Disneyland ticket options suck!

[flynnibus]

One thing that several people have told me is this: I will love being in the original Disney Park and I will love the old dark rides that are lacking in the Magic Kingdom. However, I will be EXTREMELY bothered by seeing the traffic on the highway while in Tomorrowland. And I will be bothered by seeing retail shops, motels and chain restaurants right across the street. And they're right. For me, who LIVES for the immersion you get at WDW, I think I may have a big problem with that.

You don't see anything while in TL - they are talking about when the monorail goes down along harbor. In the MK, you really do not have any exterior intrusions... DCA you do.

As for the stuff outside... you are far removed from that by the time you get to the esplanade and can see the park.

The notion of how you get to the park is the most stark difference.. depending on where you stay.

 

[Californian Elitist]

On vacation, I consider easy not having to worry about traffic at all.

One thing that several people have told me is this: I will love being in the original Disney Park and I will love the old dark rides that are lacking in the Magic Kingdom. However, I will be EXTREMELY bothered by seeing the traffic on the highway while in Tomorrowland. And I will be bothered by seeing retail shops, motels and chain restaurants right across the street. And they're right. For me, who LIVES for the immersion you get at WDW, I think I may have a big problem with that.

The people you're talking to have no clue what they're talking about. You can't even see any of the streets from the parks, except if you ride the Monorail, the Fun Wheel or maybe Tower of Terror.

I get the feeling that you're trying to talk yourself out of this trip. If you want to go, GO!!! Don't let others influence your decisions. Go and have a good time.

 

[jakeman]

On vacation, I consider easy not having to worry about traffic at all.

Then your vacation options are very limited indeed. It's unfortunate not to take in other major attractions because of other cars.

However, I will be EXTREMELY bothered by seeing the traffic on the highway while in Tomorrowland. And I will be bothered by seeing retail shops, motels and chain restaurants right across the street. And they're right. For me, who LIVES for the immersion you get at WDW, I think I may have a big problem with that.

You will only see those things if you look for them.

 

[captainkidd]

The people you're talking to have no clue what they're talking about. You can't even see any of the streets from the parks, except if you ride the Monorail, the Fun Wheel or maybe Tower of Terror.

I get the feeling that you're trying to talk yourself out of this trip. If you want to go, GO!!! Don't let others influence your decisions. Go and have a good time.

I'm trying to talk myself into going. Logistically and monetarily speaking, it makes absolutely no sense to go. It's my love of Disney and curiosity that is pushing me to do it.

 

[jakeman]

I'm trying to talk myself into going. Logistically and monetarily speaking, it makes absolutely no sense to go. It's my love of Disney and curiosity that is pushing me to do it.

Then don't go.

If you have enough angst about the decision that you need to seek validation on an internet forum then the desire for you to go isn't that strong.

 

[captainkidd]

Then don't go.

If you have enough angst about the decision that you need to seek validation on an internet forum then the desire for you to go isn't that strong.

Ahhh, but by the same token, the fact that I can't justify going but am seeking the validation on an internet message board could mean that my desire IS that strong.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I'm trying to talk myself into going. Logistically and monetarily speaking, it makes absolutely no sense to go. It's my love of Disney and curiosity that is pushing me to do it.

Fine, then don't go. Then you won't have to keep second-guessing everything and you can relax and just go to WDW.

 

[flynnibus]

I'm trying to talk myself into going. Logistically and monetarily speaking, it makes absolutely no sense to go. It's my love of Disney and curiosity that is pushing me to do it.

It's the unknown and stress of 'is it really the better choice?' - you will never overcome that when you try to visit DLR as WDW. You must visit DLR as itself... and that does mean doing things differently.

I can tell you right now.. if you head to DLR and do NOTHING but DLR... you'll probably find the net sum not worth it. Between the different way the hotels operate, to the surroundings, to what it means to leave the park at night, etc. But if you make the trip bigger than DLR... you will diffuse the cost deltas and be less inclined to make a pure 1 to 1 comparison.

Make no doubt.. DLR will impress you inside the gates... but the complications of flying cross country and transportation differences are real and different. Diffuse those by making your trip more than just DLR.

 

[captainkidd]

It's the unknown and stress of 'is it really the better choice?' - you will never overcome that when you try to visit DLR as WDW. You must visit DLR as itself... and that does mean doing things differently.

I can tell you right now.. if you head to DLR and do NOTHING but DLR... you'll probably find the net sum not worth it. Between the different way the hotels operate, to the surroundings, to what it means to leave the park at night, etc. But if you make the trip bigger than DLR... you will diffuse the cost deltas and be less inclined to make a pure 1 to 1 comparison.

Make no doubt.. DLR will impress you inside the gates... but the complications of flying cross country and transportation differences are real and different. Diffuse those by making your trip more than just DLR.

That's good advice. Thanks!

It's sad how uninterested I am in other parts of California. I know it's a beautiful state, but I've never been a beach person. We've got more zoos near me than I can count, so San Diego Zoo isn't a priority for me. Sea World out there looks to pale to Sea World Orlando, and I'm not a huge fan of that either.

A big part of the dilemma that I've left out is my love for Universal Orlando. We make that a week's worth of vacation before heading over to WDW. Our love for it is almost as great, and my kids grow more fond of it every year.

 

[Californian Elitist]

That's good advice. Thanks!

It's sad how uninterested I am in other parts of California. I know it's a beautiful state, but I've never been a beach person. We've got more zoos near me than I can count, so San Diego Zoo isn't a priority for me. Sea World out there looks to pale to Sea World Orlando, and I'm not a huge fan of that either.

A big part of the dilemma that I've left out is my love for Universal Orlando. We make that a week's worth of vacation before heading over to WDW. Our love for it is almost as great, and my kids grow more fond of it every year.

Go to Universal Hollywood, an actual movie studio.

 

[flynnibus]

Things you can do in Cali different than Orlando...
1) visit a real studio and see a real studio tour
2) do hollywood
3) visit a seaside amusement like santa monica
4) visit legoland
5) visit magic mountain - roller coaster capital (along with Sandusky..)
6) lots of different art or nature sites (mountains, beaches, desert)

It really depends on what your family enjoys and what is compatible with you. One of the things hardcore Disney fans get trapped in is... only knowing how to visit WDW. Everything else becomes undesirable or foreign... because it's not some wrapped package and other things just seem 'more difficult..' and you really miss out. If its the fear of the unknown... this is where travel packages or tours really help by taking a lot of the guessing out of things. The web is a good starting point for looking at things that are out there... but only you can decide what might interest your family.. be it nature, art, physical activities, theme parks, amusement parks, music, etc.

 

[captainkidd]

If we're staying at Disneyland Hotel, are there any tours or car services to take us to Universal, Six Flags, Legoland, Hollywood that won't break the bank? Like some sort of a package deal that includes transportation to and from all these from the DLR?

 

[flynnibus]

If we're staying at Disneyland Hotel, are there any tours or car services to take us to Universal, Six Flags, Legoland, Hollywood that won't break the bank? Like some sort of a package deal that includes transportation to and from all these from the DLR?

If you are staying at the DL Hotel.. that is going to break your bank far greater than any tour

 

[Wilt Dasney]

I think you're psyching yourself out too much. I agree that planning a trip around DLR is a mistake, BUT you've heard that case made plenty by now, so I'll take another angle. If you love Disney as much as it seems you do, then you'll probably be able to justify 5 days at DLR only since it's your first trip and literally every sight will be new (but in an "old" way). By the end, you might be scratching your head for things to do, but not necessarily.

Here's my experience: I went to DL for the first time in 2009. Like you, I only knew WDW and had to fly across the country. I bought four or five days in the parks, I can't recall which. DL easily has enough to keep a fanboy busy for two full days, and DCA was a good single day back then, before all the new goodies opened.

Add in walking around DTD; taking in movies on property; exploring the hotels (and I mean beyond just walking into the lobby and saying "cool"...GCH and DLH have some really neat finds for the intrepid, although nothing about PPH impressed me much); and making a couple of last passes through the parks to re-do my favorite attractions, and I was able to *just* stretch out that amount of time to the point it didn't get old. (I was also alone, and went at my own pace, which was quite leisurely.)

I couldn't justify going that far without seeing anything else, so I squeezed in a couple of day trips away from Anaheim, one on a tourist shuttle to LA/Hollywood, and one on a public bus to Newport Beach. So that basically ate up a week for me, and I never had to put a key in an ignition. Just proof that you can make a week work that's mostly (but not all) about DL on your first go, IF that's the only way you will go. I probably could have stood to spend a little less time at DL and more time exploring SoCal, but the trip was still a lot of fun and my love for Disney history made the balance feel about right.

As for getting around Cali...only you know what works for you, but my most recent trip in February was for interviews in San Diego and Long Beach, with a side half-day trek over to Anaheim. (Yes, I can't help myself.) I rented a car. It was really no big deal. The freeways make getting around very easy, if not quick. San Diego traffic was a breeze compared to what I'm used to in Atlanta, but I have the feeling I got lucky there. Orange County and LA County was more touch-and-go...but I guess what I'm saying is that if you can deal with some tapping the brakes, it's pretty easy to get around California. If you're determined to have a "no traffic" vacation and spend 5 days at DLR, you can still make it work. It sounds like you want to go. Just go. Whatever you choose to do will be fun and memorable.

 

[captainkidd]

If you are staying at the DL Hotel.. that is going to break your bank far greater than any tour

There was never any question about it. We want the DLHotel. The rooms, theme, restaurants. It looks like the Ultimate Disney Resort.

 

[TP2000]

You're missing out on a great area of the country by spending so much time at Disneyland.

It's not the cultural wasteland that Orlando is.

Bingo! It's near-criminal to spend a week in Southern California and only visit Disneyland Resort.

@captainkidd there must be something that interests you besides theme parks. And it's a guarantee that one of those somethings exists in some form in Southern California, and likely is one of the best or biggest or prettiest or most original versions of that something in the world.

As for traffic in SoCal, it can be bad at the typical "rush hours". But I've lived and worked in several other big cities, and the traffic in SoCal is no worse or no more daunting than Seattle or Atlanta or DC, and noticeably better and more organized than Boston or New York. Rent a car and get out there and see something! It's fun.

 

[DisneyJoe]

If we're staying at Disneyland Hotel, are there any tours or car services to take us to Universal, Six Flags, Legoland, Hollywood that won't break the bank? Like some sort of a package deal that includes transportation to and from all these from the DLR?

It can be added to your Disneyland package

 

[TP2000]

However, I will be EXTREMELY bothered by seeing the traffic on the highway while in Tomorrowland. And I will be bothered by seeing retail shops, motels and chain restaurants right across the street. And they're right. For me, who LIVES for the immersion you get at WDW, I think I may have a big problem with that.

I'm a planner-personality too, and I can tell you've got anxiety over this. But let's break it down.

You can't see out of Tomorrowland when you are in Tomorrowland. You can see the Matterhorn, which is technically in Fantasyland, but that's about it. There are 58 year old trees and 40 year old buildings in your way when you are in Tomorrowland, and you just can't see beyond it. Period.

You will see Harbor Blvd. if you exit the parks, walk a few minutes to the edge of Disney property and then stand on... Harbor Blvd. And you will get a glimpse of it speeding by from the monorail to and from the Disneyland Hotel. Here's the view of Harbor that you pass for a few moments on the Monorail as it parallels the street for 100 yards.

Here's Harbor Blvd. from the pedestrian view, looking from the sidewalk in front of the much-much-cheaper-than-Disneyland-Hotel chain motels that line the street. The monorail is passing right along the perimeter of Disney property, with Tomorrowland and Fantasyland directly behind the wall and those trees.

If that's a deal breaker for you, then I think it's time to reconsider your entire Disneyland vacation, even by paying an extra arm and leg to stay at the Disneyland Hotel. Why? Because your room view at the Disneyland Hotel will probably be of the parks, but it will also be of the rest of suburban Orange County and beyond. You will know you aren't surrounded by Disney, but rather are on a small island of Disney surrounded by Southern California.

Expensive rooms at the Disneyland Hotel have views like this that are reasonably pretty and interesting in the foreground, but there are bank buildings and Hiltons and stadiums and freeways and suburbia just beyond.

It's not WDW, and never will be. And if the Anaheim concept bugs you, then you will absolutely HATE visiting Tokyo Disneyland (much more mundane just beyond the parks), and Paris and Hong Kong won't be much fun either.

 

[captainkidd]

It can be added to your Disneyland package

Any ideas on pricing for these?

 

[TP2000]

Any ideas on pricing for these?

Check with Gray Line, they have the most tour options for Anaheim area hotels. http://www.graylineanaheim.com/