Disneyland Trip Cost Breakdown
My son told me this is very obviously AI generated and a terrible look. Hope he is not reading the posts :)
What our 3-day Disneyland trip cost for our family of 2 adults and 2 kids.
I am going to walk through exactly what we spent on a 3-day Disneyland trip for our family of four, including how we used Southwest companion passes, a Hyatt free night certificate, and a Costco ticket deal to bring the cost down.
This was one of our more expensive Disneyland trips because we stayed two nights at the Disneyland Hotel. I will show you what the trip cost us and what it would have cost without any points or strategies.
The Numbers
By stacking Southwest companion passes, a Hyatt free night certificate, a Disney hotel promo, and Costco tickets, we saved approximately $2,340. If we had skipped the Disneyland Hotel entirely and stayed at the Hyatt House on points for all three nights, the trip would have been closer to $2,195 out of pocket (no Jamba breakfasts needed when you stay at the Hyatt House).
Day-by-Day Itinerary and Costs
Thursday: Travel Day — $40 cash for food
Evening flight from Salt Lake City to Long Beach on Southwest. Two tickets at 15,000 points each, plus two free companion tickets (just $11.20 taxes each). Total: 30,000 Southwest points + $44.80. Tip: always compare Uber and Lyft in California — sometimes one is significantly cheaper. Our ride from Long Beach to the hotel was about $35.
Checked into the Hyatt House Anaheim Convention Center. This night was free using a Hyatt Category 1-4 free night certificate. Ordered Blaze Pizza for dinner from the ground floor: two pizzas, about $40.
Friday: Disneyland Park — $90 cash + $60 in gift cards for food
Free breakfast at the Hyatt House. Walked to Disneyland Park. Morning at Disneyland using the Fantasyland rope drop strategy.
Lunch at Black Tap in Downtown Disney: burger, two kids meals, shake, salad, fries, drinks. About $90.
Black Tap shakes are so cute! They are $$ so we like to share one between us.
Returned to the Hyatt House around 2:00 PM. Globalist late checkout gave us until 4:00 PM. Grabbed bags, checked out, 5-minute Uber ($10) to the Disneyland Hotel. I had already checked in through the app that morning and waited for the room-ready text. Check-in at the hotel took two minutes. In our room by 3:00 PM. Two nights: $1,586.52 with promotional discount through Disney.
Napped, walked back to California Adventure around 5:00 PM. Dinner at Craftsman Bar and Grill in the Grand Californian: two kids meals, one entree split between adults, fountain drinks. About $60, covered by the food gift cards that came with our park tickets.
Saturday: Both Parks — $135 cash + $30 in gift cards for food
Stopped at Jamba Juice in Downtown Disney on our walk to California Adventure: two acai bowls and two smoothies, about $35. Morning at California Adventure.
Afternoon break: lunch at Napolini Pizzeria in Downtown Disney (two pizzas, about $30), then back to the Disneyland Hotel to swim and nap.
Evening at Disneyland Park. Dinner at Alien Pizza Planet by Space Mountain: two slices pizza, two pasta dishes, three fountain drinks, salad. About $70. At this point we realized we had eaten a lot of pizza on this trip. Throughout the day we spend about $30 of gift cards on treats in the park.
Sunday: Disneyland + Travel Home — $75 cash + $30 in gift cards for food
Jamba Juice again for breakfast (about $35). Morning at Disneyland — picked up missed rides and re-rode favorites. Used remaining $30 food gift cards for churros, corn dogs, and treats from Bengal BBQ.
Around 1:00 PM, back to the hotel, grabbed bags, Uber to the airport ($35). Grabbed burgers, fries and snacks at the airport to share. That last round of food cost around $40.
How We Used Points and Strategies
Southwest Companion Pass
The companion pass lets a designated companion fly free (just taxes) on every flight. My husband and I each have one, so we booked two tickets and brought two companions. Four flights for the price of two, paid with points.
Hyatt Free Night Certificate
The World of Hyatt credit card includes a free night certificate each year at a Category 1-4 hotels. The Hyatt House Anaheim is Category 4. That is a ~$350 night for free. One of the best uses of this certificate if you are going to Disneyland. Read the review on this hotel here.
Disneyland Hotel Promo
Disney runs hotel promotions throughout the year, typically 15-30% off depending on the season and length of stay. Always check the Disneyland website for current offers before booking.
Costco Tickets
In 2025, Costco offered a 3-day Park Hopper with Lightning Lane Multi Pass and a $30 Disney gift card for $450 per person. The same ticket at the gate would have been closer to $600+. The $120 in gift cards covered a dinner and treats throughout the trip. Watch for Costco deals — they come and go but are almost always the best price available. Also check Undercover Tourist and Get Away Today for discounts. Some retailers code as travel purchases, so you can use credit card travel credits to offset ticket costs.
What If You Do Not Have Points?
Without any points strategies, this exact trip would have cost approximately $6,190: $800 flights, $350 first hotel night, $2,100 Disney Hotel for two nights, $2,400 tickets, $80 transportation, $460 food. That is about $2,340 more than what we paid.
The biggest lever is the hotel. If we had stayed at the Hyatt House for all three nights on points instead of the Disneyland Hotel, our total would have been closer to $2,195. The Disneyland Hotel was a splurge. Read my review of the Disneyland hotel to decide it if it’s worth it for you. It is certainly not necessary for a great trip.
Ways to Save on a Disneyland Trip
Hotels
Stay somewhere you can book on points. The Hyatt House Anaheim is 12,000-18,000 points per night with free breakfast, saving $250-500 per night plus $50 per day in breakfast food. Or do what we did: one night on points, then transfer to the Disney hotel for the splurge nights.
Flights
Southwest companion passes are the best deal in family travel. Watch for cheap fares into John Wayne (SNA) or Long Beach (LGB). Book early for lower point redemption rates.
Tickets
Costco deals, Undercover Tourist, and Get Away Today are the three best sources for discounted tickets. Eliminating the Park Hopper is an easy way to save. Lightning Lane Multi Pass is worth it for families.
Food
Have groceries delivered to your hotel from Target or Walmart. Bring snacks and drinks into the park — Disneyland allows outside food. Buy chips, soda, and water at the store so you can spend money on more special Disneyland treats like churros, corn dogs, and seasonal treats. Hotels with free breakfast save $25-40 per day for a family. Eat some meals outside the park to save. If you had been eating at home you would have spent money on food anyway, so the real extra cost is the difference between park/restaurant food vs what you would have spent eating at back at home.
Souvenirs
Consider buying Disney souvenirs online from Target, Amazon, or shopDisney. If your child wants a specific character plush, you can often find it cheaper online and even bring it with you. Save in-park spending for experiences you can only do there, like building a droid at Galaxy's Edge.
Trip structure
Cut a hotel night by taking a morning flight in, visiting the park that day, and flying home the evening of your last day. Or do a shorter trip: two park days, one hotel night, early flight in and late flight out. John Wayne Airport has early and late flight options that make this work.
Credit card points
I use credit card points to offset the cost of nearly every family trip. Join my free monthly travel group at funfamilytrips.com where we walk through earning and using points together. Detailed guides on credit card points for families are coming soon.
Final Thoughts
Disneyland does not have to break the bank. Our family of four did a 3-day trip with Park Hoppers, Lightning Lane, two different hotels including the Disneyland Hotel, and ate well the entire time for about $3,872 plus 30,000 Southwest points. This was quite pricey, but without the Disney Hotel splurge, this trip could have been closer to $2,285.
The key is stacking small wins: companion passes, free night certificates, promo pricing, and Costco tickets. None of these are complicated. They just require planning ahead
Plan your Disneyland trip with my full guides:
Sign up for my free monthly travel group at funfamilytrips.com to learn how to use points and miles for family travel.
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