Looking for some advice...

[bubbles1812]

So...it has been eons since I've been to DisneyLand but I've decided it might be due for another trip! (Yay!) However, prices have gone way way up since I went (Not so yay...). I was wondering if people could answer a few questions/offer some recommendations to me.

1) How many days do you think is needed for the two parks?
2) Looked at the Disney hotels and they look lovely but only the Disneyland hotel is probably in my budget depending how how things play out. That brings me to my second question. Is this a good hotel? What about the good neighbor hotels? Are they actually "good"?
3) Dining Plan or no dining plan?
4) Any special things should look at doing that Disney has going on? (I am probably going in early December if this happens. thinking about the 10th)
5) Any absolute must dos in the area besides Disney? (Was thinking about a half day/day at Universal but main focus is Disney for this one. But I'm still open to suggestions about what to do in/around LA if it's super fun).

 

[Californian Elitist]

Yay, Disneyland!!!!

1. Three days at the DLR is fine but four is perfect. Two days at each park. It's up to you, though.

2. As lovely as the Disney hotels are, I'd recommend you book an offsite hotel. Not only are they cheaper, but some of them are even closer to the parks than the onsite hotels (except the Grand Californian) and some of them have Disney themed rooms. Save that extra money you'd spend on an onsite hotel for souvenirs and food!

3. NO DINING PLAN! I repeat, NO DINING PLAN. At the DLR, you don't have to make reservation for table service restaurants. If you want to eat, just go, ask them for a seat and you'll be seated. No need to make reservations 180 days out. The quick service restaurants are good.

4. If you're going during Christmas, make sure you experience Haunted Mansion Holiday and "it's a small world" Holiday. Both are amazing. I've heard Disneyland is decked out more than Magic Kingdom for Christmas, so make sure to notice all the details.

5. Besides Disney, of course there's always Universal. Grinchmas at Universal is really, really fun. If you like roller coasters, there's Knott's, which is a good ten minutes away from the DLR. There are plenty of things to do in LA. If you're definitely planning on visiting Los Angeles, I will help you with your itinerary. If you still want a Disney fix besides Disneyland, you can see a movie at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood and grab some ice cream at the Disney Soda Fountain, which is right next door to the theatre. This is kinda pricey but there's a tour you can take through Disney Adventures. You tour LA, Hollywood and some other places. You also get a tour of the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. Something to think about.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I would highly recommend the Southern California City Pass. It is comprable in price to a Disneyland Three Day Park Hopper but also includes a day at Universal Studios Hollywood and SeaWorld San Diego.

Many of the hotels around Disneyland are known for being quite good at a significant price difference. While you will not get all of the Magic Mornings offered, the Souther California City Pass does allow early entry to Disneyland a few days out of the week.

I would actually not recommend the Disney Soda Shop. I found it to be rather generic in its design and the sort of thing that is so criticized at Walt Disney World. A rather generic experience but with an extra cost due to the name on the door. I did not see a film at the El Capitan because I thought the price to be a little steep since I can get the movie palace experience at home for much less.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Seeing a movie at the El Capitan Theatre is not the same as seeing one at a regular theater. Of course, I'm biased because my mother always took us to the El Capitan for Disney movies all the time. It is a completely different experience. Also, the Disney Soda Fountain is awesome. To each their own.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Seeing a movie at the El Capitan Theatre is not the same as seeing one at a regular theater. Of course, I'm biased because my mother always took us to the El Capitan for Disney movies all the time. It is a completely different experience. Also, the Disney Soda Fountain is awesome. To each their own.

Unless a movie palace is what you consider to be a regular theater, I did not make such a comparison.

 

[bubbles1812]

Thank you for your answers! Any specific recommendations on a hotel? I hadn't seen the Southern California City Pass. I am intrigued. Will definitely check that out. Is it worth it without Sea World? Not sure I want to go down to San Diego (unless it's not that far?).

The tour sounds intriguing. How expensive is it? For the most part, I'm thinking this will mostly be a Disney trip so not entirely sure how much of just "LA" time I'd like to a lot. I hate having a budget!

 

[Californian Elitist]

Unless a movie palace is what you consider to be a regular theater, I did not make such a comparison.

Oh, I must have missed that. Sorry!

 

[flynnibus]

1- do four days
2- ignore the Disney hotels and good neighbor designations and just book the best hotel on the harbor side.
3- check calendar for early closures and the candlelight event which will completely mess up Main Street. Unfortunately this year they are trying to do it 20 times instead of just 2

There are a lot of things in the calendar so do your best to avoid if you have flexibility in dates

 

[Californian Elitist]

Thank you for your answers! Any specific recommendations on a hotel? I hadn't seen the Southern California City Pass. I am intrigued. Will definitely check that out. Is it worth it without Sea World? Not sure I want to go down to San Diego (unless it's not that far?)

Not a problem. What is your price range for hotels? San Diego is a two hour drive away. Sea World is okay. San Diego is a great city.

 

[ImagineerDude]

Seeing a movie at the El Capitan Theatre is not the same as seeing one at a regular theater. Of course, I'm biased because my mother always took us to the El Capitan for Disney movies all the time. It is a completely different experience. Also, the Disney Soda Fountain is awesome. To each their own.

I was going to mention this! We were going to go on our trip this past March...but it was John Carter blehh

 

[bubbles1812]

1- do four days
2- ignore the Disney hotels and good neighbor designations and just book the best hotel on the harbor side.
3- check calendar for early closures and the candlelight event which will completely mess up Main Street. Unfortunately this year they are trying to do it 20 times instead of just 2

There are a lot of things in the calendar so do your best to avoid if you have flexibility in dates

I do have some flexibility. Basically from the 10th to 22nd is my "window." I'm just trained via WDW to go as far out from actual Christmas Day as I can, lol. Do you have a hotel recommendation? Is the Candlelight event not worth going to?

 

[bubbles1812]

Not a problem. What is your price range for hotels? San Diego is a two hour drive away. Sea World is okay. San Diego is a great city.

I guess I'd say $1000 at most (yikes LA is expensive) but really would like it less (while still staying at least somewhere decent). I look at staying say at the Disneyland hotel for 5 nights just to get a ballpark of what they'd cost and it was 1,300 (blah). That would be at the very end of my spending limit but yeah, think would rather go somewhere cheaper.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Thank you for your answers! Any specific recommendations on a hotel? I hadn't seen the Southern California City Pass. I am intrigued. Will definitely check that out. Is it worth it without Sea World? Not sure I want to go down to San Diego (unless it's not that far?).

A 3 Day Parkhopper from Disney is $250 and the City Pass is $279. I personally would not feel as if I had wasted money if I had only done Disneyland Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I was going to mention this! We were going to go on our trip this past March...but it was John Carter blehh

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had no interest whatsoever in John Carter, hahahaha!

 

[Californian Elitist]

I guess I'd say $1000 at most (yikes LA is expensive) but really would like it less (while still staying at least somewhere decent). I look at staying say at the Disneyland hotel for 5 nights just to get a ballpark of what they'd cost and it was 1,300 (blah). That would be at the very end of my spending limit but yeah, think would rather go somewhere cheaper.

Save your money. Imagine where your savings could go somewhere else in LA or something. I'd pick maybe a Best Western Plus or something along those lines. Think about it, the majority of your time will not be spent in your hotel room.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

2) Looked at the Disney hotels and they look lovely but only the Disneyland hotel is probably in my budget depending how how things play out. That brings me to my second question. Is this a good hotel? What about the good neighbor hotels? Are they actually "good"?

What are your expectations for a hotel? Do you just want a clean place to sleep? Something spacious? Use Wikimapia and I think that's the easiest way to see all of the hotels that are out there. I haven't yet run across a poorly-reviewed hotel on Harbor Blvd right across the street from Disneyland; that's where I'd be looking. I'd really love to stay onsite at DLR, but I just can't justify the additional expense. It's the same problem I run into when looking at Wilderness Lodge over Pop Century: I would rather spend that $150+ every day making the rest of the trip awesomer. And the difference really could be $150/day between the Disneyland Hotel and Harbor Blvd. Over five days, that's $750! That's the Adventures by Disney Hollywood trip, whale watching, Universal, and your "free dining" at Disneyland right there.

 

[ImagineerDude]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had no interest whatsoever in John Carter, hahahaha!

A LOT of people didn't lol hmm that explains the 200 M dollar loss!

 

[Walt Disney1955]

So...it has been eons since I've been to DisneyLand but I've decided it might be due for another trip! (Yay!) However, prices have gone way way up since I went (Not so yay...). I was wondering if people could answer a few questions/offer some recommendations to me.

1) How many days do you think is needed for the two parks?
2) Looked at the Disney hotels and they look lovely but only the Disneyland hotel is probably in my budget depending how how things play out. That brings me to my second question. Is this a good hotel? What about the good neighbor hotels? Are they actually "good"?
3) Dining Plan or no dining plan?
4) Any special things should look at doing that Disney has going on? (I am probably going in early December if this happens. thinking about the 10th)
5) Any absolute must dos in the area besides Disney? (Was thinking about a half day/day at Universal but main focus is Disney for this one. But I'm still open to suggestions about what to do in/around LA if it's super fun).

I was in Disneyland/Southern California for the first time September 1-10th. I have a lot of insight on things in recent times.

- We spent 3 full days at DL. Two days at Disneyland and one at California Adventure. Definitely needed two days at Disneyland. We also went on the weekends in order to see all the fireworks. The second day at Disneyland was a little more leisurely for us which was nice. One day was all we needed at DCA. Do NOT miss World of Color since it is new to you and take your time hanging around Carsland. When you ride the Radiator Springs Racers either get a fastpass or take the single riders entrance. The fastpasses run out quickly but I saw the lines from 60-75 minutes all day so we went in the single riders lane which was "only" 30 minutes. We still ended up in the same car coincidentally. If you can ever go on a single rider I say do it. It saved us about an hour on the Matterhorn. Totally worth it.

- Universal is worth hitting if only for the studio tour. You might notice that the Orlando parks are significantly better but it's still Universal so you don't want to pass it up.

- The hotel we stayed at was the Ayres Inn directly across the street from Angels Stadium and the Honda Center. I am glad we stayed there. It is 3 miles away from Disneyland. I got a wicked deal for 9 days. There is a lavish breakfast every morning there on the house. The rooms are very nice as well. Forget the HOJO, I almost liked the idea of being a couple miles away from the busy area of DL. We went to Downtown Disney a lot of nights too since it was so close. The only knock for NOT staying on property to me would be getting into the park in the morning. This is something I noticed is not laid out nearly as well as at WDW. The wait to get into the parking lot (unless they have the Downtown Disney parking open) is pretty bad but just get there early.

- As for us we toured the beaches too. Laguna and Santa Monica is where we swam. We saw the Santa Monica Pier. Saw the Queen Mary at Long Beach. Also did the Hollywood stuff. Definitely take a tour of the stars' homes in Beverly Hills. They also take you under the Hollywood sign. Don't worry, they'll find you on the street! And yes, raven24 mentioned the Disney Soda Fountain. It is directly across the street from the Chinese theatre (another must). Such a nice charming ice cream shop. Then look up other things too. I went on the Warner Bros. studio tour and went to the Richard Nixon library in Yorba Linda. Very much worth it if you are a political sap like me.