Favorite money savers/favorite splurges

[kjhgarden]

Taking eight people to DLR things add up quickly. I thought we could save money in some areas so we could splurge in other areas. What are your favorite ways to save money at DL? and what are your favorite splurges?

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

As a kid (ages 4-16) my grandparents took each grandchild (along w/ the rest of the fam) to DL once the reached a good age. There were 7 of us....plus our parents...and our great grandmother - there was 12 of us on one trip, that was the biggest number at one time. I can't imagine paying the way for 12 people!

We live in AZ, so there was airfare and transportation too. We stayed in a cheap inn, it was actually pretty bad. But it was cheap enough for everyone. There was no internet, no reviews in '93 - she saw a deal & grabbed it. I can remember most of the visits were spent at the Lamplighter Inn, they stayed there in the 60's too when my mom was young. We had to WALK from there (oh my aching feet!)!

We ate at the cheaper establishments & it cost $3 or so for a burger & fries then. There were no nice dinners out as there are now that I'm an adult. No Blue Bayou for us.

We went home after lunch so the older ones & the little ones could rest. We went back after dinner. Dinner was at a fast food joint or something like that.

We each got one souvenir.

We usually flew in on a Thursday & left on a Saturday. It was a fast trip.

~~~~~~~~

As an adult I would prefer to try and save money by taking advantage of the continental breakfast, eating a nice lunch and a cheaper dinner. It saves in the long run. I love the convenience of DLH but we usually stayed offsite & used the provided shuttle. The Good Neighbor hotels were less expensive.

After doing DL so frugally as a child I like to splurge now so I don't often try to save money, I do what I can but I don't worry. I just alot myself a budget & use that. I find I spend more money each time I go, b/c I'm treating myself.

I'm sure there's some great idea out there, only thing I can reflect on is my childhood.

 

[dizzyami]

Even with the 5 of us that go, I think we usually end up spending the most money on food - it is expensive - even the cheap places inside the park. We usually like to stock up on breakfast and snacks in the room (we usually bring it in the car, or stop at a grocery store on the way in). We will do bagels in the morning, and then snack on something like granola bars during the day. We also always try to get a refrigerator in the room to bring our own soda's and water - because these also get very expensive in the park and I don't remember the rules exactly, but I am pretty sure you can bring in at least bottled water.

A place we found last trip, right inside the GCH (right through the entrance from the CA park - available to anyone) is WhiteWater Snacks, this place was the most affordable of any, and could feed our group for pretty cheap. With the ages of our kids we plan 1 character meal as our treat for the trip - and other then that try to avoid any dining inside the park.

There are also so many souvenirs and shops, we try to bring hats and jackets with us, as we know there will be many other things that we will want to buy inside the park, and this limits the expenditures a bit without feeling like we are missing out.

 

[minnietoo]

I agree your biggest expense is going to be food. I only splurge on one park meal - we usaully eat a hearty breakfast (at home or outside the park) - snack for lunch - and nice dinner. Although if we choose to have breakfast in the park - we go for a less costly dinner and snack for lunch.

Or bring some snacks and only allow one disney snack per day per person.

Try putting your kids on a budget for suveniors. Give them disney dollars for this and let them decide what they want within their budget. Try not to let them buy until they've had a taste of what's available.

bring your own water - get a locker to store it in

Bring a light jacket and your sun hat (sunscreen) - you won't have to buy these in the park (or poncho, gloves, scarf if its winter etc.)

From what I read here - stay off property in a "good neighbor" hotel - get a hotel with free breakfast in the AM.

If you come from out of town - don't pay for your rental car to sit in a parking lot - use ground transportation to get to and from the airport - and rent a car only if going somewhere else that you need one.

Use the shuttle to and from the airport - not a limo, taxi, or private shuttle

Check all airports for the best price: LAX, Long Beach, and JOhn Wayne. Ontario may have lower airfaire - but you need to balance that with ground transportation - check that also.

Bring some "buffer cash" - just in case.

 

[littlelambie]

We save money by eating at the Ihop or Denny's for breakfast. You usually get more food then you would at a contental (sp) breakfast, so it will keep you going a bit longer. We avoid eating any big meals in the park, snack through out the day and come out to eat an early supper. That being said, we would eat in the parks for our character meals, but that would be our splurge. Other than character meals, we avoid eating in the parks.

 

[almacdonald]

Staying off site can save a bunch of money but only if you're within walking distance. We don't spend much time at the hotel anyway so as long as there's a "clean" bed to sleep in, all is good. Try to select a hotel with a free continental breakfast. If you can stand it, eat at the McDonald's outside the park, its a fraction of the cost inside the park! If you do eat in the park as for a cup of ice water to drink, $3/pop can add up quickly.

For us, the cost of eating at the Blue Bayou is well worth the meal. The atmosphere is really neat and the food is pretty good too. We'll cheap out on most meals and plan one big one, drinks, desserts, the whole nine yards! And of course we always buy souvenirs. I like to get a shirt or a sweater and my boyfriend will usually pick out a "tooth pick holder" or picture from or somthing. It's no fun leaving without something to show that you've been there!

 

[kjhgarden]

We are driving so we will have a car. We are staying off property at the Residence Inn in Garden Grove and the reviews say it is a great hotel with a decent breakfast. I am hoping since we'll have a kitchen that will save some money so we can pack sandwiches and frozen water into the park.

As for a splurge I am think about doing Ariel's Grotto for a linner, and Lilo and Stitch brunch????

I saw someone post about making their own autograph books before they come. Any suggestions on that?

 

[minnietoo]

We are driving so we will have a car. We are staying off property at the Residence Inn in Garden Grove and the reviews say it is a great hotel with a decent breakfast. I am hoping since we'll have a kitchen that will save some money so we can pack sandwiches and frozen water into the park.

As for a splurge I am think about doing Ariel's Grotto for a linner, and Lilo and Stitch brunch????

I saw someone post about making their own autograph books before they come. Any suggestions on that?

Too funny! - We use "linner" too - started when the kids were little.

 

[laui]

Too funny! - We use "linner" too - started when the kids were little.

we call it "lupper" at our house

 

[grumpy's fan]

My DD and I make her autograph book before we go. We'll go to Hobby Lobby and buy the small, plain white scrapbook (its 4.5 x 6.5) and buy Disney stickers to put on the front and back, plus letters to spell out her name and year. Then I'll cover it with self adhesive by avery to keep it from getting dirty or ruined. All total its about 5.00 but its special to her instead of one you buy at the park. Also, we leave the page next the the autograph blank and then I'll print out the photo of her with the character and glue it on that page. She loves going through her book after we get home!

 

[kristenhh]

Everyone I have stayed at has a lovely hot breakfast with different items every day. They also usually have a waffle maker. You will do well with a good breakfast to start your day.

Unfortuneately for my budget, I love many food items at Disneyland. However, I have done cheap trips by: eating breakfast at the hotel (your free breakfast will be even better than our cold cereal in the room), packing a simple lunch, and then buying dinner at Disneyland.

I hate to waste my precious disney time going out of the park to eat. A lot of the places have big servings, so it is possible to share -- even for the dinner out.

I just remembered also -- the Residence Inn also has a light dinner on weeknights -- that can help with food costs.

My family always skimps on souveneirs -- we collectively collect pressed pennies -- how's that for cheap!

Have fun!

 

[Captjackson]

We've stayed at the Garden Grove Residence Inn twice. Once just with DW, and last Feb. with DW, our 2 kids and my folks. You get a very substantial breakfast. There is a Target cattycorner from the RI, that's where we get most of our H2O and snack supplies.
As far as souvenirs go, my folks always gave us X amount of money. If you spent it on the first day, well, tough for the rest of the trip.
The idea of eating off site is good in theory, but we've found that hauling everyone out of the park to eat is tough in practice. Different if you're hauling the gang back to the hotel for a nap.

Good luck and have fun!!

 

[disneegrl4eva]

What are your favorite ways to save money at DL?

I know nothing of the meaning "to save money at dl" I splurge on everything and go crazy...

 

[kjhgarden]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am also glad to hear good things about the breakfast at Residence Inn. That will help save money so we can splurge on one nice meal at DL each day we are there. I also like the idea of penny pressing and giving each child a set amount for souvenirs.

I think I will also make the autograph books. Anyone know where to get Disney pens? Would Wal-mart have these, they seem to have Disney stuff.?

 

[agoofylover]

We too are staying at the Garden Grove Residence Inn....one selling point was the breakfast!

My question is...can you bring snacks and drinks in to the park? In my travel documents..the park brochure said no, I thought. Which, puts a damper in my cost saving!!

As for the autograph books...I made some for my 2 ds. I got a 5x5 card stock package (multi colors). I also got those round clip rings. I punched 2 holes on the top of the card stock...alternated colors, so the boys could choose. got some black craft foam sheets(you know all the craft foam stickers/projects they have at the craft stores now)and cut 2 5x5 sized squares to use as the cover on the top and bottom. Hole punched 2 holes at the top of each black foam square...and put the two rings through the cover, cardstock and bottom. I used foam abc stickers and put their name on their album....then I let them put a few stickers on. I attatched a silver sharpie to the clip ring with a red ribbon (easier for characters). I liked this idea because I can easily take this apart...and when we get home I will make my boys each a 7x7 album with the autographs on one side and a picture with them and the character on the other side. Also, if there is a "mistake" or "accident" with the books...we have extra pages in the original for redos.

 

[pammypooh]

We drove, so we saved with no airfare. My girls had their own spending money from doing kidzeye surveys. We took our own water. Other than those things, we splurged - this was our 1st trip to DL and California - we stayed at the GC - loved it! DH and I splurged with dinner at the Napa Rose - worth every penny! We splurged too with at BB - but did lunch instead of dinner - to get the atmosphere but with better prices of lunch. We also splurged with Character breakfast at Storytellers on our first full day. My DH enjoyed it so much he surprised everyone by saying on our second day - let's go back to Storytellers for Character Breakfast! Created many family memories of an incredible vacation. Have a great trip!

 

[MomOfDisneyBoys]

You can bring drinks and snacks into the park, no problem. No glass bottles, and no coolers are allowed in the park. I have heard that they "frown on" bringing meals into the parks, and ask that you use picnic areas, but we have brought sandwiches with us many times with no problem. I don't remember the last timne we bought a snack or drink in the park.

My kids are McDonalds fans, so we will sometimes walk to the one on Harbor Blvd rather than bothering with leaving in the car. Much cheaper than burgers in the park.

We splurge on dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. The selection and quality of food is always good, and the characters are lots of fun.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

The idea of eating off site is good in theory, but we've found that hauling everyone out of the park to eat is tough in practice.

I couldnt agree with you more...I swear I tell myself I am going to eat outside of the park but I just cant break myself away from there for nothing

 

[50thisyeartoo!]

definitely stay at a hotel which offers breakfast. eat a BIG breakfast. Take some snacks with you to DL. homewood suites has a great breakfast AND dinner too! the only bummer is that you have to leave the park to eat. but after a full day at DL a two-three hour break is much appreciated.

 

[Tiffer]

If you are of site try in n out burger for a cheap, yet delicious meal.

On site, join the Safari Club at Rainforest. Get seated faster and get a free app or a discounted meal.


Also, get souvenirs at WalMart in anaheim...great little Disney section, althought none Disney Land Specific, just characters or Disney..