Is Disneyland Different Enough...

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I was there over the summer and the place was filthy. You could tell which buildings had been recently renovated, so props to them for making some effort. But for my money, openly decaying structures in guest view and bathrooms that are covered in grime and smell like dead bodies = pit. I’d never recommend the place to anyone except coaster fans who want to enjoy some good ones, which they certainly have. But they are way behind Knott’s in cleanliness and upkeep, let alone Universal or Disney.

 

[UpAllNight]

Ok, I would base myself within walking distance of the Disneyland Resort.

Get a Hotel with a kitchenette, so look at the corner of Harbor and Katella and the three new Hotels, The Hyatt House, Springhill Suites and the Residence Inn Maingate.. Be careful, as there are multiple locations of the same type of Hotels nearby. All three come with free breakfast.

Use the LA Route 460 bus from the front of Disneyland to get to Knott's Berry Farm, Soak City, Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant, Porto's Bakery, Medieval Times, Pirate's Dinner Theater and the Buena Park Mall (Walmart). Bus runs every 30 minutes, 6 AM to Midnight seven days a week,and is about 20 minutes in travel time.

Use Uber/Lyft to get to Universal Studios Hollywood, Magic Mountain, a day in Hollywood. (Use Hollywood and Highland as tour dropoff point, and the walk to all the nearby attractions.

Use Uber to Long Beach, dropoff is the Aquarium of the Pacific, and then walk or use the free Passport bus system designed for tourist.

Huntington Beach Pier, Uber there and walk around the area.

Want to head to San Diego? Use ART to the train station. (ARTIC) and take the AMTRAK to Old Town San Diego, and then a short bus trip on MTS Route 9 to SeaWorld (or Uber).. Maybe multiple days in San Diego, AMTRAK is good with checked Luggage, I would look at the Old Town Hotels, the Old Town Inn is nice, and next to the Old Town Transit Center, so the AMTRAK, plus the San Diego Trolley and buses, so easy access to the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, the USS Midway and Maritime Museum, Belmont Park and the Pacific Ocean (Mission Beach and Pacific Beach. Or stay in the Mission Beach/Pacific Beach Pier area, Plenty of Short Term rentals are available.

What is your time frame for visiting? aka which month
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How about which airport will you be flying out of? Any preferred airline or Hotel Chain? And are we talking 13 nights? I am willing to get more detailed with more info if you want. Of course, ages of the group, likes and dislikes, etc. would help fine tune the possible working plan

Thanks for this...if we go for it it’ll likely be August/September. It’ll probably be a package deal with hotel and flights included, and will most likely be flying into LAX.

Will probably skip Six Flags and may not venture as far south as San Diego on this particular trip.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Flying into from where? Can you use Long Beach (LGB), John Wayne (SNA) and San Diego Lindbergh Field (SAN)? LAX is one of the worst airports to deal with, but for some, mainly international flights, you have limited options. I was going to suggest an open jaw plan, starting with Landing at Long Beach, and flying out of San Diego. Also to try and figure out two weeks of activities, the size and ages of the group is very helpful. I have done it a lot, especially for those who do not wish to get a rental car.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

EPCOT and AK are just clones of Tomorrowland and Adventureland on steroids.

Animal Kingdom is Disney's best themed park in the US. Second in the world behind TDS.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Disneyland is better.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Well duh it has more attractions and is charming but it isn't as well themed as DAK. Aside from Dinorama which is on the chopping block, the park is perfect.

Disneyland is better.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Discovery Cove has Awesome Theming, and gets amazing reviews at TripAdvisor (second highest after IOA).

https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Attractions-cAmusementParks-g1

And not everyone loves DAK

https://www.fool.com/investing/gene...lds-animal-kingdom-is-still-not-ready-fo.aspx

 

[Californian Elitist]

Well duh it has more attractions and is charming but it isn't as well themed as DAK. Aside from Dinorama which is on the chopping block, the park is perfect.

What does a theme park’s number of attractions have to do with its quality?

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Animal Kingdom is a park about tourists going to animal exhibits and then EATING the animals at the restaurants! In that regard, it's kind of worse than everywhere...

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Animal Kingdom is a park about tourists going to animal exhibits and then EATING the animals at the restaurants! In that regard, it's kind of worse than everywhere...

Have you ever been? It's about the intrinsic value of nature.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Also, blue aliens and neon dinosaurs!

 

[Jones14]

And not everyone loves DAK

https://www.fool.com/investing/gene...lds-animal-kingdom-is-still-not-ready-fo.aspx

To be fair, that article is a year and a half old, and was written before Avatar and Rivers of Light debuted. Animal Kingdom isn’t perfect, but it’s Disney’s best park in Florida by a long shot, and a very large portion of it is reflective of just how good WDI can be.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I'm sure you really have to embrace the park's theme and it's just not my thing. I don't want to go on safari in a truck with real animals awkwardly sleeping next to the road or watch a real bird show. I don't even want to walk around the place because it's so hot and humid. You'll get no argument from me that the scenery is entirely impressive, but just looking at the numbers, I think guests agree with me that it's not the favorite.

 

[UpAllNight]

Flying into from where? Can you use Long Beach (LGB), John Wayne (SNA) and San Diego Lindbergh Field (SAN)? LAX is one of the worst airports to deal with, but for some, mainly international flights, you have limited options. I was going to suggest an open jaw plan, starting with Landing at Long Beach, and flying out of San Diego. Also to try and figure out two weeks of activities, the size and ages of the group is very helpful. I have done it a lot, especially for those who do not wish to get a rental car.

It’ll be a package holiday due to costs so it will be a case of LAX and staying in the same hotel for 2 weeks but doing day trips using Uber, unfortunately. I plan on revisiting again in a few years and being more ad-hoc, but I’ve just got a mortgage so I’m a little more limited this year.

There’ll only be 2 of us, around 28 years old.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

bathrooms that are covered in grime and smell like dead bodies

He he he he he!

Nice and drunk when I read this one.

 

[Phroobar]

Have you ever been? It's about the intrinsic value of nature.

Of course he hasn't. There is no spook house there.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I've been going to DAK since 1998.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Of course he hasn't. There is no spook house there.

There's a neon dinosaur spook house of sorts that I find agreeable. You ride through giant toaster oven at the beginning.

 

[spacemt354]

Animal Kingdom is Disney's best themed park in the US. Second in the world behind TDS.

Disneyland is better.

Who cares. Why not just enjoy both?

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Does anyone know if I have a chance at just randomly walking up to the Liberty Tree Tavern some time this week without a reservation and proceeding to get drunk before walking back across the street to HM?