New, First Trip, and Unanswered Questions Despite Lurking!

[akmomesq]

Hi all
I've been lurking around for a few days (ever since we decided to give our 4 and 7 year old a surprise trip to Disneyland in February as a Christmas present!) and have learned much, but I do have a couple of pointed questions:

Someone told me about a Fantasyland overhaul beginning February 2010, has anyone else heard that? Since I have young kids, that was going to be one of our main stops! I'm wondering if we should move the trip up to January?

I'm waiting with bated breath to see what Alaska Airlines rolls out for its PFD specials this year - there's always something Disney-related. I'm also considering becoming a AAA member for the discounts. My questions related to that are:
1) If I get a package for hotel/park hopper tickets, would I also get a AAA discount or is that discount (on the DLR hotels) only good on the full rate?
2) If I don't use AAA to get a good rate on a hotel (assuming I get a better package deal in the next few weeks), is it still worthwhile becoming a member for other discounts? Or is my Disney Rewards Visa enough?

Lastly, is it better to book rooms now and then wait for the packages and change reservations if necessary?

Thanks for reading - and for all the info posted here. It's all so helpful to read when planning a first trip!
amy

 

[21yankees]

I'm pretty sure that overhaul is going to happen at WDW and not DL.

steph

 

[HydroGuy]

I'm pretty sure that overhaul is going to happen at WDW and not DL.

steph

That was what I was going to say. However, at DLR they will be draining the Rivers of America Jan-April which means no Tom Sawyer Island, no Mark Twain, no Columbia Sailing Ship, no Davy Crockett canoes and no Fantasmic.

 

[disneydreamer74]

phew! Thank God! I can now wipe the beads of sweat from my face! DD3 would not be a happy Mousketeer!

 

[akmomesq]

Phew! I very likely was reading something off the wrong board (it took me a bit to get my bearings on this site )

HydroGuy (by the way, I've poured over your tips and links - SO helpful, thank you!) - no fantasmic means no parade? At all? (I'd been planning on doing preferred seating/dessert box thing but that's offered for fantasmic, isn't it?)

 

[Sleepless Knight]

No Fantasmic only means no Fantasmic. Obviously the Fantasmic dessert package is not offered when there's no show. Whether or not there's a parade and/or fireworks is entirely independent of Fantasmic. Fireworks will probably only be shown on weekend nights in February if they're showing.

In my experience, the only real AAA deal is free parking on park tickets bought at your local AAA office. My parents did a big family trip last year, and the prices were virtually identical between AAA, Costco, Getawaytoday, and Walt Disney Travel Company.

As far as the additional AAA discounts go, you have to determine how many discounts there are, how much they are, and whether or not you'll "pay" for AAA membership with Disneyland discounts if that's the only reason you're thinking of joining AAA.

 

[akmomesq]

Thank you for clarifying; all the posts I've seen about nighttime events talk only about Fantasmic. I didn't realize there was a separate Parade. (My 2010 Guide hasn't gotten to me yet and I know virtually nothing about DL.)

 

[Amy&Dan]

For sure, the FL overhaul will be at WDW in Florida. So you are safe with that!

I would check on Expedia, they are running some deep discounts on the onsite hotels right now. Not sure if your dates will fall into those discounts but maybe they will.

I do tend to like to book early and then keep checking on prices. My experience has been that the hotels on Harbor Blvd that are offsite book up as it gets closer.


AAA will give you disconts at hotels (on and offsite) but also on character meals. So if you want to do any of those, AAA may be nice to have. Not sure how that compares to the Disney Visa is working these days in the way of discounts. But for sure you can save 10% at Goofy's and Minnies character meals.

Beginning of February should be good, if at all possible, avoid Presidents Weekend and Lincoln's Birthday weekends, as those bring in heavy crowds of locals who don't have school. But you said early February so that should be before that.

I also recommend you get at least one weekend night to see the fireworks, they only run on weekends offseason. You should have low crowds during the week, but any weekend at DL will be crowded but stil manageable. Above all, always get to the parks at opening (actually be in line 30 minutes before).

Have fun planning and have a wonderful trip!

 

[HydroGuy]

Here is a link:

Talk to me about Rivers of America

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2278275

 

[akmomesq]

Thanks for the info Amy (or Dan). We've been considering either 5 or 6 days during Feb 2 - 11 or during Feb. 19 - 28. (Is there a benefit to early Feb. vs. late Feb or vice versa, or should we just choose depending on hotel rates?)

 

[akmomesq]

and thanks for that link; I'll check it out (to see what we'll be missing! )

 

[akmomesq]

I forgot one piece of information -
Between early feb (1 - 12) and late feb (17 - 28), with it being our wedding anniversary on the 8th, is one of those weeks better than the other (not for obvious reasons like, we'd have someplace out of the ordinary to be on our anniversary), with respect to prices, lines, closures, etc.? (I'm not worried about weather - if it's anywhere above 60, it'll be warm to us and as we live in a rainforest anyway, a little So Cal rain isn't going to deter us from enjoying the park )

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Thank you for clarifying; all the posts I've seen about nighttime events talk only about Fantasmic. I didn't realize there was a separate Parade. (My 2010 Guide hasn't gotten to me yet and I know virtually nothing about DL.)

Well, Disneyland has been without a true evening parade since the MSEP left and was replaced by the very short lived LightMagic in the late 90s. The current street party is not really a parade, but rather a cavalcade with some party zones. It lacks the traditional floats and even characters one might expect in a parade. We don't really know if it will continue after this year and/or what, if anything, will replace it.

 

[MAH4546]

Disneyland typically has nightly entertainment of some sort during January/February.

Last year, due to Main Street paving, Fireworks were not being performed and there was no evening parade (the old parade ran in the evening with lights, but not MSEP-style), so to make-up for it, Disneyland had Fantasmic! showing daily.

This year, with no Fantasmic! at all, it is possible, but not for certain, that the Fireworks will play nightly when Disneyland is open until 9PM or later.

 

[DangerMouse]

This year, with no Fantasmic! at all, it is possible, but not for certain, that the Fireworks will play nightly when Disneyland is open until 9PM or later.

Which would be weekends and other holidays such as MLK and Pres Day, and the Fireworks are typically shown on the weekends and holidays anyway.

 

[MAH4546]

Which would be weekends and other holidays such as MLK and Pres Day, and the Fireworks are typically shown on the weekends and holidays anyway.

Disneyland will start running until 9PM weekdays during parts of February, and then pretty consistently starting in the first or second week of March through April. There will likely be daily fireworks at that time.

 

[DangerMouse]

Disneyland will start running until 9PM weekdays during parts of February, and then pretty consistently starting in the first or second week of March through April. There will likely be daily fireworks at that time.

Yes, like I mentioned Pres. Day week (peak travel period) in Feb. The OP wasn't even talking about Spring Break. In your previous post you indicated that the Fireworks were a replacement for Fantasmic! not showing, which they are not.