Newbie here

[goofy78]

Hi all! We are thinking of taking a first time trip to DL next year (2016) probably at the end of August. We have been to DW multiple times and are looking for something new to try and thought DL would be perfect! We would stay on site- most likely the DLH. We were thinking of going for 7 days flying from Boston. We would like to do some off site attractions/ sight seeing (Hollywood?). I feel completely un-educated about planning this trip. The only thing I think I am sure about is staying at the DLH for 4 days hoping that would give us enough time to enjoy all DL has to offer. Would that be enough time for first timers to really enjoy everything? If we decided to go to Hollywood would you suggest switching to another hotel? What are some other things to do? I guess I am looking for any suggestions since I feel completely clueless. Thanks!

 

[figment_jii]

As a WDW Vet, I highly recommend looking through HydroGuy's A DLR Guide for WDW Vets to help you get a sense of the similarities and differences between the resorts.

When are you thinking of going in August? I ask because August is a transition month. The first part of the month tends to have the full summer/peak season schedule, meaning long operating hours and full entertainment. By the middle of the month, the parks begin to transition to the non-peak schedule of shorter operating hours and reduced entertainment. It would be worth scanning this year's August calendar (as archived by wdwinfo) to get a sense of when that transition occurred and what it meant for the parks (the biggest change is that F! goes to a weekend only schedule).

In terms of other things to do, I like the San Diego Zoo. It's about two hours south of Disneyland (so not necessarily really close). The Wild Animal Park (affiliated with the San Diego Zoo) is also fun.

 

[agamble]

We prefer 5 days, but 4 days is definitely doable. And since you're staying on site you'll get the extra hour at DCA or DL each morning to give you a boost. Since you're staying on site I would definitely get hoppers. This will give you the ability to use your extra hour at one park and hop over to the other park if the park you're at begins to feel busy or you just want to do something at the other park. If you want to just sight see around Hollywood for a few days, I would stay at another hotel. Traffic around the area can be pretty bad, so you're better off staying near where you want to tour. If you just want to go to Hollywood for one day though, it could be nice to go in the middle of your Disneyland days, in which case I would just keep your hotel.

 

[goofy78]

As a WDW Vet, I highly recommend looking through HydroGuy's A DLR Guide for WDW Vets to help you get a sense of the similarities and differences between the resorts.

When are you thinking of going in August? I ask because August is a transition month. The first part of the month tends to have the full summer/peak season schedule, meaning long operating hours and full entertainment. By the middle of the month, the parks begin to transition to the non-peak schedule of shorter operating hours and reduced entertainment. It would be worth scanning this year's August calendar (as archived by wdwinfo) to get a sense of when that transition occurred and what it meant for the parks (the biggest change is that F! goes to a weekend only schedule).

In terms of other things to do, I like the San Diego Zoo. It's about two hours south of Disneyland (so not necessarily really close). The Wild Animal Park (affiliated with the San Diego Zoo) is also fun.

I was thinking of going the end of August. I wasn't aware of the fantasmic going to weekends only. I'm flexible with my dates so I could go at the beginning of the month. Thanks for that tip. I'll check out the link too.

 

[grnflash]

7 days in SoCal in August. Yup, I would definitely do another hotel. Especially if you are flying into LAX. 4 days at DL followed by 3 days near the beach, maybe Santa Monica. If you are flying into SNA though I might consider doing 3 days by the beach in San Diego and visit the zoo instead of Hollywood. Regardless, I personally would split it up with a beach stay, especially since it's not even possible to get a 6 or 7 day ticket to DL.