I'm going to Disneyland!

[happymom52003]

We just decided we are going to Disneyland this summer!:sohappy: I am so excited I can hardly breath! My DH has never been, my kids have never been, and I have only been twice...once as a small child, and once when I was 15....I hardly remember either trip. I have so much to find out! I have always been so focused on Disneyworld, so this is a whole new world for me. Any suggestions on where to stay and how many days to stay, etc. would be great!

 

[Nicole220]

Yay! :sohappy:
Disneyland is amazing! You're going to have a great time!

I'm a local and don't know much about where to stay, but I do know that staying off site is the easiest and cheapest. There are a lot of good hotels right outside the entrance. I'll let the others fill you in on those because I don't know much.

3-4 days will allow you to see everything. You might not even need that fourth day because DCA will be covered in tarps and refurb walls soon.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! :wave:

 

[dxwwf3]

We spent 5 days at the Disneyland Resort this June and I wish we could have spent more time :lol: With that said, you can see most of what you want to in 4 days. Be prepared for Disneyland to take more time to see than the Magic Kingdom because there really is more to see. The only bad thing about going to Disneyland is that your opinion of the Magic Kingdom will lower considerably afterwards :lol:

 

[primetime52]

Yay! :sohappy:
Disneyland is amazing! You're going to have a great time!

I'm a local and don't know much about where to stay, but I do know that staying off site is the easiest and cheapest. There are a lot of good hotels right outside the entrance. I'll let the others fill you in on those because I don't know much.

3-4 days will allow you to see everything. You might not even need that fourth day because DCA will be covered in tarps and refurb walls soon.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! :wave:

At DCA will they be refurbing alot of things all at once? Or will they do it in more of a little by little fashion?

 

[primetime52]

We just decided we are going to Disneyland this summer!:sohappy: I am so excited I can hardly breath! My DH has never been, my kids have never been, and I have only been twice...once as a small child, and once when I was 15....I hardly remember either trip. I have so much to find out! I have always been so focused on Disneyworld, so this is a whole new world for me. Any suggestions on where to stay and how many days to stay, etc. would be great!

I just got back from my first DL trip and had a great time! I went in a group of 4 and we stayed at the Residence Inn. The location was awesome and our 2 bedroom suite was quite spacious. Certain parts of the suite (mainly the showers) were somewhat old fashioned, but overall we had a good experience there. They also have a free breakfast every morning.

We didn't have the blessing of being able to take a long trip since we all couldn't take much time off work. We only spent 2 days in the parks but had light crowds while we were there. Since crowds were pretty light, we were able to do virtually everything in the parks that we wanted to do. We certainly would've liked to stay longer, though. No matter how much you see at DL, there's always more to see.

 

[DAKOTADISNEY]

We went to DL in '05 and had a great time! We stayed at the Fairfield Inn right across the street and really liked it. It was so close and the room rates were very reasonable. No continental breakfast though. There is a McDonalds right next door. The other motels on that street (Harbor BLVD) look nice as well. We had 3 day passes for DL and DCA. That was about right for time. Downtown Disney was also very handy because it is right there between the two parks. Have fun!

 

[mouselvrmom]

We stayed at the Anabella in 2005, and it was pretty cheap. It was landscaped really nicely and the buildings look nice. I wasn't that impressed with our room, but I know someone else on here stayed there recently and liked it. It's close to the parks, but we just rode the bus to disney. We got a pass that was good for our stay.

I will let you know more after our trip, I'm sure I'll have lots of advice then.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Depending on what your budget is....Grand Californian is a beautiful site (much like Wilderness Lodge in WDW). I have also stayed at sites nearby, Fairfield Inn was mentioned, it was close and reasonable.

Everyone does the parks differently, but I would say to plan on 3-4 days. You would also want to check when Fantasmic and Fireworks are scheduled as they are not every night.

If they do start on DCA overhaul, it would be sections at a time, so shouldn't be a problem for you.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised at DL as it has had such a major overhaul in the last few years, it looks great!

I'm sure you will enjoy yourself!

 

[lilclerk]

We stayed at the Anabella in 2005, and it was pretty cheap. It was landscaped really nicely and the buildings look nice. I wasn't that impressed with our room, but I know someone else on here stayed there recently and liked it. It's close to the parks, but we just rode the bus to disney. We got a pass that was good for our stay.

That was probably me =) I stayed there in June, but I was by myself and had a King room. It was perfect for me, I don't need a lot of space, but I know they also have suites that are roomier. My only complaint was that there was no light in the shower. The curtain was floor-to-ceiling and let no light in. Kinda scary.
It was a short walk to the parks if you go through the Grand Californian (gorgeous lobby) but I also rode the bus because I do enough walking in the parks :lol:

 

[mouselvrmom]

That was probably me =) I stayed there in June, but I was by myself and had a King room. It was perfect for me, I don't need a lot of space, but I know they also have suites that are roomier. My only complaint was that there was no light in the shower. The curtain was floor-to-ceiling and let no light in. Kinda scary.
It was a short walk to the parks if you go through the Grand Californian (gorgeous lobby) but I also rode the bus because I do enough walking in the parks :lol:

That's right, it was you. :lol: I knew I remembered that you liked it.

 

[lilclerk]

That's right, it was you. :lol: I knew I remembered that you liked it.

I actually checked Tripadvisor AFTER I booked the trip (stupid, I know) and really regretted it as there were some terrible reviews. But it turned out they had just finished renovating the rooms when I got there, and it was wonderful.
Still no light in the shower though...

 

[svickersart]

Disneyland is great, its much more intimate than WDW. If you can afford it stay at one of the Disney owned hotels. I would try for the original Disneyland Hotel myself, Grand Californian is spectacular but very pricy, along the lines of any of the WDW hotels on the monorail line. I recommend 5 days, this gives you the chance to do pretty much everything and take oyur tiem doing it. You dont say if your flying or driving, it can make a difference, if your driving and staying off property I think you have more options for hotels/motels. There is a transit system that goes from area motels to the parks, it costs about $3.00 a day per person but I have not been impressed by it. It is run by the city. If oyu dont have a car you might want to stay at one of the places within walking distance, look for places along Harbor Blvd, but be aware, some places say they are walking distance but they are a pretty far walk. If you have time available there are some other things you can do while in the area also, Knotts is only about 15 minutes away from DL and Universal Hollywood offers a ticket that includes transportation from Anaheim area hotels to the park and back for around $60.00. So if your coming from a distance this might be a good opportunity to do more than just Disneyland. You will enjoy other parks but they cannot compare to Disneyland.

Have fun
Steve

 

[mermaid1]

If you can afford to stay on site and want the immersible Disney experience, stay at the Disneyland Hotel. It is chock full of Disney atmosphere and has the Neverland pool for the kids. We never stay anywhere else and we have no kids! We just love the whole feeling of being immersed in Disney. AND, they are going to refurb the hotel soon, so it will no longer be the original DL Hotel it now is. A great opportunity to see it before it is gone. Plan on at the minimum, 4 days at the resort. DCA will be undergoing refurb and rebuilding, but they are not shutting everything down, just parts of the Park. You could also plan a trip to Knotts Berry Farm or the Ocean or San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park if you want to add a few more days. You will love Disneyland and yes, it makes Magic Kingdom pale in comparison. It is a rich, historical visit through all things Disney. They offer tours of the Park. You can go to the Disney website and type in tour in the search box and you can find all sorts of fun tours. The best is A Walk in Walt's Footsteps. They are pricey and may be not for you if you are on a budget with kids.
I wish you the best trip of your life, you will have sooooo...much fun! Maybe we will see you there! :wave: We go to DL a few times a year, because it is our *home* Park. Been going there since we were kids.
susan

 

[happymom52003]

Thanks for all the great info! I have so many questions, I dont even know where to begin. Here are a few questions:

Are there any good websites that have info on DL? I use this one and allears for WDW info, but would like more info on DL. Also, any good guide books out there on DL? I use the Unofficial Guide to WDW and Passporter for my WDW planning. Also would love suggestions on California guidebooks, as we will be visiting other places as well.

We really would like to stay at one of the Disney hotels. Of the three, which has the easiest access to DL? We have little ones who need to come back to the hotel to nap in the afternoon, so we would like easy access.

How does the crowd level at DL compare to WDW in the month of June? Is is just as important to get to the parks early to avoid long lines at DL as it is at WDW?

What is the weather like in June? How hot does it get compared to Florida? I've never been to California during the summer so I have no idea.

Can you suggest any good character meals and other table service restaurants that are good for kids (ages 3 and 6)?

We are planning on spending at least a couple of weeks in California.....we really do not have a time limit. We will be flying in and renting a car. We would like to take our time traveling up the coast (or down...we have not decided where to start from yet), and will probably go to Yosemite as well, and we want to go to the San Francisco area too. We would also really like to spend a couple of days at a nice beach that is good for kids. We like resort type places that are on the beach. Any suggestions? I have alot of planning to do and would love any help ya'll could give me. I need to decide where to start out....norhtern CA or Southern CA? (we plan on flying home from a different city than we fly into....so this will be a one way trip either up or down the coast), and what route to take, what cities to visit and spend the night in, where to fly in to and home from, etc...It will be just me, my DH and our kids, so all activities and places we visit need to be appropiate for small kids.
This is a special trip for us, so our budget is not a huge concern, to an extent of course. We want to stay at nice places, but not "fancy".

Any help would be greatly apprciated!

 

[dxwwf3]

Are there any good websites that have info on DL? I use this one and allears for WDW info, but would like more info on DL. Also, any good guide books out there on DL? I use the Unofficial Guide to WDW and Passporter for my WDW planning. Also would love suggestions on California guidebooks, as we will be visiting other places as well.

All Ears Net has a great Disneyland section and the DIS Boards have a nice DL section. The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland is the best book I've seen for planning.

We really would like to stay at one of the Disney hotels. Of the three, which has the easiest access to DL? We have little ones who need to come back to the hotel to nap in the afternoon, so we would like easy access.

Easiest access is the Grand Californian by far, but you pay for it. If you feel like you would want to stay in a Disney hotel (which we did), I would highly suggest the Disneyland Hotel. Nice themeing, great location, and feels like a Disney resort for sure.

How does the crowd level at DL compare to WDW in the month of June? Is is just as important to get to the parks early to avoid long lines at DL as it is at WDW?

The crowds are not what I was used to at WDW. The lines were not as long as I was expecting in this June, but getting there early is HUGE. You can get so much done in the first few hours, I would highly suggest being there at opening when you can. Especially when it comes to Space Mountain, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, and Fantasyland.

What is the weather like in June? How hot does it get compared to Florida? I've never been to California during the summer so I have no idea.

It got hot a couple of days during my trip, but NOTHING like Florida.

And I did not do any character meals or beach visits during my trip.

 

[happymom52003]

Thanks so much for the info, dxwwf3:wave: