New from Alberta, Canada

[Too-Many-kids]

Hi,
We are taking our 5 and 4 yr old to Disneyland Cali, for the first time in September and i am totally overwhelmed with where to stay...on resort/neighborhood hotel. Should I book dining, should we take a stroller, should we rent a car for at least a day to visit Universal - Hollywood or look at some beaches.....
So far I have the flight booked, but I think my head is about to explode with choices...and I rrreeeeeaaalllllyyyy want to get this just perfect for the kids!

 

[lovetoscrap]

Welcome! First of all take a deep breath! Then you need to realize that the words "perfect" and "kids" NEVER go together in the same sentence! You can do all the planning in the world, plan all the magical experiences that there are, have it all down to the last little detail and I will bet you anything that your kids will decide all they want to do all week is swim in the hotel pool!

It isn't about making it "perfect". It is about making it fun. It is about being flexible and making sure you have a good mix of activity and down time. You can't see and do it all--I have been to Disney 6 or 7 times and still have only seen and done a small part of what is there. With a 5 and 4 year old you really need to just take things slowly and go at their pace.

Take a look at wdwinfo.com at the information there on the different parks. Look at our Disneyland boards here. And realize that there isn't much that can't be undone or redone.


Just walking in, seeing the castle, riding Dumbo and the carousel, and meeting Mickey are probably more than enough to make the trip "perfect" for your little ones. Anything else is just icing on the cake!

Have a great time!

 

[lisalonglash]

Hi,
We are taking our 5 and 4 yr old to Disneyland Cali, for the first time in September and i am totally overwhelmed with where to stay...on resort/neighborhood hotel. Should I book dining, should we take a stroller, should we rent a car for at least a day to visit Universal - Hollywood or look at some beaches.....
So far I have the flight booked, but I think my head is about to explode with choices...and I rrreeeeeaaalllllyyyy want to get this just perfect for the kids!

to the DIS! I remember feeling just like you are when we were trying to plan our first trip to WDW - there is just too much information out there, I was so overwhelmed! You may want to contact a Disney specialist travel agency to help you out with the many details involved in a Disney trip. We use Fairytale Dreams & Destinations (they're in Ontario) and they are Disney experts! They make Disney vacations so much easier for our family and they don't cost you anything (Disney pays them)

There is also a great section here on the DIS for Disneyland-specific information and questions - http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5

Have a fabulous trip!!!

 

[lisalonglash]

Just walking in, seeing the castle, riding Dumbo and the carousel, and meeting Mickey are probably more than enough to make the trip "perfect" for your little ones. Anything else is just icing on the cake!

Have a great time!

Oh, and OT, I the cat picture in your siggie - so adorable!!!

 

[aristocat65]

How many days are you going for? You will find a lot of useful info on the Disneyland board, but I've been to Disneyland over 10 times (I think?? lost track somewhere) and I'll try to answer a few questions.
Firstly, I wouldn't bother with Universal. It has very little to interest kids the ages of yours. If you are renting a car (we usually do ) think about going down to Legoland in Carlsbad outside San Diego. I think it's about a 1.5 hour drive. Your kids are just the right age. My son was 5 when we took him there and he loved it. It's really cool for adults to see also.
I wouldn't bother staying on property in Disneyland unless you can get a great rate. Generally the hotels are much more expensive than WDW and there are many non-disney properties which are actually closer. Only the Grand Californian is really close enough (has it's own entrance actually) to be worthwhile and it's very pricey. The Candy Cane Inn is walking distance and also has its own bus if you can't do the walk. (most other properties use the ART system which is not free and is shared) It is a motel style as most walkable ones are but is very nice. My personal preference lately has been to stay about a mile down on Harbor Blvd. There is a nice Embassy Suites (more room for your family), a very nice Hampton Inn , Hilton Garden Inn, etc. I prefer these as they are proper hotels with interior corridors. The ART (Anaheim Resort Transit) services these, but I don't kow the cost. As I said we usually rent a car. If you buy your parkhoppers at CAA (you don't have to be a member) you get free parking at Disney. Otherwise it's about $10 per day with in-out priviledges. Check Tripadvisor for hotel ratings under Anaheim and Garden Grove to get other ideas for hotels.
As far as dining goes, its not the big deal in Disneyland that it is in WDW. You might want to do a character breakfast though. We also enjoy Storytellers Cafe in the Grand Californian for dinner.
September is a good time to go for fewer crowds. If you haven't already, you should buy the Unofficial Guide for Disneyland. It has a lot helpful tips especially for travelling with little ones.
Most of all, as others have said, it won't be perfect, but it will be fun. Try and go at your kids pace, give them lots of down time and realize that you will probably go again someday and you don't have to do it all this trip.
Good Luck!

 

[MelanieC]

Welcome to the DIS. Everyone has such great advice. Just start slow and don't try to overplan. Have a great trip.

 

[Metro West]

 

[magicaldisney]

 

[oakmanner]

Welcome and have a magical trip!

 

[jimmalru80]

Hello and welcome to the DIS!!

 

[MarkinNM]

to the fun!!!​

 

[Terk-1]

Welcome to the DIS!!! This is a great place to get your questions answered or to answer someone else's questions. Great group of people and I'm glad you joined!