*****Official February 2015 Thread! Come check in and chat!*****

[Quam]

I will have to say, I am also bummed with the current "unofficial" refrub list…love Splash Mountain, Peter Pan and will totally miss WOC. DS (10) got the courage last year to take the plunge and LOVED the ride. We went 5 times in a row…it was raining that day, so we had nothing to lose or keep dry.

Peter Pan is a family tradition, first ride on early entry days….sad to miss the "away we go"

While reading the post, I was saying "ahh" a few times before my DW reminded me that there is no saying "ahh" when you will be at Disneyland for the week Have to agree but it is hard not to be a bit bummed with some on the refrubs.

All in all, it will be a wonderful trip and there will be a ton to do…Star Tours, Carsland, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, Toy Story Mania, Monster Inc……and the list goes on

Lov'n this thread and all the fun planning chatter…half the fun of going is the planning…

Only four more months..

 

[lalasmama]

I'm sure I can find this if I searched but does anyone know off the top of their head what the firework schedule is like during February? I know in the "off" seasons, they're on the weekends only right? Last time we went it was in October and we didn't get to see them. This time, our first day at DL will be on a Sunday but we'll be in town on Saturday. Wondering if we should try to scope them out Saturday night or if they'll be doing them Sunday too...

In the past, fireworks have been Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights during Feb. I've been there at the beginning or end of Feb the last 3 years (2014, 2013, 2012) and this has always been the schedule.

 

[starjazz]

We'll be there 2/21-3/1. Not sure where we're staying yet. Kind of waiting to see when the Orbitz discount codes come out so we can bundle with eBates as always. Hoping for Tropicana though. We liked it a lot last year.

Refurbs are always an initial shock this time of year, but we're getting used to it. Stuff will be running this year that wasn't last, and vice versa, so its all good. Still think the shorter lines are worth it.

BTW, the only people who say that Disney doesn't have down times, are people who go in the summer or on holidays....lol.

 

[Aladora]

We'll be there 2/21-3/1. Not sure where we're staying yet. Kind of waiting to see when the Orbitz discount codes come out so we can bundle with eBates as always. Hoping for Tropicana though. We liked it a lot last year.

Refurbs are always an initial shock this time of year, but we're getting used to it. Stuff will be running this year that wasn't last, and vice versa, so its all good. Still think the shorter lines are worth it.

BTW, the only people who say that Disney doesn't have down times, are people who go in the summer or on holidays....lol.

Another lovely long trip! Are you going to be in DL/DCA the whole time or are you hitting other sites?

I'm actually looking forward to seeing what "down" time looks like in DL, we have been in March, April, August and September so it has always been fairly busy.

 

[starjazz]

We'll have 4 or 5 park days, not yet decided. We'll do a beach day in the middle if the weather is nice. Otherwise, our break day will be a walk along the boardwalk at Venice/Santa Monica, or some such thing. I personally think that 4 days in the parks is totally plenty, and that its really nice to have some days to recuperate in the middle. Good for my kiddos too. I always get more worn out at DLR than WDW, because while WDW is bigger, at least there are boats/buses/monorails that you sit on to get to and fro. DLR, man, you can just go and go and go - its all right there! Course, thats why I love DLR too.

 

[kkrewe]

Has anyone used the offer for Disney Visa card holders yet?
Lasso some savings with this special Disneyland® Resort offer.

As a Disney Visa® Cardmember, you can save 25% on select rooms on most weekday stays (Sunday–Thursday) and 10% on most weekend stays (Friday–Saturday) between 1/4-3/26/2015 at a Disneyland® Resort hotel (subject to availability).1 Travel must be completed by 3/27/2015.

Book by 3/5/2015. Start planning your rootin’ tootin’ vacation today!

Call 800-450-4002 and use your Disney Visa® Card and mention code VIS.

Say yee-haw to even more Disney magic when you stay at a Disneyland® Resort hotel:

As a guest of a Disneyland® Resort hotel, take advantage of an Extra Magic Hour and get a head start on the action with early admission to a designated Theme Park one full hour before the park opens to the general public (valid Theme Park admission and active hotel key card required).2
Enjoy easy access to Disneyland® Park, Disney California Adventure® Park and the Downtown Disney District. You’ll be footsteps away from the attractions that the Disneyland® Resort has to offer.

With more to do and see at the Disneyland® Resort than ever before, there’s something for everyone! Round up the gang and plan your vacation today.

 

[ClaraOswald]

No, I won't be using that deal because it's still way too expensive to me. We are staying in a suite at the Desert Inn for under $100 a night (before taxes.)

 

[ClaraOswald]

We are going to get 5-day park hoppers this trip. I have a rough idea of what we'll do each day of our trip. Does anyone else plan out the day to day stuff? What does your plan look like?

Ours is subject to change once we get there. But I like to at least have some sort of 'game plan' even if we don't stick to it much.

I know this should probably go in some sort of pre-trip report but I am going to post it here anyway.

Tuesday - Our flight lands at about 1pm. We will get our rental car and then go get food if we are hungry. If our son seems tired, we'll try to check into the hotel so he can rest. At some point we need to make a big trip to Target. If we feel up to it in the evening, we will wander around DTD.

Wednesday - Visit both parks, just the three of us. On each day of our trip, we will probably head to the hotel for our son's nap time.

Thursday - 2nd parks day. My mother-in-law and (step)father-in-law will probably join us.

Friday - In the morning we may visit some of our old 'haunts' in Orange, like our wedding chapel. In the afternoon, we may go to Newport. Even if it's cold out, we want to dip our sons toes in the ocean. My MIL may or may not join us. Maybe DTD in the evening.

Saturday - Hopefully a more low key day. We want to try to go to lunch or something with my husband's grandpa. Other than that, not much else. Maybe swim at the hotel.

Sunday - 3rd parks day. (Unless we swap this day with Friday or Saturday.) We want to watch the fireworks in the evening.

Monday - 4th parks day. Possibly have my MIL meet up with us for a bit. At the very least, we're hoping that she (and maybe my FIL) will meet us for dinner at DTD.

Tuesday - 5th parks day. Just the three of us.

Wednesday - Fly home.

Really...I have no idea if we'll get to do as much as we want. It depends a lot on our son. It will be his very first vacation so we'll just have to figure it all out as we go. I am trying my best to not have too many expectations. So we'll see, I guess. When I get sad about my son possibly not riding some 'big' rides like Peter Pan, I just have to remind myself that we'll be back to the parks eventually.

 

[MadameRebecca]

I'm only planing our days up to lunch time because we'll have a 1 year old with us. Coming from Australia, we have a 10 day park ticket. We won't be in the parks all day so it shouldn't be too much. It'll be Dapper Day during our stay, so we'll just go in to have a look around that day. On the weekends, we just want to see the shows, parades and fireworks.

We plan on doing some local shopping using the ART bus. Has anyone else used this? We're not hiring a car. I don't think I could get used to driving on the other side of the road!

 

[Czardas]

Hi, we will be there 1-4Feb. Not looking forward to the crowds on Super Bowl Sunday though.
We come over every year from Australia, but this year I am taking 2 newbies with us. So 2 adult couples, without kids.

Staying at a 2 bed villa at Grand California.

Hubby is really upset that we won't be able to show our friends WOC & Soarin and our tradition is first on Peter Pan.
Personally I'm looking forward to not having to wait for a WOC spot this trip. (Even though I love the show, I hate standing around waiting, and Im competitive, so I have to be first in line lol)

Hoping for low crowds, as we experienced Grad nights this year, Never Again.

 

[anniebean]

Has anyone used the offer for Disney Visa card holders yet? Lasso some savings with this special Disneyland® Resort offer. As a Disney Visa® Cardmember, you can save 25% on select rooms on most weekday stays (Sunday–Thursday) and 10% on most weekend stays (Friday–Saturday) between 1/4-3/26/2015 at a Disneyland® Resort hotel (subject to availability).1 Travel must be completed by 3/27/2015. Book by 3/5/2015. Start planning your rootin’ tootin’ vacation today! Call 800-450-4002 and use your Disney Visa® Card and mention code VIS. Say yee-haw to even more Disney magic when you stay at a Disneyland® Resort hotel: As a guest of a Disneyland® Resort hotel, take advantage of an Extra Magic Hour and get a head start on the action with early admission to a designated Theme Park one full hour before the park opens to the general public (valid Theme Park admission and active hotel key card required).2 Enjoy easy access to Disneyland® Park, Disney California Adventure® Park and the Downtown Disney District. You’ll be footsteps away from the attractions that the Disneyland® Resort has to offer. With more to do and see at the Disneyland® Resort than ever before, there’s something for everyone! Round up the gang and plan your vacation today.

Is this like WDW where they will offer this to general public at some point?

 

[AZMermaid]

We plan on doing some local shopping using the ART bus. Has anyone else used this? We're not hiring a car. I don't think I could get used to driving on the other side of the road!

Like grocery shopping? There is a Target across from the Homewood Suites and Embassy Suites. These are about 2 miles down Harbor and those hotels are on the ART line.

 

[starjazz]

No, I won't be using that deal because it's still way too expensive to me. We are staying in a suite at the Desert Inn for under $100 a night (before taxes.)

Great rate! Wanna share your source?

 

[AZMermaid]

Our general plan is:

Drive Saturday 2/7- arrive around 2PM, in DCA around 3, dinner at Flo's
Sunday- MM at Disneyland in the morning, Anna and Elsa
Monday- MM in DCA, Radiator Springs Racers
Tuesday- MM in Disneyland until lunchtime, brunch at Ariel's, drive home after lunch

Once the hours come out, we will have more of a plan. My kids will be just shy of 3 and 4. We will probably do one long no nap day (I don't have great stroller nappers) that ends when we all start melting down, my guess is dinner time. The other full day we will take a mid day break and then try to stay late. I am debating if she would make Sunday the late day since there will be more (maybe?) night time entertainment. But, it depends what time MM is on Monday. Last year, the parks opened at 9, making MM at 8 on Monday of that week. Tuesday was an hour later. So.... I'm not sure yet.

 

[MadameRebecca]

Like grocery shopping? There is a Target across from the Homewood Suites and Embassy Suites. These are about 2 miles down Harbor and those hotels are on the ART line.

Thanks

 

[Aladora]

Great rate! Wanna share your source?

The only secret to getting a super good rate at the Desert Inn & Suites is to book early. I booked in August for this February trip and got an executive room (2 Q and a full sleeper sofa) for $79/night. I also book a room even if I am not 100% sure we will be going, as long as you cancel 48 hours in advance there is no penalty and they do not take a deposit.

I find that 5-6 months in advance is when you will get the really sweet deals.

 

[Aladora]

Hi, we will be there 1-4Feb. Not looking forward to the crowds on Super Bowl Sunday though.
We come over every year from Australia, but this year I am taking 2 newbies with us. So 2 adult couples, without kids.

Staying at a 2 bed villa at Grand California.

Hubby is really upset that we won't be able to show our friends WOC & Soarin and our tradition is first on Peter Pan.
Personally I'm looking forward to not having to wait for a WOC spot this trip. (Even though I love the show, I hate standing around waiting, and Im competitive, so I have to be first in line lol)

Hoping for low crowds, as we experienced Grad nights this year, Never Again.

Welcome! I've added you to the first post.

We are going to get 5-day park hoppers this trip. I have a rough idea of what we'll do each day of our trip. Does anyone else plan out the day to day stuff? What does your plan look like?

Strangely for me since I hyper plot out our trips to get to DL and back, I don't plan out our days at all once we get there. If there is a nice meal that we are going to do, I definitely make reservations as soon as I can but other than that, we tend to go with whatever our son feels like doing that day.

 

[minneylovesmicky]

We're not hiring a car. I don't think I could get used to driving on the other side of the road!

you and me both, i want a stress free holiday - driving on the wrong side of the car AND road does not equal a stress free holiday.

I hate driving in sydney traffic, let alone wrong side of the road and car in another country.

Taxi's and buses for us all the way

 

[MadameRebecca]

you and me both, i want a stress free holiday - driving on the wrong side of the car AND road does not equal a stress free holiday. I hate driving in sydney traffic, let alone wrong side of the road and car in another country. Taxi's and buses for us all the way

A break from Sydney traffic is worth the trip alone hehe.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I'm only planing our days up to lunch time because we'll have a 1 year old with us. Coming from Australia, we have a 10 day park ticket. We won't be in the parks all day so it shouldn't be too much. It'll be Dapper Day during our stay, so we'll just go in to have a look around that day. On the weekends, we just want to see the shows, parades and fireworks.

We plan on doing some local shopping using the ART bus. Has anyone else used this? We're not hiring a car. I don't think I could get used to driving on the other side of the road!

I hear ya! We had to drive on the "wrong" side of the road on vacation once and it was rough and stressful.

Hi, we will be there 1-4Feb. Not looking forward to the crowds on Super Bowl Sunday though.
We come over every year from Australia, but this year I am taking 2 newbies with us. So 2 adult couples, without kids.

Staying at a 2 bed villa at Grand California.

Hubby is really upset that we won't be able to show our friends WOC & Soarin and our tradition is first on Peter Pan.
Personally I'm looking forward to not having to wait for a WOC spot this trip. (Even though I love the show, I hate standing around waiting, and Im competitive, so I have to be first in line lol)

Hoping for low crowds, as we experienced Grad nights this year, Never Again.

I don't think Superbowl Sunday should make it more crowded. If anything, I bet it would be less crowded because so many people stay home or go to superbowl parties.

Great rate! Wanna share your source?

Booking early. We booked our February trip in May of this year.

Our general plan is:

Drive Saturday 2/7- arrive around 2PM, in DCA around 3, dinner at Flo's
Sunday- MM at Disneyland in the morning, Anna and Elsa
Monday- MM in DCA, Radiator Springs Racers
Tuesday- MM in Disneyland until lunchtime, brunch at Ariel's, drive home after lunch

Once the hours come out, we will have more of a plan. My kids will be just shy of 3 and 4. We will probably do one long no nap day (I don't have great stroller nappers) that ends when we all start melting down, my guess is dinner time. The other full day we will take a mid day break and then try to stay late. I am debating if she would make Sunday the late day since there will be more (maybe?) night time entertainment. But, it depends what time MM is on Monday. Last year, the parks opened at 9, making MM at 8 on Monday of that week. Tuesday was an hour later. So.... I'm not sure yet.

Our son has never napped in stroller so we are just going to go back to the room each day.

I would guess the hours will be similar to last year...

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/park-hours.cfm?month=2&year=2014

Some days the park didn't open until 10am.

The only secret to getting a super good rate at the Desert Inn & Suites is to book early. I booked in August for this February trip and got an executive room (2 Q and a full sleeper sofa) for $79/night. I also book a room even if I am not 100% sure we will be going, as long as you cancel 48 hours in advance there is no penalty and they do not take a deposit.

I find that 5-6 months in advance is when you will get the really sweet deals.

That's what we did. We also booked a room there for our April "back up" dates in case something comes up and we have to reschedule. We'll just cancel if we don't need those days.