Monday, January 9, 2017

How to do a Disney Trip for Less than $1000.00

How I did a Disney Trip for under 1000

Welcome to my first post of the New Year! I hope yours is off to a wonderful start. Winter is a great time to either take, or plan a  trip to the Happiest Place on Earth.  We went on our trip to Disneyland at peak time: July- but still managed to pull it off without breaking the bank. 

How to do a Disney Trip for Less than $1000.00

Drive Instead of Fly

I know this is not possible for everyone of course.  If you have a reasonable amount of time( and distance) to make the trip, driving will save some big bucks.  With gas prices in the US at a record low- it's a great time to take advantage of this option. We traveled from Seattle to  Anaheim and back for under $200.00. Some other stops were even included in that price- San Diego, Palm Springs and San Francisco.


How I did A Disney Trip for Under 1000

Buy Your Admission Tickets Elsewhere

Every time I visit the Magic Kingdom, the admission tickets put a big dent in the trip budget. This time we decided to search around to beat the prices at the gate. We didn't have to look far.  In the lobby of our hotel , the concierge was selling them for 105.00 each.  This saved us about 75 bucks for 3 people.

We only spent one day in the park.  If you are planning on visiting more than one, a hopper pass is a better deal. Also warehouse retailers such as Costco or Sam's, sell them in a bundle for much cheaper.




Eat And Shop Outside the Park

I know you are probably thinking what fun is that!?!  Ha, well we did eat in the park some, but not our main meals.  Like most other peeps, we are there when the park opens and stay until it's time to close.

If you drink and eat there all day long, it will certainly leave a huge hole in your wallet!  Eat breakfast at McDonalds before heading to the park. Later grab a stamp on your hand, and leave for lunch and dinner. This time around we found the most scrumptious Mexican food. It's a few blocks away on Harbor Blvd-  Sabrosada . TO DIE FOR, and very reasonable in price.

Snacks and drinks and a keychain is all we purchased inside the park. Target and small vendors on Harbor Blvd sell Disney merchandise for a lot less.




 Listen to A Time Share Spiel to Save on Hotel 

I have a friend that belongs to the Worldmark timeshare group, perhaps you do too.  She gave me a pass for 2 free nights at a Worldmark/ Wyndham property anywhere in the world. The pass gave me the option for staying 3 additional nights for a total of $150.00 

We stayed at the Anaheim Garden Grove hotel by Wyndham. We absolutely loved it! The rooms were spacious, cozy and inviting.  The pool was wonderful, and the staff was friendly.   I would definitely consider a stay here again. You can reserve a room here even if you don't belong to Worldmark.

Of course the catch is you have to listen to a 2 hour presentation about purchasing a piece of the pie.  The presentation was  tastefully  done and we escaped without our wrists being twisted behind our backs! Actually there was no high pressure sales tactics used.  A little prodding was all, and it was totally worth it to save  money.


Budget Your Time

Another great way to save is to plan your time while in the park.  Creating an agenda of the attractions and rides you want to go to, will actually help save money! Aimlessly wandering around usually leads to nickel and diming your cash away.

It's also easy to get caught up in the pressure to purchase extra tours, park souvenirs etc.  There are plenty of things to see and do, included in the entrance price. 



Summary of Expenses For 5 Days:

Gas:     200                                                                              
Hotel:  150                                                                            
Park Passes:   315                                                                      
Food & Shopping: 350    


US News and World Report's Article on the best travel credit cards for 2018, will certainly help you budget for any travel you are planning.                                       

My favorite attraction in Disneyland is splash mountain. You guessed it, I'm a thrill seeker!  I love the  rush when the ride takes a steep drop into the briar patch  below!

What is your favorite Disney attraction?




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Would you like to comment?

  1. Wow! These are great tips! I am not sure though how my 2 toddlers will do with a 12-hour drive to Florida!

    Belle | One Awesome Momma

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    1. Hi Belle, yeah with toddlers probably driving far is not an option but maybe some of the tips will help!

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  2. Thanks for sharing this. My fiance has never been to Disney so I am trying to plan an affordable trip there. This will definitely help our planning!

    -Anita
    www.theaveragegirlchronicles.com

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    1. Awe thanks Anita, I hope you get to go and find good deals!

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  3. I love Disney. I can hardly WAIT to go back. Thank you for the tips.

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    1. Thank you Anne, yes its such a fun place even for us big kids!

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  4. These are really great tips! We would like to take our boys soon. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Hey Amber I hope you can too...every kid has to visit!

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  5. These are great tips! I'm planning a Disney trip for later this year so this will be very helpful! :)

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  6. These are great tips. It can get so expensive when visiting Disney!

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    1. Thank you... yes it is a cash trap..lol! I love to go but have to budget big time to make it happen!

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  7. I have been wanting to go to Disney for YEARS, but I was scared we couldn't afford it! Saving these tips!

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    1. Thank you Mary...I hope you can make it happen..budgeting is really key

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  8. Thanks for the tips! Have wanted to plan a trip to Disneyland And this is the way to do it for sure!
    Melanie

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    1. Thanks Melanie, so glad I could help .. hope you can go soon!

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  9. Awesome tips!! I've never been to Disney because I thought it was way too expensive. If I do go I'll be using these tips.

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    1. Awe thanks Julia, I am so glad it helped for your planning!

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  10. Disney is such a great place to vacation, there is so much to do and see. It is expensive though so thanks for these tips.

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    1. Yes Chantal, so much fun! I wish I could go more often, I make it about every 3-5 years.

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  11. That's crazy that tickets are so much cheaper elsewhere. Thanks for the tip!

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    1. You are welcome Chelsea, IKR? I never tried to buy them elsewhere until this visit..so worth it to shop around!

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  12. I've heard of all of these tips and done them as well. They are definitely money savers!

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    1. Hey Shani, glad you found a way to save some bucks...I'm all about that!

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  13. Awesome! That's a great way to save on a hotel. I wanna go to Disney so bad!

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    1. Thank you..You can make it happen...I hope you get to go!

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  14. These are great tips! We went from Seattle to Disneyland twice last year. It's my favorite place! Planning on heading there again this year, but really want to drive! What a great way to save money and see the sights along the way!

    xo Ashley

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    1. Wow yay for you ..twice is awesome! Glad I could help with some money saving tips!

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  15. Thanks for the tips, i always dreamed about visiting Disneyland, and maybe now i will xox

    www.theninebyivana.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks Ivana, I hope you get the chance, its amazing!

      Valerie

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  16. Great tips! We are locals so we go often and we always pack a ton of snacks and sometimes even lunch too. Disney allows the food in the parks as long as its just in your backpack vs a cooler. Then you don't even have to leave for lunch ;)

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    1. Hey Amber, you are a lucky girl to live so close! Packing a lunch is a good way to save also, I knew they let you bring food in, IM just not a fan of packing lunch..:/

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  17. These are some great tips. I'd love to go to Disneyland one day!
    - Cydney
    http://cydneyhelsdown.co.uk

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    1. Thank you Cdyney I hope you get the chance to go!


      Valerie

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  18. Wow Amber I'm jealous, lol, I want to live in CA so bad! Working on it! I knew you could bring lunch in, I'm just not a fan of packing lunch..but a great way to save even more.

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  19. Nice tips and pics Val! I have never been to Disney, waiting for when this LO inside me is going tobe big enough to enjoy disneyland haha.

    xx, Kusum | www.sveeteskapes.com

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    1. Thank you lil miss mummie to be! I m glad you stopped by and hope to see you soon downtown for a visit!

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  20. Great tips! You're so right about the food. It's always so expensive. Much better to find yummier food offsite then over spend on mass produced tasteless food.

    xx Rebecca - www.whatrebeccaloves.com

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    1. Ha you are so right on that...the food in their is not that great either...I enjoyed eating outside much better for sure!

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  21. I had no idea a trip to Disney could be so expensive! But it seems you made it quite cheaper than it could be, well done to you! I don't go too often at Disneyland Paris but I enjoy it a lot when I do :)

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    1. Thank you Alice, I am dying to visit Paris ,and going to Disney there would be the icing on the cake!

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  22. Disneyland sounds like a swell idea, especially when you can do it under $1000! & do it really comfortably; cosy spacious hotel! I thought it was really smart that you ate outside the park! We pack sandwiches when we go out to theme parks. Did you have a happy day at the happiest place on earth?

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    1. Hi Vivi, oh yes I did! I wish I was into packing a lunch, but guess Im not..ha! Have a great day!

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  23. I usually avoid those time share spiels like the plague lol. Looks like you lucked out though with the discount on accomodation. I've been to Disneyland Anaheim three time and you are right it can be so expensive! Great budget saving tips!

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    1. Yeah I hear ya about the spiels..I despise them too. ha ha but it was worth it to get such a great deal!

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  24. This is very useful post, Thanks for sharing this valuable information with us.
    One day package trip to tirupathi

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    1. Thank you Arjun, I am glad it was informative !

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  25. we are heading to DL for one day (as part of a bigger cali road trip) we have our hotel booked on points, but thanks for the tips on eating and also i will look into costco for tix
    http://www.mommatogo.com

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    1. Sorry I just saw this..I hope you had a great trip and were able to do it on a budget!

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