Disneyland TR. A first timer who just got back.

[delaney's mom]

First of all I have been to WDW and now I'm a changed woman. Land all the way, baby! Sorry this review runs long, but I am not very good at being brief!
The weather was fabulous and predictable (thanks to the drought, no rain worries).
I do have some tips that I have picked up from the internet in various places and wanted to share them here. You guys/gals probably know all of this by now, but since we had such an awesome time I wanted to get it all written down before I forgot. If it helps no one at least I can look back on this when we start planning our next trip - in 2 years.
Transport:
We flew into SNA and took a taxi to the hotel. No knock on the super shuttle or other transportation methods, but it was what we're used to and just easier for our family of 4.
Lodging:
We stayed at the Fairfield Inn. Pros: Location, location, location. Ridiculously short walk to the park, clean, cheap. Cons: no free breakfast, pretty basic pool and there's a Pizza Hut and snack bar located on the 3rd floor with microwaves for guest use - you only get a small fridge in your room. I didn't spring for the extra cost of a character room, but (without asking) they gave us an upgrade to a Toy Story themed room for free. We generally don't spend much time in hotels on vacations unless we are sleeping and I found that to be true for this vacation as well. We went to the pool once, briefly. Mostly to justify us bringing our swimsuits. And we had breakfast covered because...
Packing:
I found a lot of cheap disney themed merchandise at Target and purchased it covertly ahead of time. Packed them away and then gave them out as gifts throughout the vacation. Disney themed pajamas, coloring books and water bottles were big hits.
I used amazon prime pantry to send our food and water ahead of time. It was one of the best decisions I could have made. We had breakfast and plenty of snacks for the trip. I recommend Belvita breakfast bars and cliff bars. We were glad to have the water and next time we'll be sure to buy some drink mix because the water in Anaheim is so gross. And I'm not a picky water person. Seriously cloudy coming out of the taps and at water fountains. There is a long drought occurring and it shows in the water quality. We were so glad to have our reusable water bottles with us.
With a 7YO and a 4YO we were on the fence about bringing a stroller (we brought a sturdy single) but in the end we were so glad to have it. Perfect for storage and rest for both kids.
I also went with an over the shoulder bag with a small zip pocket for the park passes. Not too feminine and easy to pass to the husband to carry when needed. This is really a crucial item. Backpacks are bulky and (although I never saw anyone with any bad intentions) I feel safer with a bag I can keep comfortable in front of me in big crowds. Also as many times as I needed to access it for FP, the shoulder bag was great to have everything in one place that wasn't attached to one person. Again ideal for splitting up to take a kid to the potty or to send a runner for a FP.
Here comes the pricey part. We invested (yes i said invested) in Keens and sunhats with SPF for the whole family. Keens aren't cheap footwear and those fancy sunhats are pricey, but I wouldn't change a thing. And I'm a cheapskate. I coupon and bargain hunt with the best of them. We did wait for a sale at REI, but honestly for all that walking - Keens are worth paying full price for. No blisters, no complaints, easy clean in the sink and will dry overnight if they get stinky. And not having to put sunblock on my wiggly kids faces - priceless. I did have to be super vigilant about having the hats on, but since the kids picked them out themselves they loved wearing them.
At the park:
We had a simple strategy: get there at open (when the crowds are smaller), nap in the late afternoon (when it's hot and the waits are 80 minutes), return and stay until close (nobody seemed to stick around late at night, so we rode a ton of rides). It may not be ideal for everyone - especially if your hotel isn't close, but it was perfect for us. I was able to dart around and get FPs as soon as we got in the parks, while DH took the kids to Fantasyland/Carsland to ride a bunch of the rides quickly with no lines. As a result we were able to get DS on RSR 3 times in one day. I was also not afraid to ask for directions or assistance. I was clueless about FPs or how to find some of them and got some great help and didn't waste time getting frustrated trying to find things. Couldn't have been more pleased with the service.
We had lunch with Ariel one day and it was definitely worth it. The food was...just ok, and the service was the worst I had on our trip. But the kids loved seeing Ariel and the other 4 princesses that came by our table for pictures.
Fantasmic was fantastic! No regrets about the time spent getting the FPs early or the time we sat waiting for the show to start. We brought a small blanket and grabbed a late dinner to-go from Hungry Bear to pass the time. It was mesmerizing and the perfect way to end our first day. I'm sure that I am echoing what others have said but do not miss this show.
We had 3 day tickets (no park hopper) and it was ideal for us. We went to Disneyland first day, California Adventure Park second day, and Disneyland again on our last day.
Can't wait to return and do it all over again. If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading and hope this helps someone a tiny bit.

 

[Disney127]

Thanks for the trip report, it's always nice to hear people having a good time at DL!

 

[AngiTN]

We just got back too. Glad you had a great trip but I have to ask.... did you ever wish you'd gotten PH passes?
Having a 5 day PH pass we went back and forth between the parks, basically treating them as if they were 1 park. I couldn't have done our trip without them.
Were you able to ride every ride?

 

[RKKUNK]

I guess my question would be this: you make it sound as if you got multiple FPs when you went into the parks in the morning, do you mind if I ask how you did that?

 

[delaney's mom]

I didn't want the hopper because I didn't want to get stressed out on vacation - and for me, having only one park per day to concentrate on helped with that. I personally, tend to get overwhelmed and feel internal pressure to "do everything! all the time!" and did not want that ruining my vacation. But that's just for my personality.
(I broke out the maps to be sure I got the details right.) Some or all of our family (depending on height/fear/lack of interest) got to ride every ride except : goofy's sky school, grizzly river run, california screamin', tower of terror, haunted mansion. But some we rode multiple times (pirates (x3), RSR (x3) , Big Thunder Mt. Railroad (x3), teacups (x6!), and most of fantasyland twice. And we also got to see the "Frozen fun" show - which was so worth it. For us, DCA was especially easy to do in one day.
I forgot to mention we went this past sunday-tuesday 6/7-6/9 and those days of the week may be less busy.
But I am a morning person and enjoyed our afternoon rest so we stayed energized for late night.

 

[delaney's mom]

Went straight to the RSR FP station at open - I got mid-morning FPs (10:30 i think) for RSR while the rest of my family got in line for the ride. Then I used single rider line to wait for my family to join (1st ride), staff was totally ok with this (not sure if that's normal practice). As soon as I could right before 2nd ride (1015 i think) we grabbed our 2nd FP for our third ride (8-830pm)

 

[kylie71]

Thank You for taking the time to write a trip report, Happy you had a FUN trip at Walts park!

--Lori

 

[delaney's mom]

Ooh ooh I almost forgot! Sleeping beauty's castle at night! It's all lit up with diamonds for the 60th. I'm sure some of you are used to it by now, but for me it was one of the most magical and beautiful things I've ever seen. I would post a picture, but don't want to spoil it for those that are going soon.

 

[AngiTN]

I didn't want the hopper because I didn't want to get stressed out on vacation - and for me, having only one park per day to concentrate on helped with that. I personally, tend to get overwhelmed and feel internal pressure to "do everything! all the time!" and did not want that ruining my vacation. But that's just for my personality.
(I broke out the maps to be sure I got the details right.) Some or all of our family (depending on height/fear/lack of interest) got to ride every ride except : goofy's sky school, grizzly river run, california screamin', tower of terror, haunted mansion. But some we rode multiple times (pirates (x3), RSR (x3) , Big Thunder Mt. Railroad (x3), teacups (x6!), and most of fantasyland twice. And we also got to see the "Frozen fun" show - which was so worth it. For us, DCA was especially easy to do in one day.
I forgot to mention we went this past sunday-tuesday 6/7-6/9 and those days of the week may be less busy.
But I am a morning person and enjoyed our afternoon rest so we stayed energized for late night.

Ah, got it. It shows you the differences in touring styles. I never hop at WDW but at DL is turned out to be necessary to make it an easier and less stressful trip. I found it way easier to know I had that ability to hop back and forth. I stressed way less about skipping a ride if the wait was too long, knowing I could just go back and try at a later time. In the end we did ride every ride, some multiple times.

 

[savvy?71]

Thanks for trip report~ as an East Coaster and yearly WDW visitor, we're heading to DL/DCA 1st time this August, so every bit of info helps. We're staying at GCH but I've been wondering if we really need to and instead choose a Good Neighbor. It's a savings, and with so many hotel options so close, you don't need on site....yet our 1st trip to DL I sort of want the whole shebang. Such problematic choices, I know. We are also geared toward Cars Land and RSR, specifically, so your plan is sort of our plan. My difference will involve an 11 yr old boy who will want all the coasters and I am designated coaster parent (husband is water ride parent).

So you did not have MM or did you (this is where I get confused). And if not, did that make any difference in your ability to maximize your park morning ? (this is such a WDW concern lol).

That Amazon Pantry thing sounds interesting...

 

[delaney's mom]

We had a magic morning on the last day (Tuesday). It helped a little but we definitely could have made it without it. The crowds weren't heavy in the early mornings at all when we went.

If you're an amazon prime member the prime pantry is perfect. I checked prices (see above about my couponing) and certain items were exactly the same price in target. You have to pay a flat $5.99 fee, but I feel like the convenience and not having to pay for (and haul around) an extra bag on the airline was definitely worth it. I've seen Vons grocery delivery service mentioned on this site, but I have never heard of it before today. You may want to compare those two options.

 

[AngiTN]

Thanks for trip report~ as an East Coaster and yearly WDW visitor, we're heading to DL/DCA 1st time this August, so every bit of info helps. We're staying at GCH but I've been wondering if we really need to and instead choose a Good Neighbor. It's a savings, and with so many hotel options so close, you don't need on site....yet our 1st trip to DL I sort of want the whole shebang. Such problematic choices, I know. We are also geared toward Cars Land and RSR, specifically, so your plan is sort of our plan. My difference will involve an 11 yr old boy who will want all the coasters and I am designated coaster parent (husband is water ride parent).

So you did not have MM or did you (this is where I get confused). And if not, did that make any difference in your ability to maximize your park morning ? (this is such a WDW concern lol).

That Amazon Pantry thing sounds interesting...

My opinion, if it's not a budget killer, keep the GCH, or switch to DLH to save a bit. I know the Good Neighbor hotels are great and some quite close there is still nothing like the Disney service. We stayed at DLH and I loved every minute. Like you, it was our first and probably only trip, and I wanted the full DL treatment. GCH is lovely but really does look like a clone of WL. DLH is like nothing at WDW. I'd be hard pressed to not stay there next time. When we checked in Goofy came wandering around the lobby just visiting with kids. Not the Goofy from Goofy's kitchen but Classic clothes Goofy. We really had great service and as far as I understand it, you can move between pools. At least you can rent cabanas in the other resort pools. We rented one for an afternoon and it was a highlight of our trip.

 

[AngiTN]

We had a magic morning on the last day (Tuesday). It helped a little but we definitely could have made it without it. The crowds weren't heavy in the early mornings at all when we went.

If you're an amazon prime member the prime pantry is perfect. I checked prices (see above about my couponing) and certain items were exactly the same price in target. You have to pay a flat $5.99 fee, but I feel like the convenience and not having to pay for (and haul around) an extra bag on the airline was definitely worth it. I've seen Vons grocery delivery service mentioned on this site, but I have never heard of it before today. You may want to compare those two options.

Also, depending on who you use for your airport transfer you may get a free grocery store stop. We had one with Lansky's but opted not to use it. We didn't plan to eat in the room and didn't need to worry with it

 

[delaney's mom]

We really didn't miss the lack of amenities at our hotel. But we're also not used to fancy things And we're not big pool people - neither of our children is a strong swimmer. Also the weather in Anaheim was not super hot by our standards. We are from NC and are used to pools being a respite from the intense heat - but we didn't experience any truly hot weather while we were there. We had to save for 3 years to go - so staying at a cheaper hotel was crucial.
I am not the coaster parent (thank goodness!) I get motion sickness and was already on tons of Dramamine just to get through the rides my littlest LO could go on. Luckily he's not tall enough yet for the big coasters, so I had a buddy while big sis and DH went on the big things.

 

[delaney's mom]

My opinion, if it's not a budget killer, keep the GCH, or switch to DLH to save a bit. I know the Good Neighbor hotels are great and some quite close there is still nothing like the Disney service. We stayed at DLH and I loved every minute. Like you, it was our first and probably only trip, and I wanted the full DL treatment. GCH is lovely but really does look like a clone of WL. DLH is like nothing at WDW. I'd be hard pressed to not stay there next time. When we checked in Goofy came wandering around the lobby just visiting with kids. Not the Goofy from Goofy's kitchen but Classic clothes Goofy. We really had great service and as far as I understand it, you can move between pools. At least you can rent cabanas in the other resort pools. We rented one for an afternoon and it was a highlight of our trip.

LOL. I like you a lot. We are SUCH different travelers!

 

[AngiTN]

LOL. I like you a lot. We are SUCH different travelers!

LOL... well, we are the Grandparents taking the grandkid on fun trips so our budget is a bit different than many other family vacations are. When DD was little I couldn't even afford a budget friendly trip to DL or WDW (or any where for that matter) so we tend to go overboard now

 

[grannyminnie]

My opinion, if it's not a budget killer, keep the GCH, or switch to DLH to save a bit. I know the Good Neighbor hotels are great and some quite close there is still nothing like the Disney service. We stayed at DLH and I loved every minute. Like you, it was our first and probably only trip, and I wanted the full DL treatment. GCH is lovely but really does look like a clone of WL. DLH is like nothing at WDW. I'd be hard pressed to not stay there next time. When we checked in Goofy came wandering around the lobby just visiting with kids. Not the Goofy from Goofy's kitchen but Classic clothes Goofy. We really had great service and as far as I understand it, you can move between pools. At least you can rent cabanas in the other resort pools. We rented one for an afternoon and it was a highlight of our trip.

I totally agree with your assessment of the DLH. We stayed for the first time several months ago, and being old enough to be familiar with the original Mouseketeers (is that spelled right??), I loved the nostalgia of the place! The walk to DL was a bit longer than I would have wished, but like you, I think staying at the GCH would have felt like being at the WL. And I can do that on the East coast!

 

[DharmaLou]

sounds like a great trip! Sorry the service at Ariel's wasn't great. We've had both good and bad service there, but I did think the food was slightly above average. But it's really all about the characters!

 

[savvy?71]

We had a magic morning on the last day (Tuesday). It helped a little but we definitely could have made it without it. The crowds weren't heavy in the early mornings at all when we went.

If you're an amazon prime member the prime pantry is perfect. I checked prices (see above about my couponing) and certain items were exactly the same price in target. You have to pay a flat $5.99 fee, but I feel like the convenience and not having to pay for (and haul around) an extra bag on the airline was definitely worth it. I've seen Vons grocery delivery service mentioned on this site, but I have never heard of it before today. You may want to compare those two options.

Good to know, thx. Yup, we're Prime so that is an idea worth looking into.

 

[savvy?71]

My opinion, if it's not a budget killer, keep the GCH, or switch to DLH to save a bit. I know the Good Neighbor hotels are great and some quite close there is still nothing like the Disney service. We stayed at DLH and I loved every minute. Like you, it was our first and probably only trip, and I wanted the full DL treatment. GCH is lovely but really does look like a clone of WL. DLH is like nothing at WDW. I'd be hard pressed to not stay there next time. When we checked in Goofy came wandering around the lobby just visiting with kids. Not the Goofy from Goofy's kitchen but Classic clothes Goofy. We really had great service and as far as I understand it, you can move between pools. At least you can rent cabanas in the other resort pools. We rented one for an afternoon and it was a highlight of our trip.

More to consider, yes. Wilderness Lodge (WDW) is a fav of mine so I love that interior lobby theme. But I can see how having a more unique experience may be better. Either way, I think we're set on staying on property.