1st trip questions

[jeanine]

My family and I will be visiting DL 3/14 - 19th. We are staying at the Hawthorne Suites as we have 6 to accommodate. Any ratings on this Hotel? Can we walk to the park or should we use the shuttle? Also wondering which parks to do on which days? We will be there from Sat all day - Wed 1/2 day. We want to spend all our time at the two parks and DD. We may hit newport beach one evening during the week. As for the Aladdin show, we have vouchers for preferred seating. These really don't have any instructions on them. Do I need to redeem them early in the day? How about food? Do we eat in the parks and/or outside the parks? We get complimentary breakfast at the hotel. I thought we'd do a light lunch and then a good dinner. Any suggestions would be great! Ones that are $ friendly yet good food! Any great tips for the parks would be great too. I have an 11yr, 9 yr, 6 yr and 2 1/2 yr old to accommodate! Thanks for the help in advance. I haven't been to DL in 17 years!!

 

[daannzzz]

I have driven by the Hawthorn Suites but never stayed there. It is nice looking with a bit of tropical atmosphere. The reviews I have read are decent to questionable. The general complaints of wear and tear and some service issues. It is not a place I would stay at and try to walk to and from the parks.
Here is a link with an ariel photo of the Disneyland resort. The Hawthorn Suites is not on the photo. Find the Holiday Inn Express in the lower middle part of the photo. The Hawthorn Suites is located about 1 1/2 blocks below that.
Also you can see from the picture that Disneyland is located in a suburb and there are a couple of easy to get to restaurants if you leave the park. There is a Mimi's Cafe near the Howard Johnson. In Front of the Faifield Inn is a place called Millie's Kitchen. There is also a McDonalds there too. There is a Tony Roma'a and a Denny's near the Desert Inn and Suites and an expensive IHOP. Ablock or so from the Hawthorn Suites is a Del Taco. Least Expensive food at Disneyland is at Pinnochio Village Hause, Hungry Bear and what ever they are calling the old Tomorrowland Terrace now.
Saturdays are the most crowded at Disneyland so if you have Park Hoppers I would spend most of Saturday at DCA and then hop over to Disneyland for the Fireworks. Sunday mornings are mellow in both parks but it gets more crowded later. DCA has never been really bad when I was there.


http://www.beachcalifornia.com/dlmp.html

 

[cheshcat]

If you want to walk in and out of DL, I would recommend the Desert Inn Suites. I have stayed there many times. It isn't anything fancy, but it is clean, close and reasonably priced. They have rooms for up to 10 people. It also has a complimentary breakfast and Denny's is right next door. The Denny's is reasonably priced, but the IHOP is way over-priced.

Another relatively inexpensive restaurant in the park is the Golden Horseshoe, where they also have entertainment like Billy Hill and the Hillbillies and a variety show while you eat.

 

[jimmiej]

As for the Aladdin show, we have vouchers for preferred seating. These really don't have any instructions on them. Do I need to redeem them early in the day?

I was going to post this question myself-anyone know how this works?

 

[disneychrista]

You can walk to and from the parks from the Hawthorn but I wouldn't recommend it. After a long day at the parks you will be looking for the shuttle. Just a warning the shuttle does share with 2 or so other hotels and Hawthorn is the last to load and the last to drop off (at least when we stayed there).

The biggest plus we found at the Hawthorn is the breakfast, it included eggs, hashbrowns, breakfast meats, fruit, muffins, pastries, juice, coffee, tea etc. And the best part of the breakfast was the mickey waffles!!

 

[B3LM]

Jeanine, welcome to the DIS!

Be careful - you'll turn into a Disney fanatic, just like me!!!

Beth

 

[funnygarcia]

I believe the Priority seating passes are the same as last time I used them-- we showed them to a CM who directed us to a different area to wait for seating. But get there early, I have read on boards that it gets full very quickly right now. but DO make sure to point out to the CM that it is a priority pass and not a regular fast pass - priority get in first with handicapped, fast pass waits in the throngs of people and then the stand by (small percentage of audience) goes in last.

Food:
best tips are to share (portions are HUGE), buy kid meals for grownups(comes w drink and it is filling enough), eat lunch in park but leave dinner for outside of park to save $$.

ranco del Zocalo has excellent mexican and BBQ with ENORMOUS servings - it also has FREE refills on pop!!! very reasonable price and they will make substitutions.
The Gumbo or chili in bread bowl is awesome and very filling.. can be shared too. (gumbo is under the gallery / above entrance to pirates, chili is at refreshment/coke corner on main street)
We also like Tast Pilot's grill in DCA- good burger and fries with a toppings bar - enough variety to make small salad on the side.. a little pricey but again SHARE.
Don't forget your free tortilla while in DCA! Sometimes free bread too! (listed as an attraction)

Ouside of park:
Millie's was very nice and family friendly.
I think the Denny's was a bit overpriced and slow service/unclean looking.
mcDonald's is EXTREMELY SLLLLOOOOW but hey its cheap!
(Don't eat McD in DCA- ouch$$$$$)

Have fun!
We will be there March 8-14!!

 

[CindyBeth]

We just used our priority seatings on Sunday for Aladdin! We arrived about 45 minutes early before the show, the ticket says at least 30 minutes before. They had us wait with the fast pass people and when you go in, you are directed to a rope off area in the front and center. You show them your pass and they will let you in and then take your pass. The earlier you get there the better your seat as well as if you are later, you could run the risk of not getting into the rope off area. But I do have to tell you, when we went, that not all seats in the rope off area were filled with priority seating, with 5 minutes left for the show they were filling up the area with regular people.