1st Timer group of 5

disfan458

Earning My Ears
Joined
Feb 12, 2017
Hi, I am looking to plan a my first trip to Disneyland around Feb 2021. I know thats is a ways out but I like planning early. What my group wants to know is whether mid Feb is a good time crowd wise and weather wise. We already plan to stay in a Good Neighbor hotel on either S Harbor or W Katella because the Disney hotels are just too much for us to be able to afford. Does anyone have a favorite God Neighbor hotel in regards to proximity to the parks and possibly free parking?
And would Universal Hollywood be a good experience?
Plan to do 3 full days at Disneland and DCA, would that be enough time?

Thanks in advance to any and all replies.
 
Yes! I have read that mid-February is the most uncrowded time in DL. However this may means that rides are down for refurbishment.

I think 3 full days at DL and DCA should be fine to see the highlights. Do you have parkhoppers? Also I would highly recommend MaxPass.
 
Get ready, you're about to get lots of helpful advice from Dis'ers. I am amazed at the wealth of knowledge on here! Here's my pithy response:

I grew up a SoCal girl and have since moved away but I still love Disneyland and love planning! It's never to early to start! February weather in SoCal is a mixed bag, we went February 2018 and it was warm and sunny...but it can be grey and gloomy as well. Crowds will increase around Presidents Day weekend. Grey weather does mean less crowds though! So brave the drizzle if your group is willing too. My secret is Sunday mornings. For some reason Sunday mornings at Disneyland are the quiet sweet spot. If you can get there at rope drop Sunday AM, you'll have finished most of the park by noon when the crowds swarm in!

We recently stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott across the street (Theme Park Entrance Courtyard). They have a fantastic little water park if you have kiddos, though parking is not free and if you plan to just be in the parks this is too pricey. Our friends stayed down the road at Residence Inn, also by Marriott and loved it. I can't recall if parking was included. I agree that those Disney hotels are pricey! Disneyland has so many great (affordable) hotels within walking distance. Enjoy your hotel hunt!

Three full days to spend at DLR and DCA is plenty of time! You will have a great time! I recommend purchasing a Disneyland Touring Plan membership (google it) well worth the cost! They can make you a plan for each day and you can move things around. I thought it would take away some of my "planning joy" but have found that replaced with "not-going-crazy-in-long-lines joy." Touring plans will also give you great crowd calendar forecasts which may help you pick where to spend each day. If Park Hoppers are in your budget, it's nice that the two parks are so close you can just walk over. We will often spend a few hours in one park and then hop over to the other. If Park Hoppers are not in your ticket budget, no worries, plenty to do at each park - One day for DCA and two for DLR.

Security for the park entrance us for some reason not as efficient as WDW. It's just not. So plan some extra time to go through security. For example, we planned our walk to get to security one hour before park opening. Even later in the day it's backed up. It usually takes 30 minutes for me to go through the security line.

If anyone in your group is interested in a character meal, the Plaza Inn (inside DLR) for a pre-park opening breakfast is fantastic. Lots of characters and great variety! I often think they just stop in on their way to a meet and greet in the park! Our family also loved Mickey's Storeyteller BRUNCH at the Grand Californian. This was a splurge, and that's why we opted for Brunch - all the breakfast offerings, plus lunch. I'd be remiss to not tell you to try Gumbo or Clam Chowder in a bread bowl in New Orleans Square, at the Royal Street Veranda. February is great time to enjoy the yummy goodness!

I'm so excited for you! Have a great trip! And let us know how it goes!
 


Planning to do Park Hopper as it would be easier to go back and forth as we please between than two and looking to def add MaxPass, the extra charge seems to be worth it

If you are used to MDE at WDW MaxPass might be worth it! I enjoy my day without, but know lots of folks who loved it! If it's in the budget, do it!
 
Some links with great information for you:
* DLR Info/Links - Maps, Hotels, DISer Reviews, Hydroguy's tips, NEWBIE INFO here! -- this sticky thread from the top of the first page has TONS of information!
HydroGuy Tips Compilation -- from the link above, this link has so many helpful threads!
"What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889 -- February has pros and cons. Pros: can have lower crowds (not a guarantee!), can have cooler weather (but this past Feb. was very cold and wet for CA -- unusually so, which lowered crowds, but caused a lot of discomfort for those who didn't pack appropriate weather gear). Cons: non-peak season = shorter hours, less staffing, more refurbs, fewer ride vehicles running, less entertainment, nighttime entertainment on weekends only (so F! and fireworks on Fri., Sat., Sun.), etc. -- all of which can mean that even lower crowds can feel like bigger crowds because there are fewer rides, less entertainment, and fewer hours to spread everyone out across the parks. With shorter hours, you might need more days to get things done in a relaxed manner. 3 days is fine, but up to 5 days is great!
"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862
"Choosing the Right DLR Area Hotel for You" www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-hotel-for-you.3656512/ -- at DLR, the Good Neighbor designation doesn't mean much. You want to look for location, i.e. walking distance! We like the Candy Cane Inn for proximity, free breakfast, great customer service, private shuttle, and free parking. The above link has other good suggestions, too.
"Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" by @Skyegirl1999 - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/ -- ask all your FP/MP questions here and get great help from our resident experts!
USH can be a fun add on to your DLR experience. Know that it isn't close to DLR, so you'll have to plan for transportation to/from. And keep in mind that USH is a working studio first and foremost, so it isn't like USO which is first and foremost a theme park. You can easily do USH in one day.
 
I haven’t stayed at any of these but they’re on maybe list for next time. Courtyard mentioned above, Hyatt house, Springhill suites convention center, residence inn convention

We love homewood suites but it’s a trek. WIth kids we can’t take uber or it would be a definite yes.

Last trip I stayed at best western park place inn. We’ve stayed there plenty of times. I can’t do it again. I’m not in park open to close anymore. It was too noisy.
 


We have stayed at a few hotels, onsite and off, I think for proximity to park and free parking Parkvue Inn was awesome. I would stay there second to only Grand Californian, we really enjoyed our stay, feel like it is as close to Disneyland (not DCA) as staying at a Disney hotel.
 
I've been in mid-late Feb a few times now. The weather is for the most part pretty mild. Chilly in the evenings, but nothing some jeans and another layer won't solve. Always pack some ponchos though, it can rain. If you've got the ponchos you're good to go.

There are always a few rides down that time of year, just keep an eye on the refurb calendar so you aren't disappointed. Typically it's Splash, which doesn't bother me because I am not going to ride that in anything less than 80* weather. I did it last year and regretted it. But some people LOVE Splash, so keep it in mind. My sweet spot for time in the parks is 4 full days. I haven't been in years, but one of my DL travel buddies said that one day was enough for her at Universal.
 
I think that 3 days in the parks will be perfect. As previously mentioned, Park Hoppers and MaxPass are recommended to get the most out of your days. There are plenty of great hotels to stay at right across the street. If you aren't planning on using the pool or spending a lot of time in your room, then I recommend you use location and price as your deciding factors. Many of the hotels are of very similar quality and paying more for a "nicer" hotel that's further away probably won't get you any better an experience than you would have gotten at the cheaper ones. It's all about location, and when you're excited to get to the parks in the morning, or tired at the end of the day, every extra step feels like forever!

Park Vue is great because it is right across the street. However, I've found their prices to be a little high (even when you factor in the cost of parking at other hotels). But, you just never know which hotels are going to have deals going on, so check them all. I am partial to Camelot Inn, Desert Inn & Suites, and Tropicana. Don't automatically count out a hotel just because they charge for parking - as mentioned, sometimes the nightly rate is low enough that even with parking added on, it's still cheaper than other options.

January and February are actually my favorite times of the year to go. Even though I'm a native Californian and used to the hot weather, it somehow always feels at least 10 degrees hotter in Disneyland to me. I don't do Disneyland in hot weather anymore, it's just no fun for me. So February is perfect. It may rain, but I find that much more tolerable than the heat. I'm not sure whether you've been to WDW, but keep in mind that Disneyland has less indoor and covered queues than WDW. So, if it rains, there may be little chance to avoid it. You've just got to throw on the ponchos, accept wet socks (or be prepared with waterproof shoes or sandals), and keep going! Bring extra socks, and this is very important - bring at least two different pairs of shoes! When one gets wet, you can let them dry on the heater in your room while you wear the dry pair. But in all honesty, it's hard to predict whether it will actually rain on your trip. It might be beautiful skies. Just be prepared.
 
You guys are just awesome and I thank you for all your info.
I have a lot of research to do
While all of us in the group love Splash Mountain, if it is down..we will be okay with it
also, is Grizzly River Run usually down for refurb at this time as well?
 
I don’t find January and February to be the greatest. I haven’t noticed significantly low crowds and the refurbs and reduced staffing can make for long lines even if overall park attendance is down.

This summer has been great for crowds so far!
 
You guys are just awesome and I thank you for all your info.
I have a lot of research to do
While all of us in the group love Splash Mountain, if it is down..we will be okay with it
also, is Grizzly River Run usually down for refurb at this time as well?

Yes :( Grizzly River Run was down for us in 2018. It was a bummer because the weather was fantastic! Splash and GRR would have been great! And they were still taking down decorations from It's a Small World during the beginning of our trip (maybe they did some refurb as well, but Cast Members just said decoration removal)
 
Bummer about the possibility that Splash and Grizzly will be down :(
on another note, which would be better....getting a hotel on south harbor and walking or a hotel near Toy Story parking structure and catching transport?
does anyone have any ideas? I would be very greatful
 
We went the last week of February, in between all school breaks and what was predicted as "ghost town" and it was busy!
The weather was perfect, though. Cool in the mornings and evenings and just warm enough to go in the pool for a bit in the afternoon.
Space Mountain was down the time we were there. I believe fireworks are also only on weekends at that time.
 
Bummer about the possibility that Splash and Grizzly will be down :(
on another note, which would be better....getting a hotel on south harbor and walking or a hotel near Toy Story parking structure and catching transport?
does anyone have any ideas? I would be very greatful

How much south on Harbor are we talking? Personally I definitely prefer walking from the hotels on Harbor. The ones right across the street (Desert Inn & Suites, Park Vue, Tropicana, etc.) are a VERY short walk to the front gates of the park. Like, hardly any longer than where a shuttle would drop you off anyway. That, combined with the freedom to come and go as you please between the parks and your hotel without having to rely on shuttles, is wonderful. Now, if the hotels across the street were significantly more expensive (say, $40 a night more) than hotels further away, then I might consider getting a hotel where I can take a shuttle instead. Thankfully I have often found several reasonably priced options on Harbor.
 
...
on another note, which would be better....getting a hotel on south harbor and walking or a hotel near Toy Story parking structure and catching transport?
does anyone have any ideas? I would be very greatful
"hotel on south harbor" and "hotel near Toy Story" are basically the same thing around here. Most people don't look for hotels much further south than the TS lot because that becomes too much walking or too much dependence on a shuttle, car, or ride share. However, the exception to this is if the budget is very tight and looking for hotels in Garden Grove becomes a necessity. Garden Grove hotels are just a mile south of the parks on Harbor (e.g. Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hyatt OC, etc.), are across the street from a Target (convenient!), are next to several restaurants, etc. The rates can be lower because these hotels are not in the "Anaheim Resort District," and one mile isn't too far a commute for some families -- again, work out the cost in time and money for car/shuttle/ride share. To answer your question, "better" would be to choose a hotel closer to the parks that is walking distance, either literally walking distance to the parks or walking distance to either the Toy Story or M&F lots.
 

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