How a Disneyland & Delta Points Trip Turned Into Our Braves Stadium Travel Tradition

Traveling to MLB stadiums doesn’t have to be expensive when you use airline miles, companion passes, and hotel points strategically. Our first stadium trip—before we even realized what we were starting—was a family getaway to Anaheim that turned into the inspiration for our Braves stadium tradition. We originally planned a long weekend built around Disneyland during fall break. What we didn’t expect was that adding a game between the Angels and Mariners would completely change how we travel.

Flying Delta Into Orange County — Three Travelers, Three Strategies

We flew Delta into John Wayne Airport (SNA) instead of LAX because it’s closer to Anaheim and much easier to navigate. To minimize costs, we handled each of the three tickets differently:

I paid $437 cash for my ticket to continue earning SkyMiles and Medallion status.
I used a Delta Companion Certificate for my son, cutting the cost in half.
I used 32,500 SkyMiles to book my sister’s flight, enabling her to come along without paying out of pocket.

All three seats were upgraded to Comfort+, thanks to Delta Medallion status. If we’d paid cash for all three seats, the total would have been around $1,400.

Staying on Points: Hyatt House Anaheim Near Disneyland

We booked the Hyatt House Anaheim using 96,000 Hyatt points for four nights (24K per night). This saved us the retail cost of ~$848 (4 nights × $212). The location was ideal, less than a 10-minute walk to the Disneyland entrance.

Because of Globalist status, we were upgraded to a larger suite with a separate bedroom. The hotel also included free breakfast daily, which saved time and money before heading to the parks. Combined with Disney Visa rewards, we saved approximately $300 on meals over two days.

The Angels Game That Changed Everything

After multiple days in the parks, we headed to Angel Stadium to watch the Angels vs. Mariners. We sat by the rock waterfall in the outfield and watched Mike Trout.

However, by the fourth inning, we realized we weren’t emotionally invested. We concluded that it wasn’t just baseball we loved—it was Braves baseball. That moment changed everything: if we were going to travel for games, it would be to follow the Braves wherever they were playing.

With that decision, the Disney trip became the beginning of an annual Braves trip tradition, and an ever-growing hat collection for my son.

True Cost Breakdown

Our strategic use of points and perks resulted in significant savings:

Category	Retail Cash Price	What We Paid	Value / Savings
Flights (3 tickets)	~$1,350	$437 cash + 32,500 SkyMiles + Companion Cert	~$900 saved
Hotel (4 nights @ $212)	~$848	96,000 Hyatt Points	~$848 saved
Park Food & Breakfast	~$300	$0 (Hyatt breakfast + Disney Visa rewards)	~$300 saved
Total Trip Value	~$2,498	$437 + 32,500 miles + Companion Cert	~$1,748 saved

The Birth of a Braves Tradition

That night at Angel Stadium became the moment we unofficially launched our family tradition:

Travel to see the Braves in different MLB stadiums.
Take a few days to explore the city around the game.
Use points, perks, and miles to cut costs.
Our son buys a hat at every stadium.

What started as an accidental ballgame has turned into one of our favorite ways to travel together.

➜ Next in the Series: Stadium Trip #1 — Philadelphia: Our First Real Braves Game on Points

An accidental Angels game during a Disneyland trip, booked with Delta and Hyatt points, unexpectedly started our family’s annual Braves stadium travel tradition and saved ~$1,748.