How Much Does It Cost to Travel to Disneyland? Plus money-Saving Tips
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Hello, Disney friends! We're back from another wonderful Disney birthday trip, and I feel so blessed and grateful that my husband and I could take time off to go on vacation. I didn't grow up going on many vacations, and I know that a vacation is a luxury not afforded to many, which is why I cherish it so much now as an adult.
People who travel to visit Disneyland have a lot of different things to consider when planning their vacation. This blog post will cover how much we paid for flights, transportation, hotel, tickets, and food, plus some money-saving tips. I hope it will help you plan and budget for your next Disneyland vacation.
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Photo by Giorgio Trovato via Unsplash
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HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO TRAVEL TO DISNEYLAND?
One of the first things people think of when planning any vacation is cost; yes, traveling to any Disney Park requires money. Unlike people who live near Disneyland, people who need to travel to Disneyland have to think about flights, transportation to and from the parks, lodging, food, and more. Today, I'm sharing how much we paid to travel to Disneyland, including how much we spent on food in the parks.
Our Disneyland vacation was for two people (me and my husband), and we flew into LAX from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. We booked Two-day Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets and a hotel room for four nights through Get Away Today. This trip was the first time we stayed an extra night at the hotel after visiting Disneyland. We normally book our hotel stays for the same length of time in the parks, but I wanted an extra day before and after our trip to shop in Downtown Disney and swim at the hotel pool.
I'm not a Disney travel agent, and all of the information shared is from my research and Disneyland planning experience. I planned all our Disneyland vacations since our first trip together in 2015, including successfully booking flights, transportation, and hotels on and off the Disneyland property. So, I feel like I have a fair amount of experience when it comes to booking your own Disneyland vacation.
Here's a quick look at how much we spent before I jump into the details (click on the categories to jump ahead):
Flights for two: $1,926
Hotel room for four nights: $1,000
Parking at the hotel: $22
Two-day Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets: $626
Genie+ for two days: $80
Individual Lightning Lane over two days: $60
Locker storage for two days: $31
Food & drinks over two days: $373.16
Altogether, we spent $4,118.16 on our Disneyland trip for two, excluding shopping. Am I surprised that we spent that much on our trip? No. Do I think we could've saved more on our trip? Yes! I'll discuss where we could've saved in the sections below.
The most expensive part of our Disneyland vacation was our flight from Hawaiʻi to California (LAX) and back, and we paid $963 per person for flights. We are loyal Hawaiian Airlines customers and Pualani Gold Members, and we always choose to fly Hawaiian. I admit that flying with Hawaiian Airlines is a little more expensive than flying with a cheaper airline, and we're okay with that. We've both flown on cheaper airlines in the past, and we do not appreciate the added stress of flying cheap, so we choose to pay more for Hawaiian Airlines' amenities and service.
We have previously used our HawaiianMiles rewards to book our flights to California. We earn miles from booking our flights with Hawaiian Airlines, redeeming our Maikaʻi Rewards from Foodland for Hawaiian Miles, and using my Hawaiian Airlines credit card. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough miles to redeem on mainland Reward Travel this trip, so we paid for our flights out of pocket.
Rental car: $0
Our trips to California are rarely ever to visit Disneyland only, and it's usually coupled with visiting Angel's family. This time we had a family obligation to attend before our Disneyland trip, so Angel's mom graciously allowed us to use her car to drive to Disneyland afterward. Borrowing her car saved us between $500 - 700, which is how much we would've spent on a rental car for seven days if we had reserved and paid for it online before our trip.
Another transportation option is Karmel Shuttle Service recommended by Disney. Karmel Shuttle offers shared or private round-trip shuttle service from the airport to Disneyland. We reserved a Private Towncar when we used them for our October and December trips last year, and we paid around $400 round trip.
When you book discount Disneyland tickets or a Disneyland vacation package with Get Away Today, easily add Karmel Shuttle to / from Long Beach Airport, LAX, John Wayne Airport, or Universal Studios to your cart. Shuttle prices start from $76. Use code “OROZCO” to save $10 on your vacation package.
On this trip, we stayed at Tropicana Inn & Suites, a Good Neighbor Hotel at Disneyland. Good Neighbor Hotels are hotels near the Disneyland resort. They are usually budget-friendly and come with benefits, like walking distance from the park or free or paid shuttle services, like ART (Anaheim Regional Transportation).
Our room at the Tropicana was the perfect 1 King, Sofa Bed Standard Room with a balcony overlooking the Monorail and Matterhorn and steps away from the Disneyland entrance on Harbor Boulevard. We booked our room at the Tropicana on Get Away Today and saved $118. If we had booked our room on Tropicana's website, we would've paid around $1,118.52 for the same room, excluding parking, which was a $22 flat rate.
I also booked our two-day Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets through Get Away Today and saved $2 per ticket. On Disneyland's website, Two-day Park Hopper Tickets in 2022 costs $315 per ticket. I know $2 isn't much, but anything helps, right? Pro tip: Book a Disneyland vacation package with Get Away Today and save $10 when you use my code "OROZCO" at checkout.
Genie+ is the paid replacement option for FastPass and MaxPass. We paid $20 per person per day and gained access to a select set of attractions in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, PhotoPass, and Audio Tours. You can purchase it on the Disneyland app once you're in the park or add it to your cart when you buy your tickets.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to purchase Genie+ on this trip until the morning of our first park day. Because of my indecisiveness, I made a last-minute decision to try Rope Drop for the first time the night before. Rope Drop is a free Disney park strategy expert parkgoers take advantage of to get on the most rides in the standby line before the parks get crowded.
Rope Drop is not for the faint of heart; It requires expert planning skills, patience, and tenacity at an ungodly hour in the morning. We purchased Genie+ after we learned Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the only ride we wanted to Rope Drop, and our backup ride, Big Thunder Mountain, were both down that day. See more of our Rope Drop adventures in my Disneyland Instagram highlight.
If you're stuck deciding if you should purchase Genie+, here is my recommendation: Buy Genie+ only if you're visiting Disneyland for one or two days. Do not buy Genie+ if you're visiting for three or more days.
If the rides at Disneyland are the most important part of your trip, Genie+ is the perfect tool for shorter visits because it'll help you get on more rides quickly, excluding the Individual Lightning Lane rides. (More on that below.) However, I feel like Genie+ isn't worth the money if you're visiting the park for three or more days because you have the time to take your time getting on rides.
While I love Genie+ because it helps us get on rides quicker, my favorite benefit is access to PhotoPass. For some people, PhotoPass isn't exciting. But for me, getting PhotoPass with Genie+ is an opportunity to create and collect more professional Disney memories for a flat rate versus purchasing it by the photo (starting at $30). Check out some of the awesome PhotoPass photos we got this last trip:
In addition to Genie+, we purchased four Radiator Springs Racers Individual Lightning Lanes for $15 per person per ride (we rode it twice via Individual Lightning Lane). Radiator Springs Racers is one of a few premium attractions you can purchase á la carte to bypass the standby line. You do not need Genie+ to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane.
Something to be aware of is Individual Lightning Lanes can sell out. We tried purchasing Individual Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance around mid-morning after our failed Rope Drop attempt but learned it was "unavailable" (read: sold out). I had no idea Individual Lightning Lane could sell out until I posted about it on my Instagram Story. We ended up not riding Rise of the Resistance this trip because we couldn't purchase Individual Lightning Lane for it, and I refused to stand in the standby line for 175 minutes.
My recommendation for Individual Lightning Lane is the same as Genie+. Don't waste your money if you have the time and patience to stand in line (unlike me 😝).
Did you know there are locker rentals at Disneyland? Locker rental prices inside the parks range from $7 per day for a small locker and $10 per day for a large locker. Outside the parks, lockers range from $7, $10, $12, and $15 per day.
We rented four lockers in the parks — one locker per park per day. Our thinking was we rent a new locker when we Park Hop, so we don't have to rush through the crowds to hop over to grab our things from the lockers in our starting park. After writing this blog post, I realized we could've planned better in this area to save money. Now we know and can plan better for our next trip.
Let's talk about food! Food is the third category where we spent the most money at Disneyland. We had two big dining reservations: Character breakfast at Storytellers Cafe and the Fantasmic! dining package at Blue Bayou.
I am a creature of habit and can eat at the same restaurants over and over. This time, I made a checklist of foods I wanted to try in the Notes app on my phone and stuck to it. I highly recommend doing this before your trip because it takes the guesswork out of finding a place to eat each night, which can be frustrating when you're tired and hungry.
Before I jump into the list, please note that Disneyland increased its food prices the day after our visit, and the itemized food prices below may not reflect the current menu prices. Here's a list of everything we bought, ate, and drank at Disneyland:
Carnation Cafe: $29. We kicked off our first day at Disneyland with breakfast at the Carnation Cafe. I ordered the Breakfast Skillet ($16) and Angel had the Breakfast Sandwich ($13). At first, I thought the skillet was small for $16, but it was surprisingly filling. The potatoes with the chopped applewood-smoked bacon were my favorite part of the dish.
Rancho del Zocalo: $56.71. The Horchata Cold Brew at Rancho del Zocalo was at the top of our food list this visit, and it didn't disappoint! (Watch me taste it for the first time in my Disney Food Instagram Highlight.) We ordered and shared the Horchata Cold Brew – Large ($7.29). The horchata was sweet but not too sweet, toning down the bitter taste of the cold brew perfectly. We also ordered the Cinnamon Crisps ($4.49), the best and crispiest buñelos ever. Pro tip: Mobile order your Horchata Cold Brew first thing in the morning, so it'll be ready for pick up when they open at 11 a.m.
We loved Rancho del Zocalo so much that we went back for dinner. The Chicken Taco Salad ($12.49) was the most popular dish, so we both ordered it with a side of rice ($1.99). It was okay and nothing special. We wished we knew rice came with the Chicken Taco Salad; otherwise, we both wouldn't have ordered the side of rice. For dessert, I ordered the Chocolate Flan Cake ($5.49). The flan tasted overly cooked, and the chocolate cake did not go well. I wasn't a fan and would not order it again. For drinks, I got the horchata ($6.49), and Angel got a bottle of water ($3.99).
Willie’s Churro Cart: $6.75. After a year of waiting, I finally tried the Fluffernutter Churro! I first saw @happiestteesonearth talk about this churro when Disneyland first opened last year, but by the time we went, Disney had already swapped out their specialty churros for Halloween churros. The wait was worth it, and I’m so glad I got to try it.
Award Weiners: $18.77. Angel heard the Asada Fries ($10.49) from Award Weiners was a must-have, so we tried it for a late lunch / afternoon snack. The carne asada was perfectly cut and seasoned and went well with the spiralized fries, onions, and cilantro. I would 10 / 10 eat it again. It tasted even better with my fountain Coca-Cola ($4.29) I ordered and Angel's bottle of water ($3.99).
Clarabelle's Hand Scooped Ice Cream: $15.50. I love watermelons, so when I saw the Sandianada Hard Float ($15.50) from Clarabelle's Hand Scooped Ice Cream on Instagram, I knew I had to order it. Unfortunately, it wasn't as refreshing as it looked because there was so much Tajín that it tasted like Tajín with beer.
Character Breakfast at Storytellers Cafe: $49 x 2 = $98. Character dining is one of Disneyland's more expensive dining options, but one hundred percent worth it. We made character dining reservations at Storytellers Cafe at The Grand Californian Hotel Resort & Spa. You don't need to be a guest of The Grand Californian to dine at Storytellers Cafe.
Character dining is a great option for both adults and children. I love how you can meet and interact with characters in an intimate setting without waiting in line, like at the parks. Depending on the restaurant, the characters parade around, then visit your party's table for a few minutes for a short meet-and-greet.
We chose from a bountiful breakfast buffet made up of croissants, danishes, seasonal fruits, eggs, chilaquiles, bacon, and other breakfast meats. I also loved the various choices of specialty iced coffees — much-needed after our first full day at Disneyland — and that they offered horchata and jamaica, which Angel loved.
Character breakfast at Storytellers Cafe is $49 per adult and $29 per child, ages 3-9.
Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff. $10.99. The only random food item I bought at Disneyland was a Memory Refresher in a Disney Souvenir Cup ($10.99) from Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff. This frozen Inside-Out-inspired snack was the perfect refreshment on a hot day. You may also purchase in a regular non-souvenir cup for $6.99.
Blue Bayou Fantasmic! Lunch Dining Package: $89 x 2 = $178. This trip was our first time eating at Blue Bayou, and it didn't disappoint! The food was amazing; rich with flavor and good portions. It was also pricier than other restaurants, especially because we upgraded our lunch reservations to the Fantasmic! dining package, which is the whole reason we chose to eat there.
The Fantasmic! dining package costs $89 per adult, and $35 per child, ages 3-9, and it comes with a three-course, pre-fixe menu and admission to the best seats for Fantasmic!, a nighttime show on the Rivers of America in Disneyland.
Let's talk about what we ordered from the three-course, pre-fixe menu first. We both ordered the Chicken Gumbo for our first course, which was absolutely amazing. The roux was so flavorful and rich, and I didn't want it to end. I ordered the Monte Cristo Sandwich & Seasonal Salad for my second course, and Angel ordered Jambalaya. It was my first time trying the Monte Cristo Sandwich, and the dough reminded me of a malasada (a popular Portuguese dessert in Hawaiʻi). For dessert, I ordered the Imagination Mousse, a chocolate-truffle mousse with hazelnut-praline crunch. The presentation was adorable; it came with a Sorcerer Mickey painted on white chocolate and a candle for my birthday. Angel ordered the layered chocolate-coffee cake. We also ordered Mint Juleps, which came with a glow cube we could take home.
This Fantasmic! show was our first since before the coronavirus pandemic. Pre-pandemic, we would grab FastPasses for the show, and our seats would be on the outer corners of the Rivers of America. Now that FastPass no longer exists, park guests can only grab seating for the show by purchasing a Fantasmic! dining package at the Blue Bayou, River Belle Terrace, and Hungry Bear Restaurant. Park guests without dining packages are at the mercy of the standby area.
Pro tip: If watching the show seated is important to you, I highly recommend looking into the Fantasmic! dining packages. The prices of the packages range depending on the restaurant. We've eaten at River Belle Terrace and Hungry Bear Restaurant separately from the Fantasmic! dining package and think they have great food options for all ages and prices for all budgets.
Jolly Holiday Bakery and Cafe: $30.97. The last place we dined at Disneyland was Jolly Holiday Bakery and Cafe, just in time to grab one of the last Raspberry Rose Mickey Macarons ($6.49) of the day. I follow Liz (@chim.chim.churro) on Instagram, and she raves about this macaron, so I had to try it. It was delicious; the raspberry-rose almond filling paired perfectly with the plump and sweet raspberries. I only wish I had tried it earlier in our trip.
We also tried the popular Beef Birria Toasted Cheese Sandwich ($13.49). Disney friends, this sandwich is heavenly, especially when dipped into the consomé. *Joey Tribbiani voice* Cheese? Good. Birria? Good. Birria and cheese together? GOOD!
I about died eating that first bite. I also bought a backup Oven-Roasted Turkey on Ciabatta ($10.99) just in case we didn't like the Beef Birria Toasted Cheese Sandwich. The Oven-Roasted Turkey on Ciabatta was the worst sandwich; dry, hard, and flavorless. It was a mistake, and I would not buy it again.
For drinks, I bought a regular-sized fountain drink ($4.59) and a bottle of water ($4.39).
One area we could've saved money on is water. I brought this 18oz. Yeti tumbler with us in the parks but put it in the locker after we hopped parks at 1 p.m. That was a bad idea because between 1 and 5 p.m. was when the weather was the hottest and when we felt the most thirsty. Being too tied up or lazy to walk to the front of the park to grab our water, we purchased multiple water bottles at various restaurants.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I posted on Instagram that I was writing this travel guide and asked if you had any questions for me. I received a handful of questions that weren't cost-related, and I'll save them for a future blog / Instagram post. But, there was one question that I thought fit this post perfectly, and it was: Any tips on how to save money with the trip?
The most important money-saving tip I have is to enjoy yourself. Vacation is not the time to want to save money, and I believe you cannot put a price on memories. I tried following a strict budget at Disneyland and was riddled with anxiety the entire time. When we visit now, we go with the notion that we're there to spend money. Some people will shake their heads with approval, and others might disagree. Nevertheless, here are my tips for saving money on your Disneyland trip:
Book discount Disneyland tickets or a vacation package with Get Away Today. It's no secret that Disneyland’s prices increase annually, so do your research and look for ways to save on flights, tickets, and hotels. I like booking discounted Disneyland tickets or vacation packages with Get Away Today to save money. Get Away Today is a verified theme park partner with no hidden taxes or fees. I've always had the best customer service experience with them, and they've saved me money on all our Disneyland tickets and hotels since 2015. Check out their current deals on their website and use code "OROZCO" to save $10 on Disneyland vacation packages at checkout.
Bring your own water. Bringing your own water into the parks is an easy way to save money. There are many drinking fountains and bottle-filling stations to refill your water bottles. Search "bottle-filling stations" in the Disneyland app to see the closest water-filling station to you.
Pack your own food. I haven't done this before, but I have seen families bring their own food into the parks. Traveling Mom has an in-depth guide for packing snacks for the Disney parks. (It includes a free Disney snack-packing checklist!)
Plan where you want to eat and stick to it. As I mentioned above, researching what we wanted to eat and sticking to it saved us a lot of money on food.
Purchase Disney park essentials, like external phone batteries, fans, ponchos, and more, before you go to the parks. Disney upcharges for all these park essentials, so buy them before you enter the park. Follow me in the LTK app to see my Disney parks essentials.
Wow, if you made it to the end of this blog post, congratulations! I hope you found what you were looking for, and if there's anything else I can help you with, or if you want to talk stories about Disney, feel free to email or DM me on Instagram.
Editor's note: A perk of being a Get Away Today affiliate is that I can use my referral code to book our Disneyland vacation packages to save $10 at checkout. We did not take advantage of the referral code on this trip because we booked our tickets and hotel room separately.