First time visit to US in Nov 2011 and we're going to Disneyland - help!

[alicia1506]

Hi all,

We're planning our first o/seas vacation ever, and hubby picked Disneyland in Anaheim as our first stop on our trip. Have arranged to stay at one of the hotels across from the main Disney entrance on South Harbor Blvd, but am wanting to know best ideas/thoughts/opinions for tickets.

We're booking it all ourselves, as our travel agents wanted to gouge us for prices, and we'll only be there for 3 days. Tossing up the cost difference between a 3 day park hopper and a 14 day park hopper (apparently only avail to Aussie residents purchasing here in Aus???) can anyone confirm the existence of this 14 day park hopper and prices/availability and whether it's worth the $$.

Also, can anyone give guidance on best places to buy tickets -- online via the Disney website, or via places like expedia, or ??

Any help would be hugely appreciated. We're also planning on taking the Disney Express bus operated by Grayline coaches from LAX to our resort... any thoughts/feedback about this would be welcome. We're going to be getting off a 13 hr flight at 7am and heading straight to the park, so any assistance for a smooth journey would be awesome.

Also... any Southwest airlines experiences especially for larger ladies would be welcome - I'm not huge but I do hear they can be a bit prejudiced against larger framed customers.

Thanks again all

Alicia

 

[Busy Busy]

We used Disney Express in 2009 from LAX to the Paradise Pier and back again. It was very easy, we left the customs and baggage pick up area, walked up a small ramp into the 'outside world' and straight to the DE bus stop.

There were a few smaller vans heading to Anaheim that pulled up and offered to take us, we just said no thank you. It took about 15 minutes for the bus to come, but it was very easy to spot (covered in Disney and Tinkerbell pictures). As soon as we took off the kids fell asleep, great considering they hadn't really slept on the plane. We got to the hotel, changed and headed straight to DL, we lasted about 4 hours - it was also really hot - then went back to the hotel and went to sleep.

I definitely recommend Disney Express, and I also recommend taking it easy that first day. Rested kids are always better than feral kids!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hi all,

We're planning our first o/seas vacation ever, and hubby picked Disneyland in Anaheim as our first stop on our trip. Have arranged to stay at one of the hotels across from the main Disney entrance on South Harbor Blvd, but am wanting to know best ideas/thoughts/opinions for tickets.

We're booking it all ourselves, as our travel agents wanted to gouge us for prices, and we'll only be there for 3 days. Tossing up the cost difference between a 3 day park hopper and a 14 day park hopper (apparently only avail to Aussie residents purchasing here in Aus???) can anyone confirm the existence of this 14 day park hopper and prices/availability and whether it's worth the $$.

Also, can anyone give guidance on best places to buy tickets -- online via the Disney website, or via places like expedia, or ??

Any help would be hugely appreciated. We're also planning on taking the Disney Express bus operated by Grayline coaches from LAX to our resort... any thoughts/feedback about this would be welcome. We're going to be getting off a 13 hr flight at 7am and heading straight to the park, so any assistance for a smooth journey would be awesome.

Also... any Southwest airlines experiences especially for larger ladies would be welcome - I'm not huge but I do hear they can be a bit prejudiced against larger framed customers.

Thanks again all

Alicia

Welcome to the Dis Boards. And Congratulations on your holiday.

The longest ticket I've bought for DLR is an 8 day park hopper. I did see the existence of the 14 day ticket for overseas visitors; but I've never been there long enough to use it.

If you are only there for 3 days, why would you buy the 14 day ticket? Even if there was $20 difference in it, would you use the remaining days? Are you planning on heading back within the use-by period?


Some of the other Aussies have used expedia to buy their Disney tickets. For discounted tickets, I tend to buy mine from the Cleaver Brothers. They have a shop (or two) in Anaheim....one on Harbour Boulevard and the other at GardenWalk. They also sell discounted tickets to all the other attractions around SoCal.

If you are looking to visit some of the other theme parks in SoCal, there is a SoCal City Pass that might be worth investigating. The cheapest place I'm aware of to get this city pass is Costco, online from the US site; or Sam's Club; depending on whether you are members or not. I haven't worked out if I can get Costco to send me tix from the US to here now that we have stores in Australia. My aunt who lives in San Diego is a Costco member and she gets the tix for me.
Because it is a bundled ticket and already heavily discounted, Cleaver Brothers aren't able to provide much of a discount on this.

Like all airlines, there is a size limit for SW seats. You're probably better off going on-line and checking out what the recommended limit is. I believe that if you cannot get the seatbelt around you...(and I think that they might provide a belt extender)...that the recommended action is to buy a second seat.

 

[ArdyG]

Hi Alicia

to the Disboards.

There is such a thing as a 14 day pass available to NZers and Aussies, available only in our respective countries. If you're only there for 3 days though, I'm not sure that it will be worthwhile for you and your family as it expires 13 days after your first use and a 3 day Park hopper will be cheaper (though perhaps not by much).

Expedia used to sell them but a recent poster reported that they have to renew their contract and pricing every year and this year is taking a while, which explains why when you go online, they don't have any Disneyland tickets available at the moment. Posters have reported that they have bought the 14 day pass through Flight Centre and Harvey World Travel (where I bought mine) however, so you could check their prices out.

In respect of 3 day tickets, I see that even though the Disney website is offering $10 off if you book in advance, the 3 day tickets are still cheaper through Flight Centre so perhaps in some matters, travel agents are worthwhile.

Mousesavers.com is really useful for finding discounts for a whole range of different things so you might want to check that site out too.

I second Busy Busy's endorsement of the Disney Express. The first time we went to Disneyland we used a shuttle and saw a little more of LA than we anticipated albeit at breakneck speed. Depending on the other passengers, and even though the shuttle says it's going to Anaheim, it could drop off other passengers in other areas along the way. Keeping that experience in mind, I used the Disney Express next time and having been on the plane for 11 or so hours beforehand, the bus was almost luxurious, was a smooth ride and hassle free. We'll be using it again in December.

Have a great trip.

 

[Busy Busy]

ArdyG is sooooooo right!! The things that you see on the way to Anaheim can look like they are straight out of an episode of Cops.....so stick with the Disney Express - I highly doubt that a perp on the run is going to hijack a huge bus with a giant Tinkerbell on the side!!

Also, do you have little girls? We had breakfast at Ariel's Grotto in California Adventure in 2009......I could still tear up at the thought of it. DD was 5 at the time and it was gorgeous. We met Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella and Belle and none of us will ever forget it. I truly believe that Ariel's Grotto is where the Disney bug bit my DH - and DS didn't mind the hot princesses either!

 

[Sugarglider]

I also like the Disneyland Express bus. they arrive roughly every half hour and are fairly cheap - I think I paid $18 or like. I didn't book - just got on and paid cash. It went straight to the Disneyland Hotel first and a chap got on the bus and collected everyone's payment. Then it went to the GCH - where I got off so I don't know what it did after that.

 

[ArdyG]

The things that you see on the way to Anaheim can look like they are straight out of an episode of Cops.....so stick with the Disney Express - I highly doubt that a perp on the run is going to hijack a huge bus with a giant Tinkerbell on the side!!

 

[aussietravellers]

Have used the Disneyland Express a few times, all were great. We bought tickets online before we went from the Grayline website. The stop is right outside the terminal so you just wait where you see the sign and you will see it coming. Actually when you are waiting, we always see the bus coming around the upper level, doing departure dropoffs so know it will be down to us soon.

We have also had the 14 day tickets (and Annual passes) which we bought through Expedia.com.au and took the voucher to our hotel and they exchanged the voucher for a ticket on check in. We were staying at a Disneyland hotel though so as you are staying off site then you would take the voucher to one of the ticket windows to exchange it for your ticket. As others have said though, with only staying for 3 days, you would not really need a 14 day pass. The 14 day pass are 14 consecutive days too, so when you use it the first day, it runs out 13 days later, it's not 14 days over a longer period of time.

If you buy your tickets from the Disney website or somewhere like expedia it will be like the 14 day and you take the voucher to the tickets window and they will exchange it for a ticket.

Have a fantastic trip. Disney is so magical

 

[aussietravellers]

ArdyG is sooooooo right!! The things that you see on the way to Anaheim can look like they are straight out of an episode of Cops.....so stick with the Disney Express - I highly doubt that a perp on the run is going to hijack a huge bus with a giant Tinkerbell on the side!!

 

[Caroline NZ]

Hi,
We always hire a car, so can't comment on the transport options.
In 2009 we purchased our 14 day Disneyland passes form Expedia. This year we got them from the Flight Centre, and my SIL got their ones from Harvery World Travel.

 

[alicia1506]

hey all,

thank you for the warm welcome and the information.

there are three of us travelling... me, my hubby and my sister. we haven't been blessed with kids yet, but all of us are big kids at heart (hubby is the eldest at 30 and my sis is the youngest at 24) and we all love disney.

i'm not huge, both myself and my hubby can fit in our respective standard airplane seats but i know that Southwest has a reputation for being a little .. aggressive ... towards chubbier customers. just wanting to tick all the boxes on this trip and try and forestall any possible issues maybe it's just the OCD planner in me trying to cover all the bases... lol.

we had already heard wonderful things about the Disney Express, and had planned on taking that from LAX to our hotel (staying at the Desert Inn across from the main entrance).

We are only there for 3 days and the 3 day hopper seems to make the most sense, so i think we'll just buy our tickets online and arrange for delivery. we're heading to NY after disneyland, then Universal Studios (and Wizarding World of Harry Potter ) and shopping, then up to Vegas before we head home .

We truly can't wait to get this trip going... it's going to be a marathon effort for the first 3 legs of the trip (disney, NY and Orlando) however we have 5 straight days of relaxation planned for vegas... drinks, spa appointments and low key relaxation

any further advice or recommendations would be hugely appreciated. we're thinking in terms of keeping in touch to buy a prepaid sim card at the airport when we land...

 

[marvel]

Depending on how many travelling, a private van with Carmel shuttle can cost almost the same as the Disney bus, i think they are around $25 per person for a private van which will take you directly to your hotel no other stops. just an idea, that's what we are doing in sept.

you will also see another aussie thread about sim cards, which is still going ! very hard to pin down the best option, until someone returns with their experience. i am calling travel gear today about their $60 sim card option with unlimited calls and data and will report back on the other thread.

 

[Tara2004]

Welcome. you are going to love Disneyland. My friend worked there with her hubby for 8 years. If you have any unanswered questions just pm me and I will ask her. She. Is doing me a favor ATM. She is getting photos of the kids fav' charter and getting it signed. It will have a little letter at the bottom asking the kids to visit them. Tara has rapunzel and jakes is Mickey mouse. Can't wait to see them.

When are you going in November? I'm going on the 4th November. We are staying at LAX for one night, then go to Orlando for the amusement trade show at the orange county convention Centre. Off to Disney world for 7 days, Inc the very merry Christmas party. ( Have to see the fake snow.lol ) Legoland and universal are in the mix to visit too.

Vegas is where my other girlfriend lives. There are great outlets for shopping.

Please forgive my typing. I just got a iPad and I'm not use to it yet.lol

 

[kmedina]

Welcome to the boards. I live in Vegas (US), so I cannot help you with all of your questions. Here are the ones I can.

I have been to Disneyland countless times and adore it. However, even if a 14 day ticket exists, (unless it has a no expiration option) it is not worth it. Tickets have to be used within 14 days of their first use. That means you would have 14 straight park days without a day off to use it up. There is not that much to do there with only 2 theme parks. A nice trip should never take more than 5 days at DLR. You will be able to accomplish a lot in your 3 days there.

Southwest gained that reputation from dismissing a few famous passengers for their size, like Kevin Smith. My father was well over 300 lbs when my sister sent out wedding invitations (3-4 months before her date). He priced airlines and ordered a ticket from Southwest, since it was the cheapest. I informed him of the policy and that they may require him to buy a second seat (so he would be prepared). It had been almost 20 years prior to that (when he was much smaller), since he had been on an airplane. We always drove to Disney and never really took other vacations (besides other theme parks) when I was growing up.

He said he would not buy another ticket and went on a diet to prevent it. Before he flew, he weighed 270 at just around 6'. Southwest did not make him get another seat. You seem much smaller than this, so my guess is you will be fine. When celebrities do get bounced from planes, you never know if it has more to do with ego than the actual infraction.

Enjoy your trip and your Southwest flight. For some reason, that is my DS favorite airline. He was bummed when DH told him they were flying Delta for our upcoming trip.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Just to add on-if you buy your park hoppers on-line most suppliers (including Disney itself) now have the option to send it to you as a pdf via email so you print at home-it works like a normal ticket-you just take it straight to the turnstyles like a regular ticket and they change it there and then for the 3 day pass so no need to muck about exchanging it at a ticket window.

Also we got a discount voucher for the Disney Express through the Orange County (Anaheim) Tourist Bureau site
http://www.anaheimoc.org/deals-and-discounts
$5/person off which was worth it for us as a small family of 3-made it same price as a shuttle and as everyone says SO much better than those. (We didn't pre-book as knowing delays with planes didn't want a commitment to a set time though realise now probably doesn't matter since you can just walk-on with no booking anyway so you would just get on next available bus). The pre-purchase tickets on-line might still be cheaper if there were more of you though. The coupons also had discounts for a range of eateries in the Disneyland area-even MacDonalds (can be handy with kids for a quick bite) so worth printing out and taking them with you.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Sorry just read your above posts better and see no kids-but lots of vouchers for different places around the area as well as Maccas...and who doesn't buy something there some times anyway!!

 

[alicia1506]

hey all,

we are fully booked for our big US vacation, and we truly can't wait.. decided to pay the extra and had disney ship our tickets to our address here... they arrived 3 days (not including the weekend) after i placed the order - we got a mickey, goofy and pluto

i've decided to bite the bullet and fly southwest. i fit in a regular seat, but to save any potential issues/fights/travel hassles/embarassment etc, i've bought a second seat with absolutely no intention of using it, and then qualifying for a refund and or/giving it up to someone if the flight oversells. besides, in the greater scheme of our trip, an extra $120.00 isn't that big a deal.

we arrive at lax on 6 november, so am really, really looking forward to it (and not long to go now). we're already planning a return trip next year and we haven't even gotten to the first trip yet

we've booked the family pass for the disneyland resort express through grayline anaheim. decided to do that even though there are 3 of us, just to make ticketing etc easier... then discovered that they do allow you to just walk on oh, well. we'll know for next time

any other hints/tips you feel like sharing are always welcome...

for vegas, we've got a really great deal through a friend who works at the tropicana, so we're going to stay in a fabulous newly renovated room for 1/2 price for 5 days and just drink and do tours and shows and enjoy their new spa.

 

[jacs1234]

You are going to have such a fun time. Dh and I have 4 children but last year we did disneyland for our 15th anniversary and his 40th birthday child free. It was so much fun and we did sooooooooooooo much. I'm going to give you some advise. You must let your inner child come out. Don't not do something because you think you're too old. you're never too old to do something at disney. Go on Dumbo, explore Tarzans tree house and the pirates lair, have fun in toon town and get your photos taken with all the characters.

It's funny you say you're booking your next trip already. Dh and I planned our first trip with our kids thinking that it would be a one and only trip. We thought you could do disney once and that would be enough, but on that first trip we already started planning the next. The place is so addictive. We're now waiting for our 4th trip in 4 years.

 

[jacs1234]

Also have you heard of a photo pass? There are photographers scattered around the parks, you walk up to them and they'll take your photo and give you a photopass card. Take this card to every photographer you see and have your photo taken, and then at the end of your trip you can go to the kodak store and get all the photos on disc for about $60 or you can wait till you get home and then order it and they send it out to you. It makes it very worth while if you have lots of pics taken and it's nice because your whole group can be in the photo.

 

[GrazingGoat1966]

Welcome to the Dis!! I tip the scales at about 110 kegs give or take, and ALWAYS fly Southwest when we go. The In-laws make me look like an Ethiopian distance runner and they have NEVER had a problem with Southwest either in regards to size so you'll be fine.
The Tropicana is a top little hotel. Obviously been around for years, but the refurbed rooms are more than adequate. Bear in mind that there are 2 buses that run up and down the strip 24/7 and a 3 day pass is only about a dozen dollars or so. Hop on Hop off as many times as you see fit. Great way to get around if you don't have a car, especially if you want to head for the Outlet shopping.
You mentioned Wizarding World of Harry Potter...are you going to Orlando?? because I didn't think it was open at Universal LA. I may be wrong but....

Enjoy your trip. The first time is always something special!!