First time at Disneyland Questions

[Walt Disney1955]

The AP's have had their rush back to the parks after their summer blockouts ended around August 20th, and the Labor Day weekend is rather slow as all the locals are getting ready for back to school and the tourists are doing the same.

The first two weeks in September are some of the slowest for Disneyland/DCA as it's the post-summer lull for tourists and the locals are waiting for HalloweenTime to begin in late September. The weather in SoCal then is generally some of the hottest of the year, with Anaheim daily highs in the upper 80's to low 90's and lows around 70, but it's a very dry heat with cloudless days and gorgeous warm nights. The hot Santa Ana winds and cooler evenings don't generally start until October, and September is uniformly hot and dry with blazing sun and an occasional sea breeze.

Early September is a great time to visit Disneyland, so long as you don't have kids in school and you can deal with a few ride rehabs in both parks (TDA still believes in rehabs, unlike TDO) and a nighttime entertainment roster that is mainly confined to the weekends only.

Thanks. Yeah, the unofficial plan is to go September 1-10th this year. I'd like to stay at the Howard Johnson just for location and good word of mouth. Plus the prices are surprisingly affordable. The trip is more than just Disneyland though. We will buy a three day hopper pass with two full days at DL. But I want to see Universal as well. So that's 4 days of parks and the other 5 days or so of checking out the beaches/Hollywood/ and other hot spots. So yeah, swimming weather is important to me.

We were in Orlando from September 26th to October 10th, 2009. It was hot then but it was just starting to get acceptable at the end. So I don't think I'll have a problem with the dry heat in Anaheim in early September.

The only issue I have is that Haunted Mansion might be shut down around this time for the Halloween makeover. That would be too bad, but we shall see. And no, I plan on having the grandmothers look after our one year old son. Just my wife and I - that's the plan.

Okay, what beaches do I HAVE to check out? And Santa Monica Pier, that's worth it too huh?

 

[Californian Elitist]

Thanks. Yeah, the unofficial plan is to go September 1-10th this year. I'd like to stay at the Howard Johnson just for location and good word of mouth. Plus the prices are surprisingly affordable. The trip is more than just Disneyland though. We will buy a three day hopper pass with two full days at DL. But I want to see Universal as well. So that's 4 days of parks and the other 5 days or so of checking out the beaches/Hollywood/ and other hot spots. So yeah, swimming weather is important to me.

We were in Orlando from September 26th to October 10th, 2009. It was hot then but it was just starting to get acceptable at the end. So I don't think I'll have a problem with the dry heat in Anaheim in early September.

The only issue I have is that Haunted Mansion might be shut down around this time for the Halloween makeover. That would be too bad, but we shall see. And no, I plan on having the grandmothers look after our one year old son. Just my wife and I - that's the plan.

Okay, what beaches do I HAVE to check out? And Santa Monica Pier, that's worth it too huh?

It's good that you're going to other places as well! It's fine that people want to spend 10 days at Disneyland, but there's A LOT more to California than just Disneyland.

Huntington, Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu, La Jolla... These are some good beaches. I don't know if you're planning on going towards the San Diego area, but if you are, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Oceanside, and Coronado are all good too!

 

[Walt Disney1955]

It's good that you're going to other places as well! It's fine that people want to spend 10 days at Disneyland, but there's A LOT more to California than just Disneyland.

Huntington, Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu, La Jolla... These are some good beaches. I don't know if you're planning on going towards the San Diego area, but if you are, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Oceanside, and Coronado are all good too!

Would love to see Malibu for sure. How about Laguna? Looks nice to me.

Other things, for example, how long does it take to explore around Hollywood?

 

[Californian Elitist]

Would love to see Malibu for sure. How about Laguna? Looks nice to me.

Other things, for example, how long does it take to explore around Hollywood?

I don't know how I could forget Laguna, that one's great too!

Uuummm... It depends. Are you talking about Hollywood in its entirety, or just Hollywood and Highland (Grauman's, Walk of Fame, Kodak Theater, El Capitan)? There are always tons of tourists on Hollywood and Highland, which is why I asked. I didn't know if you wanted to do all of Hollywood or just the most popular landmarks.

I would suggest you try a city tour. They take you to some really cool places like the beach (Santa Monica I believe), Beverly Hills, celebrity homes, etc. I would look into that.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Thank you Disneyland experts for replying to this thread! This should almost be "stickied" as Disneyland FAQs

 

[TP2000]

Would love to see Malibu for sure. How about Laguna? Looks nice to me.

Other things, for example, how long does it take to explore around Hollywood?

You won't "see" much of the actual beach if you go to Malibu. Malibu is a thin strip of sand bordered by many fancy houses owned by fancy people who do everything in their power (legally or otherwise) to stop tourists from tromping around in their backyard. Malibu is basically just a narrow strip of Pacific Highway wedged between the gated and alarmed beach homes and a steep hill with more homes on it, with a small commercial district that is also not too friendly to looky-loo outsiders. This aerial view sums up Malibu, and your role as a tourist would be to drive through town in one of those cars and then turn around and drive back into LA.

Laguna Beach, on the other hand, has a totally different vibe. It is upscale and spendy, to be sure, but it's topography and physical setup lends itself to day visitors quite nicely. Lots of restaurants and art galleries to explore in town, and several very nice beaches or cliffside parks with ample parking. (Heisler Park is gorgeous.) There are quite a few private homes on the bluffs above the various coves and such, but there's plenty of other space and public parks for tourists to enjoy. Laguna is also just a 45 minute scenic drive from Disneyland, versus the 90 minutes or more of urban driving through LA to get to Malibu.

"Downtown" Laguna Beach shopping and dining

One of many coves and beaches that make up "Laguna Beach" proper

There is also Crystal Cove State Beach just north of Laguna. It's a state park with fantastic tide pools and walking trails and the usual amenities you'd find in a nicely maintained state park. There is a $15 parking fee to enter with a car. http://www.crystalcovestatepark.com/about.htm

As for Hollywood, most tourists are only concerned with seeing the 3 block stretch of Hollywood Blvd. that has Grauman's Chinese Theater, Disney's El Capitan Theater complex, and the Kodak Theater and Hollywood & Highland mall across the street. That can be accomplished in 90 minutes or less, unless you want to see a movie at either the Chinese Theater or show at Disney's El Capitan. The Gray Line tours from the Disneyland Resort District in Anaheim can take you there and usually include Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, etc. Trust me, after about 90 minutes in Hollywood you'll be ready to get back on the bus and check that off your list without looking back. http://www.grayline.com/Anaheim/LA_City_Tour_and_Hollywood_Experience

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Thanks for the info, both of you. Yeah I certainly want to see the main strips of Hollywood. I'd love to see a movie at the theatre for sure. It'd be nice to get a picture of the Hollywood sign and see the Walk of Fame as well. But yeah I'd like the tour that takes you around Beverly Hills and such. I am sure that there is a place to buy tickets down there that you can't miss.

Yeah I figured Malibu was kind of like that, the best knowledge I knew about it was from Two and a Half Men (the normal aerial shot in the show). I never thought it was a touristy beach. Laguna sort of looks touristy. Which beach would have a good but not overwhelming crowd? You know, the "Baywatch" type of feel to it. (Sorry, all I have about SoCal are the shows/movies).

Also, is Santa Monica Pier worth checking out? And if so, is it a part day thing? Two hours? One hour?

 

[Californian Elitist]

Thanks for the info, both of you. Yeah I certainly want to see the main strips of Hollywood. I'd love to see a movie at the theatre for sure. It'd be nice to get a picture of the Hollywood sign and see the Walk of Fame as well. But yeah I'd like the tour that takes you around Beverly Hills and such. I am sure that there is a place to buy tickets down there that you can't miss.

Yeah I figured Malibu was kind of like that, the best knowledge I knew about it was from Two and a Half Men (the normal aerial shot in the show). I never thought it was a touristy beach. Laguna sort of looks touristy. Which beach would have a good but not overwhelming crowd? You know, the "Baywatch" type of feel to it. (Sorry, all I have about SoCal are the shows/movies).

Also, is Santa Monica Pier worth checking out? And if so, is it a part day thing? Two hours? One hour?

Speaking of Two and a Half Men, you could go to a telvision show taping, while you're in LA. Those are always fun. You can usually score tickets on Hollywood and Highland.

If you don't want to deal with the SoCal natives too much, then I would definitely avoid Venice Beach and maybe even Santa Monica, although both are worth checking out, due to the history. As a tourist, I would recommend you spend at least an hour at the Santa Monica Pier. Or even an hour and a half.

 

[TakeMeThere81]

I've been reading your posts about low Labor Day Weekend Crowds and I've gotten my hopes up!!

We will be there over Labor Day weekend(tail end) and I've been anticipating high crowds. This is mostly because the Disneyland Half Marathon is September 2nd. That coupled with Labor Day weekend I assumed "last hurrah" crowds could be high...

What we plan on doing is I'm running in the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday and that day after the race, we're heading to San Diego to tour the city and visit SeaWorld. Then Labor Day, Sept 4 and 5 we are using 3-Day Hoppers to hang out at DLR. I wish we had more days...

 

[mufasa0505]

We're planning our first visit to DL in January. Thank you for all the tips!