(KGTV) — Amtrak and Disneyland hope to entice Southern California residents to visit with a special deal aimed at taking the train to the park.
The train service and theme park are offering a special discount on Disneyland's SoCal Resident admission offer when purchasing an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner ticket to Anaheim.
But is it worth it? Let's look at the math.
Here's Amtrak's deal:
- Five percent off SoCal Resident admission for Disneyland, which comes out to $170 for a 3-day, 1-park ticket (a savings of $9) and $222 for a 3-day Park Hopper ticket (a savings of $12.) Non-SoCal residents can also save five percent on regular admission, with prices starting at $104 a day, depending on the day.
- One free child Amtrak ticket (ages 2-12) for each adult ticket purchased, using promo code "V786."
So you save on the admission portion, yes. But how much will it cost to facilitate a trip on Amtrak to the park?
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Parking at San Diego train stations is free at stations along the Amtrak route, except for at Santa Fe Depot where only metered parking is offered. Parking is also not guaranteed and may be limited to no more than a day.
Then, you'll have to grab a shuttle from Anaheim station to the park, which is free when taking the Pacific Surfliner. Or, you can grab an Uber or Lyft, which can run from $8 to $10 one-way from Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center and the park.
Quick math break: If you choose to take the train offer, you'll pay about up to $20 round-trip for the parking and travel portion, which is double as much you're saving on Disneyland's SoCal admission.
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Now if you drive, you'll pay the regular SoCal Resident offer. That stands at $179 for a 3-day, 1-park ticket and $234 for a 3-day Park Hopper ticket.
Then, you'll have to factor in gas and parking. You could spend anywhere from $20 to $40 in gas one-way for a trip to Anaheim from San Diego, according to GasBuddy. Parking at Disneyland for cars and motorcycles is $25.
So, overall, will you save money taking the train through the offer? Yes.
Of course, there's the time factor. A trip one-way on the Pacific Surfliner will take a little more than two hours. By car, depending on traffic, families may be looking at about an hour and 40 minutes.
It all depends on whether you're willing to pay for the convenience of having your car or to abide by a train's schedule.
