GCV/Cali Plannning Experts: HELP!!!

[kahluacream]

I have been to several DVC resorts in WDW, but never ventured to California. After looking at the new villas at the Grand Californian, they look so nice that I'm hoping to plan a family trip there next summer (2010). Our family has never been to California.

Cali DVCers-- Please help! I'm clueless about DL. Here are my many questions:
1. Since it's smaller than WDW, how long would it take to "do" Disney's California parks? I was thinking 4 days???

2. Do you need a car to get around while in DL?

3. Would it be fairly easy to combine DL with a trip to San Diego to see the attractions there?

4. If so, would it be best to fly to San Diego, rent a car, see San Diego for a few days, drive rental car to DL, then ditch rental car??? OR better to head to Disney LAnd before San Diego?

Any opinions? I'd love to hear from some California DVCers or those who have visited Cali frequently. Any planning help would be most appreciated!

Thanks from an East Coast DVCer !!!

 

[robert@dvcstore]

I grew up in California and Disneyland is still my favorite Disney park. I think 4 days would allow you enough time to visit the 2 parks and the Downtown Disney area.

If you are just going to stay and explore the Disneyland Resort, you do not need a car.

San Diego is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Anaheim. The rental car issue would depend on where are you flying in and out of. You will need a car in San Diego. You might consider flying into Orange County (John Wayne Intl. Airport) and take a shuttle to Disneyland. Then rent a car to visit San Diego and drive back to Orange County to return the car and fly home.

Have a great time.

Robert

 

[queendarvet]

We did a similar trip a few summers ago. We flew into San Diego, rented a car, and drove up to Disneyland. We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel for 3 nights, which was plenty of time to see everything. We never used the car while at DL. Everything is within walking distance. I really loved the compactness of DL and the summer weather was perfect! After the 3 nights at DL we drove back to San Diego and stayed there for 5 nights. You definitely need a car in San Diego. So much to see there. Loved the zoo and Balboa Park, also La Jolla and the beaches. The summer weather was perfect as well. I liked that we did DL first but either way it would be fine. Have fun, being an east coaster myself, I really loved the west coast!

 

[The Red Head]

4 days would be more than enough time. You do not need a car at the DLR, but if you are considering going to LA you will. San Diego is an hour and a half with no traffic. May and June there is a lot of cloud coverage at the beaches. We call it May grey and June gloom. The nice weather starts in July. I say the nice weather, but if you are from where there is bad weather and seasons, the June gloom will still be nice. We are just spoiled here in San Diego.

 

[bwvBound]

Agreeing with TRH above ... 4 days is plenty of time to cover Disneyland, California Adventure, Downtown Disney, the restaurants in GardenWalk and still have time to relax by the pools. No car needed for your time at DL ... but will become an essential for other SoCal plans. Lots to do in San Diego ... come'on down!

 

[dwelty]

I agree, three days should be enough. The weather should be dry and nice that time of year. I agree, San Diego is the place to go outside of Disneyland. Many people want to see hollywood and are dissapointed after they see it. San Diego is probably one of the most beautiful cities in the US.

Also, there is nothing like a fresh Disney park experience, It will almost be like experiencing WDW for the first time (again). From what I hear the new world of Color show will be amazing.

 

[Inkmahm]

I have been to several DVC resorts in WDW, but never ventured to California. After looking at the new villas at the Grand Californian, they look so nice that I'm hoping to plan a family trip there next summer (2010). Our family has never been to California.

Cali DVCers-- Please help! I'm clueless about DL. Here are my many questions:
1. Since it's smaller than WDW, how long would it take to "do" Disney's California parks? I was thinking 4 days???

2. Do you need a car to get around while in DL?

3. Would it be fairly easy to combine DL with a trip to San Diego to see the attractions there?

4. If so, would it be best to fly to San Diego, rent a car, see San Diego for a few days, drive rental car to DL, then ditch rental car??? OR better to head to Disney LAnd before San Diego?

Any opinions? I'd love to hear from some California DVCers or those who have visited Cali frequently. Any planning help would be most appreciated!

Thanks from an East Coast DVCer !!!

DH and I are going to California a month from now, staying at the GCH for part of the time on points.

We're flying info San Diego and staying two nights in the Gaslight district. I stalked hotels for months to get great deals in San Diego. We are doing the Wild Animal Park and the San Diego zoo. Then we drive to Anaheim for our 4 nights at DL. I've booked every tour and premium experience they have, I think. We head back to San Diego for our last two nights and another day in the Wild Animal Park before flying out of San Diego to go home.

I haven't been to San Diego in 11 years or Anaheim in 21 years. All my arrangements are made and I'm really looking forward to the trip. I'd suggest going to the DIS board for Disneyland and start reading there. So much has changed since my last trip to DL that I really needed to learn a lot before I made choices as to what we wanted to do and where we wanted to stay.

 

[nunzia]

I have to say that I think a first time visitor would want a full 4 days. We find when at DLR we are much more opportunistic tourers. We may be heading to GRR but HECK there is no line at Soarin, so let's do that, and after Soarin, how about an ice cream...Plus it is so easy to go back and forth between parks it is not a big deal to do GRR..maybe go to the Grand and change, have a snack at Whitewater and still make the parade at DL on time. Four days would be perfect.
I would rather not rent a car until ready to go to San Diego(and I'd do DLR first so you didn't have to deal with storing a rental car at DLR. Isn't the parking for the Grand at odd place? Isn't there a daily parking fee?) We've always really enjoyed San Diego (lots of odd one way streets though if I remember). There is a car rental place in DTD by the theaters. Could you return the car in San Diego and fly out there?

PS..I was hoping for May gray and June gloom or whatever they call it..our trip last May was hotter than you know what..the cab driver said it was 105, so be prepared it could be HOT.

 

[bwvBound]

We may be heading to GRR but HECK there is no line at Soarin, so let's do that, ...

No line at Soarin' ?? I can't even imagine!

 

[TINKERIFIC]

We used our DP's at GCH - Concierge June 15 - 19th. This was a Monday - Saturday stay.

This was our itinerary (please keep in mind I am from So. Cal., but the rest of our party has never been to Cali, so LA/Hollywood was #1):

Monday 6/15 - arrive LAX in AM, do a quickie through Hollywood - Hollywood Blvd, Sunset, Beverly Hills, then check in at GCH around 6pm. Watch DL fireworks from Club viewing deck, Storytelling for DS 3 in lounge

Tuesday 6/16 - DL early entry, DCA at 10 am, rest/swim around 1 - 5pm, dinner at Storytellers, back to DCA till closing.

Wednesday 6/17 - UNIVERSAL, did everything, longest line 25 minutes at Jurassic Park, dinner at MIMI's on Harbour

Thursday 6/18 - DL early entry (this was also the day of LAKERS main street parade so the park was vacant elsewhere until the parade ended), lunch at Cafe Orleans, swim/nap until 4pm, GCH scavenger hunt, DL until closing.

Friday 6/19 - DTD in AM, check out, head to family's house in Fullerton for all day Friday and Saturday

Saturday 6/20 - fly home out of LAX

I definately say 3 full days at DLR is enough, but 4 if you really want to enjoy the resort. We did not make it to San Diego, but I have been before and it is BEAUTIFUL!!!

Oh, and BTW....about midweek the evening weather forcaster said "it was a HOT day in So Cal today with a high of 76". The weather was perfect that week...in Houston it was a scorching 100. On the other hand, my grandmother said that lately it has been abormally hot.

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

On the Disneyland boards, be sure to read the sticky with Hydroguy's tips for WDW vets. It will help sooo much! Ask away with any questions over on the DL boards. They are very helpful and friendly. I think 4 days is right for a first DL trip is right, especially if you are staying onsite and don't have to go at a commando pace.

What an exciting trip! San Diego is also a wonderful vacation spot. It's one of our favorite places to go. Balboa Park is so beautiful, and there are so many neat museums.

 

[kikiq]

We have DLR APs but have had 2 families visit this year. They both stayed 4 days and wished they had one more day. My nephew said that they wanted more pool time in between park time. His youngest was fixated on Splash Mountain and I "had" to spend another day at the parks to ride with him one last time. (Rough life but someone had to get wet with him) Our friends spent all 4 days in the park and had one character breakfast. Their family wanted more pool time too. I would say minimum of 4 days.

There is no free DVC valet parking at GCH now. Could that change once the villas are open to be consistent with the rest of DVC? I hope so. It would be nice to stay and not have anything on that bill.

Definitely go to the Disneyland DIS. Read HydroGuy's sticky on WDW vets coming to DLR. If you can find DVC Mike's trip report on his visit, that will give you another WDW DVCer's take on DLR.

Have fun planning!

 

[Castillo Mom]

I think 4 days is best for a first time visitor. This will allow you the ability to soak up the atmosphere and tour at an easier pace. You can get to the parks early then by lunch head back to your villa for a swim or nap then back to the parks in the later afternoon or evening.

As far as rental, you definitely wont' need one while at DL. You would only need it to get to/from San Diego and for during your stay there. In the DL area, there are restaurants that are within walking distance such as Cheesecake Factory, Joe's Crab Shack, etc. Anaheim also has free shuttles should you prefer not to walk to the surrounding off site restaurants or shops.

In terms of when to go, I also recommend July so that you can avoid the June gloom. At least my idea of a summer vacation doesn't include cloudy skies all day but you may prefer the cooler weather.

Either way, you'll love DL. We're California natives who love going to WDW but DL is very special. You'll see what I mean once you have the opportunity to experience it.

ETA: One little tip. GCH has their own entrance to DCA. I recommend getting to the turnstiles a few minutes before opening. This way once they let you in, you can send someone to grab a FP for Soarin' and then head straight to Toy Story Mania with minimal wait.

 

[nunzia]

No line at Soarin' ?? I can't even imagine!

Amazing..eh?? We went January 11-18th with our Backstage Magic Adventures by Disney in the middle and it was great..only real line was TSS..we never needed a FP anywhere and didn't even use any of the ones ABD gave us..

 

[mcrabeck]

We too are thinking of using our points to stay at GCV next summer, do you think it will be hard to get a reservation at the 7 month mark for a studio? Would a 1BR or 2Br be easier?

 

[bwvBound]

One little tip. GCH has their own entrance to DCA. I recommend getting to the turnstiles a few minutes before opening. This way once they let you in, you can send someone to grab a FP for Soarin' and then head straight to Toy Story Mania with minimal wait.

Great tip! Adding on: Sign up for the DCA "power walk." This is a guided walk through the DCA park prior to opening -- offered only to GC guests. The walk is meant to elevate the heartbeat ... it is gentle exercise. Well worth setting the alarm clock a bit early!

 

[bwvBound]

Thursday 6/18 - DL early entry (this was also the day of LAKERS main street parade so the park was vacant elsewhere until the parade ended), lunch at Cafe Orleans, swim/nap until 4pm, GCH scavenger hunt, DL until closing.

We were there the same day -- loved how the local crowds hung out on Main Street to greet Kobe, Luke, etc. We felt we hit pretty much "everything" (Indie 3x) and certainly enjoyed the fireworks before walking back to our (other) timeshare. On Friday we had VIP seating for UP! at Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Hung out at our resort and the Downtown Disney area on Saturday and then left Anaheim on Sunday for a full day at the San Diego County Fair. What a thoroughly delightful weekend!

 

[Grumpygrandpa]

1. Since it's smaller than WDW, how long would it take to "do" Disney's California parks? I was thinking 4 days???

4 days would be a minimum for a first time visit. I think you will want three just for DL and probably two or two and a half for DCA

2. Do you need a car to get around while in DL?

No car needed for DLR. That's one of the nicest things about DLR. Everything is so compact compared to WDW. Everything is in easy walking distance. Esp. if you are staying at the Grand.

3. Would it be fairly easy to combine DL with a trip to San Diego to see the attractions there?

San Diego is the nicest city in socal. It is an hour and a half drive in good traffic conditions. If you decide to spend time there you should probably look for lodging down there for a couple of days. Make sure to arrange to travel between DLR and San Diego during non peak hours. Socal traffic can be terrible (sometimes even at non commute times)

4. If so, would it be best to fly to San Diego, rent a car, see San Diego for a few days, drive rental car to DL, then ditch rental car??? OR better to head to Disney LAnd before San Diego?

Either way, but I would get a room down there for a couple of days.

 

[kahluacream]

I really appreciate all of the responses to my questions. The DIS is great!

QueenDarvet- Your trip sounds a lot like the trip I want to take! When I looked into car rental prices, it might just be cheaper to rent one for the week even if it means never using it at DisneyLand...

Tinkerific- Loved your itinerary! What a great trip!!

The Red Head- May Gray and June Gloom? Here I thought the weather was perfect in SoCal every month of the year... July or August it is!

Silly Little Pixie and KikiQ- Thanks for the info on Hydroguy- These tips are great!

CastilloMom- How cool that GCH has its own entrance to DCH... Gotta love that!

BWVBound- I see you're from SanDiego. What a great place to live! It seems like there is so much to see and do... Hard to decide on the best for my two kids, ages 6 and 8. Open to suggestions!!!

GrumpyGrandpa- I agree with you about getting separate accommodations in San Diego. I see that Hotel del Coronado is in the Concierge Collection...

THE BIG QUESTION NOW: Start in San Diego and end with DisneyLand???
Or go from all the action of Disneyland to a slower, more relaxed pace in San Diego????

 

[BeccaG]

THE BIG QUESTION NOW: Start in San Diego and end with DisneyLand???Or go from all the action of Disneyland to a slower, more relaxed pace in San Diego????

Hey kahluacream! I think that is kinda a matter of personal preference. I know for me, I would go DLand and then San Diego because then I come back from my vacation feeling more refreshed.

BTW, I am a former DL cast member and live in so cal so if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!