Spending the Absolute LEAST Amount of Money Possible at Disneyland

While a Disneyland vacation is always a special experience, it comes with a rather hefty price tag. There are so many factors to consider when booking your trip, from the hotel you stay at to the type of tickets you get and where you eat. That's why there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer to how much a Disneyland vacation costs, as much of it will depend on the choices you make in these different areas.

For those looking to enjoy a Disneyland vacation without breaking the bank, there are thankfully many ways that you can do Disneyland on a budget. Each choice that you make, from planning the time of year you choose to visit to deciding which ticket type to buy, can make a difference if you are looking to spend the absolute least amount of money possible at Disneyland.

If I were planning a Disneyland trip and looking to spend the least amount of money possible, these are the decisions I would make when considering all of the different costs.

Visiting During the Off-Season at Disneyland

When planning the dates of your Disneyland vacation, avoid the most crowded seasons like the holidays, Spring Break, and the month of October. Several aspects of your trip can be more expensive during these peak times, so traveling during the off-season can help you save on areas of your trip like airfare and hotel stays.

The parks will also typically be less crowded during these times, allowing you to accomplish more during your day and get the most value out of your ticket. January and February (excluding holiday weekends) can often be the cheapest months to visit Disneyland. If you're looking to spend the most money possible at Disneyland, planning your trip during a slower time of year can make a significant difference.

Choosing a Budget-Friendly Hotel Within Walking Distance

If I were trying to save as much money as possible during my trip, I would stay at an affordable hotel in the surrounding Anaheim area rather than the more expensive on-site Disneyland hotels. There is a great selection of hotels close by Disneyland, including some budget-friendly options that will give you great value for your money. If you're spending the majority of your time in the parks during the day, then all you really need is a clean, comfortable place to sleep at night.

I would also make sure that the hotel is within easy walking distance of Disneyland so that I wouldn't have to spend any extra on transportation costs getting to and from the parks. While the ART Shuttle bus is an affordable option if you choose to stay at a hotel where the walk is a little too far for comfort, I would personally take this extra element out of the equation and stay at one of our favorite cheap hotels that are right across the street. Many affordable options like Best Western PLUS Park Place Inn & Mini-Suites, Tropicana Inn & Suites, Fairfield Inn, and Castle Inn and Suites are all under a 10-minute walk from the Harbour Boulevard entrance.

If I were looking to save on dining when choosing where to stay, I would consider a hotel that offers free breakfast. However, it may be a bit of a trade-off, as some of our recommended hotels near Disneyland with free breakfast are a little bit of a further walk than the options listed above. Best Western PLUS Park Place Inn & Mini-Suites gives you the best of both worlds with free breakfast and a prime location minutes away from the main gate.

Choosing 1 Park Per Day Tickets/Getting Discount Multi-Day Tickets

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There are different types of Disneyland tickets available to choose from, and which one you pick will affect the overall cost of this area of your trip. If I were only visiting for one day and looking to save the most money possible, I would go for a 1-Day 1 Park Per Day ticket that gives you admission to either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure for a day (without the ability to park hop). These are sold in tiers (from Tier 0 to Tier 6) that vary per date, so finding the day with the lowest tier will help you save the most money.

While this is the best route for spending the least amount of money possible, it's not the route we'd always recommend. Getting a 1-Day 1 Park Per Day ticket would make a lot of sense if you're traveling with younger kids who will find the most to do at Disneyland Park, for example. But if you're interested in doing and seeing as much as you can during your visit, we usually recommend getting a Park Hopper ticket if you only have one day.

On top of that, one day is not enough time to experience all of the highlights of the park. Especially if you do not visit Disneyland often or have never visited before, we recommend 3 days as the ideal length for how long to visit Disneyland. If you are planning on visiting for multiple days, you can save the most money on multi-day tickets by buying them discounted through our travel partner Get Away Today. Get Away Today offers Mickey Visit readers even lower prices on 2-5 day tickets that you can access by purchasing them through our exclusive link. Get Away Today also offers additional discounts on top of any specials that Disneyland is currently offering, so if you plan on visiting when a special ticket offer is running, you can maximize your savings.

You'll save the most money by purchasing 1 Park Per Day tickets rather than Park Hopper tickets. If I were visiting for multiple days and looking to save as much money as possible, I would avoid getting a Park Hopper ticket, as this is an additional expense you can dodge with a solid strategy in place for seeing the highlights of each park.

Skipping the Purchase of Lightning Lane Multi Pass

If I were looking to save the most amount of money on my Disneyland vacation, another choice I would make is skipping the purchase of Lightning Lane Multi Pass (the service formerly called Genie+). Lightning Lane Multi Pass can quickly add up to a substantial cost during your trip as it is a per-day, per-person charge. This service starts at $30 per ticket per day but prices can fluctuate if you purchase it on the day of your visit.

With a solid strategy, however, it is possible to do Disneyland without Lightning Lane Multi Pass, especially if you are planning on visiting for multiple days as we suggest above. If I were visiting without purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass, I would make a point of being very strategic about how I approach my day, like arriving right at rope drop to enjoy the morning hours at Disneyland when wait times are shorter for popular rides and utilizing Single Rider lines where I could. See our Disneyland 3-Day strategy without Lightning Lane Multi Pass for our recommended itinerary for getting to all of the highlights.

All of that being said, visiting without Lightning Lane Multi Pass becomes more difficult during peak seasons when the parks are more crowded, which is why we recommend being super deliberate about choosing when to visit if you're skipping this service. In order to accomplish as much as possible, we recommend doing this during the off-season if you can. If you can't avoid the busiest times of the year, you may find that purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass is worth it so that you're getting the most value out of your park time rather than being stuck waiting in brutally long lines.

Skipping the Purchase of Lightning Lane Single Pass

I would also opt out of purchasing a Lightning Lane Single Pass (formerly called Individual Lightning Lanes) as well to save as much money as possible. Lightning Lane entry is offered for some of the most highly demanded attractions for a separate charge, but you can still ride these without having to pay this if you have a solid plan. It's worth it to avoid this extra expense if you can—if Rise of the Resistance costs $26 per person for the day and you're paying for a party of four, you're looking at a cost of $104 just to access the attraction one time.

For Radiator Springs Racers, Single Rider is a reliable way to dodge the long standby wait, and you can end up only waiting for Rise of the Resistance for an hour or less if you go at the right time. I personally never purchase Lightning Lane entry for Radiator Springs Racers, as I would rather use Single Rider and spend my money elsewhere. However, there are definitely scenarios in which it's worth it to buy it for Rise of the Resistance so that you don't spend a big chunk of park time waiting in line or miss this ride altogether. We discuss the pros and cons of purchasing Lightning Lane Single Pass for this ride in more depth in our full guide.

Bringing Your Own Food

Dining can easily be a significant expense during your Disneyland vacation, as prices can be quite high for food in the parks. While you can find some affordable options for meals at Disneyland, some guests don't realize that you can bring your own food to the parks to save money. To save the most money possible on my Disneyland vacation, I would pack at least some meals rather than buy all of my food in the parks.

Following a few rules, guests can bring outside food into the parks to eat during the day. The food cannot be in glass containers or require any kind of heating, reheating, processing, or refrigeration, and it cannot have pungent odors. Outside of those restrictions, however, you're free to bring your own food to enjoy. There's even a secret picnic area right outside the Disneyland main gate with lockers where you can store your food, utensils, etc.

If I were bringing food to Disneyland, I would take a small cooler with sandwiches, smaller snacking items like protein bars, trail mix, etc., or anything else that could be stored well for a meal at the parks. Water bottles are always overpriced in the parks, so I would also bring my own water bottle to refill throughout the day to save money or make sure to grab cups of free ice water from counter-service locations to stay hydrated.

Bringing your own food can be one of the best ways to ensure you're spending the least amount of money possible at Disneyland. It may not be completely feasible to bring in food for every meal of the day during your trip, but doing this for at least some of them can help you save a lot of money.

Sharing Meals or Buying Kids Meals

While the absolute best way to spend the least amount of money possible on dining at Disneyland is to bring your own food or eat outside of the parks, it may be easier said than done to not buy any food at Disneyland. Even if you bring your own meals, you may get a bit hungry partway through the day and need something to fall back on.

Ordering kids' meals at quick-service restaurants can be a good way to satiate hunger while avoiding the cost of a full meal. Especially if you're not super hungry, these can make for an affordable snack or light meal. Another option, which I often go for during my own Disneyland trips, is to save money by splitting a meal with another person in your party so that you can save on the price of a full meal. This is a great option for lighter eaters! It can be especially worth your while if you find a reasonably priced entree with a generous portion size. See more of our top Disney dining hacks to save time and money.

Buying Souvenirs/Other Essential Items for Cheaper Before Your Trip

Another way to ensure you're spending the least amount of money possible at Disneyland is to buy any souvenirs and other items you may need in the parks ahead of time for a cheaper price. Souvenirs can be a sneaky expense that will add up if you're not careful!

If I were traveling to Disneyland with kids and looking to save as much money as possible, I'd buy any items like their costumes/ princess dresses, toys like glow sticks or bubble wands, etc. before the trip to save. You can also buy any general Disney apparel like t-shirts, sweatshirts, Mickey or Minnie ears, etc. ahead of time at a cheaper price outside of the parks. Buying some of these items in advance can help you dodge the high costs you'll encounter in stores for the same souvenirs. See some of the Disneyland souvenirs we think are worth it and where to buy some of these in advance.

You'll also want to consider any essential items you may need like portable fans for the summer heat, medicine and bandaids, ponchos, a portable charger, etc., and make sure you bring those with you so that you don't end up having to buy them in a pinch. I always make sure to take these with me because it's always when I forget them that I end up needing to buy them! See some inexpensive items that you may want to consider buying on Amazon before your Disneyland trip to save money.

Buying and Using Discount Disney Gift Cards

Another great way to ensure you're spending the least amount of money possible is to buy discount Disney Gift Cards that you can use for multiple areas of your vacation. There are multiple locations like Target, Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's that offer Disney Gift Cards at discounted prices to members.

You can use these Disney Gift Cards on several different areas of your vacation like hotels, dining, theme park tickets, merchandise, and more. Buying discount Disney Gift Cards is one of the best ways to avoid paying full price for aspects of your Disney vacation, as the money you save on the gift cards is money saved on the area of your vacation you use it on.

Disney Gift Cards can also be a good way to keep your souvenir budget in check if you are budgeting for some shopping at the parks, especially for kids. This can encourage more careful spending and implement a hard limit for the amount of money designated towards souvenir purchases.

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