First trip to Disneyland!

[mlm]

This is my first trip to Disneyland and I have never been to WDW. I have a million questions but will narrow it down to a few (for now)!!

We have our flight booked already (Dec28-Jan3) but am trying to figure out where to stay. We are in Canada...

Hotels - Have you used hotwire or priceline? I have never used it, but figure I can get a good rate based on what I've read. My only concern is that when you enter that you want a hotel in the disneyland area, I have no idea much of an area this includes. We will not rent a car so we need something within driving distance. My fear is that I would win a bid and end up with a hotel that is really far away...

We are getting the southern california city pass and plan on spending a day at Univeral Studios and SD seaworld (I think that is what it is called). Is it fairly easy to take a shuttle from our disney hotel to these places? i.e. are there brochures everywhere or are we are on our own and have to arrange public/city transportation?

We have a 16 mth old - is there much to do at that age? My niece will also be with us who's 3.5 yrs.

Is three days enough time - too much time to spend at DL?

Any tips for a first time Canadian visiting DL during christmas/new years?

That's all I have for now....thanks in advance for your responses!!

 

[mystic_path]

Hey,

I live in Canada, and Im going in October to DL for the first time as well. I"ve never been do WDW either, so I am really in the same boat as you as a newbie. Although Its just me and my mum going "no kids" there is alot that can be learned before you go. I"ve been paying close attention to this board, cause its soooo addictive. I've learned a few things that my help you as well.

- 3 days at DL will be good for a first timer, as it can take up to more then a day to see everything. Just look into the attractions DL/DCA has to offer and plan ahead as to which rides and attractions will be on a "Not Miss" list for you, so you at least have an idea of what may appeal to you and your children. *Keep checking the Disneyland.com website for their Dec Scheduals*


- Get to the park as early as possible, weekdays are the best times to go.
You can get soooo much done in the first part of the morning, before noon hits. If you go to the parks on a weekend, thats a great time to hit DCA as it the less crowded of the 2 parks.

- Use early entry if you have a pass

- Mainstreet is open like a half hour to an hour I believe before the rest of the park, and this is when the BEST character interaction will be, as many characters come out to greet you as the park opens.

- If you have smaller children, head straight over to "Fantasyland" and get all the "kiddy" rides done there first, cause your gonna have quite a lineup for each ride otherwise later on.
*Some good kid rides for 16mo olds Casey Jr. Train, Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Its a small world, King Arthurs carousel, Monsters Inc. Etc. So many of the rides are lit with colorful black lights, animated characters and cheery music that it will appeal to a lot of little kids.

- Remember all your fast passes. If you want to go on some of the bigger attractions like Splash, Space Mountain, POTC, etc. Get fast passes before noon, as fast passes can run out.

- A great place to have character interaction is Goofy's Kitchen. The food there apparently is spectacular, and the interaction is fab. Best to make reservations.

- For the big shows such as parades, fantasmic, fireworks etc. Try and get to the location a half hour to an hour early for the parades to find a spot, and a good hour and a half for Fantasmic and Fireworks. Best place for the fireworks is behind the hub "Statue of Mickey and Walt infront of the castle" to the right hand side away from the trees.

- Look into child swap for rides, if a child likes to go on a ride twice in a row, one adult can go on a ride with the children while the other adult waits in the lineup for the next turn, then you can pass the child off to the next adult.

I WILL ADD ON MORE LATER TO THIS FOR YOU OR EMAIL ME WITH QUESTIONS


As for going to Sandiego Zoo, Sea World, Universal Etc.... I recommend you getting a car. *Alamo I heard is FAB* Its about an hour and half drive each way to those places and makes for a whole day. You can take a grayline tour bus, but the fare for that is outrageous, probably about $70 a day per person, when you can get a car for $200 a week. You could proably take regular city busses, but that travel time of getting on and off the busses to catch the next one would be a huge hassle and a waste of time.

As for hotels, go onto the disney website and check out the surrounding hotels, then enter a new search in google and go directly to those hotel links. They may offer you a better rate then what is on the Disney website. I especially like the travelocity.ca website. Its fab and I found CRAZY deals on hotels there.

Hope I helped a bit

 

[Master Mason]

This is my first trip to Disneyland and I have never been to WDW. I have a million questions but will narrow it down to a few (for now)!!

We have our flight booked already (Dec28-Jan3) but am trying to figure out where to stay. We are in Canada...

Hotels - Have you used hotwire or priceline? I have never used it, but figure I can get a good rate based on what I've read. My only concern is that when you enter that you want a hotel in the disneyland area, I have no idea much of an area this includes. We will not rent a car so we need something within driving distance. My fear is that I would win a bid and end up with a hotel that is really far away...

We are getting the southern california city pass and plan on spending a day at Univeral Studios and SD seaworld (I think that is what it is called). Is it fairly easy to take a shuttle from our disney hotel to these places? i.e. are there brochures everywhere or are we are on our own and have to arrange public/city transportation?

We have a 16 mth old - is there much to do at that age? My niece will also be with us who's 3.5 yrs.

Is three days enough time - too much time to spend at DL?

Any tips for a first time Canadian visiting DL during christmas/new years?

That's all I have for now....thanks in advance for your responses!!

First of all, the city pass is a great deal, did it this summer. Seaworld and the zoo/wildlife park are in San Diego, which is about 70 miles south of Disneyland, so you might want to concider staying down there when your there.

Universal was about 45 drive, I hear there are shuttles, but we chose to drive ourselves.

3 days is a decent time at DL, but I am sure you'll wish you had more.

Have fun.

 

[Master Mason]

- Look into child swap for rides, if a child likes to go on a ride twice in a row, one adult can go on a ride with the children while the other adult waits in the lineup for the next turn, then you can pass the child off to the next adult.

That is not quite right, the child swap is so parents with small children can ride the ride and then swap places with the other parent, so one parent is with the child off of the ride. It is for rides where there is a hieght requriment that a child doesn't meet

 

[daannzzz]

Using Priceline or Hotwire to bid for a hotel in the Disneyland area can get you a place a couple miles away which is not super convenient. You will either need to use shuttles or rent a car. I personally prefer to be with in a 10 minute walk. Look at this map. These are all fairly convenient places to stay.


http://www.beachcalifornia.com/dlmp.html

 

[Judy from Boise]

Are you planning on going to Universal for the adults? I wouldn't reccomend it for young children. Honestly with the ages of your kids, and the business of the dates you will be there.....you may want to consider making this a Disney only trip and staying an extra day.
Have you bought any guide books ? You may want to pick up at least the official guide.

 

[spacemouseneer]

First off, welcome from a fellow Canadian.

Next, hotels...really and truely, you need to figure out what is important to you in a hotel. Location, price, style, etc. and then from there do a lot of searchs on this board for the names of hotels people really enjoy. Then from there, start at the hotel's website, see what their base price is for the time you are going and then proceed to the other sites. Hotel prices are ALWAYS changing, so once you lock in to a price that you feel is fair, don't look back, it can just cause frustration...lol.

Next, L.A. and it's surrounding areas is a HUGE place. Getting to Universal and Sea World isn't going to happen by getting in a taxi or on a bus. There are buses you can order that will pick you up at your hotel and take you directly to these places, but again....cost.

We are leaving next week and taking our 23 month old for the first time, and just the sites and sounds alone will be enough to keep your youngest occupied I'm sure. Plus, for the most part, they can go on quite a few of the rides. Then there are all of the shows, characters, etc.

Length of stay again depends on you. I love to have at least 4 days in just Disneyland, but I like to go through everything at my own pace and get everything in. DCA is easier to do in one day.

I've never been at Christmas time but I hear it gets quite busy, so just be prepared for that. Take your time, and listen to what your kids need as well. Going to the park for when it opens is a must, because the crowds are much smaller at the start of the day. Then halfway through, when it gets hotter and the crowds become larger, go back to the hotel and have a nap, have a swim, whatever. Then head back to the park later. It really allows the kids to recharge their batteries.

You have lots of time, just do lots of research. I found some great tips on this board.

 

[Rella Bella]

This is my first trip to Disneyland and I have never been to WDW. I have a million questions but will narrow it down to a few (for now)!!

First off! Welcome to the DIS! Keep reading and asking questions here and you'll be a pro before you arrive in California!

Hotels - Have you used hotwire or priceline? I have never used it, but figure I can get a good rate based on what I've read. My only concern is that when you enter that you want a hotel in the disneyland area, I have no idea much of an area this includes. We will not rent a car so we need something within driving distance. My fear is that I would win a bid and end up with a hotel that is really far away...

You might want to reconsider renting a car, especially if you want to go down to San Diego for Sea World. Depending on the number in your party you might pay more just for transportation to and from the airport than you would to have a car for the whole week. We rented even though we had to pay for parking and the car sat in the parking lot most of the time. Driving in LA isn’t that bad if you avoid the peak times and have good DIS directions. (From Mary Jo in the link I gave you above... or ask for specific directions in a new thread)
I would recommend choosing a hotel from the map daannzzz sent you, these are the closest hotels and they are in every price range. (This link has lots of information about hotels, directions and other maps http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1072276 )

We stayed at the Sheraton Park (formerly the West Coast Anaheim Hotel, as shown on the map) it was wonderful! I highly recommend it! The rooms were large & spacious, the bed was very comfortable, and the pool was beautiful. They have a restaurant and a convenience store right at the hotel. I called the hotel directly and got a reasonable rate at the last minute. I would hesitate to use Priceline or any service that chooses the hotel for you… it’s likely you won’t be as close as you’d like and you’ll spend a lot of time driving around whether it’s in a car or a taxi. It is so nice to avoid driving on park days... it gives you much more time inside, which is why you are going!

Technically the Sheraton Park is one block from Disneyland, but it’s a long block – to the entrance it was actually about a 10 minute walk. If you’d rather save your feet for walking inside the park you can catch the Resort Shuttle just outside the front entrance! It will take you to Disneyland, on a 5-7 minute direct (no other stops) but somewhat roundabout bus ride. You catch the return (Bus C) right outside the Disneyland gate for about a 3-minute direct ride home. The ticket is $3.00 per person per day. There is a shuttle every 20 minutes. Be aware that the buses are quickly in & out at the hotel, so be sure to wait in the immediate area. It seemed like they ran the full route in about 10 to 12 minutes (Disney to the hotel & back) and then sat outside the Disneyland gate for not quite10 minutes to load up for the return. The Resort Shuttle goes to most of the close hotels, call and ask before you book… some hotels had their own shuttles.

We are getting the southern california city pass and plan on spending a day at Univeral Studios and SD seaworld (I think that is what it is called). Is it fairly easy to take a shuttle from our disney hotel to these places? i.e. are there brochures everywhere or are we are on our own and have to arrange public/city transportation?

There are tour buses that come to the Disney area hotels and take you to Universal… but usually the price includes admission and they are pricey. You can also take the train to San Diego… but I think you’d be spending much more time and money than if you just rented a car. If you do get the city pass keep in mind you have to use the Disney portion of your ticket first.

We have a 16 mth old - is there much to do at that age? My niece will also be with us who's 3.5 yrs.

There are lots of things to see and do… and there is also ride share, so you can do the adult rides!!

Is three days enough time - too much time to spend at DL?

We just took our first trip to DL, we were there parts of 3 days, if we’d had full days we could have done most everything. You’ll be fine with 3 days… you’ll see a lot and leave wanting to go back. The first rule of enjoying a Disney vacation is never expect to see and do it all, just do what you can and have a wonderful time doing it!

Keep searching and asking questions… planning is half the fun!!

 

[dizzyami]

Any way you do it you are going to have a fun time - and I am not sure how flexible your travel plans are - but I agree that with the age of the kids you might be best of doing just Disney. We took my daughter when she was 10 months old and decided to go to Sea World for the day - and we were all tired, cranky, and really wishing that we did not make the trip to San Diego. On the other hand though, we are only a 5 hour drive to California, so it is not like Sea World is a must do for us. The other convenience of doing Disney only is you could get a hotel within walking distance (be sure to bring a stroller), and avoid the car altogether. This is just a suggestion based off our experience - and again, it comes from someone decently close to California - which does make a difference!!

 

[ItaliaDisneyFan!]

Ahh! some fellow Canadians!! 3 days should be good for Disneyland.. we usually do 3, 4, or 5 days depending on what we feel like!! but 3 days is good! you can do 1.5 days in each park if you have the park hopper option. as for hotels, we have stayed at the Anaheim Plaza Hotel (directly across for Disneyland) and the Anaheim Marriot (a mile or 2 away but shuttles every 20 minutes (not sure if you need to pay $$) ) Other hotel options that we have considered are: Howard Johnsons (about a 5 mnute walk) and Park Vue Inn (comp. breakfast! and across the street!!) Never been to Disney in the winter.. but I heard that it could get pretty cold at night and crowded too so prepare for that! Get to the park as it opens and head to Fantasyland and get fastpasses for your "must do" rides.. also get most of the kids' rides out of the way in the morning and head to the hotel fora nap/lunch/short dip in the pool (kids will be refreshed and not cranky making it easier to have fun!!) I would suggest to rent a car to go to Universal/San Diego/Sea World/Zoo or whereever! (more freedom to go whenever and come back whenever and leave to eat!) Also, if you can bring a stroller.. let them rest while walking from ride to ride or show to show or from Disney to hotel. This makes for happier, lss cranky kids! a BIG plus!

Hope this will help!! and remember - its Disney so have fun!!