Questions About Visiting DLR

[mjaclyn]

Hi! We're visiting DLR early in 2011 and would love some advice from the experts.

1. Where is the best place to stay? Are any of the Disneyland hotels within walking distance to the parks? Which is the least expensive? What are the benefits of staying in a Disney hotel rather than a 'good neighbor' hotel?

2. What is the best way to get park tickets? We'll most likely be there for three or four days and buy park hopper passes. Does DLR offer discounts when you book a room & ticket package like WDW does?

3. We have family that live in San Diego. As California residents, can they pass on any of their discounts to us? For instance, would it be better for them to pay for the accommodations and have us reimburse them afterward? Does a California resident have to be staying in each room if they book 2 rooms (1 for us and 1 for them)?

4. Are there any threads that talk about the best way to tour Disneyland and California Adventure? I've heard that both parks are SUPER crowded compared to WDW because of how much smaller in size they are than the parks in Florida. If we can't see it all in 3 or 4 days (we have 2 young children so we'll be moving at a slow to moderate pace), my main concern would be to see World of Color, visit any attractions that we don't have in WDW or are very different than their Florida counterparts (like Space Mountain and Pirates).

5. What is the best time of year to go? I realize that most of the crowds are probably locals so I'm guessing mid-week is better than weekends. What about month of the year? Do the California crowds stay away more when it's colder like in Jan. Feb.?

I greatly appreciate any help I can get in this area. We have visited Disneyland before but it's been a number of years and this is the first time we'll be bringing our children. Thanks again!!

 

[Funball]

i cant asnwer your questions.. but california adventure and disneyland aren't really super crowded compared to WDW i think . they are just smaller in comparison.. you need a park map of the parks....

if you pm me i can send you a set of maps, i send them in the mail i am the map girl!

thanks,
sara!

 

[mjaclyn]

Thanks so much Sara! I actually do have a set of maps from my in-laws who live in San Diego... I thought the parks were more crowded than WDW because of their smaller size and higher percentage of local visitors, but I could definitely be wrong!

I was looking at the DLR park hours for Feb. and I'm SO surprised at how early they close and at how many attractions are closed/shows not playing. I thought for sure there would either be fireworks or World of Color each night, but there aren't ANY scheduled during the time we were planning to visit. Practically the entire reason I want to visit DCA is for World of Color and it will be incredibly disappointing if we don't see it. I REALLY hate to go during school holidays though because I've been to the Disney parks when they're crazy busy and it is not fun.

 

[sonnyjane]

Hi! We're visiting DLR early in 2011 and would love some advice from the experts.

1. Where is the best place to stay? Are any of the Disneyland hotels within walking distance to the parks? Which is the least expensive? What are the benefits of staying in a Disney hotel rather than a 'good neighbor' hotel? There are plenty of non-Disneyland hotels that are even closer, and much, much cheaper than the official Disney hotels. If you're sold old staying on-site though, Paradise Pier is the cheapest, but also the farthest. Grand Californian is the most expensive by far, but the closest. The advantage of staying on-site is that you get a Magic Morning (Early Entry) on any day it's available during your stay (typically Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays). If you stay off-site, you only get one MM with the purchase of a park-hopper ticket of 3 days or more.

2. What is the best way to get park tickets? We'll most likely be there for three or four days and buy park hopper passes. Does DLR offer discounts when you book a room & ticket package like WDW does? I would buy them online directly from Disneyland.com. You typically get a discount for buying them online and ahead of time. The package deals, in my opinion, are more expensive. They come with some perks (VIP Aladdin seating, ToonTown Morning Madness entry, etc.), but they aren't worth the additional cost in my opinion.

3. We have family that live in San Diego. As California residents, can they pass on any of their discounts to us? For instance, would it be better for them to pay for the accommodations and have us reimburse them afterward? Does a California resident have to be staying in each room if they book 2 rooms (1 for us and 1 for them)? At this time, there are no SoCal discounts on hotels or tickets, but if there are at the time of your visit, they are only supposed to be used by the SoCal residents themselves, and Disneyland can ask to see your ID at anytime you enter the park to verify that you are a SoCal resident, so if you're not...there ya go.

4. Are there any threads that talk about the best way to tour Disneyland and California Adventure? I've heard that both parks are SUPER crowded compared to WDW because of how much smaller in size they are than the parks in Florida. If we can't see it all in 3 or 4 days (we have 2 young children so we'll be moving at a slow to moderate pace), my main concern would be to see World of Color, visit any attractions that we don't have in WDW or are very different than their Florida counterparts (like Space Mountain and Pirates). There are many, many great threads about touring plans, especially from Hydroguy. Explore here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1072276

5. What is the best time of year to go? I realize that most of the crowds are probably locals so I'm guessing mid-week is better than weekends. What about month of the year? Do the California crowds stay away more when it's colder like in Jan. Feb.? It's not really *cold* in January or February, I mean it will still be 60's, maybe even 70's. That is the low season for sure, but the low season also means that there are a lot of rides down for refurbs. If you want to come at a time that most rides are open, it's better to come during Spring break, summer, or Christmastime.

In your other post you mention that they don't have any fireworks or WOC in February. Disneyland doesn't usually have an updated event calendar until MUCH closer to the actual date (we're talking only a few weeks in advance), so those times are just not posted yet. WOC is still new and has been showing at least one show a night since it opened, with more on the weekends. In February, there likely won't be nightly fireworks, but they do have them on the weekends in the off-season.

I greatly appreciate any help I can get in this area. We have visited Disneyland before but it's been a number of years and this is the first time we'll be bringing our children. Thanks again!!

 

[Flitterific]

Hi! We're visiting DLR early in 2011 and would love some advice from the experts.

1. Where is the best place to stay? Are any of the Disneyland hotels within walking distance to the parks? Which is the least expensive? What are the benefits of staying in a Disney hotel rather than a 'good neighbor' hotel?

2. What is the best way to get park tickets? We'll most likely be there for three or four days and buy park hopper passes. Does DLR offer discounts when you book a room & ticket package like WDW does?

3. We have family that live in San Diego. As California residents, can they pass on any of their discounts to us? For instance, would it be better for them to pay for the accommodations and have us reimburse them afterward? Does a California resident have to be staying in each room if they book 2 rooms (1 for us and 1 for them)?

4. Are there any threads that talk about the best way to tour Disneyland and California Adventure? I've heard that both parks are SUPER crowded compared to WDW because of how much smaller in size they are than the parks in Florida. If we can't see it all in 3 or 4 days (we have 2 young children so we'll be moving at a slow to moderate pace), my main concern would be to see World of Color, visit any attractions that we don't have in WDW or are very different than their Florida counterparts (like Space Mountain and Pirates).

5. What is the best time of year to go? I realize that most of the crowds are probably locals so I'm guessing mid-week is better than weekends. What about month of the year? Do the California crowds stay away more when it's colder like in Jan. Feb.?

I greatly appreciate any help I can get in this area. We have visited Disneyland before but it's been a number of years and this is the first time we'll be bringing our children. Thanks again!!

Everything that sonnyjane said is correct. To add to what she said:

1. The hotels on Harbor Blvd are sometimes closer than the on-site Disney properties and definitely a lot cheaper. A lot of us on the boards love staying at HoJo, especially when they have the Entertainment Rate available (50% off the regular price, which makes it $59/night). Here is a map of all the hotels in the area: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=30833146&posted=1#post30833146 If you go to the DLR Info/Links sticky at the top of the threads, you can find reviews and pictures of various hotels that DISers have stayed at.

2. Disneyland.com is the safest and easiest way to purchase tickets. GetAwayToday.com and LastMinuteTravel.com sometimes offer bigger discounts on Disneyland tickets, but I believe they may also have fees that you need to take into account.

 

[Dizzy4DL]

I can't answer some of what you asked, but I can tell you what I know.

1. We went to DL in early Feb of this year and it was almost deserted on the weekdays. We walked right on many of the rides.

2. It rained heavily one afternoon while we were there, it was a freak storm and they shut the parks down early. Make sure you bring ponchos!

3. Most (if not all) shows will be playing during your visit. You may want to include a weekend day if you want to see Fantasmic! and the fireworks. Sometimes on the weekend they bring rides online that are in re-furb and then shut them back down during the weekdays.

4. Most people here prefer on-site hotels or HoJo's. We stayed at the Best Western Park Place and it worked out great for us. They have free breakfast and are the closest of the off-site hotels. Right across the street.

5. You will have no problem seeing all of the park(s) in 3-4 days at that time of the year. We were there 2 and 1/2 days and saw almost everything we wanted to. The more days the better though!

Have fun!

 

[Funball]

Thanks so much Sara! I actually do have a set of maps from my in-laws who live in San Diego... I thought the parks were more crowded than WDW because of their smaller size and higher percentage of local visitors, but I could definitely be wrong!

I was looking at the DLR park hours for Feb. and I'm SO surprised at how early they close and at how many attractions are closed/shows not playing. I thought for sure there would either be fireworks or World of Color each night, but there aren't ANY scheduled during the time we were planning to visit. Practically the entire reason I want to visit DCA is for World of Color and it will be incredibly disappointing if we don't see it. I REALLY hate to go during school holidays though because I've been to the Disney parks when they're crazy busy and it is not fun.

well the maps do change depending on how old they are. right now the have the parade routs and areas that are under construction

 

[tholczer]

Hi! We're visiting DLR early in 2011 and would love some advice from the experts.

1. Where is the best place to stay? Are any of the Disneyland hotels within walking distance to the parks? Which is the least expensive? What are the benefits of staying in a Disney hotel rather than a 'good neighbor' hotel?

My favorite is the Disneyland Hotel and it is the same distance from the parks as the Hojo. Plus you get the immersion and convenience of being on property.

2. What is the best way to get park tickets? We'll most likely be there for three or four days and buy park hopper passes. Does DLR offer discounts when you book a room & ticket package like WDW does?

You'll have to play around with the options. Book your hotel and tickets seperately and together to see what will give you the best deal.

3. We have family that live in San Diego. As California residents, can they pass on any of their discounts to us? For instance, would it be better for them to pay for the accommodations and have us reimburse them afterward? Does a California resident have to be staying in each room if they book 2 rooms (1 for us and 1 for them)?

As far as I know, there aren't any room discounts based on California residency. You can get AP discounts, but they aren't generally any better than whatever deals Disney is running on their rooms.

4. Are there any threads that talk about the best way to tour Disneyland and California Adventure? I've heard that both parks are SUPER crowded compared to WDW because of how much smaller in size they are than the parks in Florida. If we can't see it all in 3 or 4 days (we have 2 young children so we'll be moving at a slow to moderate pace), my main concern would be to see World of Color, visit any attractions that we don't have in WDW or are very different than their Florida counterparts (like Space Mountain and Pirates).

The parks are smaller, but not more crowded in my experience. Touring plans are pretty similar in both places - grab all the fastpasses you can in the am for the more popular rides, rest in the afternoon and use up the fastpasses in the evenings. If you have 3 to 4 days, you should be fine.

5. What is the best time of year to go? I realize that most of the crowds are probably locals so I'm guessing mid-week is better than weekends. What about month of the year? Do the California crowds stay away more when it's colder like in Jan. Feb.?

Saturday is always your busiest day, even though most of the AP's are blocked. Fridays and Sundays can be busy as well because of locals, but not as busy as Saturdays. Your best days are always going to be mid-week and far away from holidays so you can avoid the pre/post blackout crush that can happen (although not always) and the popular tourist seasons. It's always tough to balance trying to get there with smaller crowds, but maximizing park hours and entertainment. The second week of December is generally good for park hours and entertainment without the heavy crush of holiday crowds that come later in the month. If you really want to go low crowds, then the week after Thanksgiving or January are two good examples. But hours are limited.

I greatly appreciate any help I can get in this area. We have visited Disneyland before but it's been a number of years and this is the first time we'll be bringing our children. Thanks again!!

Good luck!

Tracy

 

[HydroGuy]

Lots of good answers so far! I would add a few comments.

1. Where is the best place to stay? Are any of the Disneyland hotels within walking distance to the parks? Which is the least expensive? What are the benefits of staying in a Disney hotel rather than a 'good neighbor' hotel?

Best is relative. Here some links on hotel locations:

"How Far Is It?" (shows actual distances in feet from hotels to DLR entrance plaza) www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=mm060329as

Anaheim Resort Map - http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...84&postcount=1

Interactive Map of DLR - http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=33.809...2&z=19&l=0&m=b

Benefits of the Disney hotels:

o Use of Magic Mornings each day it is offered
o More "Disney"
o Use of special entrance to DCA
o Early admittance to DCA to get WOC FPs
o Merchandise delivery to the hotel
o Use of "Disney Vacation Planning" services for booking tours and restaurants
o Can pickup tix for special reservations like Fantasmic Dessert right at hotel desk

Benefits of good neighbors:

o Lower cost

2. What is the best way to get park tickets? We'll most likely be there for three or four days and buy park hopper passes. Does DLR offer discounts when you book a room & ticket package like WDW does?

I have never seen the package price at DLR be cheaper than buying tix and hotel separately. Best way to get tix is from one of the reputable sellers - others mentioned a few. I like Ares. They are a few dollars cheaper than Disney.

All tix at DLR of two days or more are parkhoppers. No need to pay extra like WDW.

3. We have family that live in San Diego. As California residents, can they pass on any of their discounts to us? For instance, would it be better for them to pay for the accommodations and have us reimburse them afterward? Does a California resident have to be staying in each room if they book 2 rooms (1 for us and 1 for them)?

They can get cheaper tix in some cases but will need to travel with you for you to get those prices.

I have never seen better hotel prices for Cal residents so this is a non-issue.

4. Are there any threads that talk about the best way to tour Disneyland and California Adventure? I've heard that both parks are SUPER crowded compared to WDW because of how much smaller in size they are than the parks in Florida. If we can't see it all in 3 or 4 days (we have 2 young children so we'll be moving at a slow to moderate pace), my main concern would be to see World of Color, visit any attractions that we don't have in WDW or are very different than their Florida counterparts (like Space Mountain and Pirates).

DL and DCA are not any more super crowded than WDW. What is true is that especially in certain areas of the parks the walkways are narrower and can get very crowded in those specific areas. One especially bad location is known by some as the Adventureland Gauntlet - tends to be worst at night.

As for threads on how to tour here is a good place to start:

"A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

5. What is the best time of year to go? I realize that most of the crowds are probably locals so I'm guessing mid-week is better than weekends. What about month of the year? Do the California crowds stay away more when it's colder like in Jan. Feb.?

Best what? Low crowds? Maximum entertainment? Least rides refurbed? Warmth? Least chance for rain?

Here are some threads that may help:

"Choosing When To Visit DLR: Summary of High and Low Season and When Each Happens " www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36509602

"What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

 

[mjaclyn]

Thank you all SO Much for this information!! I spent a lot of yesterday afternoon reading Hydroguy's DLR threads and they were very helpful (and huge!) LOL

As far as 'best' time to go: I mean, least crowded but warm enough that I'm not freezing (60's during the day) and I'd like to at least see World of Color. I can deal with not seeing Fireworks, would like to see Fantasmic but it's not a deal breaker, but WOC would be a "Must Do" for us, probably every night we're there if it's playing. I was planning on staying Monday through Thursday or Tuesday through Thursday and doing two days at DLR and 1 Day at DCA. In your experience, will that be enough time to see most of what each park has to offer?

Although I would love to stay at one of the Disney hotels, I would probably go with the closest since we have two small children. (Not to mention that it's a HUGE price difference and much cheaper) I've looked at the information provided and I see that the Best Western Park Place is the closest to the parks. How does everyone like that hotel? Would you compare it to one of the WDW moderates?

Again I'd like to thank everybody for all of your help and information. I'm really excited to visit DLR!

 

[amamax2]

Excellent clarification! That helps enormously in giving opinions.

Like you, we always opt for least crowded, willing to give up Fantasmic, Fireworks, and possibly parades for small to non-exitstent ride wait times.

We have found the best times to go for us are:

1. days of week: Tues - Thurs

2.Months:
Jan, Feb, Mar - avoiding all holidays/Spring Breaks - sometimes there are conferences, so check on that; weather can be iffy, but you need to understand that SoCal weather is never too predictable, especially this time of year. We always swing from a few days of nice/warm weather to cooler weather, with occasional really hot or really cold.

May - mid-June - avoiding holidays. Weather is generally nicer, though mornings can be cloudy. May is probably our favorite time to go.

Early September - after Labor day. But September can be very hot.

We went to WDW end of September/beginning of Oct 2009. We chose that time because we read that was a period of low crowds. I can tell you, the time periods we go to DL are not close to being as crowded as WDW was. I do think DL gets as crowded as WDW during high season, but not low season.

As far as hotels, we stayed at a moderate - Caribbean Beach. Here we have stayed on-site, which of course is great, but also Candy Cane Inn and HOJOs. Candy Cane Inn decor reminds me of CBR, but either of these (and probably many of the Good Neighbor hotels) room-wise are going to be similar. They, of course, are just on a street, so not that whole immersive experience.

Two days at DL and 1 at DCA during a low crowd period is perfect - that is what we like to do. And since the two parks are literally a couple minute walk apart, you can go from one to the other easily if you want to.

HTH! Keep asking questions.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thank you all SO Much for this information!! I spent a lot of yesterday afternoon reading Hydroguy's DLR threads and they were very helpful (and huge!) LOL

As far as 'best' time to go: I mean, least crowded but warm enough that I'm not freezing (60's during the day) and I'd like to at least see World of Color. I can deal with not seeing Fireworks, would like to see Fantasmic but it's not a deal breaker, but WOC would be a "Must Do" for us, probably every night we're there if it's playing. I was planning on staying Monday through Thursday or Tuesday through Thursday and doing two days at DLR and 1 Day at DCA. In your experience, will that be enough time to see most of what each park has to offer?

Here are some weather averages which you can use to pick your month:

"Detailed Weather Data for DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=23004158

It appears for the time being that WOC will show nightly. However, there are some things broken on the platform - see http://miceage.micechat.com/allutz/al110910a.htm. So Disney could decide at any time to take WOC down awhile. If they do it will likely be January-March. If I had to bet I would say it will not happen early 2011 because it is too new and there is so much construction they need to keep WOC going.

Three total days in off-season should be plenty - and most of us would tell you to parkhop every day - not "2 days at DL and 1 at DCA".

If you stick to offseason week days like you are planning you should get the light crowds you are looking for.

Although I would love to stay at one of the Disney hotels, I would probably go with the closest since we have two small children. (Not to mention that it's a HUGE price difference and much cheaper) I've looked at the information provided and I see that the Best Western Park Place is the closest to the parks. How does everyone like that hotel? Would you compare it to one of the WDW moderates?

Never done a moderate at WDW but have done BWPPI several times. I think most would compare BWPPI more to a value at WDW. Hojo's might come closer to a moderate.

HTH