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We’re Going to Disneyland! {Thrifty Disney Tips}

*TIP For Hotels: We have now been to Southern California over 10 times. My best deals have always come from Get Away Today's Hotel Specials (you can often get a night free or other perks), Or booking a vacation rental here. Before you book, always read hotel reviews. You can see all the hotels near Disneyland ranked here, or just check out our Disneyland Hotels Guide.

Here's the story how we first found Get Away Today (now the only Travel Agency we use):

It's official! We are going to Disneyland next month! I am so thrilled. We wouldn't have decided to go, except that we saw a deal on Plum District for a Disney vacation voucher through One Stop Travel. Being the suckers that we are, we bought one.

To make a long story short, the process of trying to use our voucher was nothing short of a nightmare. Unfortunately what sounded too good to be true actually was and it was far from a good deal. After almost deciding to give up on our vacation, I did some research on Get Away Today and couldn't find anyone that had experienced anything other than bliss. My sister-in-law used them last year and also had a good experience.

At home with the kids? Instantly access any of these printable activity bundles to keep them learning!

So I decided to give Get Away Today a chance before I completely gave up on our Disney dreams.

It has  been night and day difference! They have been so helpful and so enjoyable to work with. I was so impressed with their customer service that I asked if I could be an affiliate and get a coupon code for my readers. Use code MOTHERSNICHE for $10 off (and use that $10 to buy some food at the park instead)!

Since I have to do tons of research anyway to get ready for our trip, I thought I would do a Disney Travel series on the blog. Everything from good tips, to free printables, to fun ideas for the kids! I will do at least one post a week until we leave, and then several posts when we get back. I hope you will follow along! And all you Disneyland fanatics out there (you know who you are), I would love to hear some of your best tips as well! All tips are via word-of-mouth and are subject to change.

Awesome Disneyland tips! I had never heard of most of them!

 

Disneyland Tips

Freebies

  • Ask the photopass photographers to take a picture for you with your own camera! They are happy to do so and they do it all day so they are experienced.
  • Most food service counters will give you free ice waters upon request.
  • Get a free sample of warm bread from the Bakery Tour store in California Adventure!
  • Visit Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop (Pacific Wharf Area), for a free chocolate sample.
  • If you are visiting Disney for the first time, or for a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, whatever..), stop by Guest Relations for a free souvenir Button!

Other Thrifty Disneyland Tips

  • If your balloon pops, or your kid drops their ice cream cone, or your souvenir breaks, ask one of the vendors for a replacement. I have heard they are always happy to do so.
  • Take a picture of the back of your tickets in case you lose them!
  • Ice Cream Shop on Main Street: Buy the biggest size of waffle cone and purchase additional sugar cones (without ice cream). Scoop ice cream from the large cone into the smaller ones.
  • Don't purchase tickets right at the ticket booth…not only do you waste time and money, but you don't get magic morning entries this way!
  • Decide what meal(s) you want to eat in the park and pack the rest of your food in a soft cooler. You can rent a locker in the picnic area and still save a lot more money than buying all of your meals in the park.
  • I've heard that at the end of the Jungle Cruise you can ask for a free map as  a souvenir!

Other Helpful Disneyland Tips

  • For nursing mothers (or moms with young kids): There is a Baby Care Center at the end of Main Street next to the Little Red Wagon corn dog cart. It has a dark room with rocking chairs, sanitized high chairs, changing stations, and mini potty chairs.
  • Nurses Station: For Disneyland, it is at the end of Main Street before Plaza Inn, for C.A., it's next to Guest Relations on Buena Vista Street.
  • Be sure to put ID bands or Safety tattoos on your kids so that someone can contact you if they get lost.

Safety Tattoos to put on your children while vacationing to busy theme parks, museums, etc.

  • If you ever have to pick between two lines, the right is usually a shorter wait.
  • I've heard that there is a family bathroom over by Carnation Plaza that is sort of hidden (minimal waiting time).
  • Ride lines are generally shorter at dinner time
  • Start at Adventureland and go clockwise
  • You can enter the park 30 min before it opens. Use this time to walk Main Street!
  • Fantasyland is usually least busy 1st thing in the morning or after fireworks.

Disneyland with Young Kids

Perks of taking kids under 3: free food, rider swap and double the fastpasses, and free entrance to the park!

Part of the reason we hadn't considered a Disneyland trip before we saw the deal for the voucher was because our kids are little (they will be ages 1 and 2 when we go). I figured we would spend all of our time in the little kid area and that it wouldn't be that much fun. I had NO IDEA there was something called Rider Swap!

Rider Swap. If you want to ride a ride that one of your children are too little for (or too scared), you can request a ride swap which allows the first parent to ride, and then the other parent (and 2 additional people) can get on the ride afterwards without having to wait in line again! This is sheer genius! We are taking my little sister with us so that no one has to ride alone. Also, if you plan it right, this will enable you to have twice as many fast passes as those without young kids.  Read more about this here: Disneyland Swap Pass

Free Park Entrance. Disney tickets can be expensive; however, if you take on of your children before they are 3 years old they are FREE! We were thrilled to hear this because both of our children will be free.

Free Food. Another thing that can add up fast is food at Disneyland. Children under 3 are free at Disney buffets and family-style table service restaurants.

*of course, if your kids aren't very good travelers (or they HAVE to be in their crib for naptimes), the benefits may not be as convincing. For us they are!

If you would also like to book through Get Away Today, I highly recommend them for smooth travel plans! They are so experienced with sending families to Disneyland and they can get you some great deals!  Get Away Today found me a great deal for the #1-rated hotel in Anaheim for much cheaper than anything I could find. They had a promotion for 1 free night after booking 2 nights, and since we are going for 6 nights we got 2 of our nights FREE!

Use Code “MOTHERSNICHE” for $10 off of your travel package. You can Use Get Away Today to purchase entire vacation packages, or you can book hotels and tickets separately.

What are YOUR favorite Disney Tips?

To see part 2 of our travel series, go here: Free Travel Printables for Kids

PIN THIS FOR LATER:

Disneyland Hacks Tips and Tricks For a thrifty and fun trip to Disneyland

Tina M

Tina M

I'm six-foot tall mother of three and I'm enjoying the view! I'm currently fighting a battle with Lyme disease and am determined to come out victorious. I enjoy warm summer rain, peanut butter everything, having dance parties with my husband and kids, natural remedies and healthy living. Most days I'm just looking for another excuse to avoid the piles of laundry.
Tina M
Tina M

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Comments

  5. Oh man, that stinks! I am SO glad you found something that could help you get on that vacation! I just love this post, so detailed and great tips! I hope we can make it out there soon too. This will really come in handy!

    Reply

  12. All good tips! We have been using them for years 🙂 Our DD’s first trip was 3mths and she was still able to ride a decent amount of rides and the rest of the time we ride switched. You are right, couple them with FP’s and you never have to wait in a line. The Mother areas are fabulous, take advantage… even if munchkins just needs a 10 minute decompression! It helps!
    We never had to go back to the hotel, DD was a killer sleeper and would crash out in the stroller until the day she outgrew them. Word of advice on strollers. DO NOT use a little umbrella system if you can avoid it. Take the big travel stroller, it may seem like a burden but that is your child’s “safe place” and when they get overwhelmed I guarantee they will ASK to go in, maybe even ask to lay down, and probably crash. (Comfortabley) we take for granted that their personal and familiar space is somethimes all they need to decompress or regulate their overwhelmed feelings.
    Disney Visa, Vacation Club, annual pass, or AAA members get 10-20% discounts at almost ALL food places. Take advantage!

    Reply

    • Thanks for your comment Tina! You are getting me so excited! And thanks for the tip on the stroller! I have been trying to figure out what to take!

  13. Great tips! We’ve been going to Disneyland for years. I much prefer it over Disney World. I love that the 2 parks are right across from each other, so you don’t have to waste time waiting for the monorail or a bus to get the next park.

    Reply

  16. Take the train to the back of the park first thing in the morning since most people walk from the front to the back. That way you can meet the princesses with hardly any line. Also try to meet the fairies early on as that line gets extremely long, too. We’ve been twice, both times in late November/early December. There are hardly any people there but the park is decorated for Christmas and the decorations are absolutely stunning!!

    Reply

    • The princesses are no longer in the back of the park by Toon Town. They have moved to the Princess Fantasy Faire in front of and to the left of the castle. The only exceptions would be that Merida is usually over by Small World and Anna & Elsa have been in Fantasyland by the Pinocchio ride (if you’re willing to wait 2-3 hours to see them).

  20. I looked at those plum district vouchers too! How did you get around the hotel price? Didn’t you end up paying more with that and with getting hotels through another source?

    Reply

    • Ann, avoid the Plum District vouchers at all cost! We bought 2 of them and ended up not being able to use them because the company is a joke! They charge you so much more than they say in the promotion and their customer service is the worst I have ever encountered!

    • There’s another Plum District deal and wanted your feedback. Glad I scrolled through the comments. So it IS too good to be true. Going to Disneyland in August though nothing is booked yet, I’m glad I didn’t get excited and book Plum District deal. Will find other routes. Thanks!

    • I would stay away from any travel or vacation deal trough Plum District. Huge rip off and businesses that don’t follow through with what they offered. I know what too many people that are out several hundred dollars and there’s nothing they can do to get their money back!

    • Did you get the DisneyLand deal with air tickets or the one with just the hotel and 4 DisneyLand tickets. Was the voucher for hotel that you were having trouble using with? Please let us know.

    • Hi Bill. I bought the voucher for the hotel + airfare….but the problem wasn’t with the specific deal, it was with the company in general. I don’t know how they get away with it, but they charge way more than they say they will and they are horrible at calling back. They also don’t tell you that there has to be an adult for every room, and they are unable to get you joining rooms for your kids. Their while system of doing business is just a big mess.

  22. Best $$ saving tip I know is to buy a case of bottled water and bring a few to the parks each day to stay hydrated. Saves tons of money and avoids drinking the tap water, which is, uh, well it’s just gross.

    Reply

    • We just get hot water for free that is used for coffee and put it in a big free cup of ice water! The hot water is purified and FREE FREE FREE! Some good places are Rancho de Zocalo, Pizza Port, and the Plaza Inn. Anywhere you can get refills at yourself.

  23. My husband and I share our meals in the park. The portions are generous and if we want to “try” something else or new it isn’t quite so expensive that way. We also feel that then we can splurge on ice cream or sweet treats at the candy shop.

    Reply

  24. I’ve been planning our upcoming Disneyland vacation and I’m seriously considering using the Von’s grocery delivery service to have some essentials delivered to our hotel. On our last trip, it was hard finding something easy to eat for a snack or quick breakfast, (believe it or not- I couldn’t eat endless churros!) and I think we spent most of our food budget on 3.00 bottles of Dasani!

    Reply

    • We have done the groceries delivered to our hotel room twice. Best way to do it! Free if it’s your first delivery or first in a while. Then we have breakfast in the room and pack peanut butter and jelly for lunch. Saved a ton!

  25. Great tips! We are leaving on Saturday! Get the kids personalized Disney gear ahead of time instead of buying in the park. Miss Morgans Designs have a ton of cute personalized iron-ons.

    Reply

  26. You nailed it with the great tips. I have two little girls 2 and 4. I love the ride swap, can’t wait to try it, as you’re right I only stayed in fantasyland and didn’t know the swap exists. Highly recommend the soundsational parade the little ones love it, depending on the day usually starts around dinner time, the best place to seat is at main street or the pathway before entering “It’s a small world” plus its a great time to seat and take a break.

    Reply

  27. #1-Disneyland has the best corndogs in the world!! Most people don’t know that you don’t have to get the entire meal which is over $8 for corndog, fries/chips/apple slices, and a drink. I always get it a la carte and pay less than $5 for my ginormous corndog. #2- Check your receipts! Some of them will have a 20% off coupon that you can use on merchandise at select stores! #3- Wait for the first showing of Fantasmic to end and get a great spot at the front of ROA for the second show. You won’t have to wait too long for it to start! #4- tired of just water? Take crystal light or something like that to add to your FREE water for drinks.

    Reply

  28. Just so you aren’t surprised…Magic Morning/Early Entry is only available to guests staying on resort properties. You must be staying at the Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel, purchase your tickets in advance of gong to the park (you can do this at Guest Services in each hotel) and show your room key with your ticket when you enter the parks for MM/EE.

    Also, although my kids are way past stroller age, there is a wonderful stroller rental company that many of my friends have used and highly recommend. It is called City Stroller Rentals. They deliver directly to your hotel and the strollers are, apparently, much higher quality than what you can either bring with you or rent at the parks. I don’t have any affiliation with the company, just personal recommendations from friends.

    Reply

  30. Hello – I’m an annual passholder & have friends who are cast members (so, I’ve been there A LOT lol). You seem to have covered most of the good tips!

    You can get a free recipe card at the Dole Whip cart. The Dole Whip cart has 2 sides – one in the main walkway to Adventureland and one inside the Enchanted Tiki Room waiting area (this is where the recipe card is).

    Also, at California Adventure, they have a free “newspaper” called The Buena Vista Bugle. There’s usually a stack of them inside the Starbucks on a counter and sometimes inside guest relations – after you walk into the park there’s Oswald’s Gas station (I think that’s what it’s called – my mind is failing me right now) and it’s tucked away to the left, right after the gas station. The newspapers are to the left of walking in the door in a stand, but every once in awhile, they’re not there.

    You can also bring in your own bottled water and then fill them up at the water fountains that are throughout the park.

    Reply

  31. My famly has been pass holders for years & we always enjoy Disneyland on a budget. Here are some tips we use with our 4 kids:
    1. I always bring a stroller with enough room to hold a small ice chest.
    2. We only eat 1 meal in the park
    3. I pack homemade lunchables (cut up deli meat, crackers, etc)
    4. I always have a hudge bag of chips, crackers & snacks of all sorts the kids can grab when needed)
    5. We bring our own bottles of soda in our ice chest & ask for cups of ice when needed.
    6. We bring water bottles and refill or add look aide singles to give variety.
    7. At the bakery in California adventure you can purchase a giant sour dough Mickey head for around $8. Ask for extra butter. My family will munch on that all day. Sometimes they wi make sandwiches out of the deli meat I have packed. (They use mayo packets found at some of the kiosks around the food lines)
    8. We will send one family member with all passes to get fast passes when the rest of the family is in line for another ride. Saves time.
    Have a fun trip!

    Reply

  32. We LOVE GetAwayToday! We booked our last Disney vacation through them and got a 4th day free at the park because of a promotion they had going on at the time. And we got a great deal on a hotel right across the street from the park! The first time we went our kids were 2 and almost 1. We had a blast! We took our own stroller and inclined the seats back when they napped, so we didn’t have to leave the park. It is amazing how many rides little kids that age can go on. We definitely took advantage of the rider-switch passes.

    Reply

  33. Best thing I ever did. Rent a scooter. My mom has foot surgery so we rented one buy we are getting one from now on. You zoom past people and at midnight walking to your hotel it’s amazing to just zoom past angry parents dragging their kids. Plus it’s just fun and not that expensive and can deliver to your hotel. Note it’s not a disney rental thing have to find one outside of disney.

    Reply

  34. I have to make a comment regarding buying tickets at the booth. I agree I would not normally buy them at the booth to save time, but you absolutely will get magic morning. I had to upgrade my husbands two day ticket to a three day ticket when we went in August this year. It only cost $57 more to upgrade and he got the magic morning. Just thought I’d point that out! 🙂

    Reply

  35. These are great tips! As a So Cal resident, Annual pass holder, owner of 14 vacation rentals within a mile of Disneyland, and mother of 3 – there are still things I learned from this post. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Jessica, do you have minimums on your rentals? Looking for just one or two nights this October!

  36. You can bring in outside food!! We packed a lunchbox in a backpack, stopped at Safeway on the way in for deli sandwiches ($5 each or $8 for a double portion), and had enough food to last us ALL day with leftovers! Saved time not having to stand in the food lines and we spent less than $20 for food all day.

    Reply

  37. The rider switch pass is AMAZING! We are season passholders and if someone in the group gets a fast past we get on and off the rides so quickly!

    Reply

  38. I use PortaPocket to keep my ID, cash, cards, hotel key and cell phone ON my body for safety and convenience. It’s super easy to navigate any ride or attraction without worrying about my valuables. I’d never leave them in a purse or bag….too much risk. I just WEAR what I need instead. It’s cake!

    Reply

  39. I ALWAYS book through Getwawaytoday!! They are amazing. First it includes your tickets and hotel room, AND even more importantly- it basically waives any ‘parking fees’ your hotel will normally charge.
    I first found Getawaytoday when I lived in Utah= and part of my fee that I pay goes to the Granite School District; Im sure they have others.;
    I would NEVER try to book a trip on my own.
    AND if you have season passes already- you can get just y0ur hotel through them- and they do Hawaii, SF etc etc…..
    make sure you look them up… they are your new bestfriend… did I mention you can do layaway deals through them also..; hint hint hint
    we are taking our 16 year old twins on wednesday- I have arranged early finals with the promise to take their electronics away tuesday night so they cant tell others what is on the final. The twins have NO idea….. we chose that week over christmas week because 1: adults get in at kids prices and 2: the week of christmas will be PACKED, prices double if not go higher and availability is ridiculous.

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  40. OH….. I almost forgot…. if you do rent a wheelchair/scooter or whatever- try to use cash. That way at the end of the night you get your deposit back in cash to use for your deposit for the next day instead of having just another hold on your credit card.

    Reply

  42. I purchased the plum district deal too! With hotel and the 4 tickets. I sent in my reservation request and they sent me an email telling me that I owed exactly the difference for the deal minus my deposit. I am wondering what kind of issues you had, I’m supposed to call today to pay the remainder. TIA

    Reply

  44. The tip about going to the right line is incorrect. Because Americans naturally go to the right (thanks to driving) the left lines are most often shorter. Watch the security & entrance gates:)

    Reply

Trackbacks

  2. […] Planning a vacation to Disneyland can be incredibly exciting and sometimes stressful – especially if you’re traveling with a large group. However, traveling with everyone you love truly makes the Disneyland Resort The Happiest Place on Earth. I’ve actually never done Disneyland in small numbers. I always have so much fun inviting other families or friends to come along, so here are my top 5 tips for traveling to Disneyland with a large group. After reading this, you’ll be able to bring all of your family and friends along, making it the most magical vacation yet. And if you are also wanting to save money, see our post Thrifty Disney Tips. […]

    Reply

  5. […] We went to Disneyland last year and took our 1 and 2-year old. we had BLAST and it was all due to our amazing sister who lives in L.A. and is the biggest Disney fan of anyone I know. Every year she gets a season pass to Disneyland and has already been over 150 times in the last few years. Since we are going again this year, I asked her if she would share some tips with you all. If you haven’t read our other Disneyland Travel Guides, start here: Thrifty Disney Tips […]

    Reply

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