RememberWhen
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Trip Report Readers Chick Chat and Guy Gabbing Thread!
- Thread starter MickeyCB
- Start date
Katiekitten
Well-Known Member
I've got my fingers crossed some of you may be able to give me some advice. I'll preface this by saying this trip is still very much in the planning stages. Myself and boyfriend are currently looking at visiting the east coast of America next year, Starting in Las Vegas and ending somewhere near San Francisco. Is two days in Disneyland enough for what will most likely be the one and only time we visit being from the UK? Is staying on site worth it? I've only ever been to Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World so I appreciate Disneyland is going to be different to what I know. So if anyone has any other tips let me know.
Songbird76
Well-Known Member
I'm a little confused...are you wanting to fly from the East coast to Las Vegas? Or rent a car and drive? Are you wanting to see things on the East coast, first? Like New York, or Orlando, and then travel West? And how much time are you alotting for this trip. The US is HUGE and driving across it takes several full days. My family always drove for our trips, and it took us 3 days to drive from Wyoming to Florida. Going the other direction, it probably would have taken 2 days to get to California from Wyoming. So if you are wanting to visit the East coast and then travel to Las Vegas, you should plan on almost a week to drive. But you said STARTING in Las Vegas, which is nowhere near the East Coast. So did you just get East and West coast mixed up, or are you wanting to visit both coasts, or are you wanting to do a cross-country trip and see a bunch of stuff on the way?
Katiekitten
Well-Known Member
Sorry I don't know how to delete this.
Katiekitten
Well-Known Member
We are planning flying from the UK to Vegas and have four nights there then fly to LA and we have seven nights there before flying to San Francisco three nights there. The seven nights in the LA area at the moment we are thinking 3 nights in Anaheim and then drive to Santa Monica for four nights. We are able to add a couple of days to this trip.
Songbird76
Well-Known Member
Gotcha....so West coast, then. I haven't been to California since I was a baby, BUT summer is construction season, so driving always takes more time than you expect it to. From my understanding, DL is a lot like DLP in that it is pretty compact and you can walk between parks, unlike WDW. But I'd think @ajrwdwgirl could answer your questions about how much time you need to see the parks, because she's been there multiple times. I THINK you can do it in 2 to 3 days, but she'd be a better resource for that information than I am. I would just say to be realistic in your expectations because distances are pretty big and it always takes longer than you think it will to get from point A to point B. Are you renting a car and driving or taking public transportation?
Katiekitten
Well-Known Member
Thank you! We are looking at booking for May time. We are planning on hiring a car in California but we are undecided on elsewhere yet. I know we won't be able to do everything there is do but visiting Disneyland has been a childhood dream of mine and this is probably the only opportunity I will get to visit it, and I am hoping it will help persuade my boyfriend to go Florida one day
ajrwdwgirl
Premium Member
@Katiekitten
I think you can do Disneyland and DCA in 2 day but that is rushing it, I would go with at least three. To me the Disney owned hotels are overpriced, staying at the hotels on Harbor Blvd can save a nice chunk of money. I usually stay at the Best Western Park Place or Best Western Anaheim Inn. It's up to you on the park hopper, but the parks are literally right across from each other, it is so easy to hop back and forth. I think lightning lanes are worth it at Disneyland too, it is a better booking system than in WDW. Once you have booked or want specific information let me know and ask away.
As for the rest of Orange County and LA County.....in Orange county I took a fun whale/dolphin tour at Newport Beach. The mission at San Juan Capistrano was nice. The Hollywood thing is okay, but disappointing. I guess it is okay to do once. If you go to Hollywood Blvd go fairly early to avoid it being crowded, the Chinese Theater had a nice little tour inside, and a little tour of the Hollywood neighborhood was somewhat interesting. I don't really care about celebs much but seeing the neighborhood was nice to see once. If you are interested in doing a "In Walt's Footsteps" tour there are plenty of places you can drive by and see that were of note to Walt & Roy Disney. Santa Monica is ok but touristy. The only studio tour I've ever done is the Disney Studios, once with points and then by purchasing a Gold Member Tour through D23. It was a major highlight and worth doing if you can do it.
I see that you are driving in from Vegas, I think Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park is worth some time. Palm Springs has a cool retro vibe and Joshua Tree is just a cool desert park. On your way to San Francisco the Santa Barabara area is nice: cool beach area, fun restaurants, the botanical garden is awesome, the town of Solvang is interesting, and there are a decent amount of wineries in the surrounding area. San Francisco is fun too. We went to the Walt Disney Family Museum, and it is a must for a Disney fan. Lucas Film is in the same neighborhood as the Walt Disney Family Museum and it has a cool Yoda fountain that you can see, we were also allowed into the lobby at the time and they had a nice Star Wars display. The Japanese Garden is very pretty, the cable cars (of course!), and Alcatraz is very interesting.
Let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to help.
I think you can do Disneyland and DCA in 2 day but that is rushing it, I would go with at least three. To me the Disney owned hotels are overpriced, staying at the hotels on Harbor Blvd can save a nice chunk of money. I usually stay at the Best Western Park Place or Best Western Anaheim Inn. It's up to you on the park hopper, but the parks are literally right across from each other, it is so easy to hop back and forth. I think lightning lanes are worth it at Disneyland too, it is a better booking system than in WDW. Once you have booked or want specific information let me know and ask away.
As for the rest of Orange County and LA County.....in Orange county I took a fun whale/dolphin tour at Newport Beach. The mission at San Juan Capistrano was nice. The Hollywood thing is okay, but disappointing. I guess it is okay to do once. If you go to Hollywood Blvd go fairly early to avoid it being crowded, the Chinese Theater had a nice little tour inside, and a little tour of the Hollywood neighborhood was somewhat interesting. I don't really care about celebs much but seeing the neighborhood was nice to see once. If you are interested in doing a "In Walt's Footsteps" tour there are plenty of places you can drive by and see that were of note to Walt & Roy Disney. Santa Monica is ok but touristy. The only studio tour I've ever done is the Disney Studios, once with points and then by purchasing a Gold Member Tour through D23. It was a major highlight and worth doing if you can do it.
I see that you are driving in from Vegas, I think Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park is worth some time. Palm Springs has a cool retro vibe and Joshua Tree is just a cool desert park. On your way to San Francisco the Santa Barabara area is nice: cool beach area, fun restaurants, the botanical garden is awesome, the town of Solvang is interesting, and there are a decent amount of wineries in the surrounding area. San Francisco is fun too. We went to the Walt Disney Family Museum, and it is a must for a Disney fan. Lucas Film is in the same neighborhood as the Walt Disney Family Museum and it has a cool Yoda fountain that you can see, we were also allowed into the lobby at the time and they had a nice Star Wars display. The Japanese Garden is very pretty, the cable cars (of course!), and Alcatraz is very interesting.
Let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to help.
Katiekitten
Well-Known Member
Thank you, that's very helpful. There's so much to do I keep reading different things and something else pops up that we like the sound of, at this rate we will be doing a second trip
Happy Mother's Day all of our chick chatters and guy gabbers!
Aleisha took me out to a wonderful Mexican resturant last night (just the 2 of us, no feral creatures!) It was fun, some very tasty food and then a shopping trip to Home Goods. I went there to buy nothing and several I need this laters, a few dollars were spent!
,
Earlier in the day yesterday Costco was having a fund raiser for the local children's hospital and the girls (Ariel, Belle today, and Elsa) lost their minds! We didn't tell them anything about it until we got there. Initially it was just the princesses, we saw them before shopping, but when we were checking out Spiderman showed up and the girls went bannanas! They love spiderman but in particular ghost spidey.
And, I stole this from Instagram today, Happy Mother's Day!
Aleisha took me out to a wonderful Mexican resturant last night (just the 2 of us, no feral creatures!) It was fun, some very tasty food and then a shopping trip to Home Goods. I went there to buy nothing and several I need this laters, a few dollars were spent!
,
Earlier in the day yesterday Costco was having a fund raiser for the local children's hospital and the girls (Ariel, Belle today, and Elsa) lost their minds! We didn't tell them anything about it until we got there. Initially it was just the princesses, we saw them before shopping, but when we were checking out Spiderman showed up and the girls went bannanas! They love spiderman but in particular ghost spidey.
And, I stole this from Instagram today, Happy Mother's Day!
LeighM
Well-Known Member
I grew up in the same house as my WW2 grandfather and the only thing he ever told me about his time in the war was that he spent time in France and never had any desire to go back. It wasn't until I started dating my now husband that I found out more about his time during the war - from my husband. Apparently, his stories weren't appropriate for a young lady LOL. I found out he had been a POW for a short time and his troop would've been killed but then another man that was captured did something extremely heroic and saved all of their lives. My husband wished he knew more but it was a topic hard to bring up unless Granddaddy did first. I got him the show Band of Brothers on DVD and he loved them. Watching shows like that always got him talking a little bit more about his time in the war.
Songbird76
Well-Known Member
I'm wondering what he thought was inappropriate for a young lady! My 4 times Great grandfather was a captain in the Union army during the Civil War, and he wrote a letter home to his wife about how hard it was to be talking to a friend and suddenly see said friend's head carried away by a cannon ball. I was a bit shocked that a man would write that to his wife back in the 1800s, but I think women are made of sterner stuff than some think.
Tony the Tigger
Well-Known Member
Today’s TR is from the Broward County Jury pool room! 
Waiting longer than Tron without LL!
Waiting longer than Tron without LL!
How about I got called for jury duty for the first time in my adult life, this week!Today’s TR is from the Broward County Jury pool room!
I had to check online Sunday night to see if I was needed Monday am, wasn't. Instructed to check again tonight for tomorrow 8 am.
Great googly moogly!
Tony the Tigger
Well-Known Member
I ended up sitting in the waiting room from 7:45 am until about 11:30am.Today’s TR is from the Broward County Jury pool room!
Got payroll done, and some other work!
I had to call last night. It was just a recording saying everyone was expected to arrive.
So of course I didn’t sleep lol.
Zipadeelady
Well-Known Member
I just wanted to come on here and complain and say how disappointed I am that Em and I will not be going to MNSSHP during our October trip. I love everything about it, but Em isn't as excited about it, and I am not willing to talk her into it for $209 each for the party, so instead I'm complaining about it here.....with you......
rshell68
Well-Known Member
Swissmiss
Premium Member
I feel your disappointment. I was hoping they would start during our trip this August so that we could go on our last night … but no
Zipadeelady
Well-Known Member
Once that Boo to You song gets stuck in my head, it takes days to get it out. I'd love to see it but not gonna do it.I feel your disappointment. I was hoping they would start during our trip this August so that we could go on our last night … but no
