This is a sponsored post in partnership with Chase Freedom Unlimited. All opinions are my own.
It finally happened! We've been working much of this year at traveling as a family and enjoying family time together on road trips. However, this was all building up to our big goal of the year. We are using the tips that we have been sharing in blog posts, saving the cash back we earned from our Chase Freedom Unlimited card, and are heading to Disneyland in Southern California!
We have wanted to go back for years and with our family travel goal this year it made perfect sense. Not only are we Disney fans but we love going to amusement parks in general, so for our final post celebrating reaching our 2019 goal we are sharing six ways that we saved time and money when taking our family to Disney, or any other amusement park! Enjoy the photos from reaching our family goal and remember that if your family goal includes taking a trip to some of the top theme parks around the country, you will want to save this post, so you can spend more time and money on stuff that matters, and less time waiting in line.
Save Money:
Use Your Cash Back Credit Card For Park Tickets
You can always save a bundle by ordering your park tickets ahead of time, and when you use a cash back credit card, you can earn even more. Our Chase Freedom Unlimited cash back credit card allows me to earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase. This means I'm always earning on every purchase bringing me one step closer to my goal.
However, before you just go and order your tickets off the theme park website, check your local store first. Many times, you can find discounted gift cards to some of the top parks around the country, which you can then use to get discounted tickets for the park itself. Whichever way you buy them, take advantage of those cash back rewards!
What? How can you buy these before you go? Whether you are getting t-shirts, hats, autograph books, or trading pins, you can find souvenirs locally or online for a much better price. Choose the item with your child's favorite character, buy it at a discount, pack it away, then give it to your family when you get there. That way they can enjoy a special souvenir and you can enjoy knowing that you saved a ton of money over those poor souls that bought them inside the park!
Plan to Eat Meals Outside the Park
Most amusement parks charge the same price for a meal as the restaurant that you would normally go out to back home to celebrate a special occasion. If you bring breakfast food, or buy it at a local grocery store, then you can not only pay much less for at least one meal, but you also don't have to waste time inside the park waiting in line at mealtime.
Many amusement parks have fast food places nearby that you can eat lunch or dinner. This will save on your budget, plus if it's a familiar chain food place, you know they have food your kids will actually eat. This will also allow you to splurge on extra fun snacks inside the park that aren't as expensive as full meals. Also, don't forget to bring reusable water bottles. At many parks they will fill these up for free and it will be much healthier than drinking soda all day!
Save Time:
Many of the top amusement parks have tons of blog posts written about them. Just do a quick internet search for "strategies and tips for (insert amusement park here)." Create a file or folder with the best tips and bring them with you. You can keep the file on your phone if it is more convenient. I also recommend having a schedule of rides for the day written down ahead of time. Where we have seen families make the biggest mistakes is waiting to decide what to do until they get to the park.
Having a plan based on proven strategies will help your family stay ahead of the crowds and experience more rides, character meet and greets, and best seats for a show, compared to the 99% of other people who just wander around all day. For this trip I put together a multipage guide for our whole family so expectations were clear, and everyone knew what was coming next. My research before the trip helped us to be one step ahead the whole time. This is sometimes the difference between a lifelong memory and an inside-the-park meltdown.
Get to the Park Early Before it Opens
We try to get to the park 30-40 minutes before the gates open. This puts us toward the front of the line and enables us to beat the crowds to our favorite rides. There isn't anything worse on an amusement park vacation than entering a park and immediately waiting in line for an hour. You will need to hustle in the morning, but in our experience starting early helps the entire day go smoothly.
The Free Pass for Parents That No One Talks About
At Disney, and most other theme parks, there is a parent perk that is easy to miss. It's called The Rider Switch Pass. It works like this. You have a young child who isn't tall enough or is simply too scared to go on a ride. Just ask the ride attendant for a Rider Switch Pass. One adult goes with the rest of the group and they get in line and go on the ride. When they are done, the adult who stayed with the young child can then take 1-2 others from the group down the Fast Pass line to quickly get on the ride. It means that if you have other kids, they can go on the ride twice in a row. Trust me, this will change the way you do amusement parks!
These easy money and time saving tips have served us well over the years, and they didn't fail us on this trip. As a family we not only had the chance to fulfill our goal, but we also grew closer together. This was a trip that my kids will remember forever, and this year of traveling will be a time that my wife and I will definitely cherish for years to come. If you have never chosen traveling together more as a family goal, we highly recommend it. In fact, you can start on your goal right now by getting a Chase Freedom Unlimited card and earning that cash back. Chase is now offering new Chase Freedom Unlimited cardmembers a special bonus offer available through Chase.com, and in Chase branches: get a $200 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months.
Whether you travel to an amusement park, the beach, or go on a day trip to the next town over, your family will thank you for making memories that will last forever!
Hi! Another question is if the issue that is being addressed or argued can be addressed to https://essaypay.com/blog/how-to-write-an-essay-for-college-admission/ personal essay for college admission with no or yes answer.
ReplyDelete