Can I do it?

[sonocruiser]

So my family has the week of Oct 31st off. We have been trying to come to an agreement on what to do. I have been really wanting to go back to DL- it will be 3 yrs in Dec. My husband wants to do a more local trip- Midwest- but man I need my disney fix!! I can get flights pretty cheap into LAX. How far of a drive is that? Also trying to show him that a hotel out there would be about the same as the house we were going to maybe rent. That means not staying on site- but thats not as important at DL compared to WDW right? What are crowds usually like right after Halloween- durig the week- ? Tell me anything that can helo me convince him to go

 

[WonkaKid]

Hey! I'm a fellow Midwesterner (Chicago) myself. I live in LA now and typically hit DL every Sunday . LAX to DL is not far -- approx 35 miles. If you drive at an off-peak time (i.e., not during morning rush hour) you should be able to make it in well under an hour. And if you stay at a non-Disney hotel -- Candy Cane Inn, for example -- it's not horribly pricey. I say do it. Life is short. Seize it!

With respect to Halloween crowds, they're likely above average. But if that's the only time you can go, I say crowds be damned. That's why Fast Passes exist! ;-). Hope you have a great time. Keep us all updated with your decision.

Rob

 

[lilmissfoodie]

Try contacting Dreams Unlimited for hotel rates.

 

[kathy040690]

That's the week we are going to be there !, crowds are supposed to be low.. But low for Disneyland is still high lol !!!

 

[cruisehopeful]

The week after Halloween will probably be a lot less crowded during the week. Dapper Days is going on the first weekend in November, so if you stay for the weekend, expect it to be extremely crowded.

If you will have a car, you can easily stay in Garden Grove where the hotels cost a bit less. Those will be one or 2 miles from the parks. If you want to get around without a car, there are lots of hotels in walking distance on Harbor Blvd. Some have free breakfast, some have a kitchen, some with have a mini fridge and a microwave.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Staying onsite isn't important out here. A number of Harbor hotels are within walking distance saving you rental car & parking costs (parking is about $17/day I think at the park & some hotels charge for parking as well). Some of those hotels even offer breakfasts. Search around the forum here for more info on everyone's favorite hotels.

Transit from LAX can be done by shuttle, Uber, Lyft. Again search the forum for more info (normally I would post a link but I'm having technical challenges today!) we've had recent discussions on which shuttle services to use, to use or not to use Uber, how long the trip takes etc.

Rent a house nearby or go to Disneyland? Hmm... HOW IS THAT EVEN A QUESTION? Disneyland, duh! (As long the budget can cut it obviously!)

 

[sonocruiser]

Staying onsite isn't important out here. A number of Harbor hotels are within walking distance saving you rental car & parking costs (parking is about $17/day I think at the park & some hotels charge for parking as well). Some of those hotels even offer breakfasts. Search around the forum here for more info on everyone's favorite hotels.

Transit from LAX can be done by shuttle, Uber, Lyft. Again search the forum for more info (normally I would post a link but I'm having technical challenges today!) we've had recent discussions on which shuttle services to use, to use or not to use Uber, how long the trip takes etc.

Rent a house nearby or go to Disneyland? Hmm... HOW IS THAT EVEN A QUESTION? Disneyland, duh! (As long the budget can cut it obviously!)

I know! To me its a no brainer, but hubby is not the biggest fan of flying. He does it, but would perfer not to. Im off work today and I am trying to research. I saw a Homewood suites that seemed new- 2015- that had breakfast included near the parks (driving). Last time we stayed at DL Hotel, which was great but price may be the decider for my DH.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I know! To me its a no brainer, but hubby is not the biggest fan of flying. He does it, but would perfer not to. Im off work today and I am trying to research. I saw a Homewood suites that seemed new- 2015- that had breakfast included near the parks (driving). Last time we stayed at DL Hotel, which was great but price may be the decider for my DH.

If that's the one by the Toy Story parking lot you can take the Disenyland shuttle to the parks for free: http://www.disboards.com/threads/toy-story-shuttle-from-homewood-suites.3480669/

Good luck with your DH

 

[Nevada Jen]

You might be able to get the dapper days rates for your dates on site. Not sure how to check into that but I am sure someone will chime in. Just an idea to try to convince hubby. What if you fly into Vegas and spend the weekend there and then leave Monday and drive to Disneyland? Sometimes Vegas seems to win the guys over and if you have never done the drive before and are used to Midwest scenery, its a nice drive. Once. Not on a sunday. THen fly out of John Wayne if possible (if not, LAX). Personally, I would get something walking distance and dump the car when you got to Anaheim.

 

[SMD]

...and if you have never done the drive before and are used to Midwest scenery, its a nice drive. Once. Not on a sunday. THen fly out of John Wayne if possible (if not, LAX). Personally, I would get something walking distance and dump the car when you got to Anaheim.

Truth.

 

[sonocruiser]

You might be able to get the dapper days rates for your dates on site. Not sure how to check into that but I am sure someone will chime in. Just an idea to try to convince hubby. What if you fly into Vegas and spend the weekend there and then leave Monday and drive to Disneyland? Sometimes Vegas seems to win the guys over and if you have never done the drive before and are used to Midwest scenery, its a nice drive. Once. Not on a sunday. THen fly out of John Wayne if possible (if not, LAX). Personally, I would get something walking distance and dump the car when you got to Anaheim.

Awesome suggestion- except I am traveling to Vegas for my birthday later in Nov with some girlfriends And the trip would be with our DS 6 and nephew 8. Are the dapper days discount pretty good? We would be leaving before the weekend.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Are the dapper days discount pretty good? We would be leaving before the weekend.

Google Dapper Days and their website will come up. Click on the dates for Disneyland and if there are hotel rooms still available, you can see what they are charging. They take the first night's deposit and it is not refundable if you need to cancel or change your dates.

 

[GenGen22]

Check getawaytoday.com they have a lot of 3rd & 4th night free deals. Some hotels offer free breakfast as well & at DL we stay offsite and when visiting WDW we stay onsite as there is free transportation and it's more cost efficient there.