Ideas for a day away from the parks

[Dismoml3]

Hi all! My family is going to Disneyland for the 1st time ever January 18 - 25 we can only get 5 day hoppers so we will have one day outside of the parks. Going is my husband , 13 year old son and myself. We will be spending the day at the resort but would like some feedback on what to do with our day? We are staying at the Grand Californian.

 

[msr709]

In the same predicament, would like to read some suggestions as well. TIA

 

[AlohaNow]

My family *needs* the beach in our lives now that we, unfortunately, live in a landlocked state. This October we are building in an extra day and a rental car just to stick our feet in the Pacific! We are thinking Newport Beach or Huntington. Maybe Laguna. Maybe all three in one day! We just need to see and hear the waves! I'm sure others can suggest more 'L.A.' type things - there is tons to choose from. DH wants us all to see La Brea tar pits, but since this is the first time we're flying into SNA and avoiding LAX, I just want to stay south of the city the entire time. Grab yourself an LA or SoCal guidebook from the library. There is certainly something for everyone in the area. Have fun planning!

 

[ashley0139]

Since you want to stay at the resort, I recommend doing Downtown Disney. Take your time and walk through the shops, play with legos, etc. Have a nice meal and spend some time at the pool if it's warm enough (maybe not in January but you never know). It will be nice to have a down day.

 

[Dismoml3]

Has anyone done the scavenger hunt at the grand? I was thinking of checking that out too? We will try to hit the pool! 60's is warm for us NYers!

 

[sherilaine]

If you are going to make full use of your 5 day park hoppers then having at least one day for a break is essential. We will have two 'down' days on our next trip and I full expect to make one of them a complete down day - sleep in late, relax by the pool if weather allows, just take it easy so as to refuel for the long days at DLR. If you are staying onsite then I totally recommend enjoying the resort as they do not come cheap - enjoy the pools or even if the weather is cold, the hot tubs, enjoy DTD as there is lots to do there. One thing I would not suggest is doing much walking - give those feet a break. Also, I find when you do have days in the park - often times you don't want to waste time doing anything else, so an off day is a good day to do all the other stuff - like shopping, maybe even doing a character meal.

Hope you have a great time!

 

[texasgingerbread]

search "Mary Jo" and Day Six it has a ton of ideas and I think her reports/stickys are somewhere. She's the moderator. Lots of ideas. Can't find the link but I've commented on it before.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

If you want to stay at the resort, then the suggestions given above are good. Since you are staying at the Grand, you may want to look into whether they still do the hotel-guest early morning exclusive entry at the Build a Bear that I have heard about if that is of interest to your group. I have also read about a hotel tour, so I guess that may be a way to fill time. Meals, shopping, swimming, a movie at the movie theater, wandering the grounds of the three Disney hotels are all ways to fill time.

If you are looking to get away from the resort for your day six, there are lots of possibilities. Fairly close by is the Discovery Cube in Santa Ana, a great hands-on science museum that my boys loved. I believe there is an ART route that goes there, so car rental or taxi wouldn't even be necessary if you don't mind being on a bus timetable. Knott's Berry Farm is only about 8 miles from the resort. While it's no Disney park, it does have it's own quirky charm. Again, there is an ART route to Knotts although I don't think that's an especially convenient mode of transportation for that outing.

If you want to go further afield, car rental is probably best. Mary Jo has done a bunch of great Day 6 segments. They are referenced again in this recent thread: Day Six Ideas for 2016?

 

[Dismoml3]

search "Mary Jo" and Day Six it has a ton of ideas and I think her reports/stickys are somewhere. She's the moderator. Lots of ideas. Can't find the link but I've commented on it before.

Thanks I'll try to find it! I love all her hints on the podcast!

 

[Dismoml3]

If you want to stay at the resort, then the suggestions given above are good. Since you are staying at the Grand, you may want to look into whether they still do the hotel-guest early morning exclusive entry at the Build a Bear that I have heard about if that is of interest to your group. I have also read about a hotel tour, so I guess that may be a way to fill time. Meals, shopping, swimming, a movie at the movie theater, wandering the grounds of the three Disney hotels are all ways to fill time.

If you are looking to get away from the resort for your day six, there are lots of possibilities. Fairly close by is the Discovery Cube in Santa Ana, a great hands-on science museum that my boys loved. I believe there is an ART route that goes there, so car rental or taxi wouldn't even be necessary if you don't mind being on a bus timetable. Knott's Berry Farm is only about 8 miles from the resort. While it's no Disney park, it does have it's own quirky charm. Again, there is an ART route to Knotts although I don't think that's an especially convenient mode of transportation for that outing.

If you want to go further afield, car rental is probably best. Mary Jo has done a bunch of great Day 6 segments. They are referenced again in this recent thread: Day Six Ideas for 2016?

Thanks for the suggestions! It's nice to know that some things are on the bus route !

 

[AlohaNow]

Ooops. My bad. I did not notice the part where you said you wanted to spend your extra day at the resort!

 

[juliekzp]

Would be a good day for lunch or dinner at Goofy's Kitchen - character dining outside the parks (at DL Hotel)