Trip August 13 - 17 Total Newbie!

[albertagirl2007]

Hi everyone

My FH and I will be taking a quick trip to Southern California right after our wedding. We are going on our honeymoon at Christmas, but wanted a quick getaway after the wedding

Our flights are booked and we arrive to SNA late on Aug 13 and depart very early Aug 17

We would like to spend 2 days at DL (not interested in DCA) and one day at a beach - bonus points if FH will be able to surf.

I have read through the stickies at the top and I'm not making any progress in my planning.

Where should we stay? The cost of staying onsite is not worth it to us. We are not into luxury, we would want to be able to walk to the park and maybe take breaks in the afternoon. How do you choose between the different hotels.

Any tips / help / advice would be greatly appreciated!! Neither of us have been to Disneyland in about 20 years.

 

[skiingfast]

(not interested in DCA)

I'm not sure why you said this, it doesn't appear to be a intelligent thing.

DCA will be the place to be this summer.

There are a lot of option right across the street on Harbor, that are close and offer breakfast for a short vist.

Park Vue Inn, Candy Cane Inn, Ramada Maingate offer three different price levels.

 

[HydroGuy]

When you ask a question like that you are likely to get a very wide range of opinions. My opinions are not that strong but I will give them since you are asking.

Candy Cane Inn and Hojos's are both a but of a walk to the DLR gates (maybe 2/3 of a mile) but are a notch above most other hotels on Harbor. Best Western Park Place Inn is the closest good neighbor and nothing special but clean and quiet in my experience. If you are willing to be futher away and spend a little more then there are Sheratons, Hiltons and Doubletrees all roughly a mile from the DLR gates.

Also, Ski was a little blunt but correct in saying that DCA will be a huge draw this summer and I for one would not miss it.

Good luck!

 

[albertagirl2007]

I'm not sure why you said this, it doesn't appear to be a intelligent thing.

DCA will be the place to be this summer.

There are a lot of option right across the street on Harbor, that are close and offer breakfast for a short vist.

Park Vue Inn, Candy Cane Inn, Ramada Maingate offer three different price levels.

Maybe I'm missing something, but we looked over the attractions at DCA on the website and there was nothing that stood out to us as "must see" when we only have two days and have such fond memories of Disneyland since we have not been since DCA has been around.

We stayed at the Candy Cane in 1992 and loved it - except for the small rooms. Has there been a reno since then?

 

[DLR29]

Maybe I'm missing something, but we looked over the attractions at DCA on the website and there was nothing that stood out to us as "must see" when we only have two days and have such fond memories of Disneyland since we have not been since DCA has been around.

We stayed at the Candy Cane in 1992 and loved it - except for the small rooms. Has there been a reno since then?

Must sees at DCA (for a 2 day trip) include:
-Soarin
-Tower of Terror
-Toy Story Midway Mania
-California Screamin
-World of Color
-Ariel's Undersea Adventure
And opening this upcoming summer: Radiator Springs Racers.

 

[skiingfast]

You should plan on seeing DCA. You may think the attractions aren't worth it compared to DL which is fine, but below here is some reality.

Toy Story Midway Mania is in DCA, and is the most popular attraction at Disney Holiwood Studios Florida. Soaring over California is in DCA and also the most popular attraction in Epcot.

It also has been recieving a great overhaul and expansion over the last few year that will finish for this summer. It now hosts World of Color, which many people find to be the best night show in the resort. A large Little Mermaid dark ride. Opening soon is a whole new land, Carsland, which is modeled after Radiator Springs and will host 3 new attractions.

I would plan park hop at least for those things.

 

[HydroGuy]

Maybe I'm missing something, but we looked over the attractions at DCA on the website and there was nothing that stood out to us as "must see" when we only have two days and have such fond memories of Disneyland since we have not been since DCA has been around.

We stayed at the Candy Cane in 1992 and loved it - except for the small rooms. Has there been a reno since then?

No idea of the CCI renovations. They have rooms of different sizes. My first time there was last summer.

 

[ArchOwl]

Maybe I'm missing something, but we looked over the attractions at DCA on the website and there was nothing that stood out to us as "must see" when we only have two days and have such fond memories of Disneyland since we have not been since DCA has been around.

We stayed at the Candy Cane in 1992 and loved it - except for the small rooms. Has there been a reno since then?

Others have mentioned the great attractions at DCA. It is also in the process of undergoing a 1 billion dollar makeover which includes a new "main street" area called Buena Vista Street and a whole new land, Carsland with three new attractions. This is all scheduled to open in summer of 2012, so most likely will be up and running during your August visit. It is worth a look just to see what 1 billion buys you these days.

Add in World of Color, which to me is the best nighttime show in the resort area, along with the new nighttime entertainment, the Mad T Party which should be up and going when you are there, and it would be a real shame to miss it.

Not to mention all the great attractions in DCA that others have gone over. DL is the original and will always hold top billing in my book, but DCA should not be skipped over. Give it a try, I bet you will have a good time!

As for the Candy Cane Inn, I know it has undergone renovations, but I am pretty sure the rooms aren't any bigger.

 

[albertagirl2007]

We are warming up to DCA. I guess we're hesitant because we're not really "show attenders" nor "pixar" people. When I think of Disney I think of Mickey, Pluto and It's a Small World. I might be able to talk FH into getting a park hopper for at least one of the days.

Is CCI close enough to walk and maybe even go for a rest in the afternoon? I would consider anything that adults can walk in under 20 minutes as close enough. I suppose it doesn't really matter how big the rooms are, it will just be the two of us!

ETA - The last time my family stayed at CCI we drove from the hotel to the park. I was only 6 and maybe parking was less expensive - or free?

 

[skiingfast]

We are warming up to DCA. I guess we're hesitant because we're not really "show attenders" nor "pixar" people. When I think of Disney I think of Mickey, Pluto and It's a Small World. I might be able to talk FH into getting a park hopper for at least one of the days.

Is CCI close enough to walk and maybe even go for a rest in the afternoon? I would consider anything that adults can walk in under 20 minutes as close enough. I suppose it doesn't really matter how big the rooms are, it will just be the two of us!

ETA - The last time my family stayed at CCI we drove from the hotel to the park. I was only 6 and maybe parking was less expensive - or free?

You would want a two day ticket of the park Hopper kind it is cheaper that a one day one park and one day park hopper.


Maybe you didn't stay in the CCI, it wouldn't of made sense to drive. The parking entrance was only a couple hundred feet from the hotel.

It's an easy walk, and also has it's own shuttle. The shuttle is not nessecary so you would only use it if it's there when you want to go. Otherwise it's about a 9 minute, pleasant walk.

 

[albertagirl2007]

Haha we definitely stayed at CCI and definitely drove to the park. I don't remember much from that trip except for one day we parked our car and my dad thought he wrote down what row we parked in. Well when we came out 12 hours later we walked up to the car and the key didn't work - it wasn't our car. This was before the days of just beeping with your key fob, and all the rental cars looked the same.....I was quite high strung and had an epic meltdown about how we were going to get back to the hotel. We did find the car in the next row, but now it's a big joke in our family that we could have just walked back to the hotel and my dad could have gotten up later and gone back to find our car when it would have been one of the only ones left in the lot.

Needless to say I alway make a careful note of where I park my car at the mall, lol

I have no idea why we drove, but we did!

 

[HydroGuy]

20 years ago one could drive to the old DL parking lot which is now DCA. So that is likely what would happen. Today it would make no sense to drive.

Regarding CCI, it is walking distance (about 10 minutes) but also has a shuttle which runs every 30 minutes. So best of both worlds.

 

[TwingleMum]

One of the best shows in any park has to be Alaadin at DCA. Very well done. And one of my all time favorite rides ~ Monsters Inc!! Its like you stepped into the movie. California Scream'n is really fun.