Planning 1st Family Trip

[BoiseToDisneyland]

I'm planning my first family trip to Disneyland sometime between March 25th and April 2nd of 2011. It will have been 20 years since I've been there and I'm sure things are a whole lot different than they were back in 1991. What will definitely be different is that this will be my first time with my family of 5. My wife and I have 3 boys who will be 3, 5 and 7 when we arrive.

I would like to make this a memorable experience for all of us, but I don't want to break the bank by doing it.

Any suggestions on accomodations? My wife really wants our boys to enjoy one of the character breakfasts. Are they specific to a hotel, if so, which ones? Is it included in the hotel rate? My wife really wants to stay at one of the 3 Disney hotels, but my gosh those look $$$.


Where does one go about finding the cheapest package deals? What exactly is a 3 day hopper? Could we use it at Seaworld?

Sorry for all of the questions, but I haven't a clue how to get bargains for this trip.

 

[Raindown]

It will have been 20 years since I've been there and I'm sure things are a whole lot different than they were back in 1991.

Oh my have they changed.

Any suggestions on accomodations?

Can't help much here, DL is a freeway away for me.

What exactly is a 3 day hopper? Could we use it at Seaworld?

It is a ticket good for three days of admission. The 'hopper' means that it allows you to freely move between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (yes another park). With a three day hopper you also get one "magic morning."

My wife really wants our boys to enjoy one of the character breakfasts. Are they specific to a hotel, if so, which ones?

Character meals take place all over the resort. Some are in the hotels, some actually inside the parks (admission/ticket required). I think all of them are a flat rate per adult/child, but they are not included with your hotel stay unless you get them as part of some package.

I'm not too familiar with any packages. I'll let someone else help you with that.

 

[HydroGuy]

I will try to catch some of the questions that Ski did not...

Any suggestions on accomodations? My wife really wants our boys to enjoy one of the character breakfasts. Are they specific to a hotel, if so, which ones? Is it included in the hotel rate? My wife really wants to stay at one of the 3 Disney hotels, but my gosh those look $$$.

There are many cost effective, quiet and clean hotels along Harbor Blvd. Check the links and maps in this thread:

"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

Two favorites around here are Hojo's and Candy Cane Inn. They are slightly further but a step up in experience.

If you want to be as close as possible go for Best Western Park Place or Tropicana.

The Disney hotels will be a lot more expensive. For some people it is worth it and for others it is not. When my kids were younger I would rather put money into other parts of a Disney visit than hotels - for example, staying more days in a less expensive hotel was more important than fewer days at a nicer Disney hotel.

Where does one go about finding the cheapest package deals?

I have found it is usually cheapest to book hotels separate from park tickets and to do it myself. Check online with different hotels. Check the Disney website for good neighbors. Check Expedia. Check with a travel agent.

What exactly is a 3 day hopper? Could we use it at Seaworld?

You cannot use a DLR 3 day hopper at Sea World but you may be getting it confused with a "City Pass" which gives you three days at DLR, one at Sea World, one at Universal Studios and I believe one more at the SD Zoo. The DLR website has details.

Hang around this forum and read up and you can be well prepared. Learn about Fastpasses, Magic Mornings, park hopping, viewing shows, and more!

 

[Cagirl767]

I'll chime in for hotels. I have 2 kids ages 3.5 and 5.5 (boy).

At your kids' age, they will think the ART over to the parks is a ride in itself, mine do and don't mind the short trip over at all. I think however, that you will be running into Spring Break crowds which can make ART a bit annoying, as in wait times. But all in all I think worth it for staying off site if you don't want to stay directly across the street from Disneyland which is walking distance. The hotels farther away (approx. 1 mile) in Garden Grove on Harbor Blvd. to me are nicer and you get a suite for a family of 5 ( 1 or 2 beds and a pull out sofa and kitchen) which includes breakfast and a light dinner on selected weeknights, free. It's always worked for my 2 picky eaters. Disney food gets a little icky to us after a couple days.

We like Homewood Suites, Residence Inn, Doubletree Suites, Embassy Suites and Portofino Suites is more budget friendly - no free meals though. ART will cost you $3 for each child roundtrip per day, $1 or so for adults and parking is not free at some hotels. It's free at Marriotts properties. Factor all these into your total daily rates.

If you want the whole Disney experience, then some will recommend staying on property so that you actually never leave Disney property. Remember, the walks to DL Hotel and Paradise Pier can be longer than some of the hotels right at the pedestrian crosswalk on Harbor Blvd (older hotels though, some have suites such as the Best Westerns and Carousel Inn). This is convenient to stay at the crosswalk motels incase you need afternoon naps, then can easily return later in the day. There are many restaurants nearby also: McDonalds, Dennys, IHOP (kids eat free after 4 with paying adults), Quiznos, Tony Roma's, Cold Stone Creamery.

So it just depends on what you want to do. If this is a once every 5 year trip, I'd say stay at one of the Disney properties, but again like another post said, I'd rather spend my money on character breakfasts and souveniers, Gibson Girl ice cream trips, etc for my kids. My personal preference though.

 

[Spacepest]

IMHO, if I were on a budget I'd never stay at one of the Disney hotels in Anaheim...too many nice properties within walking distance for a fraction of the price. Many of the ones not within walking distance will have a daily shuttle service to the parks. (Now Disneyworld in Florida is a whole 'nother ball game).

Just because you book a hotel offsite doesn't mean that you can't attend a character breakfast or eat at one of their restaurants. I personally love the Storyteller's Cafe in the Grand California hotel, and have no problem eating at that restaurant even though I am too cheap to book one of their rooms.

 

[pixiewings71]

Disneyland has what are called "good neighbor" hotels, these are on Harbor and many times you can get some really great rates at those hotels. Our family had annual passes for 2 years, we went a lot, we stayed on-site two or three times, at the GCH and the PPH, both were great but (the GCH is my favorite place to stay ever) but many more times we stayed off-site on Harbor. Our favorite is the HoJo (Howard Johnson), it's about a 7 minute walk to security and they have some really great rates available.

Character meals are great, in DCA you have Ariel's Grotto which is full of Princesses, probably one you can skip because you have boys. But the food there is GREAT so if you are thinking of doing WoC dining that might be a very good choice for you, there are no Princesses there at that time. In DLR you have Minnie & Friends at the Plaza Inn, very very fun!!! We had great character interaction and we really enjoyed the food. At the PPH you have Surf's Up with Mickey & Friends, we've never eaten at this one, when we ate there it was a Lilo & Stitch bfast and I've heard it's different. At the DLH you have Goofy's Kitchen, our family did not enjoy our visit here, we did not like the food that much, the character interaction was very lacking for us and we felt very rushed, we will not do this one again unless someone we are with wants to go here. At GCH they have Storyteller's, we have not done this as a bfast but we hear good things about it. We have eaten at Storyteller's for lunch and dinner, both were delish but neither are character meals. If you want to eat something other than breakfast with the characters you're limited to Goofy's Kitchen or Ariel's Grotto only.

Things are very different from when you were last at the parks, the 3 day parkhopper lets you visit both parks during the day while they are open. Tickets are only valid for DLR and DCA.

I find it cheaper if I build my own package now but for our first 2 visits we used the Walt Disney Travel Company, it was a great experience and very easy but I save a lot more $$ by booking it myself now. A lot of people here use AAA or Last Minute Travel .com to book their DL packages.

You've found a GREAT place for tips and tricks, just keep coming here and reading this board, when you have questions ask, you'll get plenty of answers.

 

[BoiseToDisneyland]

Thanks for the tips. Talking to my wife, it seems the only reason she was thinking one of the 3 Disney hotels on site was because of the character breakfasts. By all accounts, it makes more sense to steer clear of them and book one of the hotels across the street on Harbor and make reservations for a character breakfast somewhere.

We do have some other questions that we aren't sure of. We both are frequent fliers, but have never taken kids. Do they need some form of identification to board a plane? There's 4 area airports to choose from for our arrival. Which one makes the most sense to land at? Keep in mind, we are a family of 5, so even a marginal savings can be pretty significant when you multiply it by 5 times. How about rental cars? I've flown into LAX and Ontario, but never Burbank or Santa Ana. Are Burbank and Santa Ana pretty small? It's been quite a few years since I've flown into Ontario, but I remember it was on the small side back then.

 

[lilpooh108]

Ontario airport (IMO) is beautiful and easy to get out of. Car rentals there are more expensive I think due to less quantity of cars. SNA is easy to get to from DLR. About 20 minutes no traffic. If you want to save money, just fly into the airport w/cheapest airfare. Since you're gonna rent a car, it really is just a matter of distance (LAX is probably a good hour away in traffic).

I believe you can attend the character breakfast at Storyteller's and order off the menu for menu items, saving yourself tons of money rather than ordering the buffet. The buffet is like $30, menu items hover at $15. Maybe someone else can chime in here.

We are local and save money by bringing in small sandwiches for lunch. There is a no outside food policy, but if you're lowkey about it and you're not bringing in like tons of food or entire meals, the bag checkers don't care. We have a kid so that probably helps (since she needs her toddler juices, crackers, cookies, etc.) You cannot bring coolers.

We also love to eat at the Jazz Kitchen in DTD with outdoor seating. Same DTD atmosphere for like 1/3 of the price. It's right next to HOB and it's a part of Ralph Brennan's. The food is fabulous for counter service. Bands always play nearby in the evenings.

There is a Walmart on Euclid (google it for the address) about 10 min away from DTD that sells tons of Disney stuff (autograph books, t shirts, caps, lanyards) and food/milk/groceries. I suggest a stop here before the parks to load your kids up with stuff they'd otherwise wanna buy at the parks.

If you wanna save money on sit down restaurants, venture out past the tourist area (ie avoid DTD and Gardenwalk). Look on the yelp website to see which restaurants are good in Anaheim. Anaheim is actually kind of a cheap area as long as you're not near Disney.

Go to restaurant.com (google the 70% off coupon) for Anaheim restaurants. I believe HOB has a $25 or $50 certificate on there you can buy for cheap.

If you go on the Anaheimoc.org website there are coupons for free apps at Rainforest Cafe and other restaurants at DTD.

**Check out the Southern California City Pass for combo tix to DLR, Seaworld, Universal. If you have an entertainment book, they sell it through their website for cheaper than Disney has it on the Disney website.

If you go to Seaworld, there is a really good outlet mall in Carlsbad on the way down to San Diego. Your wife can "save" lots money there by spending lots of money there. If you're in San Diego, your boys will love the Air and Space Museum in Balboa park. Check out their website for specials/pricing or the "go san diego" card.

I believe if you have a Bank of America card of any kind, you can get in free for the card holder to museums in OC, LA area on certain days of the month. The Discovery Science Center is a fun museum only 10 minutes from DLR which is apart of this program. Here's the website: http://museums.bankofamerica.com/

Have fun!

 

[HydroGuy]

We do have some other questions that we aren't sure of. We both are frequent fliers, but have never taken kids. Do they need some form of identification to board a plane? There's 4 area airports to choose from for our arrival. Which one makes the most sense to land at? Keep in mind, we are a family of 5, so even a marginal savings can be pretty significant when you multiply it by 5 times. How about rental cars? I've flown into LAX and Ontario, but never Burbank or Santa Ana. Are Burbank and Santa Ana pretty small? It's been quite a few years since I've flown into Ontario, but I remember it was on the small side back then.

Minors do not need IDs if traveling with parents.

Check this link for info on airports and transportation -"Airport Proximity to DLR and Ground Transportation Information" by 3TinksAndAnEeyore www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2318297. If you can do SNA it is the nicest experience and worth paying more for. You do not need a car for DLR. For the parts of your trip you may. But not DLR.

 

[AndyLL]

Hotels

The Disney hotels are nice but sure are pricey.

Howard Johnsons is very popular here and on other Disney boards but it is down the street and with 3 young kids you might get tired of the walk.

Candy Cane Inn is the same distance the opposite direction but has a shuttle.

If you just want a 'room' and want to be close there are a host of hotels right across from the gate. Hydroguys link shows them.

We tend to now stay at the Marriott Fairfield a few hotels down from the gate. We liked their beds so much we researched so we could buy one like it. (latex)

If you have to have a solid internet connection like I do Fairfield is the place.

Character Meals

Our favorite now is Minnies Breakfast. Get the 1st seating (or close) in the morning and you will be overrun with characters.

If you want to take a break out of the park Goofys is a good choice.

Here is a run-down on all of them:

http://disneymouselinks.com/disneyland-character-dining-guide.aspx

Airport

We prefer John Wayne. Small and close but has a good number of flights from Denver. There's a couple of other small airports near Disneyland (Ontario , Long Beach) but for us the flight choices were too limited.

Taxies between 30-35 to John Wayne but we tend to just walk to the shuttle area and pick whatever company has one ready to go. We only paid $25 for the 3 of use last trip.

Even if you are renting a car I would not fly into LAX unless you have to. The car rental area is off the airport area and can be a pain to get to the 1st time and since you have to drive across town you have to budget extra time to make sure you catch your flight.

Andy

 

[BoiseToDisneyland]

These are some great tips. We'll be flying in from Boise through the Bay Area and it looks like we have several options for which airport to go to. By all accounts, it looks like John Wayne/Orange County may provide the least amount of trouble with it's close proximity.

Looks like the character meal reservations are only booke 60 days in advance. I guess I'll have to set up a calendar reminder to book our reservations. Goofy's seems like the way to go there, but it sounds like the food is going to be marginal - however I don't think one would expect a gourmet style breakfast at the resort with the Disney characters.

HoJo's looks to be the most appealing - my wife and I like the idea of bunkbeds for two of the 3 boys (although I'm sure there will be some fighting to see which of two of the three will get to sleep in them). Does any one know if there are other hotels close to the park that have bunk beds for kids? How about a suite type hotel that includes a bunk bed? Sounds like my in-laws may want to drive up from Arizona.

 

[vintageminnie]

Looks like the character meal reservations are only booke 60 days in advance. I guess I'll have to set up a calendar reminder to book our reservations. Goofy's seems like the way to go there, but it sounds like the food is going to be marginal - however I don't think one would expect a gourmet style breakfast at the resort with the Disney characters.

On the contrary, Goofy's Kitchen is probably the best breakfast I've ever had. Definitely not "marginal," unless of course you just go for the cold cereal dispensers.

I can still taste the Creme Brulee French Toast. mmmm....

If it's a once in a lifetime trip, I'd say on property at one of the Disney hotels. It's an entirely different experience.

 

[Cagirl767]

Hotels with bunkbeds: Hyatt kids suite, Grand Californian, Carousel Inn, Portofino Inn and Suites, Marriott Residence Inn on Harbor I believe has them.

Oy vey, yes definitely fly into John Wayne (airport code SNA) if you can swing it. I can't imagine flying into LAX with kids, then trekking over an hour on the freeway down to Disney, then on to San Diego. Waaaay too much time in the car for me and my kids.

Coming from Foodies, we enjoy a lot of the food around the DLR. Haven't been to Goofy's, but have been to the Plaza Inn (Minnie and Friends) and food was good, also at Storyteller's buffet. Each seems to have at least one item that we would consider quite good.

Restaurants to avoid in Disneyland: Hungry Bear (except for the funnel cakes) and Vilage Haus. My kids won't eat the chicken nuggets there - too hard.

Yes, setting your calendar for Priority Seating reservations is a good idea. Also for within Disneyland such as Carnation Plaza for a sit down meal. My kids like Pizza Port, Carnation Plaza (turkey dogs), Plaza Inn (drumstick and mashed potatoes), French Market's mac and cheese, Rancho Del Zocalo when in the mood for Mexican food.

 

[pixiewings71]

These are some great tips. We'll be flying in from Boise through the Bay Area and it looks like we have several options for which airport to go to. By all accounts, it looks like John Wayne/Orange County may provide the least amount of trouble with it's close proximity.

Looks like the character meal reservations are only booke 60 days in advance. I guess I'll have to set up a calendar reminder to book our reservations. Goofy's seems like the way to go there, but it sounds like the food is going to be marginal - however I don't think one would expect a gourmet style breakfast at the resort with the Disney characters.

HoJo's looks to be the most appealing - my wife and I like the idea of bunkbeds for two of the 3 boys (although I'm sure there will be some fighting to see which of two of the three will get to sleep in them). Does any one know if there are other hotels close to the park that have bunk beds for kids? How about a suite type hotel that includes a bunk bed? Sounds like my in-laws may want to drive up from Arizona.

Ok second bold first, the HoJo has family suites!!!!!! That might be the best way for you to go, if you can get them at the Ent Rate they are $99 a night! The BEST rate you will find. Otherwise consider getting 2 rooms at the HoJo, one for the in-laws and one for you guys, at $59 a night it's still a better rate then you might find elsewhere. The $59 a night rooms are the ones we always chose to stay in, we love the Pavilion buildings, prefer the second floor of buildings 4 or 6 personally.

On the contrary, Goofy's Kitchen is probably the best breakfast I've ever had. Definitely not "marginal," unless of course you just go for the cold cereal dispensers.

I can still taste the Creme Brulee French Toast. mmmm....

If it's a once in a lifetime trip, I'd say on property at one of the Disney hotels. It's an entirely different experience.

NOT the experience we had. There was no Creme Brulee French Toast when we ate there, and we did stay for over an hour. We didn't think the food was worth the price at all, the best part was the bacon (and OMG the bacon was gooooood!!!)! We did try more then one dish, DBF and I had dishes stacked all over. The girls ate mostly cereal because there wasn't much else they would actually eat, they absolutely hated the pnut butter pizza, which I thought they would love (I thought we would all love it actually) and the other choices, while good were not anything more then "marginal" in our opinion.

OP if you want to go to GK by all means please do, we just had a bad experience there and we won't go back, we'd much rather go to Minnie & Friends, where we will find food we will eat and the characters actually come to your table.