25 Disneyland on a Budget Tips to Save Money While Still Having a Great Time

It's no secret that a Disneyland vacation can quickly become quite costly, among your hotel stay, travel expenses, theme park tickets, dining, and more. Planning a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth can already be an intimidating task, and even more so if you plan on visiting Disneyland on a budget. However, it is possible to make a Disneyland vacation affordable with a little planning and research!

Check out our top 25 tips to save you money when visiting Disneyland on a budget. Everyone deserves a day of magic, and we hope our tips will save our readers as much money as possible. Our top money-saving tip may surprise you!

READ MORE – Don’t Pack These Items For Your Disney Trip. They Can Cause Headaches and Some Are Banned.

1. Travel in the Off-Season

Travel to Disneyland during the off-season in order to save money on everything from airfare to hotels and get more out of the time you have in the parks. During the slower times of year (see the best time to visit Disneyland explained fully here), the prices for hotels drop quite a bit.

Additionally, Disneyland utilizes a date-based 1-day ticket pricing structure, with prices varying based on the season and day of the week. Families can save money by selecting less expensive days to be in the parks. In slower seasons like late August and September, for example, you'll find a lot of the lowest-priced “Tier 0” days. There are many days of below-normal crowds during these months, as you can see in our Mickey Visit Disneyland crowd calendar.

2. Avoid Holidays

Even if you can't travel during the slower times of year at Disneyland, you should still make an effort to avoid big holidays if you want to save money. Hotel and Disneyland ticket prices are both more expensive around the major holidays. For one-day ticket prices, it could end up being a difference of up to $100. Additionally, you can avoid the high prices for Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which reach an all-time high during peak times of the year.

On a broader note, the busy nature of major holidays makes it more difficult to maximize your park time. You can save yourself the extra money and stress by visiting during a slower time of year, instead of battling crowds and long lines.

3. Plan to Fly into SNA (John Wayne Airport)

Even though flying into LAX usually looks like the less expensive option upon first glance, it's important to factor in the additional cost of transportation to and from Disneyland. We've found that choosing the John Wayne/Orange County airport to fly into will ultimately save you money on transportation to the parks, since it's only about 20 minutes away, depending on traffic. And it's an easy airport to navigate! Read all the options for getting from John Wayne SNA to Disneyland. Planning your trip in advance and buying airline tickets early will save you money in the long run.

4. Purchase Your Tickets Early Through Our Travel Partner

Our travel sponsor, Get Away Today, has the lowest prices hands down for Disneyland tickets and hotels. Get Away Today often offers limited-time deals, like Disneyland tickets at child prices. After you book your trip, you can call them any time to make sure you are getting the best price! You can read my full and honest review on Get Away Today here—I've been using them even before I started writing for Mickey Visit.

To check out our full list of Disneyland discount finds, see our guide on Disneyland discount tickets. Every little bit saved adds up and is crucial to doing Disneyland on a budget!

At times, purchasing a Disneyland vacation package can save you money in the long run. See our guide to Disneyland packages for all information on these packages and whether they're right for you.

5. Purchase Single-Park Tickets

You can also save some extra money by purchasing 1-Park Per Day tickets instead of Disneyland park hopper tickets, which allow you to hop between the two parks after 11 AM. It's a significant additional cost to add on park-hopping, and this extra is not necessary if you're visiting for multiple days. You can still effectively see everything at both parks if you have at least two days to spend touring the individual parks in depth. We recommend 3 days as the perfect amount of time to do and see it all at Disneyland. However, if you have only one day to spend, it's worth purchasing Park Hoppers so you can fit in all of the highlights!

Discount Disneyland Tickets

Our favorite Disney-approved re-seller, Get Away Today, offers the best Disneyland discount tickets around. In addition to great discount prices, their customer service and easy support are absolutely fantastic. They have an entire department dedicated to making sure every order has a wonderful experience and they are on-call to help you during your vacation if you need them.

Book your discount tickets NOW >

Buying tickets from Get Away Today is easy and convenient since all their tickets are sent electronically. You can take their vouchers and head straight to the gate without needing to wait in any ticket booth lines. They also offer layaway plans so you can pay off your vacation over time.

You can read my review on my personal experiences booking through Get Away Today and how much you can save here!

6. Book Your Get Away Today Plan Early

If you plan on using Get Away Today for your visit, book your trip far in advance. For example, if you book my Disneyland vacation using their site a year in advance, you would get discount Disneyland tickets at the current prices before the next year's price increase. All you need to do is put $200 down on your plan to hold it!

7. Save On Your Anaheim Hotel Stay

The Disney-owned resort hotels are truly magical, but they can also be expensive. Consider how much time you will actually spend in your hotel during your Disneyland vacation. Most of your time will likely be spent in the parks! When we visit, all that I need is a comfortable bed and a clean bathroom, rather than fancy amenities. There are plenty of Disney Good Neighbor hotels just across the street from the park that cost much less than any Disney resort but still fulfill all your needs.

For example, the Clarion is a common budget option for Get Away Today guests that's clean and on the bus route. You can read my full and honest review of the Clarion here. It's an older and basic hotel, but it will serve your needs for your stay. You can ask a Get Away Today agent for recommendations on cheap and clean hotels in the area. See some of our favorite cheap Disneyland hotels!

Booking your hotel stay and park tickets with our travel partner, Get Away Today, will get you the best deals on hotel prices. Some hotels offer nights free with multiple-night stays, along with other perks like waived resort fees, free parking, free breakfast, etc., for Get Away Today guests. These are our favorite hotels near Disneyland!

Get Away Today also offers layaway plans, which is a huge benefit for families planning a Disneyland vacation on a budget. Once you select a hotel and date, you can put $200 down to reserve your dates and then make payments on the rest. Your full package doesn't have to be paid off until nine days before your travel date. That's a great way to work towards your vacation! You can book up to a year in advance and set up a payment plan that drafts automatically if you'd like.

8. Choose a Hotel With Free Breakfast

Try to pick a Disneyland hotel with free breakfast if you can. Many hotels offer complimentary breakfast for their guests, like the Element by Westin. Eating a big meal before heading to the parks will help tide you over until lunchtime and get through the mornings at Disneyland that are better spent riding attractions. This saves money and time in the parks, which helps you do Disneyland on a budget!

9. Save On Disneyland Transportation Costs

If you plan on staying at a nearby hotel and your main focus is on Disneyland, don't rent a car! The Disneyland parking fees are high for the theme parks and hotels. Instead, compare all of the different transportation options to get from the airport to the hotel. Uber is usually our top choice for getting from the airport to Disneyland. If you plan to make any day trips, there are offices for most of the top car rental companies within the Disneyland Resort area. If you’re in the area and are headed to the Disneyland Resort with your friends and/or family, try carpooling to save money on the cost of parking.

The Anaheim Resort Transit bus system (ART shuttle) is an affordable option that will take you from your hotel to the Disneyland Resort. You can find reduced ticket rates for their bus passes through our travel partner, along with your discount Disneyland tickets! The buses come every 20 minutes, and they're a great way to save your feet and save money on renting a car.

If you pick a hotel within walking distance of Disneyland, then you don't even need to worry about transportation! The immediate area around the Disneyland Resort is well-lit and safe even at night. Most often, you will be walking alongside other families heading back to their hotels.

10. Grab the Disneyland Freebies!

Believe it or not, there are plenty of free items to be found at Disneyland if you know where to look! Here are some of our favorites. You can see more of these in our full list of Disneyland freebies.

• Artwork
  • The Animation Academy is the perfect place to learn how to draw your favorite Disney characters. Afterwards, take your artwork home to proudly display. The teacher will often also give out their artwork to someone in the class!
• Buttons
  • At Guest Relations or any of the stores/kiosks, you can get a button from a Cast Member. The buttons say things like “Happy Birthday,” “1^st Visit,” “I’m Celebrating,” “Happily Ever After,” and more. The Cast Member will even personalize your button for you.
• Free Bread
  • At The Bakery Tour in San Fransokyo Square, you get a free sample of fresh-baked sourdough bread!
• Pictures
  • All around the park, at iconic photo spots, you can find Disneyland PhotoPass photographers ready to snap your picture. The best part about this is that any of the photographers are more than happy to take your picture with your phone and camera if you ask.
• Stickers
  • Most Cast Members carry stickers around with them and love handing them out to children. You can also find free stickers at the First Aid and Disney Vacation Club kiosks.

11. Enjoy Free Extras When You Book Through Get Away Today

As an incentive for your booking, travel agencies offer wonderful extras. We partner with Get Away Today to secure exclusive low prices on your Disneyland vacation, and you get a great assortment of additional free bonuses when you book your vacation.

When you book with Get Away Today, you will receive:

• Exclusive Area Coupons
  • Upon purchase, you will be emailed a PDF of coupons for restaurants, shopping, and activities in the area!
• Pin lanyard
  • Each adult in the group will receive a free pin lanyard to carry any Disney pins you purchase, as well as your park tickets.
• Fun Free Printable Downloads
  • As a fun way to get prepared for your trip, you will receive special printable sheets including games, vacation countdown chains, vacation reveal ideas, and more.

12. Never Buy Water at Disneyland

Purchasing single-use water bottles in the park can add up pretty quickly! You can either bring your own water bottle to save money or take advantage of the free ice water offered at counter service restaurants. If you bring a refillable water bottle with you to the parks, you can fill this up throughout the day at any of the water bottle refilling stations around the resort or with the free ice water. It is important to stay hydrated, especially during the summer months.

13. Consider Sharing Food

Nothing tortures a parent more than seeing their child not eat a meal that costs a considerable amount of money. When you do decide to dine in the park, look at the menu carefully. Some dishes are big enough to share between two people or kids! You can always get more food if your group is still hungry, so start small and go from there.

Remember, your kids are going to be so overwhelmed with all the fun that they may not always be ready for a big meal! Disney considers kids' prices to be for ages 3-9. Kids under the age of 3 are welcome to eat off of your plate inside table-service restaurants.

Drinking water and skipping the fountain drinks will also help save money when you eat at quick-service restaurants!

14. Set a Souvenir Budget

Set a souvenir budget and stick to it! Plan which souvenirs you want to buy in advance and get an idea of what the shops offer before your visit in our guide. For example, every trip we purchase a pin to commemorate a certain special experience we had, like being in the park on New Year's Eve or riding an attraction for the first time. These will help you remember your trip and bring up specific reasons why you loved your vacation.

It can be surprisingly easy to walk into the stores and walk out spending way more than you intended. Take a deep breath and think your purchases through carefully. Make a point of only buying souvenirs on the last day of your visit, so you know it's something you really want (unless you know it's something that's selling very quickly).

As for kids, put their souvenir budget on a Disney Gift Card so they understand once it's gone—it's gone! This works wonders to avoid meltdowns, and we all know kids are more frugal with their own money.

It's hard to leave Disneyland without at least buying one souvenir, so check out our list of recommended Disneyland souvenir options that will stand the test of time and are worth the money.

15. Buy Items In Advance To Avoid High Park Prices

You can very easily purchase some great Disneyland “souvenirs” at a lower price before you leave for your trip. There is no reason to pay the high prices for a character autograph book in the parks when it is easy to purchase one at a discount beforehand. Taking the time to stop at the Dollar Store or shop online before your visit can help you save a ton of money in the parks.

There are typical things that guests decide to buy in the spur of the moment. Here are our recommendations for what to buy in advance to avoid paying high prices for these items in the parks!

• Glow Sticks
  • If you plan on watching Fantasmic! or enjoying a night parade with kids, having glow sticks on hand will help prevent the “gimmies!” when the Cast Members roll out the light-up toy carts.
• Portable fan/mister
  • If you're visiting Disneyland in the summer or you know it's going to be hot when you visit, you can find portable fans and misters at Walmart or on Amazon in advance. They'll cost you around $20 in the parks!
• Cooling towels
  • The same advice goes for cooling towels. Buying these in advance on Amazon is a wise choice rather than spending $20 on them in the park.
• Autograph book
  • If you don't mind having an “unofficial” autograph book, you can buy a small notebook with a Mickey or Minnie design at most local Dollar Stores.
• Disney t-shirts
  • Check out Walmart or Target to buy these in advance if you feel like you NEED to be wearing them in the park. This will help prevent you from buying a shirt triple the cost when you're there. Etsy also has tons of cute options for men, women, and kids.
• Minnie Ears
  • Who doesn't want to be wearing Minnie ears in the parks?! If you look on Etsy, you can find so many beautiful Minnie headbands at half the cost. Many of these headbands are more comfortable than the park ears, too!
• Lanyards and pins
  • You can find Disney lanyards on Amazon that will cost you way less than the ones in the parks. If you plan to trade pins while you are at Disneyland, you should purchase pins in bulk online before arriving at the parks.
• Hotel Snacks
  • If you can, make a stop at a local convenience store to buy snacks for the hotel, or get grocery delivery to your hotel. Most hotel gift shops will have outrageous prices for snacks and drinks.
• Princess dress
  • If you think your daughter or son will want to dress up during your Disneyland trip, buying a Disney princess dress will be much cheaper outside of the parks. When considering the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Disney princess makeover experience, keep in mind that you can actually bring your own princess dress rather than purchasing the ones that they have in the parks. Look online or on the Disney Store website for deals before you visit.

16. Come Prepared With Essentials

Giving some thought to your vacation before arrival will save a lot of money in the long run. Once you arrive at your Disneyland Resort hotel or Good Neighbor hotel, you will be in tourist country, where finding cheap items can be tricky for groups doing Disneyland on a budget.

Forgetting essentials here and there can quickly add up if you're not careful. Make sure you consult a thorough Disneyland packing list so that you don't end up paying the higher prices for these items at the parks or your hotel gift shop. Some of the items that visitors commonly forget include proper layers for the cold, ponchos, and portable chargers. Also, be sure to double-check your packing list to make sure you have essentials like toiletries, sunscreen, etc., that can end up being a costly mistake if left behind.

Always make sure to check the weather forecast before leaving on your vacation. A poncho from the drugstore or Amazon is cheaper than it would be at Disneyland. It's always wise to bring one along anyway, because it's no fun to get wet on water rides and then slosh along for the rest of the day!

17. Pack a Lunch to Save on Dining

The one area where you can easily spend the most money at Disneyland is on dining! Every time we go to Disneyland, I am astounded afterward at how much money we spend on food if I don't budget ahead. If you plan on only eating in the parks, you can expect to set a considerable amount of money aside to accommodate that. If you plan on visiting Disneyland on a budget, saving money on food is the best way to do it.

The Disney parks have a pretty generous “bring your own food” policy compared to other theme parks. Guests can bring in small coolers with sandwiches, snacks, etc. Even if you can save just one meal, that will help cut costs significantly. Disneyland actually offers a picnic area (see its location in our list of Disneyland secret spots) and lockers conveniently located next to it. You can pack a lunch and go eat it at the picnic area! See everything you need to know about bringing food to Disneyland.

If you'd prefer not to bring your own food and would rather eat outside of the parks, consider taking a mid-day break to go back to your hotel. You can fill up on some snacks there or eat dinner before heading back for the evening. We always advise taking an afternoon break anyway if you are spending more than one day at the parks.

18. Plan On Eating Breakfast at Your Hotel

Even if you are not staying at a hotel with free breakfast, we still recommend having this meal outside of the parks. This will help cut down on the money spent on high-priced park food! This will not only save money but also valuable morning time that is much better spent riding attractions with shorter waits.

READ MORE – Hidden Details on Disneyland Rides That You Will Completely Miss if You Don’t Know Where to Look

Either plan for an early breakfast before you head out for rope drop, or take advantage of grocery delivery to your hotel to stock up on some breakfast snack items and eat these on the go as you are waiting to enter the parks at rope drop.

19. Bring Your Own Snacks

We often splurge on churros and Dole Whips—we can't help it! But it's easy to go overboard and spend more than you intended with so many iconic snack items available at Disneyland.

Snacks in the parks will cost you a pretty penny, and it will save money to bring your own. Plus, you'll be able to have some healthier snack options on hand so you don't inadvertently spoil your next meal with Mickey pretzels! It's a good idea to bring some options like trail mix, protein or granola bars, or other easy snacking options. You can save money by snacking throughout the day and then only paying for one or two meals.

If you do decide to splurge on a few snack items in the parks, it's a good idea to pack Ziploc bags so you can store any extra popcorn, pretzels, etc. that your kids don't finish to eat later!

20. Order a Side Corn Dog

During my last visit to Disneyland, I was appalled to see a child who had just received his order of a corn dog with a side of apples throw away the apples with the rest of the container. If only the child knew he was throwing away almost three dollars! At all of the Disneyland corn dog carts, you can purchase an off-the-menu “side corn dog,” which comes without the apples or chips for a few dollars less. 

21. Dine Mostly at Quick-Service Restaurants

Disneyland sorts its restaurants and food options into “quick-service,” which is less expensive, counter-service-style dining, and “table-service,” which are sit-down restaurants with wait staff that tend to be pricier. If you want to do Disneyland on a budget but still want to enjoy dining in the parks, make reservations for a couple of must-do table-service experiences (see our list of the best Mickey Visit Disneyland restaurants ranked) and plan the rest of your meals at the cheaper quick-service dining options.

You are absolutely not missing out on anything by enjoying mostly quick-service during your trip! Disneyland's quick-service food really stands out in quality, and we enjoy these locations frequently during our own trips. Some of our favorite quick-service restaurants include Bengal Barbecue, Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe, Pym Test Kitchen, and Lucky Fortune Cookery.

22. Opt for a Character Dining Breakfast/Brunch Instead of Dinner

There's no denying that character dining at Disneyland is a little bit on the pricier side, but this doesn't mean you should skip the experience altogether. For experiences that offer breakfast and dinner, like Goofy's Kitchen and Storytellers Cafe, you can save around $10 per adult by opting for breakfast instead of dinner. We recommend booking your meal in the later part of the breakfast window so that you can spend the morning hours enjoying rope drop at the parks. See our recent experience at Storytellers Cafe with a 10 AM reservation here!

23. Bring Your Own Stroller

The parks rent single and double strollers, but guests can save money by bringing their own stroller. Even a simple folding stroller can come in handy to carry your toddler and backpacks. The rental fee per day can add up, so guests can save a few dollars by bringing a stroller from home. It's also a smart idea to bring your own in general, because you can't use Disneyland's strollers for the journey to and from your hotel. If you do bring a stroller from home, make sure to see our top tips to prevent your stroller from getting stolen at Disney and advice to make it stand out.

24. Consider Purchasing an Annual Pass For the Discounts

It is easy to spend quite a bit on meals out at night. The Disneyland Annual Pass provides dining and merchandise discounts of at least 10%, which pays for itself if you are spending enough on dining and souvenirs during your trip. Magic Key holders also get at least a 25% discount on standard parking at select lots. Even if just one member of your group is a frequent visitor, it may be worth it for them to purchase an annual pass so that the whole group can enjoy the discounts. Plus, Magic Key holders get access to lots of special offerings throughout the year, including hotel discounts, freebies, and more.

25. Buy Discount Disney Gift Cards

Disney Gift Cards can be used for several aspects of your Disneyland vacation, from admission tickets to dining, merchandise, and more. When you purchase discount Disney Gift Cards, you will save money on what you're using them towards. For example, if you sign up for the Target Circle Card, you can save 5% on gift card purchases. Wholesale stores like Costco, BJ's, and Sam's Club also often have discount Disney Gift Cards available at exclusive prices for their members. See our guide to discount Disney Gift Cards for everything you need to know!

It is possible to do Disneyland on a budget if you plan in advance and prepare accordingly! Everyone deserves a day at the Happiest Place on Earth, and we hope these tips help save our readers as much money as possible.

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