When to Go and Where to Fly Into?

[DisneyPrincess5]

Hi all!!!

So we are in the midst of planning our recently booked Fall 2013 Walt Disney World honeymoon and we are already thinking about having our next trip after that be to Disneyland! (Obsessed much?) We have never been and are very excited at the idea. So here are two questions from a Disneyland newbie.

1) When is a good time to go? By "good" I talking pleasant warm weather, low-moderate crowd levels, and maybe a time when a deal is usually offer. We live in the Northeast and we avoid flying from November through March due to weather risks so count those months out please.

2) Which airport is best to fly into? I've done some research on this but I want to hear from you guys as DL experts!

Thanks so much!!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I have flown into both John Wayne and LAX. It was nice flying into John Wayne (SNA) because it was closer, but if LAX is a lot cheaper it wasn't too bad. Granted we flew in and out of LAX at off times so the traffic wasn't an issue, it didn't seem like a long drive though. I would maybe go with whatever is cheaper. As for when to go I can't really help much, I'm a teacher so I have to go during school breaks.

 

[flynnibus]

Which airport.. that can be influenced by your location and pricing.

Basically SNA is a cab ride away.. LAX requires a rental car or other type of shuttle. But if one is significantly cheaper.. it can make it worth it. LAX you might be able to get a direct flight.. SNA will likely be a connection, etc. You need to simply balance what you are willing to tolerate in travel vs the pricing that is available to you.

Travel to DLR and costs are always about balancing where you will spend. There is no 'one way' to do it.. each generally has trade-offs.

Example: you can rent a car.. but most of the hotels have parking fees. You can find a hotel that doesn't have parking fees, but it may be more expensive or further away.

You can avoid renting a car, but your hotel choices will be limited by distance. There is a bus that goes around the resort area to all the hotels (the ART system) which you can pay a few bucks for. Proximity to ART may be a selection criteria for hotels.

Here's my decision tree..
I don't want to pay to park at Disney.. so I won't be driving to the parks
I don't plan on visiting other areas on my trip.. so I don't really have a need for a car for daily things..
Since I won't be driving around, the car will just be sitting there, and I don't want to pay for a car just to sit there.
So I picked to fly into SNA so I could just take a cab from the airport to my hotel. Flight prices were the same for me because I was flying on miles.

For hotels,
You can try to pick hotels that are
0) disney hotels
1) right across from disney
2) within walking distance
3) on/near ART buses
4) in area, and you expect to drive

The pricing as you would expect.. basically starts higher and works its way down. The Disney hotels are basically WDW deluxe pricing (slightly below that.. like a Wilderness Lodge type pricing). The hotels across the street are more modest hotels, but charge a premium for their location (~100 to ~150/night). These are basically upgraded motels.. but not bad. Just don't expect a Hilton.. think more.. La quinta

As for when to go.. this thread does a good job of kind of outlining things to be aware of that impact crowds
http://micechat.com/forums/disneyland-resort/162619-when-will-busy-disneyland-2012-edition.html

For less than $10, you can also buy into touringplans.com for more detailed info. But basically it's the things you would expect.. holidays, school breaks, disney events.. followed by more localized things like passholder blockout boundaries, conventions in town, and 3rd party events (like Gay Days). Seasonally, it's SoCal.. so unless you want to be on the beaches, much of the year is interchangable.

What people often steer trips around is Disney's seasonal offerings.. like Holloween and Christmas... which also significantly impact crowds.

But for instance, we are going Jan1 through the 5th. This is after christmas and new years.. but the christmas decorations and events are still going on. We are also going during the week, not the weekend. Hopefully this will lead to a reasonable crowd level.. and we still get to see Christmas in DL.

Hope that helps..

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

I have flown into both John Wayne and LAX. It was nice flying into John Wayne (SNA) because it was closer, but if LAX is a lot cheaper it wasn't too bad. Granted we flew in and out of LAX at off times so the traffic wasn't an issue, it didn't seem like a long drive though. I would maybe go with whatever is cheaper. As for when to go I can't really help much, I'm a teacher so I have to go during school breaks.

Great info thanks a lot! Great this is consistent with what i researched. I think I read that John Wayne is a smaller airport?

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

Which airport.. that can be influenced by your location and pricing.

Basically SNA is a cab ride away.. LAX requires a rental car or other type of shuttle. But if one is significantly cheaper.. it can make it worth it. LAX you might be able to get a direct flight.. SNA will likely be a connection, etc. You need to simply balance what you are willing to tolerate in travel vs the pricing that is available to you.

Travel to DLR and costs are always about balancing where you will spend. There is no 'one way' to do it.. each generally has trade-offs.

Example: you can rent a car.. but most of the hotels have parking fees. You can find a hotel that doesn't have parking fees, but it may be more expensive or further away.

You can avoid renting a car, but your hotel choices will be limited by distance. There is a bus that goes around the resort area to all the hotels (the ART system) which you can pay a few bucks for. Proximity to ART may be a selection criteria for hotels.

Here's my decision tree..
I don't want to pay to park at Disney.. so I won't be driving to the parks
I don't plan on visiting other areas on my trip.. so I don't really have a need for a car for daily things..
Since I won't be driving around, the car will just be sitting there, and I don't want to pay for a car just to sit there.
So I picked to fly into SNA so I could just take a cab from the airport to my hotel. Flight prices were the same for me because I was flying on miles.

For hotels,
You can try to pick hotels that are
0) disney hotels
1) right across from disney
2) within walking distance
3) on/near ART buses
4) in area, and you expect to drive

The pricing as you would expect.. basically starts higher and works its way down. The Disney hotels are basically WDW deluxe pricing (slightly below that.. like a Wilderness Lodge type pricing). The hotels across the street are more modest hotels, but charge a premium for their location (~100 to ~150/night). These are basically upgraded motels.. but not bad. Just don't expect a Hilton.. think more.. La quinta

As for when to go.. this thread does a good job of kind of outlining things to be aware of that impact crowds
http://micechat.com/forums/disneyland-resort/162619-when-will-busy-disneyland-2012-edition.html

For less than $10, you can also buy into touringplans.com for more detailed info. But basically it's the things you would expect.. holidays, school breaks, disney events.. followed by more localized things like passholder blockout boundaries, conventions in town, and 3rd party events (like Gay Days). Seasonally, it's SoCal.. so unless you want to be on the beaches, much of the year is interchangable.

What people often steer trips around is Disney's seasonal offerings.. like Holloween and Christmas... which also significantly impact crowds.

But for instance, we are going Jan1 through the 5th. This is after christmas and new years.. but the christmas decorations and events are still going on. We are also going during the week, not the weekend. Hopefully this will lead to a reasonable crowd level.. and we still get to see Christmas in DL.

Hope that helps..

Thanks so much for this I appreciate it!!! It sounds like with some choices we just have to choose what exactly we would like to do. I think we are so used to WDW that this DL trip will be less complicated and more based on our preferences. Thanks again!

 

[flynnibus]

I think I read that John Wayne is a smaller airport?

oh yeah.. think 'walk to your plane' type airport

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

oh yeah.. think 'walk to your plane' type airport

Oh wow! That'd be new for us.

 

[flynnibus]

Thanks so much for this I appreciate it!!! It sounds like with some choices we just have to choose what exactly we would like to do. I think we are so used to WDW that this DL trip will be less complicated and more based on our preferences. Thanks again!

You have less constraints vs WDW... but that doesn't mean there are less choices per say. You can go 'all Disney' similar to WDW and stay at the DLR Hotel/etc. But at $400/night for my trip at the DLH.. I opt'd to pay $73/night instead and walk about 10-15min to get to the park.

What many WDW 'vets' are not used to is DLR is not the 'escapist' destination like people are used to at WDW. It's common to stay at non-Disney places, and venture outside the parks and do other things in the area. You may opt to stay at a normal hotel vs a themed hotel. But the upgraded motels are still going to be better than what you got at the All-Stars or Pop.. just without the Disney icons everywhere.

But on the flipside.. being able to basically walk across the street and get right to the parks? No buses at all? Being able to hop right across the plaza to the other park? Having SOOO many attractions in such a close proximity..

If one tries to maximize their dollars.. DLR can present some new challenges for WDW vets. But if you are willing to pay for simplicity.. DLR can be an extremely painless reservation compared to WDW.

Tickets are dead simple.. park hopper or not.. and how many days. Don't mess with the meal plan.. Don't worry about dinner reservations 6months out. Pick which hotel, and then simply figure out your transportation.

I'd lump the major 'differences' people need to prep for as

• don't think 'onsite vs offsite' like Disney. Evaluate each hotel's location, amenities, and pricing on equal footing.
• there is plenty of dining at DLR - but don't think it's going to be like eating ADRs every day like you would on Free Dining Plan. The number of fixed table locations is relatively small at DLR. Counter/buffeteria is more common.
• The park layout is different.. just be ready to roll with it and don't let it upset you
• understand that unless you are at the DL Hotel or Grand Californian - you will be seeing 'the outside world'. Don't let it bother you - you can still have an amazing time. Once 'inside the berm' you'll forget Harbor Blvd immediately.. (well until you ride the monorail.. )

 

[flynnibus]

Oh wow! That'd be new for us.

In fairness.. it's been updated recently.. and there are actual jetways for many of the gates, etc. But going there can remind you a bit of how airtravel used to be before the mega airports of the 60s-70s-80s.

I haven't flown in there in probably 10+ years tho.. this will be my first time at SNA in a long time (LAX dominating all my more recent trips). I hate LAX with a passion.. at least the united terminal.

 

[TP2000]

Lots of really good advice in this thread already!

If you want a "walk to your plane" airport, you'll want to fly into Long Beach Airport. Long Beach is the major West Coast hub for JetBlue Airways, and you can get lots of non-stops from New York JFK or Boston Logan to Long Beach on JetBlue.

There's a brand new terminal that just opened last week, that sits out beyond the vintage 1940's modern main terminal where check in and baggage claim is.

Delta, American, Alaska and US Airways also serve Long Beach, but JetBlue is the big fish in this small pond of an airport and dominates the gates there.

The new terminal is indoor/outdoor, with gardens and fire pits and wine bars. It's a small airport, but very stylish.

You do leave the terminal and head out to the tarmac to walk up or down old-fashioned stairs from the planes at Long Beach. When I fly out of Long Beach to head to Seattle or Las Vegas on JetBlue, I always like to pretend I'm The Beatles arriving at JFK in 1964, but when I get to the top of the stairs and turn around to wave at all the screaming teenagers, they never seem to be there. Still, it's kind of fun.

Long Beach Airport is a 25 minute drive from the Disneyland Hotel. All the major rental car agencies have desks at Long Beach Airport, or it's about a 45 dollar taxi fare from that airport to Disneyland.

But the top choice for Disneyland visits is Orange County John Wayne Airport. It's about the size of your average small city airport. Like Orange County in general, the airport here is very tidy, very well managed, very clean, rather hip, and very modern. It's about a 15 minute drive from John Wayne to the Disneyland Hotel. All the major airlines serve John Wayne, but none of them use John Wayne as a "hub", so you may need to change flights in Chicago, Denver or Phoenix when flying from the East Coast. There are several United or American nonstop flights from New York to John Wayne, however.

If there's any airport to avoid, it's LAX! That airport is dirty, dingy, decaying, and overcrowded. (And speaks volumes about the difference in culture and livability between Los Angeles County and Orange County) LAX is a horrible throwback to the 1970's, and a terrible way to begin or end a vacation. I would recommend someone take four days on the Super Chief from Chicago than try and fly into LAX.

As for when to visit, I would recommend late April through mid May. The weather will be universally sunny and warm with highs in the 70's to maybe 80, with lows in the low 60's. And it's practically statistically impossible for it to rain that time of year in SoCal. September is another good time, although the weather will be much warmer in September than it is in May. It's a dry desert heat in September, totally unlike the humidity and rain of Florida, but much warmer than May with highs in the upper 80's and lows in the mid 60's.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

You have less constraints vs WDW... but that doesn't mean there are less choices per say. You can go 'all Disney' similar to WDW and stay at the DLR Hotel/etc. But at $400/night for my trip at the DLH.. I opt'd to pay $73/night instead and walk about 10-15min to get to the park.

What many WDW 'vets' are not used to is DLR is not the 'escapist' destination like people are used to at WDW. It's common to stay at non-Disney places, and venture outside the parks and do other things in the area. You may opt to stay at a normal hotel vs a themed hotel. But the upgraded motels are still going to be better than what you got at the All-Stars or Pop.. just without the Disney icons everywhere.

But on the flipside.. being able to basically walk across the street and get right to the parks? No buses at all? Being able to hop right across the plaza to the other park? Having SOOO many attractions in such a close proximity..

If one tries to maximize their dollars.. DLR can present some new challenges for WDW vets. But if you are willing to pay for simplicity.. DLR can be an extremely painless reservation compared to WDW.

Tickets are dead simple.. park hopper or not.. and how many days. Don't mess with the meal plan.. Don't worry about dinner reservations 6months out. Pick which hotel, and then simply figure out your transportation.

I'd lump the major 'differences' people need to prep for as

• don't think 'onsite vs offsite' like Disney. Evaluate each hotel's location, amenities, and pricing on equal footing.
• there is plenty of dining at DLR - but don't think it's going to be like eating ADRs every day like you would on Free Dining Plan. The number of fixed table locations is relatively small at DLR. Counter/buffeteria is more common.
• The park layout is different.. just be ready to roll with it and don't let it upset you
• understand that unless you are at the DL Hotel or Grand Californian - you will be seeing 'the outside world'. Don't let it bother you - you can still have an amazing time. Once 'inside the berm' you'll forget Harbor Blvd immediately.. (well until you ride the monorail.. )

This is so helpful-thanks! When you say the park layout is different what do you mean? I've seen maps and heard reports so i Know its smaller but what's it like exactly?

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

Lots of really good advice in this thread already!

If you want a "walk to your plane" airport, you'll want to fly into Long Beach Airport. Long Beach is the major West Coast hub for JetBlue Airways, and you can get lots of non-stops from New York JFK or Boston Logan to Long Beach on JetBlue.

There's a brand new terminal that just opened last week, that sits out beyond the vintage 1940's modern main terminal where check in and baggage claim is.

Delta, American, Alaska and US Airways also serve Long Beach, but JetBlue is the big fish in this small pond of an airport and dominates the gates there.

The new terminal is indoor/outdoor, with gardens and fire pits and wine bars. It's a small airport, but very stylish.

You do leave the terminal and head out to the tarmac to walk up or down old-fashioned stairs from the planes at Long Beach. When I fly out of Long Beach to head to Seattle or Las Vegas on JetBlue, I always like to pretend I'm The Beatles arriving at JFK in 1964, but when I get to the top of the stairs and turn around to wave at all the screaming teenagers, they never seem to be there. Still, it's kind of fun.

Long Beach Airport is a 25 minute drive from the Disneyland Hotel. All the major rental car agencies have desks at Long Beach Airport, or it's about a 45 dollar taxi fare from that airport to Disneyland.

But the top choice for Disneyland visits is Orange County John Wayne Airport. It's about the size of your average small city airport. Like Orange County in general, the airport here is very tidy, very well managed, very clean, rather hip, and very modern. It's about a 15 minute drive from John Wayne to the Disneyland Hotel. All the major airlines serve John Wayne, but none of them use John Wayne as a "hub", so you may need to change flights in Chicago, Denver or Phoenix when flying from the East Coast. There are several United or American nonstop flights from New York to John Wayne, however.

If there's any airport to avoid, it's LAX! That airport is dirty, dingy, decaying, and overcrowded. (And speaks volumes about the difference in culture and livability between Los Angeles County and Orange County) LAX is a horrible throwback to the 1970's, and a terrible way to begin or end a vacation. I would recommend someone take four days on the Super Chief from Chicago than try and fly into LAX.

As for when to visit, I would recommend late April through mid May. The weather will be universally sunny and warm with highs in the 70's to maybe 80, with lows in the low 60's. And it's practically statistically impossible for it to rain that time of year in SoCal. September is another good time, although the weather will be much warmer in September than it is in May. It's a dry desert heat in September, totally unlike the humidity and rain of Florida, but much warmer than May with highs in the upper 80's and lows in the mid 60's.

Wow you guys have great info. Thanks so much. Yes we were thinking it would be nice to take a trip around this late Spring time. How is August there?

 

[Cosmic Commando]

This is so helpful-thanks! When you say the park layout is different what do you mean? I've seen maps and heard reports so i Know its smaller but what's it like exactly?

Have you ever rearranged the furniture in your house and then had to walk around in the dark right after, so you kinda know where you're going right off the bat but there are a few "surprises"? Kinda like that.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

Have you ever rearranged the furniture in your house and then had to walk around in the dark right after, so you kinda know where you're going right off the bat but there are a few "surprises"? Kinda like that.

Hahaha oh geez that'll be interesting.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Hahaha oh geez that'll be interesting.

The first time you go to Disneyland, you'll probably be a little discombobulated; the second, you'll have found your sense of direction.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

The first time you go to Disneyland, you'll probably be a little discombobulated; the second, you'll have found your sense of direction.

Is it because I'll be used to WDWs layout? Or because its poorly layed out or smushed?

 

[flynnibus]

Is it because I'll be used to WDWs layout? Or because its poorly layed out or smushed?

The former...

Things just aren't where you expect them... Like space mountain, etc

It's just about familiarity

 

[flynnibus]

If you want a "walk to your plane" airport, you'll want to fly into Long Beach Airport. Long Beach is the major West Coast hub for JetBlue Airways, and you can get lots of non-stops from New York JFK or Boston Logan to Long Beach on JetBlue.

Aha! It was long beach I was thinking of! The for the pictures

 

[Mickey_777]

We've flown into Long Beach, SNA-John Wayne, and LAX. All 3 were easy in terms of getting off the plane, grabbing your luggage, and finding a shuttle to take you to the DL resort area. My one suggestion (that I overlooked) is to book a shuttle in advance before and if you arrive to LAX. LAX is more of a headache when trying to fly out to get back home (at least in our experience). Long beach (at least in September of 2011) is like a throwback to the airports of old. SNA is my favorite of the 3 since is small but modern and super easy to navigate.

Once we rented a car when we did 9 days in SoCal and wanted to see the other sites. Being from Washington D.C., I didn't find LA traffic that bad at all to be honest with you. I think its worse out here. The other two times we stayed in nearby hotels with easy shuttle access to the parks on Anaheim Resort Transit/ART. Love the ART shuttles. They're convenient and very affordable.

We just went earlier this month but we've also gone mid May and the week after labor day. The week after labor day was the best weather wise. 100 degrees in SoCal feels like 80 degrees on the humid east coast. The weather in May was nice during the day but colder at night. Even more so than early December. I think if you go in the fall you should be good. Just check ahead for marathons and special event (etc) if you want to avoid busier times.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Lots of great information here regarding airports, so I won't touch on that.

If you decide to go in August or September, just a warning, Haunted Mansion goes down usually in late August or early September for two weeks to "transform" into Haunted Mansion Holiday. In case you don't know what Haunted Mansion Holiday is, it's basically a Nightmare Before Christmas ride. There's almost no trace of the normal Haunted Mansion. It's 99.9% Nightmare Before Christmas. The rest is normal Haunted Mansion. I, along with a lot of other Disneyland vets, personally love Haunted Mansion Holiday, but I've noticed a lot of WDW vets hate it. Plan accordingly!

Haunted Mansion Holiday:

September is also Halloween time, and Space Mountain also goes down around that time, for two days. Space also receives a Holiday overlay, Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy:

If you're planning on going for Halloween, then you have nothing to worry about!

I like to go in the Spring time, around April or May. Crowds aren't that bad and everything is calm for the most part. You'll be seeing a lot of annual passholders at the park. The Disneyland audience is much different than that of WDW. The majority of the foreigners you'll run into at Disneyland will be from Australia. Everyone else will be American.

Here are some great links I think you'd be interested in. They're from DisBoards, but the info is really helpful.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2458306

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1441032

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2914467

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1345319