Aloha! We are headed to Disneyland in Sept.....

[mauimom]

Aloha everybody! I have been reading the posts here and have gotten some good info.
My husband and and our 5 kids are visiting in Sept. Our children will be 12, 8, 6, almost 2, and 7mths. This is our first trip to the Mainland with the kids. We live in Hawaii. Anyway we want a budget room. But I really like the idea of being super close to the Main Entrance so I can bring the babies back to the room midday for a nap. We don't need fancy, we would like clean. A fridge and microwave would be a HUGE plus w/ so many mouths to feed. And I think we could squeeze by with 2 king beds. And I would love a groung floor room so I don't have to worry about babies falling off balconies ( I have 4 boys).
I have come across a few that seem nice enough but don't seem to accept our size family in one room. The only one we have found that is near the Main entrance that says it will take our family size is the Parkside Inn and Suites. But I have read very mixed reviews. Again we are planning to be in the parks most of the time. But I do want something that is safe ( locks on the doors /windows ect. )
I think we could be convinced to stay further out on the perimiters if we could be gauranteed a cheap/or free shuttle that runs at regular intervals. I know we will need some midday breaks.

Also since we are visiting in Sept, how many days might we need for the 2 parks? I was leaning towards the 4 day park hopper, but my dh wants to get the city pass w/ the 3 day park hopper pass. I think other than Sea World we won't use the other stuff.

Any ideas would be welcome. We are used to assiting tourists, not being them and we want to enjoy our visit.

Mahalo and Aloha!!!

 

[mommytotwo]

Aloha and welcome to the DIS. I am also from Hawaii-which island are you from? The "Mainland" is much different then Hawaii, and you will see that when you go there, but it's a nice change to get off of the island. We are leaving to go to Las Vegas tonight and will go to California this weekend. I am not able to help you out with hotel info. but I'm sure someone will be able to. Have a great time planning your trip.

 

[crazymomof 4]

My cousin stays with her 3 kids and husband at the Desert Inn and Suites. It is really close and they could walk. You could get joined rooms there and larger living quarters to suit your needs. I checked into it for my family(unfortunatley I am not smart enough to save money off campus yet, but I am working on it!) Anyway it is very reasonable. Check there website to see what you think! You will have a great time! I think at least 4 days at DL and CA because the parks close earlier and really who can get enough DL. There is plenty to do at DTD also. Even your baby will have fun!

 

[mauimom]

Hello Mommytotwo! We live on Maui. I haven't been to the Mailand in ten years! We used to go interisland alot till prices started getting so high. We went to Oahu in Oct which was fun. We went to the waterpark.
The kids are really excited about Disneyland! They have made plans to make Leis and sell them at the Lemonade stand they are making. It's so cute. And nice to see them wanting to save extra spending money...
What island are you on?

 

[mommytotwo]

Hello Mommytotwo! We live on Maui. I haven't been to the Mailand in ten years! We used to go interisland alot till prices started getting so high. We went to Oahu in Oct which was fun. We went to the waterpark.
The kids are really excited about Disneyland! They have made plans to make Leis and sell them at the Lemonade stand they are making. It's so cute. And nice to see them wanting to save extra spending money...
What island are you on?

Awww, that is cute. Are they making plumeria leis? I live in Kona. I know what you mean about interisland prices going up. I had gone to Oahu a month and a half ago, and if we had the time, we could have gone to the mainland with that same amount of money-it's ridiculous. Maybe once the superferry starts, we all can visit each others island more.

 

[boscoj]

Hey Mauimom, I sent you a PM...

 

[Molokai Gram]

Aloha,

Here is a map that may help your search:

http://www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap.html

We took our 3 grandchildren and daughter in law in 2002 and stayed in a one bedroom suite at the Park Inn Anaheim. It had a kitchenette and dinette set which made it easier to feed the kids at least one meal. The hotel was within walking distance and the rooms were big.

We have used special deals from www.getawaytoday.com and from contacting the hotels directly. It is best to compare.

Since you have young boys, you should probably also visit Knottsberry Farm. They have alot of rides made just for the small ones, more so than even Disneyland.

Are you going to be able to fly directly out of Maui or will you have to go to Honolulu...at all the extra cost. Soon it will cost as much to go interisland as to go to the mainland.

Have fun.

 

[Mililani Mom]

Hey Maui Mom,

I'm from Hawaii too, Oahu. Last March my family had a great time at Disneyland. My sister's family (hubby, sons 7 and 5) and my family (hubby, son 5, daughter 3) and I shared a C2 suite (it had 4 queen beds and a small parlor that connected to both rooms) at the Desert Inn. My parents had a room by themselves down the hall. The room had a microwave and fridge and worked out great for naps! At naptime it was easy to walk back and we "made" the kids nap, closed the door, sat in the parlor and watched TV or got ready for the evening. Although the laundry room hours are short, and the parking is limited, the walk to the park was quite short and it's a great place to stay with lots of people.

Have fun.

Mililani Mom