Wide Open Wallet
An honest look at family finances
Planning Our Disney Vacation
Author: Ashley8 Sep
This is arguably not finance related, but it’s really on my mind right now and I thought maybe I could get some opinions of people “in the know”. We are starting to plan our trip to Disneyland. The first thing we need to decide upon is when to go. And since it’s our first decision, it’s also our first snag. Usually we go in the first or second week of December. I love all the Christmas decorations, it’s not too busy, and my husband usually has some vacation days he needs to use up. The problem this year is that I don’t feel like I can miss a week of school. I only go Tuesday and Thursday nights, so I might be able to get away with only missing one day. Which wouldn’t be terrible. I could probably swing that.
The other option is going in January. I would be out of school and I think it would be less busy. But it would mean that my husband will probably lose some vacation days that he won’t have time to use, and then use a bunch right at the start of next year. Which I can see his frustration in this. And the park won’t be all decorated, which I think I will miss. That’s part of the fun, it’s kind of a Christmas tradition for us now. It just seems like a Christmasy thing to do.
Well… just typing this all out has me leaning towards December. Missing one class isn’t the end of the world, it’s better than my husband losing his vacation days. But how less busy is it in January? Could we get a better hotel rate? The crowd size is a big deal for me. I feel like we get more for our money when there isn’t a line everywhere we go.
Oh, and if anyone has some secret cool things to do, please let me know. If you have been to Disneyland what was your favorite thing?
pic by: Growl Roar
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6 Responses for "Planning Our Disney Vacation"
We went in late January this year. There were almost NO lines. We rode all but half a dozen rides in the Magic Kingdom. Had a character breakfast with almost no wait. It was cool enough to not roast, but warm enough that we didn’t need sweaters.
We got a lower end hotel, so I can’t really say much about the rates. It was very reasonable for what we got.
We’ve never been but we’re throwing around the idea of going to Disneyland or Disneyworld in February when my kids have spring break. We haven’t yet decided which place to go, whether to stay onsite or off etc so all of this is brand new territory for us. Can’t wait to see what replies and advice you get Ashley!
I am a confessed Disneyland addict. I wish I could live next door, get a year pass and go every day. Last year we went in February and it was PERFECT. No lines, cool weather, and cheap hotels. I’ve heard the very best times to go are September through November and late January to April (not during Spring break), when kids are in school, basically, and there are no holidays. The only downside is that this is when they do maintenance on some of the rides. You can check disneyland.com and look at the calendar to see which rides will be closed on the day you want to go. Also, go on at least one WEEKDAY. You can get in all the rides that usually have long lines on that day, and do everything else on the weekend day that has all the shows. Also, the hours of opening are shorter in the winter, and they don’t have as many shows, parades, or fireworks displays (only do them on the weekends). Look at the calendar to see what shows are playing on the days you want go. I am JEALOUS! We just went in May, and I need to go back ASAP.
There is this Disneyland forum where they help you get deals. I can’t recall what the name is but this guy on savingadvice where I visit tells people about it all the time. He says they save you TONS!
http://www.disboards.com/
This is the board the friend suggested for planning a cheap disney trip! Go check it out and report back!
I would go in December because it is soooooner! Who can wait til January!
Some fun things that we do to ‘enhance’ the Disney experience:
=search for hidden mickey’s. A fun way to engage cast members- we ask everyone we encounter if there are any on the ride or nearby.
=pin trading- can be expensive, but is a lot of fun
=get photo pass photos taken and order them online after the trip
=stay at a motel within walking distance for breaks and pool time, if weather permits.
=search for dream team members to try to ‘win’ a prize. They give away mouse ears, fast passes, lanyards and bigger prizes too.
=use the fast pass system!
Have fun! (PS, I am going tomorrow for a week!!)
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