Disneyland is a magical place that most children dream of going to visit. Your little one may dream of seeing the castle or the Pirates of the Caribbean or Mickey and all his friends, but I bet the dream is in their heart from a very young age. If you are dreaming of taking your family to Disneyland but wondering how to stretch your budget, I'd like to offer some tips that are sure to make your pocketbook happy, and help you take a trip that will create memories that will last a lifetime.

The first tip I have is, never buy your ticket once you get to the park. Do some research in advance and find out about available discounts. Check through any travel memberships that you have or look on the internet for discounted tickets. You can find deals for buying one or two tickets and getting one or two for free. Even Disneyland offers a savings for buying you ticket in advance.

When it comes to eating, your most pocketbook friendly option is to eat outside the park. There are many family friendly restaurants within walking distance from the park gates. Another good trick is to stay at a hotel that offers breakfast with your room rate. If you eat a good breakfast, you may only need a snack at lunch time. You can take granola bars in your bag for everyone. If you hotel has a refrigerator, you can stock up and go back to the hotel for a midday break and have your lunch. Always check ahead of time to find the closest grocery store to you hotel so you can go get some necessities once you arrive.

For savings on your hotel make sure you compare prices. Call the hotel direct, check with your travel agent, and look at the rates online. In regard to the online rates, you want to check at the hotels website plus a few of you discounted travel websites. You can find these just by typing cheap hotels in the search field. Of course I'm wary of the sites that make you pay upfront. They usually have strict penalties for canceling. Because of the way hotel rates are structured, the rates you find could vary significantly. Go ahead and put each one on hold and then you can go back and cancel the higher quotes. This way the best rate will be locked in. Just make sure that you pick a hotel that is not too far away from the park. The savings in the end won't be worth the cost it takes to get your family to the park.

A few other tips are to try to travel during off-peak seasons if your schedule will allow. Also, if this is a once in a lifetime trip for your family, make sure your children are old enough to enjoy the rides and remember the trip.

Happy planning!

By:

Veronica Rapp

Make sure to visit my blog Kid Friendly Travel for advice on traveling with young children. Disneyland - Kid Friendly Tips,and much more!