Planning First DLR Trip: Now It's Time To Get Serious!

[Lucyfan84]

Hello All!
I am planning my first ever trip out to the west coast parks and am in need of some awesome advice. I have lived my entire life going to WDW and love it, but I've decided to save my pennies and visit DLR during the holiday time of 2015 for the 60th. This is going to awesome because I've been trying to get out there since ththe 50th but have yet to make it but next year is my time!

Planning trips have never been an issue with me since I've always lived an hour from The World and could visit at a moments notice, so this trip is taking something new for me to try. So, if you don't mind, I have a few questions for all you helpful members...

1. Am trying to decide which weeks to go. Right now I'm looking at Sunday December 6th to the following Saturday the 12th. With park days during the week. However now I am also looking at the wee. Following thanksgiving Sunday Nov. 29 to Saturday Dec 5th. Are these weeks kinda the same in terms of crowds, operating hours, etc?

2. Looking at staying at the Desert Inn and Suites. Have read that it is across from the walking entrance to the park. My mother will be traveling with me and she doesn't have mobility issues per say but doesn't like walking unnecessary distances. Have read the Park Vue is closer but the rooms are more expensive. How much closer is the Park Vie over the Desert Inn?

3. We are spending 5 days in the park and I was looking at getting an AP since I've heard the discounts on food and mercy are plentiful. However I wouldn't be able to get in an Early Entry day that comes with the 5 day park hopper. Do you think this is a fair trade off (saving money versus an extra hour during that time of year)?

Thanks for all the, what I'm sure will be, great advice.

 

[gottalovepluto]

3. Run your numbers to decide if an AP is actually worth it to you. There are links on the DL website that will tell you the percentage discounts you get at different places in the parks. The EMH that comes with the 3+ days is currently for DL only fyi and 1 time use. Maybe consider booking the hotels you're currently looking at but keep an eye on a Disney property like Paradise Pier to see if any discounts are offered a couple months before your trip to see if it is something you might be able to fit in your budget. I only suggest it as a possibility in your case because it sounds like a once in a lifetime trip & staying on property gets you EMH every morning. I'm not sure if the walking distance would be any better, others on the boards here can probably help. As far as the AP goes, bust out the calculator and see if you think it might be worth it.

 

[Aladora]

Hello All!
I am planning my first ever trip out to the west coast parks and am in need of some awesome advice. I have lived my entire life going to WDW and love it, but I've decided to save my pennies and visit DLR during the holiday time of 2015 for the 60th. This is going to awesome because I've been trying to get out there since ththe 50th but have yet to make it but next year is my time!

Planning trips have never been an issue with me since I've always lived an hour from The World and could visit at a moments notice, so this trip is taking something new for me to try. So, if you don't mind, I have a few questions for all you helpful members...

1. Am trying to decide which weeks to go. Right now I'm looking at Sunday December 6th to the following Saturday the 12th. With park days during the week. However now I am also looking at the wee. Following thanksgiving Sunday Nov. 29 to Saturday Dec 5th. Are these weeks kinda the same in terms of crowds, operating hours, etc?

2. Looking at staying at the Desert Inn and Suites. Have read that it is across from the walking entrance to the park. My mother will be traveling with me and she doesn't have mobility issues per say but doesn't like walking unnecessary distances. Have read the Park Vue is closer but the rooms are more expensive. How much closer is the Park Vie over the Desert Inn?

3. We are spending 5 days in the park and I was looking at getting an AP since I've heard the discounts on food and mercy are plentiful. However I wouldn't be able to get in an Early Entry day that comes with the 5 day park hopper. Do you think this is a fair trade off (saving money versus an extra hour during that time of year)?

Thanks for all the, what I'm sure will be, great advice.

I can help with #2 and #3.

Park Vue Inn and Desert Inn & Suites are immediately beside each other. Each of the two have their own pros and cons, depending on what is important to you. PVI is a tiny bit closer. DI&S is less expensive especially if you book 6-7 months in advance. PVI has a much better breakfast. DI&S has firmer beds. I love the fact that you can get a suite at DI&S for less than a regular room at PVI but if we are traveling with a 4th person then the better breakfast at PVI more than made up for the higher cost.

As for AP vs hoppers, I would not think it is worth getting the APs if you are only going for 5 days, even taking food and merchandise discounts. Using the Disneyland website prices, a Deluxe AP is $519.00 and a 5 day hopper is $265.00 for a difference of $254. At 10% AP discount, you would have to spend a lot on food and merch to make up that difference. For us to get APs and feel the cost was justified we have to go for at least 9 days during the year.

 

[chickapin parterre]

The second week is the better choice of the two as the Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving could still have families in the area visiting families in the populous southern California and also families waiting for a better value to fly out on.

2015 has no good choices for "better weeks" as that missing holiday week is still missing!!!

With the current weather problems in California 2015 could actually be more crowded than 2014, plus add a dose of 60th and there is no good time to visit during Christmas

EMH has no value to you as a non traditional Disneyland visitor. The only event you will be missing is Peter Pan. But you can catch that ride on Wednesday morning, as Wednesday mornings are in the 2-3 range till 11:00
The value of EMH has been taken away by the criminal photography at the gate. What was once a trickle of happy faces into an open park is now a log jam at rope drop. Everyone crushing into Peter Pan, long lines begot long lines and the EMH magic is gone in a blink.

As for Good Neighbor choices I have never noticed walking to the long entry area a problem. Make your choice on your sleep/clean/quiet comfort.

 

[Lucyfan84]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I may do as suggested and book my room at the off-site hotel and just keep an eye out for on-site AP discounts to see if the cost of getting an AP becomes worth it. Because if it does I would much rather have early entry every day rhan only one.

This trip will definitely be a once in a lifetime one in the sense that my mother is going and it may be the only time I get to go with Her. She went back when the park turned ten so I thought getting out there for the 60th would be fun for her.

 

[chickapin parterre]

So what is it that you wish to accomplish in EMH?

There is no empty park if rope drop backs folks up down Main Street. Photo opps without background crowds are gone.

Few attractions are open. Eating venues crowded.

I use the EMH to ride Peter Pan, Star tours and Buzz. Every other open attraction is crowded or inappropriate as a senior citizen visitor. Once I tire of aliens, the hour is over and I head over to the very empty Rivers of America. EMH has no advantage to gaining access to Rivers. The west side is so large and diverse that it takes three hours for it to be noticeable about other folks.

The myth of EMH also contributes to folks staying in the EMH area as though they are in a trance. " Oh my gosh, the park is open, we better finish the attractions in the area before the lines become unmanageable."

I use Wednesdays as the Fantasyland morning. The park is empty not by choice but demographics. Folks are in the park Sat-Tues or Thurs-Sunday because of travel choices, days off work, how many days off from school, family meet ups or their just exhausted and take the day off for pool day

 

[gottalovepluto]

You will find varying opinions on EMH and the value of EMH. Personally I love it, yes stuff is sometimes closed or not up and running yet but it's not that big of a deal to us when we have multiple days in the parks.

 

[luulu1999]

We stayed at PVI our last trip and if we ever get to go again we will always stay there unless a miracle happens and we can stay at Disneyland Hotel!! Honestly we went during the Summer this year the end of July and we were never there at rope drop usually anywhere from 15-30mins after and Peter Pan was closed our only EMH day so we got there about 30mins late for that and we still got a ton done in the mornings!! But I also don't know that an AP would be worth it for just 5 days, you could possibly look into a Disney visa and get some discounts or if you could afford it get one of the passes that can get you into WDW and DL and use that for discounts and your WDW trips the rest of the year and pay for 5 day PH's for the rest of your group

 

[Kristina4109]

EMH works best when the parks are already opening early. For example, the last two trips we stayed on property, the parks opened at 8:00 am to the general public so EMH was at 7:00 am. We have never seen Disneyland Park so empty. And we were able to get on and off of Radiator Springs Racers in 25 minutes. I think it's too hard for most people to be lined up in front of a park at 6:45am. Those of us who do it will find shorter lines and less crowds.

But if a park opens at 10:00am and EMH is at 9:00am, that's pretty easy to do, and there will be much more people there.

 

[Sherry E]

Lucyfan84 --

Some things to keep in mind, and they may not affect anything but I'm throwing them out there, just in case...

1. There has been some speculation -- nothing official or confirmed -- that Disney could possibly decide to hike up AP prices (and maybe ticket prices too) twice in 2015, to sort of take advantage of the 60th anniversary crowds that are sure to descend upon Disneyland throughout the year. There was a scenario not too long ago in which there were two or three price increases within a 12-month period of time, and one of those increases happened in January.

At the very least, all ticket prices and AP prices will go up in May -- I think that much is an absolutely certainty. So keep that in mind if you are considering an AP, or if you want to buy tickets/Hoppers before a price increase -- there will probably be very little notice (just 2 or 3 days) before an increase goes into effect.



2. The Candlelight Ceremony & Processional should be taking place on 12/5 and 12/6 in 2015, if history repeats and nothing changes, and that will bring some extra crowds into Disneyland on that weekend. This year there were other events taking place on that same Candlelight weekend as well, and the crowds were said to be quite substantial, especially on 12/6 (Saturday).




3. At this time, because there has been no official announcement of what exactly is happening for Disneyland's 60th anniversary and when it will be happening, it's hard to get a sense of how it may affect crowds throughout 2015. There will be quite a few new events happening -- a new nighttime parade and, most likely, a new fireworks show, a Castle show, and probably all kinds of separate 'pop-up' events for limited times here and there.

Also, whatever new entertainment takes place will most likely have some impact on the Christmas parade schedule and the holiday fireworks schedule as well -- possibly either making them available only for a limited time (maybe at a party?), or not at all in 2015.




4. Again, because the 60th anniversary events and related crowds, schedules, etc., are a big question mark at the moment, it's hard to know what will happen but Disney may hold off on the onsite hotel discounts for later in the year.

When something happens that is going to bring in tons of people -- for example, the introduction of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street in 2012 -- they may not offer any good hotel discounts to anyone that year, not even to AP holders. In 2012, all the AP holders got was the standard 10% discount that was available year-round, and there were no other good Fall discounts for the general public. If they are expecting big crowds again for anything that is happening this year, the hotel discounts could possibly be scarce.

 

[Indiana Scott]

EMH can be a real let down. When we were there they had all of Adventure Land, Frontier Land and Critter Country roped off.
And that's exactly where we wanted to be.

 

[gottalovepluto]

EMH can be a real let down. When we were there they had all of Adventure Land, Frontier Land and Critter Country roped off. And that's exactly where we wanted to be.

Oh, ouch! Good point though, OP should definitely be aware the only lands open then are Tomorrowland & Fantasyland in DL.

 

[DahliaRW]

We stayed at the Desert Inn and Suites this past trip and it seemed closer to me than the Disneyland Hotel, where we stayed the trip before. It's definitely closer than Paradise Pier, probably a tiny bit further than the Grand Californian.

As for EMH, we just had the one early entry on our ticket this past trip and it was crowded. Peter Pan was down, Matterhorn was down... We rode Space, Star Tours, and then headed back to PP which had a huge line by then because it opened while we were on ST. So it really wasn't a huge advantage to get in early. Plus it was hard to get up and be at the park by 7...yawn!

 

[HydroGuy]

EMH can be a real let down. When we were there they had all of Adventure Land, Frontier Land and Critter Country roped off.
And that's exactly where we wanted to be.

That has been the case for many years at DL. There should not have been a reason for it to be a let down.