Presidents week 2009

[michamato]

We just booked our flights from Boston to LAX on Feb 14, 2009, we got a pretty good price especially for 5 of us during our school vacation week.

I plan on doing a few days at Disney Land and California Adventure, and then heading to see some relatives that live about 45 minutes away. I haven't been here since I was little and a lot has changed. My schedule is wide open right now, so any advice on what days would be less crowded? Also, I am a DVC member so I can use some points to stay onsite at a hotel, or I could stay at the hotel I have booked about 45 minutes away and make the drive, but with traffic and 3 kids that may not be best. Or stay offsite at the Howard Johnsons that I have heard so much about.

Any advice for a first timer? I would like to take advantage of the MM hours, which I know little about, but...since we are from Boston, the 3 hour time change would make it 10 am back home and we would all be wide awake and ready to go...

 

[trodrigue]

Hello!
We are arriving on that Saturday also. We are coming from Seattle, so if we can get great airfares, we will. If not, then we are driving.

My plan is to goof off in DTD on Saturday, find our brick, that I have ordered for a valentines surprise for the family, have a romantic (not!) dinner with the family, maybe find a vantage point to watch the fireworks.(hey, maybe I will sneak us into the pool area of the Paradise Pier Hotel, so we can hear the music too )

The Sunday, get up do MM with the family, do rides & get fast passes and back to the hotel for a good mid-day rest. Back for parades and fantasmic.

Monday will be a slow paced, what ever you feel like it sort of day.
Tuesday will be 2nd Morning Magic, commando day. We will get our AP's at this point, so the rest of the week will be coming and going at will, with no pressure about making the most of the days that we have. So excited about that!


I also scheduled a 7 day trip so we have plenty of pool time, maybe a day at the beach, etc I love that HOJO rate that allows us to do that. I would not stay in a dive to get that sort of rate, I would be more likely to stay for less time. So thank you HOJO!

Anyhow, if you choose the HOJO, I will be with 4 other families traveling from Mukilteo WA. About 20 of us in all.

Tracey

 

[michamato]

I may chose HOJO!!! How funny, I thought I was the only crazy one booking so far out. I would only stay for 3 nights, the 2/14-2/16. I would then drive about 45 minutes, and visit family up near Thousand Oaks, we would then go to Universal Studios and hopefully spend a day in Malibu.

Where did you book yours? Did you book online at HOJO? I am so lost. We travel to WDW once a year, but this is all new to me!!!!

 

[trodrigue]

I did book online with HOJO. Here is the link.

http://www.hojoanaheim.com

Put in the code sd50 to check for the great $59 ENT Book Rate. The last time I checked for it, it did not show up! I am booked at that great rate, as are the other 4 families I am traveling with, but I was looking to add one more room. I checked for the entire week, but they may have just a few days??

If not, don't despair. Call Lorealle direct. She can sometimes find the rate for you even if it does not show up online. Otherwise, they do still offer a discount, maybe 15 or 20% off the rack rate for disboard members. Ask for AAA discount, whatever you can get.

Phone number is:

Main: 714-776-6120
Toll Free In-House Reservations: 800-422-4228

Just ask for Lorealle during regular business hours (for california)

Here is a link to the sketch of the new pool that will be all installed by the time we get there. (scroll to bottom)

http://www.hojoanaheim.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=21&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=20


As you can see, there is an entire discussion board on the HOJO site, so you can look at room layouts, etc etc

Don't forget, if you get your tickets from getawaytoday.com you will get two morning magic entries. This is the only way to get this if you stay off site, that I know of. You will have two days to use it, if you are there for Sunday and Tuesday morning. (can't remember which day you were leaving)

But hey, if you are willing to use your points, you can stay at DLH, which is great with kiddos, or of course the GCH is always beautiful. I think the points equates to about $200+ per night, so of course you get far better value for you points at WDW.

Anyhow, yes, just insane to plan so far in advance, and I keep getting tempted to try to plan one more trip before that one, but I think my husband would kill me!

Hope to see you there!

Tracey

 

[michamato]

THANK YOU!!!!! I am going to try later on today and I will report what I find!!!!

 

[michamato]

Well no good discounts like the one that you got for 59 per night, I even called!! The best I could get was 120.00 per night for the 5 of us. I think I will keep checking, and see when the points chart comes out for 2009 and maybe I will stay at DLH!!

Thanks for all the info, I have spent all day planning what we are going to do first. We go to WDW and then the 3 night cruise for Halloween this year too!!!

 

[Jenn1116]

Just keep in mind that Pres Day weekend will be very crowded. I made that mistake this year. Still, we had no problems getting on all the rides we wanted to do. We rode POTC and HM twice with no more than a 20 min wait. Other rides we made use of FP. I'm sure during the week is less crowded. Have fun!!!!

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

I've heard some scary things about that weekend. Big crowds, so I'd just be prepared. Later after the holiday, during the week, you'll have a better chance at lower crowd levels.

 

[michamato]

Hmmm...maybe I should do it the second half of the week, instead of the first half....then I wont have to worrry about the crowds! Do you think that would be better, I am really flexible with my dates during that week???

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Oh definitely. If you can skip that weekend and the Monday holiday, you'll be in much better shape! For some reason all those little 3 day weekends brings everyone to DL!