When planning a trip to Disneyland, the most popular question is – “How much does it cost to go to Disneyland?”
And to be honest, there really isn’t a specific total trip price mainly because there are so many factors that go into it such as, hotel and accommodations, food, park tickets, activities, time of year, etc.
To make your trip planning a little more clear financially, we will try to give you the most accurate number possible.
We will walk you step by step to truly figure out how much it’ll cost to go to Disneyland.
In this article, we are calculating the cost of visiting Disneyland for a family of five. This includes 2 adults and 3 kids. We are assuming it will be a 2-day trip with a stay at the hotel for 1 night.
Cost mentioned here is based on estimates. However, things will also change depending on the time you visit Disneyland.
For example, if you visit on any of the following times you will incur a lesser cost as compared to the rest of the year.
- January
- Late April / early May
- After the U.S. Spring Break
- Late August / early September
- Early November
This is because flights, hotels and Disney tickets are relatively cheaper during this time.
Planning for your Disneyland Trip
First things first, download the Disneyland app (App Store, Google Play). This app has everything from wait times, hotel information, dining menus, and more.
This will help you not only to plan the trip better, but also helps you in identifying the price of food, souvenirs, etc. at Disneyland.
Read about the rides and decide with your group what stuff you do and don’t tend to like. Talk with friends who have been before.
Try to plan your day so you aren’t crisscrossing yourselves too much.
Transportation to Disneyland
Depending on where you live, getting to Disneyland can be a big expense. The most popular options are flying by airplane or driving.
Flying to Disneyland
John Wayne Airport, SNA in Orange County is the nearest airport and most suitable for tourists visiting Disneyland.
However, there are several airports to choose from when booking your trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
Following are six airports near Disneyland.
John Wayne Airport (SNA) to Disneyland – 13.7 miles / 17 minutes; This is your easiest option because it is close to Disneyland and the airport is easy to navigate.
Long Beach Airport (LGB) to Disneyland – 22 miles / 35 minutes.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Disneyland– 34 miles/ 40 minutes.
Ontario International Airport (ONT) to Disneyland – 35 miles / 45 minutes.
Bob Hope Airport (BUR) to Disneyland – 40 miles / 51 minutes.
San Diego International (SAN) to Disneyland – 95 miles/ 90 minutes. This is a very remote option, but driving on the beach is good. Consider SAN if you want to include a side tour to get everything San Diego offers.
Here, we are assuming that you are flying to John Wayne Airport.
Domestic flights to John Wayne Airport cost between $70 – $200 per person. Depending on what time of year you are traveling and where you are coming from, you might even find a better deal.
If we assume the flight charges as $150 for a person, it will cost $300 for a roundtrip per person. In total, it will cost $1,500 for a family of five.
Transportation charges from John Wayne Airport to Disneyland
Once you have reached the airport, you have the following ways to reach Disneyland.
| Mode | Duration | Approximate Cost |
| Rent a Car | 17 mins | $58 per day + $30 per day car parking charges at Disney |
| Hail a Taxi | 17 mins | $59 |
| Uber/Lyft | 17 mins | $36 |
| Shuttle Service | Depends on the number of stops | $8-15 per person |
| Public Transportation | 2 – 3 hrs | $4 |
Disneyland Tickets
Disneyland tickets are expensive and to be honest, there really aren’t much ways to truly save money here. However, you can buy your passes from discount sellers such as Undercover Tourist or Get Away Today, which will potentially save you a bunch of money.
The best thing you can do is choose a cheaper day to visit since ticket prices fluctuate during the time of year, holidays, and weekends.
In this guide, we are calculating the cost of a Disneyland ticket for a family of five. This includes the cost of two adult tickets and three child ticket for 2 days.
Here is the cost of Disneyland tickets for a family of five.
| Parameters | Price per ticket for 2 days | Total Price |
| Cost of 3 child tickets ( 3 – 9) for 2 days | $240.00 | $720.00 |
| Cost of 2 adult tickets (10+) for 2 days | $255.00 | $510.00 |
| Total Cost | $1230.00 |
Disneyland has dynamic ticket pricing. So prices may vary based on the day of the year.
Park Hopper
A standard Disneyland ticket allows you to visit one park per day. However, there is also a Park-Hopper option available which lets you visit multiple parks each day, “hopping” between them as you please.
The park hopper feature is an added cost and will increase the total price of your tickets.
Park Hopper can add around $60 to your ticket price per person. So, total cost for a family of five is $300.
Disneyland Parking
If you are planning to have a car at Disneyland, then you have to pay $30 for car parking as well.
Disneyland Hotels
As the trip is for 2 days, we assume that you will be staying at a Disneyland hotel for 1 night.
A double-bed room at Disneyland Hotel will cost you around $445.
Should I stay at a Disneyland hotel or a nearby one to save cost?
This is a hard question to answer because it comes down to what you value.
A Disneyland Resort Hotel is an experience and your choices and planning can increase the value if you do it correctly.You’ll always get an amazing bed and clean amenities. Their customer service is usually unbeatable.
The Disney immersion is absolute with a Disneyland hotel.
However, compared to a Good Neighbor Hotel, Disneyland hotels are obviously on the higher end.
Is it worth it for the commute? That would probably be a NO unless you stayed at the Grand Californian. Even the Disneyland Hotel is actually a further walk than some closer Good Neighbor Hotels.
Sure, you get to walk through Downtown Disney or take the Monorail but that still leaves you with a bit more walking to do, especially so if you stayed at the Paradise Pier Hotel.
One thing Disneyland Resort Hotels do well is in overly catering to children. Having bunk beds, cribs, and even child-friendly food service or character dining options, it extends the Disney immersion for kids all around. This applies more so if you take breaks or naps during your visit. Some families prefer a midday break in the pool, which is fantastic at Grand Californian or the Disneyland Hotel.
Overall, if you’re on a budget, it’s probably best to stay at a Good Neighbor Hotel. However, if you value the complete Disney experience, then you can have an incredible experience at Disney Hotels.
Disneyland Food
You can bring your own food at the park. You can also have free breakfast at the hotel. This will save you from the high prices you need to pay for food at Disneyland.
You can also go into the Disneyland app or website and check out their food menus. This will give you an idea of how much you have to spend at Disneyland.
In case, you are planning to dine at Disneyland, it is to be noted that dining reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance of your arrival.
Based on reports from various travelers, $100 a day per person is reasonable. So, it will cost you $1000 for two days for a family of 5.
Disneyland Souvenirs and Merchandise
This is really too hard to judge, but check out the shopdisney website and get an idea of the kind of souvenirs you might want to buy.
Going to Disneyland is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many, and you are definitely going to want to bring something home with you to remind you of your magical vacation. It’s impossible to resist all the stores filled with tempting merchandise, so set aside a budget for souvenirs before you go.
$50 – $100 per person for the trip is not an unreasonable amount. You can tell your kids exactly how much they can spend, and let them pick out whatever falls in that price range.
Should I buy Disney Genie+?
In this guide, we assume you are at Disneyland for only 2 days. So, you need to have a plan to hit all the big rides and see a couple of additional things (shows, parades) in 2 days.
For planning effectively, a Disney Genie+ is essential.
With Genie+, you can get yourself into a virtual queue to enter the shorter Lightning Lane (LL), without having to physically go to the ride to get a paper ticket. It will help you complete major attractions on time.
Disney Genie+ service will cost you $40 per ticket. So, it will cost you $200.
Lightning Lane passes
Genie Plus gets you into the Lightning Lane for all rides except ROTR, Radiator Springs and Web Slingers, which you have to buy the similarly named INDIVIDUAL Lightning Lane passes for if you want to jump the standby line.
Price ranges for individual Lightning Lane arrival window purchases are $7 to $20 per ticket. This option may be purchased one at a time for up to 2 different attractions each day.
Total cost to go to Disneyland for a family of 5
So, what is the total cost to go to Disneyland for a family of 5. In our estimate, it comes around $4,911.
Here is the detailed breakup.
| Parameters | Charges | Notes |
| Transportation to Disneyland | ||
| Flight Charges to and from SNA airport | $1500 | $300 per person for a round trip. |
| Transportation charge from SNA Airport to Disneyland | $36 | Uber/Lyft |
| Parking at Disneyland | If you travel by your car or taxi, parking charges are $30 per day. | |
| Disneyland Ticket Cost | ||
| Ticket charges for a family of 5 ( 2 Adults + 3 kids) | $1230 | |
| Disneyland Hotel | ||
| One night stay at a double-bedroom Disneyland Hotel | $445 | |
| Disneyland Food | ||
| Food charges for 2 days | $1000 | $100 per day per person |
| Disneyland Souvenirs | ||
| Souvenirs & Merchandise | $500 | $100 per person |
| Additional Spending at Disneyland | ||
| Genie+ | $200 | $40 per ticket |
| Park Hopper | $60 per person. So, it will cost additional $300. | |
| Lightning Lane | $7 to $20 per ticket. | |
| Total Cost | $4,911 |
So, a typical Disneyland Vacation for a family of five for 2 days will cost on average around $4,911 which includes hotel, airfare, park tickets, and food.
Tips to save cost at Disneyland
Here are some tips to save your cost and to have a hassle-free day at Disneyland.
Someone in your group needs to be very comfortable with the Disneyland app (App Store, Google Play) .
Most of the vendors prefer mobile ordering only. Add your payment method(s) to the app ahead of time, you can also add gift cards as a payment option too.
Genie +/Lightning Lanes: Get to know how it works ahead of time. It will help you complete major attractions on time.
Don’t use your Lightning Lanes for a major attraction if the Standby line is short and a manageable wait. Save the Lightning Lanes in case you want to use it later in the day.
You could start making dining reservations 60 days in advance of your trip.
Get there EARLY: Before the park officially opens at 8 am they let you through Downtown Disney, into the Disneyland park, and up to the main rotunda near the fork of Adventureland and Frontierland where it’s roped off by cast members.
And also don’t forget to carry these things while on your trip to Disneyland.
- Empty reusable water bottles (possibly collapsible)
- Rain Ponchos
- Fanny pack
- Basic first aid
- Sunscreen
- Autograph Book and pen
- Reusable straws
- Hand sanitizer
- Glow sticks and other light-up toy wands
- phone charger
- Insect repellant
Wrapping Up
Hope you get an estimate about the cost to go to Disneyland for a family of five.
Kindly let us know if you have any queries.
Jasper Reed is the founder of heyhowtodoit.com with 8+ years of experience in Search Engine Optimization.He has researched, tested, and written hundreds of articles ranging from social media platforms to messaging apps.
With a passion for technology and a natural aptitude for understanding consumer behavior, Jasper has built a successful career in blogging.He has been quoted and referenced by major publications and media companies.
An avid traveler and tech enthusiast, Jasper loves to explore new places and experience different cultures. With his thick-rimmed glasses and geeky demeanor, Jasper is a true tech nerd at heart.
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