dl first timer help

[Fire14]

My Dh and I need ideas of what to do while visting DL. So far we are thinking of visting Early May. Is this a good time/bad time? We are thinking of staying 3 nights at Red Roof maingate or Travellodge which is across street from DL I guess.
We are hoping to do Goofy's kitchen but other than that are open to ideas. We love visting with the Characters and getting authgraphs and pictures done. We are not much for super fancy stuff, have been to WDW once for Me and Twice for him.

 

[ilovemky]

great time to visit, you might consider Paradise Pier or DL Hotel--they are right in the middle of the action, walking distance to the monorail and DTD and you might be very pleasantly surprised at the room rates. Please ask specific questions and I will be glad to help

 

[Fire14]

Is there any must see/do rides or attractions in YO? I've looked into Pardise Pier and Dl Hotel but just can't justify spending 100+/night. Yes we are thinking May 2004 for DL it's probably going to be a side trip from Las Vegas to satisfy the Disney in me and so I can meet some of my internet friends hopefully. Does the Bulid a bear store at DTD sell bear size mouse ears?

 

[Stepherella]

You might want to try priceline for a hotel near Disney. You can get some pretty good deals. I have seen anywhere from $28 to $42 per night for *3 hotels that have free shuttles to Disneyland. If you don't know about priceline go to biddingfortravel.com, they have all the information you need to know to bid successfully.
Good luck.

~Stephanie

 

[Fire14]

thanks for idea of priceline I might check it out. we will have car and we've pretty much got our hotel down to red roof or travellodge both of which have shuttle service. we we need are ideas of where to eat what are must do's in your opinons

 

[Dana_Buckley]

We had a nice dinner at Ariel's Grotto. It wasn't crowded so the characters were at our table a lot. You meet Ariel when you come in and Goofy, Minnie, Pluto & Chip & Dale all visited our table. The dining room is decorated like you are underwater, it is very well done. It is not a buffet, there is a set price and you choose from about 6 entree's. The meal includes soup or salad and dessert. The restaurant is in California Adventure park.

You may want to look into Medieval Times dinner show also, if that interests you. It is a jousting horse show etc, with dinner. We had a lot of fun there. They have a website www.medievaltimes.com I haven't been there in about 5 yrs. I forget how far it is from DL.

Everyone always suggests eating at Blue Bayou, but I still haven't eaten there. It is basically inside the Pirates of the Caribean ride. The sky is filled with twinkling lights. You need reservations here.

I hope you have a wonderful vacation!

 

[Fire14]

Ariel's Grotto sounds like a neat idea to dine at WE are most likely looking at 1 BIG meal/day this is based on what we did at WDW. WE think were getting pretty set in what we want from our trip and where to stay now if only Disney would let us book LOL.

 

[ADisneyPrincess]

If you've never been, Blue Bayou is a must. I like to go for a late lunch as it's cheaper than dinner (I also do the one big meal a day). The food is fine (some people love it, others not so much), but the big draw here is the atmosphere. It's right next to the start of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. You can make a priority seating reservation 60 days in advance. When you check in, request a water side table. The wait may be a bit longer, but the view is worth it. Unless you don't want to see the Pirate boats going by with other guests! Many people love the Monte Cristo sandwich and consider it a DL institution. It was a bit much for me. It is deep fried and served with jelly. I thought the first few bites were great, but then it was just too heavy and rich. If you like rich food though, this is the thing to try.

I also liked Ariel's Grotto for a character meal, or Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel. Again, I go for a late lunch as it's quite a bit cheaper than dinner. This is a buffet with a good variety of items to choose from. There are a lot of different characters and you never know who you might see. I've seen Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Cruella de Vil, Baloo, Mad Hatter, Chip, Dale, Minnie, Captain Hook.