We love Disneyland, and we have become quite good at making cheap trips to a place that is designed to extract as much of your cash as it can.
My top money-saving tips:
-Wear a backpack and haul in food and water. The Wal-Mart near Disneyland is our first stop when we get to town. We buy a case of bottled water, fruit (I will not buy a $3 banana inside the park!) and other shelf-stable snacks to bring with us. I've seen some people bring in coolers packed with food and drinks as well as fast-food and even whole pizzas. Everything is cheaper when purchased outside the park.
- Check out the Disney Character Warehouse in Fullerton, not far from the Wal-Mart store. The store is a liquidator that sells surplus Disney merchandise. You can get a variety of stuff that once was sold in the park at a substantial discount. Here's a printable coupon from the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau worth an additional 10 percent off.
- Compare the cost of a package deal with the cost of purchasing airfare, hotel, park admission and rental car separately. Sometimes a package deal isn't the cheapest option.
-Consider off-site hotels, such as a Holiday Inn, that have a nice breakfast on-site. This can be a great deal for families. Make sure to ask whether the breakfast is just cold cereal and pastries or if it includes other items, such as yogurt or eggs.