School me on Disneyland

[LadyLophofo]

Hi everyone! My name is Megan and this is my first post here. I hear you all are the best for Disney help. We are taking our first trip to Disney ever! I am so excited but oh so lost. It is me and my husband plus three little ones. I have a 6yr old girl a 4yr old girl and a 3yr old boy. We live in Utah so we will be driving. It is only a 12 hour drive for us. We want to go around the 7th or 8th of March. Please help me!

 

[QueenDoOver]

welcome aboard! Start with the stickies and then ask away!

 

[shyboy72]

Welcome to the DISboards.

 

[LuLusApple]

What exactly are you lost about? give us some idea what you would like to know and we can steer you towards the info or answer your questions

 

[rentayenta]

Living in Utah as well and making the drive many times before, I think it's important to break up the drive into 2 days especially with having young children at least on the way there.

As far as booking, Get Away Today is based in So Ogden but I have found their info iffy as far as hotel quality and location however their prices are pretty good.

For a first visit I would say 5 days would be perfect but with young kids 4 might work too as little kids do limit some of the attractions you can experience unless you each ride alone.

 

[Flitterific]

Hi and welcome to DISboards! Like a PP said, definitely start with the stickys and read Hydroguy's tips. A lot of us find his tips very invaluable. Learn about the Fastpass system, Magic Mornings (early entries) if you are staying at a Disney hotel (also available to those who buy 3+ day hoppers), read the food thread with pictures, and let us know what you have questions about

 

[JJZMgailey]

OMG! You will have so much fun!!! I would start with the Disneyland website first http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/home/home?name=HomePage & just read about all the options. There are only 3 Disney Resorts there - not sure if you want to stay on property or not. The great thing about Disneyland is that you have LOTS of choices with the Good Neighbor Hotels...really awesome & budget friendly!

A couple other awesome websites are www.allearsnet.com & www.mousesavers.com - really great info on both of those! Make sure you check out the restaurant menus on allears because you'll need to make dining reservations 90 days out at some of the popular character restaurants like Goofy's Kitchen. Blue Bayou is an amazing restaurant that we don't ever miss when we go...you could go there for lunch too...but you MUST make a reservation or you'll get stuck!

All of the specials right now are pretty much through the holidays but you'll be able to find some great deals in March. I was able to find quite a few of the Good Neighbor hotels that offered free parking too for your car & a lot of them are within walking distance of the parks.

One of the best things we did on our first trip to DLR (Disneyland Resort) when our children were small like yours was we brought a big carton of cheddar fishies & PBNJ tortilla roll-ups in our backpack every day so we always had plenty of snacks...water bottles too that we just refilled throughout the day (free)!!

So much fun is in the planning!!! Oh...and to the DIS!

 

[HydroGuy]

Here are some things to pay attention to:

o Early March is off-season. Advantages include lower crowds on weekdays. Disadvantages include reduced entertainment on weekdays. Choose the days of your trip carefully. See "What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

o Your kids will love the Aladdin show which only shows Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun at DCA. You may want to plan for that

o Get educated about Magic Mornings - see "Magic Morning (Early Entry) Super Thread" by DLR29 www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1675403

o Make sure you know about Jedi Training Academy and Princess Fantasy Faire - for JTA see "Jedi Training Academy Tips" by Hound 109 www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1478699

o Your hotel hotel choice can have a big impact on your trip. There are some good links in this thread: "HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

o Get comfortable with FASTPASS - see "FastPass for Dummies and Smarties - A Photographic Explanation" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1186052

Have a magical trip!