In planning stages of a DL trip.

[8timesblessed]

My husband and I flew into Long Beach and it was super easy. We paid $69 each way from Seattle. But on cyber monday the fare went down and Alaska gave us back $59 because the fare was cheaper, it went down to $40 each way so I applied that to new tickets and took advantage of the $40 each way and got tickets to take our youngest down for 4 days. We are flying into SNA John wayne/Orange county because it was the cheapest and it's easier to get a cheap shuttle from there to Disney. My husband and I rented a car for $100 for 5 days because that was cheaper and we had options to go other places. But some hotels also charge for parking so if you don't need to rent a car and can take a shuttle, you have to factor in that cost.

 

[Paulakoala]

We are going in July. There are six of us, we are staying at the Desert Palms Inn and Suites - right by DCA - Jul 01 - 08. Six day park hopper passes, total cost just under $2800. We shopped around and in our case the best value was available booking with Disney directly. AAA came back with the exact pricing Disney did and Disney has far better payment options. It definitely pays to explore the options available to you!

 

[skiingfast]

There is a board for renting points.
http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29

There is a thread about the multiple airport situation and how to get to the parks from each one.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2318297

 

[almburr]

I liked the Desert Palms Inn and suites as one of our options, still looking at one of the on sites. I think with this trip I will plan it around hotel availability (looks like the close ones fill up faster) then hit the airfare, then get park addmission over the span of the year and a half I have to plan this trip. I pay cash for everything, dont want to think of a CC balance after the trip

Question: #1-If we choose a hotel off site that has a mini kitchen, can I have groceries delivered there? I was thinking of having things for Lunch like sandwhiches and simple things to eat. We plan to eat in the park for a few nicer sit downs or quick lunches. I want to try the reasturant in New Orleans.
#2-Also which are your favorite places to eat. I know everyones tastes are different, But id still like to know what some of the faves are. We like to eat a wide range of foods, and kids are not picky at all (not big on mac n cheese or nuggets) tend to eat steak and seafood, and all types of veggies #3 How many days would we need to tour the park? Im thinking 3-4 days would that be too long? Would throwing in a trip to Universal a good idea?

Im trying to show my DH that we can have a great time and have good food at DL like we can at WDW. I dont want him to start comparing the 2 before we leave.

 

[skiingfast]

Question: #1-If we choose a hotel off site that has a mini kitchen, can I have groceries delivered there? I was thinking of having things for Lunch like sandwhiches and simple things to eat. We plan to eat in the park for a few nicer sit downs or quick lunches. I want to try the reasturant in New Orleans.
#2-Also which are your favorite places to eat. I know everyones tastes are different, But id still like to know what some of the faves are. We like to eat a wide range of foods, and kids are not picky at all (not big on mac n cheese or nuggets) tend to eat steak and seafood, and all types of veggies #3 How many days would we need to tour the park? Im thinking 3-4 days would that be too long? Would throwing in a trip to Universal a good idea?

#1, yes Vons does grocery delivery. If you haven't used them before they offer free delivery the first time if the order is over $50. I think it's currently $8 otherwise.

#2 One of the differences is the DLR does not have the variety in TS locations that WDW does, mainly because of no Epcot. Also not as many locations because it's a local park and people can eat at home, so it doesn't need the capcacity.

What DLR does have is much better variety of menu items at its CS locations.

Blue Bayou which is set inside POTC is amazingly absent in WDW. You can sit along the water of the ride at this location if you request a table there.

Cafe Orleans is great, this is the other New Orleans Sq TS location.

There is a character meal in each park and resort Hotel. Also DTD is near the parks' gates so it add options as well.


#3 The number of days really depends on when you are going and how much you want to see. Somewhere between 3 to 5 days should work.

Universal is possible to add onto a Disney visit. Though keep in mind that it's different than USO if you've been there and has no IOA. So it's a much smaller expirience than that resort. If you like the USO park alone then USH may be worth a visit to experience the differences.

 

[Brady's Mom]

We have stayed w/in walking distance, driven and parked at Mickey and Friends and taken ART. I would forever and ever suggest/encourage staying with in walking distance. And if I couldn't, for whatever reason, I would drive and park before I would take ART. I am sure ART works really well for some people - my family hated it.

There are places to stay that offer spaces for bigger groups - check out the map that a PP linked - it will help you figure out where they're located. Some motels/hotels say they are a "block" from DLR, and they probably are, but they are some VERY long blocks. Also, motel/hotel websites often promote themselves as being "right across the street" from DLR. That is often very true, as well - BUT, they might be right across the BACK of DLR and it could take 15 or 20 minutes just to walk to the security tables.

We travel with a bigger group a lot of times - there are 7 in our family and finding a comfortable place to stay that doesn't break the bank can be a challenge. We like HoJo - we usually get adjoining rooms. Our next trip in March we are trying Desert Inn and Suites, which will suit the size of our group. It is right across the crosswalk from DLR. That is a bonus. I have some concerns about the comfort of the beds, but we won't know until we get there.

We take sandwiches and fruit and veggies with us when we go to offset some of the less healthy options at DLR. We plan one main meal in the parks per day and that works really well for us. We feel much better and less sluggish than when we eat all of our meals there. We eat breakfast in our rooms.

We love, love, love off-season and early November is one of our favorite times to go. We add weekend days to see Fantasmic!, fireworks and now WOC since they don't usually play during the week during off-season.

Our favorite amount of time is 5 days. Commando touring stresses out some members of our family and makes them grumpy (cough - DH - cough) so we've found that 5 is our perfect number.

Good luck with your planning and feel free to ask questions - we're a helpful bunch!

 

[GrandBob]

Another map that I love is this one:
http://www.accommodationsneardisney.com/Disneyland/default.asp

You'll want to pick one of the hotels in the green zone to be in walking distance. A few of those in the yellow, that are close to the green, can be walking distance too; but to be safe, choose the hotels in the green.

Since some of the times that you're mentioning are off-season, I want to point out that HoJo's has lots of dates in October and November open in their Retro-rate calendar:
http://www.boards.hojoanaheim.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14

If you can get HoJo at their Retro rate (50% off normal rate), that's a deal you won't be able to top. We always stay there if we can get retro rate. If not, they're still a good hotel, but you'll want to compare rates with the rest. To reserve their retro rate, call their direct number, not the 1-800 number, and make sure you're talking to in-house reservations. The national HoJo reservations office knows nothing about retro rates. Or you can email to stay@hojoanaheim.com

I agree with Ski that 3-5 days is the normal amount of time spent at DLR, though some people stay longer. And I agree with Brady's Mom that 5 days is much, much better than 3.

Other than that, continue to ask questions. We're a friendly crowd here. Oh, and re-read the DLR Guide for WDW Vets.

-Bob

 

[almburr]

Ive been looking at hotels for a few hours now. I used the map that a PP added about choosing the hotels in the green. I liked the Del Sol and the Park Vue might be the best options so far. I feel like such a mewbie at this!

Question time! While you are in DL do you feel the cast members are nice and friendly. That one thing I love about WDW is how friendly the staff is be it a member of the trash clean up or a gift shop clerk. I love how they all behave as if your are the most special person in the world. Not just stand there and stare at you like its a waste of thier time to be helpful. I just want Pixie dust!

 

[HydroGuy]

Ive been looking at hotels for a few hours now. I used the map that a PP added about choosing the hotels in the green. I liked the Del Sol and the Park Vue might be the best options so far. I feel like such a mewbie at this!

Question time! While you are in DL do you feel the cast members are nice and friendly. That one thing I love about WDW is how friendly the staff is be it a member of the trash clean up or a gift shop clerk. I love how they all behave as if your are the most special person in the world. Not just stand there and stare at you like its a waste of thier time to be helpful. I just want Pixie dust!

If you read enough threads you will find out

A) The WDW Cast Members are definitely better and more friendly than those at DLR, and

B) The DLR Cast Members are definitely better and more friendly than those at WDW

Personally I have never seen any difference and they are, on the whole, excellent.

My two cents.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Different vacations, different CM experiences, doesn't matter where, imho.


You need to pick the hotel style to your vacation style. When my husband and I go we stay at Grand Californian. We spent a lot of out of park time at restaurants and the lounges. We stay at Desert Inn and suites when we travel with our kids. The location can't be beat. We reserve the biggest suites that sleep ten. It gives us plenty of room to stretch out. Plus we get a little kitchenette with frig and two full bathrooms. We are staying there in two weeks and I got the suite for $110 a night. We are staying again in July and I got it for $204.

The breakfast offered is very basic, but we use it for juice, milk, cereal, and coffee. I order muffins and other breakfast treats from a nearby restaurant.

The beds are firm. No pillow tops here, but the place is quiet. You can run into noise issues at some of the hotels, like Hojo.

If you think most of your time will be spent in the parks, I wouldn't spend too much on hotel. I think walking distance is most important.

 

[skiingfast]

Ive been looking at hotels for a few hours now. I used the map that a PP added about choosing the hotels in the green. I liked the Del Sol and the Park Vue might be the best options so far. I feel like such a mewbie at this!

I suggest the Park Vue Inn, it will work very well for your big family. It offers a welcome basket with some fruit you can use as snacks. Bottled water and cookie is in the lobby which you can use as snacks. A simple breakfast. A light dinner. Think of the money saved there instead of buying food for your family.