Disneyland ticket options suck!

[englanddg]

Any ideas on pricing for these?

It's all on their website. Including transportation details, etc.

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/southern-california/

When you book your visit through the site, they will actually prompt you with prices for these attractions.

Unlike WDW, DL doesn't seem too upset about sharing a piece of the action with it's neighbors...like I said, you can actually book a Universal or Knott's trip THROUGH the DL site...which I thought was neat.

I suppose they are thinking that if there's more to do, people will hang out longer? Not sure...but I wish WDW would partner with it's competition parks in Orlando to do the same. It's easily a way to get people to stay longer in the area, if they had easy access to other venues.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Unlike WDW, DL doesn't seem too upset about sharing a piece of the action with it's neighbors...like I said, you can actually book a Universal or Knott's trip THROUGH the DL site...which I thought was neat.

I suppose they are thinking that if there's more to do, people will hang out longer? Not sure...but I wish WDW would partner with it's competition parks in Orlando to do the same. It's easily a way to get people to stay longer in the area, if they had easy access to other venues.

Completely different business approaches, and I agree, the difference is fascinating. WDW wants you to spend every minute (and dollar) of your vacation with them, and they go out of their way to make you forget there's anything else to do in the area. Universal builds a studio theme park; we'll build a studio theme park! Busch is attracting people with animals? We need animals! People like the bars at Church Street Station? Let's open some bars! (And then close them.)

DL is very aware that outside of wackos like us, they'll never hold someone's attention for a whole vacation. So they seem to have decided that teaming up with Universal and the like will at least give them a shot at keeping people focused on theme parks instead of wandering off to the beach, or the mountains, or any of the countless siren songs calling to tourists in the vicinity.

I think what it comes down to is WDW's biggest competition is other theme parks. DL's competition is California. They strategize accordingly.

 

[captainkidd]

Actually, not awful. For 10 nights at the Disneyland Hotel with 5 day park hopper, admission and transportation to Universal, Knotts Berry Farm and a Hollywood Tour, for 5 people was about $7,200.

I mean, when we go to WDW, for 10 nights in a 1 bedroom villa renting points, I spend about $4,400 alone. Admission to the parks for 10 days for 5 people is about $1,700. That's over $6,000.

What's really gonna be the deciding factor is the airfare, and unfortunately, I won't have any idea on that for at least several months.

 

[RandomPrincess]

If you like US in Florida you should definitely take a trip to US Hollywood. If you really want to splurge they have a VIP Tour that is amazing! It's $300 a person but it includes breakfast and lunch and an exclusive tour. You get to get on the tram and take pictures in front of the different sets etc. They show you the active prop house, costumes etc. (It depends on what is filming on the studio that day). They also do the similar to Keys To the Kingdom where they give you history on the rides that take you up to the front to ride.

When we went in 2007 we had the very first tour of the day (they told us it's the hardest to fill) and it was just my husband and I along with the tour guide (groups can be about 20). It was amazing.

 

[thomas998]

I'd like to try some of those things, but from my research, it seems getting around California isn't all that easy.

Airfare for next summer isn't out yet, but I looked up the dates we'd be going using the 2013 numbers - For my family of 5, it will cost us $2,000 more to fly to any of the airports that are close to Los Angeles than it costs to fly to Orlando. That's a HUGE difference.

Where are you flying from? I only ask because if you are in a smaller market then you might find it cheaper to drive to a larger nearby airport to fly out of and save quite a bit of money. We live in a smaller market and our trips to DL would be about $600/person if we flew from out home city... but by driving a few hours to Dallas (3.5 hours away) we can do the same trip for a lot less last trip it was under $200/person.

As for your desire for long tickets, we have always stay at least 7 days at WDW when we go... have been there quite a few times... but honestly even my kids get bored after about 4 days at DL. With 5 days you'll have more than enough time to do everythere their is to do once and redo everything you really like at least once more if not a couple of times more...

 

[teacherlady19]

San Diego County resident chiming in here: Last year, we took our first trip to WDW. When we entered Animal Kingdom, we were absolutely blown away, thinking we were in a parallel universe. First we were trekking down a trail that seemed SO much like one of the trails in the San Diego Zoo. Then we were riding a safari that was so like the safaris at the SD Zoo's sister park, now known as the San Diego Safari Park. We found out, by talking to one of the park conservationists on Rafiki's walk, AK was designed by one of the former exec's at the San Diego Zoo. That said, you may find you want to take a trip down to San Diego to see the Zoo or Safari Park. Believe me, we've been to zoos before, but the San Diego Zoo is one of the best!!!!

Renting a car should be fairly easy -- I'm thinking that the concierge at DLH would probably be able to help you secure one. Driving out of Anaheim, south on I-5 .. well, don't leave during a weekday rush hour, and don't try to return on one. Also don't try to do those two parks (Zoo and Safari Park) on the same day. Both are HUGE and they are about 35 or 40 miles apart. If I had to choose one or the other, I'd go with the Safari Park.




Donna

 

[MichWolv]

I'd like to try some of those things, but from my research, it seems getting around California isn't all that easy.

Airfare for next summer isn't out yet, but I looked up the dates we'd be going using the 2013 numbers - For my family of 5, it will cost us $2,000 more to fly to any of the airports that are close to Los Angeles than it costs to fly to Orlando. That's a HUGE difference.

I've doe all those things from Anahem. Skipping them because of fear of traffic or fear of traffic or fear of getting lost or some conclusion that you won't be driving during a vacation is inane.

 

[captainkidd]

I've doe all those things from Anahem. Skipping them because of fear of traffic or fear of traffic or fear of getting lost or some conclusion that you won't be driving during a vacation is inane.

Actually, I suffer from a severe panic disorder. Driving in unfamiliar areas is very difficult for me.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

@captainkidd, I'm wondering about your hotel options. I know you like the immersiveness at WDW, but do you ever stay off-site at WDW and drive to the parks? How does your family like that? Is the immersiveness about being in the parks or the whole resort experience? If you're worried about feeling like there are going to be skyscrapers hanging over your head while you're on MSUSA, it's honestly not like that. The two times I remember seeing the outside world are on the monorail and on California Screamin'. California Screamin' is basically the berm for the backside of DCA, so you can see the outside world while riding... but you can see off-property for Expedition: Everest, too. My advice would be to save the money and stay at one of the hotels within walking distance on Harbor Blvd. The Candy Cane Inn gets good reviews and you won't even have to cross Harbor Blvd.

If walking into Disneyland right from a street that looks like this (thanks, @TP2000) will bother you but you don't mind driving into the WDW parks, I have an idea.

I think the drive into Disneyland is actually very immersive and trouble-free. If you sorta follow my route, but stay closer to Disneyland than my 40 minute(!) commute, I think you'd actually like it as someone who likes feeling immersed in Disney. If you look at hotels near the Artesia Freeway (Route 91) West of I-5, you could save a ton of money, get a good hotel and I'd just about guarantee no traffic... plus, you'd be right next to Knott's. I've driven on the Artesia Freeway to I-5 South from much further away about 30 times and have seen big traffic maybe once. Even then, it wasn't in the carpool lane. That area is a wonderful masterpiece of civil engineering: there is a carpool lane on 91 that I very very rarely saw crowded. There is a carpool-to-carpool exit from 91E to I-5 South. Then, there is a carpool exit that pretty much takes you right to the Mickey & Friends parking structure. Once you park, you're all set. There is a tree-lined tram route or a very lovely 10-15 minute walk along some wonderfully landscaped streets with lots of tropical flowers (when we were there, at least). You really don't see the outside world once you park. You do cross a street (Disneyland Dr), but there's no stores or anything on it... just trees. The tram stops in Downtown Disney, just a minute walk or so away from the front gates. Any alleged craziness from Harbor Blvd is a barely discernible haze in the distance way on the other side of the esplanade between the two parks. I know you said you don't deal well with driving in unfamiliar places, but I can vouch for the traffic along that route... really really nothing. I make it all the way from the Torrance/Redondo Beach area in about 40 minutes... Google Maps says 8 minutes for a random hotel I picked near Knott's to Mickey & Friends.

 

[captainkidd]

When visiting WDW, we never stay off-site. Quite honestly, I wouldn't. We enjoy the 24/7 immersion of Disney. Actually, it's the same for Universal Orlando. We originally stayed on site for Universal Express, but after the first time, we were hooked on the Universal immersion as well.

There has never been a question of whether or not to stay on-site at DLR. It's just been a question of Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian. We like the GCH because of it's location, and feel we'd be more immersed in the resort, but we prefer the look of the rooms and restaurants at Disneyland Hotel.

 

[stlphil]

All the suggestions to see California beyond the DLR are really good advice, but to address your original point (6 day or longer tickets) one of the suggestions in the ticket FAQ linked in the post by DisneyJoe has the solution: DLR will accept WDW tickets (note that the reverse, using Disneyland tickets at WDW, doesn't work). It is a very slight pain as you have to have them converted at the gate each day, but you will know in advance that in principle your Disneyland tickets will cost exactly the same as they would at Disney World.

We have a few days left on some old non-expiring WDW park hoppers, and have used them (and will use them) at Disneyland instead of getting the really expensive one day park hoppers. Works great for us.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

When visiting WDW, we never stay off-site. Quite honestly, I wouldn't. We enjoy the 24/7 immersion of Disney. Actually, it's the same for Universal Orlando. We originally stayed on site for Universal Express, but after the first time, we were hooked on the Universal immersion as well.

There has never been a question of whether or not to stay on-site at DLR. It's just been a question of Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian. We like the GCH because of it's location, and feel we'd be more immersed in the resort, but we prefer the look of the rooms and restaurants at Disneyland Hotel.

It's a legit option for you to stay at the Grand Californian, yet you're piddling over a few hundred bucks extra in airfare?

 

[captainkidd]

It's a legit option for you to stay at the Grand Californian, yet you're piddling over a few hundred bucks extra in airfare?

It's not a few hundred bucks - It's over $2,000 extra in airfare.

Remember - I'm (right or wrong) using our Orlando vacations as a comparison. I'm used to spending a lot of money on the resorts. The cost to stay at a Disneyland Resort isn't all that much more than a WDW Resort, and what I was quoted was rack rate. I would expect we'll get at least 15% off with a AAA discount.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

It's not a few hundred bucks - It's over $2,000 extra in airfare.

Remember - I'm (right or wrong) using our Orlando vacations as a comparison. I'm used to spending a lot of money on the resorts. The cost to stay at a Disneyland Resort isn't all that much more than a WDW Resort, and what I was quoted was rack rate. I would expect we'll get at least 15% off with a AAA discount.

Where are you flying from and what are you used to paying for a roundtrip flight to MCO?

 

[MichWolv]

Actually, I suffer from a severe panic disorder. Driving in unfamiliar areas is very difficult for me.

So your wife drives.

 

[jakeman]

Unlike WDW, DL doesn't seem too upset about sharing a piece of the action with it's neighbors...like I said, you can actually book a Universal or Knott's trip THROUGH the DL site...which I thought was neat.

I suppose they are thinking that if there's more to do, people will hang out longer? Not sure...but I wish WDW would partner with it's competition parks in Orlando to do the same. It's easily a way to get people to stay longer in the area, if they had easy access to other venues.

Disney seems to place nicer with the locals everywhere except Orlando. Vero and Hilton Head do their best to push you off their property into the local business.

We bought our SoCal Fun Pass or whatever it's called right through the DL website. It came to us in a DL envelope and everything.

Remember - I'm (right or wrong) using our Orlando vacations as a comparison.

I think it's been mentioned multiple times that using Orlando as a comparison is fundamentally wrong.

When visiting WDW, we never stay off-site. Quite honestly, I wouldn't. We enjoy the 24/7 immersion of Disney. Actually, it's the same for Universal Orlando. We originally stayed on site for Universal Express, but after the first time, we were hooked on the Universal immersion as well.

There has never been a question of whether or not to stay on-site at DLR. It's just been a question of Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian. We like the GCH because of it's location, and feel we'd be more immersed in the resort, but we prefer the look of the rooms and restaurants at Disneyland Hotel.

Considering the DL Hotel is across the street from the actual theme parks connected by an (albeit well themed) pedestrian bridge, I'm not sure that your immersion issue is going to be able to handle it.

So your wife drives.

Also, this.

SoCal's traffic problems are greatly exaggerated.

 

[englanddg]

Considering the DL Hotel is across the street from the actual theme parks connected by an (albeit well themed) pedestrian bridge, I'm not sure that your immersion issue is going to be able to handle it.

The DL Hotel isn't connected by a pedestrian bridge, unless you are referring to a different hotel. It's at the end of DTD. You quite literally walk straight into DTD under a smaller version of the BAH. The monorail station is off to your left after a few paces. I just stayed there in Feb.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I'm sure Disney has no problem advertising the other theme parks because they're spread out. Disneyland is in Anaheim, Universal is in Hollywood, Knott's, albeit close, is in Buena Park, Sea World is in San Diego, Legoland is in Carlsbad and Magic Mountain is in Valencia. All the major theme parks are in one city in Florida... Clearly not the case in SoCal.

 

[jakeman]

The DL Hotel isn't connected by a pedestrian bridge, unless you are referring to a different hotel. It's at the end of DTD. You quite literally walk straight into DTD under a smaller version of the BAH. The monorail station is off to your left after a few paces. I just stayed there in Feb.

West Street goes under it right?

 

[englanddg]

West Street goes under it right?

Oh, ah. Yes, it does. The theming of DTD, I completely forgot it was actually a bridge (something you see from the Monorail.

That being said, it doesn't feel at all like a traditional "pedestrian bridge"...

But, yes, you are correct! I had forgotten.