2018 Trip - April Onsite or July Offsite.

[sweethannah]

HALP!
I'm torn between two dates. I've tried the pros and cons with my family - we've even tried a secret ballot vote to help figure out when we will visit and we ( well... me! ) are still conflicted.

A little background info:
We are a family of 3 from Vancouver BC. It will be myself, DH and DD13.
This will be our 5th trip to Disneyland in the last 7 years. For a while we were going every year but now we alternate between Disneyland and Hawaii.

Our last trip to Disneyland was in Spring/2016 when we stayed for Dapper Days at the Grand California hotel. Previous stays were at the Hojo and the Sheraton Park.

We California Adventure and were crushed to hear of the closures in April as we had our little hearts set on traveling down in April for Dapper Days. When I mean crushed I mean when we think of some of our best Disney memories it's us sitting at Cove Bar having an adult cocktail, DD a cotton candy lemonade and sharing lobster nachos while taking in the lovely view.

With the recent announcements I'm considering nixing April's plans and going in July/ JULY! PEAK TIME!
Going in July means we would

• not be staying onsite,
• would not have EMH
• would potentially have to deal with hotter weather
• maybe crowds?

Plus side, my daughter's bday is on the 3rd July so how fun would it be to have your birthday in Disneyland?! Also, most if not all rides would be open in July.

We do enjoy our hotel when we travel - it's not just a place to sleep for us and we use the pools each day. Offsite would mean the HOJO or maybe the Courtyard if I could make the numbers work. They have a decent enough pool but at 13/14 DD is probably not super interested in the spraypark at these properties.

My friend says to go in April - it's just two rides and that the benefits of the property and weather outweighs going in July but I'd just like to hear a few more opinions. She thinks I'd be CRAZY to go in July given that it's just a couple of attractions closed.
I'm leaning towards that way of thinking but I'd love some input.

Do you think that with the changes to the Pier most other rides in CA would be open? We've missed Grizzly River Rapids for the last 2 years and staying onsite makes going on that ride even more fun.

Thank you sooo much for listening/reading my looong thread.

 

[Mike_M]

I'm possibly in the minority here, but I've always enjoyed the trips I've made during peak months and say give July a try if you can handle the differences.
For me in the Summer, there seems to be more street entertainment and as a result, the park feels more alive.

It will be hotter however, and there will be more crowds; so how your family handles those two points should be carefully considered.

 

[figment_jii]

I think a good time can be had either time of the year. You mentioned enjoying the Cove Bar and if that's the biggest reason not to go in late-April (I assume you thinking of Dapper Day at the end of April, correct?), you might consider trying one of the other Lounges. There is also the Alfresco Terrace (not sure what kind of non-alcoholic beverages they have) and Carthay Lounge in DCA, along with the Lounges in the hotels. You might find a new one you really like!

July does have it benefits; the park hours are usually longer and there is more nighttime entertainment (compared to late April, which I'm guessing is after the Spring Break season ends). There are usually fewer refurbishments, plus there is a chance that some of the re-themed Pixar Pier might be open by then (it just says "summer of 2018"). That being said, it's likely to be hotter. I would guess crowds will be higher overall in July, but depends on what kinds of special events and/or ticket deals they might have, there crowd levels might not be that different.

If Cove Bar is make or break, then I'd go in July (although I would keep an eye on the Parks Blog to make sure it's reopening by then...summer of 2018 is vague). If you think you can have fun without the Cove Bar and the Paradise Pier attractions, then I'd go in April (I really liked Dapper Days last year; seeing everyone dressed up).

 

[smartlabelprint]

I’d go July because of the closures. Be sure to go during lower level pass block outs.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Fresh off my stay at the DLH (for Dapper Day!) I vote for the option that puts you on site! I looooooovvvved our stay at the DLH!

 

[tarheelalum]

Onsite is just better than offsite. Offsite is still great, but its not as great as onsite. Not to mention the weather is MUCH NICER in April than in July. But peak time is now in the fall when all of the passes are eligible to attend the parks. The end of June through July is slow in comparison to October through December.

 

[LTiffany]

Either time will be fun, it's Disney, but .... If it were me I would do April and stay onsite. We went the end of June once with temperatures in the hundreds and it was HORRIFIC! It really impacts the enjoy-ability of the experience. Additionally, staying onsite beats offsite for my family. I totally get the closures being a disappointment, but you'll make new memories.

Whatever you decide, have a ball.

 

[PHXscuba]

I'd let your daughter decide. Is being there for her birthday, but with higher crowds and offsite, worth it to her? High crowd times also mean long park hours, and it would be more do-able to go back to the room (offsite or on) for awhile in the afternoon when the park is open late.

Would she have to miss school to come in April? That starts taking on new importance at higher grades.

And one more thought: we don't know what the Cove Bar will be like when it re-opens. I'd hate to get my heart set on waiting until July for that, only to find it a vastly different experience.

I see how all of this could make you conflicted!

PHXscuba

 

[Whistlebee]

My quick 2 cents.....I thought I read that the Cove Bar would briefly re-open at some point before closing and being redone. My guess is it could be open for the special Pixar Pier Days (or whatever it’s called) in April. That is just a bit before Dapper Days. Pure speculation of course. Will The Cove Bar be open in July? Something will probably be open by then but it will be the new Lounge and we don’t know how much the new place will be alike or different from the Cove Bar.
With PTN returning, the new Pixar Fireworks show, and the Pixar Days (or whatever it’s called) I kind of expect pretty decent crowds for April Dapper Days. Will it be just as crowded as July? Probably not as crowded as July BUT July will have little to no refurbs and longer hours. It could FEEL as crowded as July (without the heat, of course). I think either set of dates will be fairly similar.

 

[Congo Queen]

I visited during Dapper Day April 2017 and have gone many times in July over the past 7 years. Crowds are manageable at both times year. So I would not make that the criteria. I agree with Figment that while Cove Bar will be closed in April, there are a number of other fun and relaxing cocktail lounge experiences at the resort. An April trip just might be the time to experiment and find a new favorite. Plus I remember really loving that Dapper Day discount rate for the on-site hotel - put a bounce in my step all weekend.