We Travel Cheap: Marriott

We Stay Free at Marriott Near Disneyland!

9:00 AM
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When Flying is Cheaper than Driving to Disneyland!

Every parent needs to take their children to Disneyland while they are young. I'll never forget the looks on our boys faces when we took them to the most magical place on earth for the first time last year. A day doesn't go by that there isn't some reference to Disneyland and the memories come flooding back!

I know there are plenty of people who drive to Disneyland not because they like to drive, but because it's cheaper. I think some people also enjoy 10-12 hours of quality time in close confines of a vehicle with their family. What better way to start a vacation than with a tour of gas station bathrooms and tired and hungry kids? (I think you get a sense of my sarcasm.) The worst part about driving to Disneyland is that I (dad) gets to do all or most of the driving and that's no fun!

I've crunched the numbers and below I outline how flying on Southwest Airlines using Rapid Rewards from an introductory credit card offer can actually get you to Disneyland cheaper, faster and safer than any minivan ever will.

Flight:

From Salt Lake City to Los Angeles we fly for about 10,000 Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards per person, plus $10! With a 50,000 mile credit card offer that is 5 roundtrip airline tickets for $50. The great thing about flying on Southwest is that your bags fly free and you can use your miles on virtually any flight with no blackout dates.

Hotel:

The past two times we've gone to Disneyland we've stayed at the Marriott Fairfield Inn in Buena Park, about 7 miles from Disneyland. They offer a free shuttle to the park and a free hot breakfast. It is 10,000 Marriott Reward points per night and if you book 4 nights you get the 5th night free. Essentially you get 5 nights for 40,000 points. The typical Marriott Rewards introductory credit card offer is for 50,000 Marriott Rewards points.

What you save by flying:

Gas money
Extra nights hotel stays for travel days
Extra food for travel days
Extra time off work for travel days
Wear and tear on your car (oil and tires)

Disclaimer: Ideas in this blog post are from my personal experiences and actual results may vary based on offers available at the time. This is not professional advice.