first time, 6 hrs., 3yr old - help please!

[kdaniels16]

Thanks all! This really helps me. We planned on renting a car bc our layover is so long and i don't believe we will be able to keep our luggage in the system that long. I'm rethinking our drive time back to LAX and the car rental situation.
We won't do a park hopper simply bc I don't want to be rushing around with our limited time. The characters will be our priority - princesses especially and number one is Moana.
All the info about the rides and various opinions on eating help tons. Thanks so much. I'll keep checking back.

 

[kdaniels16]

Pre check doesn't save that much time in some terminals. They only do the split after you've had your ID and boarding pass checked. You never know with LAX traffic, I'd figure it will take 90 minutes at 6pm to get to the airport, and if they are returning a car up to another hour to reach the terminal. One accident on the freeway could easily add another 30-60 minutes.

 

[kdaniels16]

I'm slightly worried about this now. It is an international flight, we will have luggage with us to check again, and we do need to be there 2 hours before. I'm thinking we need to leave at 5:00 now.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I think you have to factor in travel time/traffic to/from DLR, parking time (and where you choose to park -- M&F or TS?), getting through security and tram/shuttle time in addition to your time in the park. Assuming your flight arrives on time and there is no delay with your baggage or picking up your rental car and that you do arrive at the parks at 11:30 am, you will have 5.5 hours at most in the park to accomplish all that you want to do (ride rides, M&Gs, meals, etc.). That sounds ambitious and possibly stressful. The DTD plan might be just as fun and not as stressful. Even if you leave at 5 pm, you will still be leaving during rush hour. I would give yourself more time rather than less to get to the airport, return the car, and check in. Try to make things as easy for yourself as possible, especially since you will have such a long flight ahead of you.

 

[SMD]

What time does your first flight land? You may not even have the 5.5 hours that you think you do.

 

[kdaniels16]

What time does your first flight land? You may not even have the 5.5 hours that you

It lands at 10:00am

 

[kdaniels16]

DTD?

 

[SMD]

You might be able to save a little bit of time by using the car seat on the plane instead of checking it, then have 1 parent take the car seat on the rental car shuttle to start installing it and then the other waits for the checked bags. There's a good chance you'll taxi for awhile to the gate, and I'd count on an hour to get to the DLR area once you start driving from the rental car location. There's no way you can retrieve checked bags, get a rental car, park and get through security and into the parks in the remaining half hour. I think 2 hours from touch down to walking through the gates is generous in your situation.

 

[kdaniels16]

You might be able to save a little bit of time by using the car seat on the plane instead of checking it, then have 1 parent take the car seat on the rental car shuttle to start installing it and then the other waits for the checked bags. There's a good chance you'll taxi for awhile to the gate, and I'd count on an hour to get to the DLR area once you start driving from the rental car location. There's no way you can retrieve checked bags, get a rental car, park and get through security and into the parks in the remaining half hour. I think 2 hours from touch down to walking through the gates is generous in your situation.

Ok, thanks.

 

[kdaniels16]

So we are trying to figure out if we Uber or get a car service- what to do with our bags. (To save time not getting a rental car) I called the Disney line and the cast member said that there are large lockers out by the picnic tables. He believes our luggage would fit in them but he said he can't guarantee their availability. He said he doesn't believe they get used often though I'm thinking it's a good chance they will be available being it's the first and second week of school for most. Any thoughts on the locker idea? Avoiding dealing with a car rental should free up some time correct?

 

[SMD]

Are you sure you can't check the bags all the way through to NZ? Are you flying all on 1 airline and your trip starts in the US, right? I'd be more concerned about the car seat fitting in those lockers. Maybe have 1 parent wait for the CM to escort you across the esplanade, and the other go into the park and get an FP or something.

 

[Elima2015]

As bummed as I would be to have Disneyland in my sights and not go, it might be much less stressful on all of you to pick a destination closer to LAX. I was on board with the plan of taking an Uber from LAX straight to Disney and back, but if you have to bring your luggage with you and/or deal with renting a car (which will add a ton of time to the start and end of your day plus parking at Disney vs. being dropped off at the gate)...I just don't think it would be worth it to me to add that stress and expense for ~5-6 hours of park time. If there is a way to check your luggage all the way through that would help tremendously. Though with a young child, you will need to bring their carseat in the cab/Uber/Lyft and I'm not sure what to do with that once you arrive at Disneyland.

 

[kdaniels16]

Are you sure you can't check the bags all the way through to NZ? Are you flying all on 1 airline and your trip starts in the US, right? I'd be more concerned about the car seat fitting in those lockers. Maybe have 1 parent wait for the CM to escort you across the esplanade, and the other go into the park and get an FP or something.

So you're saying these lockers are inside the park. For some reason I thought the cm meant they were in front of the entrance. Ugh! Maybe I'll be onto plan B.

 

[kdaniels16]

So you're saying these lockers are inside the park. For some reason I thought the cm meant they were in front of the entrance. Ugh! Maybe I'll be onto plan B.

And yes, we called. We can't get them checked till later

 

[kdaniels16]

Are you sure you can't check the bags all the way through to NZ? Are you flying all on 1 airline and your trip starts in the US, right? I'd be more concerned about the car seat fitting in those lockers. Maybe have 1 parent wait for the CM to escort you across the esplanade, and the other go into the park and get an FP or som
The cm seemed to think that our large bags would fit in the lockers. (and thus car seat). Have you used these lockers? Maybe I should call back and see if I can get more clear info on these lockers from a different cm

 

[cruisehopeful]

If you do go into DL, I would suggest going straight to the princess meets. Then, go to Fantasyland and ride as many rides there as she wants to. Mickey and Minnie have houses in Toontown that are very fun for 3year olds. I think just doing those things will eat up all of your time, but if it doesn't, only then I'd look at doing rides in other areas. I don't know where Moana usually meets people. I've seen her a couple times walking by the Jungle Cruise, but that was when she was in route to wherever she was going. You can completely avoid Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, Frontierland and Adventureland (unless that is where Moana will be).

If you end up skipping the park and doing late lunch at Goofy's kitchen, you can do the princess makeover in DTD (downtown Disney), but I don't think you'll meet any princesses without going inside the parks.

 

[kdaniels16]

If you do go into DL, I would suggest going straight to the princess meets. Then, go to Fantasyland and ride as many rides there as she wants to. Mickey and Minnie have houses in Toontown that are very fun for 3year olds. I think just doing those things will eat up all of your time, but if it doesn't, only then I'd look at doing rides in other areas. I don't know where Moana usually meets people. I've seen her a couple times walking by the Jungle Cruise, but that was when she was in route to wherever she was going. You can completely avoid Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, Frontierland and Adventureland (unless that is where Moana will be).

If you end up skipping the park and doing late lunch at Goofy's kitchen, you can do the princess makeover in DTD (downtown Disney), but I don't think you'll meet any princesses without going inside the parks.

Thanks! This gives me options. Maybe I'll call and see about DTD with any possibility of princesses. But I get that's unlikely.

 

[SMD]

The lockers are in the picnic area on the DTD side of the park. The Uber/Lyft drop off is on the Harbor side of the esplanade. You can't just walk through security with luggage, they have to call someone to escort you. Sometimes someone is available, sometimes you have to wait. The largest lockers in the picnic area may hold a not overstuffed 25 inch suitcase, assuming the wheels or handle don't make it exceed 25 inches. You'll probably need one for each piece of luggage, at $15 each. At that point, it might actually be cheaper to get a hotel room just to use the luggage storage, depending on how many bags you have. Aside from the A&E makeover in DTD, I think your best bet for actually meeting princess would be either Goofy's (they used to have Cinderella in the rotation, but I believe it's been years since this was the case) or possibly the DLH lobby, but I've only seen the fab 5 there.

 

[kdaniels16]

The lockers are in the picnic area on the DTD side of the park. The Uber/Lyft drop off is on the Harbor side of the esplanade. You can't just walk through security with luggage, they have to call someone to escort you. Sometimes someone is available, sometimes you have to wait. The largest lockers in the picnic area may hold a not overstuffed 25 inch suitcase, assuming the wheels or handle don't make it exceed 25 inches. You'll probably need one for each piece of luggage, at $15 each. At that point, it might actually be cheaper to get a hotel room just to use the luggage storage, depending on how many bags you have. Aside from the A&E makeover in DTD, I think your best bet for actually meeting princess would be either Goofy's (they used to have Cinderella in the rotation, but I believe it's been years since this was the case) or possibly the DLH lobby, but I've only seen the fab 5 there.

We will actually only have 2 suitcases....guess I should get to measuring. Thanks so much for replying. This is super helpful. Going to look into a car service that might hold our bags instead .

 

[SMD]

We will actually only have 2 suitcases....guess I should get to measuring. Thanks so much for replying. This is super helpful. Going to look into a car service that might hold our bags instead .

Car service is a really good idea. Paying for the full 6 hours might not be much more than 2, 1 way rides anyway. You could always try getting a membership with a car rental company that does express pick up or something that expedites things.