Visiting That Mouse

You've gotten some good suggestions already. Also, rumor has it that may be building a Cars Land at WDW in Orlando - I heard that they are thinking of taking out the stunt show attraction at Hollywood Studios and putting in a Cars Land. If that ends up proving true, it may be less money than going to California, and you have some time to save up.

I have friends who go every year who don't have a lot of money...

One set flies free (miles from Dad's work), the other set keeps their eyes on TravelZoo (I've nipped down to LA and back for $80 including fees), do when an uber sale happens they buy air tickets then, and THEN they request time off work/school. Saves their family of 6 a couple grand to several grand.

We don't even go half as often (love it, but I used to live in HB and go every month, so it's not as high on my radar), but I do the same thing with airfare. Buying through Disney has always been best savings. Especially the NBTSD, but even then... On property Disneyland Hotel (basic room) has never been more than$100 per night. We alternate park and pool, and eat in our room.. So food is the same as at home (minus 1 character breakfast or ride meal :)

Is it expensive? Yep.

Some people may just have oodles of money, most I know just have different priorities.

What do you spend 3k per year on?

If you're like most people, probably a lot of stuff. People without oodles of money, who travel for pleasure, just spend that 3k traveling. Ex:

$100 per month less in food
$200 per month not eating lunch at work
$100 per month on cable tv
$100 on 2 fewer tanks of gas per month

There's $500 a month in savings that most middle income families can do. Other ways travellers save up cash is long term choices:
Activities
Clothes
Sports
Entertainment / movies / dates/ iTunes / etc.
No alcohol (or less)
Host few family or friend gatherings
Smaller presents / small parties (birthdays and Xmas)
Smaller house (or further away)

The list goes on and on and on. The same sorts of 'belt tightening' one does whenever you need to spend less (job loss), or save more.

If you can find a couple hundred a month in nickel and fine fashion (subscriptions, lunches, gas, cable, whatever), or make a major change... Then travel becomes 'easy' because the cash is there, as long as you're smart about how you spend it. But it has to be a priority (like anything else) to save for it in the first place AND one has to not already be on the last belt notch. If youre already cutting every corner just to survive, savings just aren't gonna happen, ya know?

We just went to Disneyland in June and it was fantastic. Unfortunately when we were there they had the media day for the new Cars exhibit and we didn't get to see it. I hear that it is fabulous...thankfully I have a little girl and she wasn't that excited about it anyways. As for traveling to CA...Ontario airport is a great choice and South West flies into there. What's great about South West is that they don't charge for bags (including carseats and/or strollers) and everyone can bring a bag if necessary. Also, they still do family boarding ahead , right after the "A" group so you don't have to worry about paying extra for your seats. As for lodging...we stayed at the the Marriott Fairfield Inn, which is literally right across the street from the Disney Property. We could literally see the fireworks from the end of the hall on the floor that we stayed on. Also, I don't remember the pricing, but this hotel also has theme rooms and I know that they have a "Cars" themed room which the kids would probably love. As for saving money in the parks, definitely bring your own snacks and drinks, it is outrageous what they charge there! I imagine that you could also bring sandwiches and things if you wanted to have a "picnic" for lunch or dinner. There was a McDonald's next to the hotel, and although not the healthiest food...it was cheaper to eat a few meals there. As long as you get your hand stamped, you have in and out privileges for the park...so anything off Disney property is going to be cheaper. Good luck making this happen! My daughter was 4 years old when we went and she absolutely loved it, and to be honest...so did I!

Of course you have to save up. You can't put a vacation on a credit card. Here's what you do. Put aside $300 a month in a separate bank account. That will be your Disneyland fund. After 10-12 months, you will be able to afford a trip for three to So Cal. Google "Mouse for Less" and "Couponing to Disney" for money saving tips. Can't save $300 a month? Then save $150 a month and plan to go two years from now. Disney is fun, but it's certainly not cheap.

Fly into whatever airport is cheapest. The closest ones are John Wayne (Santa Ana), LAX, and Long Beach. I love the Long Beach Airport because it is so small and easy to navigate. Also, Jetblue flies out of Long Beach, and they have cheap flights from Chicago.

You can make it a fun family project and get the boys involved by making your vacation savings a fun goal to work towards. Get them to help you clip coupons, help you find ways to save electricity, decide not to buy the latest gadget or game, etc. Good luck to you!

I just talked about the same thing with my husband. We make decent incomes but it was a major expense for us to go to Disneyland last year. We know people who travel there every year and we can't figure out how they can afford it. I used the Mousesavers website for tips, but even then, it was expensive.

One of my friends just went and she used the Travago website. I'd never heard of it, but she got a super deal at the Marriott through it. Might be worth taking a look. In any case, you'll definitely want to stay off-site because the Disney hotels are pricey.

Also, buy Disney t-shirts and souvenir items before you go. You should be able to find these on eBay or even through the Disney store for a fraction of what you'd pay at the park.

Good luck!

I like flying into John Wayne Airport in Orange County (SNA) but can usually find cheaper fares and more availability to LAX or Burbank (BUR). Booking flights further in advance usually gets you better fares. Driving through Los Angeles is no fun so it might be worth it to pay a little more to fly into SNA.

When I rent a car, I get the best deals from Alamo through Costco, for LAX and BUR. Usually around $200/wk for a mid-sized sedan.

Last time we did Disneyland, about a year ago, we stayed off site for about $100/ day, and walked to the park entrance. There are a number of hotels in all prices within walkiing distance to the park. Check tripadviisor.com and search for "hotels near disneyland" to find them. You will save on parking fees if you walk. There are also restaurants just outside the park entrance. You can also bring a picnic in a cooler and store it in one of the lockers near the entrance for a small fee.

If you can, avoid the busiest times at the park: weekends in July, anytime in August and don't even think about trying to do Disneyland over Christmas vacation. It's so crowded it is not worth it.

Check mousesavers.com for discounts and deals.

I would say the best airport to fly into would be Ontario(ONT) and whilst I'm not a single parent myself I have done the Disney trip a few times. I would highly recommend staying offsite but if & only if you'll be renting a car while there. Saving up has always been the best way to do that trip also you can bring in your own food and drink and/or rent a locker while there so you don't have to eat at the park. I'm not sure of your boys' ages but a stroller is usually a must if they're young and plan on taking lots of time to rest because it's typically quite hot.

we just did Disney in Cali in May and we brought our own food and drinks into the park every single day (3 day park hopper) and stayed off property (there are plenty of hotels you can priceline to get a good deal). We also brought our own toys and souveniers from home to entertain.

I can't answer specifically to your trip to California but I signed up for the Ding messages from Southwest and get "dinged" on my computer when there is a sale. However, on my recent flight to Florida I got an alert from another website I am signed up for and it was for flights on Southwest before I even got the "ding" from Southwest. It is called airfarewatchdog.com. Good luck!