Disneyland
 

My husband and I are taking our granddaughter to Disneyland in August and need some help in trying to get a good deal on hotel and passes. We are hoping to stay2-3 days. Any thoughts will be appreciated!

There will be few if any deals in August. One just needs to accept it will be expensive.

What is your budget?

Do you belong to Costco? -- They might have some offers

Define "a good deal."

Usually, a couple of bucks off the (ridiculous) rack rate is "good."

Guess what? Disney rarely if ever "discounts." There's a reason for it, too.

There generally aren't deals at Disneyland.

But you can save some money by staying at various motels near the location, instead of the actual Disney-branded hotels on property.

Yes -- off-property will be cheaper (some a LOT cheaper) than one of the Disney hotels. But none will be offering discounts in August

Thank you for your advice. I will check into Costco.

It will be very hot and crowded in August. You might consider staying on Disney property, just so you can take a break and go in the pool.
If you get a Disney visa card you can get additional discounts..

<You might consider staying on Disney property, just so you can take a break and go in the pool.>

We always stayed at one of the hotels across the street, and always left mid-day for a swim and a nap, then returned for dinner and the evening.

You probably should lock down a hotel first, to find one "across the street" use Expedia or similar map view. You can see what's left for your dates along Harbor (east of the park), mid block is "closest". Then you can shop a little for hotel price, but don't expect more than perhaps 10% off. I agree that in August staying nearby is a good idea for a middday break. It is pretty unpleasant. In fact when I was PAID to go to Disneyland, I wouldn't go in August..so the saying "you couldn't pay me to go to Disneyland in August" held true.

The cheapest way to buy tickets (besides possibly Costco) is to buy one park per day tickets. You can't go back and forth between parks, though. California Adventure can be done in less than 1 day, however August is extremely busy so the line wait time might just make it a full day.

Take advantage of Fast Passes. I think you can have up to 3 at a time. I believe there are apps now that show wait times for rides. If you know anyone that goes to Disney regularly ask them how they do it. Some people are incredibly serious about their Disney trips and know exactly how to get the most value on a busy day.

Those Fastpasses are good, but you cannot have 3 at a time. You can pull one at a time, and then when two hours (or the return time) expires, you can pull another. Only a handful of rides have Fastpasses. Most of the "baby rides" in Fantasyland don't.


Those one day one park tickets are less expensive than park hoppers, but you can also save by going during a 'Value Day" since they have introduce tiered pricing. You can review the ticket calendar on the Disney website.You may have to click around here

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/tickets/

(If you want a Disney character experience without paying for park admission, you can book a character breakfast at one of the Disneyland Hotel restaurants. Maybe on your last morning?

If she's a Princess fan, however you might want to include a day at the California Adventure side and do the Princess breakfast or lunch at Ariel's Grotto. You need a park ticket to get into that one, which is in Cal Adventure.

I think the Surf's up one at the Paradise Pier Hotel is the most fun. No park ticket needed.

Definitely call Disney Dining to make a reservation and to be sure the characters will be there that day (in August I

If you are in the military, reserves or retired you can buy tickets on base (or maybe even online) at a discount. Or you can ask a friend if they can buy them for you (make sure he asks the vendor if this is ok to do first). We've bought tickets for others but we went too.