Top 10 Disneyland Splurges That Might Be Worth the Cost for Your Vacation

There is so much to see and do while visiting Disneyland. While a regular Disneyland ticket will already grant you access to a wealth of experiences between the immersive rides, amazing dining experiences, and captivating entertainment at the parks, there are also several ways to elevate your Disneyland vacation.

Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or you don't visit Disneyland often and want to make the most of your vacation, there are several reasons why you might want to consider splurging in certain areas. While it may not be reasonable to splurge on every single area of your trip, spending a little bit of extra money on some of these unique experiences can often lead to lasting memories for you and your family.

We visit the parks frequently to provide you with the best guidance possible, and our opinions on our favorite splurges detailed below are based on our personal experience. Below, we will cover the top 10 Disneyland splurges that we think are worth the cost for your vacation!

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Splurging on Your Disneyland Trip

Between the cost of Disneyland tickets, hotels, and dining during your vacation, a Disneyland trip can already be quite expensive on its own. Some visitors may understandably be hesitant to splurge on any area of their trip or spend extra money on something that may not live up to expectations.

When picking an area you want to splurge on, you'll want to have a detailed understanding of what it entails and how much it elevates your normal park experience. Which area you'll want to splurge on will also greatly depend on your party's priorities and interests. While it may make sense for some to splurge on staying at one of the Disneyland-owned hotels, others may be more interested in putting that money towards a special dining experience. Some may choose to splurge on a dining package for entertainment if they would rather pay for the convenience of reserved seating instead of spending time staking out the best viewing spot. This is all to say that there is no right or wrong answer for which area of your Disneyland trip you choose to splurge on.

We will take you through a list of what we think are the best Disneyland splurges based on the experience offered. We will also give an idea of what you can expect during each to help you make a determination on whether or not you'd like to include it in your budget.

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1. Staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel

There are plenty of perks to staying at the three onsite Disneyland Resort hotels, and for many guests, these perks make them well worth the splurge. Guests staying at the Disneyland Resort hotels can enjoy perks like Early Entry, private entrances to Disney California Adventure, preferred access to hotel dining reservations, direct-to-room service, and more. There are three resorts in the Disneyland resort area: the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Pixar Place Hotel, and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. The biggest advantage of staying at one of these hotels is that you can stay immersed in the Disney magic during your entire trip!

If you do decide to splurge on a stay at a Disneyland Resort Hotel, you'll be able to enjoy the theming, amenities, and experiences offered, from impressive pool areas to some of the best dining experiences at the resort. All of these things will be right at your fingertips!

Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is a five-star resort and features stunning architecture with Craftsman-style elegance. It is without a doubt our favorite hotel on property! Guests can enjoy a special theme park entrance to Disney California Adventure Park, and the hotel is one of the closest hotels within walking distance of Disneyland at about a 5-minute walk to the park gates. Be sure to check out the beautiful pool area, which is home to the Fountain, Redwood, and Mariposa pools. The Redwood Pool has a 90-foot-long waterslide that curves around the giant stump of a Redwood tree! You'll can also enjoy services at the Tenaya Stone Spa at the resort. You'll find some great dining options at The Grand Californian including Storytellers Cafe (which has one of the best Character Dining experiences, the Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast Buffet) and some of our favorite restaurants including the Napa Rose and the GCH Craftsman Grill.

The Disneyland Hotel is the original flagship hotel. Guests can stay in the Adventure, Fantasy, or Frontier towers, which are uniquely decorated and pay homage to the park’s original lands, along with the recently added Villas at Disneyland Hotel. The Disneyland Hotel features two retro-themed pools with two Monorail slides. You'll also find some favorite Disneyland dining options onsite here like Character Dining at Goofy's Kitchen, Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar, and Palm Breeze Bar. Getting from the Disneyland Hotel to the parks is a quick 10-minute walk through Downtown Disney.

The Pixar Place Hotel is a newly reimagined hotel that is the first fully Pixar-themed hotel in the United States. Throughout the hotel, you'll find decor inspired by Pixar stories and artistry. Kids can enjoy a new Finding Nemo-inspired water play area including the 186-foot-long Crush’s Surfin’ Slide, along with the Pixar Shorts Court with a variety of games inspired by Pixar shorts. Onsite dining options include The Great Maple, which is known for its legendary breakfast, and Sketch Pad Cafe, a grab-and-go coffee shop in the lobby. Guests staying at the Pixar Place Hotel can also access a private entrance to Disney California Adventure.

2. Dining at Signature Restaurants

Dining at one of the upscale restaurants at Disneyland can also be a great splurge during your vacation. Locations like Carthay Circle Restaurant, Napa Rose, and Blue Bayou Restaurant are extremely popular, and for good reason—they provide some of the finest culinary experiences at the resort. We regard all of these highly in our list of the best Disneyland restaurants. It can be fun to allow yourself one high-end dining splurge on your vacation to enjoy the incredible atmosphere and food at these top locations.

The Blue Bayou Restaurant is one of the park’s most popular dining experiences. The Blue Bayou is an indoor, upscale restaurant with a view of Pirates of the Caribbean, offering an unparalleled, magical atmosphere with balloon lanterns overhead, fireflies glowing in the darkness, and the gentle sounds of frogs and crickets. Guests can enjoy Cajun and Creole cuisine that includes dishes like the Creole Roasted Chicken, Blackened Ribeye, and the famous Monte Cristo sandwich. Prices range from $35 to $59.99 per adult. There is a good reason why this is our favorite restaurant at Disneyland! We recommend asking for a table by the water for the best view of the boats going by.

Carthay Circle is in Disney California Adventure Park and has a retro, Hollywood movie feel. The space is designed after the original Carthay Circle Restaurant in Los Angeles, where Walt Disney's first feature-length film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, premiered in 1937. It evokes the feel of a Golden Age movie palace, with an excellent menu courtesy of Chef Andrew Sutton, Culinary Director of Napa Rose. Their dinner menu offers a variety of dishes sure to please everyone in your party with standout entrees such as the Signature Thick Cut Pork Chop (our favorite!). The food and elegant atmosphere here make the experience absolutely worth the splurge. Dinner prices range from $35 to $59.99 per adult.

Napa Rose is located in Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and is regarded as the “culinary crown jewel” of the Disneyland Resort hotels, with award-winning cuisine by Chef Andrew Sutton. The Napa Rose offers an exquisite upscale dining experience with both a prix fixe Vintner Menu and a la carte selections. A dress code is required for this restaurant, but this can add to the fun of the splurge to get dressed up. Prices start at over $60 per adult.

3. Booking a Character Dining Experience

Another Disneyland splurge we would recommend is enjoying one of the Character Dining Experiences offered at the resort. The biggest advantage of Character Dining, and the reason why we are such big fans of it, is that it gives you quality time with a variety of characters. It can often be frustrating waiting in long meet-and-greet lines at the parks, and encounters can feel quite rushed, which is a big reason why splurging on Character Dining is so worth it.

During the experience, characters will go from table to table to greet guests, pose for pictures, and sign autograph books. The characters that will appear vary per Character Dining experience, as will the style of service and food (with some offering table-service and others offering a buffet-style meal). You'll get a lot of value out of a Character Dining experience, including a meal, time with characters, and some great photos and autographs.

There are a few different options you can choose from, including Breakfast With Minnie and Friends at the Plaza Inn inside Disneyland, Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel, and Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast Buffet and Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures at the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. You can see more details about each and what our favorites are in our full guide to Character Dining at Disneyland.

The Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures is the biggest splurge out of these options with prices starting at $135. The experience is perfect for a special occasion like a birthday and includes a 3-course breakfast with a selection of starters, main courses, and desserts as well as quality time and photos with the princesses featured. You'll get to hear the Princesses share stories of empowerment, and children will also receive a special keepsake to take home. This can be a really special experience that is definitely worth the splurge for a young Disney Princess fan.

4. Enjoying a Dining Package for Entertainment

A popular splurge for many Disney visitors is getting a dining package for the entertainment offered at the parks. This is an especially smart option if you were already planning on dining at one of the locations that offers a dining package for the entertainment you want to see! Dining packages are offered for the World of Color nighttime spectacular, Fantasmic!, and the parade currently running at Disneyland. These include a meal as well as access to a reserved viewing area for the show.

This is an especially good area to splurge in if you want to secure great seating for entertainment without having to spend a big chunk of valuable park time staking out the best viewing spot. Instead of losing time that you could be spending enjoying attractions and all that the park has to offer, you can get a dining package and guaranteed access to great viewing for the show.

World of Color has both dining packages offered at a few different restaurants and the World of Color Dessert Party, which gives you the only seated viewing for the show as well as a dessert plate of sweets, and cocktails/beverages. We think that this option is especially worth the splurge, especially after a long day of walking at the parks. Plaza Inn offers a dining package for whichever parade is currently running at Disneyland, allowing you to reserve a time and pick up a meal to eat at any available table at the restaurant. Fantasmic! offers popular dining packages including lunch or dinner at Blue Bayou, the opportunity to enjoy a Premium package at River Belle Terrace with views of the show from your table, and more.

Because time is money at Disneyland, we think that getting a dining package is worth the splurge, especially if you've always wanted to eat at a certain restaurant offering it like the Blue Bayou.

5. Booking a Special Tour

A great splurge to elevate your normal Disneyland experience is booking one of the special tours offered. Whether you're a frequent visitor looking for a fun way to celebrate a special occasion or just want to further deepen your appreciation of the behind-the-scenes magic of the parks, these tours can be a really fun experience.

There are several types of tours offered at Disneyland, and if you see one that piques your interest, it is worth the splurge. Some of these tours give you access to extremely rare and unique experiences, like Walt's Main Street Story which includes a visit to Walt's apartment above the Fire Station in Town Square. If you've always dreamed of riding on the Lilly Belle, the Disneyland Railroad Guided Tour provides you with an opportunity to do so! These are such amazing opportunities and can be well worth the splurge for the memories they give you.

There are also special seasonal tours offered during certain times of year, like the Happiest Haunts Tour which includes a photo op with two of the Hitchhiking Ghosts animatronics from the Haunted Mansion and a special reserved viewing area for Halloween Screams.

For guests who want the ultimate Disneyland splurge, booking a Disneyland Resort VIP Tour is the way to do it. These tours feature personalized planning, an expert private tour guide, priority access to 30+ attractions and shows, reserved viewing for entertainment, and more. Disneyland VIP Tours start at $500 per hour for up to 10 guests, with a minimum of 7 hours and a maximum of 10 hours. You can book the best prices for the Disneyland VIP Tour by calling 855-GET-AWAY, and mention you heard about them through Mickey Visit to get $100 off.

Note that separate theme park admission is required for all tours. For everything you want to know about the tours offered at Disneyland, see our full guide here.

6. Purchasing Individual Lightning Lane Entry

Individual Lightning Lane allows you to purchase Lightning Lane entry to a few of the most highly-demanded attractions at the resort for a separate cost (not included in the Genie+ Lightning Lane offerings). Even for a smaller party, the cost of Individual Lightning Lane purchases can add up quickly, so many Disneyland visitors wonder if this splurge to bypass the long standby lines is worth it. Generally, Individual Lightning Lane entry at Disneyland costs $15-25 per person per attraction, though prices can fluctuate to be higher than usual depending on the day and season.

We do think that there is a time and place to splurge on Individual Lightning Lane entry. The choice boils down to whether you mind losing a chunk of park time waiting in line for these popular attractions or would prefer to pay for expedited access. Many will argue that a long wait is worth it for these attractions, as they are undoubtedly some of the best Disneyland rides.

Guess who would normally lean towards skipping Individual Lightning Lane entry may find it is worth the splurge if they only have one day at Disneyland. There are also some other cases where it would make sense to purchase it—for instance, we usually recommend using Single Rider for a shorter wait at Radiator Springs Racers, but there is a minimum age requirement to use the Single Rider line (7 years or older). If not all members of your party are old enough to do Single Rider, or if you know your children will have a difficult time waiting in this long line in general, it would make sense to splurge on Invidual Lightning Lane entry for this ride.

Personally, I'm almost always an advocate for splurging on Individual Lightning Lane entry for Rise of the Resistance, as we'll usually reach the front of the line in a matter of minutes and save valuable time dodging the long wait that often is the case for this attraction. However, whether or not Individual Lightning Lane entry is worth the splurge ultimately depends on your personal preferences and priorities.

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7. Taking Your Child to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

A trip to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique can be a really great splurge as your kids get a makeover to transform into the princesses or knights of their dreams! This experience is offered for kids ages 3 to 12. They'll love the experience as they get pampered, choose their hairstyle, makeup, nails, and accessories, and get to show off their look in their costume. See all of the dress and costume options offered at Disneyland's Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!

There are different packages you can choose from with varying inclusions, including options like The Deluxe Package (which includes a necklace or portrait session with finished prints). If your child is in a phase where they're really excited to dress up during their trips to the park, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is definitely a worthwhile splurge. They will be so excited to get the royal treatment at the salon and wear their special look throughout the day, and you'll be able to get some fantastic pictures that you'll look back on fondly!

See everything you need to know about Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and our tips for the experience in our guide.

8. Exploring High-End Shopping

If you're looking to splurge on a particularly special Disneyland souvenir during your vacation, there are several high-end shopping options that you can explore at the resort.

Disney artwork can be a great souvenir to splurge on, as there are so many amazing options to choose from, and it's a great way to decorate your space. Disneyana is a unique gallery on Main Street as guests enter the park. This gallery showcases one-of-a-kind limited-edition and original artwork. Here guests can purchase Thomas Kincaide artwork that features scenes from Disneyland and beloved movies.  I personally own a picture of Main Street in the rain with Sleeping Beauty’s castle in the background.

If you're looking for a special accessory, the designer handbag company, Dooney & Bourke, has partnered with Disney to create some fun and beautiful handbags and wallets.  Some of the more fun themes include Mary Poppins Returns, the Haunted Mansion, Disney Sketch, and Disney Dogs. These handbags are sold online, in both parks, and in Downtown Disney. There's no better souvenir that will stand the test of time than a Dooney & Bourke bag!

You can also splurge on some special jewelry at Disneyland at locations like Pandora Jewelry in Downtown Disney or La Mascarade d'Orleans featuring Pandora Jewelry in New Orleans Square. There is a beautiful selection of jewelry offered, from charms and bracelets to rings, earrings, and necklaces. Or, you can explore Cristal d'Orleans, which has a stunning selection of items like dazzling tiaras and incredible crystal figurines of Disney characters. It may be difficult to narrow down just one item if you decide to splurge in this area!

9. Attending an After-Hours Event

Another area that many Disneyland visitors will splurge on is the after-hour events offered throughout the year, including Disneyland After Dark and Oogie Boogie Bash parties. These separately ticketed events offer unique experiences for guests after the park closes, including rare characters, specialty food and beverages, special entertainment, and often shorter wait times for attractions. You'll also get three mix-in hours before closing time so that you can enjoy some of the park's offerings before the event.

Oogie Boogie Bash is a particularly popular after-hours event during the Halloween celebration at Disneyland that invites visitors to wear Halloween costumes, enjoy special entertainment, and explore treat trails with favorite Disney villains.

If you are particularly interested in one of the themes of the after-hours events, then they are absolutely worth the splurge! You'll be able to experience Disneyland in a whole new way. There is so much to do at these parties, and you'll want to prioritize the experiences that are unique to the event and not normally available at the parks to make the most out of your time.

10. Enjoying a Spa Treatment

It can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the parks, make sure to take time to relax too!

Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa has a marvelous spa called the Tenaya Stone Spa. This full-service spa and salon offers skin treatments, massages, and more. Guests can choose from body treatments like the Citrus Groves Face and Body Treatment, facials like the Gemstone Sparkle Facial, massages like the Aromatherapy Massage, and much more. You can also explore options like hair, makeup, and nail services at the salon. Booking a spa treatment can be a great splurge for a special occasion to treat yourself and soak in the relaxing atmosphere.

You can see our full Tenaya Stone Spa review for everything you need to know about the experience!

Ready to Enjoy Your Disneyland Splurges? Plan Your Disneyland Vacation!

There are dozens of ways guests can spurge when they visit the Disneyland Resort.  Check out the links below to help guide you in your Walt Disney World vacation needs. Click to subscribe to our FREE Deals newsletter to stay on top of the current planning tips, strategies, and deals.

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