Need Planning Advice! LONG POST. Parades, Rope Drop, Budgeting, Tips/Tricks, DAS, Genie+, Etc.

[LadyRozalin]

Warning, LONG post!

Newbie looking for advice! Four questions at the bottom of the post.
Asking about Parades, Rope Drop, Budgeting, Tips/Tricks, DAS, Genie+, etc.




First, the general info for my group and trip.

Planning (way) ahead for a trip next May (2023)
8 Adult Guests, 6 of which are physically disabled and also have social anxiety/panic attack issues. Most of us are also overweight.
5 Day Single Park tickets with Genie+
Single Park because we will be moving slow and I don't see us really hopping parks.
We will have a couple DAS passes in addition to the Genie+
Mostly want the Genie+ for unlimited picture downloads, my Auntie is psyched to make scrapbooks after the trip.

I have never been to DL or DCA.
A couple of the older Guests have been, but many years ago, and their information is outdated.
I have been scouring the web for info/tips/tricks/advice/etc.

Based on what I've read, and our group's challenges, this is what I have tentatively planned:

10 Day Trip

1. Sat-Air Travel/Rent Van/Rent Manual Wheelchair
2. Sun-Get Settled at Rental/Groceries Delivered (Hit Downtown Disney District in the afternoon/evening)
3. Mon-Disneyland
4. Tue-Disneyland
5. Wed-Rest Day
6. Thur-California Adventure
7. Fri-California Adventure (World of Color, Dessert Package if available)
8. Sat-Disneyland (Fireworks over dinner at the 5ifth across the street/Fantasmic! back at the park afterward)
9. Sun-Pack/Clean-up Rental
10. Mon-Return Wheelchair/Return Van/Air Travel

We are flying in from different locations, meeting at the John Wayne Airport. This is basically doubling as a Family Reunion trip.
We will be renting a 12 passenger van, as we need the space and feel this will be less stressful on everyone than public transit.
Will be renting a manual wheelchair offsite for the entire trip, as Auntie is totally wheelchair bound, and will need it outside the park as well.
Will be renting 4 ECV from Disneyland directly every day, as trying to transport and charge 4 ECVs on our own sounds like a nightmare.
We are going to stay offsite at a full house rental (about 2.5mi away from DL), as we think this will give us ample space for everyone that a hotel just wouldn't.
We will eat out a few times, but planning to take advantage of the kitchen in the rental and make some dinners/pack lunches for the park every day.
It looks like we'll be parking in the Toy Story lot, as we are parking a 12-passenger van with handicap, and online info says this is the only lot which can accommodate that.

Planning to catch Fantasmic!, World of Color, Fireworks, and Parade while we're there, if possible, but not on the same night.



So, what are my questions?

-FIRST QUESTION-

Well, my Auntie DESPERATELY wants to see a parade.
Not all of us are set on the idea, but it's a can't-miss for her, and I want to ensure she gets to enjoy one.
I've seen info about a nighttime electric parade, and that sounds the most interesting to me.
I know we're a ways out, and things can and will change, but as well as can be predicted, when can I expect that to happen during my stay?
Do I need to adjust my tentative plans in order to see the parade? Worried about potential scheduling conflicts with Fireworks/Fantasmic! or World of Color.
Please keep in mind, we're slow, disabled, and have one absolutely wheelchair bound person.

-SECOND QUESTION-

One of my group has a health issue where she gets migraines with seizure-like activity.
This is often made worse if she has to get up early (even if she gets enough sleep the night before), so she's not really able to get moving until around 9-10am at the earliest.
If she gets up too early and pushes herself, and gets the migraine/seizures, she'll miss the whole day, as she won't be able to recover/it will be ongoing all day.
The problem is, I plan to get up at 6am and hit the park first thing, parking at 7am, make Rope Drop, to ensure we are able to rent ECVs for our group. (I've read that they can run out if you get there too late, and we can't do the park without them.)
I am thinking that most of us could make Rope Drop, and then she (and anyone else I couldn't get going) could meet us around 10-11am by Lyfting to the park.
Does that sound like a good, solid plan, or is there unknown obstacles I should consider/a better way that I haven't thought of?

-THIRD QUESTION-

Note, I am splurging on a couple things, but for the most part I'm trying to stick to a tight budget.
Each member of the group will have their own Visa gift card preloaded with $100 for their personal spending/souvenirs/snacks/whatever for the entire trip. Once that is gone, it's gone. This should avoid overspending on the little things.
We will be packing lunches every day for the parks, and bringing reusable water bottles with us. I'm not planning any meals inside the park.
I'm also cooking dinners at home a few times, since the rental does come with a fully stocked kitchen, though I do have a few dinners out planned as well.
Each person will have a small backpack to carry snacks/lunch/water bottles, light jacket/sweater, poncho, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, etc. with them.
While our group does have a lot of mobility issues, we've decided to share a couple of the ECVs between us, 2 to a single ECV where possible, to reduce costs.
Is there any other budget-saving tips/tricks that I might not have heard or thought of? Keeping in mind that I'm working with a mostly disabled group?

-FOURTH QUESTION-

Any other insights on my tentative plans would be VERY welcome! Anything I might have missed or be unaware of? Tips or Tricks on how to do this?
Advice specifically geared toward planning out use of a 5-day ticket for slow, disabled, mostly wheelchair using, overweight Guests would be amazing.
We are a large -8 person- group! Is there any advice about how to navigate the park with a larger group? Mostly sticking together. Genie+ advice? DAS advice?
I've been devouring anything Disneyland trip-planning related I can get my hands on, but I'm a newbie and unsure of myself lol I know this trip is gonna cost me an arm and a leg, and I want to make sure that everyone has a good time and we get the most out of our stay.



Thank you so much for reading my LONG post! I appreciate any insight/advice/comments you can contribute!

 

[smartlabelprint]

I think with your seizure friend’s needs you need to stay within walking distance. I’d suggest residence inn convention center although it’s a bit far. Personally I really wanted to stay at home2suites but they don’t have a shutting bedroom door, which we need for our baby.

Rent your carts and wheechair offsite and have them delivered.

I question the need for genie+ with das. It will be a little trickier since you’ll be in 2 groups with 4 on each das. Just get one for pix and add it day of as needed.

Do you need a car rental? We usually cab over in minivans from the airport. About $50 each way per van. This saved us on hotel parking. Plus, our kids need rest on our off days, not activities.

Get grocery delivery.

I’d tweak your touring dates. Mondays are reportedly busy. What time do you anticipate arrival?

My family is pooh sized. They share a queen bed. If you can do that you’d only need 2 hotel suites.

$100/ trip isn’t enough. That would buy 1 sweatshirt on the trip and 1 churro a day, for reference.

DL food is my fave. I really can’t imagine not eating some meals in park.

 

[sophy1996]

I would not plan on the Main Street Electrical Parade being around in May 2023. It’s announced as being out for “a limited time” and no one outside Disney knows what that means, but probably not a whole year.

 

[starlite_]

1. You have 5 days, there are potentially 5 parades/shows to see. On DCA there is World of Color and could potentially be a parade (speculation since we are so far out of your dates) and on DL you have the fireworks, a parade and Fantasmic. As the previous poster said it is unlikely that MSEP will be around for your dates, the long fireworks show is also unlikely to be happening on May but there will be something. Regardless, if you can try to watch them earlier on your trip and from the hub that would ideal since the fireworks can get cancelled because of winds so I wouldn't risk waiting until the end of my trip only to miss them... plus is really just nicer to see the projections from there or Main Street. Parades could be at either night or day. You can easily do 1 item per day.

2. 100$ for 5 days would buy you maybe a snack and a drink a day...maybe. Using the previously mentioned churros, a single plain one costs around $6. A drink is around $5. That's half your budget already for 1 set of (Disney's cheaper) snacks. I would personally go insane with such a low spending budget since I would be feeling very guilty by just buying a snack, for me this is no way to enjoy a vacation. Plus....you are going with adults not kids.

3. I question how wise it is to stay so far away if, as you mention, your group has health issues. What's the potential of someone needing to leave the parks at some point and rest? Are you comfortable having to leave for hours to an "offsite" location and coming back? It sounds like a lot of Lyft money that could potentially go to better uses. I'm not sure if you've done it but I would do a cost benefit check here. For example, for our next trip we are staying in a hotel across the street from the parks. It is more expensive than a hotel farther away but it comes with breakfast and being right across the street after a long day is worth the extra $15 we would be paying. While I'm sure staying in a rental house is much cheaper, is the inconvenience really worth it? Time is money after all. Plus you can get the ECV's delivered to the hotel and just use those to get to the parks from the very start.

4. 4 ECV's and a wheelchair will take a lot of space on Disneyland's narrow walkways. I'm not sure if it will be possible to do more than 2 ECV's side by side most of the time but you shouldn't have problems staying relatively together. Be prepared for a lot of congestion around you since you guys will basically be a mini parade. Folks will go around, in front and in between you to get to their destination faster.

5. I don't think you will need Genie+ if you have DAS. You could def get it but are you really gonna go on so many rides per day?

 

[katyringo]

I feel the most important tip for your group is going to be managing expectations. I would have a good ole' meeting with the group to determine everyone's must do things and make a plan for those and anything else will be extra.

Does your group plan to split up or always stay together?

If you are staying together and have DAS I don't think you need genie +. For 8 people at $20 a day- that could be a significant savings for you all to have some more spending $$. Only one person needs it to get the pictures.

I am also going to agree with others that you may want to look into staying closer. I also wonder if you may want to look into scooterbug or another EVC rental that could bring them to the hotel for the entire trip.

I also agree that $100 seems low.. but everyone has their budget. $100 is what I give my kids for a whole trip for souvenirs. I don't include snacks in that at all.

I feel with your current plan- if you stick to eating dinner off site, arriving later etc- you reallly need to manage expectations of what you can realistically experience in the parks.

Is the group able to split up?

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

1 - There will almost certainly be a parade at DL during your trip, and possibly one at DCA too, but it is unlikely it will be the current MSEP parade. As you get closer, more info will come out and you'll be able to plan more. Right now, they have started offering a dining package for MSEP viewing which might be a good splurge for your party to ensure you can all group together and not worry about the mobility issues.

2 - Many ECV users here recommend getting them offsite, so you can use them to get to/from your hotel as well. It is definitely an idea to consider for you. Plus I second the idea that you should stay as close as you can to minimize effort getting to/from the park, but either way it isn't usually a problem for groups to arrive at separate times. I had a non-morning person in my group last trip, and he slept in while the rest of us got early starts, and he just joined up with us when he got there, by texting back and forth where we were. If the migraine prone party member also needs an ECV, it is even more reason to try renting offsite so that they can get to/from the park without worrying about availability once there.

3 - $100 for souvenirs should work well, but you might want a separate budget for snacks. Since you are bringing much of your own food, it should stay relatively low, but as another poster said $100 might not stretch as far as you'd wish if you are covering snacks and souvenirs. That said, $100/person is what I budget for our souvenirs and we have stayed very close to budget every trip so it is possible.

4 - My advice for a larger group is to not always try traveling tightly together - pick a destination, and then plan on meeting up there. That way, if you get separated for any reason you all know exactly where you are going. I also advise exploring and enjoying a land at a time instead of trying to chase short lines for rides. Plan on lining up early for viewing for other shows you are interested in, or adding budget for dining packages for more ease of mind. Take advantage of photopass photographers to commemorate your trip, but with your larger group, don't be afraid to split up and meet back up later.

 

[Matrixleos]

@LadyRozalin

Sounds like a great family reunion trip. I'd just like to make a couple of suggestions...

1) I know the house rental would be cheaper and also a way to keep food costs down by doing some cooking in a kitchen. Although factor in the costs of daily van rental, parking costs, gas and time spent getting to and from your location, it would really start to add on while also being an inconvenience being so far away from the parks. Why not just get a Van rental to drive to the airport and drive back. That way you can return the Van for the 8 days you'll mostly will be spending in the parks and downtown Disney. Along with saving parking costs from the Toy Story lot.

If a kitchen is really important, why not look into the Tropicana? They have a Two Room Kitchen Suite, that has 4 Queen beds, two single sleeper chairs, two bathrooms and a connecting small kitchen area that has an oven, stove top, refrigerator microwave, pots and pans, utensils and kitchen table. You'll have to call them directly to check rates and availability. Use the savings from the Van and parking costs to offset the Tropicana costs.

The small kitchen at the Tropicana might not be as nice as a house rental's would be but should be plenty well enough to get the job done. Plus you'll be right across the street from Disneyland's entrance, 5-10 minute walk. (5 minutes brisk walk, 10 minutes casual).

This also would be idea for your family member with the migraine headaches. They can sleep in and join your group at the parks on their own time without feeling the morning rush which causes the migraines. Plus you mention, a couple of them have social anxiety/panic attack issues, so being just 5-10 minutes from the park to your hotel would also be a good escape for them if they wanted to take an afternoon break if they get overwhelmed while at the parks.

2) For a 10 day trip, you have an aggressive 5 park days in 6 days schedule. Would it be possible to spread the park days a bit more and give everyone in your group a bit more breather between park days? Maybe add Day 2 and 9 as Park Days and give your group two more rest days in between? Use those rest days to go to the pool, sleep in, explore Downtown Disney and the Disney hotels.

3) I agree with the others that $100 gift card would be just enough to cover snacks on the park days which would be hard with all the snack options but would be doable at $20 per person per park day. With DAS, you really only need one Genie+ for the unlimited photos. So if you remove Genie+ from the other 7 tickets, that'll save your group roughly $140 per park day or $700. Use those savings to enjoy a couple of Table Service reservations in the parks or increase their snack budgets or get some extra treats that can be shared with the whole group.

 

[starlite_]

Parking is a really good point I hadn't thought about. Parking is $30 per day for now + however much the Lyft for the migraine morning guest & any stragglers + Lyft for any anxiety or health issues that might require someone to go back and rest to the rental...that's at the very least like $50 on transportation each day not even counting gas. How much are you really saving per day by staying at the rental house vs staying within walking distance on the Tropicana suite mentioned by Matrixleos?

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Also wanted to add - I've been with large groups and stayed in a rental, but it was about .5 mile or less from the park, and we walked back and forth. I enjoyed the experience, but we really didn't save that much in terms of money on food. QS options at DLR ended up pretty affordable for us, versus the time for cooking and cleaning up afterwards, and it turned out nobody wanted to do dishes while on vacation. So that is another item to consider - maybe planning one or two meals at the house would make more sense.

If you can't find an accessible house closer and need to stick with the driving, lyft/uber is a reasonable choice for when you need to leave at different times, and it makes more sense why you'd need to rent the ECVs onsite. Ideally you can find someplace closer though so you don't have to deal with the hassles of parking.

 

[BadPinkTink]

As everyone is focusing on the $100 spending. To give an idea of prices and how much I spent on merch without snacks on my January trip.

Haunted Mansion Mickey Ears - $39.99
Haunted Mansion Name Plate - $14.99
Total including sales tax - $59.24

Disneyland Hotel Pin - $12.99
Belle / Beauty and The Beast Ears - $29.99
Total including sales tax - $46.31

Lunar New Year Minnie Plush -$29.99
Total including sales tax - $32.31

Spirit Jersey - $49.99
Total including sales tax - $54.25

Total spend on merchandise including sales tax - $192.11

 

[Kit Jackson]

Look into PhotoPass and see how that compares to Genie+. It is possible to buy PhotoPass seperate from Genie+. I have no idea which would be less expensive. Consider letting people split up, but meet at set times for meals, shows, or something else.

If you do split up, look into how PhotoPass works to make sure everyone will be able to get access to all of the pictures.

 

[starlite_]

Look into PhotoPass and see how that compares to Genie+. It is possible to buy PhotoPass seperate from Genie+. I have no idea which would be less expensive. Consider letting people split up, but meet at set times for meals, shows, or something else.

If you do split up, look into how PhotoPass works to make sure everyone will be able to get access to all of the pictures.

I think photopass is $15. As far as I know only 1 person needs it.

 

[LadyRozalin]

UPDATE to address questions/comments/advice posted

-Staying closer/within walking distance:
This will raise costs, which is a huge concern. If I could nix the van rental, it might be doable, but I can't.
Also, within "walking" distance means nothing for those of us who can't due to mobility issues.
From what I understand, most hotels aren't doing breakfast because of Covid?
We are all large adults. No way are we sharing a queen bed and everyone fitting. We need at least 6.
Many of us have anxiety issues where we need a "quiet spot" at some point-separate rooms are a HUGE bonus.
We will definitely appreciate the extra space on the 3 full days we will be in Anaheim but NOT at the parks.
Our health issues are a concern, however, if someone leaves, it's likely for the rest of the day.
Not planning on returning to the rental mid-day and returning to the park. If we leave, we're done.
I don't think a hotel room would have a fully stocked kitchen for us to make dinner/pack lunches, but could be wrong.
I will come up with some alternative plans and crunch some numbers just to see, but I think we're stuck offsite.
I will also look into the Tropicana. Sounds like it might be doable. Thank you for this suggestion.

-ECV's:
Is a hotel going to let us have 4 ECV's, charged and stored on site for a whole week, just for 1 group?
Also need to factor in that if one dies or something happens to it, if it's a Disney one, they'll just swap us out.
I've read everywhere people having trouble with offsite rentals, and worry that it will be a bad experience.
I'm sure we won't be able to "travel" side by side, as long as we're relatively together, that's fine.
I'm expecting us to travel slow, and that there will be congestion, that's pretty much unavoidable.
I am planning to swap Auntie to an ECV just for her, we'll have to stow the manual wheelchair somewhere, possibly even the van.

-Car Rental vs. Lyft/Etc.
We are a BIG group of BIG people...we'd need to take multiple vehicles anywhere, multiple Lyfts/whatever.
I need to be able to bring my Auntie's manual wheelchair with us wherever we do go, which takes up even more space.
I'm not expecting to travel around a ridiculous amount, but unexpected trips to the store or whatever happen. Also emergencies.
Also there are a couple places offsite that I DO want to go, so the multiple vehicle Lyfts would start to add up.
One short Lyft, one way, once per day, to manage our one person's health issue seems reasonable to me.
If someone has to leave for a panic attack, they will be too anxious to ride with a stranger on Lyft. Will need the van.

-$100 Personal Spending Budget
I'm planning on us bringing food/snacks/drinks. I only mentioned that as if someone had a specific one time craving on their own.
This is more for souvenirs. Of which I don't usually buy anyway. So I probably should have looked into costs on that. My bad.
Also, this is just my gift to my family members, so they have SOME spending money. My family is notoriously bad with saving up.
That being said, they are welcome to supplement it with their own personal money. And have been asked to save up.
I'm the kid here (bringing my parents/relatives on vacation). XD Maybe I'll up the amount. Will take things into consideration.

-DAS and Genie+
I'm not sure I DO need both, but I do want to get the unlimited pictures.
I could probably just get 1-2 instead of the whole group.
Probably need more than one for the times we DO have to split the group due to someone not wanting to ride something.
I'm not even considering the Genie+ for the rides, I think we'll be fine with the DAS passes for that.
I will consider cutting back here. It would be a money saver to reduce the Genie+ passes. Thank you for the advice.
Also I had not seen the separate PhotoPass option really mentioned or discussed. Will look into that.

-Food
I understand that DL food is a big deal, but honestly, I just can't afford to cover everyone's meals in-park.
I did budget for a meal in Downtown Disney while we indulge my Auntie's shopping bug.
I also budgeted for us to grab dessert twice in Downtown Disney.
I already mentioned that we are getting groceries delivered. This is a must for us.
I still plan to cook some dinners and pack snacks/lunches every day.
We will go out a few times for dinner as well, but it'll be offsite and we'll need transportation.
I know no-one really wants to cook or do dishes on vacation! lol
That being said, this is one place I feel like we can really save some money.

-Shows/Parades
I know schedules change, shows come and go, and nothing is guaranteed to be there when I visit. Not worried about it.
I'm not a big fan of parades/fireworks. Mostly trying to schedule these in for other family members.
Should have been clearer, my question was less, will these shows be showing still?,
and more, is it possible to actually fit them (or whatever is showing at the time) all into one week
(without overdoing it with my group's issues)?. I guess the main thing I'm curious about is when do they usually
do the shows/parades, so I know if I have to cram it all into Fri/Sat or if I can catch some of these things during the M-Th part of the week.
I'd rather not have to buy park hopper passes or try to do 3 of them in one day.
It doesn't have to be that specific nighttime parade, just thought it
sounded interesting where a regular parade does not, in my opinion.
If I do end up missing these things, it's not the end of the world for me.
Just looking out for Auntie.

-Splitting the Group
I'm trying NOT to split the group, as much as possible.
I'm aware that we will not be close-knit while navigating the park.
The advice to pick a destination and then meet there is a good one.
Thank you for that.
There are some rides that some want to go on, others do not. In those cases, I know we'll end up splitting for a bit.
But the goal is to stay together as much as possible.
Basically this is a family reunion taking place over a trip to Disneyland.
We have not seen each other in almost 20 years, and are not likely to get the opportunity again.

-Scheduling
I think that no matter how I plan things, I will inevitably be there on a busier day, with a 5 day pass.
I initially planned the 5 park days in six days as the whole vacation. Then tacked on extra days before and after.
Swapping these days would not make sense for us, as we need time to get settled before and then get cleaned up/repacked after.
If anything, I'd need to add extra days onto the trip to insert more rest days. I don't think that's in the budget for us.

-Managing Expectations
Honestly don't have many at this point. Just putting out feelers, trying to get a general idea for how things work/cost and what to expect.
I am making a spreadsheet to manage a list of what everyone's priorities are in both parks. This is still a work in progress.
We are expecting to have a general plan, but also to take things slow, enjoy the sights and sounds around us, and take our time.
The goal for this trip is to spend time together as a family and enjoy ourselves at a reasonable (slow) pace,
NOT to max our time to fit in as many rides as possible.
The advice to explore a land at a time, rather than chase shorter lines, makes sense for us.

Thank you all so much for all the input! It seems I have some new things/options to consider now. Still open to any further advice, definitely. This is why I'm exploring options so early! I am learning everything for the first time here. I want to make sure I take everything relevant into consideration, give myself time to spot and plan for the unexpected, and ultimately plan for success. I know our group has a lot of challenges that the typical group does not, so what is best practice/common sense for your average Disney trip doesn't always fit our situation. I really appreciate the contributions from those who are taking all of that into consideration when responding! <3 Thank you!

 

[JohnR5101]

A couple of points:
1 - Renting ECV from Disney. A few years ago when a couple we were with rented ECVs they would not allow them to take them into Downtown Disney. They could go between the 2 parks, but not outside what was then the security area. Security check was at the end of Downtown Disney near the Esplanade and entrances to the parks. That may be why they could not go beyond that. Last time we were there before Covid (and during the partial shopping/dining opening during Covid) the security checkpoint was moved back between Disneyland Hotel and Downtown Disney so that all of the Downtown was inside security. It would be good to know where you may take those ECVs.

2 - You might be able to just get one Genie+ per day for the photos. If you split up just make sure someone in each group has the ID # or code that they need to scan on a phone (a picture of it can work). Someone who has used that lately can verify if this works.

3 - I suspect that you might be the only one using the app on a phone for various things. You can do all the basics using paper tickets (entry, etc). But its very useful to use the app for navigating around the parks, checking wait times (so you don't get stuck in unnecessarily long lines). Not sure about how they manage DAS. Does it rely on the app, or something else. Good to find out ahead of time.

4 - Its going to be a really memorable experience for all of you. Make the best of it.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I am horrible with math so I am not going to offer advice on whether it is better to do Genie+ or PhotoPass for two people for the duration trip so you can get photos. Here are some links and a phone number if you want to look into. PhotoPass photographers are fantastic. I normally don't photograph well and they have consistently taken great pictures of me. If you care about getting photographs of the group, I highly reccomending spending money on Genie+ or PhotoPass.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/faq/photopass/multiple-photopass-cards/

https://www.undercovertourist.com/blog/use-disneyland-photopass-make-magical-memories/

PhotoPass Guest Support- (714) 520-7106

Something that may impact your trip/how you do things are apps and smartphones. If you haven't thought about it, especially since people may be splitting up, how many have/are comfortable using smartphones and apps?

For this kind of trip, planning way in advance is the smart thing to do.

You can add to this post or start a new with any and all questions you have between now and the trip. The people on this board are wonderful and incredibly helpful.

Best of luck and I hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[smartlabelprint]

I know for my kids with disabilities it takes time for them to soak in the info, and you’ve been given a lot. I urge you to consider the advice seasoned DL fans are offering without automatically thinking “but we need…”. I know it’s hard to think outside the box. Plus, you may know details about the crew we don’t. Just don’t rush, you have time to plan.

That’s very nice of you with the $100. I’d leave that type of spending to them, personally, so you’re nicer than me! I was thinking you were taking your adult kids, not parents!

I looked into renting a van big enough for all 10 of us for our upcoming 10 day trip. It was $1400 if this helps you. A car was $700 and we’d need 2 so it would have been a decent deal. But I can happily plant myself at the resort, so we don’t *need* a car. Airport transfer cost was so much lower. We may go to a sports game and we’ll have an extra cost.

Target is just down Harbor blvd. They can have a delivery to you same day.

Time, energy and money are the trade offs you must choose from. If you stayed offsite within “walking” / (rented) ECV distance you could probably spend more time in the parks. This would allow a shorter overall stay. Plus, you won’t waste a day cleaning the rental home. You could drop Disney down to 3 or 4 days (or get 5 but pop in as you want to). The time and energy spent getting everyone to the parks and renting ECV’s may be worth it to you compared to the possibly having less privacy or space. [Our friends stayed within driving distance (not even 2.5 mi away) with extended family and have never been back because it took too much effort. They had a miserable trip.] You say someone would go home for the day. We often find we can increase the length of our overall time in the parks by taking a refreshing, cool rest in the pool and / or hotel midday. Parks are open 8-12 many nights in May. We also will leave the park after a morning. But we’re coming back for the world of color show that night.

Also, consider the time and energy of grocery shopping. After I’ve done a huge grocery run I’m too tired to cook dinner that night! I’m so grateful for more places offering grocery delivery since covid! I rarely go to the store anymore. Even at target I do pickup.

Another tip, Anaheim water is nasty. Get bottled water delivered with groceries or bring crystal light packets to dump in your reusable bottle.

Also, ask on here about the specific area you’re thinking of renting to make sure it’s a safe neighborhood. (And a legal rental).

ECV rentals are generally fine. They will switch out a dead one. On the DISabilities board inquire about the most trustworthy place. I know deckerts has a good reputation.

No, a hotel likely won’t have lunch containers. But, will an Airbnb? You might need to get some of that in your grocery delivery or bring them with you.

Maybe it’s a personal thing but I’m not understanding why you don’t want to eat in the park, but plan to eat out off site. I have *not* found restaurants off site to be a great cost isavings in Anaheim. Anaheim IHOP was once reported to be the most expensive one in the nation. We tried eating offsite our first trip to save money and quickly stopped that. It was a waste of time, no cost savings and loss of enjoyment of the park atmosphere. Disneyland food isn’t terribly overpriced, except for snacks! For comparison, you can get a $15ish entree salad or fried chicken meal to share as a “snack” for about the same cost of 2 churros. I’ll take a $1 churro at Costco if I want one that bad. But I can’t pass up my French market salad. I’ve been looking forward to it for 3 years!

I live VHCOL and was surprised that most of my groceries cost the same. Just a heads up that groceries may be more than you expect. We have a 10 night trip coming up and I have $300 in groceries for 10 planned meals and some snacks for the kids. This includes gluten free, dairy free, etc for our family of 5, one is a toddler. There’s 2 cases each of water and sparking water, condiments, disposable plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, foil for the grill…

In a large group of people with varying needs it sounds great to stick together and enjoy the company. But many people report that they do their own thing and meet up at specific rides, shows or meals throughout the day. Staying a short ECV ride away (7 minutes at Tropicana motel; 10 minutes at home2 suites, a brand new hotel) allows everyone to come and go as they need, to be in their best condition physically. Plus, when everyone is comfortable, emotions will be more level too! (I’m going with my fam and we have a group of 10. We will not last the trip if we don’t get some good breaks away from the sensory overload of the parks!)

I’ll try to do some cost comparison since I like that.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Hotel wins, easily, based on convenience IMO. You skip cleaning a rental. You get clean towels and sheets, possibly someone to make your bed. You save loads of time. I’m all for cooking some on a trip but I’m not cleaning up other than dishes. I want to relax instead of rushing around driving in traffic. You’re a 10 min ECV ride away from downtown Disney where you could shop with auntie at her leisure.

The one thing I’m not accounting for and am confused is regular wheelchair rental. Why can’t she bring her chair? Won’t she need it in the airport?

$8258 Hotel
Monday: TRAVEL DAY (receive grocery and ECV delivery)
Tuesday: Disneyland
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: DCA
Friday: Disneyland
Saturday: rest
Sunday: DCA
Monday: travel day
(Looking at the cost of tickets through below link you might as well get 5 day tickets for even an evening in the parks if you have energy. )

$4200 Housing (7 hotel nights $200/ suite x 3)

$9658 grand total with 4 rooms $5600 7 nights $200/ room x 4
$300 Transportation
$200 Airport round trip (2 minivan cabs 4 @ $50 - ride share is available but you have to hoof it up to a different level. Taxi you walk out of the luggage area straight to a waiting cab)

$100 4 x $25 to go to a closeish activity (?)

$800 ECV 4 @ $200 (7day rental dropped at hotel)
https://www.onestopmobility.com/disneyland-scooter-rentals/

$2840 4 day one park x 8 $2889 5 day!)

$78 photopass 7 day
——————————
$9483 Airbnb
$3600 Housing $400 (?) x 9 (5 park days, 2 settle/clean up days, arrival day, 2 rest days)
$1725 Transportation
$1400 rental
$150 theme park parking
$100? fuel
$75 ride share (minimum)

$1200 ECV (in park only) $60x5 days x4 ea

$2880 Tickets 5 day https://www.getawaytoday.com/tickets/disneyland-resort
$78 photopass 7 day

We leave next week and I’ve already filled up my cart. Just waiting to schedule the grocery delivery a week out. https://www.pavilions.com/

 

[tsumgirl]

As an adult DAS user, I wanted to chime in that staying nearby can be more cost-effective for disabled visitors, but didn't know how to show that in the numbers, so I'm glad that @smartlabelprint was able to break down the numbers for you.

I think that able-bodied people tend to underestimate how taxing it can be to visit such a busy and stimulating place like Disneyland. In order to be able to tour the parks for 5 days, I have to take breaks every 3-4 hours in order to last the entire trip. I recently brought my 68 year old mom, and she was so glad that I already built all those breaks into our trip, because she was wiped out and taking naps regularly. She had no idea how tiring a day (or just a few hours) at DL can be, and she's extremely active in her day to day life. Due to my need for breaks from all the stimulation, staying further than walking distance hotels is not really an option for me. Your family situation may be different, but I just thought I'd put that out there as food for thought.

I also use an ECV for mobility issues, and charging it in the room is no problem. When I go with a larger group, we generally tend to stay at the Residence Inn Convention Center, which has a full kitchen and living room in every room and more than enough room to spread out. They also offer a generous free breakfast, which may return to full breakfast buffet by your trip, and this will save money for at least one meal a day. I'd honestly say that pre-COVID it had the largest assortment for free breakfasts compared to nearby hotels. If you book early enough, your family may be able to comfortably spread out in 2 rooms there or in one of the other suite-type hotels. The rooms also have ample space to charge 2 ECVs each without them being in the way.

The main reason I rent ECVs offsite is so that I have them available to get to and from the hotel rooms. They are usually more cost effective, as well if you shop around. Since you mentioned your family is larger, keep in mind that standard ECV's do have weight limits, and offsite rental companies have larger varieties to accommodate your needs, whereas DL only has the one type of unit. If it does die in the park, and DL is sold out of ECV's, do you have a backup plan? Keep an offsite vendor's number handy, like OneStop or Select Mobility since they are both across the street on Harbor. All the offsite vendors I've rented from are extremely responsive and are able to swap out an ECV within the hour should it start having problems. Most will meet you right outside the park gates.

I completely understand wanting to have a vehicle to manage your trip plans, as I have a close family member that will not vacation without one. I think the point others are trying to make is that once you're in the DL resort district, if staying in a nearby hotel, a vehicle is usually not necessary and you can arrange for a rental on just the days you plan to venture elsewhere. The ECVs will accommodate the family members that need to leave for a bit or the rest of the day. However, I can respect that this may still not work in your situation.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

I totally get the appeal of the AirBNB - my family enjoys the extra space too, and having a pool literally to ourselves on off days is lovely. We do stay much closer to the parks though (still within 'walking' distance/10 minutes away from gates). Definitely do some price checking between suite rates, airBnb rates, and the cost of groceries to get good budget comparisons. I tend to be a bit of an over planner sometimes, and I have gone so far as to plan out the groceries and fill a cart online to verify prices and have a more realistic sense of my costs. I did find that groceries in Anaheim were more expensive than at my home area, but snacks were much cheaper offsite/grocery store than buying them all in park.

With 5 days, you should be able to get all of the nighttime shows done, but it would be long days if you are also arriving early to get the ECVs and not taking breaks in the afternoon. Some of these shows can be pretty late if you also spent the morning in the park, and that much 'people' time can be a bit overwhelming for those with anxiety (and even those without!). Allowing some back and forth time, even if you are offsite and need to drive, can really help you get the most value out of your park tickets. Budgeting is crucial for so many of us, but the tickets themselves are one of the biggest expenses so I know you'll want to get as much value there as possible.

As far as entertainment, the current parade (MSEP) will probably not be showing, but we don't know yet if the next parade will be a daytime parade like Soundsational or another evening/nighttime parade. There are also the fireworks and Fantasmic! which is quite an amazing show, as well as World of Color at DCA. You can easily watch all of them with 5 days in parks, and allow for a repeat of any favorites and/or earlier nights sometimes.

You've got plenty of time to plan and budget though, so I hope you are able to enjoy all the research and the ideas the other DISers have been sharing as you put this reunion together! So very sweet and caring of you to take on such a plan, and I hope it all comes together with lots of pixie dust for you

 

[2tinkerbell]

I think you underestimate how taxing it will be to go back and forth, park the van, take the shuttle and cook meals and go from rope drop to nighttime entertainment. They are long days and the tired adds up. I would definitely try to stay closer. Your rest days sound okay and it would work.

Carrying lunch and snacks for 8 people seems like a lot. Are you wanting to rent lockers or carry them around all day. Backpacks are okay but it adds another issue to have on the ride with you, especially since you are Pooh sized. Personally I find that I like to carry as little as possible.

I would plan on eating breakfast at the hotel and eating in the parks on your park days. When we travel we have 2 meals a day and a snack. There are plenty of threads on here regarding how much to budget per person. Cooking meals at the hotel works for the rest days.

I don’t understand sharing ECV’s. Keep in mind that the average person walks 10 miles around DLR a day. What is going to happen if all of you need an ECV? Sorry it isn’t your turn so suck it up and walk? You might need to budget in some more $ for that to happen.

If you plan on doing rope drop through nighttime entertainment, I can’t emphasize enough the afternoon break. Especially with social anxiety. You will find your group not enjoying things and having issues as the week wears on. It personally doesn’t sound fun. Can you group go from sun up to sun down on a daily basis now, at home? What makes you think they will be able to handle it on vacation? Seriously look at the lifestyle now and adjust your expectations.

Trust me, I totally understand money and trying to budget for a vacation. I know this sounds harsh, but I would figure out a budget and hand it out to everyone. If they have the money, then they can go, if not, then sorry. Things are too expensive to carry it all for everyone. Resentment is real. Frustration is real. How are you going to feel if you have spent all this money and Auntie just wants to stay in her room all day and not go to the park? How are you going to feel if the migraine sufferer gets a migraine and doesn’t come out of her room for 3 days, expecting you to cater to her. What is going to happen if Daddy really wants to have the chicken at the Plaza Inn, doesn’t have the $ and it isn’t in the budget? How are you going to feel? Is he going to be happy with his smashed PB&J? Does he eat PB&J now? If you spread out the responsibility, then others will step up and take responsibility for themselves.

I know you want this to be a family reunion and I understand you want this to be a great time. I think you need to look at all the variables and be realistic about them.