So many questions....

[djmatthews]

OK. Next year we are planning a trip to the West Coast USA. We will be ending our two week trip in LA, and certainly plan to visit Disneyland Resort of course. Our check out day will be Sunday 23rd October 2005, with a flexible check-in day.

So, based on this my questions are:

• How many days will we need for the two parks?
  At this time of the year will the evening entertainment - Fantasmic, Electrical Parade and Fireworks be on?
  Are there likely to be any offers on rooms for the Disney hotels, and at what point will they get booked up?
  Should we stay off site and have more spending money, or have a once in a lifetime experience in Disneyland?
  What is the weather like mid-October, and how are the crowds, I realise Disneyland will be 50, do you think this will effect the crowds?
  Looking at the Travel Channel documentaries I really fancy Napa Rose, what prices are we looking at for this - are there any "menu websites"?
  Will Space Mountain be open?

Any answers and help will be much appriciated.... and I'm sure there will be many questions later on

- D

 

[iceskatejen]

1. At least 3 days--2 for DL, 1 for DCA, but longer would be better.

2. The Electrical Parade should be running on weekends, as for Fantasmic and Fireworks, during the off-season it's usually one or the other.

3. Don't know

4. Really don't have an opinion here since I live locally and have never stayed in any of the nearby or on-site hotels.

5. Usually October is still warm during the day--mid to upper-70s would be normal, but can be cooler. It will get quite cool in the evenings. It's often very windy. This year at that time it was raining like crazy, but that's unusual. I think a lot of the craziness will have died down by then, but if they do HM Holiday again, that always brings in more people. Also, weekends are generally crowded regardless of time of year.

6. Don't have that info, but I'm sure someone else does.

7. Don't know--could open in May, might open in July, might not open until Nov.

 

[only1mouse]

1. as iceskatejen mentioned at least 3, but a longer stay would be better.

2. Typically during this time of year there are several rides/shows shut down for refurbishment. Because this is during the 50th, it's pretty hard to say what will be running and what won't.

3. There are promotions happening all the time for the hotels, and especially in the off season. You could book a room right now and keep checking on the discounts - and if something better comes up, you can change your reservation.

4. I would stay on-site, if you can get a good rate and can afford it. The total Disney experience is well worth it. As far as what hotel, my preferences are a. GCH, b. DLH, c. PPH.

5. As far as the weather, I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and think that the weather in SoCal is always nice, it never get's cold, and rains rarely. So, it all depends on what you are used to. As for the crowds, it is typically off-season, but again, this is during the 50th so who knows.

6. mouseplanet.com has some great information on the restaurants. unfortunately, it's been down for the last several days.

7. Currently Space isn't scheduled to open until November, but that could change and open earlier or later.

You'll have a blast whatever you choose. Enjoy your time on the West Coast.

 

[missmulan]

2 days at DL and 1 at DCA is fine.

I'm local so I can't compare on-site/off site properties but i do know that the "good neighbor" hotels that disney partners up with have met the standards to be referred & called a "good neighbor".

if you stay off site be sure they have shuttle service to DL.

 

[Buttercup26]

I would plan on spending 3 - 4 days at the parks. My family tends to go to Disneyland in the morning and evening and to DCA during mid-day. Although we always do one evening in DCA for the electric light parade, my daughters favorite!! We don't necessarily do just one park per day (the entrances to the two parks are just minutes apart).

It is an 'off' season time for the parks, so you probably won't have all the shows and parades that you would during peak season. The electric light parade will probably only be Friday & Saturday evenings. Although since it's the 50th it's hard to predict exactly what will be going on. Space Mountain is still scheduled to be under refurbishment, perhaps you'll get lucky and it open early while you are there!

There is almost always some type of discount offer, if you want to stay onsite book early and keep checking for discounts.

Should you choose to stay off-site, I highly reccommend the Anaheim HoJo (Howard Johnson). It is considerably less expensive than any of the DL resort properties. It is about 7-10 minutes walk to the main gates of the parks. It is a very clean and well maintained hotel. If you stay in the tower building you can request a room with a view of Disneyland. It overlooks the Matterhorn and most of Tommorowland. Since we discovered the HoJo, we no longer stay anywhere else. http://www.hojoanaheim.com/index.html

The weather should be fairly nice, in the 70's. I live in Washington state and always appreciate fall in Anaheim, much warmer than in Washington!