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Thread: Saving money on our trip.

  1. #1
    Registered User missm's Avatar
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    Saving money on our trip.

    I was hoping that you all had some money saving tips for Disneyland vacations. We like to be able to splurge of meals and souvenir's so I like to save money while booking the vacation. We originally were going to stay someplace pretty expensive but my SIL was concerned about the price so we are now staying at Camelot Inn. That saved us $2,400 on the trip so right there I saved a ton.

    I just ordered $1,000 in Disney gift cards from Target with my red debit card, I saved $50 and earned $9.50 back in my ebates account. These will pay for our parkhopper tickets. I'll order another $1,000 for spending and save another $50 and get another $9.50 back from ebates. The hotel also had cash back and I joined Orbitz to book, I'll receive about $40 back on ebates once I complete the trip and I earned $50 in orbucks to use on another hotel stay.

    Anyone else have tips to save money on their trips?

    "It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then." Alice, Alice in Wonderland

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  3. #2

    Bring snacks, drinks and breakfast foods to eat on the way to the parks.


  4. #3

    We don't even buy water any more. Almost all CS places give free cups of ice water upon request, even multiple cups for a refillable water bottle. The savings on water is substantial, especially on a multi-day trip. Keep tabs on your Starbucks spending. We know people who've been pretty unpleasantly surprised by the Starbucks tab at the end of a Disney trip. (It just doesn't seem like that much when you use the app or your Starbucks card each time.) Sharing meals is a huge cost saver. And it also cuts down on leftovers -- too inconvenient carting little boxes of food throughout the parks! Take photos of the "I want" souvenirs (item, location, price tag, etc.), then decide at the end of the day/end of the trip which one you want. This cuts way down on the whining and impulse buying. Our nephews really liked the photo choosing game at the end of the trip.


  5. #4

    We have grocery stores around here that give double and sometimes triple gas points when you buy gift cards.

    They sell Disney ones too. They also sell home depot and many other places. So if you need a lawn mower or Disney tickets you can buy the gift cards and then use them to make your purchases.

    We buy with our Sheraton SPG amex card so we even earn free hotel stays and save on gas all at the same time.

    "If you can Dream it you can Do IT." Walt Disney


  6. #5
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    Pammer takes that a step further SJ. She uses her Disney Chase at Safeway to buy Gift Cards. Disney rewards, gas rewards.


  7. #6
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    Get gas in Sacramento. Then don't get gas again until Frazier parkway just up the Grapevine. We end up making 2 stops close to each other. At the bottom to eat and the gas at the top. But gas is like a dollar cheaper at that exit than the bottom and even more for some of the valley areas between Stockton and the Grapevine.
    There is an AmPm and a truck stop that are usually the same price. We use cash, but our friend is usually using Credit so we go to the truck stop. There is also a Cheveron but they are higher.


  8. #7
    It was a good day! Malcon10t's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    Get gas in Sacramento. Then don't get gas again until Frazier parkway just up the Grapevine. We end up making 2 stops close to each other. At the bottom to eat and the gas at the top. But gas is like a dollar cheaper at that exit than the bottom and even more for some of the valley areas between Stockton and the Grapevine.
    There is an AmPm and a truck stop that are usually the same price. We use cash, but our friend is usually using Credit so we go to the truck stop. There is also a Cheveron but they are higher.
    We have found the Costco in Bakersfield to be about 20 cents a gallon cheaper than Fraziers. Arco's in Bakersfield are about the same price. BUT don't buy gas at Laval Rd!!!! (Bottom of Grapevine)
    Planning 3 trips at once...

  9. #8
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    We never come down 99 so I have no clue where Costco is. Well almost never.


  10. #9
    Registered User missm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tea4two View Post
    We don't even buy water any more. Almost all CS places give free cups of ice water upon request, even multiple cups for a refillable water bottle. The savings on water is substantial, especially on a multi-day trip. Keep tabs on your Starbucks spending. We know people who've been pretty unpleasantly surprised by the Starbucks tab at the end of a Disney trip. (It just doesn't seem like that much when you use the app or your Starbucks card each time.) Sharing meals is a huge cost saver. And it also cuts down on leftovers -- too inconvenient carting little boxes of food throughout the parks! Take photos of the "I want" souvenirs (item, location, price tag, etc.), then decide at the end of the day/end of the trip which one you want. This cuts way down on the whining and impulse buying. Our nephews really liked the photo choosing game at the end of the trip.
    This is my favorite piece of money saving advice ever! Take a picture and come back later. I am a total impulse buyer and this will help me more than anyone else in our group. I just added this reminder to my confirmation paper so that I won't forget before the trip.

    We are bringing our Camelbaks (the bottles, not the backpacks) with us on this trip. Will they let us fill it at the places with soda fountains instead of getting a cup and dumping it?
    "It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then." Alice, Alice in Wonderland

  11. #10

    Lockers can get expensive and backpacks can be a little bit of a pain.

    Strollers hold a lot of stuff and can be left for hours in one location or another.

    We have a cheep stroller, and not kids small enough to use it, but it holds water bottles, jackets and other stuff. We don't leave cameras or purses in. The only thing is that you need to remember where you parked it if you don't move it much.

    "If you can Dream it you can Do IT." Walt Disney


  12. #11

    Buy booze off site or bring it with you. You will need it for the Camelot. .

    Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk


  13. #12
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    Yes to filling. At self serve locations. We did have one ask us to use a cup. That was the free style machines across from Smokejumpers where the station wagon is parked.
    Rancho Zocalo you get ice from the machine but water from the station with the hot sauce in the dinig area.


  14. #13
    It was a good day! Malcon10t's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    We never come down 99 so I have no clue where Costco is. Well almost never.
    Ahhh, I forget most people take the 5. It takes us 20 mins plus to get to the 5, and we are so much faster taking 99. Costco is in north Bakersfield and most of Bakersfield is cheaper for gas than the Grapevine -> Santa Clarita areas. I've been told the gas on 5 is more expensive, didn't realize it really was!
    Planning 3 trips at once...

  15. #14
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    A lot more.


  16. #15
    Registered User missm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sjhanksaz View Post
    Lockers can get expensive and backpacks can be a little bit of a pain.

    Strollers hold a lot of stuff and can be left for hours in one location or another.

    We have a cheep stroller, and not kids small enough to use it, but it holds water bottles, jackets and other stuff. We don't leave cameras or purses in. The only thing is that you need to remember where you parked it if you don't move it much.
    We are definitely bringing a stroller even though my daughter thinks she's too big for one. I can't tell you how many times I've been at the mall (without a child) when I wished I had a stroller for all my bags. I never knew how awesome strollers were until I had a kid. We put a luggage tag on our stroller with our name and cell number. I figured if we lost it then we'd have a much easier time finding it that way.
    "It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then." Alice, Alice in Wonderland

  17. #16
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    I also thought my son was too old for a stroller but the ability to make it a portable backpack that you can leave unmolested is a godsend in DL. It's great for water, multiple layers of clothing (needed for any season other than high summer where it stays warm well into the night), and when you find out your kids are tired, they will gladly accept the seat. The only time it's a pain is leaving after the fireworks down Main Street , and even for that, I get piece of mind that I'm not going to lose my son in the crowd. Strollers are AWESOME in DL!


  18. #17

    credit cards with hotel affiliations

    Indirectly, here is one way to save a hotel night or two.

    Use a credit card with an affiliation for a hotel chain.

    That is: Accrue points which may be used toward a free night(s).

    I would say that you will easily earn one free night every year if you merely dedicate one such card toward a regular purchase, like groceries.

    I have two such credit cards.
    One is American Express, for Hilton Hhonors points
    One is Chase, for Marriott Rewards points.
    I've seen some credit card affiliations toward Sheraton, too.
    I am sure Best Western has a similar program, although I have not seen an affiliated credit card, yet.

    Last year, I used some points of my AmEx Hilton Hhonors card toward a night at the Hilton Universal (Universal City, CA).

    This year, I have yet to use a certificate for a free night at a low-tier Marriott chain. -- I plan to use it for TownPlace Suites Anaheim Maingate (Katella Ave.) because this hotel is on the route of the A.R.T. shuttle. Right outside the front door! No walking to an A.R.T.-served hotel blocks away.
    ***
    Hilton Hhonors is the umbrella brand for other chains. -- e.g., Doubletree; Embassy Suites.

    Marriott Rewards is the umbrella brand for other chains. -- e.g., Springhill Suites; Courtyard; Residence Inn; Fairfield Inn. -- Plus of course, "Townplace Suites".
    ***
    Late breaking news on affiliation mergers:
    There has been a merger of point accrual between the SPG hotel group (includes Sheraton), and Marriott.
    Now you can use your Marriott points for Sheraton stays, and vice-versa.
    I have seen credit card offers for SPG Group (e.g., Sheraton, Westin, W, etc.).
    ***
    So, there you go!
    Just dedicate one credit card with an affiliation for a hotel chain (which has a significant present in the Anaheim area), toward a monthly purchase, and by the end of the year, you will likely have a free night coming to you!

    "It is, it is, a glorious thing, to be a Pirate King."
    -- Gilbert & Sullivan, "Pirates of Penzance, or, The Slave of Duty"

  19. #18

    compare points toward hotel

    Update.
    I did a calculation for my credit card / hotel affiliation points accrual.
    ***
    For me, based on the volume of dollars which pass through my credit cards, here is what I "earn".

    1.) HILTON - I can get a lower-tier hotel chain free night every 1 year, 5 months (decimal 1.4 years) (My average CC bill on this card is in the neighborhood of $400.)
    2.) MARRIOTT - I "earn" a free night every anniversary year, at a lower-tier hotel chain. (My average CC bill on this card is in the neighborhood of $400.) But, at the same time, I am accruing points, as well. So I could use my annual "certificate" for one stay, and my real points for another stay.
    ***
    So, I was a bit optimistic to say in my original post, "By the end of the year, you will likely earn a free night".
    Sorry for the optimism. -- Number-crunching doesn't lie.

    For me to stay at the high-end brand, like a real Hilton, or a real Marriott, my points must be higher, like by 50%.
    (e.g., where a lower tier can be had for 40,000 points, I would need in the neighborhood of 60,000 points for the highest tier.)

    But, hey, to passively wait for 1.5 years for a free room at one of the Anaheim Convention Center hotels (namely, the Hilton Anaheim or the Anaheim Marriott, both adjacent to each other, on Harbor Blvd., south of Katella Ave.) is okay by me!

    "It is, it is, a glorious thing, to be a Pirate King."
    -- Gilbert & Sullivan, "Pirates of Penzance, or, The Slave of Duty"

  20. #19

    I just linked my SPG with Marriot, have not booked a room with them with points yet.

    We charge everything we can to the card each month, not just to buy stuff, but stuff we would buy anyway. Then we just pay it off every month.

    SPG (Sheraton) you can get a room for 3000 to 4000 a night for like a 4 points. You get a point for every dollar. The rooms around Disneyland usually command 7000 to 10000 points per night.

    We usually book up enough points to do two different 3 to 4 night stays in a year.

    In the year we take off of Disney we use the points for rooms on other trips.........

    Sometimes you can get a room for points plus cash which can be a pretty good deal. Like $35 plus 2000 points for a night.....

    "If you can Dream it you can Do IT." Walt Disney


  21. #20

    Another plus with Starwood properties is that reward nights earn points. So I can book a free night at the Sheraton Park and earn points on my stay at the same time. This worked out well for the last D23 Expo. (This is an example where loyalty to one hotel chain can pay off.) Will have to check if Marriott offers that same policy with reward stays. Mileage credit cards can also work out well for hotel stays and flghts if the card holder will need flights as well as hotels at DLR. Crunching the numbers can help show what would be to each person's greatest advantage.


  22. #21

    We do shopping at Costco and Grocery outlet for most of our lunches (take it in the parks). We always purchase water bottles. Consider splitting some meals if you can.

    Living life to the fullest

    http://www.oilyhabit.com/

  23. #22
    The Hollywood Chain Gang CariBelle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    At the bottom to eat and the gas at the top.
    Off topic but if you stop at the new Tejon Outlets they have a Juicy Burger and a Don Perico (both local Bako places) that are very good! You could also get ice cream at the Dewar's and pretend you're at the old Disney Soda Fountain!

  24. #23
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    I think our friends went to Juicy burger. They had instagrammed from there.


  25. #24

    Hooray for Dewar's! Mr. Tea should be driving through that area lots of times this spring. Will have to mention this to him.


  26. #25

    I'm a serious advocate that almost every meal in the park can be shared with at least one other person. Portions are very large at some restaurants. Also it gives me an excuse to try more things around the park if you are still hungry.

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    Always on my way to Disneyland: 84, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 03, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 11

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