The vacation of a lifetime!

[Riahsha]

sweethannah
Great idea and because we've already saved the money we can pay them off as soon as we get home.

longtimedisneylurker
So, the MM isn't a voucher or pass? We have to actually use it before we trade in the ticket? The discounts will be wonderful! We have to try the Jazz Kitchen also.

krispin41
DH wants me to do a gift card for my souvenirs. No credit cards for that.

Sereina
Wonderful lunch and snack ideas! I had no idea about the musical chairs. Keep it coming! I hear there is some type of badge for them to earn and then a ceremony, or is that outdated information?

martikus
We know to check the schedule and want to see all the park entertainment. It's part of the magic of Disneyland, I'm sure. Thank you very much and I'm loving the thought of starting to make a tentative itinerary.

christinaspring
Thank you for the SD suggestions. I've been to both Sea World and the zoo. I actually prefer our local zoo. Have you ever heard of the Henry Doorly Zoo? It's wonderful and the best zoo I've ever seen! We're lucky enough to have a membership there every year. We saw pictures of the Lego Store in DTD and as the boys are just getting into Legos, it sounds like a great place to take them.

taaren
I went to the webpage with menus and have made a huge list of "to eat" places. We'll probably have the same problem you did even with 12 days. I agree with you about the sleeping in late. Who wants to get up at dawn while on vacation? That would be great if DCA has MM also when we go.

granismith
Meals take us forever, it seems. The boys can take a good hour to eat, which is hard sometimes when we have a schedule to keep.

Susie63
I'm sure we'll start out just taking pictures outside before we even go in. I don't want to just look in all the stores, I've already told DH (who gets bored when I shop) that I want pictures of all the storefronts in order. He likes the idea because he'll have something to do besides stand around and wait. Pressed coins would be great for the boys as souvenirs and they can put them in their scrapbooks. I was already thinking of postcards, but that would be great also. Thank you! and thank you for the welcome!

Goofy_Mom
After all the suggestions on here we will definitely trade for AP. DH will call Hojos because he's better about getting those deals. I read about sword in the stone on a website. I'm getting a bad feeling that a lot of my information is now outdated. Bummer! Where should I start with getting a recent list of attractions and entertainment? I read on one site that the penny arcade is gone, but then on another that it's coming back. Makes my head spin just trying to keep up. We're some out of touch adults. Our cell phones ring and we answer them. No special add-ons. When you say enjoy the hotels' amenities are you just talking about restaurants? I don't drink much either, but on vacation it might be nice to have one. We have a Joe's Crab Shack here...yummy! The boys can't run our vacation completely. We'd never eat or sleep if they did or we'd end up carrying heavy, sleeping boys to the hotel every day. I'm pretty much planning our days, just not packing things together.

Thank you all again! You'll probably be sick of me within a week. I'm already so excited!

 

[kailuagirl]

We do 6 days when we go and we still don't get to see or do everything that we want to so I can understand wanting to stay longer. But if you do, I suggest you do something in between for sure, and I really like the San Diego options. We've only been to Legoland so far and my daughter (4) loved it. So I would definetly try to figure out how to get a few days in there.

Have fun!!

 

[staley7580]

We have done long trips before too... and we love them. I would agree on Lego land though.. Your boys will be at the perfect age to just go bananas for it!! My oldest was 4 when we went and he and my husband had the BEST time. We are definitely going in October when we go back. Plus you can do just a one day trip down to San Diego for it..

The MM is something that is part of your ticket... Like.. when they scan your ticket when you go in in the morning, it will pop up something saying that you have either used your MM or not. I hope that made sense. 3am is NOT my best time. LOL!

 

[nunzia]

As much as I love DLR, I can't imagine spending 15 days there and 12 at the parks. Especially with 5 year olds who can't do all the rides. I'm just saying that is a lot of time and I suspect 6 days at the parks will be more than enough for your family - even on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

So since you are posting here looking for input, and you have a lot of time to plan before April, consider branching out and doing other things.

Best of luck to you!

I have to agree with this as well. Maybe you are planning for LOTS of downtime/pool time/ a movie at DTD, etc., but 12 days is really about double of what I'd think you'd need.. Since you have a car have you thought about a beach day or Sea World or LegoLand (which I HATED but bet with 2 5yo boys you'd love)or the SD Zoo ?
I'd also break the drive up to SF up staying a night someone by the beach, maybe hitting Solvang? Anyway..however you slice it it sounds like a wonderful trip!

OK..after reading more from OP and taking it S L O W just so many small details to take time to savor. Don't miss the Sleeping Beauty walk through at the castle and do every litttle ride and stop at every corner and tucked away place.OK..guess I could do 12 days at DLR..especially with Carsland opening and seeing all there is to see there. Don't miss all the little things to do in DCA at the Animation place, and yes, with 2 little boys I can see how the island could turn into a half day..do all the Penny Arcade machines (did I read they are reducing those? hope not)..maybe since you are there so long get a Hidden Mickey book and have a trip goal of finding them all?..let the boys shoot the rifles in Frontierland (I can't believe how much time all the grandkids want to spend doing that) and don't discount the Midway games at DCA..I never thought I'd spend money on those but my son and his family had a blast and came home with some pretty cool prizes. I hope you'll share your trip with us in a TR

 

[Susie63]

If you want all the information at your fingertips,I suggest picking up the "Unofficial guide to Disneyland".I would get a copy at the library and then pick up a new copy in the fall when the updated version with Carsland and all the changes at DCA are included.They have really good info about all the rides,height requirement,scary factor etc.
I used that and then when I needed more info on something I came here.The info is more in depth here ,but it can be pretty overwhelming when you have no idea what you are looking for.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

yes, I was talking about thier resturants, mostly. The common area of The Grand Californian has a great place to unwind with an adult beverage while the kids watch some old Mickey Mouse cartoons

The Unofficail Guide to Disneyland may be something to look into. It is a complete un-biased book on how to do Disneyland. They even have touring plans of the park that'll tell you which order to see the attractions and parades and have the lowest lines. They'ers also tips from other readers in there, off site hotel reviews

Stuff to do that's not on Disneyland.com's shedule: The piano/musical chairs at Coke Corner, see Push the talking trash can, The Jammitors (drummers banging on trash cans dressed up as janitors).

Other cool things: Ride in the Lily Belle car on the Disneyland Railroad. First thing in the morning report to the Main Street station and ask someone in the "ticket house" about gettin on the list. Ride in the wheel house on the Mark Twain. Ask the CMs at that attraction about that opportunity. Get a map of the Jungle Cruise. At the end of the "tour" ask a CM on the exit dock for one. These are all FREE.

If your kids are Star Wars fans, there is a Jedi Training Academy in Tomorrowland. The kids get to fight Darth Vador or Darth Mahl if they are chosen from the crowd to train to be Jedis. To help make this happen, arrive 30 minutes before the show and stake a spot on the tapped off line facing the stage. When they ask who wants to be a Jedi have your kids stand up and make lots of noise and jump up and down to draw attention to them. Some people make signs (I have never done this and still my kids got choosen). The large store in Tomorrowland has a build your own light sabor. It doesn't cost anything to be a jedi but you do have to pay for the sabor if you choose to build one.

I also highly recommend The Laughing Stock show and Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. Both of these will have show times on Disney's site and the shedule offered at the turnstiles in the parks. You can youtube both of these to get an idea of what to expect.

 

[Riahsha]

kailuagirl
DH wants to sleep on Saturdays and hang around the pool. That was pretty much the plan. If boys and I get restless we'll wander over to DTD to check out the Lego Store and have lunch.

staley7580
Our first day in the park is a Sunday, so we'll go early and have MM then. Thank you!

nunzia
We've watched some videos on YouTube that have the rider view. When we did PotC I asked them if they want to ride that. One twin says "Arrr, Matey!" Other twin says "Get the treasure map!" We laughed and I decided then we will do the Discover the Magic Tour on our first day at 10am. There goes 3 hours of our first day.
Hidden Mickeys would be a great thing for us! The boys and the rifles? Heh, they'll have to push their dad out of the way first. If people are interested in TR, you betcha! I will be keeping a journal while there.

Susie63
That's a great idea, thank you! I'll check out the book.

Goofy_Mom
Thank you! "...Push the talking trash can, The Jammitors (drummers banging on trash cans dressed up as janitors)." Where are those? The boys will be having us ride "Thomas" as they call it, several times a day I'm sure. Thank you for all the wonderful ideas! I bought the boys some Jedi costumes for dress-up in their playroom. Maybe we should bring those and they wear them the day we see that show.

 

[Susie63]

Do a search for Disneyland secrets on this board! There are all kinds of treasures in there!

 

[arthur06]

Our whole vacation is 23 days...15 at DLR, 3 in San Francisco, 2 in Willow Creek visiting relatives, and 3 driving round-trip from Iowa.

Hello Neighbor. We are from North Iowa.

We are going to DLR in November of this year. It will be our kids first trip there. Have a wonderful trip. Wish ours was a month too.

 

[Riahsha]

Susie63
Thank you! I took your advice and got quite a bit of reading done tonight. I made a list of things I found along with suggestions I've received in this thread.

arthur06
Hello to you, Neighbor! I'm in C.B. Just a bridge away from Omaha. You'll be going to DLR way before I will. Can I get a TR when you get back? I'm excited for you! You have a wonderful time!!!

 

[Sereina]

kailuagirl
"...Push the talking trash can, The Jammitors (drummers banging on trash cans dressed up as janitors)." Where are those?

They were called The Trash Can Trio and they play in Tomorrowland. I don't believe it's on the schedule, but the play on the weekends. We saw them a couple time on our last day, which was fun. I've heard of PUSH, but never seen it before. I'm pretty sure it's in Tomorrowland as well.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

They were called The Trash Can Trio and they play in Tomorrowland. I don't believe it's on the schedule, but the play on the weekends. We saw them a couple time on our last day, which was fun. I've heard of PUSH, but never seen it before. I'm pretty sure it's in Tomorrowland as well.

This is correct. I'm not 100% the Trio is still there. I haven't seen them since 2010, but they may be there. I do know that near Its a Small World they have a drum line type show with the drummers from the Soundsational parade (helpful hint: this is also a good area to watch the parade from). If you search youtube for "Disneyland Push" you'll be able to see some videos. I think Push as a cousin (talking recyle bin) in DCA near River Creek Challenge. You can also search Trash Can Trio on youtube. There is a similar show in DCA with the Green Army Guys, they show up near the Little Mermaid attraction if I'm not mistaken.

YES!!! Have your little Jedis wear their costumes for the Training Academy!! It'll help them get chosen. You can also have them on when they ride Star Tours, it may help one of them to be chosen to be the rebel spy. Just don't sit in the front row the attraction (still sit front row for the Training Academy), I've never seen a rebel spy in the front row.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Well, for us that is not too many days at Disneyland! We did 11 nights/days back in June of 2007. Awesome trip. We did that following three nights in San Diego. We did things at a very leisurely pace, spent a lot of time relaxing at our hotel (did two nights offsite at the Best Western, 9 nights at the DLH). We also went to Huntington Beach two days but both of those days also did the parks in the evenings. I'll add we had Deluxe AP's. As others have suggested, we started out with park hoppers, did the magic morning and then upgraded to the Deluxe AP. Wonderful discounts on dining and made us feel like we really got our money's worth. Especially since we went back for a long weekend before they expired a year later! We did do the park hopper so that on our offsite nights, we could do Magic Morning. This was the summer the Nemo subs had opened and we were desparate to ride them our first morning.

We love Disney, we have done 17 nights at WDW. We are never ready to leave. Now I know others differ but for us this works. I'll add these long trips are never "rope drop til closing" type days. We love to relax by the pool (and the Hojo has two great pools). We also enjoy doing dining inside the parks, at the resorts and at DTD. I will also add my fil was living in the area in those days and we had lots of time to spend with him. That turned out to be the last trip before he passed away so having all those nights and days there was really a winner for our family.

We did all sorts of things we usually don't do. Like Tom Sawyer's Island, all the shows, everything we can't get in during our nornal three or four day trips.

11 nights was great and I still cried when I had to go home!

And you have your car and if you so desire, you can easily venture to Legoland, beaches, whatever else you want to do. Or you can stay right there and quite possibly be very happy. But with a car, you have the flexibility to change plans and do other things at any time if need be.

Enjoy your trip and your planning!

 

[VallCopen]

I think your trip sounds just right... We have a 4,(almost 5 year old) and a teenager, and this year we are going for 13 days (last year we did 19). We are now DVC members and stay on site in the Villas and we just take our time. We enjoy a few hours in the park here and there, go back for naps in the afternoon, enjoy the pool and many great dinners around the resort. I think with little ones you can't have to much time....really who wants to go commando style with young ones and if you can afford to take the time off then go for it.

There are so many little details around the resort and it is fun to just take off for a walk, look around the hotels, pictures on the walls, or sit by some of the fireplaces with a drink and enjoy all the beauty. There is a beautiful deck on I believe the 4th floor of the Grand Californian Hotel that looks over the pools (maybe a piece of the park) with tables that is just fun to go sit and eat a packed lunch at. The fireplace at Disneyland Hotel at night when they have the live music at Trader Sam's playing is great. Sit in a rocking chair at the fireplace at the Grand around 8-8:30pm and let the children hear a story from the storyteller. If your kids will be 5 (I think you need a birthcertificate to prove their age) and they are not shy, The Grand has a workshop (childcare) called pinocchio's (a bit spendy) but it looks fun for the kids (movies, crafts, games, computers) then you and your hubby can go just around the corner to Napa Rose (spendy) for an amazing dinner. The workshop has huge windows so you can peak in and see how the kids are really doing without disturbing them and it is just across the courtyard from Napa Rose.

Whatever you do will be great because you are doing it as a family and well you are at Disneyland....

 

[mariezp]

Looks like I am going to have to throw in my 2 cents on this one! We have been making an annual trip for the last 10 years. We are booked this November for our 11th 2 week trip. This year we get to do Thanksgiving in the park! During our first few trips we did venture out away from the park and see some other things in the area. However, I would have to say out of probably our last 7 trips we decided we would rather just spend the entire time in the park instead of going anywhere else. Our actual days in the park have varied anywhere between 9 -15 days. Like you mention most of our days seldom begin at park opening, we usually take mid day breaks and we rarely stay until closing time. We have plenty of time to take the park at a leisurely pace, ride our favorite rides as many times as we want and if it gets too crowded or if the weather turns bad we can just call it a day and go back the next day. We can spend part of the day swimming, take in a movie, go bowling or just hang out at our hotel and relax and know even though we might not be in the park every moment that we do still have the option to be there. Saturdays is usually a good day to be out of the park. With 2 weeks worth of clothes my day is usually spent doing laundry. Bet yours might be too.

I too agree that the APs would be the best way to go for the number of days you will be there. With a deluxe there are most likely going to be a few blockout days in April on the weekends if you did change you mind and happen to want to be in the park. If you go with the Premium it is a few dollars more than buying the 6 day passes but you get the better discounts and free parking. IF there is any chance that you might get in another trip within a year you can really make it a great bargain. We always make sure to get 2 full trips on our APs so we end up averaging somewhere along the lines of 20+ days. I believe our last deluxe passes were $299 (yes, I know they have gone up quite a bit) which broke down to about $14.95 a day. Plus we do save quite a bit with the dining and shopping discount. (you also get a tour discount!) So in my opinion APs are totally worth it. Works as an excellent excuse to go back the following year too!

You have gotten some great advice. Lots of ideas on fun ways to spend your time inside the park. I am a big fan of shows too. Do try to catch Aladdin, Billy Hill and Playhouse Disney Jr. Also, the entertainers are all over the place and can be a lot of fun. Our favorite is Farley the Fiddler. He is hilarious and can play just about anything. Do take the time to do Musical Chairs. The kids will love it. I am pretty sure it is at 2:30 daily at Coke Corner. Your boys will also, no doubt, love spending lots of time on the Pirate Island and exploring Tarzan's Treehouse. Oh, and they just reopened the Penny Arcade! You can also ask to "ride tender" on the train. We have done the Discover the Magic Tour and it was a lot of fun.

I think you will be surprised that even with 15 days that there are not enough hours in a day to eat at every place you put on your list. Then again maybe it's because we love so many of the places at the park and in the surrounding area. I don't think I will ever get everything checked off my list! Our list of must haves include Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans, Plaza Inn, Stage Door Cafe, Wine Country Trattoria, Rainforest Cafe, Bubba Gump, Mimi's and, yes, even Denny's. We also do a lot of Papa John's pizza delivery. Oh, yes, thanks for reminding me Sereina! Don't forget the corn dogs! longtimedisneylurker, I would love to hear some more about the Jazz Kitchen Sunday Brunch. Always thought it sounded interesting!

Now as for character meals... my favorite was probably Storyteller's Cafe followed by either Plaza Inn or Goofy's Kitchen. Check with city hall and I believe they can give you a character list to track down the characters you don't find while you are dining.

Gift cards are an excellent way to save up money for your vacation fund. You can buy them at any Disney store or online. (they deliver for free) I make sure to set aside a certain amount each month so by the time we are actually in the parks I usually have pretty much all our meals and souvenirs covered. I also make sure to use my Disney Rewards Visa and rack up those points to apply to our travel funds as well.

Don't let folks get you discouraged about the length of your stay. When I was planning a trip to WDW several years ago I had many people telling me what I absolutely could and could not do. (In my case it was about whether or not I had to stay on site. I ended up going with my own ideas on that and everything turned out just fine.) Bottom line is you know better than anyone what works for you and your family. If you feel like taking a 15 day trip I am sure you will have an absolutely wonderful time! Having been there and done that I can tell you that you will be tuckered out by the time you get home but you darn sure won't have to wonder if you stayed long enough! And, there's a good chance that you will want to turn around sometime in the future and do it all over again.

 

[tanyaewa]

I am so jealous of your ultimate trip!
We have been with our boys - 7 and 9 twice in the past 3 years for5 days each and still not seen many, many things!

Here's a list of our top tips
1)See Jedi training twice. The first time let he boys watch the whole show and see how it goes and then the second time dress them in cute matching clothes and sit them up front do they can be chosen to be part of it. My boys LOVED it.

2)pick one sit down meal each day to work around. The rest can be on the go as needed.

3)bring a backpack with hoodies and long pants and stash it in the lockers on main street. I also put granola bars, camera, extra underwear and a clean shirt for the boys in there. At sundown we would stash the camera, hats and sunglasses and put on the warmer gear. VERY handy without having to carry it.

4) we allowed them to choose ONE treat a day. They could choose whatever and whenever they wanted it. It saved the continued asks. And they got smarter about the choices later on.

5)my boys really really disliked waiting for the night time shows like World of Color. F! too.
That are super easy going well behaved kids but they never really "got" what was so great about those shows. Be prepared for mutiny lol. It is a really long wait for kids and it's crowded and boring looking at adults' backs and bellies.

6) my boys had a fantastic time at all 3 character meals. We did Goofys kitchen for early 5pm dinner, last breakfast 10:30am at Surfs Up with Mickey, late breakfast 10am at Plaza Inn. They are all different in their own ways and worth every penny. The late breakfast worked for a big meal with just a light early dinner later.

7)I brought glow sticks and bracelets from the dollar store (kept them in locker until sundown) and gave them to the boys at twilight. That way they had a fun new glow-y thing without breaking the bank everyday. You will see that as the sun goes down the light up toys come out by he millions!

8)if you see a souvenir you love buy it right then. There are no better prices anywhere else and the selection varies by store even in DTD. It's a drag to try and chase down something you saw onece somewhere else! If you buy it... Stash it in your locker (see how useful they are!)

9)the boys will likely LOVE California adventure because it has all their favorite Pixar characters. I can only imagine how amazing it would be with Cars Land!

10) be prepared for your kids to fall into the game of getting autographs. I wasn't. I learned. Get that autograph album early. Carry it with you ALWAYS. Small camera too. There are characters everywhere. Especially at DCA. But.... they mostly go in after dark so you can stash it..... Guess where. There are still characters to be found at the gate end on main street though sometimes.

11) I am sure I'll think of more!

 

[mousefan5]

Hello fellow Iowan. I do love Henry Doorly Zoo but I have heard that the San Diego Zoo is amazing. My kids loved the zoo at that age. We just got back from a trip to Disneyland in March and had a blast. One thing that I did with my kids at that age is to have a letter scrapbook that I did. We either took pictures or I had them draw things that started with each letter of the alphabet. You will have plenty of days to work through the entire alphabet. I have some pretty interesting pictures of my kids. I love the pictures that my boys drew when they were young. Great mementos. Have a great trip.

 

[Riahsha]

Sereina
Thank you for the information. If they happen to be there when we are, we'll be sure to stop and watch.

Goofy_Mom
Thanks for the helpful hint about the parade! We'll let you know how the costumes work out.

Amy&Dan
We plan to take things that slow also. We've already decided to do Ariel's Grotto twice, breakfast and lunch. It's not so much that we eat a lot at one sitting. We're more like foodies and want to try everything.
"11 nights was great and I still cried when I had to go home!"
I can imagine I'll be the same way and the boys will have fits like home has suddenly become some evil place.

VallCopen
I'm so with you! When we first decided to take a Disneyland vacation we were going to do 8 days with a 6 day park hopper. I went to that site Touringplans and got an estimate for scheduling and we didn't like it. No way were we going to do things that fast. We would end up carrying the boys around and no one would have any fun. We doubled our trip length and already feel better just about planning.

mariezp
The only plan I made away from the resort was a lunch trip to Cabazon. The food is nothing to write home about, it's the view that's impressive and I wonder what my boys will think. I saw them so many times when I was a kid, but never got to stop and go in. We'll do that as a family now. That's planned for our first Saturday between park weeks.
I can imagine a lot of laundry also. Back to the mundane world.
I agree I've received wonderful advice on things to do and we will do many of those. I decided we'll do our Goofy's Kitchen dinner the night before we check out of the hotel. We have no plans to be in the park that day (a Saturday) so my boys will be feeling like it's over. This might perk them up.
Thank you for all the encouragement!

tanyaewa
Great idea about seeing Jedi twice! I wouldn't have thought of that. I've already bought the boys several souvenirs. I know my boys and pretty much know the kinds of things they'll want, so I packed a suitcase of just souvenirs for them (including their battery powered light sabers and glowy stuff. Much cheaper than Disney prices!
I bought the boys some Disney activity books for long waits. They can take them out of their packs and relieve their boredom.
We plan to do all the character meals also. Why choose just one when they have different characters at each?
Thank you for all the advice and I look forward to more!

mousefan5
YMMV, but as someone who has seen both IMHO our zoo is the better of the two. Great project idea!

 

[Isatricia]

Hello fellow Iowan. I do love Henry Doorly Zoo but I have heard that the San Diego Zoo is amazing. My kids loved the zoo at that age.

I have been to both zoos multiple times. Although I do like the Henry Doorly Zoo very much, I LOVE the San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park so much so that I had annual passes for the SD several years. I have never invested in annual passes for the Henry Doorly Zoo though we go a couple times a year.

Why are you considering this a one and only trip to DL? Your kids are little yet.

 

[Riahsha]

Isatricia
The kids are little, but their mama has cancer.