How Best to Prioritize Money Choices

[jenanderson]

We are slowly feeling like we are getting things figured out for our trip and have a general idea of what we want to pay for the trip. This leads us to making many choices having to do with money and I would love some opinions.

Here are some important details
Dates: June 28 - July 5
Cast: Me, DH, DD (16) and DS (12)
Our first trip to DL

DS has been incredibly sick all winter long (we are now at 24 missed days of school in 3 months). He has always been a pretty sick kid and our Disney trips are what makes him get through all the hard days. It is where he can laugh and feel like there is magic in the world. DS studies everything Disney, dreams of working for Disney and considers himself a serious Disney fanatic. We work really hard to try to plan things that make him enjoy every single moment possible.

With all of that being said, here are some of the things we are debating and I would love to hear what others think. I know that many of the options just boil down to what each person feels is important but I am hoping if people know about our DS's needs, we can get a bit better feel for what the best choices are.

1. Hotel: We currently have the PPH booked with a standard concierge room. We have picked this because staying in the Disney magical atmosphere the whole time is important. We added the concierge because of DS's medical issues, we often spend a fair amount of time at the hotel and tend to really get a lot of use out of the concierge lounge (we normally go to WDW and stay at the Poly concierge). If we stick with this option, we can afford it but there is really nothing left for some of the other things that we have read about that might make the trip magical. Even little things like the Disney soap and shampoo are huge to us because we bring the extras home to extend the magic. We have also considered the HoJo but I am concerned about the loss of Disney magic. We have thought about this hotel simply for the pool.

2. WoC Dinner for the Preferred Seating: DS cannot stand for too long and by evening, will probably using the wheelchair. I want him to be able to see WoC in a location that he has a good view. This is a really important part of the trip for DS but I am wondering if it is worth it to pay for 4 expensive meals just for a preferred spot.

3. Fantasmic Dessert Package/Seating: Again, we will have DS who can't stand long (we could try to find a place to hold in the seating area for a couple of hours) but we might also have his wheelchair. We are debating if it is worth having a reserved seat in a good viewing area to help us avoid some of the seating issues.

4. Other considerations not involving money....if anyone has advice on how to do DL with special needs or how to make the most of the magic for one special sick little kid...I would love to hear it. We plan on getting a guest assistance card (we always get one at WDW for staying out of the sun and alternative entrances). We plan on finding a place to rent a wheelchair for a kid. We plan on going with the idea that we will hit the parks hard in the morning and then playing it by ear.

I know this got long but we will appreciate any and all advice to help us plan the most magical trip possible.

Thanks!
Jen

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Hello and welcome to the DL side of the DIS!

I'm sure you are aware how busy your dates, especially as Carsland is opening in June and you have the July 4th holiday crowds. Please try to go early everyday, ropedrop does make for easy touring in the morning. Make sure to get that DAP! Why tire out your son unnecessarily. It's going to be tough to get through the crowds in the afternoons especially. That's a great time to take a break. PPH is lovely, but it is quite a distance from the parks. There are no shuttles or buses from the Disney hotels. Search for maps in some of the above sticky threads.

While I understand how magical the Disney hotels are, I just don't see them as important to a DL trip. There are several nice hotel choices that would offer you a closer location. The money savings could be substantial. Worth checking out.

I wouldn't spend the money on WOC dinner. I would just plan to bring your son's GAC and wheelchair and sit in the special area for special needs families. No need to spend money on the priority area when a good area is already reserved for wheelchairs.

Fantasmic is a different story. The area closest to the water is reserved for people who are sitting. You are going to spend a lot of time reserving a space during that busy time. I think it is well worth buying the dessert package.

I don't know if you plan any character meals, but Minnie's Breakfast or Goofy's Kitchen are great experiences. We prefer Minnie's because it is IN Disneyland and a dozen or more characters visit during your breakfast. It's pretty amazing! It's my kids' top choice for any DL trip. Also consider the Blue Bayou. It's pricey, but the restaurant is located inside the POC.

 

[rramstad]

I think the PP makes valid points.

I would definitely get the GAC and use it as much as you want, or need. It's a hot time of year and will be crowded.

I would especially use it where you can to save money. It would be ridiculous to pay for WOC dinners to be able to site a wheelchair when they have great handicapped seating available, and it shouldn't be hard to get a good seat that way.

I do not know the details on Fantasmic, I believe I've seen a handicapped section there, but I would call Disney and ask them about it, or do additional research. You may be able to get a decent spot, not a great spot, but a decent one, with a GAC, and that's more money saved.

I would agree with the PP that if you are going to go with PPH, there are other hotels that are closer, they may not be Disney, but they could save hundreds and hundreds of dollars OR you could afford a suite and STILL pocket some money! You might all find the stay a lot more magical if you've got room to spread out in a suite, even if you aren't in a Disney hotel.

I have not stayed in concierge so can't speak to that, it has never represented a good value for my family, as we tend to stay out all day except for a mid day pool break.

 

[Eeee-va]

Last I heard, the toiletries at the PPH were not Mickey-themed, though they do say "Disney" on them. Just warning you; they were very nice but I didn't find them magical. (I didn't find the hotel particularly magical either, but the walk was so great!)

If your son is in a wheelchair for World of Color, you can get in the wheelchair queue for the show, and then you are allowed in either the wheelchair area OR any other viewing area under your Fastpass (i.e. anywhere in Blue if you have a Blue FP). So if he will be in a wheelchair and if you can wait, the dining package is probably not a very good use of your money. Just get in the wheelchair queue. You could frankly get in that queue shortly before they start bringing wheelchair parties in, as they ALL get in before they start letting in everyone else. We did this in November and it was good.

(The only possibility is that if you got the reserved dining you MAY be able to show up later than if you got in the wheelchair queue, because there would probably be a specific wheelchair area for your son...but I'm not certain about that.)

I believe there is a wheelchair area for Fantasmic! too; others may know more about that.

Have a magical trip!

 

[sonnyjane]

I just wanted to say that if your son will be in a wheelchair, he actually won't need a GAC. The wheelchair is sufficient.

Also, I wanted to echo what others said, which is not to pay for the preferred WOC package, since it doesn't guarantee you an awesome view, and your son, having a wheelchair, will be able to view from the wheelchair section for free (but you will still need to get the free FP).

Like the PP said, I also agree that staying on-site isn't as important at Disneyland, especially since there are many hotels that are much, much closer to the parks than Paradise Pier, but if that's something important to your family, I won't try to talk you out of it.

 

[jenanderson]

Hello and welcome to the DL side of the DIS!

I'm sure you are aware how busy your dates, especially as Carsland is opening in June and you have the July 4th holiday crowds. Please try to go early everyday, ropedrop does make for easy touring in the morning. Make sure to get that DAP! Why tire out your son unnecessarily. It's going to be tough to get through the crowds in the afternoons especially. That's a great time to take a break. PPH is lovely, but it is quite a distance from the parks. There are no shuttles or buses from the Disney hotels. Search for maps in some of the above sticky threads.

While I understand how magical the Disney hotels are, I just don't see them as important to a DL trip. There are several nice hotel choices that would offer you a closer location. The money savings could be substantial. Worth checking out.

I wouldn't spend the money on WOC dinner. I would just plan to bring your son's GAC and wheelchair and sit in the special area for special needs families. No need to spend money on the priority area when a good area is already reserved for wheelchairs.

Fantasmic is a different story. The area closest to the water is reserved for people who are sitting. You are going to spend a lot of time reserving a space during that busy time. I think it is well worth buying the dessert package.

I don't know if you plan any character meals, but Minnie's Breakfast or Goofy's Kitchen are great experiences. We prefer Minnie's because it is IN Disneyland and a dozen or more characters visit during your breakfast. It's pretty amazing! It's my kids' top choice for any DL trip. Also consider the Blue Bayou. It's pricey, but the restaurant is located inside the POC.

Thanks for the welcome! I have been finding so much good information here to help us plan.

We do know how busy it is going to be. We only are going these dates because I have to travel to CA for a work conference. That is why we know we will have to have great plans but also be super flexible. We do plan on hitting the parks ASAP each day.

I have been checking out all the good neighbor hotels (repeatedly) and am just am not sure which one would offer the best choices for our needs. I will continue to study this.

Thanks for the advice on WoC and Fantasmic. We really weren't sure about the seating available for the GAC for both of them. I am glad to see that WoC is not recommended because we weren't really thrilled with the food choices for dinner.

As for other meals...we haven't gotten that far yet! We normally do character meals in WDW but were thinking just counter service meals at DL for this trip because of the crowds and our desire to be flexible.

Thanks for all your great opinions!

I think the PP makes valid points.

I would definitely get the GAC and use it as much as you want, or need. It's a hot time of year and will be crowded.

I would especially use it where you can to save money. It would be ridiculous to pay for WOC dinners to be able to site a wheelchair when they have great handicapped seating available, and it shouldn't be hard to get a good seat that way.

I do not know the details on Fantasmic, I believe I've seen a handicapped section there, but I would call Disney and ask them about it, or do additional research. You may be able to get a decent spot, not a great spot, but a decent one, with a GAC, and that's more money saved.

I would agree with the PP that if you are going to go with PPH, there are other hotels that are closer, they may not be Disney, but they could save hundreds and hundreds of dollars OR you could afford a suite and STILL pocket some money! You might all find the stay a lot more magical if you've got room to spread out in a suite, even if you aren't in a Disney hotel.

I have not stayed in concierge so can't speak to that, it has never represented a good value for my family, as we tend to stay out all day except for a mid day pool break.

Thanks for your input as well. So good to read again about WoC having good seating for my son. I am keeping the dessert option open because I have not seen very good seating on maps for him without a huge wait.

As I said, I think I will work on continuing to explore rooms at other hotels. We really want the Disney magic but there are other things to consider as well. The most important thing is that it is a nice hotel to hang out at as well when we need some breaks.

Time for me to also research how to find magic in the parks each day!
Thanks guys!

 

[jenanderson]

Thanks to Eeee-va and sonnyjane too!

It is always nice to get the common advice and I feel really good about not planning on the WoC dinner package.

I will still debate Fantasmic because of the location of the handicap seating areas.

I am going to try to find the map that shows where the hotels all area and how close they are to the entrance again to see if I want to look closer at different options.

We are really looking forward to the schedule to be posted for the days we are there so we can start to make some plans for the day and have an idea of what night we will do the shows.

Planning is half the fun!

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

Will you have your own wheelchair or rent one? There IS something about if you rent one and staying on site...I am not sure what, but you might want to check into it!!!!

 

[jenanderson]

Will you have your own wheelchair or rent one? There IS something about if you rent one and staying on site...I am not sure what, but you might want to check into it!!!!

We will be renting one so that we can get a child's size wheelchair. We try not to have to use it all the time because he likes being able to walk around if he can. I just think that the afternoons and evenings with the crowds and knowing how he feels by that time will have to be in the wheelchair.

 

[CrazyDuck]

If you are staying on site in one of the DLR hotels you can rent a wheelchair and keep if for the entire length of your stay. In otherwords you don't have to return it at the end of the night. You can bring it all the way back to your room. When you are renting the wheelchair tell them you are staying the the PPH and that you would like a loan agreement. At the end of the day when you are leaving, as you pass the bag check station, security will stop you and you will have to show them the loan agreement and they will let you pass. Couple things... I'm not sure if they offer kid sized wheelchairs you can call and check... and this isn't documented anywhere, you will have to specifically ask for the loan agreement when you are renting the wheelchair.

 

[8timesblessed]

How much more is the theme park view then the standard concierge room?? I think the theme park view is what makes the difference in staying at the PP hotel and if your in your room at least he could still enjoy looking at the park or the fireworks or even WOC incase you don't make it out at night.

This is the view from the elevator. We didn't have a theme park view but I loved seeing this and wished we did have the theme park view.

 

[jenanderson]

If you are staying on site in one of the DLR hotels you can rent a wheelchair and keep if for the entire length of your stay. In otherwords you don't have to return it at the end of the night. You can bring it all the way back to your room. When you are renting the wheelchair tell them you are staying the the PPH and that you would like a loan agreement. At the end of the day when you are leaving, as you pass the bag check station, security will stop you and you will have to show them the loan agreement and they will let you pass. Couple things... I'm not sure if they offer kid sized wheelchairs you can call and check... and this isn't documented anywhere, you will have to specifically ask for the loan agreement when you are renting the wheelchair.

Nice! This is what we do in WDW most the time. We didn't see that it was offered at DL so we thought if we had to pay to rent one every day we would get the kid size one.

This is great news to see that DL offers it if we stay at one of their hotels.

 

[jenanderson]

8timesblessed - Thanks for posting the photos! I love the view of those photos. I will look into the price difference of a view room vs. a concierge room vs. a concierge room with a view.

It would really help if a discount or sale came out for the week we are there. I highly doubt it though with the opening of CL or the 4th of July.

 

[Scribble Kitty]

Will you have your own wheelchair or rent one? There IS something about if you rent one and staying on site...I am not sure what, but you might want to check into it!!!!

If you are staying at a Disney hotel you can rent a wheelchair and take it to and from the hotel to the parks. If you rent one from the park itself it can enter both Disneyland and California Adventure, but can not leave the esplanade area.

I agree about World of Color. I saw the show from the handicap area with my mom in November and feel I got a much better view then when I waited in line for a standing spot the year before.

A thing to know about handicap seating at World of Color: There are several benches in the roped off area, but these are for the handicapped only. So your son could move from the wheelchair to the bench, but none of the rest of your party is supposed to sit there. Everyone else is supposed to stand behind the last bench. A clever loophole a CM told me about is to have the person in the wheelchair move over to the bench, and have someone else sit in the wheelchair.

 

[CrazyDuck]

If you rent one from the park itself it can enter both Disneyland and California Adventure, but can not leave the esplanade area.

Not true...

 

[sonjaandsue]

Wanted to reassure you that the WOC handicapped area can have great views. When we were there, everyone was very careful to make sure that the folks in the chairs could see. We got the earliest FastPasses so got in the Blue area and the view seemed perfect. Be sure to specifically find the waiting area for the handicapped area - it's a bit chaotic. We waited for 45 mins in the wrong area before a nice cast member finally saw us, stopped and guided us to the area.

 

[Scribble Kitty]

Not true...

Oh? This is what I was told when renting one for my mom, but if it's changed that would be useful.

 

[CrazyDuck]

Oh? This is what I was told when renting one for my mom, but if it's changed that would be useful.

You have to stay in one of the 3 DLR hotels... You can rent from the stroller/wheelchair shop in the espalande and specifically ask for a loan agreement. A lot of new cast members don't know about it and its not documented anywhere. show loan agreement to security at bag check and take stroller back to your room...

 

[raftislander]

I would look into renting a kid's wheel chair from an off-site company. I will try to find the name of one that will drop off at and pick up from your hotel. The parks cannot guarantee you availability. As it is a busy time and you will need to have one available, I think it is best to reserve one with an off-site company. PPH also has a veiwing spot for the fireworks with the music piped in.

 

[jenanderson]

I would look into renting a kid's wheel chair from an off-site company. I will try to find the name of one that will drop off at and pick up from your hotel. The parks cannot guarantee you availability. As it is a busy time and you will need to have one available, I think it is best to reserve one with an off-site company. PPH also has a veiwing spot for the fireworks with the music piped in.

If you find the name of one that will drop off and pick up - I would love it if you would share!

It would be great just to get one from DL but I worry if we wouldn't have one and I think renting would just reassure us that we have one for sure. Plus, we could then get a smaller kid's size chair.