Disneyland Is Making Family Vacations Easier (And Cheaper), And As A Disney Dad, I Approve

Disneyland is called the Happiest Place on Earth, and as somebody who goes there as often as I can, I don’t disagree with that statement. It’s a truly wonderful place that I loved when I was a kid, and I still love it now that I'm an adult. I love it just as much as a parent, introducing my love of theme parks to my kids.

But introducing that love isn’t cheap. It’s well understood at this point that everything at Disneyland can get expensive, from tickets to hotels to food. As somebody who has overspent at Disneyland, I understand this as well as anybody. However, Disneyland clearly understands that price increases have made the park more difficult for families. I was part of a small group invited to a recent Disneyland Business Update, which, among many other topics covered, discussed the variety of things being done to help make the parks easier and more affordable for all.

Disneyland Is Expensive, And For Families, It’s Only Moreso

Disneyland is expensive. That’s not exactly news. Ticket prices and other costs go up every year like clockwork, and while I’d argue that a ticket to Disneyland or Walt Disney World still has incredible value (your average arena concert ticket costs more for fewer hours of fun), that value is less relevant if the price itself puts the experience out of reach. When we’re talking about families, that means tickets, food, hotel rooms, and merch for multiple people. The price adds up.

It’s been said that Disney Parks are focusing too much on adults, specifically the “Disney Adults” who frequently don’t have kids, and thus often have more disposable income to spend on higher-priced options when in the parks. This is certainly true to some extent (before I had kids, I was that person), but what’s also true is that if you don’t replenish the fanbase with more kids who love Disney, eventually you’ll run out of adults who love Disney.

This is why I particularly love to see the collection of changes and updates that are happening to make the resort more accessible to guests of all ages, and a bit more affordable to families for whom saving money is a necessity to make a Disneyland experience happen.

The New Kids’ Summer Ticket Offer Is An Incredible Deal

The first step is the tickets. One of the more frustrating things for any parent is that a “child’s ticket” to Disneyland is, most of the time, only about $20 cheaper than an adult ticket. That’s not exactly a massive savings,

This makes the Kids’ Summer Ticket Offer (available for purchase now for dates between May 22 and September 7, 2026) all the more incredible. A ticket for a child aged three to nine (kids under three are already free) starts at $50 and includes park hopping. That’s about half the price of a normal kids ticket during most dates in the same period for a single park, so the park hopping gets thrown in for free.

Disney offers ticket deals a lot, and some of them can be quite aggressive, but frequently they’re offered during less-than-convenient periods, especially if you have kids in school. The fact that this offer starts right around when kids are getting out of school, and runs until they go back, makes a Disneyland summer vacation a real possibility.

The Monsters Inc Ride Will Stay Open Through 2026

Of course, once you get the family to the resort, they have to have something to do. A lot of the newest attractions at major theme parks, not just Disney Parks, have been major thrill rides that are going to have height requirements that not everybody will meet. As a previously short kid who has grown into a short adult, I know this pain.

Disneyland Resort’s second gate, Disney California Adventure, has been a park that has always struggled to have rides for younger guests, especially since It’s A Bug’s Land closed to make way for Avengers Campus. This is why it was great news when officials revealed in our business update that Monsters Inc.: Mike and Sully to the Rescue, which had previously been scheduled to close in 2026, will now stay open until 2027. It’s one more ride that kids can do.

The decision to keep Mike & Sully open was specifically explained in the business update in terms of appealing to families and younger guests. Officials are making a point to be sure that kids enjoy their day at Disneyland Resort.

Bluey Is Coming To Disneyland

Of course, while Mike & Sully may be hanging around, they are not the animated team that is going to be getting most of the attention from kids in 2026. Bluey is insanely popular among kids and their parents, right now, so you can be sure that when Bluey’s Best Day Ever debuts at the Fantasyland Theater in March, it’s going to be huge.

While all we’ve seen of the Bluey show is concept art, it looks to be a much more immersive and detailed show than some of the other events that have used the Fantasyland Theater space in recent years. It will be an event that runs throughout the day, giving families plenty of Bluey fun to share together.

Bluey's Associated Kids' Meal Is A Steal

So, now that we have a steal of a ticket price, and plenty of attractions for families to enjoy together, we just need to feed everybody. Disneyland has that covered, as well, as alongside the debut of Bluey’s Best Day Ever, will be a special Bluey-themed kids’ meal for the honestly shocking price of $5.99. That price will get the kid a hot dog, a drink, and a Cuties mandarin orange.

Needless to say, that much food for six bucks is such a good deal. I might pick one up as a snack myself. It’s inexpensive, and it’s the sort of food that most kids will eat without complaining. It’s quite a win.

A Disneyland Resort Summer Vacation Is More In Reach Than It Has Been In A Long Time

I still remember my first Disneyland vacation. It was a special experience which had an incredible impact on the adult I became, as demonstrated by the fact that I now cover theme parks for a living. I’m certainly not alone in being an adult with incredible memories of early trips.

I’m sure that those trips cost my parents a pretty penny (adjusted for inflation) decades ago. Disneyland hasn’t been a cheap place to visit for a very long time. That said, I do still think it’s worth it. This summer, however, the value is only increasing. While these deals certainly won’t last forever, I certainly hope we see more like them in the years to come so that the Disneyland Resort remains the Happiest Place on Earth for as many people as possible.