Disneyland... On the Cheap?

I know, right? Impossible. The act of choosing to go to Disneyland seems to cause the available cash in one's checking to disappear into the abyss. As season pass holders, however, we wanted to get one last visit in before we got blacked out for summer, but before all the schoools in the area let out. I was determined to make this a non-bank-breaking excursion. For me, a day at the 'Land usually entails dropping AT LEAST a C-note.

Parking: $14. It's worth it, hassle-wise, to use their parking garage. I don't like the price, no I don't. I realize I could've purchased an AP with parking included, but I didn't, so now I'm payin'.

Food: I did a little research the night before and discovered that Disneyland will allow small soft-sided coolers to accomodate dietary restrictions. My dietary restriction is that I can't afford Disneyland food prices, so I figured I qualified. I packed a small cooler with bottled water, soda, turkey sandwiches, chips, yogurt, and granola bars for two people. I went through security like everyone else, and they didn't say a word about it. When lunchtime rolled around, we looked for an area that wasn't crowded. It wouldn't be fair to take up prime real estate since we didn't pay for lunch, right? As we chowed down, I noticed several other families doing the same thing. Several Disney employees were around maintaining the area, and they didn't say a word about us having brought in food. I figured I saved a MINIMUM of $25 by bringing our own chow. :)

Snacks: It was hot yesterday! Eventually we had to give in to our ice cream craving. There are a lot of choices, including a couple of ice cream parlors. Delicious, yes; expensive, yes. Instead, we wandered over to a free-standing ice cream vendor. I got a strawberry popsicle and my daughter got an ice cream sandwich. $8.

Dinner time rolled around so we couldn't avoid dining at a Disney restaurant. Our favorite is Pizza Port on Tomorrowland, so we headed over there. Salad, spaghetti, pizza, and a large drink was just under $30. Annual pass holders get 10% off. Total: $26

We discovered that AP holders can buy a 32 oz soda for $2.99 and get a free refill. Since we were sharing our Coke, we were actually excited to learn this! Thanks to the casier, Lill, for enlightening us!

I thought I was done spending money until my dear friend Jen offered us a bite of sourdough bread that she purchased at California Adventure. My daughter and I nearly melted with happiness, it was THAT YUMMY! By the time I got to Boudin's, the only remaining stock included baguettes and these adorable Mickey Mouse loaves. It was $7. It occurred to me, this would be a GREAT snack idea earlier in the day. Bread fills you up! The Mickey loaf is huge, so a family of 5 or 6 could easily share one.

Souveniers: NOT A CHANCE. Call me mean, but no. If it was our first visit, I probably would've caved, but since it was our thousandth visit, no need.

Final Tally: The two of us spent the entire day at Disneyland and only spent about $50. This is UNHEARD of, at least for us!