My first Disneyland thread entitled: Ever feel like you are in over your head?

[JennaDeeDooDah]

My husband just finished his PhD in Mechanical Engineering and his parents are gifting us a substantial amount of money with the stipulation that we have to spend it on something fun and special. They suggested a Disney vacation. Now, my husband and I are big WDW people. I'm a former CP, we honeymooned there, we have been there more times that we can remember, we watch our vacation planning DVD on random days of the week, you get the idea. We actually just got back from WDW a week ago yesterday and are heading back there in January. Because of this, plus the amount of money gifted, we were thinking a Disneyland trip might be the way to go.

I have never been to Disneyland before and he has only been once, many years ago, for only a few hours. Basically, we are complete newbies here. For disney World, I would know where to go to see when new promotions are coming out, what kinds of discounts I might be able to get, projected park attendance, and things like that. I have no idea where to go for Disneyland help. I have no idea where to stay. At Disney World, I always want to stay on property because I don't want to drive in Orlando if I can keep from it, I love the magic of the Disney resorts, and I love being surrounded by Disney at all times. Disneyland doesn't have nearly the assortment of hotels, but they have all those Good Neighbor hotels of which I know nothing. Are they magical? Are they just regular hotels with the added bonus of being withing walking distance? Does it make a difference which hotel you stay at?

And what's with the dining plan? I know it is different from WDW. We have annual passes to WDW so we don't get the dining plan, plus it makes little sense for us financially when we crunched the numbers. Is Disneyland a better deal? It looks like you get vouchers and you can redeem them at counter service or table service restaurants. Is that correct? And if so, are you getting ripped off if you choose counter service since those are less expensive than table service restaurants?

Please help me, Disneyland board. I am such an ignorant mess with it comes to Disneyland planning. What sites do you use? Where do you stay? To dining plan or not to dining plan? Am I even asking the right questions?

 

[Girimama33]

I suggest starting here first...http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

Here is my personal review of the dining plan that I copied from another thread...
Most people here will strongly advise you against using the DLR dining plan. It is essentially a book of vouchers that total a dollar amount (which is what you will be charged). Depending on the # of days you purchase, you may/will have premium character vouchers ($40) character meal vouchers ($33), $15 counter service vouchers and $5 snack vouchers.
The main problem people have with the vouchers is that you will not get change back if you use (example) a $15 voucher for a $13 purchase...therefore, you may lose $.

I purchased a 3 day dining plan back in April because I wanted to experience it for myself. I understood that I could lose $, so I made sure I just paid the difference by using a lesser $ voucher. You can use the vouchers in any combination anywhere they accept them. So, if you wanted to go to Blue Bayou and your bill is $98, you can use 2 $33 vouchers and 2 $15 vouchers and then pay the remaining $5 cash.
The only downside is that I thought it was too much food. If I were to purchase it again, I would do one less day for the dining plan than we were in the parks. I think this plan is best served for guests that want to pre-pay for meals, and plan on doing a lot of character meals especially.

My preferred method of payment is gift cards. Throughout the year, I purchase gift cards from Disney and use them in the park. That way I don't lose $ and can also use the card for merchandise, tours, etc.

Character Meals vouchers can save you a little $ if you purchase them for use in peak times (Summer, Christmas). The Premium character meal vouchers for meals other than breakfast will save a decent amount especially if used during the peak season...more than the AP discount.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I suggest starting here first...http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

Here is my personal review of the dining plan that I copied from another thread...
Most people here will strongly advise you against using the DLR dining plan. It is essentially a book of vouchers that total a dollar amount (which is what you will be charged). Depending on the # of days you purchase, you may/will have premium character vouchers ($40) character meal vouchers ($33), $15 counter service vouchers and $5 snack vouchers.
The main problem people have with the vouchers is that you will not get change back if you use (example) a $15 voucher for a $13 purchase...therefore, you may lose $.

I purchased a 3 day dining plan back in April because I wanted to experience it for myself. I understood that I could lose $, so I made sure I just paid the difference by using a lesser $ voucher. You can use the vouchers in any combination anywhere they accept them. So, if you wanted to go to Blue Bayou and your bill is $98, you can use 2 $33 vouchers and 2 $15 vouchers and then pay the remaining $5 cash.
The only downside is that I thought it was too much food. If I were to purchase it again, I would do one less day for the dining plan than we were in the parks.

My preferred method of payment is gift cards. Throughout the year, I purchase gift cards from Disney and use them in the park. That way I don't lose $ and can also use the card for merchandise, tours, etc.

Character Meals vouchers can save you a little $ if you purchase them for use in peak times (Summer, Christmas). The Premium character meal vouchers for meals other than breakfast will save a decent amount especially if used during the peak season...more than the AP discount.

Thank you so much! Meal Plan doesn't sound like it is for us. Love the gift card idea, though.

 

[Girimama33]

I also wanted to point out that some magic may be lost staying at a GNH. You do have to go outside the Disney bubble...but not far. If $ is not an issue, you should definitely look into a resort hotel. I usually want to defer those extra costs to our trip (for merchandise, food), so we opt to stay at a GNH. We really like the HoJo and the Marriott Fairfield Inn. The Best Western Park Place Inn is the closest GNH and gets really good reviews.

 

[Mama Who]

Good Neighbor Hotels lack the Disney immersion, but they are drastically less expensive and some of the "off site" hotels are actually as close to the main gates as the DLH.

Do *not* assume that a hotel that says "Main Gate" or "Across the street" is actually closest. For the shortest trip you want Harbor Blvd, in the mid 1500s. (I believe 1544 is the absolute closest.) You cross the street, walk past the buses and trams and you're in the main plaza between the parks. In the super-close range we like the Carousel and the Tropicana. Some folks love the Candy Cane but we prefer to be closer than that.

 

[Greysword]

For the record, the immersion factor at DLR is nothing compared to WDW, as the real world is everywhere in California. The immersion is there is you narrow your perception bubble, which is easy while in the park. Otherwise, crossing the street brings you out of it. Oh, and the castle is tiny in comparison. yeah, yeah, that's what everyone said to me and I was braced for it, but the size still caused me to do a triple take .

As an aside to a DLR trip, if you are a huge Disney family that is likely to return many times in the future, then you may want to consider the Disney Vacation Club as an option for the "substantial amount of money". You can get a good deal on resale points, especially at Old Key West (shorter contract) and Saratoga Springs Resort (longer contract). The trick is the annual dues, but it may be worth considering.

Good luck and have fun! Oh, and congrats to your DH! Tell him to get to work building rocket ships or hydrogen power or something awesome! Maybe he can apply for an Imagineering job while you're there.

 

[Cheshirecatty]

Congratulations to your Husband and WELCOME to the Disneyland side of things!!!

Do NOT do the Dining Plan--WASTE of money(enough said)!

Good Neighbor Hotels are NOT Magical! They might be clean, comfortable, close, cheaper, etc....., but if you always stay on property at WDW, definately stay at one of the Resort Hotels. Yes, you will have to cross a street with two of them, but believe me, it is not like walking down and/or crossing Harbor--talk about ZERO Magic!

You will hear much about how this or that hotel is "closer" to the Parks than the Resort hotels, but we don't find a 7 minute(Paradise Pier Hotel) to 12 minute(Disneyland Hotel) walk is too much to get to the Parks!

Disneyland /DCA are so easy to plan for--there's really no need to stress!

Have fun putting everything together!

 

[nunzia]

DLR is super easy. Just read the guides here and realize that everything is RIGHT THERE..no busses, trams, boats, etc to get anywhere. You get the same number of attractions, etc (or is it now more with Carsland?) that you do at WDW in a much more easy to navigate space. Since I stay on site and never leave I felt more immersed in the bubble at DLR than WDW..The minute I start seeing traffic and McDonalds signs on a bus traveling between parks I'm out of the bubble at WDW. I like the small castle..it is Walt's and it's quaint and classy and the walk thorugh is unique. Just go with the flow and imagine Walt walking right where you walk, give a little nod to the light over the fire station and have fun.

 

[bettymae1121]

If you are open to staying off-site, I highly recommend the Sheraton Anaheim.

http://deals.sheraton.com/Sheraton-...oogle_BD_sheraton_anaheim_Exact_101910_NAD_FM

It's not within walking distance but they have a free shuttle that takes about 10 minutes and is pretty frequent. Really not much different than taking the bus to a park at WDW. You don't get quite the immersion factor of course, but DLR has a feel all it's own anyway and I don't think total immersion is necessary. You're still on vacation, you're still at Disney. It's all good!

Anyway, the Sheraton Anaheim is a great property and DH and I refuse to stay anywhere else now. the Disney hotels are just not worth the extra money IMO. I'd rather have more to spend on food and souvenirs, or just to spend less for the trip overall. Depending on when you go, the Sheraton Anaheim runs from $110 to $170 a night. If you can, try to get a rate that includes the buffet breakfast, that's the best deal. On it's own the breakfast buffet runs something like $20 per person but tends to only add $10-$15 per night to your room rate, at least the last time I checked that was the case.

 

[elaw]

... his parents are gifting us a substantial amount of money with the stipulation that we have to spend it on something fun and special. They suggested a Disney vacation.

It looks like money is not an issue ... I would strongly suggest staying at the GCH ... Premium themepark view

 

[ktlm]

You will do fine! We are WDW vets that just got back from our 4th annual family DLR trip. Now both WDW and DLR feel totally like home. At first DL felt like you were in a dream where you were someplace you knew well, but everything was slightly different or off in the dream. It feels very familiar and easy to navigate, but not quite the same.

Being used to the WDW immersion, we very much prefer to stay on property at DL. If you stay at DLH or GCH, you can feel total immersion. The only time we realize the city is out there is when we ride Mickey's fun wheel at CA and get high up in the air. We have always stayed at DLR. We take the rental car there and park it, and we don't get back in it at all until we leave DLR and drive to other places for the 2nd half of our vacation. From DLR it is a nice walk through the center of Downtown Disney to get to the parks. You are never in the outside world. We prefer DLR because it is different than any of the WDW resorts. We do a lower floor pool view room- not the most expensive upgrade, but enough that you have a nice view that is totally Disney property. The rooms are a good size and beautifully done with lots of Disney touches. GCH is also great and has an entrance directly into the parks. We don't stay there because to us it is just a scaled down version of WL, which is more expensive than WL. We love WL, but we want something different at DLR and my cheap self can't stomach paying more for a smaller version (of course the price is all about location!). I've seen photos of the view from their theme park view rooms though, and it would be amazing. I'm not sure I can ever convince myself to splurge on that since we are so happy at DLH, but I've been tempted. We have thought about the good neighbor hotels to save money, but being WDW vets, I think we would have issues with the lack of total immersion. As far as discounts, we are resigned to the fact that we spend the same price (and this year more) for 4 nights at DLR as we do for 7 nights at at Deluxe resort at WDW. DLR just doesn't have as good of deals as WDW. The DLR website has a special offers page just like the WDW one does. You just have to keep watching it for whatever discounts become available.


Allears.net has all the menus and pricing for DLR, just like it does for WDW. The people here on the Disboards are great. There is a fantastic guide of DLR for WDW vets done by Hydroguy which will be the best starting place for you. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599


If you are looking for splurges, we enjoy the Fantasmic dessert package. We loved DLR's Fantasmic so much more than the WDW version, that we don't even go to Fantasmic at WDW anymore. With the dessert package you get a seat (there is no auditorium for it at DLR so people stake out spots hours in advance), and a box of good treats and CMs waiting on you- bringing you drinks etc.

Don't miss World of Color. I wasn't expecting to be impressed by it and I was wrong! We like to do the WOC dining package and then since I'm short and the show is standing, we like to go down to the very front at the rail in the wet zone. You might want to bring a poncho for that one as you can get soaked! We never remember to bring ponchos and we have left totally drenched. If the wind is blowing the right way you get "misted" at lot!

I would highly recommend giving DLR a try! We now alternate because we love both places so much. Plus, Carsland is amazing. We are not Cars fans at all at our house, but we were totally impressed with Carsland at CA. Believe me, RSR, is not just DLR's version of Test Track. It is so much more than Test Track. We can't wait to get back and experience Carsland again!

 

[bjscheel]

You can do it! After 5 trips to WDW we went to DLR this month. I too was nervous, because even though everybody says it so much easier to plan DLR, I didn't feel like it. Because at this point WDW is easy to plan for me! I was concerned about the transportation (no ME, and we also went to San Diego, so several things to figure out). It all went smoothly.

The PP is right about in DL how you think you should know where things are but you really don't. Twice this was an issue for this as I wanted to head straight for Peter Pan one morning but ended up going the long way (go through the castle, not around!); and one evening we wasted a lot of time looking for the monorail and that was the only thing we got done that night. I found CA easy to navigate.

We flew into SNA and took a taxi to Park Vue Inn, which was great, super close, and had a free breakfast. But if you have plenty of money I would look into the Disney resorts. We park hopped every day since they're so close. We had three days- I would recommend 4 or 5 though. I had Disney GC for meals and spending which was convenient. I didn't make any reservations, but the only table service I was interested in was Carnation Cafe and I just walked up.

So really all you need to do is decide where you want to stay and for how long, familiarize yourself with the maps a bit, and read this forum for tips on World of Color, Radiator Springs, etc.

Have fun!

 

[elaw]

... We have always stayed at DLR.
... From DLR it is a nice walk through the center of Downtown Disney to get to the parks.
... We prefer DLR because it is different than any of the WDW resorts. We do a lower floor pool view room- not the most expensive upgrade, but enough that you have a nice view that is totally Disney property. The rooms are a good size and beautifully done with lots of Disney touches.
....we want something different at DLR and my cheap self can't stomach paying more for a smaller version (of course the price is all about location!).
... 4 nights at DLR as we do for 7 nights at at Deluxe resort at WDW.
... DLR just doesn't have as good of deals as WDW.

I think you meant DLH (Disneyland Hotel) not DLR (Disneyland Resort)
From what I understand, DLR is generally used the same way as WDW for Walt Disney World

 

[Maddysdaddy]

If you can afford it, I highly recommend you stay on site.

There's nothing like walking out your door at the Grand Californian and turning left and walking right into California Adventure, or turning right and walking right into Downtown Disney (as much as I prefer DL to WDW, DD at WDW is just so much bigger and better).

Alternatively, we enjoy our stays at the Disneyland Hotel as much, if not more, than the Grand Californian. Yes, you're at the end of Downtown Disney and have to walk 10 minutes through it to go to California Adventure, but you're steps from the monorail to Tomorrowland, and we like the pool better there. And lest I forget, the DLH is right next to the Earl of Sandwich (mmmmm.... holiday turkey..........).

As has been noted above, skip the dining plan. It's different (and worse) than the one at WDW.

There is a car rental agency (or at least there used to be one) right in Downtown Disney behind the movie theatres. Unlike WDW where I need a car (if I wanted to ride a bus everywhere, I'd just stay home and go to the office), everywhere you will want to go is mere steps away. It is nice to have the ability to rent a car for a day or two to go touring around SoCal (San Diego is my favorite city ever).

Once you have firmed up your trip, please come back to the board and we can tell you all of the reasons why DL is so, so, so much better than WDW, and all of the must see's and do's. I think that a previous poster has also provide the link to HydroGuy's DL thread for WDW veterans, which is awesome.

And you know the best part of it all, you don't have to make dining reservations at DL six freaking months in advance!!!

 

[ktlm]

I think you meant DLH (Disneyland Hotel) not DLR (Disneyland Resort)
From what I understand, DLR is generally used the same way as WDW for Walt Disney World

You are absolutely right! That is my WDW coming out. At WDW every hotel independently is called a "resort", so I tend to accidently put DLR (Disneyland Resort) instead of DLH (Disneyland Hotel). At first I was so confused by you DL people calling the whole place DLR (Disneyland Resort).

The 1st three in your quote should have been DLH, and the 2nd three DLR. All three of the DLR hotels are more expensive than what we usually spend for a week at WDW. We like the DLH, because we want something different at DLR.

 

[elaw]

You are absolutely right! That is my WDW coming out. At WDW every hotel independently is called a "resort", so I tend to accidently put DLR (Disneyland Resort) instead of DLH (Disneyland Hotel). At first I was so confused by you DL people calling the whole place DLR (Disneyland Resort).

The 1st three in your quote should have been DLH, and the 2nd three DLR. All three of the DLR hotels are more expensive than what we usually spend for a week at WDW. We like the DLH, because we want something different at DLR.

The acronyms used on these boards are like a foreign lanuage to outsiders ... just try asking someone unfamiliar if they got a FP for RSR right after rope drop and you will get a very puzzled look.

 

[Cindylieu]

You have an AP to WDW? I haven't priced it, but can you upgrade your existing AP to a Premier Passport so that you get 100% admission to WDW and DLR for the year? Just a thought.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I want to thank all of you for the kind replies and how helpful all of your posts are! Right now, it looks like we are deciding between The Disneyland Hotel and the Best Western Park Place Inn. We can afford the Disneyland Hotel, but it would take us right up to our budget not leaving much at all for food and souvenirs. I know my husband and he hates to do vacations frugally when we are there, so I know he will end up spending the same amount of money on food and souvenirs when we are there regardless of where we are staying, so I am leaning more towards the Best Western. It's his celebration trip so I want to do what he wants, though.

We know that we are going October 4-7. Not a long trip but hopefully it will be long enough. The flights we are looking at have us getting in around 9:30 in the morning on the 4th and we thought we would head to Disneyland right after checking in. If we were to stay at Best Western, do they do like the WDW resorts do and hold your bags if it is before check in? Otherwise, we will have to change up our plans. I read that Disneyland is usually more crowded on Saturdays and DCA on Sundays, so we planned on switching those and going to SCA on Saturday and Disneyland on Sunday. Thoughts on any of this? Think we will be able to get much accomplished? Also, another poster said I wouldn't need to make reservations 6 months out (which is good since I don't have that long) but when would I need to make them? With this short of a trip, do you think we should stick to counter service meals so as to have more time in the parks?

You have an AP to WDW? I haven't priced it, but can you upgrade your existing AP to a Premier Passport so that you get 100% admission to WDW and DLR for the year? Just a thought.

We do have APs, but I didn't know that an upgrade was even an option!

 

[Cindylieu]

I'm not sure it is an option, but I think I have seen others discussing the subject here. It is worth a phone call to check it out. Good luck!

 

[Cindylieu]

You can't make dining reservations until (I think) 60 days out. We will be coming on Oct. 3rd. Pixie dust to you all!