Disneyland Newbie Help!

[klwdisney]

Hi!! So I am a seasoned WDW traveler from the East Coast. My mom just suggested a trip to CA "the sooner the better" - her treat! Her suggestion was 5 days/4 nights, a couple days at DL and a couple "sightseeing" days. I am absolutely clueless on where to begin!! I know nothing of crowd calendars for DL, better days to fly, what's near DL for sightseeing, etc. I assume a Good Neighbor hotel would be our best bet since it wouldn't be a fully Disney trip. I am trying to look at my work calendar to see what time off is available. I'm thinking maybe late April/early May (i am already off around memorial day for something else).

Help me my DIS'ers! You're my only hope!

 

[chickapin parterre]

per calif sight seeing, what do you do on the east coast to keep you moving around the alantic seaboard?

there are no good choices, pick a week and we can define what that week will look like.

 

[klwdisney]

I'm not sure I understand your questions?

I have never been off the east coast so I have no idea what are some "must see" places we could visit while in the area of Disneyland. California is a much larger state than all of New England combined so that's why I was looking for suggestions.

Also, I noted that since this was a brand new idea/discussion I wasn't sure yet what timeframe we were looking at but I'm tentatively thinking late April/early May. Do I need to give exact dates to get a rough idea of crowds/weather?

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

Here is a good website for crowds in DL: http://www.isitpacked.com/disneyland-crowd-forecast-predictor-calendar/

I'm going this year for the first time as well! In September though, so I can see Halloween stuff. I've found lots of tips if you need any!

 

[klwdisney]

Thank you so much! I am sure I will once this trip starts to take more shape!

 

[DizneyMommy]

I’d stick to Anaheim and San Diego, if you’ve never been to So Cal. You could do 3 days in Anaheim, move on to San Diego for 2 more and fly out from there, this cutting down hours of driving back and forth. There is the amazing San Diego Zoo, sea world, USS Midway, La Jolla, and plenty more to see in San Diego. If LA is more interesting to you, just prepare for lots of driving, traffic, and crowds that time of year (well any time actually lol). You could also do 3 days in Anaheim and then head up the coast to the museums in LA and on to Santa Barbara to wine country or farther to Paso Robles for 2 more days but in that case you’d probably still be driving back to LA to fly out. What type of sight seeing are you interested in? That would help narrow it down.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Late April/ early May is a good time frame as spring break is over and local schools aren’t out until mid-late June. Just be aware of grad nights at DL If you are scheduling nighttime shows and fireworks.

 

[AndreAggie]

We're doing that ^^^^ (Awe man...I thought I was typing fast enough....see 2 posts up!)

Except we're flying into San Diego first, then making our way to Anaheim. If this is something that interests you, look at the SoCal CityPass ticket. With that, you can add on the Zoo for a discount.

 

[chickapin parterre]

do you row a canoe on the concord river or eat breakfast in Faneuil Hall, travel to country Inn to chase falling leaves or snowshoe looking for snowshoes, marvel at Twain's home or follow the trail of Revere, have a cabin on the lake or frolic at Lake George.......the possibilities of California are endless, what is that you do to visit New England?

 

[HydroGuy]

Some links to get you pointed the right direction...It talks about all your questions including things to do outside DLR.

"A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

"Choosing the Right DLR Area Hotel for You" www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-hotel-for-you.3656512/

"Choosing When To Visit DLR: Summary of High and Low Season and When Each Happens" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36509602

 

[Cabius]

General advice: DL is just way less stressful than WDW, especially in terms of planning. You don’t have to book dining or FPs in advance. The parks are more compact. You can walk to the parks from multiple on- and off-site hotels. If you’re a show-up-and-play-it-by-ear traveler, this will be your jam.

 

[RachelKS]

General advice: DL is just way less stressful than WDW, especially in terms of planning. You don’t have to book dining or FPs in advance. The parks are more compact. You can walk to the parks from multiple on- and off-site hotels. If you’re a show-up-and-play-it-by-ear traveler, this will be your jam.

Your post made me smile. I have been to WDW twice and we are going to DL for the first time in May. I have just many planning lists and notes for DL as I have had for WDW. Maybe I'm just on over planner! Play it by ear freaks me out!

 

[goooof1]

Listen to @HydroGuy ......pay attention to the links in his above response. He has a wealth of info. in those links!

 

[IslaLila]

As for other things to do, my husband loves record shopping, I love regular shopping, we both love the beach, and we both love whale watching, so we try to do all of that. We love the beaches near Laguna (crystal cove, Laguna beach etc) and we go to Dana Point for whale watching. Nick’s in Laguna Beach is a great place for dinner. I like shopping at South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

OP, what are your interests? Do you like the beach or zoos or shopping or adventure?

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

As for other things to do, my husband loves record shopping, I love regular shopping, we both love the beach, and we both love whale watching, so we try to do all of that. We love the beaches near Laguna (crystal cove, Laguna beach etc) and we go to Dana Point for whale watching. Nick’s in Laguna Beach is a great place for dinner. I like shopping at South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island.

Laguna Beach and Dana Point are gorgeous and wonderful places to visit, especially if you like beaches and the ocean. And much closer than San Diego. San Diego is amazing too but for such a short trip I don't know if I'd recommend going all the way to San Diego.

 

[GenGen22]

You could also visit Hollywood as well as DL in Anaheim. They have some really cool movie studio tours like Warner Brothers or go to Universal studios or check out the iconic walk of fame with the movie stars on the ground. For planning being a WDW vet you could use touring plans I know a lot of WDW vets use them. For hotels I would look at getawaytoday.com for hotel deals. They have a map of where the hotels are in proximity to where DL is. And the have free breakfast deals and 3rd and 4th night free deals.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Your post made me smile. I have been to WDW twice and we are going to DL for the first time in May. I have just many planning lists and notes for DL as I have had for WDW. Maybe I'm just on over planner! Play it by ear freaks me out!

We always tell our friends: do your research for DLR, make your plans and your reservations, then relax and get ready to go with the flow! Always have a plan B. And always be ready to let the magic happen. Some people are so rigid with their plans that they don't leave any room for the magic -- they squeeze it all out with military precision! Magical things happen all over at DLR, usually when you least expect it, so be prepared, then relax and enjoy! You're going to have a great trip!

 

[klwdisney]

do you row a canoe on the concord river or eat breakfast in Faneuil Hall, travel to country Inn to chase falling leaves or snowshoe looking for snowshoes, marvel at Twain's home or follow the trail of Revere, have a cabin on the lake or frolic at Lake George.......the possibilities of California are endless, what is that you do to visit New England?

Thank you for your suggestions... but I'm looking for sights to see IN CA. Not in New England/East Coast, where I live. I've never been to CA. I have no idea what sights there are to see that are around the Disneyland area.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Thank you for your suggestions... but I'm looking for sights to see IN CA. Not in New England/East Coast, where I live...

I think the pp and others are trying to get a feel for what sort of things interest you. If we have an idea of what interests you near home, we can come up with parallel things out here. There are too many things to suggest for you to do in CA (it's a big, big area), and I think the pp is hesitant to overwhelm you with an avalanche of suggestions, especially if half the things on the list won't even interest you and your mother. Giving us some general ideas of things you really want to see (e.g. things to do with nature, sports, shopping, museums, Hollywood, celebrities, food, beaches, Disney history, etc.) will help us give you the best suggestions for helping you have a great time.