Welcome to my first post of the New Year! I hope yours is off to a wonderful start. Winter is a great time to either take, or plan a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. We went on our trip to Disneyland at peak time: July- but still managed to pull it off without breaking the bank.

How to do a Disney Trip for Less than $1000.00
Drive Instead of Fly

I know this is not possible for everyone of course. If you have a reasonable amount of time( and distance) to make the trip, driving will save some big bucks. With gas prices in the US at a record low- it’s a great time to take advantage of this option. We traveled from Seattle to Anaheim and back for under $200.00. Some other stops were even included in that price- San Diego, Palm Springs and San Francisco.

Buy Your Admission Tickets Elsewhere

Every time I visit the Magic Kingdom, the admission tickets put a big dent in the trip budget. This time we decided to search around to beat the prices at the gate. We didn’t have to look far. In the lobby of our hotel , the concierge was selling them for 105.00 each. This saved us about 75 bucks for 3 people.

We only spent one day in the park. If you are planning on visiting more than one, a hopper pass is a better deal. Also warehouse retailers such as Costco or Sam’s, sell them in a bundle for much cheaper.

Eat And Shop Outside the Park

I know you are probably thinking what fun is that!?! Ha, well we did eat in the park some, but not our main meals. Like most other peeps, we are there when the park opens and stay until it’s time to close.

If you drink and eat there all day long, it will certainly leave a huge hole in your wallet! Eat breakfast at McDonalds before heading to the park. Later grab a stamp on your hand, and leave for lunch and dinner. This time around we found the most scrumptious Mexican food. It’s a few blocks away on Harbor Blvd- Sabrosada . TO DIE FOR, and very reasonable in price.

Snacks and drinks and a keychain is all we purchased inside the park. Target and small vendors on Harbor Blvd sell Disney merchandise for a lot less.

Listen to A Time Share Spiel to Save on Hotel

I have a friend that belongs to the Worldmark timeshare group, perhaps you do too. She gave me a pass for 2 free nights at a Worldmark/ Wyndham property anywhere in the world. The pass gave me the option for staying 3 additional nights for a total of $150.00

We stayed at the Anaheim Garden Grove hotel by Wyndham. We absolutely loved it! The rooms were spacious, cozy and inviting. The pool was wonderful, and the staff was friendly. I would definitely consider a stay here again. You can reserve a room here even if you don’t belong to Worldmark.

Of course the catch is you have to listen to a 2 hour presentation about purchasing a piece of the pie. The presentation was tastefully done and we escaped without our wrists being twisted behind our backs! Actually there was no high pressure sales tactics used. A little prodding was all, and it was totally worth it to save money.

Budget Your Time

Another great way to save is to plan your time while in the park. Creating an agenda of the attractions and rides you want to go to, will actually help save money! Aimlessly wandering around usually leads to nickel and diming your cash away.

It’s also easy to get caught up in the pressure to purchase extra tours, park souvenirs etc. There are plenty of things to see and do, included in the entrance price.

Summary of Expenses For 5 Days:

Gas: 200
Hotel: 150
Park Passes: 315
Food & Shopping: 350