We are going to Disneyland

[dagobert]

We are going to Disneyland during the first week in June and we are already very excited. Now I have some questions.

How will the crowds be? I guess the parks will be very busy.

Any tips to save money while at DL?

What shall we not miss at DL? We are DLP regulars, so the classic rides aren't really on our list.


We are also visiting San Francisco? Does anyone have any motel or hotel recommendations in or around SF? It shouldn't be very expensive.

Thanks!

 

[atsolomon]

If you aren't staying at a DL hotel, you might want avoid the park with the magic morning hour. On my recent visit I found many of the rides I wanted to do already had long lines when the regular guests were able to enter. This is particularly true of Fantasyland.

 

[ForeverAnna]

Ditto.

The first week of June shouldn't be too bad at least compared to later in the summer. A lot of kids will still be in school.

 

[atsolomon]

Oh, the biggest money saving opportunities are probably where you stay & what kind of meals and snacks you have. Admissions tickets are a fairly fixed expense. Having cereal or something in your room for breakfast is a big savings. Bringing in outside snacks is also less expensive. Every counter service restaurant will give you free cups of ice water, so you don't have to purchase any bottled water.

Don't know if you're traveling with kids, but setting expectations regarding souvenirs is helpful.

Lastly, if you have a Disney Visa you get 10% off souvenirs on purchases above $50.

Have fun planning!

Adam

 

[hawkfam]

We went the first week of June 2015. I think there were 2 (possibly 3 but I think it was 2) grad nights during our trip. So, not only will it be busier as you noted, but there will be large groups of high school seniors. We actually didn't think it was tooooo crazy on those days, but we purposely stayed out of DCA at night when the grad night groups migrated there. But, during the days while we noticed it was busier with those groups there it wasn't unmanageable. Not sure if dates have been released yet, but I'd expect you'll run into that a few days. Just know that the thrill rides will definitely be busier since those are more what those kids are interested in.

I've never been to DLP, but based on the map I'd say one main place to check out is Fantasyland. Quite a few original dark rides that our family really loves. While it looks like most are the same aside from maybe just Mr. Toad(?) it's the setup with all of them virtually next to each other and how Fantasyland is designed that really makes that area of the park stand out to us. Even though it's a refurbished version of Fantasyland, it still feels like how Walt originally envisioned that portion of the park.

As far as money saving tips, I wholeheartedly agree on breakfasts in the room. First, savings of course. But, it also frees up your morning to hit up the parks. You'll be amazed at how much you can get done in the first 2 hours if you there are park open. So, if you can eat while getting ready in the morning and not using that time on sit-down meals you can really maximize your mornings and start your day off getting a lot done.

 

[dagobert]

Thanks for all the wonderful tips!

We are staying off site, because DL is part of a longer USA trip and so we didn't want to spend a small fortune on a DL hotel.