Quick Questions

[pennyring]

My kids liked bugs land. Especially the spray park. We brought swim suits once for the spray park, but there isn't a close by washroom to change them.

There is literally a bathroom RIGHT THERE beside Dot's Puddle Park. I just have to say this because the previous statement is absolutely false.

 

[RayB]

This might be off topic a bit but would you consider the Tropicana Executive Suite.Its blocks closer for a nap, it faces the parks and has balconies to watch, two tvs, tow baths, one with large garden tub.I thas a pull out sofa, a king bed, microwave, fridge, etc We ordered Pizza Hut a couple of time delivered whiel we napped and took a swim..I get why people love the Hojo but man its like another 3 blocks each way.That alot pushing a stroller.

I also like the suggestion to switch the CA day here.Also if you will sit further back like the suggested one your kids will not be scared and you can still see the characters.I am not much for sitting on the ground or standing up and you can save a table , have dinner and maybe a ride or two while someone saves the table.

And for world of color buy the picnic with fast pass and skip the line as well.

 

[smallsteps]

This might be off topic a bit but would you consider the Tropicana Executive Suite.Its blocks closer for a nap, it faces the parks and has balconies to watch, two tvs, tow baths, one with large garden tub.I thas a pull out sofa, a king bed, microwave, fridge, etc We ordered Pizza Hut a couple of time delivered whiel we napped and took a swim..I get why people love the Hojo but man its like another 3 blocks each way.That alot pushing a stroller.

I also like the suggestion to switch the CA day here.Also if you will sit further back like the suggested one your kids will not be scared and you can still see the characters.I am not much for sitting on the ground or standing up and you can save a table , have dinner and maybe a ride or two while someone saves the table.

And for world of color buy the picnic with fast pass and skip the line as well.

It's no problem, I welcome all suggestions . I did a lot of research and was actually debating between the Residence Inn and Hojo.

Residence Inn:
Pro's: 1 bedroom suite (so separate sleeping quarters if we decide to go to bed later), full in-room kitchen, close to the Garden Walk, good continental breakfast included, free parking, free wifi
Negatives: a little far to walk to the parks (therefore would have to pay extra for the shuttle and lugging a double stroller on and off would be a pain), price was on the high end of our budget

Hojo:
Pro's: across the street from the park (albeit not Best Western , but still walking distance), excellent pool (which is a plus as we will be in town on the 23rd and the 27th without park passes), free parking, free wifi
Negatives: no continental breakfast, some rooms don't have microwaves, and we could only book a standard room (meaning shared space with our crazy girls).

Thank you so much about the picnic idea! I keep forgetting about that! Where do we buy them and where can I find more info about it?

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

There is literally a bathroom RIGHT THERE beside Dot's Puddle Park. I just have to say this because the previous statement is absolutely false.

Yes. It's directly across from the okay area. Also there's a family bathroom there.

 

[Pesky]

Oh, I do have one more question .

I filled up the touring plans with my "musts," but there are a lot of vacant blocks of time. I figured that was important with two youngsters and their unpredictability (maybe they want to ride something multiple times, maybe there's a ride that catches their eye that I didn't plan on my touring plan, maybe we have to leave the park for whatever reason, etc.). Is this a bad idea or should I come up with a list of "maybe" rides so we are not stuck with all this extra time?

I'd definitely have an idea of fallbacks and an idea of wait times for those. Things that are more mellow generally:
* DLRR (although the dino scenes in between ToonTown and MainStreet can freak some small kids out)
* Mark Twain steamboat -- easy cruising
* Tom Sawyer island -- good place without too much stimulation to blow off steam
* just hanging out by the ROA to watch the ducks and birds
* quieter spots which you may find around the castle, tucked in some of the smaller offshoots of busier places (Court of Angels, small places off Main Street)
* quieter rides or activities -- Storybook Canal boats, IASW, carousel, Pixie Hollow m&g

I'd look around and have some good fun fall-back rides or things to do (petting area in BTR) and also have some downtime factored in to keep them going for a bit without being overwhelmed.

 

[smallsteps]

I have found that my kids are so worn out after a day at DLR, they will go to sleep with no problem!

I'm not a big believer in a touring plan with little ones. Our MO is to hit the rides that get long lines later first (if they want to go on them, if not, skip it!) and then wander and let them pick what they want to do.

One thing a lot of people skip is Redwood Creek Challenge Trail at DCA . . . don't miss it! It's so nice just to wander and let them use their imaginations for a bit. It's a nice respite from the crowds and a great place to go when lines are long for the other attractions.

Wow great suggestions and tips. I am a planner by nature but after going through all the rides with a fine tooth comb, I realized that we aren't really going to know what everyone will want to partake in until we are actually there. That's why I singled out every "must" ride and added them to the touring plan. The plan is to fill in the blank spots with breaks, other rides we come across and repeated rides

 

[smallsteps]

I'd definitely have an idea of fallbacks and an idea of wait times for those. Things that are more mellow generally:
* DLRR (although the dino scenes in between ToonTown and MainStreet can freak some small kids out)
* Mark Twain steamboat -- easy cruising
* Tom Sawyer island -- good place without too much stimulation to blow off steam
* just hanging out by the ROA to watch the ducks and birds
* quieter spots which you may find around the castle, tucked in some of the smaller offshoots of busier places (Court of Angels, small places off Main Street)
* quieter rides or activities -- Storybook Canal boats, IASW, carousel, Pixie Hollow m&g

I'd look around and have some good fun fall-back rides or things to do (petting area in BTR) and also have some downtime factored in to keep them going for a bit without being overwhelmed.

Thanks so much! You gave excellent suggestions! Even I get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of rides! I keep reading about them and I think my kids will like each and every ride/show, so I have to scale back and prioritize without over-booking.

 

[DisSarahK]

You can watch ALL of Fantasmic on YouTube to get an idea of whether or not it is appropriate for your children. I watched it (and was amazed by it!) and sadly realized that my little boy would be terrified by it. I'm so glad I took the time to watch it.

 

[squirrel]

We chose Desert Inn & Suites for the room, location and price.

We will have 2 rooms and the kids will each have there own bed and so will my mom and I. I think they will be tired enough that they won't bother each other when they are in bed. If not we can move one into the other room (oldest) until the younger one is asleep.

For some the indoor pool might be a negative. On my two previous trips to DLR I never even saw the pool at BWPPI, so it makes no difference to me. We know that the breakfast is more sparse than the continental breakfast at BWPPI but with the money we save we can order some things for the room and supplement the breakfast.


I fairly certain the picnic meal for WoC doesn't help that much. You still get a colored section like the Fastpass, not a reserved area. So you would still want to line up early for a decent spot.

 

[smallsteps]

We chose Desert Inn & Suites for the room, location and price.

We will have 2 rooms and the kids will each have there own bed and so will my mom and I. I think they will be tired enough that they won't bother each other when they are in bed. If not we can move one into the other room (oldest) until the younger one is asleep.

For some the indoor pool might be a negative. On my two previous trips to DLR I never even saw the pool at BWPPI, so it makes no difference to me. We know that the breakfast is more sparse than the continental breakfast at BWPPI but with the money we save we can order some things for the room and supplement the breakfast.


I fairly certain the picnic meal for WoC doesn't help that much. You still get a colored section like the Fastpass, not a reserved area. So you would still want to line up early for a decent spot.

Yes I just discovered this gem a couple of days ago via a post on Disboards and it's really tempting. It's actually crossed my mind to cancel our reso at Hojo and get a suite at Desert Inn. The main negatives I found were that the wifi and parking are not free, so that would put the price similar to Hojo. I guess at that point we have to decide what's more important....a cool kids pool for our days off or a suite with separate sleeping quarters....ahh! It's so difficult to decide! Is it warm enough at the end of April to even swim in California???

 

[starshine514]

Yes I just discovered this gem a couple of days ago via a post on Disboards and it's really tempting. It's actually crossed my mind to cancel our reso at Hojo and get a suite at Desert Inn. The main negatives I found were that the wifi and parking are not free, so that would put the price similar to Hojo. I guess at that point we have to decide what's more important....a cool kids pool for our days off or a suite with separate sleeping quarters....ahh! It's so difficult to decide! Is it warm enough at the end of April to even swim in California???

Wifi is free at DI&S, but parking is $8/day and there is a $4 resort fee (I think of it as a breakfast fee ) The location, however, cannot be beat!

We've been twice in May, and it wasn't swimming weather for us. So, I'm not sure that Hojo's pool area would be a draw for us during April.

 

[squirrel]

For us the C1 Family Suite was just over $100 a night. I didn't price out HoJo's as my mom wanted close.

DI&S does have free WiFi. We won't have a car, so we should get that fee off on our reservation. It's still a bit cheaper with the parking fee than BWPPI.