This is the third in a series of posts about how to actually enjoy yourself at Disneyland and Disneyland California Adventure.
Tip 3: Manage your finances carefully
The happiest place on Earth should also been called the most carefully engineered money-sucking machine on Earth. You will never see so many opportunities to buy and spend as you do in the park, each carefully arranged and timed throughout the day to fill your needs as they come. At 10:00, drink vendors start showing up. At noon, ice cream. At 6:00 PM, it's the churros. At 9:00 PM, the energy drink stands start popping up (seriously!).
You should expect Disneyland to cost you money. If you think you'll get by without spending $20-$30 per person per day in the park, you're either fooling yourself or VERY self controlled. However, the more often your wallet opens, the less you'll be able to enjoy yourself. As a result, spending money in some places will result in more happiness per dollar than others.
First, parking is $15 per day per car. If you are going for more than one day, get yourself a shuttle pass for the ART (Anaheim Resort Transit) for the length of your stay. The ART costs per-person, but it is relatively inexpensive compared to parking every day, and it is a lot more convenient. In fact, the ART shuttle drops you off about 100 yards from the front entrance to the park. If you go in a car, you have to park far away, then walk to a tram, then take it to the park, then walk through downtown Disney to get to the park. You save a lot of time with ART even including the time you spend waiting for the bus.
Second, rent a stroller if you have a child under 3. Strollers become a necessity very quickly as kids become tired out, and doing it first thing means you don't have to go back to the park entrance to get one during the middle of the day. Also, keep your receipt! If you have a receipt, you can ditch your stroller at any time in the park if you need to and just get another one later that day without paying again.
Third, save souvenir shopping for the last day. Kids are constantly bombarded with "extra super cool" toys in the park, and if you buy one the first day, they'll see something they like more the next day, and they'll beg your ears off until you give in. If you set the expectation early that they have to wait, they'll usually be okay with it, and when they beg you can say "if that's what you want at the end of your trip, it's yours."
Lastly, don't eat in the park if you can help it. There's a Subway and an IHOP within 5 minutes walking distance from the entrance to the park. Go there and eat instead, and save yourself about $6 a person. For something nicer, I recommend the restaurant Fire and Ice inside of the Gardenwalk, an open-air mall about 1/4 mile from Disneyland.
If you are staying in the park only for a day or two, get subway the night before, but don't get any liquids added to it (like oil, mayo, etc). Get those on the side and put them on right before eating in the park.
If you do end up wanting to eat in the park, I recommend the places at California Adventure better, as the food quality is much higher, and leaves you full longer. The bakery has excellent soups.
Oh, and this tip applies to water too. A bottle of water is $3 in the park, and that's for a small one. You'll go through at least 3 bottles, so if you don't take your own you're talking $10 a person per day.
No comments:
Post a Comment