Prices and features of Disneyland packages change so fast that it's futile to recommend any specific one - before we could get the information online, it would undoubtedly be out of date. Instead, this article will familiarize you with the basics of Disneyland packages and give you some idea of where the best deals are.
Disney Packages: Pros and Cons
Disney offers vacation packages of lodging and Disneyland tickets - and you can even add on airfare, car rental, ground transportation, Disney Character Dining and meal plans. They come in two types, depending on whether you stay in one of the three Disney-owned hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier and the Grand Californian) or one of the company's Good Neighbor hotels, privately-owned places they partner with.
Prices for these Disney packages are somewhat higher than you could get by doing a lot of research yourself, but you get extras: Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness, a Magic Morning early entrance into Disneyland and a complimentary phone call from Mickey, Minnie or Goofy, something the kids would love. They even throw in preferred seating at select Disney California Adventure Park shows and a little gift.
The Easy Way to Buy Your Disneyland Package
If you want all those great extras and the convenience of getting everything taken care of in one place, you'll pay a little more. You can see the details of how much in the comparisons below. But even if you want to reserve a package, you still have work to do. All the options, selections, ins and outs of ordering Disneyland packages online can be confusing, frustrating and if you don't pay close attention, it's easy to get stuck with vacation insurance you really didn't want.
Fortunately, there's an easier way than digging through it yourself.
Start by going to the Kijubi.com website. You won't find online reservations there, but something much better: a way to contact a live expert who can help you navigate all the options to figure out what's best for your family. They can even help with flights, transportation, trip insurance and tickets to other area attractions.
Price Comparisons: Cheapest Disneyland Vacation Packages
To compare Disneyland packages, we shopped for a family of four with one child over 10 years old (who would require an adult ticket), staying four nights in a hotel and buying a 5-day ticket, which was on sale the price of a 3-day ticket when we compared Disneyland packages in early 2011.
Disneyland Packages at Disney Hotels: The Disney-owned hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier and the Grand Californian) offer the closest lodging to the theme parks and of course, they come with that great Disney customer service and Disney-themed decor.
If you do it yourself, you can reserve your hotel room through the same service described above and buy your tickets separately online. That will be the cheapest option, saving you over $100 compared to Disneyland vacation package prices - and during special promotions, you may still be able to get Magic Morning entrance with a multi-day Hopper ticket.
Disneyland Packages Through "Good Neighbor" Hotels: Disney's Good Neighbor properties are all near the park, but may not be close enough to walk. They are cheaper than the Disney properties (but may also be of lower quality). You can get the same perks for Disneyland packages at them as you would at the Disney hotels.
We used the Anabella Hotel for price comparison in this category. Your cheapest option is to buy your tickets separately online and use Kayak.com to compare prices on the hotel or reserve your room directly from a hotel that guarantees the lowest rates through its website. That will save about $100 over buying a Disney package. Because the Anabella doesn't guarantee the lowest rates, reserving direct through them would cost more - at the time of our comparison, about $100 more for a four-night stay. At hotels with rate guarantees, prices will be the same as you get through Kayak.
Disneyland Packages With Airfare
We found the cheapest total prices for Disneyland packages including air, hotel and tickets at Southwest Vacations, as low as our do-it-yourself option and taking up a lot less of your vacation planning time. You can also reserve character meals through them.
Travelocity offers comparable prices. They also make it easy to arrange for airport transportation and buy tickets for other activities all at once, but beware of what might seem cheap at first: checked baggage fees, flight change fees and other hidden costs could raise your overall bill. If you want the extras, be sure the Disneyland packages you're looking at include them.
