Couple Trip Planning Questions

[Jgc014]

Hi -

I am currently in the process of planning a late August/early September Disneyland vacation. I have been to WDW frequently, but I believe only two one day trips to Disneyland over my life (and the last one probably 12 years ago!), so definitely less familiar with Disneyland.

For background, we have a travel party of 6 - my husband, twin three year old girls, and grandparents. My husband and his parents (grandparents) are originally from the LA area, so did Disneyland quite a bit growing up, but that was a while back (even before California Adventure), so they are definitely excited to see all that is new. We are planning to stay at the Grand Californian for three nights. For schedule, we were thinking day of arrival, we would do pool and Downtown Disney, then two days at the park, then breakfast at Storytellers on the last day prior to a 3 PM flight home from LAX.

Onto my questions -

1.) I was wondering about just doing a day at each park to skip having to pay for Park Hoppers. However, I have read a lot of recommendations for the park hopper at Disneyland - does it make sense to add on? Would we want more time for Disneyland? I am the only one who has ever done California Adventure before, but I am guessing the girls may favor Disneyland, and I think there is more to do there?

2.) Genie+- I have used it at WDW, but know it is different at Disneyland. I think the days we are going to the parks are supposed to be fairly light crowd wise (8/31 and 9/1), does Genie+ still make sense? Although, happy to save money where I can, with two smaller kids, if this can cut down on wait times noticeably, think this is an expense I would be happy to pay.

3.) Any other experiences/dining packages that are recommended for smaller kids/make life easier traveling with them? If I was traveling childless, typically I would forgo those expenses, but think for kids, it could make life easier?

4.) My girls are fairly tall for their age and are already 40+ inches, so they can theoretically ride a lot of what is there. I will certainly see how they are feeling, but upfront wanted to know if there were certain rides that this age may be able to ride, but generally are not fans or, or conversely really like? They did ride Barnstormer at WDW and seemed a little unsure of it while riding (but were also close to a year younger then), but seemed proud of themselves at the end, and ready to go on more rides, so didn't seem overly shook up by it.

5.) I was looking at tickets for our days, and a one day ticket is listed as $104 for each day, but a two day ticket is $255. I thought if anything a multi day ticket should be cheaper- does that make sense?

Really appreciate it! Everyone is very excited for this trip!

 

[gelatoni fan]

1. There is more to do in Disneyland but with just two days, you may be fine not getting park hopping.

2. If you want photopass, it could make sense for one person to get Genie+. If you want to do a lot of rides on the Genie+ list, it can also make sense. With smaller kids, a question is if they can go on the thrill rides on Genie+. If they won't, it probably doesn't make sense to get it. If you end up getting park hopping, Genie+ becomes more worth it because you have access to rides in both parks.

3. I think the dining packages may be worth it so you don't have to worry about arriving as early for the night shows. I particularly like the Fantasmic and World of Color packages.

4. Incredicoaster, Splash Mountain and Guardians of the Galaxy are high on the thrill factor if they're tall enough. Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain and Matterhorn are second place. I think a good thing to do is take them on Radiator Springs Racers early and see how they feel. If it's too much for them, then don't do the other thrill rides. If they're good, they can try Big Thunder and Space Mountain.

5. The days you are going happen to be cheaper days when Disney expects low crowds. This can occasionally happen because mulit-day tickets are a set price but one day tickets adjust based on expected crowds.

 

[Ladyslug]

My 6-year-old son loved Radiator Springs Racers and the Millennium Falcon, was only so-so on Space Mountain and the Matterhorn (more due to the jostling around than the roller coaster aspect), didn't like Rise of the Resistance (he was scared Kylo Ren was going to get him) and was too scared to even try Guardians (not a fan of drops). Big Thunder and Splash weren't open. I agree that Radiator Springs would be a good start.

 

[Jgc014]

1. There is more to do in Disneyland but with just two days, you may be fine not getting park hopping.

2. If you want photopass, it could make sense for one person to get Genie+. If you want to do a lot of rides on the Genie+ list, it can also make sense. With smaller kids, a question is if they can go on the thrill rides on Genie+. If they won't, it probably doesn't make sense to get it. If you end up getting park hopping, Genie+ becomes more worth it because you have access to rides in both parks.

3. I think the dining packages may be worth it so you don't have to worry about arriving as early for the night shows. I particularly like the Fantasmic and World of Color packages.

4. Incredicoaster, Splash Mountain and Guardians of the Galaxy are high on the thrill factor if they're tall enough. Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain and Matterhorn are second place. I think a good thing to do is take them on Radiator Springs Racers early and see how they feel. If it's too much for them, then don't do the other thrill rides. If they're good, they can try Big Thunder and Space Mountain.

5. The days you are going happen to be cheaper days when Disney expects low crowds. This can occasionally happen because mulit-day tickets are a set price but one day tickets adjust based on expected crowds.

Thanks so much - really appreciate it! Guardians of the Galaxy/Tower of Terror still frightens me every time, so wasn’t plannning on bringing them on that one (I was even surprised the height requirement was only 40 inches), but selfishly was hoping they would be up for Splash Mountain as that is one of my favorites. Never done Radiator Springs Racers, and excited to try it out, so glad that may be a good test run for them!

And when you say one day ticket pricing is based on expected crowds, once it’s posted is it basically set in stone, or could it change if crowd expectations change? Also, in that case, it seems better to get two one day tickets instead of one two day. Is there any downside to having two separate tickets?

 

[gelatoni fan]

Thanks so much - really appreciate it! Guardians of the Galaxy/Tower of Terror still frightens me every time, so wasn’t plannning on bringing them on that one (I was even surprised the height requirement was only 40 inches), but selfishly was hoping they would be up for Splash Mountain as that is one of my favorites. Never done Radiator Springs Racers, and excited to try it out, so glad that may be a good test run for them!

And when you say one day ticket pricing is based on expected crowds, once it’s posted is it basically set in stone, or could it change if crowd expectations change? Also, in that case, it seems better to get two one day tickets instead of one two day. Is there any downside to having two separate tickets?

I forgot to add that if you happen to start at Disneyland rather than California Adventure, maybe start off with Pirates of the Caribbean to see if they can handle the two small drops. It'll come as as surprise so there's no getting nervous in line. In my opinion, Racers looks scarier than it actually is.

If you end up deciding to get Park hoppers, it'll be cheaper with the two day ticket. The same applies if you get the tickets and later decide you want to go for more days. There's also a bit of extra administrative inconvenience if you get two separate tickets.

I don't think the prices of tickets change once they're set but I haven't gotten a single day ticket in years so I'm not 100% sure.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

1.) I was wondering about just doing a day at each park to skip having to pay for Park Hoppers. However, I have read a lot of recommendations for the park hopper at Disneyland - does it make sense to add on? Would we want more time for Disneyland? I am the only one who has ever done California Adventure before, but I am guessing the girls may favor Disneyland, and I think there is more to do there?

I'm a big fan of hoppers, but we've never done less than 3 day tickets. You are right that the DL side has more to do, and it might be more attractive for your girls to go back to that side, so a hopper could still make sense for a 2 day trip. You might consider going to 3 day if possible, doing DL/DCA/DL so you can finish up with anything you wanted to do on the DL side!

2.) Genie+- I have used it at WDW, but know it is different at Disneyland. I think the days we are going to the parks are supposed to be fairly light crowd wise (8/31 and 9/1), does Genie+ still make sense? Although, happy to save money where I can, with two smaller kids, if this can cut down on wait times noticeably, think this is an expense I would be happy to pay.

It probably makes sense to add it that morning for at least one person for the photopass benefit, and then decide if you want to add it to everyone else. Crowd calendars have been a bit iffy in these new times and were never as accurate for DLR as they are for WDW, so take it with a grain of salt. You might arrive and discover it is busy enough to want G+. The good news is that it isn't working like WDW where everything good is gone by the time the park opens, since no one can start making LL selections until then.

3.) Any other experiences/dining packages that are recommended for smaller kids/make life easier traveling with them? If I was traveling childless, typically I would forgo those expenses, but think for kids, it could make life easier?

My family loves the character dining - if you are going to be in the area the evening before/morning after your park days, you can do a character dining experience for dinner (Goofy's Kitchen) and/or breakfast on your checkout day (Storyteller's or Goofy's) without needing a park ticket. The Fantasmic dining package (if/when it comes out!!) is usually a good value, and we have enjoyed the WoC dining packages in the past but are trying the dessert party this trip. Either way, the package is less stressful than the virtual queue and I recommend doing it for your own sanity during the trip!

4.) My girls are fairly tall for their age and are already 40+ inches, so they can theoretically ride a lot of what is there. I will certainly see how they are feeling, but upfront wanted to know if there were certain rides that this age may be able to ride, but generally are not fans or, or conversely really like? They did ride Barnstormer at WDW and seemed a little unsure of it while riding (but were also close to a year younger then), but seemed proud of themselves at the end, and ready to go on more rides, so didn't seem overly shook up by it.

RSR is probably a great one to start with at DCA, but since you are starting in DL, you might want to try Pirates first to gauge how they feel about the drops, and then BTMRR. The ride itself on BTMRR is pretty smooth it is the theming that can get a little intense and scary. I personally get pretty freaked out about Splash Mtn and dislike the feeling on the big drop, but my kids have all loved it. They also oddly love GotG and I can barely ride it once without questioning my life choices. Space Mtn is my very favorite ride, but it sometimes bothers my kids with how dark it is, so that might be something to think about too.

5.) I was looking at tickets for our days, and a one day ticket is listed as $104 for each day, but a two day ticket is $255. I thought if anything a multi day ticket should be cheaper- does that make sense?

Totally makes sense, and gelatoni explained it better than I could. If you could go for 3 days you might see more cost benefits, and adding hopper will be less expensive for a 2-day ticket than individual 1 day tickets.

I hope you have a magical trip!

 

[Jgc014]

I'm a big fan of hoppers, but we've never done less than 3 day tickets. You are right that the DL side has more to do, and it might be more attractive for your girls to go back to that side, so a hopper could still make sense for a 2 day trip. You might consider going to 3 day if possible, doing DL/DCA/DL so you can finish up with anything you wanted to do on the DL side!

It probably makes sense to add it that morning for at least one person for the photopass benefit, and then decide if you want to add it to everyone else. Crowd calendars have been a bit iffy in these new times and were never as accurate for DLR as they are for WDW, so take it with a grain of salt. You might arrive and discover it is busy enough to want G+. The good news is that it isn't working like WDW where everything good is gone by the time the park opens, since no one can start making LL selections until then.

My family loves the character dining - if you are going to be in the area the evening before/morning after your park days, you can do a character dining experience for dinner (Goofy's Kitchen) and/or breakfast on your checkout day (Storyteller's or Goofy's) without needing a park ticket. The Fantasmic dining package (if/when it comes out!!) is usually a good value, and we have enjoyed the WoC dining packages in the past but are trying the dessert party this trip. Either way, the package is less stressful than the virtual queue and I recommend doing it for your own sanity during the trip!

RSR is probably a great one to start with at DCA, but since you are starting in DL, you might want to try Pirates first to gauge how they feel about the drops, and then BTMRR. The ride itself on BTMRR is pretty smooth it is the theming that can get a little intense and scary. I personally get pretty freaked out about Splash Mtn and dislike the feeling on the big drop, but my kids have all loved it. They also oddly love GotG and I can barely ride it once without questioning my life choices. Space Mtn is my very favorite ride, but it sometimes bothers my kids with how dark it is, so that might be something to think about too.

Totally makes sense, and gelatoni explained it better than I could. If you could go for 3 days you might see more cost benefits, and adding hopper will be less expensive for a 2-day ticket than individual 1 day tickets.

I hope you have a magical trip!

Thank you SO much - really appreciate all the great thoughts, and we are sure we will have a magical trip. Really can't wait!

Appreciate the call-out on the crowd calendar. I did find something when we were at WDW last time, so good to know this may be even more pronounced at DLR. Still keeping my fingers crossed for lighter crowd though.

Character dining was one of the highlights of our last WDW trip. I honestly think my girls would have stayed all day if we let them, and other than just enjoying the pure magic for them, my husband and I getting to sit down and relax while they were 100% enthralled was pure gold! We are definitely planning to do a character meal while in Disneyland - likely at Storytellers as we will be staying at the Grand Californian, so it sounds easy, which I am very much in favor of when traveling with children!

One of my twins actually did ride Pirates at WDW, and it was her favorite - she said she loved the part where is went woosh (which i translated to mean the drop). I would say she is generally our more adventurous of the two, and I also do remember the Disneyland and DisneyWorld versions being fairly different, so not sure the WDW experience definitely translates to the DLR one.

And I 100% agree on GotG (although, I have only been on the Tower of Terror version) - I think that is the one ride that gets me everytime. Actually last time I was in Disneyland, I am pretty sure that is when I grabbed a complete strangers hand from pure fear, and my sister still makes fun of me for it!

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Pirates is different - DLR has two drops, plus some other differences that make the DLR version a longer experience I believe. It has been a long time since I've done Pirates at WDW world though (2005!) so my memory is shaky there.

Funny you mention ToT/GotG and grabbing a stranger - I also involuntarily grab whoever is next to me. First time I grabbed my husband's arm. Second time I was riding with my then 5 yr old, and grabbed her arm so tightly it left a finger print. She laughed so hard about it and loves telling the story of how mommy was afraid she'd fly out of the seat. I let her go ahead and go with that version

 

[danceintherain]

Park hoppers are a lot more usable at DLR than they are at WDW. It's just so easy to walk across the esplanade. No transportation. No extra security. No folding the stroller.
I just got back and we hopped every day. At WDW, we typically only hop after returning to our hotel and don't even necessarily do that.
The hours are also more generally accommodating to hopping both directions because disneyland usually closes at midnight and DCA at 10PM. Obviously, you'll have to be interested in staying up that late, but you don't run into the same issues where one park is closing and you have to consider that it might take you an hour to travel to a different park.

But its definitely worth it to wait and see after to get there because there isn't really a benefit to having it early.

Also, you probably will want hoppers with genie+ more than you want it without. Since you are limited to one LL per ride per day, it can make a lot of sense to hop over to the other park and use up your entitlements there. It might make sense to do genie+ for everyone one day and hit up all the LL attractions in both parks, then skip it the 2nd day and focus on the non-LL attractions plus the ILL.

I just did 3 days with supposedly middling crowds and we got G+ just the first day and ILL for ROTR and RSR. The second day we did have hoppers but no additional add ons. The third day, the lines were great in the morning but terrible after dark due to a party, so I ended up buying ILL for RSR again because I just wanted to get out of the park and ODS had his heart set on it.

You could also get G+ for half the group the first day and half the second then take turns riding with the kids. I was actually carrying my sons ticket around for the first day because I wasn't paying attention and nobody noticed because there isn't a photo that pops up or anything. It really depends on how much you want to ride altogether and general ride interests.