Complete amateur planning first trip

[Yorkieal]

Hi guys!

I'm a complete newbie on here and looking for some guidance and advice regards a trip to Disneyland California. We've been to Disneyland Paris a fair few times and back in October has the most amazing trip ever where I asked my girlfriend to marry me.

It was a hugely extravagant proposal and I managed to get the perfect moment together and even got Mickey involved too. It took a tremendous amount of planning, the thread for which can be found here;

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3097033

Anyhow, fast-forward three months and we've got our wedding all booked for July 2016. We're hoping to visit Disneyland California for our honeymoon but, having looked through all the Disney sites etc, I've not got a clue where to start....which is where I hope you guys can be of assistance!

We looking at visiting for ten nights at the end of August 2016, staying on-site and taking part in the 5K, 10K and Half Marathon during the RunDisney weekend. Just a few questions to get us started off;

1) Am I correct in thinking the maximum park-ticket is five days? Ideally we'd like tickets for the full ten days, can I buy these separately? And is it best to do this in advance?

2) I assume the three on-site hotels are all in close proximity to the parks?

3) Is breakfast included in the hotels package? I can't see any mention of it either way anywhere.

4) Does anyhow know how far in advance we can book?

5) Is it best to book our RunDisney races, tickets and hotel all together or separately? From looking at the site's (Disneyland and RunDisney) they're asking us to call for all the info. We're from the UK which could obviously be rather expensive so hoping to do what I can online!

Any info you guys could help with would be hugely appreciated!

Ta!

 

[Girimama33]

Hi guys!

I'm a complete newbie on here and looking for some guidance and advice regards a trip to Disneyland California. We've been to Disneyland Paris a fair few times and back in October has the most amazing trip ever where I asked my girlfriend to marry me.

It was a hugely extravagant proposal and I managed to get the perfect moment together and even got Mickey involved too. It took a tremendous amount of planning, the thread for which can be found here;

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3097033

Anyhow, fast-forward three months and we've got our wedding all booked for July 2016. We're hoping to visit Disneyland California for our honeymoon but, having looked through all the Disney sites etc, I've not got a clue where to start....which is where I hope you guys can be of assistance!

We looking at visiting for ten nights at the end of August 2016, staying on-site and taking part in the 5K, 10K and Half Marathon during the RunDisney weekend. Just a few questions to get us started off;

1) Am I correct in thinking the maximum park-ticket is five days? Ideally we'd like tickets for the full ten days, can I buy these separately? And is it best to do this in advance?
Yes. 5 days is the max. You would each need to buy 2 5 day tickets or Premium APs.
2) I assume the three on-site hotels are all in close proximity to the parks? Only the GCH is really close proximity. The other two are farther out which makes some offsite hotels closer to the gates.

3) Is breakfast included in the hotels package? I can't see any mention of it either way anywhere. No. It is not included with the DLR hotels. You can upgrade to concierge level, which serves breakfast and snacks throughout the day. This is extra though.

4) Does anyhow know how far in advance we can book? Probably fall 2015

5) Is it best to book our RunDisney races, tickets and hotel all together or separately? From looking at the site's (Disneyland and RunDisney) they're asking us to call for all the info. We're from the UK which could obviously be rather expensive so hoping to do what I can online! I would enter the Run Disney race first. Make sure you are online right when registration is open. It will sell out within hours. I would book the hotel package online at a later date if you want to avoid a phone call.

Any info you guys could help with would be hugely appreciated!

Ta!

Congratulations!

 

[Ahhhhshley]

Hi guys!

I'm a complete newbie on here and looking for some guidance and advice regards a trip to Disneyland California. We've been to Disneyland Paris a fair few times and back in October has the most amazing trip ever where I asked my girlfriend to marry me.

It was a hugely extravagant proposal and I managed to get the perfect moment together and even got Mickey involved too. It took a tremendous amount of planning, the thread for which can be found here;

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3097033

Anyhow, fast-forward three months and we've got our wedding all booked for July 2016. We're hoping to visit Disneyland California for our honeymoon but, having looked through all the Disney sites etc, I've not got a clue where to start....which is where I hope you guys can be of assistance!

We looking at visiting for ten nights at the end of August 2016, staying on-site and taking part in the 5K, 10K and Half Marathon during the RunDisney weekend. Just a few questions to get us started off;

1) Am I correct in thinking the maximum park-ticket is five days? Ideally we'd like tickets for the full ten days, can I buy these separately? And is it best to do this in advance?

2) I assume the three on-site hotels are all in close proximity to the parks?

3) Is breakfast included in the hotels package? I can't see any mention of it either way anywhere.

4) Does anyhow know how far in advance we can book?

5) Is it best to book our RunDisney races, tickets and hotel all together or separately? From looking at the site's (Disneyland and RunDisney) they're asking us to call for all the info. We're from the UK which could obviously be rather expensive so hoping to do what I can online!

Any info you guys could help with would be hugely appreciated!

Ta!

Congratulations! I can't answer all your questions but I might be able to help a little! 5 days is all they offer at this time so you'd have to buy two 5 day passes and just use the second set on the 6th day. The onsite hotel are all within walking distance, GCH has its own entrance to California adventure park. Paradise pier is just a short across the stree walk to GCH where you can use their entrance the disneyland hotel is close to the monorail entrance.

Not sure on breakfast I don't believe it's included

You should be able to book around 11-12 month in advance

 

[pirate_smiles]

5) Is it best to book our RunDisney races, tickets and hotel all together or separately? From looking at the site's (Disneyland and RunDisney) they're asking us to call for all the info. We're from the UK which could obviously be rather expensive so hoping to do what I can online!

Any info you guys could help with would be hugely appreciated!

Ta!

As previously stated the RunDisney races sell out within hours. Be ready to go the minute the registration opens. (registration opens Feb. 10th for the Disneyland half) Best to have your Active .com account already set up before registration opens. The challenges (Like the Dumbo Double Dare, 10k and half) will sell out within an hour. 5k will sell out next, then 10K, and the half usually takes the longest within a few hours. This year is the 10 year anniversary of the Disneyland half so that could have an impact as they usually change the medals for anniversary years.

Unfortunately RunDisney does not offer discounted tickets or hotel with race registration through them directly. Only through affiliated sites. So there would be no benefit to booking them all at once. Honestly if you tried booking them all at once it might slow you down and jeopardize your chance of registering for the race. I know Gettravel offers RD race packages, but I haven't priced them out to see how they compare to booking individually

RunDisney races are AWESOME! Have a great race and a fantastic honeymoon!

 

[Geemo]

1) Am I correct in thinking the maximum park-ticket is five days? Ideally we'd like tickets for the full ten days, can I buy these separately? And is it best to do this in advance?
Yes park tickets are from one to five days max. If you want ten days, you might see if an annual pass is less than buying 2-5day tickets. Being from the UK, can you get the 10day ticket special like the Australians?

2) I assume the three on-site hotels are all in close proximity to the parks?
All three of Disney's hotels are close to the parks. With the Grand Californian being the closest.

3) Is breakfast included in the hotels package? I can't see any mention of it either way anywhere.
I don't think I've ever seen a Dis member recommend a dining package.

4) Does anyhow know how far in advance we can book?
If you decide to not stay on-site, some good-neighbor hotels are booking for 2016 now.

Congratulations!

 

[Rebekkap]

Hi guys!

I'm a complete newbie on here and looking for some guidance and advice regards a trip to Disneyland California. We've been to Disneyland Paris a fair few times and back in October has the most amazing trip ever where I asked my girlfriend to marry me.

It was a hugely extravagant proposal and I managed to get the perfect moment together and even got Mickey involved too. It took a tremendous amount of planning, the thread for which can be found here;

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3097033

Anyhow, fast-forward three months and we've got our wedding all booked for July 2016. We're hoping to visit Disneyland California for our honeymoon but, having looked through all the Disney sites etc, I've not got a clue where to start....which is where I hope you guys can be of assistance!

We looking at visiting for ten nights at the end of August 2016, staying on-site and taking part in the 5K, 10K and Half Marathon during the RunDisney weekend. Just a few questions to get us started off;

1) Am I correct in thinking the maximum park-ticket is five days? Ideally we'd like tickets for the full ten days, can I buy these separately? And is it best to do this in advance?

2) I assume the three on-site hotels are all in close proximity to the parks?

3) Is breakfast included in the hotels package? I can't see any mention of it either way anywhere.

4) Does anyhow know how far in advance we can book?

5) Is it best to book our RunDisney races, tickets and hotel all together or separately? From looking at the site's (Disneyland and RunDisney) they're asking us to call for all the info. We're from the UK which could obviously be rather expensive so hoping to do what I can online!

Any info you guys could help with would be hugely appreciated!

Ta!

1. You'll be better off buying an annual pass - they're cheaper than two five day tickets! Or buy one five day ticket each, and "upgrade" to annual passes after using the extra magic morning that gives you early entry - as long as you haven't used all five days, the whole price of the ticket can be put towards the annual pass.

2. The Grand Californian is as close as the non-Disney hotels if not closer, and the entrance direct into the parks is nice at non-peak times (but very slow when it's busy), the other two are further away.

3. None of the Disney hotels includes breakfast - and they're not great value. The hotels directly across the road from the main entrance, on Harbor Boulevard, are in a lot of cases closer than the onsite hotels, much cheaper, and some of them include breakfast. Honestly if you're there for ten days, I'd not bother with the onsite hotels - you'll save a bundle!

4. Not sure, but I think it's around a year in advance.

5. I would book separately. In my experience, Disney packages cost more than you can get by looking for the best prices yourself.

And congratulations!

 

[Ahhhhshley]

Also look into annual passes, that might be less then just buying a 10 day park hopper.

 

[KalamityJane]

Plus you get discounts on food and merchandise with the annual passes.

 

[Yorkieal]

Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated. Three further questions if you could be so kind;

1)
Looking at off-site hotels, it seems we could save about $5,000 (!!) by NOT staying on-site. That's an outrageous amount of cash to be saving, am I right in thinking if you just take the standard (accommodation only) option, the only real advantage (other than the luxury of a DL Hotel) is the Magic Mornings?

2)
With regards to the RunDisney events, the suggestion of booking it completely separately seems the right one, especially with the recent Tinkerbell Weekend carry-on! Are park-tickets included in the price of the race entry?


3)
I've priced up the Annual Passport and come up with the following;

(PER PERSON)

Premium passport - $699
Deluxe passport - $519

or

2 x 5 day hopper tickets - $610 ($305 per 5 days)

So if we were to buy a Deluxe Passport, we'd actually save money. However, I've looked at the blackout dates and for this year (so I assume it'll be the same for the next), the weekend of the Half Marathon (5 and 6th Sept) ISN'T COVERED by the deluxe pass.

Is it worth us spending the extra $90 for the deluxe passport? Will we make it back with discounts on merchandise and dining? We'll be buying a lot of both!

OR, if park tickets DO come with the race entries, it'd make sense just to get the deluxe?

Also, with regard to Annual Passports, when should I purchase them? Is it an immediate-activation deal where I should buy them as close as possible to us actually heading out to California?

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Rebekkap]

Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated. Three further questions if you could be so kind;

1)
Looking at off-site hotels, it seems we could save about $5,000 (!!) by NOT staying on-site. That's an outrageous amount of cash to be saving, am I right in thinking if you just take the standard (accommodation only) option, the only real advantage (other than the luxury of a DL Hotel) is the Magic Mornings?

2)
With regards to the RunDisney events, the suggestion of booking it completely separately seems the right one, especially with the recent Tinkerbell Weekend carry-on! Are park-tickets included in the price of the race entry?


3)
I've priced up the Annual Passport and come up with the following;

(PER PERSON)

Premium passport - $699
Deluxe passport - $519

or

2 x 5 day hopper tickets - $610 ($305 per 5 days)

So if we were to buy a Deluxe Passport, we'd actually save money. However, I've looked at the blackout dates and for this year (so I assume it'll be the same for the next), the weekend of the Half Marathon (5 and 6th Sept) ISN'T COVERED by the deluxe pass.

Is it worth us spending the extra $90 for the deluxe passport? Will we make it back with discounts on merchandise and dining? We'll be buying a lot of both!

OR, if park tickets DO come with the race entries, it'd make sense just to get the deluxe?

Also, with regard to Annual Passports, when should I purchase them? Is it an immediate-activation deal where I should buy them as close as possible to us actually heading out to California?

Thanks again everyone!

1. Yes, magic mornings - but if you're there for ten days you honestly don't need them. My strategy is generally start in the park that *doesn't* have magic morning that day. The hotels also aren't that luxurious, at least compared with real luxury hotels not on Disney property!

2. Don't know sorry as I've never done a run event.

3. When is the marathon weekend in your trip? If at the start, you could get the five day hoppers, then upgrade to the cheaper annual pass, and the block out days wouldn't matter. If not, you'll probably at least almost make up the extra $90 through bigger discounts.

 

[DahliaRW]

I'll admit I love DLR. LOVE it. But, 10 days might be a little too much unless you're doing a lot of partial days, IMO. You may want to do one 5 day hopper and then go do other stuff in the area too. Just a suggestion.

As for hotels, if you look at a map of the area, you'll see the Park Vue Inn right across harbor. Anything right in that area is walking distance and closer to the parks walking wise than the disneyland hotel or paradise pier hotel. And yes, the savings are significant! So, you could do more on your honeymoon or extend it, etc.

And if you want a really special meal for your honeymoon, I highly recommend Chef's Counter at Napa Rose.

 

[VandVsmama]

Congrats on your engagement! You're going to have a wonderful honeymoon! An AP would definitely be less expensive than two 5-day park hopper tickets. In terms of whether the premium AP is worth the extra $90 over the cost of the deluxe AP, it depends. I'd suggest that you estimate how much you'll be spending at DL on souvenirs & food and then compare the totals with the Deluxe AP discount vs the premium AP discount. Given your length of stay, I'm guessing that it would be worth the $90.

When you purchase an AP, it doesn't get activated until you actually go to the parks. However, if your trip isn't until 2016, then don't buy the AP now because most of the time, there's a deadline for activating them. Regular park tickets, for example, purchased now have to be used/activated by 1/31/2016.

Where to stay:

• If I was going on a honeymoon, the GCH would be a pretty special place to stay. DLH, as well.
• To save some $$ on lodging, you could start out your vacation by staying at one of the motels across the street from DL. So, for example, stay "off property" for half of your trip, then relocate to the GCH or DLH for the remainder of your trip...ending on a high note.
• none of the DLR hotels include a free breakfast
• some off-property motels include free breakfast. Candy Cane Inn, Park Vue Inn, Best Western Park Place Inn have free breakfast. quality of those breakfasts & what's included vary. The DIS podcasts have some very helpful reviews of some of the local motels.
• You can always get groceries delivered to your hotel/motel by using Vons (a southern California grocery store chain)

If you'll be in Anaheim over Labor Day weekend, expect large crowds and adjust your expectations accordingly.

If you get a bit tired of theme-parking it every day, Downtown Disney has an Alamo rental car and you could always rent a car for the day and go to the beach or if you're a museum person, go to the California Sciences Center in LA (which houses the space shuttle Endeavor). Or if you're not up for braving the LA freeways, take the Amtrak train south from Anaheim and go see the San Juan Capistrano mission...that's a cool place and the mission is easy walking distance from the Amtrak station.

There is also the Garden Walk mall in Anaheim or the Citadel outlet mall (http://www.citadeloutlets.com). The Citadel has a shuttle that will pick you up from certain Anaheim hotels. There's info on their website. My sister lives in London, so I know how much more expensive American clothing items are over there!

 

[GrandBob]

Hi YorkieAl! and congratulations! I followed your planning thread and subsequent trip report for your proposal trip on the Paris board, as I'm planning a Paris trip for next summer. I must say, I'm in awe! What a great trip you had planned!

Now to your questions. First, I agree with DahliaRW. As much as I love Disney, five days is more than sufficient for DLR. Give serious consideration to just purchasing a 5 day hopper, and spend alternate days on some of the many other things to do in Southern California.

If you're sure you want to be in the park for 10 full days, I agree with Rebekkap. Her first point included a subtlety that may have eluded you. That is, a frequent strategy is to first purchase a 5 day hopper, and then on the last day of validity, upgrade to a Deluxe AP. If you time it right, it will get you past blackout days, since the hopper is not blacked out. For example, generally the DAP is blacked out in summer for Saturdays only. If your arrival is, for example, a Tuesday, you can use the PH on Tuesday through Saturday. Before you leave the park on Saturday, upgrade to a DAP, and use it for Sunday through Thursday. Voila, a DAP without a blackout.

The on-site hotels are all close to the parks. Granted, PPH and DLH are not quite as close as GCH, but you're talking about a difference of at most a couple hundred meters. Not enough to worry about. And yes, some off-site hotels such as BWPPI (Best Western Park Place Inn) and PVI (Park Vue Inn) are even closer than PPH and DLH, but again the difference is nil. Personally, I almost always go off-site, as the prices for on-site are outrageous. But for your honeymoon, you may have other priorities.

To check for off-site hotels in walking distance, I like this site:
http://accommodationsneardisney.com/

Have a great trip!

-Bob

 

[Rebekkap]

Thanks Bob, you explained upgrading a five day hopper much better than I managed

That's my plan for March - partly to get the early magic morning I'm going to get a five day hopper and then upgrade to an annual pass as I'm coming back in December. I've done the same thing before when we were in Disneyland just after Christmas and APs were blocked out but I knew I was coming back the next summer.

 

[pirate_smiles]

2)
With regards to the RunDisney events, the suggestion of booking it completely separately seems the right one, especially with the recent Tinkerbell Weekend carry-on! Are park-tickets included in the price of the race entry?

No park tickets are not included in race entry. RD does not even offer discounted tickets with race entry.

 

[tarheelalum]

Don't waste your money staying at a Disney hotel. Its not like Disney World. The hotels at Disneyland are way overpriced. Stay at one of the walking distance or nearby shuttle bus hotels in Anaheim and save your money for fun stuff.