Los Angeles on a Budget
Los Angeles is a large city, and there is plenty for a vacationing family to do, but if you have young kids, Disneyland is undoubtedly the biggest attraction. Admittedly, it isn't easy to take your family to Disneyland on a budget. My husband about had a heart attack when the cashier at the entrance told him the total for 2 days of fun for a family of five. But there are a few ways you can cut corners and save a little money. For one thing, Disney pushes the "Park-hopper" tickets, but we saved fifty bucks by going with the one-park-per-day option. We also chose not to stay at the pricey Disneyland Hotel, but chose instead another hotel within walking distance, thereby saving 15 bucks a day on parking at Disneyland.
The nice thing about the Portofino is that it has "Kids' Suites" which nicely accommodate a family of five. Our room had a queen-size bed, plus a separate area with a fold-out couch and bunk beds. There was also a small fridge and microwave in the kids' area, which allows you to save money if you want to do breakfast and/or lunch in ... More >
The nice thing about the Portofino is that it has "Kids' Suites" which nicely accommodate a family of five. Our room had a queen-size bed, plus a separate area with a fold-out couch and bunk beds. There was also a small fridge and microwave in the kids' area, which allows you to save money if you want to do breakfast and/or lunch in your room. There are 2 pools and a jacuzzi, a game room, and a weight room. It's about a 10-minute walk to the entrance to Disneyland.
A short walk away from the Portofino Inn, is the Garden Walk, where there are shops and many familiar chain restaurants. We chose Bubba Gump's because our kids like it and we were celebrating their birthday. The food is tasty and the service is excellent. The staff go out of their way to make sure you're happy. They sang to our twi... More >
A short walk away from the Portofino Inn, is the Garden Walk, where there are shops and many familiar chain restaurants. We chose Bubba Gump's because our kids like it and we were celebrating their birthday. The food is tasty and the service is excellent. The staff go out of their way to make sure you're happy. They sang to our twin boys and brought them complimentary birthday sundaes.
Located directly adjacent to Disneyland, this park has some fun areas for younger kids, like Bugland, a very cool virtual hang-gliding trip, "Soaring Over California", and a couple of hair-raising rides for the more adventurous set.
Just outside the entrance to Disneyland is Downtown Disney, a huge outdoor mall with tons of well-known shops and restaurants, and also some local ones. We dined at Tortilla Joe's. There was a half-hour wait for our party of seven, but the staff was friendly, the food good and plentiful, and the margaritas frothy and delicious.
While this restaurant doesn't really qualify as "budget", it did get voted "Best Breakfast in Los Angeles." We stopped here on our way out of town. I had the Norwegian Benedict (with smoked salmon), my husband had Classic Eggs Benedict, my daughter had the Strawberry Crepes, and my sons had Blueberry Pancakes. All were delicious. A... More >
While this restaurant doesn't really qualify as "budget", it did get voted "Best Breakfast in Los Angeles." We stopped here on our way out of town. I had the Norwegian Benedict (with smoked salmon), my husband had Classic Eggs Benedict, my daughter had the Strawberry Crepes, and my sons had Blueberry Pancakes. All were delicious. Although there isn't a kids' menu, the staff will let kids order 1 or 2 pancakes for a lesser charge. (Order one; they're huge.)
We spent our second day at California Adventure Park. Located directly adjacent to Disneyland, this park has some fun areas for younger kids, like Bugland, a very cool virtual hang-gliding trip, "Soaring Over California", and a couple of hair-raising rides for the more adventurous set. There is not quite as much to see and do as in D... More >
We spent our second day at California Adventure Park. Located directly adjacent to Disneyland, this park has some fun areas for younger kids, like Bugland, a very cool virtual hang-gliding trip, "Soaring Over California", and a couple of hair-raising rides for the more adventurous set. There is not quite as much to see and do as in Disneyland, so I recommend doing this last.
| While this restaurant doesn't really qualify as "budget", it did get voted "Best Breakfast in Los Angeles." We stopped here on our way out of town. |
After all the money you spend in Disneyland, it's nice to find something you can do with the kids that's fun and FREE! Drive to Hollywood and park as close as you can to Mann's Chinese Theatre. Your kids may not recognize many of the celebrities' names, but they will enjoy seeing the stars of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. More
After all the money you spend in Disneyland, it's nice to find something you can do with the kids that's fun and FREE! Drive to Hollywood and park as close as you can to Mann's Chinese Theatre. Your kids may not recognize many of the celebrities' names, but they will enjoy seeing the stars of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
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