Sydney to Disney... overwhelmed! (Feb 17 PTR?)

kaitmaree

Mouseketeer
Joined
Sep 16, 2016
I've been wanting for a trip to LA/Disney for much of my life and I've finally found the time and funds for a trip to February with my mother. We plan on meeting some friends there (one from Kansas City, the others from the greater LA area) and hopefully staying together at an Airbnb in Anaheim.

The thing is, the most we could have would probably be eight days. 3-4 nights in Anaheim and the rest in LA on the way back. Is this enough time, are we kidding ourselves? I've never planned an international trip before, I have a fear of flying but I so want to make this work.

Any first/brief trip tips? :eek:
 
If you're OK with a quick whirlwind trip to just do a few sightseeing activities that are of most interest to you then that is fine. Having said that you do need to know that Anaheim and LA are quite a distance apart so you would be better to just choose one if you've only got 3-4 nights. As this is a Disney forum I assume Disneyland is your priority so 3-4 nights in Anaheim would be your best bet. I did that for my first trip and didn't feel too rushed (although it wasn't peak season).

I've learnt that I don't like moving around too often and staying at least 3 nights in each place is ideal. Moving hotels every 1-2 nights quickly becomes tiring and eventually you get sick of travelling between places rather than really enjoying each place.

Hopefully you will learn that flying isn't so bad or at least find some techniques to manage your fear and then next time you can go to LA and see one spot there.
 
If that's the amount of time you've got, then go for it. Longer is always better, but 8 days is better than none. We stay in Anaheim the whole trip and hire a car to do LA etc, but lots of people spend a few nights in LA and a few nights in Anaheim.
 
2 1/2 to 3 full days in Disney (transfer to LA late pm/eve eg) is sufficient for the highlights and a feel for the atmosphere if that is all the time you can spare. LA itself may be a let down though. Make sure you read others posts about best places to stay in LA itself (in one of the popular hotels near Highland and Hollywood is probably best as it is on the tourist bus routes, shopping centre and eateries on your doorstep, close to all the iconic sites but your US friends may have other advice). Depends what you wanted to see in LA? It would make your life easier in Anaheim too if the AirBnB is walkable distance to DL.

We find watching the movies and TV sitcoms (very good distractions) are the best way to cope with the long flights but I know others say take sleeping pills and sleep - different things work best for different people. Decent earphones to block the background drone of the plane whether watching or sleeping is good. Really think of it like going to a cinema and sitting watching a movie marathon. I hope it all goes well for you.
 


I would do 5 nights in Anaheim and 3 in LA. Not sure what you've got planned in LA, but there is no way I could fill more than a couple of days there. I would also start with LA. You can deal with any potential jetlag there, then finish on a high at Disneyland :thumbsup2

Something to be aware of is that Anaheim is changing its laws on holiday homes, so it's possible that you will start having some trouble finding Air BNBs near Disneyland. FWIW, we stayed in a very handy one just across the road last year, that we booked through VRBO (like the American specific version of Air BNB). I've got pictures etc in my TR if you're interested, but I'm not sure when these new laws will come into affect, and exactly how they will change things. Worth keeping an eye on.

As far as the flight is concerned, definitely get some noise cancelling headphones. I always find it helpful to be able to block out all the usual plane sounds (which are all perfectly normal and acceptable, but tend to worry me anyway). As Wendy says, the entertainment system is a useful distraction. Or you could try something a bit relaxing if you think it would help, like an adult colouring book or perhaps a guided meditation. Take some kwells, just in case you worry yourself sick. You don't want to have to deal with being worried AND sick! I hope you'll find that it isn't as bad as you're expecting it to be, I know it wasn't for me :goodvibes
 
Congratulations on your first trip! So exciting.

8 Days will give you a nice taste of Disney and LA. Here's my two cents for what it is worth...

  • 3 Days in Disney a group of you with park hoppers (the park entrances are only 50m, if that apart) should to the trick
  • Grab a park map and have plan on what you want to do each day before you arrive and plan your fast passes
  • It will be busy in Feb so rope drop and ride while it is a bit quieter in the mornings
  • Have lunch a bit early so you aren't trying to get a table at peak time
  • Comfortable shoes and sunscreen (don't forget lip balm), plus a small zip up cross body bag for your money, phone etc
  • Get the memory maker photo package. I know it's not cheap but it's a great way to get a lot of photos with everyone in them


With LA I'd second the advice of staying near Highland and Hollywood. That puts you close to everything. Our first trip we stayed downtown, rookie mistake! With 4 days left you could easily see all the main attractions using the tours - the hop on hop off bus was great and we did another that took us to Venice beach etc. Here is a link to the LA Metro if that is more your thing - https://www.metro.net/riding/ (if you do use their new subway system, check out the fantastic art in the stations)


Flight hints...

  • Wear comfortable clothes that you can nap in easily and maybe take a light wrap for extra snugglyness. I'm also a fan of changing into my "flight shoes" once onboard - for me these are cookie moster blue fluffy slippers, you might like to choose something a little less loud! LOL
  • I watch movies until I fall asleep, comfortable noise cancelling headphones are great for this
  • Take some moisturiser, a tooth brush (you can buy small toothpaste tubes the other side of customs) and some baby wipes to help you feel fresh on the trip
  • Have a pen handy, you'll need it for filling in the forms prior to landing for customs
  • Take your own snacks
  • Invest in some compression socks or stockings to cut down on possible leg/ankle swelling and make sure you move and stretch during the flight
  • Drink plenty of water in the air
  • Download some soothing music to listen to if you get nervous

Random tips

  • Make sure you have US $ when you land and keep $1 bills separate so you have them handy for tipping - take care, all the money looks the same, it's easy to hand over a $10 instead of a $1. I keep my $1 in my front pocket so I'm not dipping into my purse all the time.
  • Buy some bananas, apples etc and keep them in your room.
  • Walmart is great for picking up cheap hair dryers, T Shirts and snacks. They also have cheap sports bags so you can bring back all the shopping you'll do! :thumbsup2
  • Take more than one credit card just in case. We use the AMEX first when we travel but have the Visa as a back up - last trip AMEX picked up fraud activity while we were three weeks into a five week trip. It only took two days to get a new card, but we had the Visa to back us up in the mean time.
  • If you are a Costco member here, you can also shop at Costco in the USA
  • Google maps is a great way to plot what you want to see and to share with the people you are traveling with so they can also add items


HTH and have a fabulous trip!
 
Not a huge fan of LA. 2-3 days there would be sufficient imo, but it depends on you personally. 3 days minimum at DLR though. Preferably 3 FULL days (which is 4 nights). Good luck!
 


Belatedly, thank you all for the wonderful tips. I am getting more and more excited (and less anxious!) to see Disney thanks to you all.
 
Just wanted to update you all. I've booked my flights! I paid extra for an exit row seat on the way over so I can stretch out and breathe a little more with my flight anxiety.

Our time is even more limited than I thought so we're probably only going to have 2 days at Disneyland and DCA. :sad1: A little disappointing but better than nothing! We will have part of the day we arrive to check out DTD, too. I went ahead and booked our Airbnb, since it seems like they're more likely to fill up than our LA options.

I've been reading trip reports and watching so many videos I've lost track. 134 days from today we board our flights! :cloud9:
 
It's good when plans start to firm up, while they might not end up exactly how you may have thought they would, it lets you then get on with other things and enjoying the anticipation and then ultimately the holiday itself!
 
It's good when plans start to firm up, while they might not end up exactly how you may have thought they would, it lets you then get on with other things and enjoying the anticipation and then ultimately the holiday itself!

Exactly! I've set a countdown on my phone and the days are actually passing more quickly than I thought they would...

Just wondering what kind of payment my fellow Aussies prefer to use in the US/Disney? I have some US cash set aside but am contemplating getting a travel card and putting some on there.

ETA: Oh, and we booked out LA Airbnb so all that's left are Disney tix, ESTA and then the incidentals once we get there!
 
I take cash and use a 28 Degrees MasterCard. I've now also got a Citibank Plus ATM card. Both have now fees and good conversion rates. Most places will take credit cards.
 
How exciting! Once the flights are booked the rest is fun, like a jigsaw, putting all the pieces in place.
We take cash (about $1000 between us to start with), an ATM card to get more cash and our citibank debit card with no foreign transaction fees, we also take our usual visa card too for a backup emergency plan.
 
How exciting! Once the flights are booked the rest is fun, like a jigsaw, putting all the pieces in place.
We take cash (about $1000 between us to start with), an ATM card to get more cash and our citibank debit card with no foreign transaction fees, we also take our usual visa card too for a backup emergency plan.

I'll definitely have a backup, although we're going to have to be very careful to stick to our budget! It's definitely exciting, I feel like a kid before Christmas.
 
Here's a slightly silly update! Went in on a group order for Jamberry to wear to Disney and these were my final choices:

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We use the commonwealth bank travel card, loaded with US dollars, we keep cash on hand for small purchases and keep the card for large purchases, ATM withdrawals only cost $2 from memory and we only did 2 of those last time we visited.

As for fear of flying, I hate it too, when the plane begins to shake during turbulence, I close my eyes and repeat in my head "I am on a train" over and over and over. It doe help....oh and I also NEVER look out the window.

You will have an awesome time

We have 138 days till we return
 
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We use the commonwealth bank travel card, loaded with US dollars, we keep cash on hand for small purchases and keep the card for large purchases, ATM withdrawals only cost $2 from memory and we only did 2 of those last time we visited.

As for fear of flying, I hate it too, when the plane begins to shake during turbulence, I close my eyes and repeat in my head "I am on a train" over and over and over. It doe help....oh and I also NEVER look out the window.

You will have an awesome time

We have 138 days till we return

I'll be grabbing a travel card once I have a little more money saved up, then!

Smart tip re: not looking out the window! I'm happy to give up the usually-favoured window seat for an aisle in the middle... I have pretended to be on a bus before so I love this idea.

Hope you have an amazing time and I trust that you will!
 
So the reason our days in LA/Disney are so limited are because of my mother's work... but she's suggested we extend a couple days (we can change the flights at no cost.) Not sure if it'll mean more time at Disney or just a bit more time to explore LA, but yay! Hopefully we can make it happen. :tigger:
 

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