Disneyland is so expensive. I can help.
30+ Ways to Save Money at Disneyland
Here are over 30 tips and tricks that will hep you save money at Disneyland:
1. Buy discounted theme park tickets
These are the best ways to save money on Disneyland tickets:
- Buy them through Undercover Tourist
- AAA members can save up to $10 on 2 to 5-day tickets
- Military discounted tickets for veterans and active duty (including their families)
- Groups of 15 or more from a qualified non-profit get cheaper tickets
- Kids ages 2 and under are free
- Use a Disney Travel Agent to see if they can find any special deals
2. Stay within walking distance
There are so many great off-property hotels that are well within walking distance to Disneyland.
Plus, no matter what your budget is, you’ll always find a great place to stay.
My go-to hotels are always the Westin Anaheim, Homewood Suites, and Hyatt Place.
3. Skip the Park Hopper add-on
The Park Hopper add-on costs $65 extra per ticket for adults and children.
So if you plan on visiting for multiple days, you can save quite a bit of money just by doing one park per day.
4. Buy a Magic Key
IF you plan on visiting anywhere between 3 and 8 times a year, then a Magic Key is the best way to save money.
Here’s how many times you’ll need to go to break even with each Magic Key.
5. Skip Individual Lightning Lanes, use Single Rider instead
Instead of buying an Individual Lightning Lane for certain rides to shorten the wait, see if they offer a Single Rider Line first.
The best example for this would be for Radiator Springs Racers which offers a Single Rider Line. An Individual Lightning Lane could cost anywhere from $7 to $20.
6. Visit during the off-season for low waits
You can expect Disneyland and California Adventure to be the emptiest on the following dates:
- February 20-28
- March 2-8
- May weekdays (except Grad Nites and Memorial Day)
- August (except during D23)
- September on Tuesdays through Thursdays (except Labor Day)
7. Visit during cheaper times of the year
The cheapest times of the year to go to Disneyland are:
- January = Monday to Thursdays
- February = The first 2 weeks
- March = The first few weekdays (before Orange County spring break)
- May = Tuesdays and Wednesdays
- June = The 2nd week
- August = Last 2 weeks
- September = Most weekdays
- October = Tuesdays to Thursdays
- November = Tuesdays to Thursdays (excluding Thanksgiving)
- December = Tuesdays to Thursdays during the first half of month
8. Stay at a Disney hotel on Sundays through Thursday
These are historically the cheapest days of the week to stay at a Disney hotel, as long as it’s not during a holiday or Spring Break.
9. Ask for Disney Gift Cards as gifts
If you have an upcoming birthday or anniversary or Father’s Day and Christmas are right around the corner, as for Disney Gift Cards which can be used on snacks, merchandise, parking, balloons, and so much more.
10. Plan far in advance
By planning your trip far in advance, it’ll give you more time to save for your trip as well as help you secure cheaper park tickets and hotel room rates, just in case there’s a last minute price increase.
Here’s my simple Disneyland planning timeline and checklist.
11. Buy your ticket with Lightning Lane
Genie+ uses demand-based pricing which means that the price will be higher if the parks are busier.
But if you were to buy your ticket well in advance with Genie+ already added in to it, your cost won’t increase even if there’s a last minute price change for Genie+ on the day you’re visiting.
12. Buy your parking passes beforehand
If you purchase a Disneyland ticket online through the official Disneyland website, you’l also have the option to buy at standard parking voucher for $30 (saving you $5 at the gate).
13. Bring your own portable battery
Instead of buying a FuelRod, just pack your own portable battery charger.
14. Don’t forget the refillable water bottle
I ain’t ever spending $4 on bottled water which is why I always have refillable one in my park bag at all times.
15. Avoid convention dates
If your schedule allows you, be sure to avoid conventions, especially D23 since room rates are ridiculous and the parks will be crowded.
Here’s the Anaheim Convention Center calendar.
16. Skip PhotoPass
Unless you’re buying Genie+ which does include PhotoPass, I would skip this option altogether.
Doing so could save you $19.99.
Personally, I like taking my own photos of the ride photos as well as letting photopass photographers to use my phone when taking group photos.
17. Don’t go overboard on souvenirs
I got friends that LOVE buying Disney merch. But as tempting as it is, I recommend that you set a souvenir budget so that you don’t break the bank.
It’ll be tough but I have faith in you.
18. Share your snacks and drinks
There are so many amazing things to eat and drink at Disneyland that sharing is the best way to try as much as possible without breaking the bank.
19. Have a non-park day
If you have at least 3 full days at Disneyland, I suggest having a non-park day where you can hang out in the hotel, go to the pool, visit Downtown Disney, or even be LA tourist for the day.
20. Get the refillable popcorn bucket
If you eat a ton of popcorn, then there’s no better deal than the refillable popcorn bucket which can be used at both parks!
21. Take advantage of special promotions
Whether if you’re a California resident, a Disney+ subscriber, or even a Magic Key holder, Disneyland usually will have some sort of hotel promotion or ticket offer that you can take advantage of throughout the year.
Be sure to bookmark the official Disneyland offers page.
22. If you’re from out of town, don’t rent a car
There really is no need to rent a car unless you plan on exploring Los Angeles and beyond.
Plus, it’s cheaper to just take an Uber or Lyft to and from LAX as opposed to renting a car to get you to Anaheim.
22. Eat breakfast outside the park
Lemme tell, there is almost nothing worth eating at both parks for breakfast.
That’s why it’s best to eat breakfast off-property, at home, or even at your hotel, especially if it’s free.
24. Buy princess dresses before hand
The official princess dresses at the official Disneyland stores are crazy expensive. 9 times out of 10 you’ll find a cheaper alternative online or at like Walmart/Target.
25. If you’re flying in, look at John Wayne (SNA)
Sure LAX will have cheaper flights and almost every airline in the world flies there, but the fact that you have to pay at least $80 to get to Anaheim is kind of a bummer.
Especially since SNA is only 20 minutes away compared to an hour or more with traffic at from LAX.
26. Use Cash
As insane as it sounds as a way to save money, by only bringing cash, you’re basically preventing yourself from overspending.
Because using Apple Pay has made my Disneyland visits so dangerous.
27. If you have young kids, try to visit before they turn 3
Since kids ages 2 and under are free, this is the best time to go to Disneyland.
Tickets for kids ages 3-9 star at $104 and can go as high as $179, not including Park Hopper.
And if you feel like there won’t be a lot of rides and attractions that they can get on, you’d be surprised.
28. Do NOT visit during these times
The absolute worst times to visit Disneyland are:
- Christmas
- Thanksgiving
- New Years
- Major conventions like D23
- Orange County Spring Break
- Los Angeles County Spring Break
It’s expensive and busy.
29. Get some freebies within the park
Believe it or not, there are still some free things at Disneyland:
- sourdough bread sample
- iced water from Starbucks
- stickers from Cast Members
- Celebratory buttons (birthday, 1st visit, etc)
- Artwork that you’ve drawn at the Animation Academy
30. Use points for your hotel stay
Although you can’t use points for any of the Disney hotels, almost every major hotel off-property is part of some loyalty program or credit card transfer program.
31. Stay off-property
Although I already touched on this in the beginning, here are a few more details that’ll help you pick a great place to stay off-property.
Disneyland resort hotels are so insanely overpriced almost every month of the year with room rates ranging from $360 to $1,000+ per night.
That’s why a great way to save money is to stay at a Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel which are hotels that have been approved by Disney and are close to the parks.
There are four categories to choose from with room rates ranging from $120 to $380 per night:
- Deluxe (Courtyard by Marriott Theme Park Entrance)
- Moderate (Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground)
- Superior (Hyatt Regency Orange County)
- Suites (Home2 Suites by Hilton Anaheim Resort)
32. Bring your own food and drinks
Not gonna lie, when it comes to bringing your own food to eat at Disney, I’m a hater.
That said, food and drinks are so expensive that sometimes it’s best to just pack your own lunch and snacks, especially if you could care less about Disneyland food.
33. Bring your own stroller
Renting strollers at Disneyland costs $15 per day for a single and $30 per day for a double stroller. That can add up over multiple days when you can just bring your own, even if you’re flying (it’s free to gate check).
34. Skip the ticketed events
It pains me to say it but skipping Oogie Boogie Bash can save you hundreds.
35. Visit on emptier days of the week
Certain days of the week are emptier and have lower wait times than normal, which means Genie+ may be cheaper, or better, you won’t even have to purchase it for the day.
As or right now, the best day of the week to go to California Adventure and Disneyland Park is Friday.
The busiest day at Disneyland is Monday and the busiest days for California Adventure are Saturday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
36. Read my straight-forward planning article
A shameless plug, but I put together a pretty straight-forward and simple Disneyland planning article that’s worth a read.
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Hope these money-saving tips help you have a great Disneyland visit!
