In September 2023, our oldest son turned 10. To celebrate we made our first family trek to Disneyland, which if you’ve been, you know it’s spendy. So here are our family’s tips to save money at Disneyland.
It’s not just me saying Disney parks are expensive. Disney CEO Bob Iger acknowledged that price hikes in the last few years have been “too aggressive.”
But the theme parks aren’t going anywhere, in fact, they are a key strategy to the Disney brand. So much so that the company announced it’s investing more than $60B into its parks and cruise business over the next 10 years.
Those two stories combined are good news for Disney parks fans but it still won’t change the fact that any way you look at it, visiting a Disney park will be expensive.
Magical Overload
It’s hard to walk 10 feet in Disneyland without the opportunity to buy something.
Whether it’s one of its famous restaurants, dozens of souvenir stores or kiosks that line the walkways, temptations are everywhere. $6.50 for one bag of cotton candy??
Disneyland should be a fun, magical experience but if that means going into debt or spending more than you planned, that’s not my idea of fun.
It shouldn’t be yours either.
There are no shortages of hacks or “secret” ways to to save money at Disneyland, but here’s just a few more.
We’ve been home for three days from our Disney trip and already talking about when we might return.
Here are our family’s tips to save money at Disneyland
1. Budget Ahead
Planning your expenses before your visit is one of the best ways to ensure that you don’t go overboard.
Prior to our trip we talked with a half dozen different friends who had visited the park in the last year. They shared what they felt were expenses that were worth it and which ones weren’t. Based on their feedback we made our own decisions on what we thought would be important to us.
I set a family budget (using my favorite budgeting app) before we arrived and surprisingly we were extremely close once it was all done.
I was surprised – though I probably shouldn’t have been – with the cost of food in the Downtown Disney District (outside the parks).
Maybe equally as surprising, the prices inside the park were high but not totally outrageous.
That said, inside Disneyland depending on the restaurant you choose, plan $75-$100 per meal for a family of four. That does not include snacks, treats, or any beverages you purchase. Note, alcohol is scarce in Disneyland but is found a few select locations. A stark contrast to California Adventure where it is sold much more freely. That certainly helps keep the costs down too.
Disney Genie Service is the free way to track estimated line wait times, so if you want to actually skip the lines, you’ll need Disney Genie +.
This reservation-type approach allows you to book a time to ride and bypass the standby line. At $25 per ticket per day, the Disney Genie + service can add up quickly. This service alone added $300 to our ticket prices. However, I found this purchase more than paid for itself over the course of our three days.
Though Genie + does not include the Lightning Lane expenses for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs rides.
These are often the two longest lines in Disneyland and California Adventure.
We purchased Lightning Lane passes for both. Radiatior Springs was $15 per person, for a total cost of $60 for our family of four. Rise of the Resistance was $25 per person, for a total of $100.
I would normally be opposed to spending money on things like that but in my mind, it was absolutely worth it.
The ability to bypass lines and spend more time doing what you want rather than waiting in line is a big bonus.
Disney makes it very clear through announcements while waiting in line that they prioritize those who have purchased the LL passes, which makes the standby lines take even longer.
In all, we spent $460 to “skip lines” at the two parks. We were able to ride everything we wanted, multiple times, during our trip and spending this extra money made that happen and our overall experience much more magical.
Planning for these expenses in advance, makes the purchases much easier to accept.
2. Bring Your Own Food
Disneyland is one of the few places that actually lets you bring in your own food. This is hands down the easiest way to save money at Disneyland.
We visited the CVS just a block away from Disneyland and stocked up on snacks. Every day we packed our backpack with things that could be quickly and easily eaten while standing in line or taking a short break on a park bench.
While we chose not to, we saw many families bringing in entire packed lunches. Disney restricts certain types of coolers and items but overall they are very generous in what they allow you to bring in. We also brought refillable water bottles so we could utilize water bottle refill stations located throughout the park.
Bringing some food with you into the park frees up a portion of your budget to buy some of the fun treats Disneyland is known for. Dole Pineapple Whip, churros, beignets, and a whole bunch more.
Even if it’s just snacks and water, it will make a difference in saving money in Disneyland.
3. Set Souvenir Expectations Early
The number of souvenir options available at Disneyland is overwhelming.
You can find just about anything you can imagine and it’s all designed to tantalize your kids.
Prior to our trip we talked with our boys about what we were willing to buy. One souvenir each, anything else they would have to buy on their own.
I’m not saying that they didn’t try to push it and asked repeatedly for more but we were clear in what we were willing to pay for.
We spent two days at Disneyland, with one day at California Adventure sandwiched in-between. That first day in Disneyland they were already begging for variety of souvenirs.
We let them know that they still had two days left and one park they hadn’t visited yet, how did they know that’s the exact souvenir they wanted already? Additionally, we talked about how they would have to carry that giant lightsaber around the park for the next ten hours.
This conversation played out multiple times over the three days but each time they understood (mostly) that they should wait just a bit longer in case they found something better.
Finally, around 8 p.m. on our last day they decided what they wanted as their souvenir and we went in search of the right store.
Each walked out with their own reminder of the Disney trip and everyone was happy.
One even decided to buy his own Pluto hat (with long ears) with his money. While, admittedly I mentally questioned the purchase, it’s clear he’s happy with it. He wore it to school everyday the week we returned.
4. Kids Bring Own Money
The morning of our flight down to Disneyland both our boys went to their piggy banks and counted out their money and had to make the tough decision of how much they wanted to bring.
“Do I bring it all?” “Should I save some?” “What if it’s not enough?”
I am big on teaching our kids financial values early on. It is so easy for them to say “I want this” or “they have that” when there is no understanding behind it.
We have conversations with our boys about what things cost, how much work it takes to earn enough to buy something and why we don’t just buy anything we want.
Of course they don’t always fully grasp every detail but the important thing is we talk about it and help them understand the value of money and goods.
We told our boys early on that if they wanted more than one souvenir that they would have to pay for it themselves.
So that’s why the morning we left home they were counting it out and deciding how much cash to bring. We put it in mom’s purse and she was ready with it once the time was right.
While we didn’t tell them they couldn’t buy something with their own money, we used their interest in different items as a math lesson (since we did pull them out of school) to determine if they had enough or how much they’d have left once they bought it.
One thing we may do different next time is buy a Disney gift card and load it up with a 50/50 split. We contribute half of the total amount and they contribute the other half.
This way they can walk through the park and make their own decisions while having to keep track of their overall purchases. They feel empowered to make their own decisions and you don’t have to constantly be asked if you’d buy something for them.
5. Mobile Order Food Ahead…Way Ahead
One of our greater failings in this first epic trip to Disneyland was our meal planning. As I mentioned earlier we only brought snacks in with us, so we knew that we’d be buying food at the park.
What we didn’t anticipate was falling completely off any sort of eating schedule.
The first day we didn’t eat lunch until after 2 p.m. because we were riding rides and each food line we passed was WAY too long.
Once we finally decided we needed to eat, the lines were reasonable but only because we were eating so late, which wasn’t ideal for our boys who were getting a little hangry.
Another time we tried mobile ordering but didn’t plan far enough ahead. Even though it was mobile, the food took more than 45 minutes to be ready.
So here’s what you do.
Get an idea of when you want to eat and where early in the day. Well before lunch time use the Disneyland app to select your restaurant, food and pickup time window. Then go ride rides for another few hours.
By the time you’re ready to eat, your food will be ready and you’ll be eating what you want, when you want.
We did this following the Magic Happens parade on a Saturday night.
While we were sitting curbside waiting for the parade to start at 6:30 p.m., we ordered food for the boys, selecting a pickup window of 6:40 to 7:05 p.m. This allowed us to watch the parade (which is wonderful) and then casually walk over and pick up the food we preordered.
My wife and I didn’t want the same food as them, so while they were picking it up I went and ordered from Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland (next to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad) before the parade crowds slammed the place.
We all had what we wanted with little waiting and plenty of options to sit and relax. It worked out perfectly.
Ordering ahead also helps reduce impulse buying.
There are some pretty delicious options at some of the restaurants and when you’ve been walking all day, it’s hot and you’re hungry, it’s easy to add an extra $20 to your bill just through impulse purchases. Doing that each time can add up.
Taking some time and thinking ahead about your meal plan for the day can pay some big dividends, both with options and savings. You’ve got some time in lines, it’s the perfect opportunity.
Booking Our Next Trip
I am not what you would call a Disney fanatic.
To be honest, I didn’t really understand why people were so obsessed with Disneyland. And while I certainly wouldn’t put myself in that camp now, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience and the fun we had.
This was a 10th birthday trip for our oldest son and we’re already looking to do the same with our other son for his 10th birthday. Though we’ll be sure to learn from this trip to save money on our next trip to Disneyland.
The rides, the family experience, the parade were all so enjoyable. Even with walking over 10 miles a day, waking up at 6 a.m. to be some of the first in the park and staying until at least 10 p.m. every night.
It was a toll on our bodies but I’m ready to do it again…in just a few years.
