Theme Park Savings Part 3

Nothing sucks more than getting to the theme parks and then not knowing how to spend your day and then realizing at the end that you have only ridden three rides and spent $200 on food and snacks. While it’s important to save money, it’s just as important to know how to be an efficient theme parker and not waste your time. The more you can do, the more value you’re getting from the money you’ve spent. If you’ve missed the other theme park savings posts, go read Part 1 and Part 2. 

Have a game plan

Get a copy of the park map online before you leave home and map out what rides you absolutely have to do and then come up with a plan on how and when to do them. Also make sure you pencil in any shows, fireworks or parades you want to see and work around those times, otherwise you will find you miss everything good and spent your time going from one end of the park to the next and not really accomplishing anything.

Get to the parks at least thirty minutes before opening 

What’s the point? Well, there won’t be hoards of people waiting to get in yet and you’ll get first pick of the big rides when the gates open, freeing you up to do less popular rides in the middle of the day. Trust me, once you walk across the parking lot, go through security and make it to the turnstiles you'll wonder why you didn't get there any earlier.

Avoid “Extra Magic Hour”

In Orlando, guests staying at a Disney resort are entitled to the EMH each day at different designated parks. They get in an hour before the park officially opens to the public or get to stay and extra hour after the park closes to the public. With a bit of planning, you can avoid these days and go to other parks instead and avoid the massive crowds at the EMH parks. This worked wonderful for us and we found that each park we hit up that day was almost empty until around noon time. I don’t know how that will work in the on-peak season, but in the fall, it was spectacular and we barely waited in line for anything for the first four hours we were in each park. You can find the EMH parks listed on the online Disney schedules or invest in a membership to TourGuideMike, which will give you all these tips and more well ahead of the actual online schedule.

Use FastPASS

This can also save you much time and get you on more rides. We generally get one for Big Thunder Railroad, Peter Pan, California Screamin’, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Rock’n Roller Coaster, Midway Mania or Buzz Lightyear. These are the big rides that always have a line. Go first thing when you enter the park and get a FastPASS, even if there isn’t a line, for any of these attractions (I recommend Midway Mania or Space Mountain, because the FastPASSes go quickly). If there isn’t a line, get on the ride, go do some other rides and then come back at your designated FastPASS time and do it again. If there IS a long line, go off and do some less packed stuff and then come back. This works awesome with rides like Big Thunder Railroad in the middle of the day, because even though the line isn’t humungous, there are a bunch of other rides to do that normally have shorter lines, and you can get to three other ones, come back and get right onto BTR and then head to another part of the park.

Purchase the front-of-line pass

Unlike FastPASS, which is free, Universal and a few other parks have the front-of-the-line pass you can purchase. While it’s not saving you money, it can save you a lot of time and allow you to do a good deal more in the park, especially if you are limited on time and can only go one or two days. Universal has a habit of putting all their shows on at the same times and you often have to wait in long lines for them. Many of them accept the pass and let you get there closer to show time and still get a great seat. You also won’t miss them all because you’re spending all your time waiting in line for hours. That’s the worst.

Make food reservations

While this won’t save you any money, it WILL save you time waiting in line somewhere. Disney has a designated dining reservation number for each park (or you can do it online) to book a table anywhere that has waited tables. You can book up to 90 days in advance. This is especially important if you are dying to eat a specific restaurant, because reserved tables get served before walk-ins, which means if you want to eat at Blue Bayou without waiting 45-50 minutes (when you could be doing other park activities), it’s best to make a reservation ahead of time. Try to book your dining a little earlier than regular dining times, like lunch between 11am-12pm and dinner between 5-6pm. This will help you avoid the crowds, both while waiting to be seated and when you finish dining, because everyone will have realized they are hungry, too, and flee to a dining establishment. Woohoo! Shorter lines for you!

Don’t start at the front of the park

95% of park visitors do this and then by the time you get to the big stuff in the back of the park, it is totally crammed. Head toward some of the bigger attractions near the back as soon as the park opens and save yourself hours of time in line later in the day when everyone else has made their way back there.

Saving all this time might give you the chance to take a few hours to leave the park and take a nap to recharge. What's your favorite way to save time in the parks?

Need more tips to make your summer vacation affordable and awesome? Download my Summer Savings ebook. Spend a little to save a lot!

Theme Park Savings Part 2

So, you’ve decided to take your summer and plan a vacation. We all know by now that summer is the most expensive time to travel, so finding ways to save money can be a challenge, especially at theme parks where they charge your $7 for a pretzel without cheese. If you take every opportunity during the day, you could easily spend hundreds of unnecessary dollars. You want to make sure you budget for everything, including souvenirs and those all-important kiosk goodies, like Mickey-shaped ice creams and kettle corn. It’s never easier to waste money than when it comes to food. If you missed how to save in general, check out my last post.

Bring your own snacks

As you well know, grabbing a snack every time you’re hungry or your kids say they are can quickly add up and bust your budget. Yes, I want to eat all those fries and hot dogs and ice cream sandwiches, too, but I try not to give in each time I feel that stomach twinge – which is nearly every time I pass a kiosk or food window. I’m aware that I want to eat all the time when I’m on vacation and children are no different. Pack your day bag – I suggest an Ameribag or Urban Tour Bag from Travelon, as they save your back, have  pockets for everything and thwart thieves – with granola bars, veggie sticks and peanut butter, crackers, cookies and the like to satisfy your hunger pangs.

Things like fried chicken can also double as lunch items if you don’t want to spend the money on (sometimes) ridiculously priced meals. This is especially helpful if you kid orders the same thing from the menu everywhere you go, like PB & J or chicken nuggets. Save your $10 and bring it in with you.

Don’t forget the water

Bottled water is the biggest rip-off. $5 for a bottle that you can buy a whole case of at Target or Safeway and still get some change back? Buy them before you head to the park, put them in the freezer or fridge – or buy one of these Cool-it Caddies to keep stuff cool on-the-go – and save yourself some aggravation by having to buy 32 drinks throughout the day. Not only will you have fresh water, but you can refill the bottle at water fountains (and Disney employees will refill your bottle at any of the counter restaurants) to save even more all day long.

Not loving less that icy H2O or need some variety? Purchase some of those drink packets and turn it into tea or punch or lemonade. Universal also has a new beverage plan that enables you to pay one price and get a souvenir cup that you can have refilled all day long at any of the participating food locations in the park.

Eat breakfast before getting to the park

If you have a vacation rental or a hotel that includes continental breakfast makes this pretty easy. If you just have a regular room with a microwave and fridge, make some instant oatmeal, have cereal, eat a bagel or load up on pastries or those Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches. That meal alone will save you $10-20 per person each day.

Leave the park for meals

It’s no secret that you can eat more cheaply if you leave the park and eat at a restaurant off-property. If you don’t have the budget to eat within the park, then do some research and plan out where to eat each day. I enjoy trying different places inside the park and save time by not leaving, but during the summer Disney and other theme parks can be open 14+ hours a day, so if you are gone for a couple hours, you won’t miss out on much.

Look for restaurants that have kids eat free options. You can also have the children share a regular size entrée. Not only is this cheaper than two things off the kids’ menu, but they are more likely to eat a vegetable. Sharing a meal with your child can also save money since most places serve much more than one person should eat.

Sign up for the meal plan

Got teenagers with you? They seem to be eating machines. While I don’t find the meal plans worth their price normally, if you have teenage boys who have bottomless stomachs, this might be just the way to go for you. You get a certain number of meals, beverages and snacks included each day and you don’t need to be around to give them money every time they claim they’re hungry, since they either just need their ticket or wristband.

Have you found a good way to save money on food when traveling to theme parks? 

Need more tips to make your summer vacation affordable and awesome? Download my Summer Savings ebook. Spend a little to save a lot!

Theme Park Savings Part 1

Summer is here and the kids are out of school – or will be soon – which means that summer vacations are not that far away. I, myself, will be going on a trip, too, but unlike the majority of travelers this summer, I will be headed to Las Vegas. Not that I’m not jealous of everyone willing to wait in increasingly long lines and enjoy Disney and other theme parks. Though I will miss the opening of Universal Orlando’s Diagon Alley, I hope to be able to beat the crowds by planning my trip next fall. If you’ll be headed to a theme park this summer as well, then you probably want to make the most of your time and money. Today we’ll talk about how not to empty your wallet before you even get there.

Get discount tickets

While I know a lot of people just buy their tickets at the gate, not only does this waste time when you arrive – you could be riding It’s a Small World! – but you can also end up spending more than you have to. Why not save wherever you can and then have a few dollars leftover for a churro (or four)?

You can save money by buying your tickets online at various locations. Search online for promo codes, too. I prefer to buy my tickets through the local AAA travel store, because I find they have the best deals, but you can also get Disneyland park hopper tickets through Costco and many credit unions sell discounted ones as well. If you’ll be purchasing a vacation package, check out BookIt.com and add your park tickets on that way and save big. Besides AAA, they have the lowest prices on Disney tickets out there. For great deals on Disney World, use OrlandoVacation. Going to Universal? The best deals on tickets, including adding the front of the line pass, is on their website.

Purchase a park-hopper ticket 

These can save you money over buying individual day tickets and you can use the same one over the course of your visit. They just scan your fingerprint now, instead of the old school way they did it before where you needed to sign the back of the ticket and present ID each day. Much quicker. You still need your ticket for them to swipe and also to be able to use the FastPASS machines.

Many theme parks have deals that can save you money the more days you go. In fact, Universal generally has a buy one day, get the whole year free, which means you can go for the day and then come back whenever during your trip without paying again. I love this! Some have deals where you just pay a little extra and get unlimited visits throughout the year, which might actually save you a ton if even if you plan to just go twice.

Book a vacation rental

Though there may be a whole slew of hotels right across the street from the theme park, you might find that a vacation rental with similar rates can actually save you money. First of all, you will probably find you have more room, which might make it easier live with everyone you’re traveling with. Cramming 4-6 people in a room with only two beds does not make for a loving environment and paying extra for adjoining rooms or a suite just may be out of your budget. A vacation rental is likely to have more than one room, which also means you don’t have to go to sleep just because the kids do.

You’ll also have a kitchen, so you can make breakfasts and save a ton each day. If you want to save even more, come back to the room for more meals. Eating lunch and taking a nap is always a lovely afternoon activity. A quick trip to the grocery store either before checking in or once you’ve settled in is pretty easy. You can also make use of grocery delivery for a few bucks and have food brought straight to you while you’re unpacking.

Some rentals have washers, so while you’re resting or waiting for the kids to take their daily nap, you can do some laundry, which will also save you from packing a bunch of unnecessary clothing or having to spend a handful of quarters down at the Laundromat. Yep, even if you end up spending a little more on a rental than on a hotel, the savings may far outweigh what you would end up spending in the long run going with the cheaper option.

Who needs a Luigi's tire hat anyway? No seriously. Who?

Buy souvenirs ahead of time

Yes, I know this sounds weird, but if you have little ones, they are going to want toys and shirts and balloons and candy. You can try to evade some of these costs by stopping at one of the grocery or discount stores around Disney and stock up on some inexpensive souvenirs (many of which you will find at the parks for much more) and dole out a bit each day before you leave. Or keep them in your bag until the kids are getting restless and cranky. You're sure to make some happy faces. The Disney Store online or in your local mall often has great sales on stuff your kids will love.

My best friend, and mom of (now) five, has some fantastic tips for doingDisney as a family on the cheap (or as cheap as you can get without compromising the fun). If they can find it in their budget, on one income, to make the magic happen for their family, you can too.

We’ll talk about more ways to save money on food during your theme park vacation in the next blog post. Do you have favorite ways to save at the theme park?

Need more tips to make your summer vacation affordable and awesome? Download my Summer Savings ebook. Spend a little to save a lot!