We spent the last five days (Sun Oct 23rd through Fri Oct 28th) at Disneyland and DCA.
We planned in advance and consequently our trip was very enjoyable
Some hints and tips follow
Rides
- We always made an effort to get to the park before opening and head straight to Fantasyland, since that land gets crowded real fast. (Thanks to hydroguy for some tips as to what to ride and in what order)
- We always picked up FP on the way i.e for Buzz or Space Mountain
- We always picked up FP on the way out of the park. In some cases, if we didn't use them, we just gave them away - it made us feel good as well
- We used the first day (Sunday) just to get a feel for where all the attractions were, so we didn't have to rely on the map
- We prioritized what we wanted to see and focused on DL in the morning and DCA in the afternoon
- We staggered the main attractions over several days and if it was busy, we just collected FP, left it for EE or left it entirely.
- We didn't find Ridemax that useful since the crowds were light (5-10 minutes at most in the mornings)
- One thing we noticed about Buzz was that often we never received the email that we sent. It's probably better if you send to multiple accounts, just in case
- This is off topic, but I also brought my MP3 player and it's nice to just relax on Tom Sawyer Island, listen to some music, have a drink at one of the picnic tables and watch the people go by
- I read an old copy of the Unofficial guide to DL, in advance of the trip. We ignored the schedule but the section that describes each of the rides and how fast they load and unload was useful, when we came to determine our own strategy
Food
- We picked up a case of water and boxed drinks before we left and left it in a big cooler in the car. We brought a lot of easy to carry, easy to eat and easy to microwave kind of food
- We brought cereal, milk, bread, fruit and snacks and prepared breakfast every morning in the hotel. This was much quicker, cheaper and healthier than eating out and helped ensure we made a quick head start, to the park in the morning
- We avoided eating at recommended places like Millie's (it gets crowded at times and I didn't like the menu or prices that much)
- We left the park at lunchtime and drove to an Asian plaza less than 2 miles away (I5 North. Exit Euclid. Right on North Euclid. Left on Crescent (2 traffic lights down after exiting the freeway). We always had fantastic meals (Thai bbq, Vietnamese Pho soup, Chinese food).
- Those places are local eateries and the decor and surroundings are nothing special but the food is excellent - Thai BBQ, Pho 69 (I think), 369 restaurant
- They all had lunch specials for about $6 and there was plenty of food. Most meals for three came to less than $20 after tax and there were leftovers. I definitely recommend the Thai place, especially the ribs. We took the food to go and picked up menus
- You can save time, by calling in your order from DL and it should be ready to pickup. I brought the food back to the hotel and it was much more relaxing, since we could eat at leisure, eat well and also relax
- The asian plaza has a Ranch 99 market. This is a good place to pick up fruit and other snacks
- Anaheim Plaza is also just off Euclid (2 miles from Hojo). This has a number of different stores i.e Walmart, Smart and Final, Gigante. The last two are supermarkets, and we picked up huge bottles of Apple juice for $2
- Everyday we packed snacks in sandwich bags and brought them into the park. The bag searchers don't care about this stuff at all
- We used the microwave a lot for popcorn, hot drinks and heating up food
- When we had an ice cream fix, we headed out of the park at lunchtime and picked one up at McDonalds on the way back to the hotel ($1)
Shopping
- Disney souvenirs are expensive at the park. We bought ours at Walmart (I5 North. Exit Euclid. Right on North Euclid. On the RHS. The stores are visible from the freeway)
- Character autographs seem to be the rage. The official Disney book is $13. We picked up a cheap one for $3 in Walmart and a set of 3 pens for $4. Postcards were about 50c (but they're much nicer in the park). They also sell Disney t-shirts and mugs
- We ate at Goofy's Kitchen. We decided to do this, not so much for the food but for the character interaction. We budgeted just for one character meal and decided to go for GK because of the higher number of characters my son would enjoy and the food (on reading reviews) was better than the others. It was worth it in the end. You do sometimes have to chase the characters down, but the resturant was fairly empty at 11am and we had the characters to ourselves in a lot of cases. We also headed to ESPNzone to use the $10 giftcard on the same day. This is close to the DL hotel
- Southcoastplaza is a very nice and high end mall (google will give you directions and their website)
- Tustin Marketplace has a huge mall (I5 South. Exit Jamboree) with all the major retailers. You can spend a day here alone
Transportation
- We drove from San Jose (took 6 hours) since we didn't want to deal with the hassle of flights and getting to the airport early
- We felt that having a car was much more convenient. We used it everyday
- We used a Citibank Dividend credit card. Gives 5% cashback for gas and grocery shopping
- There is a gas station just over the freeway from Hojo (Shell and Chevron). Cost was $2.71/gallon
Tickets
- We bought our parkhoppers in advance from my place of work (4 day hopper was $129). We ended up upgrading to AP on our last day. We did remember to use EE and the ESPN coupon in advance of the upgrade
- I think mouseplanet.com and probably this website has links to the cheapest ticket prices
Hotel (Howard Johnson)
- We stayed at the Howard Johnson (a favorite with this board)
- We got the entertainment rate of $54/night for a premium room with a view of the park (can see the monorail, Matterhorn and fireworks. But to be honest I didn't think it was really worth the extra)
- Beware that Hojo is close to the I5 freeway. Definitely ask reception to give you a room away from the freeway and on a high floor, and a low numbered room. We originally had room 1-315 (Bldg 1, Floor 3, Room 15) and moved to 1-405 (Bldg 1, Floor 4, Room 5). This made a big difference to my sanity
- Make sure that you get a room with a microwave (not all rooms have one. You need to ask). You don't get a kitchen and no utensils or plates, but we brought our own
- We used a stroller to bring food, drinks and shopping up to the room, but the elevators sometimes were not working (one was out, while the other was operating). On some days, we left the stroller in the car and took the stairs and picked up the stroller on the way to the park. Much quicker
- If you do book the entertainment rate, don't call the central number. Call the local number. Even better, book online (www.entertainment.com/hotels) and you can check availability and rates. You'll also get a bonus discount. ER is usually 50% off rack and available if occupancy is 80% or less. If you're flexible with dates, call the hotel and ask. Originally we had the AAA rate and it was $84 for the same room instead of $54. We saved hundreds just with the ER alone
- Hojo gets high marks from me (grounds were nicely kept, parking was trouble free, and pools were clean (one kiddie pool, one swimming pool and a great jacuzzi - definitely helped to ease those tired muscles at the end of the day). It is a longer walk to the DL crosswalk than other nearby hotels, but the jacuzzi alone was worth it
- Hojo has free wired internet access. I brought my laptop and having free internet was very useful to check on my email, get directions and find out more about Southern Cal attractions. I was also able to save time in the evenings by photoshopping and uploading my photos. I had also brought a couple of DVDs so my son could watch his favorite programs in the room (as an fyi, VLC player is free and is very good - http://www.download.com/VLC-Media-Player/3000-2194_4-10410655.html?tag=lst-0-1)
- Finally, I'm glad we didn't stay at the DL hotel. The outside looks kind of rundown, IMO. We wouldn't have driven out so much for cheap food. And the walk from the hotel to the park itself, seemed just as long (the monorail into Tomorrowland was closed when we where there)
Miscellaneous
- It was well worthwhile bringing our own stroller (Disney charges $8/day). We loaded it with goodies and it was convenient to hold souvenirs. We also tied a balloon to it (free at GK), so it was easy to find (no small feat, when there are hundreds lined up after the parade or a busy afternoon)
- A good pair of shoes is a must. It's so tiring walking all day around the park, and it's a fair distance from one end of DL to the other end of DCA. Someone suggested spraying deodorant on your feet to keep away blisters. Never tried that
- Finally, even though we planned in advance, and got to the park early, we had quiet afternoons as well, just by the pool. And those were just as nice. We never intended to ride each and every attraction 20 times (although my son came close with Pinocchio). We certainly didn't treat this trip as a military expedition. Our sanity was worth more than waiting in line for another ride on Space Mountain. We just wanted a nice, enjoyable, hassle free vacation with some downtime. We got that and more
Take it easy
Richard
We planned in advance and consequently our trip was very enjoyable
Some hints and tips follow
Rides
- We always made an effort to get to the park before opening and head straight to Fantasyland, since that land gets crowded real fast. (Thanks to hydroguy for some tips as to what to ride and in what order)
- We always picked up FP on the way i.e for Buzz or Space Mountain
- We always picked up FP on the way out of the park. In some cases, if we didn't use them, we just gave them away - it made us feel good as well
- We used the first day (Sunday) just to get a feel for where all the attractions were, so we didn't have to rely on the map
- We prioritized what we wanted to see and focused on DL in the morning and DCA in the afternoon
- We staggered the main attractions over several days and if it was busy, we just collected FP, left it for EE or left it entirely.
- We didn't find Ridemax that useful since the crowds were light (5-10 minutes at most in the mornings)
- One thing we noticed about Buzz was that often we never received the email that we sent. It's probably better if you send to multiple accounts, just in case
- This is off topic, but I also brought my MP3 player and it's nice to just relax on Tom Sawyer Island, listen to some music, have a drink at one of the picnic tables and watch the people go by
- I read an old copy of the Unofficial guide to DL, in advance of the trip. We ignored the schedule but the section that describes each of the rides and how fast they load and unload was useful, when we came to determine our own strategy
Food
- We picked up a case of water and boxed drinks before we left and left it in a big cooler in the car. We brought a lot of easy to carry, easy to eat and easy to microwave kind of food
- We brought cereal, milk, bread, fruit and snacks and prepared breakfast every morning in the hotel. This was much quicker, cheaper and healthier than eating out and helped ensure we made a quick head start, to the park in the morning
- We avoided eating at recommended places like Millie's (it gets crowded at times and I didn't like the menu or prices that much)
- We left the park at lunchtime and drove to an Asian plaza less than 2 miles away (I5 North. Exit Euclid. Right on North Euclid. Left on Crescent (2 traffic lights down after exiting the freeway). We always had fantastic meals (Thai bbq, Vietnamese Pho soup, Chinese food).
- Those places are local eateries and the decor and surroundings are nothing special but the food is excellent - Thai BBQ, Pho 69 (I think), 369 restaurant
- They all had lunch specials for about $6 and there was plenty of food. Most meals for three came to less than $20 after tax and there were leftovers. I definitely recommend the Thai place, especially the ribs. We took the food to go and picked up menus
- You can save time, by calling in your order from DL and it should be ready to pickup. I brought the food back to the hotel and it was much more relaxing, since we could eat at leisure, eat well and also relax
- The asian plaza has a Ranch 99 market. This is a good place to pick up fruit and other snacks
- Anaheim Plaza is also just off Euclid (2 miles from Hojo). This has a number of different stores i.e Walmart, Smart and Final, Gigante. The last two are supermarkets, and we picked up huge bottles of Apple juice for $2
- Everyday we packed snacks in sandwich bags and brought them into the park. The bag searchers don't care about this stuff at all
- We used the microwave a lot for popcorn, hot drinks and heating up food
- When we had an ice cream fix, we headed out of the park at lunchtime and picked one up at McDonalds on the way back to the hotel ($1)
Shopping
- Disney souvenirs are expensive at the park. We bought ours at Walmart (I5 North. Exit Euclid. Right on North Euclid. On the RHS. The stores are visible from the freeway)
- Character autographs seem to be the rage. The official Disney book is $13. We picked up a cheap one for $3 in Walmart and a set of 3 pens for $4. Postcards were about 50c (but they're much nicer in the park). They also sell Disney t-shirts and mugs
- We ate at Goofy's Kitchen. We decided to do this, not so much for the food but for the character interaction. We budgeted just for one character meal and decided to go for GK because of the higher number of characters my son would enjoy and the food (on reading reviews) was better than the others. It was worth it in the end. You do sometimes have to chase the characters down, but the resturant was fairly empty at 11am and we had the characters to ourselves in a lot of cases. We also headed to ESPNzone to use the $10 giftcard on the same day. This is close to the DL hotel
- Southcoastplaza is a very nice and high end mall (google will give you directions and their website)
- Tustin Marketplace has a huge mall (I5 South. Exit Jamboree) with all the major retailers. You can spend a day here alone
Transportation
- We drove from San Jose (took 6 hours) since we didn't want to deal with the hassle of flights and getting to the airport early
- We felt that having a car was much more convenient. We used it everyday
- We used a Citibank Dividend credit card. Gives 5% cashback for gas and grocery shopping
- There is a gas station just over the freeway from Hojo (Shell and Chevron). Cost was $2.71/gallon
Tickets
- We bought our parkhoppers in advance from my place of work (4 day hopper was $129). We ended up upgrading to AP on our last day. We did remember to use EE and the ESPN coupon in advance of the upgrade
- I think mouseplanet.com and probably this website has links to the cheapest ticket prices
Hotel (Howard Johnson)
- We stayed at the Howard Johnson (a favorite with this board)
- We got the entertainment rate of $54/night for a premium room with a view of the park (can see the monorail, Matterhorn and fireworks. But to be honest I didn't think it was really worth the extra)
- Beware that Hojo is close to the I5 freeway. Definitely ask reception to give you a room away from the freeway and on a high floor, and a low numbered room. We originally had room 1-315 (Bldg 1, Floor 3, Room 15) and moved to 1-405 (Bldg 1, Floor 4, Room 5). This made a big difference to my sanity
- Make sure that you get a room with a microwave (not all rooms have one. You need to ask). You don't get a kitchen and no utensils or plates, but we brought our own
- We used a stroller to bring food, drinks and shopping up to the room, but the elevators sometimes were not working (one was out, while the other was operating). On some days, we left the stroller in the car and took the stairs and picked up the stroller on the way to the park. Much quicker
- If you do book the entertainment rate, don't call the central number. Call the local number. Even better, book online (www.entertainment.com/hotels) and you can check availability and rates. You'll also get a bonus discount. ER is usually 50% off rack and available if occupancy is 80% or less. If you're flexible with dates, call the hotel and ask. Originally we had the AAA rate and it was $84 for the same room instead of $54. We saved hundreds just with the ER alone
- Hojo gets high marks from me (grounds were nicely kept, parking was trouble free, and pools were clean (one kiddie pool, one swimming pool and a great jacuzzi - definitely helped to ease those tired muscles at the end of the day). It is a longer walk to the DL crosswalk than other nearby hotels, but the jacuzzi alone was worth it
- Hojo has free wired internet access. I brought my laptop and having free internet was very useful to check on my email, get directions and find out more about Southern Cal attractions. I was also able to save time in the evenings by photoshopping and uploading my photos. I had also brought a couple of DVDs so my son could watch his favorite programs in the room (as an fyi, VLC player is free and is very good - http://www.download.com/VLC-Media-Player/3000-2194_4-10410655.html?tag=lst-0-1)
- Finally, I'm glad we didn't stay at the DL hotel. The outside looks kind of rundown, IMO. We wouldn't have driven out so much for cheap food. And the walk from the hotel to the park itself, seemed just as long (the monorail into Tomorrowland was closed when we where there)
Miscellaneous
- It was well worthwhile bringing our own stroller (Disney charges $8/day). We loaded it with goodies and it was convenient to hold souvenirs. We also tied a balloon to it (free at GK), so it was easy to find (no small feat, when there are hundreds lined up after the parade or a busy afternoon)
- A good pair of shoes is a must. It's so tiring walking all day around the park, and it's a fair distance from one end of DL to the other end of DCA. Someone suggested spraying deodorant on your feet to keep away blisters. Never tried that
- Finally, even though we planned in advance, and got to the park early, we had quiet afternoons as well, just by the pool. And those were just as nice. We never intended to ride each and every attraction 20 times (although my son came close with Pinocchio). We certainly didn't treat this trip as a military expedition. Our sanity was worth more than waiting in line for another ride on Space Mountain. We just wanted a nice, enjoyable, hassle free vacation with some downtime. We got that and more
Take it easy
Richard
