It’s no secret that a Walt Disney World/Disneyland vacation can be pricey. Unless you weren’t aware of that? Cause it is. But really… common sense should have told you Disney Parks are expensive. Although common sense should also have led you to roll your eyes at my super cliched topic sentence. Anyway, I digress….

So you’re planning on going to Anaheim/Orlando and you live north of the 49th parallel or in Ontario or Quebec (bonjour!) or the Maritimes or Happy Valley Goose Bay, Labrador. That’s great! Assuming you’re independently wealthy. 

But if you’re a regular middle class schmo or a better than average upper middle class Joseph III or a lower middle clasHAHA AS IF THEY CAN AFFORD IT!!! *clears throat* – the point is you gotta save up a bit.

So here are some tips for my fellow Canadians on how to save to go to Disney Word because ordering a Starbucks You Are Here Hollywood Studios mug on the internet for like, $80 instead of spending thousands to visit Florida would be silly:

1. You can pick up Disney gift cards in denominations of $25-$500 at stores with that Gift Card display you head to around Xmas time for more marginal friends. Buy $25 CAD at a time when you’re getting President’s Choice Loads of Ketchup rippled potato chips, or $50 when you’re at Shoppers Drug Mart getting your RX for that banana flavoured penicillin, or even if you want to grab a $500 GC at Walmart when you’re picking up a single 98¢ package of Great Value roast gravy mix – it’s a great way to slowly accumulate money that’s good in Disneyland or Disney World. I bought a bunch of these for my Grooms Crew and they got a better than the bank exchange rate when they used it in the parks.
2. Set up a US Dollars account with your bank or credit union. We transfer X dollars over every payday. Just so we slowly accumulate money while saying “Ugh, I can’t believe I only got $37.17 for $50 CAD” every week or two.
3. Pick up pennies when you see them on the ground. Because this is Canada and we haven’t had those since 2013. So if there’s a penny on the ground it’s probably an opportunity to save for Disney. Thanks American pennies on the ground!
4. Cash in your empties. This is both a joke and something I totally do. What better way to encourage crushing a beer or three after a particularly crushing Friday at work?
5. Have a birthday. I think we all have that one relative who even though you’re still and adult gives you 20 bucks on your birthday. Thanks Uncle Victor!
6. Go on Facebook, change your birthday to April 1, laugh at the extra wishes you get on your wall, then score another $20 bill from Uncle Vics.
7. Pass Go, collect $200. 
8. I set it so whenever I use Interac Direct Payment a dollar is transferred to my savings account.
9. Just don’t go out. This helps if you’re introverted like me and don’t like being around people more than you absolutely have to. Don’t ask how I can say this, yet blog about going to theme parks that attract millions of visitors annually.  The mental gymnastics I use to justify this will lead to someone spraining an ankle.
10. Just stop buying shit you don’t need. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And there you have it. 10 ways to $ave for Disneyland or Disney World if you are Canadian. I was going to add bring your own lunch to work instead of going out to eat but a top 11 list would be absurd. 

P.S. if you want to just give me money to go to Disneyland – I’m more likely than not willing to accept it.