Is 5 days obsessive?

[Chili327]

We plan on hitting Strong Water tiki bar

Great plan! Highly recommend
(not for OP family, 21 and over)

Definitely added to my list for next time.!!

 

[Disneysince82]

Did 5 days last time I visited, and it was great! I spent all day each day at the parks and had a lot of fun. It would take 2 full exhausting days to do everything with a very dialed in touring plan, so instead you can do things at a relaxed pace, enjoy your meals, take breaks, get the 5 year old to bed at a decent hour some nights, and otherwise have an actual vacation instead of sore feet and tired, thin emotions. If you are staying on property, you can go in the mornings and then do beach, etc. when it warms up more mid day.

I'm not sure how many locals have annual passes since they have been limiting them, but I found that evenings were the busiest because of locals coming to spend time at the parks. They may not be going on Fantasyland rides, but the walkways were more congested, and the big rides had long waits. Also, later morning/early afternoon can have locals bringing kids for a day out. Early morning, only the die hard vacationers are anywhere near the parks.

Do you think it would be realistic to do hit Laguna Beach one afternoon or should we just plan for a full day/night there? The problem I’m finding is all the beach front hotels there want 2 night min which is ‘fine’ but we really only want 1 day.

 

[chezcurrie]

Do you think it would be realistic to do hit Laguna Beach one afternoon or should we just plan for a full day/night there? The problem I’m finding is all the beach front hotels there want 2 night min which is ‘fine’ but we really only want 1 day.

I think this depends on what you want to do at the beach. My kids can’t spend all day at the beach, so for them it would be better to do an afternoon/evening or choose a resort that they would want to also use the pool and have a nice dinner, etc. My kids are resort kids, lol.

A fun option could also be to rent a firepit one night, depending on when sunset is and if your kids would stay up and enjoy that kind of thing. There is a company in Newport Beach I have used that rents firepits and you can add hot dogs, s’mores, etc.

 

[Disneysince82]

I think this depends on what you want to do at the beach. My kids can’t spend all day at the beach, so for them it would be better to do an afternoon/evening or choose a resort that they would want to also use the pool and have a nice dinner, etc. My kids are resort kids, lol.

A fun option could also be to rent a firepit one night, depending on when sunset is and if your kids would stay up and enjoy that kind of thing. There is a company in Newport Beach I have used that rents firepits and you can add hot dogs, s’mores, etc.

OH MY!!! Thank you so much I think that might be perfect idea! I am going to look at one right now. That would be prefect for us and TBH might be worth just heading from LAX to the beach and spending the day, renting a fire pit, and then heading back to DL.

 

[1Disneylandfan]

I love 5 days in the parks! I can take my time, do as little or as much as I want, and not feel rushed. And it allows you to factor in things such as, it's hot and I want to leave for awhile and return later in the day, or I want to take a nap and return later, I want to sleep in and start my day later, etc. Last summer I did 5 days in the park and had 4 days to hang at the pool, get a massage, and go to the beach. We stayed on property between GCH and DLH. We absolutely LOVED it, I'm only sad I can't afford to stay on property again this summer. I'll be off site between Marriott Anaheim and the Candy Cane Inn.

 

[joseph821]

I love 5 days in the parks! I can take my time, do as little or as much as I want, and not feel rushed. And it allows you to factor in things such as, it's hot and I want to leave for awhile and return later in the day, or I want to take a nap and return later, I want to sleep in and start my day later, etc. Last summer I did 5 days in the park and had 4 days to hang at the pool, get a massage, and go to the beach. We stayed on property between GCH and DLH. We absolutely LOVED it, I'm only sad I can't afford to stay on property again this summer. I'll be off site between Marriott Anaheim and the Candy Cane Inn.

The Marriott and Candy Cane are nice!! Enjoy your stays and a trip.

 

[Disneysince82]

I love 5 days in the parks! I can take my time, do as little or as much as I want, and not feel rushed. And it allows you to factor in things such as, it's hot and I want to leave for awhile and return later in the day, or I want to take a nap and return later, I want to sleep in and start my day later, etc. Last summer I did 5 days in the park and had 4 days to hang at the pool, get a massage, and go to the beach. We stayed on property between GCH and DLH. We absolutely LOVED it, I'm only sad I can't afford to stay on property again this summer. I'll be off site between Marriott Anaheim and the Candy Cane Inn.

How did you split your time at the GCH & DHL if you don’t mind me asking? Right now I have a 1 bedroom family suite booked at DHL but I’m still exploring options lol

 

[GoofyGoofyGoofy]

We are planning a trip to DL and were planning on doing 6 nights/5 days at DLH(1 bedroom family suite) in a few months. The 1st day we get in at 730AM to LAX so we were planning on doing a pool day/renting a cabana etc.

Just a little info it is 4 of us 2 adults/14 & 5 yr old. We were planning 1 day at the beach either before or after Disneyland. Our son wants to go look at Staple Center & Anaheim A's stadiums.... as much as he can 'look' We are from Denver and I am figuring it is like here where he will pretty much be able to get a pic outside. I went to Disneyland a lot as a kid till I was about 6 and we moved from Southern CA. I haven't been since the 50th Anniversary in 2005. This will be both the kids 1st time.

I have been told by a few people that 5 days Disneyland is obsessive. Should I be cutting it down to 3-4 days?

We are in AZ and we always get the 5 day tickets, We used to have APs, but the value for us isn't there anymore to purchase APs for Disneyland. We do have APs for Knotts. The days go by quicker than you think and it is nice to know if the first day in either park with EE you can get on a few rides before the masses get there and you know you have another day to get on rides you want to ride again. Try it out and do what is best for your family. We are planning to go for Halloween (just us girls - because the guys think one trip a year is plenty!) Granted we stay almost 2 weeks and we go to Knotts and Disneyland. We do not rush in the parks at all. We enjoy doing what we love to do, not what others say to do. Have a great time planning and have a wonderful trip!

 

[MouseEarsMom33]

When we travel, we go primarily for Disney locations. Because of that, I prefer to go longer than not have enough time. We did our first DL trip last year and I was worried we scheduled too many days. We were there 7.5 days. 5 of them were park days, the other 2.5 were resort days (we stayed at DLH). For our first time there, I felt this was perfect. While there is only 2 parks, there is still a lot to do. Plus park hopping is so easy! We didn't feel like we had to rush as much as we would at WDW. If we go again, we probably don't have to go as long, but I wouldn't rule it out as I like the ability to relax. We ended up adding 3 additional days for San Diego Safari Park and Huntington Beach.

My husband didn't see the point of going to DL after going to WDW, but he liked it too and is willing to go back again. We stayed at DLH but next time my husband said to try the Grand California instead since it is basically inside the park.

 

[1Disneylandfan]

How did you split your time at the GCH & DHL if you don’t mind me asking? Right now I have a 1 bedroom family suite booked at DHL but I’m still exploring options lol

I booked 2 nights at the GCH partial park view (it was amazing, we had a room directly outside Goofy's Sky School, and we got a backside view of WOC at night, I'm trying to remember the room number). And then we did 3 nights at DLH in a deluxe view (requested Adventure Tower and received a pool view, the CM "Jackie" was AWESOME).

Staying at both these hotels had been on my bucket list for years. I've previously stayed at PP and did club level, and another stay was park view (on top floor, view was amazing). So now I can saw I've stayed at all 3 hotels. Here's my opinion on each of them.

GCH:

1. Close proximity (it's nice to hop back to room in a few minutes)
2. The pool area is pretty nice (lounge chairs super comfy)

DLH:

1. "Disney" feel in rooms love the theming
2. Beds are super comfy (even better than GCH)
3. Pools are great especially for kids with the slides

PP:

1. Least expensive property
2. Theme Park view (worth it if on top 2 floors)

I look at pricing at the hotels quite frequently, whether I intend to stay on property or not. Sometimes depending on your dates and sales that may or may not be going on, the price difference between PP and DLH could be marginal, same thing with DLH and GCH. Just something to keep in mind when comparing. Also sometimes if you call in and speak with a cast member they might be able to get you a cheaper rate (depending on situation, I usually ask is that the cheapest rate available and I'll start asking if they have discounts for being a member of this or that, etc.) I usually tell people if your going to spend that much money to stay on property, pony up and at least stay at the DLH. Nothing against PP, but it just seems disconnected from the "Disney bubble", and I've stayed their twice. My favorite of the 3 is the DLH.

Any other questions, feel free to ask or message me.

 

[1Disneylandfan]

The Marriott and Candy Cane are nice!! Enjoy your stays and a trip.

Good to know, thank you! I choose the Marriott Anaheim specifically because it looked like a nice pool area and I got a balcony room. And the Candy Cane Inn, I've heard about for years and literally walked past it on a previous trip in Nov 2021, and thought this place is pretty close to the parks. And when I saw the renovation is done, I said I want to give this place a try.

 

[Disneysince82]

I booked 2 nights at the GCH partial park view (it was amazing, we had a room directly outside Goofy's Sky School, and we got a backside view of WOC at night, I'm trying to remember the room number). And then we did 3 nights at DLH in a deluxe view (requested Adventure Tower and received a pool view, the CM "Jackie" was AWESOME).

Staying at both these hotels had been on my bucket list for years. I've previously stayed at PP and did club level, and another stay was park view (on top floor, view was amazing). So now I can saw I've stayed at all 3 hotels. Here's my opinion on each of them.

GCH:

1. Close proximity (it's nice to hop back to room in a few minutes)
2. The pool area is pretty nice (lounge chairs super comfy)

DLH:

1. "Disney" feel in rooms love the theming
2. Beds are super comfy (even better than GCH)
3. Pools are great especially for kids with the slides

PP:

1. Least expensive property
2. Theme Park view (worth it if on top 2 floors)

I look at pricing at the hotels quite frequently, whether I intend to stay on property or not. Sometimes depending on your dates and sales that may or may not be going on, the price difference between PP and DLH could be marginal, same thing with DLH and GCH. Just something to keep in mind when comparing. Also sometimes if you call in and speak with a cast member they might be able to get you a cheaper rate (depending on situation, I usually ask is that the cheapest rate available and I'll start asking if they have discounts for being a member of this or that, etc.) I usually tell people if your going to spend that much money to stay on property, pony up and at least stay at the DLH. Nothing against PP, but it just seems disconnected from the "Disney bubble", and I've stayed their twice. My favorite of the 3 is the DLH.

Any other questions, feel free to ask or message me.

Thanks so much!!! I might of booked GCH 2 bedroom(only thing available and wasn’t much more than what I’ve seen 1 bedrooms for) over New Years My husband said he would love to stay there during Christmas so I jumped on it. I’m going to keep looking tor a 1 bedroom also…because I clearly look at reservations for fun!

I know it’s a better deal to get a regular room but husband and I would really would like some privacy. I’ve even considered just doing 2 regular rooms and hoping they can be close or adjoined

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Do you think it would be realistic to do hit Laguna Beach one afternoon or should we just plan for a full day/night there? The problem I’m finding is all the beach front hotels there want 2 night min which is ‘fine’ but we really only want 1 day.

You can easily do a day at Laguna Beach or Newport Beach and return to your resort at DL. No need to spend the night at the beach.

Edited to add … December is not “beachy” time of year in terms of swimming/water play (definitely way too cold) but you can enjoy exploring tide pools or just walking on the beach as well as exploring the shops and restaurants at whatever beach you decide to visit.

 

[Disneysince82]

You can easily do a day at Laguna Beach or Newport Beach and return to your resort at DL. No need to spend the night at the beach.

Edited to add … December is not “beachy” time of year in terms of swimming/water play (definitely way too cold) but you can enjoy exploring tide pools or just walking on the beach as well as exploring the shops and restaurants at whatever beach you decide to visit.

Thanks! We originally were going to go in August but now with going over NYE you are being 100%! I lived at the beach in Oregon a long time ago(which weather is no wear as nice as Southern CA!) and forgot how cold just in general the Pacific Ocean can be! But exploring the tide pools and looking for seashells(something our daughter is obsessed with) could make a really nice day trip! Do you think renting a fire pit for smores late afternoon/early evening or do you think it will be too cold?

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Thanks! We originally were going to go in August but now with going over NYE you are being 100%! I lived at the beach in Oregon a long time ago(which weather is no wear as nice as Southern CA!) and forgot how cold just in general the Pacific Ocean can be! But exploring the tide pools and looking for seashells(something our daughter is obsessed with) could make a really nice day trip! Do you think renting a fire pit for smores late afternoon/early evening or do you think it will be too cold?

I wouldn’t do a fire pit myself in winter. It’s just way too cold at night with the cold ocean air and wind. It’s nicer in the summer (still cool at night though!).

Our water temperatures even in summer are pretty chilly, usually 60s… we are lucky if we have low 70s in summer. The warmest water is usually August and September.

 

[Disneysince82]

I wouldn’t do a fire pit myself in winter. It’s just way too cold at night with the cold ocean air and wind. It’s nicer in the summer (still cool at night though!).

Our water temperatures even in summer are pretty chilly, usually 60s… we are lucky if we have low 70s in summer. The warmest water is usually August and September.

Thanks!! You are very right it would probably would be a miserable fire pit LOL

 

[NVDISFamily]

We did a 9 day split trip between Knott’s (3 days) and Disneyland (6 days) in April and loved it. Took it easy, split our time between being the the park and spending some relaxing in the hotel. Having a larger space for the family in the larger DVC villas definitely helped. Got to explore a lot of stuff and just take it easy. Tried to go into each day with at max just 2 items on the “must do” list and everything else was just bonus.

 

[1Disneylandfan]

Thanks so much!!! I might of booked GCH 2 bedroom(only thing available and wasn’t much more than what I’ve seen 1 bedrooms for) over New Years My husband said he would love to stay there during Christmas so I jumped on it. I’m going to keep looking tor a 1 bedroom also…because I clearly look at reservations for fun!

I know it’s a better deal to get a regular room but husband and I would really would like some privacy. I’ve even considered just doing 2 regular rooms and hoping they can be close or adjoined

Nice! People change reservations all the time, so the 1 bedroom your looking for may open up at some point. It's almost like the stock market, you have to check it all the time, as available inventory fluctuates all the time.

My advice if your going to go the route of 2 regular rooms connected, I would call in the reservation so all your preferences get noted on your reservation. It doesn't guarantee it but I can say whenever Disney can, they do their best to accommodate you. I mean that was my experience last summer. I was truly happy with everything and I made sure to leave compliments for CM's who sprinkled the Disney pixie dust.

 

[Disneysince82]

Nice! People change reservations all the time, so the 1 bedroom your looking for may open up at some point. It's almost like the stock market, you have to check it all the time, as available inventory fluctuates all the time.

My advice if your going to go the route of 2 regular rooms connected, I would call in the reservation so all your preferences get noted on your reservation. It doesn't guarantee it but I can say whenever Disney can, they do their best to accommodate you. I mean that was my experience last summer. I was truly happy with everything and I made sure to leave compliments for CM's who sprinkled the Disney pixie dust.

Looking at hotel reservations just might be an hobby for me LOL I am pretty sure I have a tab(s) always up on my work computer and also looking on my iPhone LOL I am 100% going to look for a 1 bd and I actually think I might go ahead and book 2 regular rooms right now and ask for them to be connected -- or is that a bad idea and just hold off?

The CM's have already been so amazing the several times I always make sure I do the survey.

 

[Disneysince82]

Nice! People change reservations all the time, so the 1 bedroom your looking for may open up at some point. It's almost like the stock market, you have to check it all the time, as available inventory fluctuates all the time.

My advice if your going to go the route of 2 regular rooms connected, I would call in the reservation so all your preferences get noted on your reservation. It doesn't guarantee it but I can say whenever Disney can, they do their best to accommodate you. I mean that was my experience last summer. I was truly happy with everything and I made sure to leave compliments for CM's who sprinkled the Disney pixie dust.

Was it the partial view rooms at the GCH that were connected -- they have to be the same view right & type right? It would be our 15 yr old & 5 yr old in the other one and would love to get at least 2 bed or a pull down sofa... in the one. I am wondering if this is the type of time do to the 'phantom' kids on the reservations. They could share a bed but TBH would at that price like them to not. Our son wouldnt complain, but I want him to have his own bed lol If we did do that I am pretty sure it might save around $400-600 a night but not 100%

I would love to split my trip between the 2 like you did but I was worried about moving stuff between the 2... my husband thinks it will be a big hassle. I was even playing with for awhile doing the DHL 1 bedroom suite(actually way cheaper still) or even 2 rooms for 2 night and GCH for the rest. I would love to spend Christmas through NYE at Disneyland if I could and probably why I keep hitting the refresh on the reservation site