If you would like to prepay as much of your vacation as possible, there are several ways to go about doing this even if you do not purchase a package. Of course you can prepay your hotel and travel. But what about all the other expenses you will encounter during your trip?
If you do have a package through Walt Disney Travel Company you can add the Disney Dining Plan and have most of your meals prepaid. Of course with a package your hotel and park tickets are already prepaid. If you do not wish to have that many meals pre-planned you can also simply prepay a character meal or two.
If you are not using a package, you can still budget and prepay many of your expenses by using Disney Dollars and the Disneyland Resort Merchandise Gift Card. Disney Dollars can be purchased at a Disney Store or over the phone by calling 714-781-4043. Disney Dollars are just like cash, and can be used anywhere at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. They can also be used at the Paradise Pier Hotel, the Disneyland Hotel, and the Grand Californian Hotel. In addition to the parks and the hotels, they are also accepted at World of Disney, and also your local Disney Store if you have leftover Disney Dollars. This means that they can be used for food, drinks, or souvenirs.
The Disneyland Resort Gift Card is a new gift card for use at the Disneyland Resort This card will replace the Disneyland Merchandise Card, which was not good on food purchases. This card can be used at stores that accept credit cards at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, and the three Disney owned Hotels. With some exceptions, it can be used at indoor food locations within the Disneyland Resort. It can also be used at World of Disney and Marceline's Confectionery in Downtown Disney. Like any other gift card, you simply choose the dollar amount to add to the card, and give them a call. To order the gift card, call 800-362-4533 and have your payment and the dollar amount to add to the card ready. This card is perfect for those who budget the amount of money they will spend on souvenirs and food! As of November 2005, there are 7 designs for this card, including Lady and the Tramp, Space Mountain, a 50th Anniversary card, and one with Mickey Balloons. These cards will make a great Christmas gift for anyone going to the Disneyland Resort in the next year.
By using these options, you can prepay your food (Disney Dollars) and your souvenirs (Gift Card). It is a great way to keep you from having to take a lot of cash and a wonderful way to stick to a budget. Prepaying using these methods are also a great way to control the spending of a child or teenager. If you give them a limited amount of Disney Dollars to use on food, either meals or snacks, then you could keep them from overeating before a meal when you are not around. The gift card is great because they don't have cash money to lose, and it should fit into the lanyard used to hold Fastpasses so it won't get lost so easily.