Help! DisneyLAND newbie trying to plan!

[bas71873]

Sorry this is going to be long, but I have a ton of questions:

By the time we actually get to DisneyLAND, we will have done DisneyWORLD 4 times. I am trying to plan a trip for the whole family (6 Adults & 3 Children - 6, 4 and 1 1/2 when the time comes) and I know nothing about So. Cali nor the Disneyland Resort.

I see from the website that there aren't near as many hotels on property and I do not think I can get a suite for a party of 9 so here are my questions and any advice, suggestions, experiences will be most appreciated. Oh, and we are all flying in (probably LAX since that seems to be so much cheaper)....the majority from the East Coast the rest from the San Fran area, so I'm struggling with car issues too.

1. Where to stay? Off property in a VRBO rental so we can all stay together? Then with that, I guess we have to rent a car and find our way around?

2. Or, do we stay on property, in separate rooms (giving us time to ourselves when needed) and just use Disney transportation? Assuming there is Disney transpo like there is in Florida? Is there transpo from the airport to Disney hotels like Magical Express in FL?

3. Is there just one park (Magic Kingdom) in Cali and then the Cali Adventure area? How many days would we need tickets for? I'm thinking a few days of downtime will be nice since I don't get to see my brother and his family very often.

4. Does DisneyLand have a dining plan like DisneyWorld does if you stay on property?

5. What is February like in So. Cali? Is the weather nice? Swimming weather? Are the parks crowded then?


Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance for any and all responses

 

[moppety]

Sorry this is going to be long, but I have a ton of questions:

By the time we actually get to DisneyLAND, we will have done DisneyWORLD 4 times. I am trying to plan a trip for the whole family (6 Adults & 3 Children - 6, 4 and 1 1/2 when the time comes) and I know nothing about So. Cali nor the Disneyland Resort.

I see from the website that there aren't near as many hotels on property and I do not think I can get a suite for a party of 9 so here are my questions and any advice, suggestions, experiences will be most appreciated. Oh, and we are all flying in (probably LAX since that seems to be so much cheaper)....the majority from the East Coast the rest from the San Fran area, so I'm struggling with car issues too.

1. Where to stay? Off property in a VRBO rental so we can all stay together? Then with that, I guess we have to rent a car and find our way around?

2. Or, do we stay on property, in separate rooms (giving us time to ourselves when needed) and just use Disney transportation? Assuming there is Disney transpo like there is in Florida? Is there transpo from the airport to Disney hotels like Magical Express in FL?

3. Is there just one park (Magic Kingdom) in Cali and then the Cali Adventure area? How many days would we need tickets for? I'm thinking a few days of downtime will be nice since I don't get to see my brother and his family very often.

4. Does DisneyLand have a dining plan like DisneyWorld does if you stay on property?

5. What is February like in So. Cali? Is the weather nice? Swimming weather? Are the parks crowded then?


Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance for any and all responses

First and foremost, I would recommend that you read HydroGuy's tips in the sticky at the top of the page. They are really helpful and thorough.

Ok...

1. I have no idea what a VRBO is, so I'm no help there. I can say that staying onsite is nowhere near as important at DLR as it is at WDW. There are many local hotels that are closer in walking distance to the front gates than the "onsite" hotels are.

2. There is no Disney transportation per se. The 2 parks that make up Disneyland Resort (DLR), Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure (DL and DCA) are seperated by a 2 minute walk across the plaza. Downtown Disney is in between the parks and the Disnelyand Hotel. You can walk out of the Grand Californian into the Disney's California Adventure, and you can catch the monorail in Downtown Disney into Tomorrowland, but most times it is far quicker to walk.

There are many shuttles available from the airports into the resort. There is no DME like at WDW.

3. The park is Disneyland, and it most closely corresponds to the Magic Kingdom at WDW. I think around 3 days is the minimum for a stay to thoroughly explore DL and DCA.

4. The dining plan is nothing like WDW's. It is basically just a series of vouchers that you turn in for food. Many (myself included) find no savings in the plan. If you're just looking for a way to spread out your monetary outlay, buying Disney gift cards in advance are the way to go. This has the added advantage of if there is any money left over, you can use it to buy souvenirs etc. You get no change from vouchers, if you don't use it, you lose it.

5. February in SoCal is "moderate" to most of the rest of the country. You might warm up during the day, but you'll probably need a jacket in the morning and after the sun goes down. We just got back and definitely needed extra warmth. You're in Louisiana, so I'm guessing you'll find it as chilly as I did.

HTH!

 

[bas71873]

Thank you so much...that helps. I'll check out Hydroguy too.

Oh, and VRBO is Vacation Rental By Owner.......basically homes and large condos for rent which may be the way to go with the number of people and having a full size kitchen.

 

[moppety]

Oh, and VRBO is Vacation Rental By Owner.......basically homes and large condos for rent which may be the way to go with the number of people and having a full size kitchen.

Hee! Learn something new every day! I'll venture a very uneducated guess that there aren't as many of those in SoCal as in Florida. DLR is smack dab in the middle of a bustling city, so it's totally different from WDW.

There are local hotels that could probably fit you guys in a suite type room, but those rooms go fast, so definitely book as soon as you know. The hotels not in walking distance usually offer a shuttle to the parks and the "ART" buses/shuttles also can get you back and forth.

 

[bas71873]

OMG, I think the entire city of Orlando is VRBO's . But, there are a few there in So Cal near Disneyland, or at least advertised that way, and that may be our best bet.

 

[mommyof2boys1girl]

I agree with the PP, but have some more input on hotels. We were only a family of 5 planning to go, but I really wanted separate spaces for our napping little ones, and us, so we looked closely at the suite hotels.

Really really close to the park, but offsite (and in this post, offsite is the same as saying way way way cheaper than onsite!! ) is the Desert Inn and Suites - they have adjoining rooms with a total of 4 queen beds, and 2 bathrooms, so they technically sleep 8 adults (I assume your 1 1/2 yr old will sleep in a crib?) There's a very basic continental bfast, and an indoor pool (which may be nice in Feb)
I also know that La Quinta Inn and Suites and the Residence Inn also have larger rooms available - RI even has a full kitchen, I believe. But you'd have to see if there were enough beds for everyone....

Best of luck!

 

[Jenn1116]

There are a number of off-site hotels that have "kids" rooms with bunk beds. I don't know the ages of your party but you might want to look into this. We stayed 6 in a room with 2 queens and a pull-out couch so we didn't try the kids beds, but this way you might be able to get away with getting 2 rooms. It may or may not be cheaper than a VRBO. Also, you have the advantage of the ART which is the shuttle service to the park if you're at an off-site hotel which you woudn't have with a VRBO. I think ART is way more convenient than driving and parking.

haha... I just saw the last post... I guess this goes with it.