Disneyland in One Day- yes or no!?

[kate11razorback]

we are planning a trip to San Diego in August and I just realized how close to Disneyland we will be. I was thinking of driving up early (it would be a weekday), going to DL and driving back to San Diego in one day. Is that crazy? Our kids are 3, 4 and 6 so we would be focusing mainly on the rides and attractions that are for little ones. Any suggestions, ideas would be helpful as I was just a little older than my kids the last time I went to DL!

Thanks

 

[DLR29]

Last year, my mom and I (14) went in Late June and we got there early, stayed there late and got a ton of stuff done. We rode every major ride at least once. We even got in Buzz 4 times. (Space was closed). We rode every FL dark ride and we maximized FP use. It is possible, but you'd have to leave very early (grumpy kids) and leave very late (tired kids).

 

[Katie0677]

Hmmm...we were there in March, with 3 kids, and took a day trip to SeaWorld. We spent 3 days at DL though. I would say if it's your only chance to get to DL, and you really want to go, then go, but don't stress over trying to ride or do everything, because I don't think it will happen. You will have fun though and will definitely want to come back for more!!
Katie

 

[kellymouse]

We used to do this all the time from San Diego and from LA! It can be done, but it is kinda hectic and crazy. My cousin finally asked, "Why don't you guys just stay there?", so we did, and now that has led to a 3 night stay. It makes the whole experience so much better and more relaxed, and you stay out of traffic. It's nice because you can go back to your room if you get hot or tired and take a little nap or just get away for a while. If you can, I would book a room at one of the 3 DL hotels and leave early the next morning.
Whatever you do, I know you will have a great time!

 

[munchkinsmom]

I would say if it's your only chance to get to DL, and you really want to go, then go, but don't stress over trying to ride or do everything, because I don't think it will happen. You will have fun though and will definitely want to come back for more!!
Katie

ITA with Katie. There will be a lot of people there in August and the weather will be a bit quite warm, so be sure to schedule breaks into your day. It'll eat into your ride time, but it'll make for a better day all around.

When we do one day trips it's so tempting to keep going because we want to see everything, but DH and I have to make a conscious effort to provide the kids a little down time during the day. It's not so much the physical, since much of the time they're in strollers and standing in line, but it's the sensory overload that can wear them out sometimes.

Here are the rides we try to do everytime we go:

It's a Small World
Dumbo
Casey Jr. Train
Peter Pan (the line get very long, so try to do this early in the AM, if you can...otherwise, don't bother)
Tea Cups
Alice in Wonderland (line also can be like Peter Pan ride)
DL Railroad (very nice ride for resting)
Winnie the Pooh
Mark Twain or Columbia
Buzz Lightyear

During the off season, we're usually able to do all these, but when the crowds are large and the lines are long, it might be a bit more difficult.


Go and have a great time!

 

[hlbtimes2]

Its not ideal but- One day at Disneyland is better then NO days at Disneyland!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Well, I say go for it. If you go knowing you can't do it all, you wont' be tempted to try and will see what you see and probably have a great time.
Click on the below link for some invaluable advice on how fastpass works at Disneyland.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=885132&highlight=hydroguy

It was written by a Disneyland regular who went last August so his advice should be right on the money for your time frame. If you have been to WDW, then you know quite a bit about fastpass but it never hurts to study a little Disneyland fastpass strategy! Also, he has four kids so knows how to see and do quite a bit with little ones. My best advice to you is to get to Disneyland at opening, in fact get there about 30 minutes early. That means you will likely have to leave San Diego very early but believe me it will be worth it. Disneyland doesn't seem to fill up until it gets closer to lunch time, probably because they have a huge local base of attendees.

Disneyland has two parks now (maybe you know this, sorry to be redundant) and while I love California Adventure think that for a one day only trip you might want to just stay at Disneyland and not try to hop over to California Adventure. However, since DCA is right next to Disneyland if you do decide to go over there, its close by and takes about two minutes to get there from the Disneyland turnstiles. If nothing else, you could go over to DCA to see the Aladdin show which is incredible and could be a nice break. They also have a cute Monsters Inc ride over there your kids would probably enjoy. You certainly cannot see everything, even by just staying at Disneyland but you can have a great trip and do a lot. And if at all possible, you might consider trying to stay in the Disneyland area for one night to save some drive time before and after such a big, event filled day.

Disneyland is nice and compact but has a ton of things to do. So pick your favorites, and go! It would be a shame to be right there and not see it, especially with the 50th anniversary going on. And make sure you see Remember, the fireworks, they are incredible, far better than even Wishes at WDW.

 

[carolina_yankee]

Wow - that's a tough one! I think it could be either and adventure you'll remember for ever, or a nightmare you'll remember for ever! IF the kids were older, I'd say, "Sure, no problem. Just do open to close."

I think the only way it could work would to be at the park at opening, which is 8 am in the summer? Wednesday might be a good day because that's not an early entry day. If possible, get your tickets in advance so can just park and go.

If you can do it that way, I bet you'll get all the majors for kids out of the way by 11 or Noon and then could just enjoy the park until you think it's time to head back.

Maybe you could schedule a late lunch at the Storybook Cafe in the GRand Californian for a nice mid-day break?

Let us know how it works out.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

I went with Dsis last winter, and we did everything in a day. There was almost no one in the parks that day.

DH, Dsis and I went again this spring, and only had one day at DL. Couldn't do everything, as there were a lot more people there.

But 1 day at DL and not seeing everything is always better than no days at DL

Jen

 

[kate11razorback]

Thanks for all the advice. We are WDW fans but wanted to take a peek at what Disneyland had to offer since we would be so close. It looks like driving over for the day will work. We may exptend our vacation one day and stay on property for a night or two! I'm sure no matter how long we end up being there we will love it. After all- it's DISNEY!!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks for all the advice. We are WDW fans but wanted to take a peek at what Disneyland had to offer since we would be so close. It looks like driving over for the day will work. We may exptend our vacation one day and stay on property for a night or two! I'm sure no matter how long we end up being there we will love it. After all- it's DISNEY!!

If you could extend that would be great. The onsite hotels are right there. Everything, the hotels, Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney are all right there together. I happen to love the Disneyland Hotel, your kids would love the Peter Pan Neverland themed pool. I think one day at Disneyland isn't the biggest obstacle you are facing with this plan, its the drive from San Diego to Anaheim that makes it tough! Southern California traffic is not known for being a pleasant thing to deal with! I hope it all works out, Disneyland is so beautiful right now for the 50th, you will have a great time!

 

[carolina_yankee]

Thanks for all the advice. We are WDW fans but wanted to take a peek at what Disneyland had to offer since we would be so close. It looks like driving over for the day will work. We may exptend our vacation one day and stay on property for a night or two! I'm sure no matter how long we end up being there we will love it. After all- it's DISNEY!!

If you could extend your vacation to give you 2 nights at Disneyland (with an early start on Day 1), you could cover most of both parks and enjoy the parades and fireworks without killing yourselves. However, if you want to stay at a Disney hotel (Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel, or Paradise Pier) you should book asap and cancel later if you need to. Their dates are getting very tight, at least for July. August may be easier because of school schedules.

If you can't get on property, or want more economical lodgings, there are many good hotels right across the street from the entrance on Harbor Blvd. They usually run $90 - $140 or so, depnding on room and time of year. Even the Howard Johnson's, which is furthest out on the block and gets great reviews, isn't a longer walk than parts of the Disneyland Hotel.

You really shouldn't miss the parks if there's any way you can fit them in.
Enjoy. I love San Diego, too!

 

[Dobie]

If I was going for one day with little ones, this is the plan I would follow:

1. Consider purchasing ridemax (ridemax.com) It is 16 dollars or so, but lets you figure out the best plan of attack to minimize line waiting. For what you will spend on this trip, it is a small price, IMHO.

2. Since your kids are so little, you will probably spend a lot of time in Fantasyland. Fantasyland has no Fastpass attractions, so you need to do the following things:

Be in line half an hour before the gates open, tickets in hand (prepurchase through Disneyland.com, or at a Disney store)
Go on a Wednesday, if you can. There is early entry for FL attractions on M,T, TH, and Sat, and Friday/Sunday will be busy. On EE days, (which you will not be eligible for with a one day ticket) FL will be FULL by the time you can get in.

3. Go to Disneyland.com, and check out the show times. Use the shows (Snow White, Billy Hill) to give your family a break in the afternoon.

4. You might want to schedule an early dinner/late lunch at DL hotel/Goofy's Kitchen, to give your family a break. YOu can take the monorail.

Have fun!

 

[disneychrista]

While Disneyland can be "experienced" in one day, you will not get "everything" done. The drive weekdays will be a killer. You might think of getting a hotel for the night.