These great tips were shared by my cousin, Abby Walker, who works as a freelance writer and Social Media Consultant in sunny San Diego!  Abby is a lifetime lover and frequent visitor of Disneyland!

A day at Disneyland is a dream come true for many people, from the young to the young-at-heart, but it can also be a nightmare for your budget. From admission to parking to food, the price for a day of fun, especially for a family, can be a big shock. As an Annual Passholder for the past seven years, I’ve learned a few tricks to help save a few dollars here and there. Although a day at the Happiest Place on Earth will never be considered cheap, here are some ways that you can save a few bucks.

Disclosure: There are affiliate links below, which means if you purchase I receive small compensation to keep this blog running.  However,  these are things I consider must haves!

Get the Best Deal on Admission

No question about it! The most expensive part of your Disney day will be the cost of admission. One day, one park admission currently ranges between $97 and $124, depending on the day. If your schedule and budget allows, you can save on the daily cost by purchasing a multi-day ticket. For example, a five day ticket costs $305 per adult, or $61 per day. Children age 3 to 9 receive a slight discount on tickets and little ones under the age of 3 are free.

Discounts may be available through your employer, school or credit union so always take a look there before ordering your tickets to possibly shave off a few dollars.

Cut Costs on Food

Face it. You’re going to have to eat to make it through a marathon Disney day of criss crossing the park on foot multiple times. But there’s no need to splurge on every meal. In fact, unless you’re a big eater, most Disney meals provide enough food to share. Without a doubt, my favorite shareable plate is the fried chicken at the Plaza Inn on Main Street. Three pieces of crispy fried chicken served with a scoop of mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and a biscuit! Personally, I could never finish the entire plate on my own and splitting the $17.49 meal with a friend makes it a more affordable option.

Want to cut costs even further? Disneyland lets you bring your own snacks into the park so you can save money when the mid-afternoon munchies hit and you can avoid the churro and popcorn carts, which would cost you close to $5 a treat. While you can’t bring a full picnic into the park, you can rent a locker outside (prices range from $7 to $15, depending on size) and store a cooler with a full feast to dine on in their picnic area between the two parks. Consider that each meal at Disneyland will cost a minimum of $10 per person and the locker rental looks like a pretty good deal!

Save Money on Transportation

It now costs $20 per day to park your car at Disneyland. Eek! But you do have a few options to cut costs, depending on the size of your group. If you have a full carload, it may still a better deal to pay the parking fee but smaller groups may benefit from the following options:

If you’re local to Southern Calfornia and plan on visiting the park on the weekend, consider taking the Metrolink. For just $10 round-trip on Saturday and Sunday, you can catch the train as far south as Oceanside, north to Ventura and east to San Bernardino and ride in style to the Anaheim station, where you can catch a free ART shuttle to Disneyland. Skip the traffic, save gas and avoid parking fees? Sounds great, right? Just keep an eye on the train schedule to make sure you don’t miss your ride home!

If you’ve traveled to Disneyland from out of town and are staying at one of the area hotels, consider using the ART shuttle. For $5.50 per adult or $2 per child roundtrip, you can catch a ride outside many of the local resorts and you’ll be dropped off directly outside the Disneyland Resort. Going for multiple days? You can save a few more dollars by buying a 3 or 5 day transportation pass.

Of course, there are many other ways to save money at Disneyland, from cheap (or even free!) souvenirs to budget friendly lodging. Stay tuned for more ways to save!

 

Happy Budget Traveling! 

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-Serena