Help Please! First trip with 2 boys, coming from Canada

[c4riley]

Hello Everyone,
I am a fairly new member to these boards and I have been actively researching and gathering information for our upcoming trip.
Background information....
People going on our trip; me, husband, 4 & 5 year old boys, grandparents, brother in-law,5 aunts and 1 boy cousin.
Staying at the fairfield inn marriott. Flying with west jet.

1st question: if we land at LAX at 10:46 (we don't have to do customs). How long will it take to get baggage, get to the shuttle (Karmel) and get to the hotel? is it realistic to be there for 1pm?

2nd question: We will not have data plans on our phones to update ride wait times. Do people find the guides in the Unofficial Disneyland book good?

3rd question: Water? does tap water taste good in California? (we are spoiled in Vancouver with awesome tap water) Can filled water bottles be brought into the park or do they need to be empty?


Thanks for any input that you may have... I am SOOOOO excited to be leaving for Disneyland soon!!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

As for bottled water, you can bring your own bottles (plastic, refillable, etc. -- just not glass) into the parks. Any counter service restaurant with a soda machine will have a filtered water spigot. Either you can fill your bottle yourself (e.g. Plaza Inn) or a CM behind the counter will fill it for you (e.g. Taste Pilots Grill or Cafe Orleans). In some cases, the CM may fill a large cup for you so you can fill the bottle yourself. Also, Rancho del Zocalo has an outside drinking water spigot with filtered water. The First Aid stations are also great places for refilling your bottles with cold, filtered water.

Tap water in Anaheim isn't horrible, but it isn't fabulous either. You might want to get a case of bottled water delivered to your hotel room (Vons.com) or, if you are hardy, buy it at the 7-11 (corner of Katella and Harbor) and carry it back. Some people pack a Britta water filter (jug or individual bottles) for the hotel tap water. We use bottled water for making tea and coffee in our hotel room because we think it tastes better.

 

[Susie63]

I thought the water in Disneyland was fine.You could always bring an individual brita bottle with a filter.....and you can bring in a full bottle as long as it is plastic.
As for your travel time you might be a little tight with a 1 pm arrival time.Terminal 2 is really easy to manage and the baggage area is RIGHT next to the doors.After you get your bags just walk out through the doors and look up for the shuttle signs.Sorry I don't know about Karmel as we used the Disneyland Express bus.Be very aware that there is a lot of traffic at LAX and you may have to stand on an island in between two lanes of traffic,so you will want to make sure someone has the kids hands at all times.Travel time is about 1 hr to the resort, depending on traffic.
Welcome to the Disboards! Have fun at DLR!

 

[Aladora]

3rd question: Water? does tap water taste good in California? (we are spoiled in Vancouver with awesome tap water) Can filled water bottles be brought into the park or do they need to be empty?

I'm in Victoria so can give you a good idea of the difference. The water in DL compared to BC is, in my opinion, undrinkable. Even the "filtered" water in the park was gross. You can bring in filled water bottles from outside the park. Also, if you go to any counter service in DL you can ask for ice water and use that to refill water bottles. That water is drinkable.

 

[yaya74]

Hello Everyone,

1st question: if we land at LAX at 10:46 (we don't have to do customs). How long will it take to get baggage, get to the shuttle (Karmel) and get to the hotel? is it realistic to be there for 1pm?


3rd question: Water? does tap water taste good in California? (we are spoiled in Vancouver with awesome tap water) Can filled water bottles be brought into the park or do they need to be empty?


Thanks for any input that you may have... I am SOOOOO excited to be leaving for Disneyland soon!!

What day are you flying in? Depending on the day you are flying in, there could be little or lots of traffic on the highway. So I would say plan to be at the park around 1:30PM or 2pm, especially you are travelling with many people.

Water in Vancouver is delicious (I am a fellow Vancourite). I believe you will find tap water in Southern California undrinkable. It has a murky taste. Nothing wrong with it though. Water from the soda fountain at quick counter services might be okay for your taste buds.

Have a good trip!

 

[KateDrake]

Hello Everyone,
I am a fairly new member to these boards and I have been actively researching and gathering information for our upcoming trip.
Background information....
People going on our trip; me, husband, 4 & 5 year old boys, grandparents, brother in-law,5 aunts and 1 boy cousin.
Staying at the fairfield inn marriott. Flying with west jet.

1st question: if we land at LAX at 10:46 (we don't have to do customs). How long will it take to get baggage, get to the shuttle (Karmel) and get to the hotel? is it realistic to be there for 1pm?

2nd question: We will not have data plans on our phones to update ride wait times. Do people find the guides in the Unofficial Disneyland book good?

3rd question: Water? does tap water taste good in California? (we are spoiled in Vancouver with awesome tap water) Can filled water bottles be brought into the park or do they need to be empty?


Thanks for any input that you may have... I am SOOOOO excited to be leaving for Disneyland soon!!

You guys are going to have a blast! It is so much fun going in a large group. Just don't be afraid to split up as needed to get some space and do what you want to do. Everyone doesn't have to be together ALL the time Also be prepared for it to take a while to get anywhere.

With that in mind, here are my answers:
1. Since you have such a large group, I would plan to be at the Fairfield by around 2 or 2:30, just to be safe. LAX is a beast of an airport, and it can take a good 20 minutes just to walk to the baggage claim if you've got kids in tow. So I'd expect to arrive a little later, and then if you arrive early, it will be a pleasant surprise!

2. You didn't say when you are going, but it sounds like it is soon? I always have big plans to use wait time apps, but then I end up totally throwing them out the window. We usually go in the off season, in this case October, and the lines tend to be quite manageable. So I don't think you need to buy a data plan just for that. We have followed the Unofficial Guide touring plans, and they are good if it is busy, but if you are there in the off season you probably won't have to worry much. Just make plans to pick up fast passes for some of the biggest rides first, and maybe follow the first few steps of the plan, and then you can just kick back and enjoy yourself!

3. Vancouver is one of the few places I've visited where I actually liked the water, since we also have sweet mountain springs here in SLC. So I agree with the previous posters that the Disney water is pretty darn awful. However, the ice water that you can get at the restaurants isn't bad. So we always bring a Camelback or water bottle, and get a few cups of ice water and sip on that throughout the day. Bottled water works as well, but I just hate the waste!

Your boys are going to have such a great time! I hope your trip is absolutely magical for everyone!

 

[c4riley]

Thanks for all your input, it is greatly appreciated.
Sounds like I will be purchasing water to bring into the parks. Because I am canadian I don't think I can order thru Vons, so I will either have to make the trek to Target or 7-11....
We are less than 2 weeks away, and I can't wait!!

 

[perlster]

FYI on bottled water: Some of the popular brands of bottled water in the U.S. (Aquafina and Dasani) are from "municipal sources" - tap water. It would be wise to check the labels carefully before buying. Arrowhead and Crystal Geyser are both spring water.