Planning our July 2007 DL trip

[c&m]

Four of us (DH, me, DD11, DD8) are planning to drive to California, hit the beaches, visit friends in San Diego, and then stop by DL for 3 or 4 days. We've done DL every year since 1992, but never in July. We've always gone either in Sept., Oct., or March.

We do realize that July is probably the worst time to go with all the line-ups and crowds. Unfortunately, DH and I have vacation time from work and the DDs' have summer holidays...we have little choice.

I have multiple questions and I know that this is the place for answers!!!

1. Really, just how bad is it in July? We are planning to buy 3 or 4 day hopper passes. Is that enough time for us to do everything, given the crowds?

2. Has anyone stayed at the Sheraton Park Hotel (formerly Coast Anaheim) or the new Doubletree Suites? Besides location, any preferences between the two? DDs love the pools, so which has the more superior pool?

Thanks in advance for any advice and tips you can provide!!!

 

[MATTERHORN]

Well July is pretty crowded. If you get there early and utilize fastpass to your advantage, you should be okay. Make PS's for some places to eat so you don't get stuck in an hour long line for counter service every day. I like the summer because the hours are longer and we love being there at night!

We stayed at the Coast Anaheim many times before it changed over. The pool is pretty large compared to most around there and it has a pool bar/snack bar so it's pretty nice. We always had a nice view of DCA from the upper floors here. Not sure if they charge more for it now that it's a Sheraton.
One thing you may not have thought of is that the Sheraton now accepts pets. I don't know if it's in all rooms or a standard few, but with my asthma I can't take a chance that a pet may have been in the room before me so unfortunatly we won't be staying there again! Makes me kinda sad!

Haven't stayed at the Double Tree although it looks really nice from the outside. It is further, so not walkable for us, where as the Coast Anaheim we would walk usually!

Good luck, it's so hard to make these decisions. I second guess myself every time I go!

Andrea

 

[CindyH]

1. Really, just how bad is it in July? We are planning to buy 3 or 4 day hopper passes. Is that enough time for us to do everything, given the crowds?

It will still be crowded during the week, but even more so on the weekend. I don't know how much stamina your girls have or how you handle the heat; during the summer, we usually get there first thing in the morning, then take a break at lunch to go back to the room for swim and/or nap.

I think four days would definitely be enough time, 3 maybe if it's Tuesday thru Thursday. Have fun!

 

[c&m]

thanks to your replies!

Matterhorn: Thanks for letting me know about the pet thing. I have allergies galore, and pet hair is one of them. I guess I'll have to rule out the Sheraton, unless they can guarantee only certain rooms will be available to pet guests.

CindyH: DH and I realized that since we are going at one of the busiest times of the year, we will be getting to DL during the week, definitely not a weekend. I think that would send us over the edge! Our DDs do have a lot of stamina, luckily, so I think we will be able to manage the heat. It'll be a welcome change to our current snowy weather!

 

[HydroGuy]

July or August is when we usually go to DLR, and we always have a blast. My recommendations for having an enjoyable trip are as follows:

1. Stay within easy walking distance of the DLR gates

2. Get to the parks 20-30 minutes early each day so you are near the front in line.

3. Focus like a laser on rides for the first 2-3 hours of the day.

4. Start getting your FastPasses right away and collect them regularly throughout the morning - see "Getting the Most Out of FastPass During High Season" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=885132

5. Take a break in the afternoon for 3-5 hours to your hotel for a swim and nap. This is when the crowds are worst and the weather is hottest, and you are in a pool or air conditioned room conserving energy and avoiding the longest of lines.

6. Come back to DLR late afternoon or early evening when the crowds are leaving. Stay until midnight if you can make it. Use your FastPasses collected earlier. Hit the rides hard again during the last couple hours of the day, as most of the lines will be short.

Using the above strategies on our most recent early August trip, we spent about 11-12 hours per day inside the parks and averaged 17 rides per day. The crowds were always going the opposite direction and we rarely waited in a line for more than 10 minutes, and never more than 20 minutes.

As others have said, avoid weekends.

 

[mystic_path]

Yeah July will be crowded, but you still get the best shows and entertaiment.

 

[c&m]

HydroGuy: Awesome strategy! Where do you usually stay?

As we're driving south from B.C., transportation to/from DL won't be a problem. Are you allowed in/out privileges from the Disney parking lot?

 

[MATTERHORN]

Forgot to add as I am sure you have figured out --- DO NOT go on 4th of July, it is really bad. Also I personally would tend to skip DL's birthday as that has been really crowded the last two years also! Other than that, you are on the right track and have gotten a lot of great advice!

Let me know if you find out if they have dedicated pet rooms there! That was like our homebase hotel growing up and I would like to stay there again eventually!!

Andrea

 

[c&m]

Matterhorn: Thanks for the tip! We're so excited about going to DL again. BTW, I noticed you're going to WDW in 2007 and staying at the Port Orleans. We were there last year during spring break and loved POR. We stayed in the Alligator Bayou section. That was such a fun trip for us...you must be so excited!

 

[HydroGuy]

HydroGuy: Awesome strategy! Where do you usually stay?

As we're driving south from B.C., transportation to/from DL won't be a problem. Are you allowed in/out privileges from the Disney parking lot?

We do not have a "usually". We have stayed both at Disney hotels and good neighbors. The last couple trips we have stayed at the Best Western Park Place Inn. It is the absolute closest hotel except for the Grand Californian, and quality is reasonable. Next summer I think we may go for the Grand Californian.

I would strongly recommend you not try to drive your car to DLR each day. The time it wastes is considerable, and you will have a hard time making the gate for rope drop. If you do drive each day, you will be forfeiting one of DLR's biggest advantages - hotels within easy walking distance. Even if you think the drive is 10 minutes each way, this does not account for parking, trams, etc., which can make your trip each way 30+ minutes.

If you do decide to drive to the parks, I believe you will need to buy a parking ticket each day.

Have a great trip.

 

[MATTERHORN]

Matterhorn: Thanks for the tip! We're so excited about going to DL again. BTW, I noticed you're going to WDW in 2007 and staying at the Port Orleans. We were there last year during spring break and loved POR. We stayed in the Alligator Bayou section. That was such a fun trip for us...you must be so excited!

I am getting so excited!!! It was supposed to be May of 2006 but a job change for DH set us back a year until he could get away! Any particular buildings/rooms in Alligator Bayou section that are better than others?


Thanks

Andrea

 

[c&m]

Happy to hear that circumstances are good and that you can make it to WDW in 2007! We stayed in AB 15, which is the closest to the parking lot, and close to the main building/food court, bus depot, laundry facilities, and a quiet pool. As we had a rental car, we wanted close proximity to the parking lot for luggage purposes, kid hauling, and a shorter walk for my elderly parents who came with us. There are other buildings closer to the main building -- I think lots of people also like AB 14, 17, and 18. Our rooms in AB 15 were freshly reno-ed in March 2005, just reopened a week before our arrival. It was great. However, you should know that there are no elevators in the AB buildings, just stairs. We didn't have any problem with that, but that is sometimes an issue for families with small children, strollers and lots of gear. If you want more info on our stay at POR and a look at pics of our room, just PM me, and I'll tell you more.