I need help regarding "the fund"

[Gianna]

(Sorry if this is in the wrong spot, please feel free to move it. )
This is my first time budgeting for a family trip that my dad isn't footing the bill for. He just opened a new business and I'd like to save up and do this the right way.

Here's my situation:

We'll be traveling by car. My brother will be driving and we'll probably split the bill for gas. We're coming from Fresno, CA to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. There will be 3 adults, including my brother and my son, he's 5 (but will be 6 at travel time). Although we'd LOVE to stay on the Disneyland Resort property, we're looking to stay someplace else, but close. Ideally, we'd like to go for 2 days with park hopper options.

My problem is that I am not quite sure how much money I will need for this trip. I have about $400 saved so far and we are not travelling until October this year.

Any advice?

[Mickey by Matt Travel]

I would try to nail down some specific dates or at least what days of the week you will be traveling. Because hotels charge more for Friday and Saturday nights, this could change how much you need to save. Next, you will need to decide how long you would like to stay. In terms of the hotel you choose, if you do not choose a Disneyland Hotel, I would go for one of their Good Neighbor Hotels. A Disneyland Hotel rate room price for October start at around $260, but some of the Good Neighbor Hotels will be less than half that. You do want to pick one that is fairly close since time is money. I personally like to stay at Hampton Inns because they have a free hot breakfast. They run in the low $100's per night. A 2 Day Park Hopper ticket for adults is currently $173 and $161 for children. For a 3 night stay, you should plan roughly $900 for hotel and tickets. Then you would just need to pay for gas, parking, tolls (if any) and food. For cheap but good food options, I would elect for Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney. For under $8, you can get a sandwich, chips, and a drink. Dining off property will save you money, but cost you some time. Hope this helps!

[Gianna]

Thank you for your help!