General Disneyland planning tips

[Anthony12345]

Hi all

I'm looking at the lowest cost trip to Disneyland I can reasonably find, what with this being a last minute plan coming out of the blue less than 2 days after returning home from 2 weeks in Orlando, so funds are tight

I have only ever visited WDW, so my knowledge of Disneyland trip planning is nonexistent.

Basically, I have the option of a return flight to San Francisco from Manchester, UK, via a deal with my airline account via Virgin Atlantic. This seems to be the closest I can fly in and basically have a free flight.

I'd be interested to know options for getting too Anaheim from San Francisco and relatively low cost options regarding tickets and hotels, cheapest/quietest times of year etc. November would be ideal.

 

[ChloroformSdxn]

A good site for tips/tricks I've found is Mousesavers.com

I've generally had good luck the week after American Thanksgiving or the first week of December before schools start getting out.

 

[pblack]

As far as a way of getting from SF to Anaheim...I think you really only have 4 options: Amtrak, Bus, Rent a car, or take another flight. I don't know how long of a trip your planning so I can't really say what would be best. I also don't know how much each would cost. I know with Southwest you can sometimes find deals from SFO to LAX or Santa Ana (SNA). SNA is closer to Disneyland than LAX, but LAX is usually cheaper to fly into. SF to Anaheim is roughly a 7-8 hour drive. Would definitely be longer in a bus or on Amtrak.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I think flying from SFO or OAK to SNA, LAX or LGB is likely going to be your cheapest option but you have to see if you can get a cheap flight this late in the game. I've flown this route for about $150-$200 round trip in the past. I would check to see what you can find. Look at Southwest, American and JetBlue.

 

[figment_jii]

I also think that flying from SFO to SNA/LAX will be the easiest option. While the Amtrak base fare might be cheaper than a flight, you'd need to factor in the cost of getting to and from the Amtrak station (i.e., taxi, Uber, etc.). So all in all, for the shorter travel time and less hassle, I'd opt to fly.

In terms of November, my guess is that the best times would either be early (before the Holiday Season starts, but avoiding Dapper Days) or late (after Thanksgiving). I would avoid the marathon weekend (11/9-12), which is usually when the Holiday Season starts. If you go in early November, before the Holiday Season starts, there is a strong chance that some attractions will be closed (e.g., IaSW, Jungle Cruise) to have their holiday overlays installed.

 

[DLgal]

Southwest or JetBlue or Virgin America

SFO-LAX (Virgin America)
SFO-LGB (JetBlue)
SFO-SNA (Southwest)

Then Uber to Disneyland.