I need help with everything!

[KrustyTheCat]

I have no idea what I am doing planning a trip to DL!!
I'm taking all 4 of my kids and myself in October, i'm planning on leaving the 6th and returning the 13th. My hubby passed away last October, so I want to surprise the kids with a trip around that time. I have soooooo many questions!
Remember, this will be a BIG vacation for us, and I'm not too worried about the cost, but I dont want to just throw money away...just make things easy for us. I plan to have one free day for us to lounge around the hotel, go swimming, whatever. the two travel days don't count. This is a "once in a lifetime" type of trip for us, and I want to make it as memorable as possible.

1) is it worth it to get a dining plan? I'm getting the 5 day park hopper pass.

2) How do I upgrade to the concierge level at the hotel (i will stay on site to make it easier for us). Will this ensure we get a breakfast? Is the concierge level worth it?

3) Can my 4.5 year old ride Indy? at her last well check she was almost 43" tall. she'll be 4.5 in October. I'll also have two 9 year olds and an almost 8 year old.

4) how do I go about booking a character meal? and how do I choose one?


5) where can i find info about ride closures, etc etc?

6) should I book through the site, or with a a travel agent? I'll book flights seprately

7) what hotel is best on site? I really do want things to be as easy as I can make them.

8) I dont want to rent a car, will the hotel do transportation to/from LAX?

9) My middle daughter will turn 8 on October 8th, can I work with the hotel to do something special for her, i.e. cake or something?

10) What else do you all recommend/what advice do you have for me?

11) whats this thing about Fast Passes?

I've been to DL, but not in 13 years! A LOT has changed since then I'm sure. We're travelling from Seattle, so I dont want to go to DW...too much travel time with 4 kids! lol

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[Sherry E]

You'll get lots of help here, and lots of replies to your questions. I just wanted to pop in and say I am so very sorry about your husband, and how wonderful it is that you are taking on a big trip like this for your kids to have some fun!

You will be going to DLR right during Halloweentime. If you haven't already seen it, we have a Halloween Superthread called "Halloween at DL":

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2408927

It's full of lots of photos and info. You may want to keep an eye on that, as we will be updating it when we get new tidbits or photos leading up to Halloweentime. Something you may want to consider doing is taking the kids to the Trick or Treat Party in DCA. That could be a lot of fun.

Here is our character meal photo & info thread, which is chock full of pictures that may give you a better idea of which meal your kids would prefer (based on the characters). Start at the end of the thread and work backwards, to see more recent character meal photos:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2234435

You can book character meals at the regular Dining number, which is 714-781-DINE.

 

[DLtorgo]

Hi and welcome! Be sure to check out the sticky at the top with Hydroguy's tips. That will answer some of your questions on fastpasses and how to make the most of your stay. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1072276

To answer some of you other questions-
I would not recomend the dining plan. It really does not save you money and can end up costing much more than it is worth.

Indiana Jones has a height requirement of 46" so I don't think the four year old will make it.

I am sure you will get tons of great info from all the helpful folks here!

 

[8timesblessed]

Hi I know you! Our trip is in 3 weeks and I can tell you what we planned and where we got the best deals.

Costco has good deals on things and a character meal comes with your purchase from them.
We got some of our Park Hoppers from Lastminutetravel.com alot cheaper then anywhere else.

I dont' know anything about the concierge level. We are staying at the DVC propert, Grand Californian Villas. You could look into renting points or buying into DVC, that's what we did.

The character meals we also purchased through Lastminutetravel. I can let you know how that turned out in a few weeks.

I would fly into Orange County or Long Beach (Jet Blue) they have great rates and are alot closer to Disney then LAX.

The Grand Californian is the best from what I've read. The closest because it's in the California Adventure land.

Fast Passes are free and you just have to insert your card during the right hours and it spits out a ticket to be used later so you don't have to stand in line. At least that's they way I understand from what I've read.


1) is it worth it to get a dining plan? I'm getting the 5 day park hopper pass.

2) How do I upgrade to the concierge level at the hotel (i will stay on site to make it easier for us). Will this ensure we get a breakfast? Is the concierge level worth it?

3) Can my 4.5 year old ride Indy? at her last well check she was almost 43" tall. she'll be 4.5 in October. I'll also have two 9 year olds and an almost 8 year old.

4) how do I go about booking a character meal? and how do I choose one?


5) where can i find info about ride closures, etc etc?

6) should I book through the site, or with a a travel agent? I'll book flights seprately

7) what hotel is best on site? I really do want things to be as easy as I can make them.

8) I dont want to rent a car, will the hotel do transportation to/from LAX?

9) My middle daughter will turn 8 on October 8th, can I work with the hotel to do something special for her, i.e. cake or something?

10) What else do you all recommend/what advice do you have for me?

11) whats this thing about Fast Passes?

I've been to DL, but not in 13 years! A LOT has changed since then I'm sure. We're travelling from Seattle, so I dont want to go to DW...too much travel time with 4 kids! lol

Thanks everyone!!![/QUOTE]

 

[8timesblessed]

I forgot to answer about your DD's birthday. I've read on here that there are differnt places that would do something special in your hotel room and also you can get a button that says it's her birthday and I've been told all the CM's will say Happy Birthday to her all day. Also I was offered a birthday cake thing for $15 at Ariels because the twins are turning 5 while we are there.

 

[specialks]

A few answers for you:

2) How do I upgrade to the concierge level at the hotel (i will stay on site to make it easier for us). Will this ensure we get a breakfast? Is the concierge level worth it?
-- if you try to book a package through disneyland.com it will show your results and to the right of the picture it tells you about your package detail. If you then click the View/Edit details button you will see the Room Type list and see what the additional fee is to upgrade to concierge.

3) Can my 4.5 year old ride Indy? at her last well check she was almost 43" tall. she'll be 4.5 in October. I'll also have two 9 year olds and an almost 8 year old.
According to the height req for Indiana Jones™ Adventure she would need to be 46" (117 cm) or taller. See more height req here: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/help/gsDetail?name=HeightRequirementsGSDetailPage


6) should I book through the site, or with a a travel agent? I'll book flights seprately
I would probably recommend Costco. They include the same package add-ons as Disney but also include a $20 gift card and free character meal. The price can sometimes be about $10-$20 more than disney (from my experience) so you kind of don't really get the $20 gift card but the premium character meal makes up for it (Goofy's or Ariels). AAA has good packages but the perk for them is free parking and might not be as good of a deal as a free character meal for your whole family. Plus, it sounds like you probably won't even have a car to park.

Sorry for your loss and I hope that this trip can help bring you some happiness during that stressful time.

 

[cruise cruise cruise]

I have no idea what I am doing planning a trip to DL!!
I'm taking all 4 of my kids and myself in October, i'm planning on leaving the 6th and returning the 13th. My hubby passed away last October, so I want to surprise the kids with a trip around that time. I have soooooo many questions!
Remember, this will be a BIG vacation for us, and I'm not too worried about the cost, but I dont want to just throw money away...just make things easy for us. I plan to have one free day for us to lounge around the hotel, go swimming, whatever. the two travel days don't count. This is a "once in a lifetime" type of trip for us, and I want to make it as memorable as possible.

1) is it worth it to get a dining plan? I'm getting the 5 day park hopper pass.

no, it does not save you any money, it simply is a pre-pay plan and often time you may loose money

2) How do I upgrade to the concierge level at the hotel (i will stay on site to make it easier for us). Will this ensure we get a breakfast? Is the concierge level worth it?

cant help with this one

3) Can my 4.5 year old ride Indy? at her last well check she was almost 43" tall. she'll be 4.5 in October. I'll also have two 9 year olds and an almost 8 year old.

It depends on her height, I think it is 46 inches.

4) how do I go about booking a character meal? and how do I choose one?

Phone the dining number teh PP listed You can book 60 (?? or is it 30) days out. For choosing, what character are you most interested in?


5) where can i find info about ride closures, etc etc?

once the Diney calendar is updates, about 6 weeks out, it will list closures. There is another site, ummm, not sure which one, which tends to have pre knowledge of upcoming closures. as well as some "normal" closres in the fall, hopefully someone will pipe in with this info for you

6) should I book through the site, or with a a travel agent? I'll book flights seprately

do you want the controll or do you like others make your plans?

7) what hotel is best on site? I really do want things to be as easy as I can make them.

Grand californian is closest but other than that, all 3 have very different things that make them the best and it is very subjective., You may just want to search the board for info on the 3 hotels

8) I dont want to rent a car, will the hotel do transportation to/from LAX?

The hotel itself does not do transports. There is a great post you willl want to look up, let mesee if I can find it for you

9) My middle daughter will turn 8 on October 8th, can I work with the hotel to do something special for her, i.e. cake or something?

dont know, but make sure you get her a birthday button and you will be amazed at how many people wish her a happy bday. Also many of the restraunts will ofer her a special dessert

10) What else do you all recommend/what advice do you have for me?

humm, will have to think on this one

11) whats this thing about Fast Passes?

again I will find a link for you

I've been to DL, but not in 13 years! A LOT has changed since then I'm sure. We're travelling from Seattle, so I dont want to go to DW...too much travel time with 4 kids! lol

Thanks everyone!!!

I replied within your post quote, hope it worked

 

[HydroGuy]

I have no idea what I am doing planning a trip to DL!!

Glad you found this forum! FWIW, it is no longer DL but DLR (Disneyland Resort). DL is one of the parks at DLR.

Also, be careful about choosing dates. See

"Choosing When To Visit DLR: Summary of High and Low Season and When Each Happens " http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36509602

"Understanding AP Blockouts and Impact on Crowds" http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2365983

"What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

1) is it worth it to get a dining plan? I'm getting the 5 day park hopper pass.

Nope.

3) Can my 4.5 year old ride Indy? at her last well check she was almost 43" tall. she'll be 4.5 in October. I'll also have two 9 year olds and an almost 8 year old.Thanks everyone!!!

If she is tall enough. Can't remember the height requirement. Check the DLR website. 4.5 seems young. One of my kids was too scared at 7 years old to ride it. If she is brave and tall enough, go for it!

4) how do I go about booking a character meal? and how do I choose one?

Check the sticky at the top of the forum

* DLR Info/Links - Maps, Hotels, DISer Reviews, Hydroguy's tips, NEWBIE INFO here!

5) where can i find info about ride closures, etc etc?

Disney website if they are too far away (4-8 weeks). MousePlanet has a good list in each park update:

http://www.mouseplanet.com/search.php?type=c&cid=dl

6) should I book through the site, or with a a travel agent? I'll book flights seprately

Depends on how good your agent is. Some really know Disney and can help out a lot and tell you about deals.

7) what hotel is best on site? I really do want things to be as easy as I can make them.

GCH is closest. And most expensive. Everyone has their favorite. Check the sticky linked above for lots of hotel info.

8) I dont want to rent a car, will the hotel do transportation to/from LAX?

No. Use the following: "Airport Proximity to DLR and Ground Transportation Information" by 3TinksAndAnEeyore www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2318297

9) My middle daughter will turn 8 on October 8th, can I work with the hotel to do something special for her, i.e. cake or something?

Yes, ask them.

10) What else do you all recommend/what advice do you have for me?

Read this forum and, again, the sticky at the top!

11) whats this thing about Fast Passes?

See "FastPass for Dummies and Smarties - A Photographic Explanation" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1186052

"Getting the Most Out of FastPass During High Season" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=885132

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I have no idea what I am doing planning a trip to DL!!
I'm taking all 4 of my kids and myself in October, i'm planning on leaving the 6th and returning the 13th. My hubby passed away last October, so I want to surprise the kids with a trip around that time. I have soooooo many questions!
Remember, this will be a BIG vacation for us, and I'm not too worried about the cost, but I dont want to just throw money away...just make things easy for us. I plan to have one free day for us to lounge around the hotel, go swimming, whatever. the two travel days don't count. This is a "once in a lifetime" type of trip for us, and I want to make it as memorable as possible.

I am sorry about the loss of your husband. I know lots of people will respond with all kinds of great advice to help you make your trip special. Here's my bit.

1) is it worth it to get a dining plan? I'm getting the 5 day park hopper pass.

Consensus on these boards and elsewhere seems to be that the dining plan is not worth it. I guess dining is a huge part of the WDW experience but not so at Disneyland.

2) How do I upgrade to the concierge level at the hotel (i will stay on site to make it easier for us). Will this ensure we get a breakfast? Is the concierge level worth it?

We have never done concierge so can't help you there.

3) Can my 4.5 year old ride Indy? at her last well check she was almost 43" tall. she'll be 4.5 in October. I'll also have two 9 year olds and an almost 8 year old.

Some rides have height restrictions. Your child must be 46" tall to ride Indy. Here is a link to the Disneyland website height restrictions page:
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/help/gsDetail?name=HeightRequirementsGSDetailPage

Also, a child must be 7 years old to ride "alone", i.e. without an adult. My boys are 10 and 8 and are always asked their ages when they try to board a ride alone.

4) how do I go about booking a character meal? and how do I choose one?

You can book a character meal by calling Disney Dining: 714-781-3463. If you stay onsite, you can use Vacation Planning to book your character meals.

Here are your choices:
Minnie and Friends breakfast at Plaza Inn in Disneyland. This is the only character meal in the park. We have not tried this one yet. General reports on this board seem to be that this is the place to meet the most characters at once and to have great interactions, but the reviews of the food are mixed.
Ariel's Grotto is in DCA and features princesses. We have also not tried this one so I can't give you any first hand reports. Currently they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but rumors are that dinner will change next month to a non-character, premium show pricing kind of meal.
Goofy's Kitchen is in the Disneyland Hotel. They serve brunch and dinner. There are a variety of characters present. We have seen from 5-7 during each of our visits. Usually at least one character is a princess. One character is also Goofy.
Mickey's Surfside Breakfast (or something like that) is in the PCH Grill at the Paradise Pier. This breakfast features Mickey and 3 or 4 other characters. I think Daisy Duck often appears. This used to be the Lilo and Stitch breakfast.
Finally, there is Chip and Dale Critter Breakfast at the Grand Californian at Storyteller's Cafe. I really like the ambiance of that restaurant, and I remember the breakfast being tasty, but it has been quite a while since we've been to that one. This is a lower key kind of character breakfast.

5) where can i find info about ride closures, etc etc?

The Disneyland calendar is a good starting place for this information:
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/calendar/monthly/monthly?name=CalendarMonthlyPage
Keep reading these boards and other fan boards as well.

6) should I book through the site, or with a a travel agent? I'll book flights seprately

I generally find the best deals by putting it all together on my own. You need to choose what's most comfortable with you. If you don't want to be all on your own with the planning and you're more comfortable with a travel agent, that might be the way to go for you. If you like to do things on your own, price out some of the packages out there, direct from Disney, CostCo, AAA, GetAwayToday.com, etc., and compare them to what you can get by putting tickets and hotel together on your own. If you're considering on property, sometimes the hotel deals for Annual Pass holders are so good that it makes it worth it to consider buying one for yourself just for the discount.

7) what hotel is best on site? I really do want things to be as easy as I can make them.

You'll probably get lots of opinions on this. The only on site hotel we have stayed at is Paradise Pier. It was fine, no complaints really, but I have no burning desire to go back. We generally stay off-site but within walking distance. Our preference (like a lot of people on this board) is Howard Johnson. I would love someday to get to try both the Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian just to have the experience, but we go too often right now to justify the added expense. If this is once in a lifetime, then definitely go for it. Many would say that the Disneyland Hotel has the history, but the Grand's location can't be beat.

8) I dont want to rent a car, will the hotel do transportation to/from LAX?

Try SuperShuttle, Disneyland Express bus service, cab, or rent a limo.

9) My middle daughter will turn 8 on October 8th, can I work with the hotel to do something special for her, i.e. cake or something?

Definitely can arrange to buy special treats if staying onsite. Plus, the hotel will most likely be happy to provide something like a free balloon or photo signed by a character. Don't forget to get a free birthday button and have her name and age written on it so everyone can celebrate with her, unless she's the shy type who would be mortified if strangers were wishing her happy birthday all day.

10) What else do you all recommend/what advice do you have for me?

Keep reading these boards. Start here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1072276

11) whats this thing about Fast Passes?

Start here: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32518085&postcount=5

 

[KrustyTheCat]

Thanks everyone! I did want to mention, my dates are set. DH died on October 10th, and my DD's bday is Oct 8th. I insist we are there during those times, so I'm not really budging on the high and low season stuff.

So no dining plan...that saves me some money I guess!

How incredibly overwhelming! yikes. I'm not sure the GCH is the right hotel for us. It sounds awesome, but seems a bit extravagant. I'll probably go with disneyland hotel. Lots of reading to do I see

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

We were there October 9-12 last year, and even though it was a holiday (Columbus Day) for some, we didn't think it was that bad. Of course, we've been to Disneyland many times during high season, so maybe we're used to it by now. The key is to do a lot of research so you know what the parks have to offer, what you can do, what you want to do, and how to do it. These boards are full of that kind of advice. You may also want to check out a guidebook like the Unofficial Guide or consider purchasing the RideMax software close to the time of your trip and use that to do ride planning. Even if you don't want to have everything planned out, it's great to have a plan of action for those critical first 3 hours of the day (be there at the gates before the park opens!). You can get so much done during those early hours with some planning, and that helps to make the rest of the day that much more relaxing, a time for shows and just taking in the ambiance of Disneyland.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

1) is it worth it to get a dining plan? I'm getting the 5 day park hopper pass.

No, the dining plan doesn't save any money and if you don't plan carefully you may loose money.

2) How do I upgrade to the concierge level at the hotel (i will stay on site to make it easier for us). Will this ensure we get a breakfast? Is the concierge level worth it?

I'd love to do concierge once, I'm not really sure if it's "worth it". Depends on how much food and snacks you get out of it.

3) Can my 4.5 year old ride Indy? at her last well check she was almost 43" tall. she'll be 4.5 in October. I'll also have two 9 year olds and an almost 8 year old.

Height requirement is 46", maybe if there is a growth spurt between now and then.

4) how do I go about booking a character meal? and how do I choose one?

Call Disney Dining within 60 days to book a meal. Goofy's is a good choice and Minnies has a lot of characters too. Or if you are staying at PPH or GCH, you may want to do the ones offered at those hotels. For anything but breakfast you are limited to Ariel's Grotto lunch or Goofy's Kitchen dinner. If you want to see the princesses, Ariels is a good choice for lunch!

5) where can i find info about ride closures, etc etc?

There aren't any "typical" closures during that time. But MousePlanet has a good fix on upcoming closures (not this far out though) or the DLR website 4-6 weeks prior.

6) should I book through the site, or with a a travel agent? I'll book flights seprately

I know some like working with a travel agent because they are keeping an eye out for a "better deal". It is typically a better route to book hotel and tickets separately since you can change room only reservations easily without fees. If cheapers rates come out before your trip, you can switch to the better rate.

7) what hotel is best on site? I really do want things to be as easy as I can make them.

GCH is the closest with its own private entrance into DCA. DLH is the most Disney themed, but a little further walk. PPH is the furthest away but still walkable.

8) I dont want to rent a car, will the hotel do transportation to/from LAX?

You can definitely arrange airport transportation for a fee.

9) My middle daughter will turn 8 on October 8th, can I work with the hotel to do something special for her, i.e. cake or something?

Absolutely, cake or balloons, a birthday call from Goofy. Vacation planning can set it all up.

10) What else do you all recommend/what advice do you have for me?

Halloween season is a fabulous time at DLR. Plan on attending the Trick or Treat Party in DCA one night. It's a seperate event but sooo worth it!! It's a lot of fun. Check out the Halloween thread for pictures.

11) whats this thing about Fast Passes?

I believe there is a FP superthread in the stickies. Pretty much you scan your ticket at say Splash mountain. Each ticket you scan will give you a FP that tells you when to come back to the ride. You will go through the FP line and avoid the long wait times. You can use it anytime after the initial return time that day. Also it will have a time on the bottom stating when you can collect your next FP. FP rides include Splash Mt, Space Mt (for halloween its space mt ghost galaxy), Haunted Mansion Holiday (HM meets Nightmare before xmas), Indy, Buzz, big thunder, roger rabbit in DLR and ToT, GRR, Soarin', Screamin' in DCA.

 

[sahummel]

ll

 

[KrustyTheCat]

Ok about the hotel...if I do want to stay at the GCH for ease, do I book that through disney's site? do I call them directly? I might be able to find park hopper tix @ safeway and get a better deal. And I'm thinking since we're going to be there for 6 full days, I'll just get a 6 day pass since it doesn't cost too much more. I KNOW my kids are going to want to re-ride some of the rides.

 

[sahummel]

I have no idea what I am doing planning a trip to DL!!
I'm taking all 4 of my kids and myself in October, i'm planning on leaving the 6th and returning the 13th. My hubby passed away last October, so I want to surprise the kids with a trip around that time. I have soooooo many questions!
Remember, this will be a BIG vacation for us, and I'm not too worried about the cost, but I dont want to just throw money away...just make things easy for us. I plan to have one free day for us to lounge around the hotel, go swimming, whatever. the two travel days don't count. This is a "once in a lifetime" type of trip for us, and I want to make it as memorable as possible.

1) is it worth it to get a dining plan? I'm getting the 5 day park hopper pass.

2) How do I upgrade to the concierge level at the hotel (i will stay on site to make it easier for us). Will this ensure we get a breakfast? Is the concierge level worth it?

3) Can my 4.5 year old ride Indy? at her last well check she was almost 43" tall. she'll be 4.5 in October. I'll also have two 9 year olds and an almost 8 year old.

4) how do I go about booking a character meal? and how do I choose one?


5) where can i find info about ride closures, etc etc?

6) should I book through the site, or with a a travel agent? I'll book flights seprately

7) what hotel is best on site? I really do want things to be as easy as I can make them.

8) I dont want to rent a car, will the hotel do transportation to/from LAX?

9) My middle daughter will turn 8 on October 8th, can I work with the hotel to do something special for her, i.e. cake or something?

10) What else do you all recommend/what advice do you have for me?

11) whats this thing about Fast Passes?

I've been to DL, but not in 13 years! A LOT has changed since then I'm sure. We're travelling from Seattle, so I dont want to go to DW...too much travel time with 4 kids! lol

Thanks everyone!!!

I'm usually one to stay onsite but I stayed at the Desert Palms Suites twice while at DL. It was a short walk from the main entrance. I'd stay there again in a heartbeat. It's not one of the larger hotels but definitely closer than those in the vicinity of the convention center.

Chef Mickey's character dinner at the Disneyland Hotel was really nice. It seemed to have quite a few of the princesses there. Much more laid back than Chef Mickey's at WDW!

 

[8timesblessed]

Ok about the hotel...if I do want to stay at the GCH for ease, do I book that through disney's site? do I call them directly? I might be able to find park hopper tix @ safeway and get a better deal. And I'm thinking since we're going to be there for 6 full days, I'll just get a 6 day pass since it doesn't cost too much more. I KNOW my kids are going to want to re-ride some of the rides.

You can call them directly or their site but also go through Costco's travel and price it out.

Also try getawaytoday and see what their price is. Each site seems to have their perks.

 

[seadd67]

This will be our frist trip to DL In ten years so It will be like the frist time In a way!. So I wanted to just throw my support your way. Just dont feel shy to come In here and say Hi!. See you are from Seattle I am up here just north,up In shoreline

 

[Karenann*]

Krusty, Hello from Wenatchee! First, I too am sorry for your family's loss. DL will be a wonderful place to make some good memories and have a fun holiday. I've been traveling alone for 10+ years with 5 kiddos and we have a blast. The year we stayed at DL Hotel was our "trip of a lifetime". Concierge was sooo worth it! They had breakfast foods, snacks thu the day and beverages to go and hearty appetizers in the evening. The CMs there were wonderful, trading pins with the kids and helping with our plans. It was a cool place to hang out and refuel. I"ve learned so much reading this forum.
I've booked before through Disney Vacation (Gina) and AAA and also booked trips on my own. The travel agents made it one stop shopping for travel, hotel, character meals and airport transfers. With all those details done at once, I could do the fun stuff like plan the day to day.
Just plan on doing a lot of reading here! karen

 

[sierranevada]

I have no idea what I am doing planning a trip to DL!!
I'm taking all 4 of my kids and myself in October, i'm planning on leaving the 6th and returning the 13th. My hubby passed away last October, so I want to surprise the kids with a trip around that time. I have soooooo many questions!
Remember, this will be a BIG vacation for us, and I'm not too worried about the cost, but I dont want to just throw money away...just make things easy for us. I plan to have one free day for us to lounge around the hotel, go swimming, whatever. the two travel days don't count. This is a "once in a lifetime" type of trip for us, and I want to make it as memorable as possible.

So sorry to hear about your loss. I think you have a great plan to celebrate your DH's memory and create wonderful new ones!

1) is it worth it to get a dining plan? I'm getting the 5 day park hopper pass.

As others said, the dining plan at DLR is not worth it.

2) How do I upgrade to the concierge level at the hotel (i will stay on site to make it easier for us). Will this ensure we get a breakfast? Is the concierge level worth it?

I posted comments in your other thread regarding concierge but with five of you, I would say yes!

3) Can my 4.5 year old ride Indy? at her last well check she was almost 43" tall. she'll be 4.5 in October. I'll also have two 9 year olds and an almost 8 year old.

As others posted, Indy height requirement is 46" -maybe she will hit a growth spurt!

4) how do I go about booking a character meal? and how do I choose one?

I highly recommend Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel. Most character interaction and lots of food. Since you are staying onsite, I would have Vacation Planning make all of your reservations - I use them every trip. They do all the calling and then you get a nice souvenir itinerary with all your ressies and plans in one place! Their phone number is 714-300-7526, press 2.

5) where can i find info about ride closures, etc etc?

Check Disney's website for updates

6) should I book through the site, or with a a travel agent? I'll book flights seprately

I would compare prices with WDTC, AAA (if member) and Costco.

7) what hotel is best on site? I really do want things to be as easy as I can make them.

LOVE the GCH!! And if you are planning a day to lounge at the pool, you can reserve a cabana for the day! Cabanas have seating for 6, a flat screen TV, small fridge stocked with 6 bottled waters, complimentary basket of fruit. They are $185 for a full day which is 9 - 6 or $110 for a half day, either 9:30 - 1 or 2 - 6. Full days can be reserved one month in advance and 1/2 days can be reserved 2 weeks in advance. The GCH is the only one with cabanas. Vacation planning can reserve the cabanas for you.

8) I dont want to rent a car, will the hotel do transportation to/from LAX?

No - but with 5 people, you might want to get a quote from limos.com. We are using one of their companies for our June trip with 7 people and it was cheaper than doing 2 taxis. Other option is super shuttle or the Disneyland Bus.

9) My middle daughter will turn 8 on October 8th, can I work with the hotel to do something special for her, i.e. cake or something?

Absolutely! Vacation Planning would have some great ideas for you!

10) What else do you all recommend/what advice do you have for me?

Have you thought about Fantasmic! priority seating and/or World of Color seating (World of Color info has not been released yet - probably later this month). And as others said, there are Halloween events in Oct which are really fun. Again, vacation planning is your one stop to help plan all this events for you - let them do the work!

11) whats this thing about Fast Passes?

There is great info in the DLR sticky thread. Here is the specific thread on Fast Passes:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32518085&postcount=5

I've been to DL, but not in 13 years! A LOT has changed since then I'm sure. We're travelling from Seattle, so I dont want to go to DW...too much travel time with 4 kids! lol

Thanks everyone!!!

Definitely go to the DLR Info sticky thread -lots of great info and ideas there.

Have a wonderful time with your kids!

 

[Hound 109]

Lots & Lots of good info has been provided. Definitely read all of Hydroguy's Tip threads (check out his signature for links.....grab a comfy chair & read for a couple of hours. )

- I have a couple of questions to all. Wouldn't there be a good chance that there would be AP rates available in October?

- If that's the case, wouldn't it make sense for the OP to get (at least one) AP & nail down an AP hotel rate for the 5 (6?) nights she's staying?? Wouldn't she save several HUNDRED dollars with an AP rate??

- & sometimes they have "deals" for concierge (on the AP rates)....& with her crew, concierge might really be nice (& cost effective). I remember getting $169 per night AP rate at the Paradise Pier for concierge..for example. What was the best deal for GCH with AP rates?

- & finally.....if staying on site (exactly which days or days of week are you staying??) you should price the difference between the 5 day park hopper & the 6 (or 7) day hopper.

- If you're staying "on site", even on your supposed "off days" it is SO MUCH FUN to slide over to DL for a couple of hours....maybe for MM in the early AM...or in the evening for the fireworks....or for toon town....or whatever...go for a couple of hours in the early morning or the evening. (But enjoy the early mornng empty parks EVERY morning....& then relax every crowded afternoon back at your hotel & have a nice mid day break.)

- & don't forget early mornings at DCA....or the new nightime activities at DCA.

Bottom line....you don't go into the parks all day for 7 days.....but if it's a few dollars more for a 7 day hopper than for a 5 day......GET THE 7 DAY!!!!

(sorry for you loss....I hope your family has a fantastic time at Walt's Park. )