With the prices of Disneyland tickets at an all-time high, how's a big family supposed to take any sort of overnight trip to the Magic Kingdom? Thanks to the great deals by local hotels, selecting low-demand days and other tips and tricks, it is possible. And with all the cool new stuff at Disneland right now — from the new Rise of the Resistance Star Wars ride to the awesome new Magic Happens parade — there's no better time to go. Here are some of my favorite hacks for saving some money at Disneyland as a family of five:
Go on non-peak days
Bring your own snacks
Yes, food at Disneyland is a large part of the charm — Dole whip, anyone? — but you don't have to buy all your food at the park. Even the smallest snacks add up quickly. So save your money for the foods each person is most dying to try and pack sandwiches and snacks for the rest — which are also good things to have when waiting in long lines.
Get into pin trading
A great way to take up time during the day when lines are too long for littles to wait in, is to go pin trading. You can get the kids a starter pack at the park (or online — just make sure they have the officially Disney stamp on the backs) that comes with a lanyard and four pins. The kids can then go searching around the many kiosks and stores inside the parks that have a pin board with other pins that they can trade for. It's super fun, relatively low cost (as long as you only stick with four) and a great way to pass time between rides.
Bring your own water bottle
This sounds like common sense, but it's often the little things families forget to pack. Remember those refillable water bottles and fill them up throughout the day at the many water fountains or restaurants. Trust me, you're all going to be very thirsty with all the walking.
Get the MaxPass
I know, it sounds counterintuitive to tell you to spend money to save money, but if you consider that time is money (especially time with little kids who often have an expiration point), the MaxPass — which is $20 per day, per ticket — is worth its weight in gold. Even if you only spring for it for one day, do it. Our family of three littles — ages 8, 6 and 1.5 — never had to wait longer than 10 minutes thanks to the Max Pass which lets you get Fast Passes all through an app on your phone. That's right, you don't have to haul the entire brood across the park to get a Fast Pass for Splash Mountain or whatever other popular ride you want to forgo the hour-long line on. This means your family gets on more rides during your trip — with far less whining — which is totally a savings in my book.
