4 Days- Too Long?

[stickeymouse]

I am taking my family to Disneyland this September. We will be there 5 nights with 4 full days in the parks. We also hope to attend the Halloween Party one night. Is this too long to spend at Disneyland? It will be most people's first time, and perhaps last time, there. Also, we are staying at the Grand Californian. Is the pool area worth spending time in? Thanks!

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

I think you should make a Halloween party a park day...that's what were doing. We have two full days in the parks and then a Halloween party. You can enter the parks 3 hours before the party so that was plenty of time for us.

 

[chickapin parterre]

if you only are visiting for the thrill attractions, then 4 days is way too long.....but if you are there for Walt Disney, the history of Disneyland and the texture of original crispy Disney....then 4 days is not enough.....so what are you craving for your visit?

 

[blackjackdelta]

4 days? We would stay much longer if we could. We do not consider DLR to be an amusement park. We spent time with Walt so we consider DLR our home.(2600 mile drive) We just enjoy being there.

Jack

 

[Winnowill]

We just had five days - three full, and two half. It wasn't enough. There were so many things we wanted to do that we just didn't get to, and that's with full use of MaxPass and never waiting longer than 10-20 minutes for anything. Part of that was a result of having too many dining reservations (we had only two mealtimes that weren't pre-planned) and some of those taking WAY longer than they should have, but the other part is just that there is SO much to do!

 

[Ashieash85]

Just came back from doing 3 full days in the parks and a t wasn’t enough

 

[stickeymouse]

Thanks for the comments! I can't speak for the rest of my group, but I'm not just in it for the thrill rides. I love the atmosphere, food, and classic rides, as well. Any comments on whether the GC pool area is worth spending time in?

 

[starry_solo]

Thanks for the comments! I can't speak for the rest of my group, but I'm not just in it for the thrill rides. I love the atmosphere, food, and classic rides, as well. Any comments on whether the GC pool area is worth spending time in?

It was recently refurbished, that's all I know

 

[Insaneinthemombrain]

It’s never enough time. We’ve done 5 days and felt like we still had some Disney left in us!

For what it’s worth, I have small kids and we’ve been known to spend a full day at the Disneyland hotel pool and then some... so they must think it’s worth it! All the while I’m thinking let’s get back into the parks!

 

[LilyJC]

Any comments on whether the GC pool area is worth spending time in?

It depends on how old your kids are and how hot it is during your trip. It’s a lovely set-up for sure, and for younger kids it would be fun activity-wise and pool/slide-wise.

My kids are older and prefer the DLH pools and slides, but they still enjoy using the GCH pools when they are looking to relax and cool down. Last time we were there a couple of the pools had closed down due to kids pooping in them. The remaining open pool had a really interactive lifeguard which was fun for my youngest.

September will most likely still be crazy hot, so the pool might be a nice afternoon break.

 

[lcp9]

We take our kids (6, 4, 2) and especially with maxpass last time, 3 days + halloween party was enough, to the point we were kind of bored by the end of day 3. We ride all the rides (and were able to, some many times - not just thrill rides), usually watch parades, maybe the royal theater show. We hustle though and don't usually stop to sit down and eat, and don't go back to the hotel during the day. We get there before rope drop and leave around 9pm. So, it probably depends on your touring strategy - we are fast, furious, and very efficient, and 3 days is solid for us. We've done 4 and the 4th day was just kind of hanging around and reriding stuff we had been on 3-4+ times already.

 

[smartlabelprint]

4 days is perfect for us. I would lean toward 3 days, the party and half a day at the pool on the party day.

But if you’ll get half a pool day somewhere else in your trip I’d do 4 days +party.

 

[lunasea]

We're AP for four years straight now and there multiple times a month. For us, its never enough.

 

[hyperminimalism]

I just recently did 4 days last year for the first time and it was perfect. We used to do 3 days, which felt fine, too, but 4 allowed us to get in just that much more, especially since the park was getting more crowded as the weekend came along. You can definitely get everything done in 2-3 days, though, at both parks. Three days is like the sweet spot. And if your body can handle one more day, then go for it. Since you're staying practically in the parks, it'll be a lot easier for you to pop into the hotel, take a nap, and recharge so I wouldn't worry too much about staying the full open to close, which is what I do since I can't afford staying on property and live out of state. We cram as much in as possible. It's just a matter of what your budget is and whether you'd like to do things like eat at nicer restaurants or buy more souvenirs. If money isn't a problem, though, you'd be fine with 4 days.

 

[azdisneylover]

I am taking my family to Disneyland this September. We will be there 5 nights with 4 full days in the parks. We also hope to attend the Halloween Party one night. Is this too long to spend at Disneyland? It will be most people's first time, and perhaps last time, there. Also, we are staying at the Grand Californian. Is the pool area worth spending time in? Thanks!

For my family, the more days, the better. The Grand Californian is a nice hotel (especially to ride Grizzly Rapids over and over again until totally soaked, then head off to the room to change while I pick up food from Whitewater Snacks! Yes, the pool area is worth spending time in if you plan on relaxing and swimming.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

I say that sounds perfect! You could turn your party day into a sleep-in and pool day, then head over to the party. You will LOOOOVE the GC and their pools!! We absolutely love it there. We love spending 3-4 days at DLR, plenty of time to repeat everyone’s favorites, see shows and draw at Animation Academy. Have fun!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

September is typically a pretty hot month, so you might want to build a couple of getaway pool times (if the parks don't close early) to refresh yourselves during early afternoons. It will do wonders for you to go back to the parks nice and cooled off.

 

[DnA2010]

We just did 5 days in may, and it wasn’t enough...I would do a week if we could...we utilized maxpass and rider swap too, so we’re busy

 

[mfleeting]

In reality you can do everything in 3 days especially with maxpass. But 3 days does not give you enough time to really enjoy everything. 4-5 days gives you enough time to do everything multiple times and just to take in the park and enjoy your trip. It will also give you time to either sleep in, go to bed early, or take a swim break in the middle of the day (but use EMH some days as it really helps).

 

[BrianL]

In my opinion, you can do it in 2 days, but will feel rushed. 3 Days is ideal to me. 4 is not too much. 5 is probably getting close, but remember, there are other things to do besides just the parks. If you are peppering in meals a the resorts and Downtown Disney which has the Star Wars VR thing and stuff, you will have plenty of time to do a lot and not feel rushed, so it's all good.