Disneyland ticket options suck!

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I think it's been mentioned multiple times that using Orlando as a comparison is fundamentally wrong.

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.

Are you trying to come off as rude?

I understand you can't compare the 2 in terms of scale. But you're talking as if no one gives a 2nd thought about airfare, and that's simply not true.

As for my wife driving, not gonna happen. We live 20 miles west of Boston and she won't dare venture into Logan to pick me up. Not sure why even bring it up at this point. Problem seems solved. According to DL website, you can arrange transportation just about anywhere you want.
 

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Where are you flying from and what are you used to paying for a roundtrip flight to MCO?

Boston or Providence.

For the 5 of us, this summer for example, I paid $1,209 roundtrip from Providence to Orlando. Same flights on Southwest to LAX would be $3,303. JetBlue is $3,250 to LAX. Burbank is $3,082. Obviously, the flight is going to be more expensive. But I'm hoping that by the time summer fares for 2014 are released, I'll get a slightly better deal.

After reading that I can book transportation and tickets to some of the other attractions in SoCal, and getting the price, I'm pretty much sold. Just a matter of working on the airfare. Normally, I do it all myself, but given that I'm going for a package deal, I'll probably just go to AAA. I'll get my member discount and they'll obviously be able to find me the least expensive flight.
 

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
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.

Not exactly true.

Disney is in Lake Buena Vista.
Universal and Sea World are in Orlando.
Busch Gardens is in Tampa.
Legoland is in Winter Haven.
 

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Why does Disney advertise WDW as being in Orlando?

Still, you've got three huge theme park names in one area. Not the case in California.

I don't think Disney does. Certainly not on any official pages or books. People just assume it's in Orlando. It's actually about 20 miles south. Knotts Berry Farm is a lot closer to Disneyland than Universal Orlando is to WDW.
 

Cosmic Commando

Well-Known Member
Boston or Providence.

For the 5 of us, this summer for example, I paid $1,209 roundtrip from Providence to Orlando. Same flights on Southwest to LAX would be $3,303. JetBlue is $3,250 to LAX. Burbank is $3,082. Obviously, the flight is going to be more expensive. But I'm hoping that by the time summer fares for 2014 are released, I'll get a slightly better deal.

After reading that I can book transportation and tickets to some of the other attractions in SoCal, and getting the price, I'm pretty much sold. Just a matter of working on the airfare. Normally, I do it all myself, but given that I'm going for a package deal, I'll probably just go to AAA. I'll get my member discount and they'll obviously be able to find me the least expensive flight.
I forgot to ask about dates and flexibility, but I just plugged in my dates in October on Southwest for PVD-LAX and got $150-$180 pp one way... ~$1663 total, IIRC. BOS-LAX also has decent fares on Saturdays in September. Southwest's site is being buggy right now, but you can definitely get deals if you can play around with your dates.
 

TP2000

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

Exactly.

WDW sits in the middle of a worthless swamp. There's no good reason for people to vacation in central Florida, except for the fact that Walt Disney bought up a bunch of land real cheap back in 1965. And almost 50 years later, there's still no good reason to go there, except for a bunch of late 20th century theme parks plopped in the swamp. (The parks are mostly great, the swamp is still worthless.)

Disneyland is very, very different. It sits in the middle of one of the biggest cities on the planet. It's an urban area that has cultural and natural resources that most other big cities only dream of. Disneyland management, living in SoCal and acknowledging the riches that are just beyond the Disneyland berm, knows this and responds accordingly.

Staying at the Disneyland Hotel for a week? You need to get out and see the rest of SoCal! Visit fabulous Palm Springs and ride up the mountain on the rotating Aerial Tramway, spend a few days in eternally sunny and perfect San Diego, visit the wealth of cultural options and museums and American cultural icons in Los Angeles, spend a day at the beach in Orange County and learn what the Beach Boys were singing about in all their hit songs, etc, etc. etc.

And if the freeway really does scare you that much, even in this amazing age of GPS equipped rental cars, just let the Gray Line tour take you there and back. But whatever you do don't think that a theme park, even the most fabulous park and the only one Walt Disney built himself, is the only reason to take a family vacation. Enrich your life and get out and see the real world, not just the fake world of singing pirates and talking cars.
 

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I forgot to ask about dates and flexibility, but I just plugged in my dates in October on Southwest for PVD-LAX and got $150-$180 pp one way... ~$1663 total, IIRC. BOS-LAX also has decent fares on Saturdays in September. Southwest's site is being buggy right now, but you can definitely get deals if you can play around with your dates.

Unfortunately, the only month we can go is July.

However, since we have 2 weeks but will only be doing 10-11 nights, I should have the flexibility to leave on a week day which could cut the cost a bit.
 

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Exactly.

WDW sits in the middle of a worthless swamp. There's no good reason for people to vacation in central Florida, except for the fact that Walt Disney bought up a bunch of land real cheap back in 1965. And almost 50 years later, there's still no good reason to go there, except for a bunch of late 20th century theme parks plopped in the swamp. (The parks are mostly great, the swamp is still worthless.)

Disneyland is very, very different. It sits in the middle of one of the biggest cities on the planet. It's an urban area that has cultural and natural resources that most other big cities only dream of. Disneyland management, living in SoCal and acknowledging the riches that are just beyond the Disneyland berm, knows this and responds accordingly.

Staying at the Disneyland Hotel for a week? You need to get out and see the rest of SoCal! Visit fabulous Palm Springs and ride up the mountain on the rotating Aerial Tramway, spend a few days in eternally sunny and perfect San Diego, visit the wealth of cultural options and museums and American cultural icons in Los Angeles, spend a day at the beach in Orange County and learn what the Beach Boys were singing about in all their hit songs, etc, etc. etc.

And if the freeway really does scare you that much, even in this amazing age of GPS equipped rental cars, just let the Gray Line tour take you there and back. But whatever you do don't think that a theme park, even the most fabulous park and the only one Walt Disney built himself, is the only reason to take a family vacation. Enrich your life and get out and see the real world, not just the fake world of singing pirates and talking cars.

I get what you're saying (truly, I do), but there's a lot more to central Florida than WDW, even if I don't often venture outside WDW. Universal Orlando is a magnificent theme park resort destination. There's excellent dining, nature exhibits, water parks, ballooning, etc. BEFORE WDW, Orlando was worthless. Now, not so much.

I will say, you are tempting me to look into going to San Diego for a few days of the trip and to actually hit a beach.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
I forgot to ask about dates and flexibility, but I just plugged in my dates in October on Southwest for PVD-LAX and got $150-$180 pp one way... ~$1663 total, IIRC. BOS-LAX also has decent fares on Saturdays in September. Southwest's site is being buggy right now, but you can definitely get deals if you can play around with your dates.

Don't forget JetBlue and their major West Coast hub at Long Beach. I lived in Boston once, and still use JetBlue to fly back there occasionally on business.

You can get great flights to Logan from Long Beach. Long Beach Airport is a 25 minute taxi ride to the Disneyland Hotel. http://www.jetblue.com

And the new Long Beach Airport with its new indoor/outdoor terminal is one of the most stylish and easiest airports I've ever seen in this country. Although it has firepits and iPad bars, you still walk out onto the tarmac and up the mobile stairs to board the plane at Long Beach Airport. But I like that as it gives me a chance to pretend I'm one of The Beatles arriving at JFK in 1964. Except when I turn around at the top of the stairs there's never any screaming teenagers!

Airport-Terminal-1.jpg


LGBterm_feature1.jpg


JetBlue has dozens of flights per day into Long Beach Airport, mere minutes from the Disneyland Hotel.

EDIT: I just checked the JetBlue website, and they've got nonstop flights from Boston to Long Beach and back for $488 round trip this summer. There are also other JetBlue flights from Logan into Long Beach that change planes in New York or San Francisco or Las Vegas for slightly more.
 

jakeman

Well-Known Member
Are you trying to come off as rude?
No, I'm just being blunt. Why sugar coat simple facts? Comparing Orlando to LA is not a good comparison, at all. That's all there is too it. If pointing out simple facts is rude, then yeah I'm being rude.

I understand you can't compare the 2 in terms of scale. But you're talking as if no one gives a 2nd thought about airfare, and that's simply not true.
I think all of us in here are trying to tell you that the airfare isn't worth it solely for DLR, but completely worth it if you choose to take in the surrounding area.
Is Long Beach the same as John Wayne?
No. Long Beach is LGB. John Wayne is SNA. Both are extremely close to DLR.

I've never flown into Long Beach but I've flown into John Wayne several times and I've had no problem. I prefer it much more than LAX. I prefer almost any airport over LAX (except JFK, that place can burn to the ground for all I care).
 

RandomPrincess

Keep Moving Forward
We have done Long Beach several times because we can get direct flights on Jet Blue from Dulles to LGB which was great with a baby. Disney Transportation only does LAX or SNA but you have to pay for the transportation anyway. so you may be able to find something cheaper.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
I don't think Disney does. Certainly not on any official pages or books. People just assume it's in Orlando. It's actually about 20 miles south. Knotts Berry Farm is a lot closer to Disneyland than Universal Orlando is to WDW.

They do. It's on the WDW website and the WDW commercials that come on in California state it as being in Orlando.
 

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
They do. It's on the WDW website and the WDW commercials that come on in California state it as being in Orlando.

Not sure where you're getting the info from off of the website, but the resorts are listed as such:

Animal Kingdom Lodge
2901 Osceola Parkway
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830-8410
(407) 938-3000
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/animal-kingdom-lodge/

What the commercials say in California, I have no idea. But I can assure you, the WDW Resort is located in Lake Buena Vista, FL. All of the addresses are listed as such. The only thing that differs is the zip code from one area of the resort to another.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Not sure where you're getting the info from off of the website, but the resorts are listed as such:

Animal Kingdom Lodge
2901 Osceola Parkway
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830-8410
(407) 938-3000
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/animal-kingdom-lodge/

What the commercials say in California, I have no idea. But I can assure you, the WDW Resort is located in Lake Buena Vista, FL. All of the addresses are listed as such. The only thing that differs is the zip code from one area of the resort to another.

Before I even click on the Walt Disney World site, on Google it reads, quote on quote, "Welcome to Walt Disney World. Come and enjoy the magic of Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL." That's what it reads.

I'm confused because you have a thread (an old one) currently receiving posts right now, "Rank Orlando's parks", and you have all four Disney parks as contenders. But the Disney parks aren't considered to be in Orlando?

The Disney execs even recognize WDW as being in Orlando. I'm just so confused.
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Before I even click on the Walt Disney World site, on Google it reads, quote on quote, "Welcome to Walt Disney World. Come and enjoy the magic of Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL." That's what it reads.

I'm confused because you have a thread (an old one) currently receiving posts right now, "Rank Orlando's parks", and you have all four Disney parks as contenders. But the Disney parks aren't considered to be in Orlando?

The Disney execs even recognize WDW as being in Orlando. I'm just so confused.
Per the official map, WDW does not reside in the City of Orlando. It technically resides in an area known as Lake Buena Vista which is just south west of the Orlando city limits. Because no one outside of uber Disney fans know where Lake Buena Visa is WDW often gets lumped in with Orlando. Orlando and part of WDW do reside in the same county (Orange county) but part of WDW is also in Osceola county.

http://www.cityoforlando.net/gis/pdf/GeneralCityMaps/CityMap34x44.pdf
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Per the official map, WDW does not reside in the City of Orlando. It technically resides in an area known as Lake Buena Vista which is just south west of the Orlando city limits. Because no one outside of uber Disney fans know where Lake Buena Visa is WDW often gets lumped in with Orlando. Orlando and part of WDW do reside in the same county (Orange county) but part of WDW is also in Osceola county.

http://www.cityoforlando.net/gis/pdf/GeneralCityMaps/CityMap34x44.pdf

Why does Disney advertise WDW as being in Orlando? That's really what I'm confused about. I know of Lake Buena Vista, but Disney still advertises Orlando. You'd think Disney themselves would advertise Lake Buena Vista.
 

jakeman

Well-Known Member
Why does Disney advertise WDW as being in Orlando? That's really what I'm confused about. I know of Lake Buena Vista, but Disney still advertises Orlando. You'd think Disney themselves would advertise Lake Buena Vista.
Because...
...no one outside of uber Disney fans know where Lake Buena Visa is WDW often gets lumped in with Orlando.
It's the same reason that, when asked, I say I live near Raleigh, NC. No one knows where, or how to pronounce, Fuquay Varina.
 

Mawg

Well-Known Member
It is the Orlando Area, There are many metropolis areas where people refer to the main city and not the actual city or suburb. In advertising it as Orlando people know what city to fly in to.
 

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