More Questions Dates CONFIRMED

[DisneyCP2002]

I finally have my dates confirmed, 4/10 - 4/15/2010. Will be booking hotel/tickets/etc. once rates become available. Now even more questions LOL

1) Is there anything special happening in April?
2) What are some not to miss restaurants?
3) I will be flying in late morning/early afternoon on 4/10. Should I visit a park? Visit DTD?
4) Due to finances, I will be staying at a Good Neighbor hotel. Can anyone give me information on transportation available from the hotel to the parks?
5) Also what are some not to miss rides?

I think those are it for now but I am sure more will pop up.

 

[pianoandviolinteache]

End of April can be good, after everyone has gone back from Spring Break, but October has so many awesome things going on it's worth a bit of an extra crowd. Watch out for Education Week and Gay Days if you want to avoid crowds. The 2-3 week can be just fine. The last week, right around Halloween tends to be a bit busier.
The amount of days depends on you. If you want to take it easy a bit more, go for more days, but it you think you'll be in the parks all day long, 3 days should be fine. The Dining Plan won't save you any money, but there are character breakfasts you can get from ARES travel for cheaper and check out Anaheim Visitors Center online for other coupons. AAA members get discounts on some food around the park.

 

[Disney Dreams]

I have finally bit the bullet and I will be heading to Disneyland in 2010. So now I have several questions, probably more to come.

1) April vs. October? Which is the better month?
2) 3, 4, or 5? How many days should I stay having never been before.
3) Dining plan? Is there a link to somewhere that explains this? Or at least can someone give me the basics?

1) Well, it depends on what you are asking about. As stated above, crowds settle somewhat towards the end of April with Spring Breaks ending, BUT - October has lots of great stuff going on at the Parks for Halloween. Decorations, events, characters in different costumes. Fun stuff. Both are great times of the year to visit, depending upon what you are looking for out of the experience.

2) I would say 4 or 5 for your first visit. I know people say you can do Disneyland in a day, but really, you can't. Not if you want to take in all the decor, the shows, the attractions, the charm AND just enjoy. If you have the time to take a few extra days, why not give yourself 4 or 5 and just enjoy? That's my travel approach anywho.

3) Don't think in the WDW style. There is a DP at DLR, but not really. It's more of a pre-pay thing. The short answer is, there isn't really a DP at DLR. How was free dining at WDW?

Hope this helps,
Dreams

 

[oc_tony]

As to your second question, if you can swing 4 or 5 days, you'll enjoy the parks at a much more relaxed pace. And if you do end up having time "leftover" to fill, SoCal has so much to offer for shoppers, sightseers, etc.

 

[DisneyCP2002]

Thanks for the answers so far. I have pretty much decided October is the better time for me. More time to save $$ and stay longer. Also thanks for the info on what DL has in way of a dining plan. As this will be my very first trip, I am still very much learning as I go. I plan to buy the guide books once the 2010 versions come out. Another couple questions:

1) If I did at least 4 days how should it be split between the 2 parks? Is there enough in DCA to give it 2 days?
2) What special events are going on in October? I do know about the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay of the Haunted Mansion, that was one of the big things that sold me on October. But what else is a must see/do?
3) Would it be better to pay as I go or is the meal plan worth it?

 

[oc_tony]

In 4 days, you could do 2.5 days in DL and 1.5 days in DCA. The beauty of park-hopping here (as opposed to WDW) is that it is only a 60-second walk from one park to another (and DTD too)!

During Halloween, you'll definitely want to catch the Haunted Mansion. This year, DL is also doing a Halloween overlay on Space Mountain, so hopefully it will be successful and they'll bring it back for 2010. Of course, all the Halloween decorations and merchandise are great too. October is a great time to visit.

I can't help you on your meal plan question, but I'm sure others will.

 

[disheadz]

Park hopping is so easy, after your first afternoon at DCA you can decide how much time you need there. The only advantage I can see to the dining plan is being able to pay in advance, so you know its taken care of. I prefer to pay as I go.

 

[DLR29]

Thanks for the answers so far. I have pretty much decided October is the better time for me. More time to save $$ and stay longer. Also thanks for the info on what DL has in way of a dining plan. As this will be my very first trip, I am still very much learning as I go. I plan to buy the guide books once the 2010 versions come out. Another couple questions:

1) If I did at least 4 days how should it be split between the 2 parks? Is there enough in DCA to give it 2 days?
2) What special events are going on in October? I do know about the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay of the Haunted Mansion, that was one of the big things that sold me on October. But what else is a must see/do?
3) Would it be better to pay as I go or is the meal plan worth it?

1) As others have said, park hopping is so convenient at DLR, as opposed to WDW. Sometimes, we start at DL, then hop to DCA, then hop back to DL, then back to DCA, and finish at DL. It's great for maximizing FP opportunities because the FP systems of each park are not dependent upon each other. So if you pick up a Space FP and then immediately park hop, you can get a Soarin FP too.

2) October crowds have been increasing exponentially the past couple years. It used to be one of the most quiet months; now crowds on some weekends rival summer weekdays. There's Haunted Mansion Holiday, Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy (assuming this year's overlay goes well), special Halloween fireworks, lots and lots of Halloween decorations, and a special "Trick or Treat" party at DCA where you can go get sacks of candy, meet characters, or ride the rides. But the party is separately priced. I went to DLR in October this past year if you want to read my TR in my sig.

3) The dining plan at DLR is inferior (IMO and many others here agree) to WDW's because:
a) It doesn't save you as much money

b) You get a set amount of dollar amount vouchers and when you use those vouchers you don't get change. So for example if you want to pay for something that costs $4.95 with a $5 voucher, you will lose 5 cents. That's not a big deal, but if you have run out of $5 vouchers, you need to either pay in cash (which defeats the purpose of a dining plan) or pay with a $10 voucher and lose $5.05 (which can add up significantly)

c) You can't use the vouchers at Downtown Disney restaurants

 

[HydroGuy]

October is still considered off-season with shorter park hours on weekdays and reduced entertainment. When you choose your 3-5 days you will probably want to overlap a weekend to catch some of the entertainment.

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

 

[DisneyCP2002]

Updated information bump

 

[DLR29]

Which hotel are you staying at? Many hotels are within walking distance. I wouldn't recommend any other hotels other than the ones on Harbor within 5-10 min of the parks.

Also on your arrival day, I would explore Downtown Disney or the Anaheim Gardenwalk. Plenty of stuff to do unless you are just itching to get into the parks (which is not uncommon )

 

[Kayla's Mom]

1) You will be there during Spring Break, which can get pretty busy.
2) Our favorite table service is Cafe Orleans and Carnation Cafe.
3) I think it would be worth it to go to the parks on your first day if you have enough days on your parkhopper. If not, maybe just explore Downtown Disney.