How is this package for Disneyland?

[mrsbornkuntry]

I'm not sure if I should post this here or on the Disneyland board, but I thought I'd start here. We're moving to Washington state next month so I'm trying to talk dh into a trip to Disneyland for the Christmas deco. the first week of Dec. 2005. I was looking into package prices on the Disneyland website and this was what I was quoted: $2102.40

That would cover:
2 adults, 5 children (9,8,6,4,1 years old) 3 day hoppers,
5 weekday nights in a suite at Best Western Raffles Inn and Suites
3 day dining plan
Southern California City Pass

Is this a good price? I know the 3 day PH are $109.00 through Disney for both adults and children if I buy them before April, but I'm not sure about the rest. I like the idea of having our meals paid for before our trip and I like the city pass because I would like to see San Diego while we're there. Can anyone help or should I post this on the Disneyland board? I can save this much before our trip, but if I can do it cheaper I'd love to!

 

[got2travel]

I haven't crunched the numbers, but I wanted to comment on the $109 price. Those tickets expire as of April, not just the cost. Any visits after April will pay a different ticket price.

 

[funnygarcia]

Package deals are not typically the best choice for Disneyland.
Pricing it out each seperate on your own can generate much better deals.

From what I have read.. the dining plan is not worth the money- no savings built into it .. you can eat cheaply at DL very easily. If you want the pre pay convenience perhaps consider Disney Dollars instead-- they also have a Disneyland Gift card availble to use at restaurants, stores , and Disney owned hotels (can't use at Vending carts or towards passes at gate).

Passes for your dates are a different cost.. check Disney web site for prices for your dates. The City Pass is a good deal for your trip length.. you can buy those at the gate and other places. http://citypass.com/

Raffles Inn I believe is not walking distance..(you can use shuttle of cost of $3 per day per person over age 9) the top choices for "walkable hotels " include Candy Cane Inn, Howard Johnson's (very nice!! and affordable), Best Western Park Place Inn (right at the crosswalk), Carrousel Inn and Suites... and a few others. Off season I can get Howard Johnson's for $45 per night with Entertainment card rate. OR you can check out rates thru a link at laughingplace.com and pay about $65- $69 a night.
Another option is to use Priceline for $35- $50 night-- but they now include a really icky Radisson as three star.. yucky! In the past I have paid $45 for Hilton and $40 for Marriot over by convention center with additional cost of shuttle.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

The problem that I had with finding a hotel was finding one that would accomodate our large family. I would prefer not to do two separate rooms. I'm not too concerned about being within walking distance, but is it an easy walk, like a sidewalk without a huge parking lot to go through? If so maybe it is something I should look for.

I didn't realize those passes expired in April also but hopefully I'll be able to find something like that for my dates. I know that's not peak for WDW, is it not peak for Disneyland also?

Thanks for the heads up about dining, I had no idea, I just like the idea of having it paid for before we go. Where can I buy a Disneyland gift card, at the Disney Store? I haven't heard of that, I'm glad I started looking into this now, I definitely need to do more research! But that's part of the fun for me anyway.

 

[Kitster]

I like the city pass because I would like to see San Diego while we're there

How long are you planning to be in the area? From DLR, San Diego can be as little as a 2 hour drive or as long as a 5+ hours drive , depending on traffic and conditions at the northbound Border Patrol checkpoint........you just never know how long the trip will take.

We live in Huntington Beach and have done a 1 day trip to San Diego, but we start out very early in the morning and usually don't return home until late in the evening. The zoo is at least a full day trip, especially with reduced hours in Dec. The Wild Animal Park is another full day and you won't see everything at either location in only one day.

If you are on a 5 day trip and plan to spend 3 days at DLR, I'm afraid you might be stretching yourself a little thin, especially with 5 children.......IMHO.

 

[Buttercup26]

Mrsbornkuntry -

I would definitely recommend doing some price checking on your own. That seems pretty high to me. If you are a Costco member, check out the S. Cal City pass there, the Costco's in Washington State sell them.

IMO you don't need the dining plan at DL, I wouldn't do it. Check into the suites or connecting rooms at HoJo on Harbor, last December we booked two connecting rooms at HoJo for less than a suite anywhere else. We had 3 adults and 3 kids (10 - 11 - 14) and had plenty of room.

Here are some helpful sites for DL research

http://www.hojoanaheim.com/index.html
http://www.mouseinfo.com/
http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/
http://www.intercotwest.com/
http://www.utilidors.com/index.php
http://www.mousesavers.com/
http://www.laughingplace.com/

 

[Alice28]

I also would not do the dining plan at DLR. It's so easy to also eat off-property...there is a Tony Roma's right across the street for example. And all up and down Harbor there are chain restaurants like Joe's Crab Shack, A Red Lobster I believe, McDonald's, Carls Jr. etc. Honestly, there are NOT as many sit down dining options in-parks like there are at WDW....at DL I believe there are two, but there are 3-4 cafeteria style restaurants with above par food- well, better than just a burger and fries anyway. We like the Plaza Inn (at the end of Main St.) for fried chicken and the French Market for lunch or dinner (in New Orleans Square). So it doesn't really make sense to do the dining plan when you very well may not spend that much if you paid for it yourself out of pocket.

Although package plans make things simple, they will rarely get you the best deal. For our last trip, we bought our tickets ahead of time with the military, and I booked a room at the DL Hotel; then I kept doing Expedia and got a rate of $140 a night (I was quoted $210 when I called the DL Hotel) for 3 nights. I was ecstatic. You can get even better rates for good hotels like the Hilton, the Marriott, or some of the nicer "Suite" type hotels. I like Expedia because you get to pick the hotel before you pay for it, unlike Priceline.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

You've all given me alot to think about! I didn't think about getting military tickets, that was the first place I checked prices at for our trip to WDW. I've been reading on the Disneyland board, too, and Howard Johnson seems to be a popular choice, I'll see what kind of rates I can get there for our room.

Buttercup26, thank-you for the links!

We aren't Costco members, we don't have them here in NC, but once we move I may look into it, they're a warehouse club like BJ's and Sam's Club, right?

With San Diego that far away would it be better if we spent 3 days near DL, then got a different hotel in the San Diego area and spent a few days there? The number of days we stay isn't set in stone, it keeps getting longer with the more things I keep adding that I want to do! I've lived on the East coast all my life and I've only visited DL once when I was three so there's alot I want to see in California. I would love to plan in a stop in San Fransisco, too, but I think that trip will have to be another time.

 

[Alice28]

Yes, Costco is a wholesale club that you buy a membership to once a year. Right now their City pass includes 3 days to DL/DCA, a day at Knott's Berry Farm (10 minutes north from Disneyland barring any serious traffic), a day at SeaWorld and a day at either the San Diego Zoo OR the Wild Animal Park (Go to the zoo!). If you want to spend more than 1 day in San Diego, I would definitely stay down there for 1-2 nights...the drive can be VERY long between there and Anaheim. I just glanced at the brochure and I can't remember the exact price, but it was a great deal!

 

[MonkeyBoyThom]

I don't know how far you are from Durham, NC but there is a Costco on North Pointe Road.

Use the locator to see if one is close by.
http://www.costco.com/Warehouse/Locator.aspx



Cheers!

 

[scanmom]

use the link on www.mousesavers.com to get really good rates at Hojo in Anaheim. I am getting 2 rooms for 51.00/ nite/ room! And Mimis restaraunt is SUPER!!!!!