Late January Advice

[pdxmomto2]

Hi I will be traveling to Anaheim January 25th - 30th with my parents (late sixties) and my two kids 10 and 13. Our last trip to Disneyland and CA was 5 years ago.

The 25 th and 30th are travel days so we will have 4 full days to visit parks. We know we want to do 1 day at Universal Studios Hollywood , probably the Saturday or Sunday for better traffic from Anaheim.

We are staying at the staybridge suites Anaheim resort area, and will have a rental car.

I made lunch reservations at blue bayou for Friday afternoon. I'm trying to decide between a 3 day park hopper. Or two days at DL and one at CA. And trying to figure out a general game plan for our time in the parks.

My mom is limited in how much walking she can do, so she might not do all the park days with us. (But must do the teacups, as they were closed on her only other visit ever to DL)

Any tips or advice welcome.

Thanks!

 

[smartlabelprint]

She could get an electric scooter.

I’d get a 4 day hopper.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I like Hoppers because sometimes I have stuff all planned out for one park and ride after ride goes down and it's really nice being able to just hop to the other. They are not necessary on a 3 day trip, just a nice amenity imho.

Yes to looking into an electric scooter! Made a world of difference for my dad. This is one of her later trip to DL with her grandkids (God willing not the last!) and she'll probably want to spend as much of it in the parks as possible? Electric scooter! Rent ahead of time and have delivered to your hotel, there are suggestions here on the DIS if you use the search function on different companies you could use. Take it out into the hotel parking lot with her and let her get the hang of driving it around. She can park it before waiting in lines and in DCA can take it into the lines with her.

(Also, don't 3 day park Hoppers have a Magic Morning at Disneyland? SO WORTH IT! Don't do Peter Pan, but you can do a lot of other stuff in that hour. Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open during MM.)

 

[RedHotMama]

Also, don't 3 day park Hoppers have a Magic Morning at Disneyland? SO WORTH IT! Don't do Peter Pan, but you can do a lot of other stuff in that hour.

I had thought MM would be a good time for Peter Pan, but I can see how it might waste the hour. When do you think is a good time to catch Peter Pan?

 

[gottalovepluto]

I had thought MM would be a good time for Peter Pan, but I can see how it might waste the hour. When do you think is a good time to catch Peter Pan?

I just schedule it for a 45 min wait whenever we feel up to it. Great to do during a snack time! It's 30-45 mins all day from about 5 mins after Park opening. To me, it's not worth arriving an hour or more before MM to rush with the pack to make it to the front of the PP line for a 25 min wait. (Some people hit it after fireworks but that won't happen for you since there are no fireworks in Jan.) Unless you have an extra magical, pixie dusted morning you & your children will be out maneuvered/shoved out of the way on the way there no matter when you show up at the front gate. Therefore I just acknowledge it will be long always and spend my MM doing the other rides. Let someone else shove their way to the 20 min PP wait while you & fam knock out 5 other Fantasyland rides without being trampled. (Alice is nice first thing if the wait is <15 mins, that one gets long as well.)

 

[Geemo]

Yes to looking into an electric scooter! Made a world of difference for my dad. This is one of her later trip to DL with her grandkids (God willing not the last!) and she'll probably want to spend as much of it in the parks as possible? Electric scooter! Rent ahead of time and have delivered to your hotel, there are suggestions here on the DIS if you use the search function on different companies you could use. Take it out into the hotel parking lot with her and let her get the hang of driving it around. She can park it before waiting in lines and in DCA can take it into the lines with her.

(Also, don't 3 day park Hoppers have a Magic Morning at Disneyland? SO WORTH IT! Don't do Peter Pan, but you can do a lot of other stuff in that hour. Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open during MM.)

I've seen people recommend new scooter user's, to go to one of their local stores that have scooters for people to use while shopping.
It will give you an idea of how they drive.

I used a store's scooter when I had a cast on my ankle and could walk. The ones in the store are clunkier than the ones you can rent for DLR.

When I go for five days with the grandkids, I need a scooter for the tail end of the trip.
I've rented from Deckert's and from Select Scooter in the lobby of the BWPPI. The scooters I've use at DLR are far easier than the grocery store one.
Money well spend when it's been a looooong week in the parks.

If you rent a scooter from Select scooter they place a label with your name on it for easy identification.
Deckert's didn't do this on my past rentals and I bring a colored ribbon to tie on the handle so I can find it in the sea of scooters.

Geemo

 

[Cactus girl]

I had thought MM would be a good time for Peter Pan, but I can see how it might waste the hour. When do you think is a good time to catch Peter Pan?

If your mom has a scooter, Peter Pan won’t be an issue. Go and read some of the disabilities forums. With a scooter, she can’t go through the line so there are special accommodations made. You will go to the exit where there is a cast member. They will scan your ticket and give you a return time. You then just go through the exit when your time arrives. Before you get all giddy, it’s all a trade off. There are tons of frustrations with a scooter, but Disney does try to give you a little extra magic.