Need advice...never been there...

[TChrist05]

Hello all.....need some advice from the experts on Disneyland....we are WDW Vacation club members who have been to WDW Florida over 60 times...but never been to Disneyland....we are planning on going for 4 nights on 8/6-8/10 if all works out with things....but we have no idea where to stay, where to fly into and if we need a rental car or just transfers....we are not really planning on going to anything but Disney this time around. Which hotel should we stay at....we want to stay on property...just my wife and I....what do you think? Is 4 nights enough?
Any info would be greatly appreciated since we want to book tomorrow....and should we take a Disneyland package or try and book ourselves....go to a travel agent?

Thanks for any and all advice...
Tom

 

[Mary Anne]

I'm DVC also and just returned. II have a trip report on the DisneyLand trip report board if you want to review it.

We did everything ourselves and for the most part it worked out well. The one major thing I would do over is pick a hotel that you can walk to the park (like one right accross the street) and not have to deal with the ART (transportation system). Also you can get a lot of food discounts using your DVC card. Be sure to ask at any of the places you eat. We found a lot of them in Downtown Disney that gave us 20% off.

 

[kelmac284]

Hi I live in northern CA and go every year. Was just there in Nov and am going again in 2 weeks. There are some VERY nice hotels for HALF the price of disney property and they are all VERY close to the park. It is up to you what experience you want.

If you REALLY want the disney hotel the nicest is Grand Calif and it is the closest. I have stayed there and it IS nice but that time of year will cost a mint. I have also stayed at Disneyland hotel in August of last year and again it is nice but expensive.

If you had bought tickets early you might have gotten a deal on expedia but at this late date I doubt it. If you are interested in some other nice hotels I can tell you.

a GREAT site is Getaway Today.com. They have REALLY good deals on packages with free park hoppers for 2 people.

4 days should be plenty for 2 adults.

The best place to fly into is the John Wayne Airport. It is much closer although may cost a little more not sure from New York. LAX is fine too though if you get a better fare.

I have a great shuttle driver too that I use who is fare and inexpensive. I recommended a private shuttle cuz I don't like making the whole hotel circuit. You should NOT need a car if you don't plan on leaving the resort.

I hope that covered everything and feel free to ask any more questions. I feel like an expert as we go A LOT!!! I plan all our vacations and have gotten many great deals and know a lot of the little secrets!

 

[Mary Anne]

I just realized you wanted to stay on site. The only onsite hotel we saw up close and inside was the Grand California. Let me say, it reminded me of the Wilderness Lodge and if I could and $$$ weren't an issue, I'd stay there.

Also, sorry, I keep remembering more info since you're in NYCity area, I'd fly Jet Blue into Long Beach, great airline, nice airport and close to Disney. That was the best flight we've every had anywhere.

 

[boosmom96]

I have a great shuttle driver too that I use who is fare and inexpensive. I recommended a private shuttle cuz I don't like making the whole hotel circuit. You should NOT need a car if you don't plan on leaving the resort.

Kelly,
Who do you use? We have a party of 7 so I was planning on getting a private supershuttle. I'd love to know who you use.

 

[LucyKate]

The biggest differences between WDW and DL are size (You'll be surprised at how small and compact DL is) and on-site.

In short - there is only one on-site hotel - the Grand Californian, and that is attached to Disney California not DL. The other Disney hotels require a bit of a walk or a shuttle.

Unlike WDW, DL is surrounded by non-Disney hotel, some right across the street from the park entrance.

Some of these hotels are closer than the DL hotels and many here (and on sites like trip advisor) would rate some of them higher than either the Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier - two which get frequent good reviews ghere (and are rated second and third by trip advisor) are the Candy Cane Inn and Howard Johnson. Both are also much cheaper than the DLH or PP and and are within a short walk of the parks.

However, most would agree that if you have lots of money to spend on the hotel, the Grand Californian is the best place to stay (Trip advisor also rates it number one). Of course, many will stay at a Disney Hotel just because it is Disney and they feel this adds to the experience of the holidays.

Other than that - 4 nights is about perfect (you need 2 days to see DL and 1 for GC - a 4th gives you a good chance to redo your favourites).

Have a great time.

 

[TChrist05]

OK...could you tell me what hotels are closest to Disneyland that are within walking distance....we really don't want to rent a car...and how about the Disney dining plan they offer if we choose to stay at Disney resort.....got a great price on Southwest airlines.....
thanks again....
Tom

 

[LucyKate]

The fixed or "sticky" thread at the top titled "maps and aerial shots" contain all the info you need - the aerial shot with hotels listed shows you where all the hotels nearby are located. The entrance to the park is right opposite the Ihop - so the closer to the ihop, the shorter the walk.

The HoJo at the top of that picture is about 10 minutes walk, as is Candy Cane at the bottom. Others between them are obviously shorter walks. In the case of the Tropicana, perhaps no more than 2 to the security bag check, and 3-4 to the gates.

 

[kelmac284]

Kelly,
Who do you use? We have a party of 7 so I was planning on getting a private supershuttle. I'd love to know who you use.

I use Montemar Shuttle Service 714-801-2119. The driver's name is Jose and I just love him. You can call his cell and arrange for him to pick you up at the baggage carousel at John Wayne. I believe he does LAX also. He charges 50.00 for a vanload and that is 1 to 7 or 8 people I think. We always need boosters and there is never an extra charge.

He is REALLY friendly and we like getting picked up directly from the luggage carousel and dropped off right at our hotel door with no other stops for other people.

We have used him several times and tell him I sent you if you use him!

Good luck and if you choose to use him I think you will be very satisified. He is wonderful!

 

[kelmac284]

Tom as I said if you check out getaway today they will have MANY hotels in the area and tell you the distance to disney. They offer discounted room rates and discounted park hoppers.

If you are not interested in them then as the pp said you can check out the link. You will find that no matter where you stay in the vicinity though you don't need a car cuz they have the ART (Anaheim Rapid Transit). It is like 12 for a week and they pick you up at your hotel and drop you off close to the entrance.

I don't know about the dinning. Never heard about DL having one. I wouldn't do it though cuz again it is not like DW. I don't think the restaurants in DL OR CA are near as fancy and we usually eat at the DTD ones or just local restaurants more.

You must realize that DL is not closed off like DW. You are in the middle of a large city with many things near by. You are not quite as "stuck" on property like at DW.

Good luck and again I have answers to pretty much any question so feel free to ask!

 

[Mary Anne]

ART is $3.00 per day or a special of $12.00 for 5 days. Personally, we found them horrible two weeks ago when we were there. They are no way prepared for the amount of visitors during the celebration. I would pick a hotel that is walkable to the parks.

 

[TChrist05]

OK...we booked our trip to Disneyland. We are arriving on August 7th and departing on the 10th. We decided to book a car with Dollar and not take the transportation....It probably is easier taking the shuttle but I feel uncomfortable when I have no transportation....so, is it easy to get to Dollar from the airport...I know there is a shuttle to the office but it is relatively close....kind of feel we really overpaid for the hotel(since we are vacation club members in Florida and stay at great resorts)we are staying at the Disneyland Hotel....could use some feedback about the hotel and took the 3 day meal plan which includes a character breakfast....so could use some feedback at which character breakfast we go to......
Thanks all....we appreciate it....
Tom

 

[CalGal]

OK...we booked our trip to Disneyland. ....we are staying at the Disneyland Hotel....could use some feedback about the hotel and took the 3 day meal plan which includes a character breakfast....so could use some feedback at which character breakfast we go to......
Thanks all....we appreciate it....
Tom

Disneyland Hotel is a festive place. It doesn't compare to most of the nicer WDW resorts, but is still quite nice and fun. (Not too unlike the CR). It's not as close to DL and DCA as the GCH, but it is still close. It's just a pleasant walk through DTD (which is much smaller than WDW DTD). You might request Marina Tower if you have a standard view room, or Sierra Tower if you have a view room; this will give you better views (you can sometimes see fireworks from the Marina Tower standard view rooms), and these towers are a little closer than the Bonita Tower. You have the option of taking the monorail between DTD/DLH and Tomorrowland, but the lines to the monorail can get long at certain times, so walking is often quicker.

I would definitely recommend Goofy's Kitchen for fun and food variety. I think it is all-around the best place for a character meal, and it's right there at the Disneyland Hotel. There was an online survey not too long ago rating the character breakfast, and it got the most votes by a long shot.

I didn't see which airport you are planning on flying into. John Wayne is closest, and it's a nice airport, but you can often get cheaper fares into LAX. Since you are staying at the DLH, you might re-think the rental car. It will likekly just stay parked the entire time you are there. The only reason I would consider a rental car is if I wanted to go other places, or perhaps if I was concerned about getting back to the airport at some ungodly hour. It might possibily make sense financially from LAX if there are 5 or six people in your party and you can all pile into one rental. Shuttles are abundant from all airports! I've only read of Supershuttle disasters from other areas, never from the DL resort, and especially not from the DLH. Taxis are also a good option, at least from John Wayne, and especially if you have 3 or 4 in your party. (Taxis run around $35 + tip each way from John Wayne; shuttles run around $11 each way; It's a bit more for shuttles from LAX, which is maybe twice as far from DL as John Wayne)
I think there's a sticky thread on the top of this forum about airport transportation. There's also some nice sticky threads about hotels, including an extensive one on the DLH.

You'll have a great time. I'll wave to you when I leave GCH on the 7th.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I thnk sometimes there is confusion of what "onsite" means. Although the OP has been to WDW many times so probably knows that onsite does not mean that you are literally inside of a Disney theme park, right inside the gates. Oniste means you are on the site of a property that is owned and managed by Disney. At WDW you are onsite at Animal Kingdom Lodge and miles from anything and certainly few WDW onsite properties are walking distance to any WDW theme parks let alone two as in the case of all three Disneyland onsite properties. All three Disney properties in California are a pleasant walk up DTD, not a walk up a busy city street. That very thing is one of things that makes me (fool that I am I guess) shell out the bucks to stay onsite most times we go to DL.

As far as tripadvisor reports go I always find it interesting that properties like the HoJo rate higher than any Disney properties. The Howard Johnson's is just fine, we had a great stay there but it cannot compare in my opinion to the Disney hotels. I think one reason it and some other offsite hotels rate so high is the price. For rates sometimes under $60 the HoJo is a great find. It is a truly great value, exceptionally clean and in a great location. Yes, the Disneyland Hotel and the Paradise Pier are about as far of a walk but they offer that Disney magic that makes them superior in my experience. Grand Californian is great for DCA but you still have to walk a bit (slightly less than the other two) to get into Disneyland. It is a piece of cake to walk from any of those three hotels to the parks. But you pay top dollar and many people go expecting something almost no hotel can deliver, perfection. So they give it a bad review because they expect something more than what they had hoped for $200 or more a night. People staying at the HoJo however generally are so thrilled by the great rate they feel great about their experience and all the money they saved.

To the OP I see you booked the DLH. I would say go to Goofy's Kitchen, the Lilo and Stitch breakfast at the Paradise Pier or the Storyteller's Cafe breakfast in the Grand Californian. The Princess breakfast inside Disneyland cannot compare to the one in Cindrella's Castle or the Norway one at WDW. It is hectic and can take forever with only mediocre food. Unless you are dying to breakfast with the princesses book a different one! Goofy's would certainly be convenient since it is in the DLH and is alot like Chef Mickey's. The DLH is great, the rooms are very oversized and nicely furnished. You will get free parking for your rental car. Hope you have a great trip out west!

 

[Mike and Natalie]

Our recent trip to DL, in June, was my first time ever there. I must say I was a little disapointed. I guess I' just spoiled fro WDW. I didn't feel the same magic that I feel everytime at WDW. The biggest issue I had was with waiting for the characters. At WDW, everytime I can remember there was a neat an orderly line (usually manned by a CM assisting the costumed characters). At DL however it was an everyone-for-themselves-free-for-all. This usually resulted in confrentations and frustration as people with manners were often shut out to the uncivilized sorts who would simply push their kids (or themselves) to the front. All in all we had a good time but this left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[CalGal]

I've gotta agree with Amy&Dan. The definition of "on-sight" appears to be quite different depending upon whether you are talking about WDW or DLR. At WDW, you can be on-sight and still a few miles from any of the parks. The walk from the DLH or PPH to DL may seem long at the end of the day after a day of walking, but the distance from DL or DCA to DLH is of the same order as walking from the Contemporary to Magic Kingdom, or the Boardwalk Resort to the International Gateway. By staying at any of the 3 Disney hotels or a number of the inns across the street, most people shoud be able to walk everywhere without ever getting on a bus, shuttle, car, or tram. I also wouldn't get too misled by the tripadvisor ratings. AAA and Mobile Travel guide are considered to be unbiased sources for hotels rating , and both rate PPH and DLH superior to any of the hotels and inns across the street from DL. Some of the good neighbor properties are probably better bargains than the Disney properties most of the time, but I believe the properties that are closest to the Disney properties in quality, tend to be further away from DL.

Some people do get disappointed coming to DL after WDW like Mike and Natalie. DL and WDW are quite different, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. More WDW veterans appear to be coming this year, and they may not be seeing the best represenation of DL since crowds are higher than normal. But those who don't expect DL to be too similar to WDW should still be able to find a lot of magic. There is no question that WDW caters more to character interactions with cast members supervising and organizing most autograph sessions. I think that is because DL has lagged WDW with the focus and popularity of characters. The first time I went to WDW, I was stunned at how long a wait it was to see characters and how many characters there were. My DS was used to being able to walk right up to any character at DL with hardly ever a wait for an autograph. Over the past several years, character interactions at DL have become much more popular, but it still lags WDW. Perhaps DL will eventually start using cast members to organize autograph sessions at DL as well, at least during busy periods. (But someone will have to pay for those salaries)

 

[Amy&Dan]

I am always kind of sad when I read another post from a WDW vet about being disappointed with DL. Mostly I really understand it because if you've been to WDW numerous times and consider that your home park nothing else will be quite the same. I am sometimes puzzled too. So many times people will say Disneyland's Fantasyland is better, their Fantasmic is better, Aladdin is the best show ever, Pirates is better, Grizzly River Run, Soarin and California Screamin are incredible but then go on to say they don't think Disneyland as a whole can compare and wouldn't go back. I think it is the size thing. Even though Disneyland/DCA have more attractions than all four WDW parks combined it is smaller and surrounded by city. I guess to me size isn't everything! And while DL may be in the middle of a city once you enter the gate at either park you will never know it. As far as character meet and greets, WDW does seem to more organized but my last trip there in April saw some pretty disorganized lines and a lot of cutting. It can happen at any Disney theme park because there are always rude people who won't bother to notice everybody lining up and waiting patiently. CalGal is totally right, until somebody at Disneyland wants to foot the bill for more organized character greets it won't happen. As far as the walk from the parks to any of the three Disneyland onsite hotels, I would take that 10-15 minute walk up DTD any day over waiting for a bus at MK on a Saturday night after Wishes! The joy of praying you get on the next one and that maybe you'll get a seat. I hate standing in line way more than a short walk but thats just me. I also love the fact that when I'm at Disneyland as long as I stay at an onsite hotel or one of the nearby motels on Harbor I will be in bed or relaxing at the pool within 20 minutes after I exit the park. I love that simplicity.

If somebody who frequents WDW and is going to Disneyland soon reads this, I just urge you to go with an open mind! It's going to be really crowded right now and for sometime to come. Also, remember that your homepark is always special and that if you've been to WDW countless times you know all the ins and outs, shortcuts and layouts. You will feel like you are on somewhat familar ground at Disneyland but it will be a lot different too and thats a good thing!

 

[fan_of_wdw]

I'm suprised that no one has mentioned the Monorail! There is a station located in the middle of DTD, and it takes you directly to the TommorowLand station inside the park. Of course, you have to have a ticket to the park to make this trip. At park closing time, the wait for the Monorail in TommorowLand can be quite long, so we usually walked.

We stayed at Paradise Pier and took a shortcut through the Grand Californian to the middle of DTD, then to the DL park entrance. Paradise Pier also has its own private "backdoor" entrance to California Adventure.

The Grand Californian also has its own private entrance to DCA.

BTW, although the layout of the GC is very similar to WL in WDW, the theming is definitely different. Whereas WL is based on the rustic lodges of the National Park Service, the GC is "Arts & Crafts" style... think Frank Lloyd Wright... a much cleaner look.

 

[TChrist05]

Well...to say the least we leave in 3 weeks and we are getting excited. Yes, I do want to compare things when all is said and done, any Disney park is special to us.....so what I need now is we only have three days...so what are the "must see's and do's" at the two parks? I really look forward to being back at the hotel quickly, since I can relate to standing on line waiting for the bus at the MK in WDW....We are just like a couple of kids in a candy store waiting to go....
Thanks again for any info and suggestions....
Tom

 

[HydroGuy]

Well...to say the least we leave in 3 weeks and we are getting excited. Yes, I do want to compare things when all is said and done, any Disney park is special to us.....so what I need now is we only have three days...so what are the "must see's and do's" at the two parks? I really look forward to being back at the hotel quickly, since I can relate to standing on line waiting for the bus at the MK in WDW....We are just like a couple of kids in a candy store waiting to go....
Thanks again for any info and suggestions....
Tom

A good answer depends on who is in the party. Any kids? If so, how old? Is this your first trip to DLR? Does everyone like thrill rides?