dessert in the park before heading back to the hotel. Desserts can be a lot less expensive than a full meal, too. Check out these dining options inside the Disneyland Resort, which includes character dining options.

With all that said, if you want to indulge in a traditional Disneyland turkey leg, there are a few stands that offer them. If you can’t find them, ask one of the cast members and they’ll help guide you.

Fly? If so, Don’t Rent a Car

If you drive to Disneyland, expect to pay a parking fee at the hotel for your vehicle. The disadvantage is that you likely will park your car at the start of your trip and not get back into it until you are heading home. So the parking ends up being expensive. If you drove, you don’t really have an option.

But if you flew, then my recommendation: Don’t rent a car. Your rental car will get you to and from the park, and you’ll still pay the fee at the hotel to park it.

From many of the nearby airports, you can take an UBER/Lyft (Ride Share), or you can book a van through Karmel Shuttle. From our last trip to Anaheim, we spent about $55 each way for an UBER from LAX to the Disneyland Resort area. You can take a taxi, but that can end up getting a little pricey as well. Do your research to see which option will provide you with the best – and least expensive – option.

Put a Budget on Souvenirs

Disneyland has almost anything you can think of available as a park souvenir. You can find clothing (yes, including underwear), pins, bubble blowers, balloons, jewelry, shot glasses, mugs, tokens, stuffed animals, books, movies, ornaments and much more.

Let each person in the family know how much money they have for a souvenir at the start of the trip. When they spend that money, that’s it.

If the child has earned some of their own money, they are always welcome to bring that to supplement what may be available to them. Or, you can let the kids know they have to earn their souvenir spending money in advance of the trip.

Bring Your Own Refillable Water Bottles

Water bottles or sodas are a few dollars each. If you’re at Disneyland in the summer, you’ll likely be doing a lot of walking in the hot sun and it’s important to stay hydrated. So rather than spending your money on drinks in the park, bring refillable water bottles and carry them in your backpack.

When they’re gone, you can fill them up at your nearest drinking fountain. If you would like some ice, check with one of the food stands, or buy just a cup of ice. It’ll be a lot less expensive than the water.

If you want something with flavor, pick up the individual powdered flavor packets that you can add into your water bottles while on the go.

I’ve put together a list of 21 things you should bring into the Disneyland Resort with you. You can adjust the recommendations based on your group, but these items are tried and true from multiple park-goers.

Know the Weather and Plan Ahead

If you didn’t plan ahead for the weather, you can likely find a poncho, sweatshirt, coat or umbrella inside the park. But you’ll also pay a lot for that last-minute purchase.

Before you leave on your trip, check the weather and bring the items or clothing from home that you would need to have an enjoyable day in the park, despite the weather. Planning ahead will help you avoid the cost of buying unplanned souvenirs inside the park.

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If you’re thinking about booking a Disneyland vacation, check out Disneyland packages at getawaytoday.com or call 855-GET-AWAY. Their travel experts will make sure you get the best price and best service, guaranteed. Plus, with a flexible Layaway Plan option, vacationing to The Happiest Place on Earth is more affordable than ever before.

Save $10 on any Southern California vacation package at Get Away Today when you use my exclusive coupon code: Carltonaut10.

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