first trip to disneyland this summer...few questions

[hmacmahony]

Okay, what characters usually are at the character meals?
I know no one can confirm for every day, I know. But, like at minnies meal, who is with her? And at goofys kitchen? There are 6 character meals, and wondering how many we MUST do.
We are going to do the ariel one, and at least one more, maybe a 3, depending on which characters are there. But, if its the same characters at pretty much all of them, no need to do more than one.

Also, has anyone done a VIP tour of disneyland? We did one at disneyworld, loved it. But, not sure what to expect at the land?

Also, any campgrounds around that anyone knows about?

And, we also want to do knottsberry farm, legoland, sea world, and maybe san diego zoo. What are the cheapest way to get tickets? I looked into the citypass, but I would be paying for things I really don't want to do.

And anything else in CA not to miss. We have about 4 weeks to do, and see it all, from the north coast, to the south coast. We are spending some time on the beachs, some time up with the redwoods. But, what else should we look into, and see, and do.

Sligtly nervous about disneyland, I know disneyworld inside and out,and all the little tips, and tricks, and having a harder time finding info about disneyland. So, please give it all to me!!

 

[rentayenta]

allearsnet.com gives really good run-down of what characters are where. Go to their Disneyland section then menu section.

 

[Beck & the Beast]

We did out first character meals last December while we were at Disneyland, and felt we got to see a lot of characters at the 2 character meals we went to. At Goofy's Kitchen during our breakfast we saw, Baloo, Goofy, Pluto, Fairy Godmother, Sleeping Beauty, Chip & Dale. And our lunch at Ariel's we saw, Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Belle. We didn't wait in too many other big lineups, but during our other days in the parks we saw Donald, Pluto and Goofy again, Mickey, Minnie, Woody, Alice and the Mad Hatter, Jasmine and Aladdin, Princess Tiana and Naveen, and at Pixie Hollow we got to meet Fawn, Tinkerbell and Terence. I think that's about it off the top of my head, but we didn't go to Princess Fantasy Fair because we thought we'd seen almost all of the princesses.

We also did the Holiday Tour while we were there, which was great. I have heard great things too about the Walk in Walt's footsteps tour if it's your first time.

A few years ago, we did a combo tour to San Deigo Zoo and SeaWorld. We booked a bus trip that included admissions to both and transportation from our hotel through Southern California Grey Line.

Have fun!

 

[HydroGuy]

A good place to start is the sticky at the top:

* DLR Info/Links - Maps, Hotels, DISer Reviews, Hydroguy's tips, NEWBIE INFO here!

For camping info they have a link:Camping At Disneyland?? (thread by TWEEDLEDEE2)

There is also lots of info on dining.

Finally, this thread answers lots of questions - the final section talks about other things to do in SoCal -

"A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

 

[chrissiecutie]

Are you travelling with young kids? Who's in your party??

I'm assuming younger kids since you're asking about characters. The BEST advice I can give, especially if you're going in the summer months, is to take advantage of MM (magic morning).

Get in early, hit Fantasyland and get to Toontown by the time it opens. Which I believe is 1 hour after DL opens. So that will give you approx. 2 hrs in Fantasyland and time to get to Toontown. All the characters are there 1st thing in the morning (no princesses though) and then you can get out of Toontown before it starts getting crowded!

This leaves you free for the rest of the afternoon to try and find the other charcters. Buzz is often in Tomorrowland and hit up Pooh Corner for the Winnie the Pooh gang and of course you can go to the Princess Faire thingy (I don't have girls) to find the princesses. I think Ariel even does a storytime event, not sure if this is still going but it was last time I was there.

I 2nd the allears.net website- awesome source of info and one of my fav's!

Have fun!!

 

[specialks]

Get in early, hit Fantasyland and get to Toontown by the time it opens. Which I believe is 1 hour after DL opens. So that will give you approx. 2 hrs in Fantasyland and time to get to Toontown. All the characters are there 1st thing in the morning (no princesses though) and then you can get out of Toontown before it starts getting crowded!

Quick note, if it is a Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness (MTTMM) day then don't go to Toontown in the morning. It will already have a fair number of people in TT who were there for the MTTMM and stay afterwards for autographs. Go on a non-MTTMM day or go later in the day.

 

[hmacmahony]

4 kids between 2 and 8, three girls, and the youngest is a boy.
Definatly planning the MM morning.
Thinking about doing a 5 or 6 day park hopper. Too much?? Will we do it all in 4 days? I don't want to leave feeling like we missed anything, we won't be back soon.

I also noticed if I buy the tickets online, you can enter toon town an hour early on certain days, something about the mayor of toon town, and lots of characters are there. Anyone done that?

Been scouring allears, but I can't find conformation of which characters are at the meals. It seems like more characters do meals at DL, and that you never really know who will show up. Is that a correct assumption. Like I saw reviews where at one place it was minnie, fairy godmother, pluto, and a few others.
But, then another one that had reviews (same restaurant), with minnie, and pluto, and a bunch of other, like baloo. So, I shouldn't count on certain characters.

Also whats summertastic? Or nigthtastic? No info up yet? Is it a hard ticket party? Have they done it before, or is this the first one?

Are you travelling with young kids? Who's in your party??

I'm assuming younger kids since you're asking about characters. The BEST advice I can give, especially if you're going in the summer months, is to take advantage of MM (magic morning).

Get in early, hit Fantasyland and get to Toontown by the time it opens. Which I believe is 1 hour after DL opens. So that will give you approx. 2 hrs in Fantasyland and time to get to Toontown. All the characters are there 1st thing in the morning (no princesses though) and then you can get out of Toontown before it starts getting crowded!

This leaves you free for the rest of the afternoon to try and find the other charcters. Buzz is often in Tomorrowland and hit up Pooh Corner for the Winnie the Pooh gang and of course you can go to the Princess Faire thingy (I don't have girls) to find the princesses. I think Ariel even does a storytime event, not sure if this is still going but it was last time I was there.

I 2nd the allears.net website- awesome source of info and one of my fav's!

Have fun!!

 

[chrissiecutie]

4 kids between 2 and 8, three girls, and the youngest is a boy.
Definatly planning the MM morning.
Thinking about doing a 5 or 6 day park hopper. Too much?? Will we do it all in 4 days? I don't want to leave feeling like we missed anything, we won't be back soon.

I also noticed if I buy the tickets online, you can enter toon town an hour early on certain days, something about the mayor of toon town, and lots of characters are there. Anyone done that?

Been scouring allears, but I can't find conformation of which characters are at the meals. It seems like more characters do meals at DL, and that you never really know who will show up. Is that a correct assumption. Like I saw reviews where at one place it was minnie, fairy godmother, pluto, and a few others.
But, then another one that had reviews (same restaurant), with minnie, and pluto, and a bunch of other, like baloo. So, I shouldn't count on certain characters.

Also whats summertastic? Or nigthtastic? No info up yet? Is it a hard ticket party? Have they done it before, or is this the first one?

The Toontown thingy is called Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness or MTMM. Go to youtube and enter this in and you'll get lots of videos to show you exactly what it is- super cute! It's offered on M,W, F, Sat (I think) and you'll want to be careful NOT to do this on the same day you do MM. I would suggest doing MM on the days MTMM isn't avail, as you can get in the park at 7am (1 hour before official open) and be at the Toontown gates by 9am, just in time for them to open.

On the MTMM days, I think it starts 1 hour earlier then Toontown usually opens but would still be at the same time the park opens. Not quite sure how this works since we've never done it. It's a hard ticketed event so not everyone is allowed in.

Character meals at DL are hit and miss. They have the "core" group that's supposed to be there but sometimes they will add a character not on that list and sub for another character. I would say, just pick where you would rather go for the character meal, the DL Hotel or inside DL. If you go to the one inside DL, you can make PS for earliest avail and may even be able to get in before the gates officially open. Not sure on this, so double check!

 

[iheartdisney]

We just did Minnie's last weekend. We did it late enough to count as brunch. 10:30.
Our guests were Minnie, Chip, Dale, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Capt Hook, Fairy Godmother, Rafiki, and Geppetto.
And boy, let me tell you what a difference it was compared to character meals at WDW! when we were at WDW, they told us we needed to keep an eye out, and make sure to be the table when the character came by, because they did their rotation around the room and then disappeared. At Minnie's, they seriously wouldn't leave! We didn't eat for the first 30 minutes because they kept coming by. Rafiki, pooh, and Geppetto each sat at the table with us and played with the kids. It was great. Then Tigger started boingin people with balloons. Then he and Minnie got in a fight and started chasing each other around the room out the door.

As far as camping, I don'y know of any close to DL. San Clemente is about halfway between San Diego and LA area, and is absolutely stunning. We did a family reunion campout there at the San Clemente State beach last summer. The campground is kind of on a cliff overlooking the ocean (not to worry, there are fences, so no worries with the little ones) Are you camping the whole trip? If so, you could set up camp there while touring San Diego and L.A. The other campground I know well is the Mugu State beach. Again, absolutely brilliant, if you are coming up into the Ventura County area. It is right off the PCH, and it is broken into several different campgorunds, with some of them directly on the water.

 

[iheartdisney]

Also- Nightastic- is not a hard party event, it is just the marketing for the summer to get locals to come in and watch Fantasmic and the special fireworks.

 

[hmacmahony]

We will be camping the whole trip. I don't mind changing campgrounds, I know we will be moving around a lot. I plan on about 10 days coming down from portland to LA. Hitting san fransico, and the redwoods, coming down highway one.
Probably 10days to two weeks in and around LA.
Then out through vegas, grand canyon.
I know we will probably hunker down while in the LA area for the longest period of time. So, that campground, I would like to be fairly nice, with a pool. Other than that, it might be a few days here and there, so I am not as concerned.

I can't believe how many characters can be at the meals. Thats great! Will make it easy for us. I might just book minnie, goofys kitchen, and ariels grotto and go from there if need be.

Do you think 5 day park hoppers are enough to see it all? Or should we get that 6 day? And, they don't have to be used back to back right? I have 2 weeks to use the 6 days right?

We just did Minnie's last weekend. We did it late enough to count as brunch. 10:30.
Our guests were Minnie, Chip, Dale, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Capt Hook, Fairy Godmother, Rafiki, and Geppetto.
And boy, let me tell you what a difference it was compared to character meals at WDW! when we were at WDW, they told us we needed to keep an eye out, and make sure to be the table when the character came by, because they did their rotation around the room and then disappeared. At Minnie's, they seriously wouldn't leave! We didn't eat for the first 30 minutes because they kept coming by. Rafiki, pooh, and Geppetto each sat at the table with us and played with the kids. It was great. Then Tigger started boingin people with balloons. Then he and Minnie got in a fight and started chasing each other around the room out the door.

As far as camping, I don'y know of any close to DL. San Clemente is about halfway between San Diego and LA area, and is absolutely stunning. We did a family reunion campout there at the San Clemente State beach last summer. The campground is kind of on a cliff overlooking the ocean (not to worry, there are fences, so no worries with the little ones) Are you camping the whole trip? If so, you could set up camp there while touring San Diego and L.A. The other campground I know well is the Mugu State beach. Again, absolutely brilliant, if you are coming up into the Ventura County area. It is right off the PCH, and it is broken into several different campgorunds, with some of them directly on the water.

 

[wasser]

Personally, I'd say 5 days would be plenty. And yes, you don't have to use all the days consecutively, but you have to use them all within the two week period from the first entry.

And, we also want to do knottsberry farm, legoland, sea world, and maybe san diego zoo. What are the cheapest way to get tickets? I looked into the citypass, but I would be paying for things I really don't want to do.

San Diego Zoo is massive. You can do it in a day, but you'll have to rush a bit. If you're interested in the San Diego Wild Animal Park you can get a modest discount right from their site if you buy tickets for both. Also, if you like ships, you can visit the USS Midway. It's an aircraft carrier and pretty impressive. The Maritime Museum is also down there and has some older ships. Bolboa Park may also be of interest to you.

And anything else in CA not to miss. We have about 4 weeks to do, and see it all, from the north coast, to the south coast. We are spending some time on the beachs, some time up with the redwoods. But, what else should we look into, and see, and do.

Coming down the coast you might also consider the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Since you're coming down the coast and staying on beaches, definitely dive into some tidal pools! Oh, and if you have an interest in lighthouses, there are many nice ones to see. If you're going into San Francisco, you might consider stopping at Golden Gate Park. The Academy of Sciences at the park is a neat place. There is also more typical things like Alcatraz and China Town. Across the bay in Alameda is the aircraft carrier USS Hornet; she fought in WWII and also recovered the Apollo 11 astronauts.