In need of help for a Disneyland budget for a young adult.

[Bethany Brown]

I would like to apologize first for posting a question about budgets here. I saw there was a budget category but didn't know if that was for all things Disney or just for Disney World. I can move this over to that category if need. I will be visiting Disneyland very soon for the first time without a tour group to get the full experience. I'm unsure of how much I need to budget per day and would like to get everyone's input. Like I said in the title of this thread, the budget will be set for one person. I'm planning on doing Disneyland for a few days and then exploring more of California by going to the beach and possibly Universal Studios Hollywood.

 

[starry_solo]

Do you have tickets already?
When do you plan to go?

 

[Indiana Scott]

I'm assuming you just mean in-park stuff.
To be safe, I would budget about:
$20 per meal per day (avg, you could eat at DLR for as little as $10 per meal.)
$5~10 per day for snacks
$3~6 per day for bottles water (some hotels will give you bottled water if you just ask)
If you like beer or cocktails they are very expensive anywhere in DLR.
Then you'll want to decide on a budget for souvenirs.

Hope you have a great time!

Scott

 

[Bethany Brown]

Do you have tickets already?
When do you plan to go?

I don't have tickets yet and will be going at the end of the month.

 

[BeyondNeverland]

I'm assuming you just mean in-park stuff.
To be safe, I would budget about:
$20 per meal per day (avg, you could eat at DLR for as little as $10 per meal.)
$5~10 per day for snacks
$3~6 per day for bottles water (some hotels will give you bottled water if you just ask)
If you like beer or cocktails they are very expensive anywhere in DLR.
Then you'll want to decide on a budget for souvenirs.

Hople you have a great time!

Scott

Very solid budget . I agree.

 

[Indiana Scott]

I should add that if you stay off-site, many of the hotels offer a pretty good free breakfast.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Alone off-site motels i’d look at are desert inn & suites, park Vue inn, best western park place inn, Tropicana.

 

[starry_solo]

Okay, so are you looking for a budget for in-park stuff or what? How many days total will you be doing at Disneyland? You can do a max of 5 days and a basic (one park per day ticket) will cost $340 with a park hopper costing $395.

If you think you will be coming back within a year, on your last day, consider upgrading to a Flex Annual Passport (it costs $599) and the price you paid for the tickets will go towards the cost.

Food-wise, we don't know what your appetite is like, but if you are looking at having three meals each day, budget $10-20 per meal for quick (counter) service. If you like soft drinks, consider packing a can of soda each day (or two) as the drinks are $4 and not-refillable (there are a few counter service restaurants that offer free refills).
Snacks are about $5 per serving, not sure if you are a big snack person

It would be best to stay within walking distance of the park so that you don't have to pay the $25/day for parking.

 

[cinnaminny]

The Best Western Plus Anaheim has a pretty good free breakfast. Plus they have balcony seating and you can watch people walking to the park. I love it!

 

[Bethany Brown]

Thanks everyone for your help! I have lodging already booked but I'm trying to figure out the best budget for me when it comes to food and souvenirs.

 

[Bethany Brown]

The Best Western Plus Anaheim has a pretty good free breakfast. Plus they have balcony seating and you can watch people walking to the park. I love it!

I've heard great things about that one! I am a bit bummed that I already booked the hotel, haha. I booked this trip months ago so I'm fine with the lodging. It's the budgeting for food and souvenirs I'm trying to figure out.

 

[mamapenguin]

I budget $100 per person per day.

 

[Bethany Brown]

I budget $100 per person per day.

Is that including souvenirs?

 

[Disney_Alli]

I'd agree with $100/person/day including food and souvenirs - I'd bet most days you'd spend less and that would leave room for a bigger budget souvenir at the end of the trip (those darn Dooneys always get me) I also ALWAYS bring my own bottle of water and refill it throughout the day so never spend money on water and I'll often only order water with meals and drink pop in my room that I buy off site..

 

[midnight star]

I would also say budget $100 per day. Bring water bottles to refill. Also, bring little snacks. For the most part, I eat at the parks, but things like chips and crackers are waaayyy overpriced, so I just bring those with me. One thing I've also noticed is that if I eat a good meal, I end up wanting less junk food (i.e. churros, popcorn, cotton candy). So I suggest eating good meals so you are satisfied.

 

[Tasscrapper]

As a young adult I would have been pretty skint. I would suggest coming up with a budget of what you are comfortable spending a day and then using the tools like menus ect to figure out how to stay in that budget. If you have extra money one day you can add it to another day and splurge out if you want to.

If you have not already downloaded the Disneyland park app you should do that first. Take a look at menus at the different restaurants and it will give you an idea of the kinds of things you want to eat while there and what the actual price ranges are. Others have brought up sodas and alcohol . . . if either of those are must haves in park to enjoy your trip your costs will skyrocket, particularly with the alcohol. You can take in plastic bottles of soda if you would like. Just stick it in a pocket. Or drink water in the parks and have cold soda waiting at the hotel.

Some people spend $100 upwards a day and others can get by on doing all meals in there hotel with snacks brought into the park. I personally am in between the 2. I do breakfast at the hotel, bring in a few snacks(more because if I start feeling sick from rides or the heat a little food helps and you never know when that will hit), and will buy 1-2 counter service meals with 1 treat or 1 meal with a couple treats. I can get by on $30 a day for food and not feel deprived.

Souvenirs will depend on what you want. Are you looking for something specific or just a memento of the trip? Look at the Disney store website for park merchandise to get an idea of what there is. Try and use your souvenir money on something that will give you lasting happiness or use. Think about why you want something and what will happen to it once you get home.

One thing I have learned is that leaving the parks just to eat is not really a good value for money. You are spending hundreds if not more just for travel, hotel and tickets. Use the time wisely. A lot of places to go out to eat are close to or over $10.00 a meal anyhow so find something in the park that will work. They have a big variety of prices depending on where you eat and what you get.

Another thing . . . just because someone else swears by a must do thing it may not be for you. Read up on the boards, take in the advice and then keep what you want and discard the rest.

 

[mfleeting]

You can buy cheaper tickets from Last Minute Travel Club than anywhere I’ve seen (you have to join, they say it’s $50 a year just google a code and your free forever).

Food wise: look online for their menus to get an idea but for 1 person, quick service (or fast food outside of the resort) go for $30 a day for some buffer room. Maybe another $5 for a snack everyday.

Water: buy water from target, CVS, amazon prime etc. it’s $4-$6 in the park and at most of the nearby hotels. You can bring water in with you everyday, they also have water refill stations in DL at the restaurant near Buzz Lightyear. You can also sometimes ask for free or very cheap water from most quick services counters.

Spending: depends on what you want to buy. Ears -$25ish, shirts- $40, hats - $30?, hoodies-$50-$80, pins $15

Getting around: you can use Lyft/Uber or public transportation like the ART. You can get a Uber/lyft estimate online from place to place. FYI if you do use rideshare maybe see if they have any specials. Last week we realized if we ordered from ubereats for dinner we could get 50% (up to $10) for 10 Uber rides. Made our quick trips to DL or the store $3-$5 each way. They sometimes have 10% off during the week for Lyft. Or other coupons for so many trips for cheaper.

Universal Studios: food/spending is about the same price as DL. You can also buy a refillable cup and refill it all day at most of their food places (it’s a rfid chip and you just use the soda machines or can get tea/water).

Hotels: that depends on what you want, expect, and price. You can get one for super cheap though

 

[mamapenguin]

Is that including souvenirs?

Yes

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I'm assuming you just mean in-park stuff.
To be safe, I would budget about:
$20 per meal per day (avg, you could eat at DLR for as little as $10 per meal.)
$5~10 per day for snacks
$3~6 per day for bottles water (some hotels will give you bottled water if you just ask)
If you like beer or cocktails they are very expensive anywhere in DLR.
Then you'll want to decide on a budget for souvenirs.

Hope you have a great time!

Scott

There is no need to buy bottled water unless you are really picky about the water you drink. All counter service restaurants will give you ice water for free. This is filtered water and it tastes great (for the record I am actually picky about the taste of my water). I always bring a refillable water bottle and drink my fill then pour the ice water into my bottle to take with me. They will give you as many cups of ice water as you want.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

First of all, you are in the exact right place to ask your "budget at DLR" questions! No need to move your post!
Second, we always advise our friends to round way up when budgeting for a Disney trip. That way, if you get caught by surprise by a special souvenir that your heart just cries out for (hey, it happens!), you won't get sideswiped budget-wise. And if you manage to stick to your budget, you should have something leftover for a little splurge at the end or to put toward your next Disney trip. You can be cruising the ShopDisney app and website to get a feel for souvenirs that you like and general price points. If there is something specific that you really want, ask here -- someone may be in the parks now who can check the price for you. You can bring in your own refillable water bottle and protein snacks -- this can save so much money! Sodas and bottled water are expensive in the parks. Protein snacks keep me from impulse buying sugary snacks. I find that I do better when I think of my spending as "investing," e.g. I would rather "invest" in one really good treat and savor it, than spend on lots of sugary snacks that I won't enjoy as much.