Your DisneylandCost Calculator: How much does it cost to do Disneyland?

Today we’re going to talk about how much does it cost to go to Disneyland? — This Disneyland Trip Calculator is set to help you make it magical.  This Free Trip Calculator can help you plan ANY trip (but also has some great Disneyland budget travel tips).

How much DOES it cost to go to Disneyland?

Let’s talk a little bit more about the costs associated with your Disneyland Trip and then you can use the calculator to estimate your basic costs (can be used for any trip — I just use Disneyland as an example).

Want to just book the whole thing together — check out my post on Disneyland All-Inclusive Vacations.

This is part of my Disneyland Budget series, which is also part of my broader Disneyland Tips series!

AND, don’t miss my video where I share the six areas in your trip calculator:

Disneyland Trip Cost Calculator

I also have a totally free spreadsheet that you can use to both calculate the cost of your Disneyland trip — but it ALSO serves as a Disneyland Trip Planner — so everything is in one spot (you can use it as a google sheet, or download it to use in excel).

And yes, I share my actual dollar numbers in my Disneyland Budget post — yup, exactly what we spent! DO NOT miss that post!

Like all travel budgets, this one can be broken down into (click the link to skip to that section)

Pro Tip: One of the best ways to save is going at a less-than peak time. Airfare, hotel and sometimes even ticket prices can be less. I have a podcast on the best time to go to Disneyland.

Travel to & Around Disneyland

Airfare costs to Disneyland

I have flown into Disneyland a few times.  The good news is that there are several airports in that area to choose between.

Airports you can use (from closest to farthest — mileage listed is to Disneyland itself)

• John Wayne Airport 14 mi
• Long Beach 19 mi (although it is MUCH smaller and easier to navigate)
• Ontario 35 mi
• Los Angeles International (LAX) 35 mi

Most of these airports have cheap’ish shuttles you can use to get to your hotel if you prefer not to rent a car (or use Uber/Lyft — which is usually cheaper, FYI).

I love using services like Airfare Watch Dog to make sure I get the best price. 🙂

Disneyland Road Trip Costs — Mileage

You can find out the approximate amount it will cost you to drive from home right here.

Keep in mind that driving your own car makes you need a place to park it. Many hotels around Disneyland charge for parking — so double check that when you book!

Rental Car Cost at Disneyland

Make SURE to shop around when you get a rental car.  I find that the prices vary a LOT.  Places to check out include:

• Auto Europe (despite the name, you can also compare costs in the US as well)
• Hertz
• Or, if you just need it for a few hours, maybe try Zip Car
• One place I just tried was AutoSlash — I am using it for an upcoming trip to Boston and they do make you input your email to see the rates, but I haven’t gotten any extra unwanted email from it, and the price was great!

Pro tip: Be mindful as to which is better/cheaper for your family. Many families don’t use a car while at Disneyland so an uber/lyft might be cheaper than renting!

Parking/Shuttle Budget for Disneyland

Disneyland’s parking is a bit steep at $25 (although it also includes a shuttle from the garage to the park)

You can also use the local transit system that drops off at Disneyland (and other areas) called the ART Shuttle.  I have done both, they are both fairly convenient.

You can also stay close enough to walk (but check it on a map — many hotels SAY they are walkable, but really aren’t).  I recommend staying in this area if you plan to walk:

Disneyland Hotel Trip Calculator

I 100% believe that Get Away Today is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to book your hotel.  Be sure to use code CURLS10 to save another $10 on your order!  They have the best price guarantee.  Also, it’s true that I have used them since 1998.

I have a few posts on Disneyland hotels. I have listed out the least expensive (but still tolerable) hotels around Disneyland. For us, we really like to stay walkable — so I have a post on the closest hotels to Disneyland. I also list out all of our hotel reviews in my Disneyland Family Packages post.

Confession: One of our years I did NOT book through Get Away Today (I thought I could save money). Our hotel ended up being a dump and we had to walk SO far to it. Huge mistake. I also probably only saved $10/night. It was a grave error. One of the Disneyland mistakes I try to help you NOT make.

Disneyland Tickets Cost Calculator

A few questions to ask yourself:

1. How long do you want to go to Disneyland (they offer passes from 1-5 days
2. Do you want to “hop” between parks (that makes it so you can go from one park to the other in a single day — which can be hard for families, and frankly — me).

The most popular option is the 3-day Park Hopper pass. The more days you get, the less they individually cost. Although, honestly, I think back when they had Maxpass — I could easily get away with 2-days. A great way to save on your overall budget.

What you DON’T want to do is buy at the gates. Tickets are more, and you waste time at the ticket counter!

No surprise, but Get Away Today, has the BEST prices for tickets as well.  Often you can get a free day, or great discounts, I would NOT book with anyone else til’ you see their prices.

Their tickets most often come as e-tickets which means you walk right to the turnstiles!

How many days do I NEED at Disneyland?

This is a tough one. A few questions to ask yourself:

• How busy is it likely to be while I am there? I have a post on the best time of year to go to Disneyland. However, even if you need to go on a busy day — it can still be super fun!
• How much of Disneyland do I want to experience? — are you OK with just riding some rides that really get your interest, or do you want to ride ALL of them?
• Do you have kids with you? — if they’re small, they’ll likely slow you down (and if they’re teens, they may speed you up) — taking families of all ages can still be amazing at Disneyland
• Would it be worth it to wait a few more months, so I could afford an extra day to really enjoy my time there and not be rushed?

Theme Park Tickets Cost — Disneyland, Knotts, SeaWorld, Universal

GAT also has tickets for the other attractions in the area including:

• Seaworld
• San Diego Wild Animal Park/Zoo
• LegoLand
• Knotts Berry Farms
• Universal Studios

BTW, Get Away Today also has awesome hotel deals for the San Diego area as well (I used them for my last trip there and found it to be WAY cheaper than what I had called around for).

Related Post:  Family-Friendly Hollywood Fun

Souvenirs for Disneyland Budget

I am a BIG fan of buying things in advance on Amazon or at Big Box stores (like Walmart or Target).  So often they have Disney Merchandise, and if you can’t find it nearby — you can always stop by one closer to the park and grab some there!

Last time I even made shirts for us.

Be sure to check out my post on how we saved at Disneyland for more info!

Disneyland Food Cost Calculator

Disneyland food can certainly break the bank.

I wrote a post that outlines the best place to eat at Disneyland.  The good news about food at Disney is that they usually serve VERY large portions.  Often we split 2-3 dishes and all walked away full and happy.

Can you bring food into Disneyland?

The other good news is that Disneyland allows you to bring snack food into the park.  As long as you’re not carrying a cooler full of KFC or Subway I think you’re good to know.

However, even if you want to eat in the parks — the portions are huge, so splitting is always very doable. I have some of my favorite places to eat in Disneyland & CA adventure.

I have a post on what to bring to Disneyland that I think you’ll really like — to help you with ideas on what to bring.

Disneyland Trip Cost Calculator

Alright, now that we’ve talked about all the costs — hopefully, you’re ready to plug in some numbers:

How much does it cost to go to Disneyland for a family of 4 in 2019?

Simplified Trip Calculator

I asked the nice people at Get Away Today to give me some average numbers for them — don’t forget to use code CURLS10 to save another $10 on your trip!

What is the cheapest way to go to Disneyland?

I would call Get Away Today — and ask them the ABSOLUTE cheapest way for you to go. Because they know SO much about Disneyland, they can almost plan you an all-inclusive Disneyland trip!

When I have asked them in the past, they have mentioned a few hotels that have a great deal.  They’re no-frills, but can be a great option.

That’s my advice.  Oh, and be sure to use code CURLS10 to save an extra $10 on top of that! 🙂  You can use that if you CALL or if you go online (you’ll see the spot to put it on the bottom left on the checkout page where it says “promo code”.

Final Pro Disneyland Budget Tip

If you go to Disneyland with the entire goal to spend VERY little and save as much as you can — you should go somewhere else.  Maybe, go camping.  That’s pretty cheap.

Disneyland is not a cheap trip, by any stretch of the imagination.  But, I found to be cheaper than other places (like Yellowstone).  You can go with a frugal mindset, but know that your family enjoys themselves, will be more important than pinching every penny.  And if you can’t afford a Disney trip — save until you can. 🙂

My #1 trip for family travel can be hard to use if you are worried about every dime.

Hopefully, this trip calculator gives you a target to save for.

Hopefully, this makes Disneyland seem a little bit more “doable” — I am always overwhelmed when I think about planning a trip — but this spreadsheet/calculator will break it down into steps to give you the trip of your dreams. 🙂