1st Trip March 19th - 23rd 2009 - questions

[DznyGrlSD]

I'm thinking about visiting "The Land" for the 1st time over my birthday weekend in 2009 and I would like advice from the experts. I'm thinking about going 3/19 - 3/23 Thursday - Monday.

How busy is Disneyland in March?

Is 4 nights/5 days too long, or not long enough for Disney-only?

I know unlike Disney World, you don't need to stay on property. Any good recommendations for a moderate off-property hotel?

What's the best airport to fly into?

What about transportation to/from the airport and to/from the parks?

Should I get the meal plan?

:wave::wave::wave: All advice is appreciated!

 

[Nicole220]

You'll be going over the weekend. Weekends are super crowded. Friday and Monday will be okay, but not empty. My best advice- get there at opening and take advantage of fastpass. What I do is ride all the rides in the morning while the park is empty, and collect fastpasses at the same time. Once the afternoon comes, so will the crowds. That's when I take a break from the parks. Then I come back in the evening and use my fastpasses.

4 nights/5 days will definitely allow you to see everything in both parks.

The best airport in SoCal is John Wayne (Orange County). It's small and easy to get around. It's also not too far from the Resort.

That's all I can answer. Hope that helps! :wave:

 

[DAKOTADISNEY]

From Orange County airport they do have busses that will take you to hotels around Disneyland. For a family of four though we found it cheaper to take a taxi than to pay for 4 tickets for the bus. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn right across the street from Disneyland. Nice hotel and very close. 4-5 days will give you plenty of time to do what you want to do. Especially if it's busy on the weekend. Have fun planning!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

To add to the above answers:

We've stayed at the Camelot Inn across the street, and the Best Western across the street. Both had good prices, clean rooms, and easy walks to the park.

Howard Johnson on Harbor gets great reviews. It's a 5-10 minute walk to the gate and there's a shuttle available too. If you pick up an entertainment book, you can get an entertainment rate of $59 a night. You can't really beat that.

Do not buy the meal plan - unlike WDW's which can be a good deal, DL's version is NOT a good deal.

Ask away with any more questions!

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Easter = busy