Newbie to Disneyland Planning - Help please!

[Sunshineminnie]

(This ispretty long and rambling.... sorry, I just have a lot of thoughts in my head and a lot of questions.)

Hello everyone! this is my first time to the Disneyland boards. You all seem like a friendly bunch! I was hoping that there was some help for me out there!

I haven't been to Disneyland since a quick college road trip in the mid eighties. Needless to say, I am kind of clueless when it comes to Disneyland.

I have been to Disneyworld a lot and have a really great handle on planning those parks.

I ran the Goofy Challenge in January (half and full marathon) and thought that it would be great to run the Disneyland half for the perfect trifecta!

Here's the problem, the race is over Labor day, so I would be bringing the family with me to play as well. (Can't imagine being apart from them over the first holiday weekend.)

The family just got back from 8 days at the world and had a ball and got our fill of parks. My husband and kids have never been to the west coast. So....

1. How crazy are the parks over labor day? We tend to go off season to avoid the lines and crowds.

2. Does DL have fast pass? If so, do they go quickly?

3. Are there things "not to be missed" to get the differences between the World and the Land?

4. Where is the best place to stay?

5. How many days to cover all of the major attractions at the parks?

6. Is California Adventure more like Disney World attractions or Six Flags kind of rides?

7. Where is the best place to go to see the beautiful California coast?

8. Is it too cold to swim in the ocean?

9. Ahhhhh my head is too full of questions!

So here's the scoop: My goal is for me to run the race and for my family to have the best Southern California experience. We have just had our HUGE major, expensive, fun, thrilling, memory making vacation in Florida. Do I take them to the parks or enjoy California? We will probably be there for a long weekend, Friday through Monday.

Thanks to all that have had the patience to read this!

Thanks in advance for any help!

I know that I will have a lot more questions if we decide to go for it!

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Welcome to the DL Board!!!!

There will actually be many DISers in the Half Marathon and we will be there the entire weekend with my 2 little ones - 4, and 2.5. We go every Labor Day weekend (as my birthday is the 6th). I'm even getting a team together to walk the 5K this year. We're wearing our DIS Unplugged Shirts that benefit Give Kids the World.... You can get them on this site for $25 - the entire cost going to charity!

There are tons of things to do that weekend, in conjunction with the Half and not. (We have a runner in the family, so we always have Storyteller's breakfast at 7am after the race launches, so your family is welcome to join us...)

We are also highly experienced WDWers, as are many others on this board. Hydroguy wrote an excellent FAQ on the board, for WDWers that are going to DL for the first time. You may want to peruse that one for a starter on tips. Dl has Fastpass, the crowds may flux. One Labor Day - not very crowded at all. It's usually hot and humid for Southern CA.

For the ocean, most folks usually go to the Newport or Huntington Beaches from DL. Laguna Beach is also close by. Newport and Huntington are upscale cities, so people tend to gravitate toward them.

We like DCA. There are a lot of attractions you will find at WDW, plus a lot of other cool ones. There is some construction going on, as they are rehabing the park, but there are still a lot of fun things to do (don't miss the Aladdin show and the kids will love running around the Expedition Trail...).

I know you have a lot of other questions, and many of our other folks will help you, but feel free to PM me, if you and your family wants to hook up with us! We love to meet our other DISers!

 

[DLR29]

Let me first direct you to Hydroguy's amazing DLR tips for WDW vets. Print it out, memorize it, it'll be incredibly helpful: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

Now to more directly answer your questions:

1) I know some people who have been during the run and have said that it was not very crowded at all. But it is a holiday weekend, so there will probably be quite a few locals (the group that makes the majority of DLR's attendance, as opposed to tourists at WDW) who go for a day. The crowds should be very manageable if you read these boards a ton and get lots of tips

2) Yes, and it works the same way as WDW; however, different from WDW, DLR does not have nearly as many FP attractions. Only 7 at DL and 5 at DCA. And although MK has I think 9 FP rides, DL has much more actual attractions, so the ratio of FP rides to non-FP rides is different. Hydroguy also has an excellent thread on FP at DLR.

3) 2 words: Indiana Jones!!! It's my favorite ride and (IMO) WAY better than Dinosaur at AK. It's a must! The Matterhorn and Finding Nemo are both unique and fun (though Nemo always has long lines). Also Pinocchio, Mr. Toad, Alice, Roger Rabbit, and Monster's Inc. (DCA) because they are all good dark rides that are not found at WDW. Also don't write off Buzz, Space, and Pirates just because MK has one too. Believe me, DLR's knocks the socks off of MK's version's of these. There's a sticky on these boards about this exact topic.

4) Offsite. Why? Saves money, there are a TON within walking distance of the parks. Some are even closer than the DLR and Paradise Pier Hotels. Ask around on the boards after doing some research, but I suggest that you start looking for places on Harbor Road

5) 3 or 4 if you have a good game plan and use your time wisely.

6) I don't want to say it's a mix, but it kinda is. Well, it's certainly more upscale than a Six Flags, but some rides appear and seem like mere carnival rides. Nevertheless, DCA has some state of the art Disney rides such as Tower of Terror, Soarin, Toy Story Midway Mania (although all of those can be found at WDW, ToT is slightly different out here), Monster's Inc., and Grizzly River Run (much better than Kali). It's definitely worth checking out for a little bit. You never know. The first time I went, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it.

Sorry I can't help with the beach questions, but I know if you ask around on these boards, there will be a TON of helpful people to answer them. Hope that helps a bit!

 

[Sunshineminnie]

Wow guys! Thanks for the great answers and the link! I knew that this would be the way to start! I would really, really love to go there with my family! Let's hope I can find some good flights, and good hotel prices and go have fun!

I have an annual pass at WDW. Can it be used at all (discounts or anything) at DL?

Thanks

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Unfortunately, your WDW AP discounts can't be used here, although Basin in DTD does reciprocate. Found that out at WDW....

DVC discounts (if you own) are good here, too.

 

[A-T-G]

I think going to DL to do the run is an amazing idea! I'm sure you and your family will love it!

One of the great things about DL is that it's so close to everything! It's very easy to find a great offsite hotel for an excellent price! You're also not too far from other California sites. LA is only an hour away (in theory...traffic can be and usually is...tough!). You and your family can do all kinds of non-park related stuff should you like. You guys could do a "hollywood" tour kind of thing and see the sites, do the backlot tour at Universal (it is cool, imo).

I'm rambling. Sorry. There are just lots or ideas!

 

[Sunshineminnie]

I would love to run DL! I would love to play with my family at DL! I'm going to start putting pen to paper and see if it's feasible. Now that I'm really thinking about it, I'm getting WAY excited!

 

[Sherry E]

If you have a full day and evening to spare during your stay in California, I would highly suggest that you take the family for a nice day trip to Catalina Island (Avalon). You can see the ocean, seals, dolphins, flying fish, buffalo, possibly some deer, possibly whales, sharks, etc., and rent a golf cart and cruise around the island (so much fun), etc. It is a blast, and relaxing, too, and you can pack a lot into one full day. If you want more info on how to plan a day trip there (you could take the boat out of Long Beach, which is about 25 minutes from Anaheim) and what kinds of activities to seek out while there (certain tours and things), PM me and I will help you get started. Catalina is my second favorite place in California - next to Disneyland, of course, and I have done anything from one-day trips to weekend trips to a full week there, so I can guide you along.

As for Disneyland, don't worry - you are in the right hands here! Not only are we a friendly and helpful bunch, but we are like a big family, and we always welcome anyone new into the family. Just try to take it one step at a time so you don't get overwhelmed. If you can handle planning for WDW, you can definitely deal with DLR, but being unfamiliar with it can cause you to get overwhelmed. Let's say you want to focus on where to stay while you are at DLR. Tackle that first, get suggestions, facts and opinions and make a plan. Then, if you want to take on dining and where to eat, do that next - get suggestions, opinions, and make your plans. You want to have a sort of agenda of what things you will do while at DLR, or while in California, tackle that next. Luckily, there are people here who can pretty much guide you along every step of the way and talk you through everything so it will be easy and fun planning for it!

And if you have time, check out the Disneyland Trip reports forum, so you can see pictures of various folks' trips and make notes of things you don't want to miss while you are here!

 

[Sunshineminnie]

Thanks Sherry E.

Catalina sounds fun and would certainly show off California.

Okay, I've been looking at the boards on and off all day. Can't get a thing done!

So, I looked up flights and am so confused. I didn't realize there were so many airports. Which is the best to fly into?

Also, we would love to stay in a suite with a good pool in walking distance. What are everyone's favorites? Ones to avoid?

From what I can tell, there isn't a huge advantage to staying at a DL hotel. Am I right?

Price will be an issue since we spent most of our vacation $ at the world last month.

Thanks again!

 

[Disneyland Veteran]

I've gotten most of the big attractions done in one day at both parks. I'd say give yourself 3 days and you should be able to see everything and most twice. You can also go watch an Angels baseball game. Even if your not a fan, its fun, and the stadium is only about a 3 min. Drive from DL. Well have fun!!!

 

[Husker Mickey]

Hi Sunshineminnie! In an answer to your question about airports, I can speak about John Wayne (Orange County) and LAX. We have flown in and out of both of these. I prefer John Wayne hands down. Unfortunately, the price sometimes takes it out of the picture. It is a great little airport with just the right amount of shops and eateries but still maintains the smallish aspect that is so attractive to most. LAX is just a big major airport. We haven't had any problems as either one, but can say that at JW we didn't have to wait at all for security. It was smooth as a whistle.

The pool situation, I can only speak about BWPPI and FFI by Marriott. BWPPI(Best Western Park Place Inn) has a very small pool. FFI (Fairfield Inn) has a decent size pool and the hotel is one that we prefer. It is clean and the staff is very helpful.

Welcome to the boards and keep up the questions.

 

[toocherie]

Hi check out the Hojoanaheim site. They have a newly constructed pool play area and if you hit it right you can get a $59 per night room on their Entertainment book rate. (You can use the Entertainment Book card from your local area--so you can also take advantage of your local discounts!) They are just across the street from the Fairfield.

 

[Disneyland Veteran]

Oh, as far as hotels go, I've stayed in the Anaheim Plaza Inn and The Super 8 Motel around the corner on W. Katella Ave. Both were good. API was closer, just a little down the street and had a beautiful view of DCA at night. S8 was a little farther and around the corner of DLR. Not a far walk, but when you have been at the park all day it seems far. Both were no more than $80 a night when I went and were the cheapest I could find. Well, Good Luck!!!