Affordable Disney Family Vacations
From LoveToKnow Themeparks
Affordable Disney family vacations may seem like an oxymoron, as this particular theme park chain is notorious for both its big entertainment value and even bigger price tag. Below are some tips and tricks to help you stay on budget if you’re planning a Disney park excursion with your family this year.
Starting with the Basics of Affordable Disney Family Vacations
Before you worry about extra fees and spending sprees, you first must decide upon the basics. Where are you going to go, and what do you need to get there? If you are coming to Florida’s Walt Disney World from the West or East coasts, you’ll need to figure out whether you will drive or fly, and how much time you will spend in the Orlando area.
For these basic planning needs, Disney itself offers some reasonable deals for families. Their vacation packages rotate throughout the year, but usually there is some offering such as a 5 night hotel stay for the price of 2 or 3, or complete packages such as the ones found on Walt Disney World’s vacation planning website.
Similar packages for Disneyland in California are also available.
If these packages are still out of your price range, it’s simple enough to venture away from pre-determined deals set by Disney and strike out on your own. Use popular hotel sites such as Hotels.com or Priceline.com to find great deals on local hotels that are NOT Disney-affiliated. You will save a bundle not staying at a Disney hotel, and in many cases, these are located very close to the parks.
You can price flights and restaurants online as well. The Internet has allowed families to be more economical than ever before, as everything can be priced beforehand.
Adding in the Extras
What makes a Disney vacation expensive is not the travel and accommodations, but the time spent in the actual Disney parks. Meals, souvenirs, and parking overwhelm the “affordable Disney family vacations” idea.
With smart planning, you can stay on track and on budget all throughout your visit. While this is a bit more difficult in the vast expanse of Disney’s Florida property, Disneyland and California Adventure in Anaheim are located on a main drag through the city, surrounded by hotels and restaurants. With its close neighbors and proximity to many lodging options, you can often walk to the park from many hotels. This will save you Disney’s hefty daily parking price. The same can be said for the neighboring restaurants – going off site at lunch time and visiting the nearby McDonald’s or sit down restaurants offered in the area will save you a bundle, as Disneyland food can be very pricy when you have to feed an entire family.
More Smart Ideas
For both California and Florida vacations, you can save money by just setting some ground rules. Commit to a set limit of shopping before entering the parks. Perhaps give each child the opportunity to purchase one souvenir and treat each. This will prevent impulse buys, as most children will want to save their choice for something they really, truly want. You can place further value and healthy responsibility on your children by providing them with a Disney gift card or their set amount of spending money in cash before entering the park. Having your entire budget in hand can help in making wise purchases.
Lastly, most Disney parks offer some activities that are not included in the ticket price. In California, Disneyland features a shooting gallery in Frontierland and an arcade in Tomorrowland , while California Adventure has boardwalk-style carnival games in Paradise Pier. Does your child really want an interactive experience outside of what’s already offered? Take them to the Main Street Penny Arcade (located in both California and Florida) where they can explore some vintage amusements and drop in a minimal amount of change (between 1 and 25 cents) per activity.
There are plenty of little ways to make a Disney vacation affordable. Invite your family to take part in planning ways to save money before you get to the parks. Making it a fun and constructive experience will not only teach your youngsters the value of a dollar, but gives them input on vacation plans as well, which makes them feel like a welcomed member of the clan.
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