Need some tips. 1st time to DL.

[Nomarian]

Hello everyone. I have been reading a lot of threads and TRs and have gotten a lot of information, but still want to know what are the main things I should be doing before our trip to DL this year.

The cast will be be myself, my wife and our two boys who are 8 and 11. We plan to go December 15th to the 18th and wonder if it will be crowded. This is our first our first trip to Disneyland and our first trip during a holiday, so we are excited for the Christmas theme.

Is there anything that I should not miss? I am a big planner and our normal trips to DSW follows a timeline in order to make all the rides in each park. We don't stress out about the timeline as it is more of a guide, but we do like to plan it out. Is the Disney Christmas Tour worth it? We also plan to stay onsite at either the Grand Californian or the Disneyland Hotel.

Thanks in advance for any tips you can provide!

 

[HydroGuy]

Before the trip? Since you already have dates I would say figuring out where and when you want to dine. Figuring out tours like the one you mentioned - sorry, can't help, never done that one. Once it gets closer to December pay attention to park hours, any refurbs and entertainment schedules.

 

[Congo Queen]

How fun to be planning your first trip to Disneyland. The holidays are an especially fun time as they do a remarkable job of decorating throughout the resort. You will get to experience the special holiday versions of HM and IASW and enjoy all the holiday treats at the Candy Palace (beautiful handmade candy canes) and in the various bakeries. So you've got 5 months to go. At this point in my planning, I am usually looking at the hotel options. You can check out disboards super-threads on GCH and DLH and they will give you lots of user feedback. Also check out TripAdvisor reviews on both hotels and scroll back to access reviews that were posted in Dec 2011 to read about the Christmas time experience for those guests. I would put a plug in for GCH since you are considering it. They do just a lovely lovely job of decorating for the holidays, and since the lobby is designed around a huge central fireplace it is a v cozy, charming space to come back to after a day in the parks. Also the Napa Rose (their high end, excellent restaurant) has a romantic fireplace in the lounge. Good luck with your planning.

 

[Nomarian]

Thanks for all the replies. All this is good information and I appreciate all the help! We are really looking forward to this.