How many days and dining questions?

[Figments Friend]

I was thinking 5 and taking it slow to take it all in. Thanks all for the input. The real killer is the price of flights from east coast to west coast!

I hear ya...
If you are able to, try booking right after the busy Holiday season. The airlines usually slash prices right after New Years and you can often find some awesome deals if you book your flight mid January to early February. Does not matter when you want to leave, but the time of year you book can seriously effect your price.
Mid February the prices skyrocket again due to the school winter break...but usually settle again after the Spring Break season.

I usually book whatever flights i need for the year during that time...mid January to early February and have had decent luck.
Some folks are not ready or able to book that far in advance if they have plans for a vacation later in the year, but if you CAN do it....go for it.
Hope this helps !

 

[Figments Friend]

Were accustomed to staying in the Values at WDW so we dont require anything fancy, just somewhere safe to lay our heads down for a few hours. I rather cut costs there, to be able to do more in the parks.

I have had some great success on Katella Ave, where you are far enough away from the busy chaos of Harbor Blvd, but close enough to the Parks that you can walk to them in five minutes.

I am WDW vet who knows what you are talking about when it comes to the Values.
A clean comfy bed, a nice shower, and a free included breakfast is all i need.
No fancy frills...just the basics.
Two places i can recommend that are decent, clean, safe, and for people on a budget -
Quality Inn and Suites ( Katella Ave. ) and the Best Western right nest door.

I like the area because it is removed somewhat from the crazy 'touristy' scene and somewhat cramped layout on Harbor Blvd.
Some travelers like that aspect of visiting, so each their own, but for me when the time comes to rest after a full day in the Park i want to remove myself from that jostling scene for some quiet time.
Katella is a good option for me.

There are several hotels along it, evenly spaced apart, and a couple of decent sit down resturants that are great for breakfast or a late dinner.
I also have to say that the short walk to the Parks from your hotel(s) in that area is a very pleasant and scenic one...at least i thought so.
Lined with tall bushy palm trees, clearly marked walkways, and beautiful plantings all along the route.

 

[Figments Friend]

It is very hard to justify the price of their hotels. We have stayed there, but only because it was a short trip and I didn't want the hassles of trying to get young kids walking a mile or riding a bus to get there.

And now that they charge you to park you are actually better off price wise to stay off-site if you have a car... $22 for valet parking, add in the tip and your parking is the same as if you used the downtown disney lot which is going to be more convienent than using the Disneyland Hotel parking... Downtown Disney is $30 a day... If you use the regular theme park parking it will cost you $16 a day... In the Hotel you get hit with $15 a day... Frankly it boggles the mind that they charge such high rates in the hotel and then have the audacity to charge for parking as well.

But hey, at least you get free wifi, I recall a time when wifi was about $20 a day at WDW hotels and it wasn't even that fast...

As for the extra hour, I don't see it as that big a deal... Put it into perspective, the typical DL hotel will be $400 a night or more... the offsite will be less than $200 for a very very nice place... So that extra 200 for each day could allow you to do something much more memorable than staying in a hotel room where the headboard plays when you wish upon a star.

Agree....heed Thomas and Raven's advice!

Absolutely no need to stay 'on site' at DL.
Definately not worth the sky high prices.

They are nice hotels to visit....and by all means walk through and check them out, but at the prices they are asking i would rather save it to stay at the Poly at WDW.
LOTS more bang for the buck in comparison....starting with the free transportation and more EHM in Florida.
But DL is a completely different animal...and caters to a different demographic when it comes to it's audience.

Things that WDW vets will be assuming are included with a stay 'on property' will be surprised to discover the differences, and in my opinion, those difference when it comes to staying 'on site' are not worth the extra costs at all.

But again, each their own.
Some Park fans insist on going all out and staying at the Grand Californian or DL Hotel.

 

[IndianaJones]

Just wanted to chime in here...

As most have said it is all about when you go. When my family has gone(wdw pass holders). We have been able to do everything we've wanted to do in 3 days. One full day at Disneyland, one full day at California Adventure, and one day to park hop and hit everything over again.

As far as hotels go, we stayed offsite the first trip, they had a shuttle that got us there if I remember correctly but that was over 10 years ago. 2nd trip my folks splurged and we got to stay at the Disneyland Hotel, which was awesome. 3rd trip we stayed offsite for a few days, but then my sister who is a cast member got us an awesome rate at Paradise Pier.

As much as I loved staying at the onsite spots I have to agree, save the money and stay offsite. If you play your cards right you may get a hotel that's actually closer to the parks then the onsite ones.

Hope that helps and that you enjoy your trip!