canadians at Disneyland

[erin1998]

Good evening everyone...
I am looking into taking my son to Disneyland next summer. I am still waiting for the 2009 pricing to come out, but the more I look into California, the more excited I become.
We have gone to WDW every year and love it there, but would like to try something different.
I am wondering if anyone from Ontario has gone to DLR, which airline they flew with, where they stayed, any comparisons to WDW, etc, etc. I guess any information about DLR from a Canadians perspective. I read a lot about Canadians travelling down to WDW and their experiences, just curious about anyone's experiences with DLR.
Thanks
Erin

 

[pandapooh]

What I learned was that it's much cheaper to book seperatly than to book a package deal. I went with flight center the first time and i'm getting a much better deal booking myself for this year. I love disneyland, but i havne't been to the WDW so unfortunatly i can't compare.

 

[dsneygirl]

We've done DLR a few times now and have always combined it with another trip. It's a long expensive way from Toronto for just a couple of days at DL. We stopped on the way to Maui twice and once went for a few days after Vegas. We used Priceline twice and have stayed on property twice. There are a tonne of good hotels withing walking distance. The Disney hotels tend to be a bit pricey (nothing comparable to All Stars). I think we did 3 day passes and that is plenty of time to see DL and California Adventure.

 

[Cruiser1969]

We flew Spirit nonstop to LAX last month and did six days at DL (July 4-10). It was an added part of another trip. We stayed at the CandyCane Inn just up the road from DL and had a great stay. Everyday, we took our time and went back to the hotel for afternoon swims. It was a wonderful experience and I'm so glad we went to check out the original Disney park.

We really enjoyed California Adventure and its Paradise Pier section!! We loved the Electrical Parade and would rate it as better than Spectromagic. There are some things DL does better than DW and some things DW does better than DL. It was really fun noticing the differences when trying similar attractions and tryng all new attractions.

IMO, the fireworks at DL were better than DW as Tink spends a lot more time flying around, and I really liked the musical selections for the fireworks at DL, too!

DL is way smaller than DW, so which you'll like better really depends on you and even your mood (sometimes small is nice, too!) I felt the area was really magical and nostalgic!

I love both DW and DL and cannot say that one is overall better than the other . . . they are different and the same, and each has its own special qualities that make it fun!!

 

[tmli]

We just spect 10 days at DL end of June beginning of July.

I ended up just flying from Toronto....it cost us $550 each with Air Canada direct. Buffalo had nothing direct, and with a connection the best we could find at the time was $400. We also looked into Spirit out of Detroit it was $350 direct. We opted to spend the extra out of Toronto (anyone who knows me here, knows I am a big Buffalo supporter!) its a long travelling day, the time change kicks my butt and I like the onboard entertainment to pass the time!!!

I ended up booking the land package with AAA vacations through CAA. (disclaimer....I work at CAA, however did book this package as a consumer!). When comparing it to doing everything seperate, it was within a $100. With the package we booked our transfers, hotel (Tropicana), DL park tickets, tickets/transportation to Universal Hollywood, and our LA city tour. I liked the convenience of everything being booked through one company.

DL does also sell similar packages direct if you wanted to use a different TA or book it yourself direct.

I really enjoyed California, while DL is different than WDW, it definitely has some strengths! During our LA city tour we happened upon the Movie Premiere and got to watch all of the celebrities walk the red carpet!!! DH also saw Whoopi Goldberg at DL. It was a great trip, we will do it again someday!

 

[pxlbarrel]

I love Disneyland. Just got back (2 weeks ago) from 1 day there (we were in California for other reasons). Every time we're in California, I find a way to spend at least a day or two there.

We flew Air Canada to Los Angeles but we got an amazing price in April before the prices skyrocketed. We paid $462 (after paying taxes and Expedia fees). We actually booked a United Airlines flight instead of an Air Canada flight knowing that it's actually the Air Canada Flight. (It's a code share). It was cheaper as a United than an AC. Go figure.

We stayed offsite this time and really liked the Howard Johnsons. Somebody who works at the HoJos is actually on Disboards.

Drop over to the Disneyland forum and they will help you out with any questions you have.

I've got some firworks photos from DL here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=996738&page=9

 

[CanadianPaco]

We loved Disenyland - be sure to look into Ridemax. It was perfect for our planning. We flew West Jet out TO and stayed at HoJos. It was fantastic!!!

 

[BraMax]

Hey there!

I'm not from Ontario (Alberta) but I'm a big DL fan. We've gone 4 times in the past 2 years and we are getting ready for number 5 in 13 days . The huge difference between DL and WDW is the resorts. It is much cheaper to stay off site in DL. We've done both ways through a TA and on our own. And we've always managed to save more money on our own. I am constantly looking for deals and luckily my DH can take time off at anytime most of the time. So we've done last minute deals during the off season and peak season. We've also stayed at 4 different hotels aswell, but have finally found the one we really like and will most likely stay at from now on ($ depending of course). The off site hotels with the exception of GCH are the same walking distance as the other 2 if not closer. Another thing is the size is sooooo different much smaller and more compact. I've never done WDW but plan to when my youngest gets a little bigger (taller). If you have any questions don't hesistate to ask. Even though I can't help you on the airfair part I can on hotels.

 

[Queenbillabong]

We LOVE Disneyland! There is a great sticky on the Disneyland board that explains the differences between DL and WDW for WDW vets.

I think one of the best differences is that you don't have to take buses everywhere - the parks are more compact so everything is within walking distance. There are three DLR hotels (which are great and if you can swing it, stay at one of those for the experience), but there are "off-site" hotels that are as close, if not closer to the parks and are less expensive.

You will also notice that making ADRs (at DL they are PS - priority seating) is not such a big deal. There are far fewer TS restaurants, so it's not such an issue. There is no real dining plan at DL - you can get vouchers though, but it's really not a good deal. We did this on our last trip and I would never do it again. The only good thing is we still have some vouchers left over so we can use them on our upcoming trip.

Have fun

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Check out the Disneyland board, l found more neat trip tips there than I could imagine.

You will love Disneyland. It's a more intimate experience, similar to WDW yet different enough to make a trip to DL well worth it. Nice add ons to a trip are the San Diego Zoo/Wild Animal Park in Escondido and Sea World in San Diego. Not sure about how old your son is - would Lego Land be of interest? If so, you can rent a car to drive from LA to San Diego & Lego Land in Carlsbad would be kinda on the way. Lots of beaches on the drive too, you may want to stop in La Jolla.

Flying & Hotels - we flew non stop from Toronto to LAX on United, great fare & flight (used kayak to search one way air fare). If you want to visit San Diego too you can fly in there then drive to Anaheim when you want to.

Stayed at the Howard Johnson Anaheim. Stayed previously at each of the DL resort hotels ~ ask away if you have questions.

~ Have fun trip planning!! ~
xoxo

 

[michelle1]

We just got back last week from a 2 week California holiday including 4 days at DL. We flew out of Toronto (we are usually Buffalo fliers) because we used aeroplan points and to be honest, it's a good thing we did. It's a long flight when you're only used to 2.5 hrs to Florida and the personal TVs on Air Canada were awesome. We stayed at HoJos which is walking distance..there are a ton of hotels in the area but I would strongly recommend something across from the park. We would leave the park midday, have a swim, change and stop for a meal on our way back into the park. I wouldn't waste money on the DL hotels because there is nothing reasonably priced like the value and mods at WDW. Overall I found DL to be more expensive then WDW...food, beverages, locker rental etc. so we brought snacks and ate outside of the park quite a bit. DL is more compact so it felt crowded all the time even though the wait times weren't really that long. CA wasn't as busy but didn't feel very 'Disney' for some reason. Most of the rides are the same but there are some in DL that aren't in WDW so it was neat to ride some different ones. Some of the rides are better in DL and some are better in WDW so it pretty much evens out. It was very magical to be at the park that Walt Disney built and stood in but my kids still prefer WDW...they like the resorts and all of the extra stuff at WDW (water parks, DisneyQuest etc). One thing my DH noticed was in Orlando the minute you step off of the plane all you see is Disney everywhere but in California there is almost nothing.
We used our WDW park hoppers there also...we knew during our last trip to WDW that we would be going to anaheim so I purchased a 10 day non expiring and we used 3 days of it during this trip. I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as we did! Oh, one more difference...no earthquakes in Orlando!

 

[erin1998]

Thank you all so much for your responses....
I am thinking that we will go for about 10 days next august. I would like to see Southern California while we are there too. I think that we will just stay in Anaheim for the entire time and take day trips to LA, Universal and San Diego. I hate driving where I am not familiar, so driving around Cali is out of the question. Has anyone used the Disneyland Express or any other shuttle from the airport?
Thanks again.....
Erin

 

[pxlbarrel]

Thank you all so much for your responses....
I am thinking that we will go for about 10 days next august. I would like to see Southern California while we are there too. I think that we will just stay in Anaheim for the entire time and take day trips to LA, Universal and San Diego. I hate driving where I am not familiar, so driving around Cali is out of the question. Has anyone used the Disneyland Express or any other shuttle from the airport?
Thanks again.....
Erin

You might want to reconsider not driving. Southern California really is designed for driving. San Diego is about 1.5-2 hours south of Anaheim and Universal is (only because of traffic) about 1-1.5 hours drive North of Anaheim. It's highways to most places... and if you bring a GPS with you, it shouldn't be that bad.

We went to one of the beaches when we were there and only could do so because we had a car. I'm sure there's public transportation to and fro think about driving if you can.

 

[LuvBaloo]

we did both WDW and DL in May, and I prefer DL. Not having to take busses everywhere is fantastic. We stayed in the BestWestern right across the street from DL and its a much shorter walk to the park that the DL Hotel is. If you can afford it, the DL hotel is magical, but expensive and you're paying park prices for all the food. Plus you have to go through DTD to get back to the hotel at night.
We used Supershuttle the last trip to get from cruise dock to hotel and then from hotel to airport and they were fine. Back in 2005 we used a bus service and it wasn't door to door which I didn't like. I don't want to drag the suitcases 1/2block to a bus stop.
I've found driving in California no problem, and have driven there from BC. Having wheels makes it easier to do SanDiego Seaworld, or go to Santa Monica Pier or Universal, but there are tours that will pick up from hotel areas so you can still do those if you don't want to drive.

 

[c&m]

We're not from Ontario, so really don't know anything about flying from there. However, we go every year to DL and can give you our hotel recommendations. A lot of people like to stay at the Candy Cane Inn (CCI) or the Howard Johnson Anaheim. With the HOJOs, if you have the Entertainment Card, you can get a hotel room for as low as $59 a night, depending on the availability. CCI has its own hotel shuttle and a complimentary continental breakfast, which helps you get out to the parks in the morning faster. Both hotels get excellent reviews on tripadvisor.com.

This summer, we stayed at the Hampton Inn Garden Grove. Garden Grove is a 5-minute drive (too far to walk) to DL. We loved this hotel. It has a complimentary hot breakfast and free parking. Our rate was $104/night. Thrown into our hotel reservation was a $50 Chevron gas card and a book of coupons that had 10% off dining at the Disney hotel restaurants and many other valuable coupons. We booked thru getawaytravel.com, a very popular site for DL bookings.

Garden Grove has a Target, where we would buy our bottled water, snacks, etc. Next door to Target is a Dollar Store, which sells a lot of Disney themed stationery sets, notebooks, etc. (all for $1, unlike in B.C. where Dollar Stores can sell $5 items) of good quality. Great for souvenirs.

As for driving, well...it would be very difficult for you to navigate around SoCal without a car. Hope you reconsider. You will find that you won't be able to see as much during your vacation time if you are going to depend on public transportation or tour buses.

Hope that helps!

 

[erin1998]

Thanks again for all the responses...I love reading everyone's experiences and advice....
As much as I would love to drive throughout So. Cal, I won't do it. I am a nervous driver already, but to be in a big city that I am not familiar with, and it's just myself and my son (who will be 11 at the time)...ugh, it would be a disaster....
I would much prefer the ease and convienence of a shuttle/bus to get us everywhere. Originally I was thinking about staying in Hollywood/LA for a few days and doing a few tours from there to Universal/LA, etc and then moving on to DLR. However, I can't find any shuttle/bus to transfer us from Hollywood to Anaheim. The Disneyland Express is only from the airports and all the other shuttles that I looked at online are from the airports too. Since I won't drive, does anyone know of a shuttle/bus company that would take us from a hotel in Hollywood to DLR? I couldn't find one, which is why I decided to just stay at DLR for the entire trip and do a few day trips to other places. I looked at Gray Line tours, Star Line tours, etc and found many tours that we would love to do. Howeverr, if there was a shuttle that could take us from Hollywood to DLR, I would re-think my options...
Thanks again for the advice/tips....please keep it coming...I am really enjoying hearing about your trips....
Erin

 

[irisesareblue]

Just a thought about my last 2 trips to Disneyland - there are plenty of hotels in the area that cater to business people and if you don't care to be across the street from the parks, you can get a really good deal. Last year, I stayed at the Crown Plaza Anaheim Resort near the Target store in Garden Grove for $50.00 per night and this year in June hubby and I stayed at the Hilton Suites 5 minutes from the park in Orange for $47.00 per night. Both hotels had shuttles to Disneyland and they were great!

Priceline sure cut down the cost of our vacation (we drove from Manitoba) and Canadians can use it too.

As well, you might want to look into buying tickets through your local Disney store - they were at a good price and I had them in hand before leaving.

 

[CDNCA]

We went to California for Spring Break 2007. We split the vacation 3 days in Hollywood and 4 days at a Hotel near Disneyland.

Staying in Hollywood (right on Sunset Blvd) was great because you cut your travel time for sight seeing (3/4 day bus tour), Universal (2 Days) and the LA Zoo (3/4 Day) down big time. We just took taxi's from our hotel to various places and were picked up at the hotel for bus tours. In hind sight, I would have sucked it up and rented a car for the first four days, the streets are not that bad. To get to Anaheim, we hired a towncar through our hotel ($150.00 one way).

Staying off site at DLR is cheap and easy. Lots within walking distance or a short trolly ride away. Tons of food choices. We spent three days in DLR and saw most of what we wanted to see.

We also took a bus tour to Lego Land. Would have liked to do the SanDiego Zoo but ran out of time.

 

[erin1998]

To get to Anaheim, we hired a towncar through our hotel ($150.00 one way).

ooohhhh.....that is exactly what I am looking for...
Can you please tell me which hotel in LA you stayed at that I could hire a towncar through? That would be wonderful.......
Thanks
Erin

 

[CDNCA]

Stayed at the Best Western Sunset Plaza. Nice place. if you are looking for convenience to Universal , this hotel is about a 15 minute taxi ride away. There are closer hotels. We did not mind using the taxi to get around, but a rented car would have been more flexible.

Unfortunately, we were not able to sample the nightlife as our son was with us, but, it was neat seeing all of the people going to the clubs and restaurants around our hotel.

The front desk just suggested a car service for us. He picked us up at Universal, took us to the Best Western to pick up our bags and then made the trip to our hotel near DLR.

Nice big Escalade, friendly driver, pleasant ride.