My friends (18, 18, 17, 17, 16) and I (19) are going to Disneyland in late June and staying at the PPH- 3 nights. We currently have a 3day hopper ticket. Should i upgrade to the 4day even if we are only able to spend 8 hours in the park the 4th day? Any tips for saving money on food, etc? We are flying and i want to travel light. Any packing advice for us female over packers? Any advice would we greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!!!
Get the 4th day added!
Share meals, the portions are big.
DEFINITELY upgrade! The difference in price between 3 and 4 days is small, and if you don't, it'll tear your heart out on that last day with the park right there and you can't go in.
Sharing meals is a great idea, or taking leftovers back to your hotel if you've got a fridge/microwave in your room. Most portions (except for burgers, sandwiches and stuff) are huge. You could also eat off-site, but the restaurants around the park aren't much cheaper. Again, share meals, especially at places like Rainforest Cafe. They serve up way more food than any one person should eat in a single sitting. Your body will feel better if you eat more smaller meals anyway, rather than one or two gigantic meals that fill you up and put you in a "food coma" for a couple hours.
I usually fill my suitcase with energy bars, trail mix, etc., and eat those for lunch or snacks. It also gives me extra room in my suitcase on the way home. There's a few convenience stores around where you can get sandwich fixins, and you can pack lunches in with you (make sure to bring some baggies or something). PB&J doesn't need to be refrigerated, depending on what brand you buy and how full of preservatives it is, and with the mix of protein and carbs, it's a good balanced snack. You can also buy fruit and veggie snacks at the convenience stores and in the park.
Also, be sure to check with your hotel--most of the ones around the park offer free continental breakfast. It won't be real good, but at least it's something and will get you out the door.
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The price difference is $20. Personally, I'd do it. Staying at the PPH, they have a snack bar downstairs and the prices aren't too horrendous. Personally, I'd pack one extra small suitcase between you with snacks (now you have a suitcase for souviners on the way home!!!) Places like Rain Forest and Pizza Port is easy to split meals. The pasta is always enough for 2 of us. Check out kids meals also. My 19yo likes those now and again. Plus it has a cute lunchbox thing, great to bring home to little sibs or nieces/nephews.
PACK LIGHT!
Planning 3 trips at once...
WOW!!! i've never had replies so fast! these all seems like great tips that i will commit to memory and use! i think we'll all be able to split meals because we're all on the small size. do you have any money planning tips? like alternatives to a wad of cash? thanks!
What I do, as I am not good at saving cash, is when I have a spare $20 or so, I go to the Disney Store and buy a gift card. They can be used for souvenirs or food.Originally Posted by kimmybear
As for splitting meals on the small side, if you seriously don't have large appetites, and are at the Pizza Port, you may even be able to split 3 ways. My daughter and I (big eaters) have a hard time finishing the pasta with a piece of the bread!
Planning 3 trips at once...
I highly reccommend stuffing a case of water (split it up in your bags) and chill it at the hotel...bring it a bottle or two for each of you, itll save you at least twenty bucks a day for drinks. Also, if you dont want to eat breakfast at the parks (if you sleep in) then bring a box of cereal and buy some milk outside of the park. Theres a bunch of stores around the parks that are accessible and will save you guys alot of money in the long run. Even if you still buy some food in the morning it wont be as much because you will have already eaten. Also, the breakfast that alot of buffets serve at the parks include cereal and milk, so you wont be missing much.
Personally, to save 100 bucks total per day to eat cereal (or whatever you prefer...bagels..croissants, stuff from your local supermarket bakery that keeps) in the morning is totally worth it, specially if you dont have the finances.
At the parks it would be advisable to share some of your meals, they come in larger than normal portions. If you are a big eater then it may be tougher but for some girls to share an entree it could be easy.
My wife and I (both big eaters) can split the children's chicken strip meal at White Water Snacks in GCH.
Drink Up Me Hearties YO HO!
You can buy american express gift cards (or ask for them for graduation gifts...). They are taken at almost every place in the park. They have them in all different denominations - $15 up to $500, I think. When I went at Christmas, we took some cards and I would just take one with me per day. The rest, I hid in the hotel room. I didn't have to carry a bunch of cash, and I could use it pretty much everywhere in the park. (I actually can't think of any place that didn't use it!)
I purchased them through american express' web site - www.americanexpress.com. I think it was on the travel tab.
I think other credit cards have gift cards, too.
The only reason I didn't buy the Disney resort gift cards was because I wanted to have flexibility in case I wanted to go off-site to eat or shop or something. Other places off-site took them, too.
This and all of my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
The folks on this site really ROCK! Any question about Disney parks you need answered, there's always someone wanting to help and show off their Disney smarts. Now if they'd just stop giving away the really good secrets...
Read the JookyG Dot Com blog at http://www.jookyg.com/
If you can afford to upgrade to a 4 day hopper do so, even if you can only spend 8 hours, its worth it.
PPH has a refrigerator in the room. If you make a trip to the grocery store it will save you some money. Unfortunately they don't have microwaves so, it will have to be cold stuff. However, they do have a coffee maker so you could make hot water for instant oatmeal. Sharing meals is also a good trick as many have already suggested as well as ordering the kids meals.
I am one of those female over packers and I always kick myself for packing way to much. Just take the basics. If you can't get it all in your carry on bag leave it behind.
Most importantly have a wonderful time, don't sweat the small stuff. I just took my DD and her best friend, both 17, for their senior early graduation gift. We had a blast.
oh definitely do it! And as for packing, I am famous for over packing. I am always bring pants and shorts and all kinds of shirts. If you have capris, just bring those and where a t-shirt and a sweat shirt that you can tie around your waist for each day.
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*~Aimee~*
rather inclined to giggle
I think the sharing meals idea always works for us. We (my husband) and I have found we can share a meal just about any where around the park. We also get breakfast items at a market near by and we really never eat breakfast in the park.
Also if you don't want to carry a lot of cash around when you check into a Disney hotel they give you a slip of paper that you can use like a charge card. You can use it any where in the park and it charges what ever card you have your room on. As long as you are sticking to your budget (it's easy to go over) you don't have to carry cash around.
“Love will find a way. Indifference will find an excuse.”
Look with your HEART. It always tells the truth.
You can also buy little packets of Crystal Light or tea mixes to add to water. They are pretty small and if you don't want plain water it is great to have.
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