Disneyland trip?

[brookegreene22]

I'm not new to the forums, but I usually post in the WDW section! However, this time I'm considering making my first trip ever to Disneyland. I would like to participate in the Coast to Coast running challenge, but I have NO idea about traveling across country! We would have to fly, since my kids are 4 and 3 and there's no way I'm driving that long with them!

First, hotels...nothing is more magical then staying on property, but are the partner hotels decent? Is it worth the extra to stay on property?? What about things to do (other than the parks) that we will enjoy??

Second, flights...best and worst airlines? First time flyer here!

Third, Car?? WDW has a bus to the properties, does Disneyland? Can we walk from the partner hotels? Rental car or not??

Any advice would be great. We are a budget family, so we like to save if we can!

 

[sonnyjane]

Please please please read this thread that is specially tailored to WDW vets going to Disneyland for the first time: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

There are a few perks to staying "on-site", mainly getting Magic Morning entry on any day it is offered (vs. just one day if you buy 3-day or more tickets), but the on-site hotels are remarkably expensive compared to the off-site hotels. Many of the recommended off-site hotels and motels are closer to the parks than the on-sites and are a fraction of the cost. If you have a high budget and can afford to stay on-site, of course it is more "magical", but it is not as important at DL as it is at WDW at all.

There are a few different airports you can choose from. I see you're from Florida, but not quite sure where. Play around on sites like Expedia to see different prices from airports near you to airports near Disneyland (LAX, SNA, LGB) and see who has the best deals. If you're near an airport serviced by Southwest, they also can have pretty good rates and are a great airline (hard to say these days!). Read the thread I linked to regarding local transportation. There is no free shuttle, but there are several other options (taxis, shuttles, car rentals). Depending on where you stay, it's very likely you won't need any additional transportation and can just walk to the parks. If not, ART is the public transit system and is quite reasonable.

 

[KCmike]

I'm not new to the forums, but I usually post in the WDW section! However, this time I'm considering making my first trip ever to Disneyland. I would like to participate in the Coast to Coast running challenge, but I have NO idea about traveling across country! We would have to fly, since my kids are 4 and 3 and there's no way I'm driving that long with them!

First, hotels...nothing is more magical then staying on property, but are the partner hotels decent? Is it worth the extra to stay on property?? What about things to do (other than the parks) that we will enjoy??

Good neighbor hotels are good. Fairfield Inn and Hojo are the best. Staying onsite is definitely the best in my opinion. Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotel are both wonderful.


Second, flights...best and worst airlines? First time flyer here!

I only fly Southwest as it has the best fares and flies where I like to go. Usually they have non stop flights as well. I will warn you though that they don't have assigned seating.

Third, Car?? WDW has a bus to the properties, does Disneyland? Can we walk from the partner hotels? Rental car or not??

There are shuttle services. You can for sure walk from several of the good neighbor hotels as some are closer than on site hotels. Can you believe that? There is a Disneyland motor coach, Super Shuttle, and others.

Any advice would be great. We are a budget family, so we like to save if we can!

Disneyland is simply amazing. There aren't many resort activities like WDW. But the parks are so much better than WDW parks in my opinion. When are you thinking about going? Carsland is due to open in the summertime. It should be packed. If you go other than summer then the fireworks, parades, fantasmic! and other things don't happen except for the weekends. So much to tell you. Just keep asking questions.

 

[brookegreene22]

Thank you both of you!! The race for the Disneyland half is in September and we would only be staying for a few days. Being a family of four, we are on a budget! Considering staying on-site for 2 days and off-site for the other two. We are concerned with airfare being the most expensive part, so I'll be looking for big discounts for hotels and things so that we have extra to spend on flights. Since we coming mostly for my race, we have also considered just flying myself out there..but then I'd feel so guilty for not bringing the kids!!

 

[skiingfast]

I would not worry about what airline, since you won't know the difference.

I'd just look for the cheapest. Consider moving your trip forward or back a day or two will effect the costs. Also where you fly to or from.

Try comparing SNA, LGB, LAX on the Cali end. Maybe you are between airports on the Florida end as well.

Would it be possible to have the kids come out after the race, so it's only you for the race days?

Also outside or signing up for the race and getting airfare, I would not book a hotel or look at park tickets until the Spring. Deals may come out for hotels during the summer. Tickets may go up before Summer starts. Park hours and dining reservations won't be available until July.

 

[hootey]

Call disney travel(go to disney.com & look for Disney Travel) explain when you would like to be there and listen to all the extras you can recieve booking your trip through DT. You do not have to stay in a disney hotel to book through disney. Find out about the extras, the cost for everything, and then call your travel company to see what they offer for what price. The worst that can happen is your out 15 or twenty minutes and a couple pages on a scratch pad. We did this about five years ago & have been using DT ever since. We not only get all the extras but, we save a little money, and we have a lot more fun. Having your children with you for a first visit, I would recommend going during the week, if possible. Disney can pick you up at the airports, we have used this service and found disney to cost a lot less than a taxi. My two cents worth, maybe it will help...........

 

[skiingfast]

Disney can pick you up at the airports, we have used this service and found disney to cost a lot less than a taxi. My two cents worth, maybe it will help...........

Just to keep things strait.

Disney does not run buses to any of the airports. Disneyland Resort Express is a Grayline service and you usually ride on a bus with Disneyland written on it. The same goes for Disneyland Express which uses shuttle vans. Neither are free.


Disney Magical Express is, free, that is included when you stay at a WDW resort. Like at DLR it is operated by a third party, however unlike at DLR DME is operated by the only company allowed to take people from WDW resorts, and it won't go to offsite hotels.

 

[hootey]

Excuse Me, I did not say anything about it being free. I could really care less about who owns it. This is also a great lesson about this website. No matter what you say, somebody will try to better you, correct you, or just piss you off. ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[HydroGuy]

Excuse Me, I did not say anything about it being free. I could really care less about who owns it. This is also a great lesson about this website. No matter what you say, somebody will try to better you, correct you, or just piss you off.

I believe Ski was contrasting the Disneyland transporation to those at WDW which are free.

But really though. Ski posts useful info here all the time. You way overreacted. If you would have taken the time to understand what he was saying you could have saved yourself some misplaced anger.