Disneyland on the way to Hawaii?

[excessively_diverted]

Has anyone done a day or two at DL on the way to Hawaii? We are trying to plan for an early October 2021 trip to Hawaii and are thinking about stopping in California for a day to two and do Disney to break up the plane ride. We've been to WDW multiple times, but never been to DL. Is this reasonable to do? Is 1 or 2 days enough to really see and do much? Also, we always stay on property at WDW, but we would like to stay off property at DL to save money for Hawaii. What hotels do you recommend that are super close? TIA!

 

[OKW Lover]

Coming from the East Coast (FL in our case) we prefer to get to Hawaii as quickly as possible and to acclimate out there. To properly "do" DL/DCA you would need three days. Do you have enough vacation time to spend there plus Hawaii?

 

[excessively_diverted]

We really only want to spend 10 days on vacation with the most in Maui. It's not going to be a Disney centric vacay, but I thought we could spend a day or two in DL since this trip would be replacing the December 2021 WDW vacay we originally were planning. (Plus we have a 5yo son who wouldn't do well on the 8hr direct flight to Maui lol) If we had an early flight (we are coming from DFW) would it be possible to do a half day at DL and then 1 more day at DCA or possibly the other way around? Or would you spend 2 full days? One at each park? We've been to WDW and Magic Kingdom enough that we wouldn't need to do EVERYTHING at DL and we aren't planning on DTD or anything like that. I wouldn't mind 2 full days, but 3 is too much for what we want.

 

[StarWarsNerd24]

possible to do a half day at DL and then 1 more day at DCA or possibly the other way around?

If it was me I would do it the other way around but ultimately I would do 1 full day in each park. I understand that you have the Hawaii part of the trip as being the focus but IMO the bare minimum would be 1 full day in each park ( and with maxpass this is more feasible to do). If you cant make it work it is totally understandable but if you have never been to Disneyland then you may not leave with the most positive experience if you are doing more of a rushed trip. there really is so much do do at DL that the more you spread out the trip the more relaxed it is, the more relaxed it is the more fun you will have but this is just my 2 cents.

There are enough big differences in some of the rides that while you may not think you need to do everything you might want to consider it, for example Space Mountain and Pirates is better at DL and while the ride systems of test track and Dinosaurs are similar to Indy and Radiator Springs the Disneyland versions are far superior. Again just my 2 cents but if you are a "Disney" fan then I would make a separate DL trip at some point to truly appreciate all the splendor that DL has to offer.

 

[OKW Lover]

If we had an early flight (we are coming from DFW) would it be possible to do a half day at DL and then 1 more day at DCA or possibly the other way around? Or would you spend 2 full days? One at each park? We've been to WDW and Magic Kingdom enough that we wouldn't need to do EVERYTHING at DL and we aren't planning on DTD or anything like that. I wouldn't mind 2 full days, but 3 is too much for what we want.

First some background so you understand my perspective. I have been visiting the Disney parks for 30+ years and currently live right next to WDW. I've been to every Disney park in the world. I've also been to Aulani 5 times now. OK, onward to your question.

Even though you've been to "WDW and Magic Kingdom" (note MK is part of WDW) there are huge differences between the Magic Kingdom in WDW and Disneyland. With only 1/2 day you'll miss much of Walt's park. Even with a full day, you'll still miss stuff.

Some folks will tell you that DCA is a half-day park. Perhaps that depends on which half of the day. Something not to be missed there is the park at night. CarsLand especially and the World of Color Show. But there is plenty to see and do in DCA for a day.

Oh, and DTD is really just shopping and eating. You won't miss much if you skip that.

 

[Freya424]

We did this last year. 4 nights in Disneyland followed by a week at Aulani. It really helped us break up the time change coming from the east coast. I would allot at least a full day for each park.

 

[B3rlingirl]

That’s what we usually do actually... doing a couple days at DL and then continue to Maui...(but we usually do 3-4 week long trips...)
But we are flying from Germany so it’s a really long flight and a long day already when we land in LAX. So for us it helps a lot to do a stop over on LAX to ease the Jetlag and then continue to Maui...
I always loved flying so a long flight wasn’t a problem even as a kid... but the way back is always hard because its well over a 30h day in total till we can lie in a bed again... but going east the 12h Jetlag is bad anyways so it doesn’t matter much...
)
We always did 3 days at DL (till I became DL obsessed about 2,5 years ago). 3 days were enough for me as a kid and teenager even when DCA openend. (One day each park and one day best of...But those were full park days and no travel days...and another 2-3 days either shopping or Seaworld...

I would do a stop over in DL every time I fly to Hawaii even if it’s just for 1-2 days in DL (but I have a longer flight of course...)
I personally would do the first day/ evening at DL and start there on the next and hop over to DCA midday and back to DL at night probably (for a 1 and 1/2 day stay...) but it depends on the rides you wanna do and entertainment... (and don’t waste time in DTD...it’s nice to hang out and get into the Disney mood if you have the time but not worth it for a short trip).
I would make a list of must do’s for DL/DCA and decide if those are worth an extra day or if that day is better spend on Maui..(tough choice for sure...happiest place on earth vs the paradise on earth...) if I would plan a 10 day trip now I would probably do 1 and 1/2 days at DL (probably skipping DCA or just a quick hop to Carsland) but DL is kind of my “home” park and I would regard that as an added bonus to my Hawaii trip...

 

[excessively_diverted]

If it was me I would do it the other way around but ultimately I would do 1 full day in each park. I understand that you have the Hawaii part of the trip as being the focus but IMO the bare minimum would be 1 full day in each park ( and with maxpass this is more feasible to do). If you cant make it work it is totally understandable but if you have never been to Disneyland then you may not leave with the most positive experience if you are doing more of a rushed trip. there really is so much do do at DL that the more you spread out the trip the more relaxed it is, the more relaxed it is the more fun you will have but this is just my 2 cents.

There are enough big differences in some of the rides that while you may not think you need to do everything you might want to consider it, for example Space Mountain and Pirates is better at DL and while the ride systems of test track and Dinosaurs are similar to Indy and Radiator Springs the Disneyland versions are far superior. Again just my 2 cents but if you are a "Disney" fan then I would make a separate DL trip at some point to truly appreciate all the splendor that DL has to offer.

Thank you for answering my question without being condescending. I honestly appreciate that! I've been to WDW (and yes I know MK is part of WDW and what DTD is....) multiple times and am aware there are things that are different and some that are the same/similar. I wanted to know if it was doable in 1.5 or 2 days and it seems like the consensus is that we should plan for 2 full days there! Thank you! We just went to WDW for 10 days in September, so I didn't want to have another huge Disney trip so soon hence the question. I mean, we don't get to do absolutely everything we want to do while we are at WDW so I expected that we wouldn't be able to do everything at DL while there no matter how long it was.

We did this last year. 4 nights in Disneyland followed by a week at Aulani. It really helped us break up the time change coming from the east coast. I would allot at least a full day for each park.

That was our hope too! To break up the time change a bit. Glad it worked for y'all. My husband has difficulty with any kind of time change so I'm thinking this will help him too!

 

[excessively_diverted]

That’s what we usually do actually... doing a couple days at DL and then continue to Maui...(but we usually do 3-4 week long trips...)
But we are flying from Germany so it’s a really long flight and a long day already when we land in LAX. So for us it helps a lot to do a stop over on LAX to ease the Jetlag and then continue to Maui...
I always loved flying so a long flight wasn’t a problem even as a kid... but the way back is always hard because its well over a 30h day in total till we can lie in a bed again... but going east the 12h Jetlag is bad anyways so it doesn’t matter much...
)
We always did 3 days at DL (till I became DL obsessed about 2,5 years ago). 3 days were enough for me as a kid and teenager even when DCA openend. (One day each park and one day best of...But those were full park days and no travel days...and another 2-3 days either shopping or Seaworld...

I would do a stop over in DL every time I fly to Hawaii even if it’s just for 1-2 days in DL (but I have a longer flight of course...)
I personally would do the first day/ evening at DL and start there on the next and hop over to DCA midday and back to DL at night probably (for a 1 and 1/2 day stay...) but it depends on the rides you wanna do and entertainment... (and don’t waste time in DTD...it’s nice to hang out and get into the Disney mood if you have the time but not worth it for a short trip).
I would make a list of must do’s for DL/DCA and decide if those are worth an extra day or if that day is better spend on Maui..(tough choice for sure...happiest place on earth vs the paradise on earth...) if I would plan a 10 day trip now I would probably do 1 and 1/2 days at DL (probably skipping DCA or just a quick hop to Carsland) but DL is kind of my “home” park and I would regard that as an added bonus to my Hawaii trip...

Thanks so much for your advice! I appreciate your input! That's kind of how I was thinking with DL being an added bonus and not the focus!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I would aim for two full days (meaning rope drop to as late as you want), one day per park. So that might mean three nights hotel. If you do less than that I don’t think it will be as enjoyable, especially with a 5-year-old (coming from a fellow mother of a 5-year-old). Off site hotels will save you money ... look for one in walking distance. Some of the hotels on Harbor are closer than some of the Disney hotels.

 

[excessively_diverted]

I would aim for two full days (meaning rope drop to as late as you want), one day per park. So that might mean three nights hotel. If you do less than that I don’t think it will be as enjoyable, especially with a 5-year-old (coming from a fellow mother of a 5-year-old). Off site hotels will save you money ... look for one in walking distance. Some of the hotels on Harbor are closer than some of the Disney hotels.

Yes I was planning on getting to the hotel one day, then two more days of parks, then the next day fly to Maui. I definitely would like to stay off property this time to save some money! Do you have any suggestions on which hotels are better? I saw on an old thread either here or reddit that the Fairfield Inn by Marriott Anaheim was good and it looks close, but I'd love more recommendations if you've stayed somewhere and liked it.

 

[Cfiiitz]

When we were childless we would fly through and do one loooooong day at DL and DCA any time we passed through LAX. However, now that I have a child I would agree with the advice above - I think you need two full days at the parks but it is totally doable Depending on the characters your child enjoys you might end up spending more time in DCA than the typical half day that people recommend.
With regards to off site hotels: we stayed at the Fairfield Inn in January with our two year old and loved it. We have stayed there a few times. Close to some good, cheap food options and close enough to walk home for a nap if you need it. It’s my favourite!!
Good luck!!!

 

[Cfiiitz]

Oh also as someone who dreads taking my tiny rabid raccoon (aka my child) on the loooong flight to Hawaii I think this is a good idea!!

 

[Aurora0427]

I would aim for two full days.... it’s definitely doable. Yes, you’ll miss stuff, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing. We are local and there’s still things at both parks we haven’t done.

I highly recommend the Park Vue Inn. We like to book the two queen room on the second floor, towards the back of the motel. It’s directly across the street from the entrance from the Disneyland Resort... less than a 5 minute walk. Other motels/hotels people like are:

Tropicana Inn
Fairfield Inn
Courtyard by Marriott Theme Park
HOJO

All of these are very close to the entrance.

 

[fly girl]

Has anyone done a day or two at DL on the way to Hawaii? We are trying to plan for an early October 2021 trip to Hawaii and are thinking about stopping in California for a day to two and do Disney to break up the plane ride. We've been to WDW multiple times, but never been to DL. Is this reasonable to do? Is 1 or 2 days enough to really see and do much? Also, we always stay on property at WDW, but we would like to stay off property at DL to save money for Hawaii. What hotels do you recommend that are super close? TIA!

Yes, it is reasonable to do with 2 days at the park. One day I would debate just for the fact of going in and out of LAX, transport to Anaheim, and packing and unpacking for a night -- but sounds like your planning is really around 3 nights. Completely doable, imho! Go for it!!

You are a WDW vet, you know you can't see it all in one visit so no need to explain. Personally, I would get a park hopper with max pass and hop back and forth. (you are going to love how easy it is to go between parks . )

And my 2 huge recommendations for DLR are 1. Get a churro!, and 2. See World of Color! (best Disney show, if you can splurge for WOC dessert party it is worth it -- esp. if you are short like me.)

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Has anyone done a day or two at DL on the way to Hawaii? We are trying to plan for an early October 2021 trip to Hawaii and are thinking about stopping in California for a day to two and do Disney to break up the plane ride. We've been to WDW multiple times, but never been to DL. Is this reasonable to do? Is 1 or 2 days enough to really see and do much? Also, we always stay on property at WDW, but we would like to stay off property at DL to save money for Hawaii. What hotels do you recommend that are super close? TIA!

Here are some good threads to help you with your decision and trip planning. Reading through these will help you decide whether this will work for you, how many days you'll really need, and where to stay:
A DLR Guide for WDW Vets
"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862
"Choosing the Right DLR Area Hotel for You" www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-hotel-for-you.3656512/ -- ask any hotel questions here!
"Airport Proximity to DLR and Ground Transportation Information" by @3TinksAndAnEeyorewww.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2318297 -- the current situation has changed the airport and ground transportation options in many ways -- ask all questions here!

 

[sjmac42]

In 2016 I did 12 nights in Hawaii, 3 in Vegas and 3 in Anaheim for DL. I’d been before (and since) so spent 2 days in the parks with a parkhopper. I really would recommend the parkhopper, particularly for a shorter visit, as the parks are a minute or 2 walk from each other. Adding MaxPass also allows you to get fastpasses one at a time for either park after you scan into one or the other. Also check the flight times as it may be that visiting on the way back home may be easier. Also give the 5yo something to look forward to.

These options do add to the cost but if it’s about time more than money, the PH and MP will be well worth it. I can’t remember a visit to DL when I haven’t park hopped.

As for accommodation, there are literally dozens of good options within 5-15 minutes of the parks from good clean basic motels such as Anaheim Desert Inn (I’ve stayed there), Candy Cane Inn and Kings Inn (stayed there), straight across the street the 2 closest are Park Vue Inn (stayed there) and Best Western Park Place Inn to Hotels like Howard Johnson (stayed there), Fairfield Inn plus a few newer places like Hyatt House, Springhill Suites Convention and Residence Inn Convention. This is by no means a comprehensive list but I’ve never had a bad stay at any I’ve stayed at except the Clarion which I wouldn’t recommend. Last trip at Christmas we stayed at the Hilton (about 15-20 mins) and thought it was great. Of course the Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian are excellent but its not as necessary to be “on property” at DL.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Re: MP/FP, as mentioned by the pp -- see this thread: "Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" by @Skyegirl1999 - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/ -- ask all MP/FP questions here!

 

[CastAStone]

That was our plan for May...

If you don’t mind a 12 minute walk from your hotel to the park gates I’d strongly recommend the Hyatt House. It’s very new and very nice; most of the hotels near Disneyland are older, and while some have been kept up well, the Hyatt House is just a great property. Solid free breakfast as well, with most of the hotels across from the park don’t have.

 

[B3rlingirl]

About the hotel choice... it really depends if you want/need a "nicer" hotel or if the standard DL motel is enough for you.. If you just do 1-2 days I recommend spending as much time as possible in the parks and as little as possible time in the hotel. So I would suggest you take a look at the motels right at the crosswalk. (We always stayed at the Anaheim Inn which is often a couple $$ cheaper for us than the BWPPI and has warm breakfast)