Hey there, hi there, ho there, Kiana! You're as welcome as can be, to the Disney Parks Moms Panel.
You’ve come to the right place! Finding creative ways to budget for visits to the Disneyland Resort is very important to me and my family. After all, the more we can save on each visit, the more we’ll be able to return again and again to the Happiest Place on Earth!
There are three big ways that I’ve used to help save on our family vacations to the Disneyland Resort.
Become a Disney Visa Cardmember. As a Disney Visa Cardmember, I earn Disney Rewards Dollars on every purchase I make using the
Disney Visa Card. Those Disney Rewards Dollars can then be used to pay for stays at Disneyland Resort Hotels,
park tickets,
dining, and
souvenirs!
Use Disney Gift Cards. Another way I save money is by collecting
Disney Gift Cards. These handy cards can be used for the same types of vacation purchases as Disney Rewards Dollars. By having the fixed set of cards gathered for our vacations, we can do better at sticking to a budget. Plus, we usually purchase our Disney Gift Cards at local retail and wholesale locations that sell them at a discount!
Mixed Hotel Stays. The third way I have used to save on our Disneyland Resort vacations is with split hotel stays. We might start off at a
Good Neighbor Hotel then transition to a
Disneyland Resort Hotel later during our vacation. We end up saving overall while still having the chance to stay within the magic during a part of our stay. Plus, did you know that guests of the Disneyland Resort Hotel are eligible for
perks and benefits of hotel guests on
every day of their stay, including check-in day and check-out day? For us, that means we check in early on our first day so that we can take advantage of
Extra Magic Hour early entry benefits while our room is being prepared. Arriving early at the hotel is extra easy if we were already close by at a Good Neighbor Hotel!
Of course, you'll also want to keep watching for new
special offers that are made available from time to time. And there are often group rates that are arranged by outside organizations or conventions that can help save on hotel stays as well.
I hope to see ya real soon, Kiana!
~Tony