Tips and Tricks for Taking Kids to Disneyland Part III

Going on vacation does not have to break you. The more time you spend planning your trip, the more money you will save. Some people say, "Getting there is half the fun". I'm not quite sure if I would go that far, however getting there doesn't have to kill you! There are many different avenues you can try to get there. You can drive yourself in your own car, drive yourself in a rental car, take the bus, take a train, fly, or a combination of any of these. Do your research, you might be surprised what creative ways you come up with.

Driving yourself in your own car is probably the simplist way to go. But before venturing in this direction think about a few things. What type of gas milage do I get? How far away from Disney are ? Figure out how much you will spend on the cost of gas. If you live farther away and are traveling with kids you will likely be taking a slower pace. You will be pulling over at more rest stops, taking longer meal breaks, and even breaking up your driving in two or more days. Before embarking on a car trip it is necessary to consider all your costs; gas, food, hotel, and entertainment items you may have to buy to keep your sanity.

If you drive a gas guzzler you may want to rent a smaller car to save some money. If you drive the smallest car out there and you know you will be stuck in the car for 2 or more days you might want to rent something bigger. If your car is older and you question it's reliability on such a trip rent a car. Look at what your needs are and the total cost. Would renting a vehicle be an option for you? Don't forget to check out AAA, the entertainment book, and the rental car websites as you look for a good deal.

Then there is the train. Sometimes Amtrak has some good deals. Kids may ride free with an Adult fare, they offer AAA discounts, etc. The positives for hopping on a train are one, you don't have to drive. Two, you can sit back and relax and enjoy the scenery. And three, you can get up and walk around whenever you want. The downside of taking a train is that they take longer to get where you are going. From Salem, Oregon to Anaheim it's a 19 hour car ride. The train from Salem to LA is 29 hours.

Then there's Greyhound for the true budget and adventurous traveler. I haven't done it and probably never will. Personally I can't imagine being trapped on a bus with kids for hours on end. But to each his own, this might be a perfect option for some family out there.

And finally flying. While this option is usually the most expensive it is also the quickest and easiest way to get there. Do your research. Check each of the airlines own websites. It seems that they want to be competative so buying directly from them is often cheaper than travel websites like expedia or travelocity. Look for their weekly web specials. Go beyond your home airport. I recently did a search hoping to find a good fare from Portland, OR to LAX. I looked at all the airports in the LA area. When I didn't find any good deals I started looking around in my area. If I was willing to drive up to Seattle my fare dropped over $100. If I drove down to Eugene it went up $75. I then decided to check the Medford airport, which is about 4-5 hours `from my home. Hot Dog! I found fares for $59 each way! The total for all three of us was just over $400. If I would have stayed with the Portland airport it would have been over $1,000.

Don't be afraid of combining any of the above. I did and am saving $600. Driving, flying, taking the train or bus. However you do it, do what works out best for your family. In the end no matter which way you choose you will end up where you want to go.

DisneyMom