How do you plan # of days in park?

[mamaofthree]

I'm curious what most people do. Usually we stay 3 nights and do 2 day parkhoppers. We have a 4.5 hr drive- if we left on a mon, we get to the hotel early afternoon, check in, then do DTD and dinner. Go to bed, spend all day tues and wed open to close in the park. Check out thurs morning, buy souvenirs in DTD and drive home. It's not enough park time for me or the kids. Dh could do without any of it, but he tags along and has fun for the kids sake. Trying to plan our next trip. We need at least one more park day, but don't know if I should add another night too. Or just stay 3 nights, get a 4 day parkhopper and go to parks arrival and departure day. Is that too tiring when driving?

 

[Brady's Mom]

I don't mind doing DLR on my arrival day - in fact I prefer it - since we've been sitting in the car for a while. I don't like doing DLR on departure day, I'm too worried about leaving "on time"! LOL Like for missing traffic or getting home at a good time.

Is there something else your DH likes to do that's available in the Anaheim area? Hockey, baseball, golf? That way he gets to do what he wants one day and you get an extra day at DLR without any guilt!

We like 5 days and 6 nights, BUT DH is as big of a Disney fan as I am (I'm lucky, I know!). We take it easy, don't rush, take breaks and swim, enjoy the moments, watch shows, wait for the front row of Soarin', hang out and watch the parade, that kind of thing. We've been on shorter trips but we tend to go commando and don't enjoy our time together as much. 5 day hoppers work for us, but obviously don't work for everyone.

 

[Butterfly123]

We have a 6 1/2 hour drive. We like to go for a half day when we arrive...or even just the evening. I'm like Brady's Mom...I don't like going the day we leave either. Our minimum stay is 3 1/2 days...our last trip was 5 1/2 days and I loved it! This trip will be 4 days. I can't imagine less than three, but I have friends that go for 2 days, and are happy with that. There is so much more to do than just rides...exploring Disneyland takes time, and the more time the better!

 

[rentayenta]

This next trip we're staying 3 nights and have 3 day Hoppers. We are from Utah but will be at my friend's house, who lives 15 minutes from Disneyland starting on Thanksgiving. Normally we wouldn't do the park on arrival day.

 

[chttyangel]

We have a 6 hour drive. I usually like to have 3 days in the park. It takes 2 to really do everything you want; and then I have the 3rd to either go in a few hours the night we arrive OR go back a third day to see a few shows or repeat our fav rides. For us going in the park and then driving home after would be way too much.

 

[jacs1234]

This trip we have 13 days in LA and 11 and a half of those in Disneyland and it still doesn't seem like enough. mainly because of all the meals we want to try . We're staying on site so I'm hoping to find lots of time for swimming and enjoying the hotels and finding time for things like build a bear and ridemax.

 

[danceanddisney2010]

we have about a 5.5 hour drive and we ALWAYS go to disneyland when we get there!! we usually check in and get ready then go get food and play in the parks! we used to stay 3 nights and 4 days with no disney on the last day . the last few trips we have had the option of staying 4 to 5 days in the park and we have decided.... that's the way to go. our next trip will be 4 days in the park! 3 is too short now! we never go on the last day as we always leave early...

 

[blackjackdelta]

We have 18-20 hour drive and get ap's and 6 day PH's. We usually get the room(1500), fresh up and hit WOD and then into the parks until 2200 or so. And then we just do what we feel like for the rest of the time. We may take a day and got to USH or the beach.

Jack

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We are about 5 hours away. We leave by 6 am, check into our hotel by noon and head straight to the parks. We usually DO head to the park on our departure day too. We usually leave by 2 or 3 so we can get through LA before rush hour. Our kids sleep in the car.

 

[skiingfast]

Usually we stay 3 nights and do 2 day parkhoppers. We have a 4.5 hr drive- if we left on a mon, we get to the hotel early afternoon,

We need at least one more park day, but don't know if I should add another night too. Or just stay 3 nights, get a 4 day parkhopper and go to parks arrival and departure day. Is that too tiring when driving?

It sounds like you come often. Try adding on the afternoon you arrive. Next time the day you leave.

Are the kids getting older and you are doing more big rides that require more time? The season, and weekends vs weekdays can be reasons to add more time too.

 

[mamaofthree]

Thanks for the feedback. I think I'm going to go ahead and book 4 nights and get 4 day passes. We will plan to get there by noon at the latest the first day, then have 3 full days in the park after that. Planning to get there Jan 9th. We have that week off school still, and even though we will have shorter park hours and miss fireworks and shows during the week, we are trying to avoid any crazy holiday weekend crowds. If that was a regular weekend, and not a holiday weekend, I'd make our ressies for T-Sat instead of M-F. Can you believe we've never seen F! or WOC?!

 

[Butterfly123]

I was responding as you posted..so this isn't important since you are going midweek!


Skiingfast makes a great point. Now that my kids are teenagers we can stay later and go to second showings of Fantasmic and WOC. Nighttime shows can gobble up a lot of time. An extra evening helps with this.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Why not Sunday to Thursday? You catch Fantasmic and/or holiday firework Sunday night. also WOC is nightly so you should be able to catch that during the week.

 

[skiingfast]

Why not Sunday to Thursday? You catch Fantasmic and/or holiday firework Sunday night. also WOC is nightly so you should be able to catch that during the week.

Especially when you have been there and not seen those shows.

 

[Showpony]

We just came back from spending 6 days in the park. We are about 6 1/2 hours from the main gate, and once we check in to the hotel, drop off our stuff, we head over to the parks even if for 4 hours. Even with a 6 day trip, it's never enough in my book!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We just came back from spending 6 days in the park. We are about 6 1/2 hours from the main gate, and once we check in to the hotel, drop off our stuff, we head over to the parks even if for 4 hours. Even with a 6 day trip, it's never enough in my book!

I agree. We had APs in 2009-10 and did 3 6-day trips in a year.

 

[mabdallah]

This summer we are going for 6 nights 7 days . However only getting 4 day park hoppers we like a rest day for the beach and visiting family plus I never go to the parks on the day we arrive or leave usually to much stress from flying. We always fly, thought about driving it would be about 18 hours to get down there. Too much to drive with a 3 year old and my add husband.

 

[mamaofthree]

Why not Sunday to Thursday? You catch Fantasmic and/or holiday firework Sunday night. also WOC is nightly so you should be able to catch that during the week.

This is something I considered. Arrival day would be a good time to see F! and/or fireworks. I was worried that since Jan 8 is the last day of the holidays at DLR it would be packed with locals getting one last peek. Also, my kids are still young. 5, 7 and 10. They are used to going to bed at 8. We never do shows because we are so tired in the evening and just don't have the patience to stake out a spot hours in advance. And I didn't know WOC ran daily! I'm scared of the whole process to see that show tho! Since we are going during shorter park hours and prob staying onsite, we would get 2 MM if we go mon-thurs to the parks. We are early risers and that would be awesome. Ugh, I can't make up my mind.

 

[skiingfast]

This is something I considered. Arrival day would be a good time to see F! and/or fireworks. I was worried that since Jan 8 is the last day of the holidays at DLR it would be packed with locals getting one last peek. Also, my kids are still young. 5, 7 and 10. They are used to going to bed at 8. We never do shows because we are so tired in the evening and just don't have the patience to stake out a spot hours in advance.

I wouldn't have huge concerns about crowds that day. The APs can go during the week before, if were a very busy day they would be blocked. Many vacationers will be leaveing that day and it will be like any Sunday when the nights calm down. If your kids still get that tired, I would think they will sleep in the car too and have plenty of energy on arrival.

 

[wvnative]

We do 4 day hoppers and 3 nights. We have a 6 hours drive and generally arrive around lunchtime. We do a precheck-in and hit the parks. We generally make an early evening of it, finish our check in and unpack the car. We do a half day on our last day too heading out for home around 3 pm. Usually we do a Thurs - Sun thing. This time it's Fri- Mon since I'd be missing a day of school either way and the kid isn't coming.

We've done 3 days and 5 days. 3 is not quite enough and 5 is just a touch too much for me. 4 days seems to work well to fit in all we want to do.