Newbie to this board and questions

[mommymonster]

Hi,

I am Lisa, SAHM, to my soon to be 3 yr old daughter, AmberLeigh. She has been begging to go to DisneyLand for a month now and we haven't taken any vacations in a long, long time so we thought we would go. We are thinking of going maybe the third week in October.

We live in WA and we think we are about 16 hours from Disney. We are going to drive. We have relatives in Sacramento so we will break the trip up.

We don't have a lot of money so we are trying to do this the cheapest way possible. We have 500 put away so far. We are bidding on park hopper tickets on ebay and if we win the bid that will save us about 100 dollars. My dh also can get us one free night at the Hampton Inn so that will help. We were thinking of going on a Monday and leaving the hotel on a Friday. We wanted to get a hotel with a kitchen in it so we could save money on food.

Do you have any tips on saving money in general? Also what will the weather be like in the third week of October? Will we miss anything because we are not going on the weekend? My daughter is really into Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella, etc. Do they have characters dressed up like that that walk around? Is it all just rides or are there anything else that will be of interest to a 3 yr old? Can we bring wagons in or just strollers?

Thanks in advance for your help on these questions. I am sure I will have more in the future. By the way, I have already been to Disney World but that was almost 10 yrs ago.

Lisa

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[Firefly777]

I can't answer your other questions, but I do know that there are characters that walk around the park, and most likely the characters you listed will be around also. Ariel has her own area near the Tomorrowland entrance called Ariel's Grotto. So you can take your daughter to see her and get a picture if you want to.

Also there is a new Snow White musical that your daughter might be interested in.

I'm sure others can help with your other questions.

P.S. Your daughter looks soo cute in that picture.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

First off- be leary of ebay and park hoppers- I've known several people who've gotten ripped off (DL doesnt have the policy of old tickets being good forever like WDW does) and with no way to check them until you try to use them you may be out of luck- DL usually has a decent ticket offer going right now its 5 for the price of 3 dunno how long that lasts though-

As for October- It's usually a good time but be warned that as their 50th kicks off in May alot of rides will prob be heading for "freshen up" rehabs which usually take place between Sep/Dec and Jan/March- So alot more things may be closed than a peak time visit-

Most of the off season Disney doesnt have nightime enertainment except for on the weekends- Ive heard their new fireworks show wont be run after the summer so no 'works till christmas- haven't heard about F! or the ELP yet though

As for cheapness- That time of year you should be able to find cheap hotels from 30/40 a night and nicer spots for 50/60- I usually get the Super 8 on Katella for about 35 during Oct early Nov-

Wagons are not allowed and I'd take jackets for the evenings as they can be cool-

 

[mommytotwo]

Welcome to the DIS board.
We had gone to Disneyland in May. I had seen several characters walking around. Since your daughter enjoys the princesses, I would suggest you go to the story tellings that the princesses do. If you go to Toontown, you will be able to see Mickey and Minnie in their houses, and they had Pluto, Donald Duck, and Goofy there also taking pictures and signing autographs. If you go to Critter Country, you will be able to take pictures with Winnie the Pooh and his friends. I didn't really see other characters walking around, but it could have been that they were getting ready for the evening parade.
Since you are driving and wanted to save money, I would suggest that you pack up some things that you could use for the week while you are on vacation. Boxes of cereal, macaroni and cheese, crackers, things that will be fast, cheap, and easy to make. There is an Albertsons store close to Disneyland that you can go and get alot of your groceries at, and also many restaurants for those other times when you want to go out to eat.
If you have any other questions, just ask away. Someone should be able to help you out. Also, just jump in and join us in the different forums. We like to see new members.
BTW-Nice family picture.

 

[Amberle3]

I just want to 2nd the advice to be very careful of DL park hoppers on Ebay. DL hoppers are only good for 13 days after the first use. DL has had the 5-for-3 offer on for at least a year now, you should be able to get those passes in advance from any travel agent or direct from Disney.

I love going in the fall, the weather is great, the crowds are far less than the summer. The park hours will be shortened, but that's not really a big deal.

It looks like the things currently scheduled to be closed in October:

Space Mountain
Enchanted Tiki Room
Matterhorn
Francis' Lady Bug Boogie (in DCA)
And of course the castle walkthrough, which has been closed since 2001 anyway.

And, I also have to say that your little girl is one of the cutest kids I have ever seen.

 

[mobetsy]

Fabulous time of year to go! Mid-October generally has spectacular weather--there's a chance of it being hot and dry but a better chance of it being warm and lovely during the day and pleasantly cool at night--and DL isn't likely to be crowded, especially during the week. Enjoy!

 

[Freyja]

Good tips so far. Check out the Budget Board for more good cost saving ideas. Hope you and your family have a magical time!

 

[5infam]

In addition to bringing groceries for main meals, bring a lot of snack food and water as well. Soda or water will run you at least $2.50 for one. I go to Sam's club and get a case of water for $5.00. This way I get 24 waters versus 2 waters for the same money. Snacks are another thing than can run big bucks. An Ice cream stop could cost you $20.00 no problem.

I know you are limited on cash, but if you have enough for a one-time meal splurge, your daughter may love Ariel's Grotto in California Adventure. Ariel will greet you at the door, and other characters will come to your table during the meal (Minnie, Chip and Dale, etc.) For the 2 adults, the meal will run $15.00 each and I believe your child will run $11.00. She will also get a small plastic pale and shovel to take home and the put cotton candy in the pale. The price above is for lunch and it is more expensive for dinner. You can chose any meal off of the menu that day. When you get there, you can also make a priority seating reservation for that day or a future date (you can do this before you leave as well). I recommend this as the restaurant can get crowded right at noon. Have a great time!!!!

 

[mommymonster]

Thanks for the great tips. We lost the bid on ebay so I am glad about that. Is the cheapest place to buy tickets for Disney through Disney themselves doing it advance order?

Lisa

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[KAMLEM]

I don't have answers to any of your questions - I just wanted to say how adorable your daughter is!

 

[mommymonster]

Thanks for the compliments on our daughter............if only her looks could get us into DisneyLand I wouldn't be trying to find ways to save money....hee hee.

Lisa

 

[mommymonster]

I am also concerned that a lot of things won't be going on in October. Is California Adventure Park the same thing as DisneyLand? Will Playhouse Disney still be going on in October? Does that cost extra money?

Lisa

 

[Nik's Mom]

Hi Mommymonster! I will be a stay at home mom beginning next week (I have 2 year old and 5 year old boys)! We go to Disneyland all of the time. October is one of my favorite months to go. It's not crowded, and the weather isn't too hot. Do you have AAA? They may offer discounts on passes. Also, go to Mousesavers.com for Disneyland saving tips! I also agree that it would save money if you did had some cereal, snacks, drinks in your room. You may want to buya disposable cooler to keep milk, juice, fresh. We do this when we go to WDW. Check expedia.com for hotel room deals, then check with the hotel directly to see if you can get a better deal.
There are many character greeting opportunities. They used to have a Princess parade, where they would walk down mainstreet toward a special area in Fantasyland where they would sign autographs. I'm not sure if they still do that (check Disneyland website though). Snow White has her own stage show which is pretty good!
California Adventure is a separate park just right steps across from Disneyland. There are some fun rides there too. Check out the Aladdin show!
Let me know if you have any more questions.
P.S. Your daughter is precious!

 

[iceskatejen]

California Adventure (DCA for short) is a separate park just across the entrance plaza from Disneyland. It's a short walk between the two parks. It is a separate admission unless you have a ticket that allows park hopping. Playhouse Disney doesn't cost extra, nor do any of the other attractions and shows except for the game booths on Paradise Pier and the shooting gallery in Frontierland at DL. I don't see any reason why Playhouse Disney won't be going in October. DCA doesn't do as many refurbs as DL because the rides are all a lot newer and don't need to go down for weeks of maintenance. One thing I know won't be running at DL is It's a Small World since it will be getting it's holiday overlay during October.

 

[mommymonster]

More questions from me...........sorry.

What do you know about www.getawaytoday.com ?

I checked their site and they are offering 5 days 4 nights at Hampton Inn Suite
All 3 Night packages and longer include 2 adult Disneyland® Resort Park Hopper® Bonus tickets valid for admission up to 5 days - a value of $368!
Per room prices, NOT per person. 2 adults and up to 3 children using existing beds (except where noted). Please see "Hotel Details" for max. room occupancy.
Room Tax (10-15% savings)
Southern California Fun Discount Booklet. Over $300 in savings in Southern California.
Free Postcard Fun Pack
Free Lanyard and Disney® Collectible Pin!
Free Phone Card while supplies last!
Prices good thru 2004.
Tours and Transportation Tickets
Plus I added in 1 child ticket and all this for a little over 700 bucks. Do you think this is good?

Lisa

 

[mytmouse]

My Nephew and his family has used them every year for the past five years and have never encountered any problems. You will have to purchase the extra ticket for you daughter according to the package. You will also want to check for reviews on any hotels you think you would select----some are better than others.
Seems like a good package deal, but make sure you ask about any hidden costs(taxes, parking, extra person charge, etc.)