Thinking about a 1st trip to DisneyLand. Many questions!

[irlandaise]

As far as park hopping… I wouldn’t recommend it full time. If I were you, I would focus on one park each day to start and then park hop on your last park day.

Adding PH on the last day may not save them any money. "No matter how many days your Disneyland Resort multi-day theme park tickets are good for, the current difference in price* to upgrade from one-park-per-day tickets to Park Hopper tickets is the same. Whether you are upgrading a two-day ticket, a three-day ticket, or even a five-day ticket, the additional cost to upgrade all of the days of your ticket to Park Hopper is the same, assuming you upgrade to a new ticket with the same number of days as the original." (https://plandisney.disney.go.com/qu...disneyland-ticket-park-hopper-one-day-549217/)

They could buy a separate one-day hopper ticket on the last day, but because one-day tickets are the costliest per day, that may not save them any (or much) money over adding PH to a multi-day ticket. @mikewdw, you'll want to cost that out. As others have noted, it's so easy to hop at Disneyland that most people enjoy having the flexibility. BTW, the standard recommendation is for at least three days at the parks. Even if you have hoppers, you need to reserve a starting park, so consider DL-DCA-DL for three days.

Crowd patterns are very different at DL! Yes, summer vacation matters, but so do the blockout days for local residents who have annual passes (Magic Keys). Local attendance is a much bigger factor at DL than at WDW. You can get an idea about when many MK holders are blocked from coming to the parks by reviewing this calendar page:

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/blockout-dates/

What is your price range for hotels? There are many along Harbor Blvd. that are just fine and an easy walk to the DL entrance. The Candy Cane Inn is a little further down the street but has its own shuttle. (Don't let the kitschy name turn you off; it isn't decorated like candy canes and it's very highly respected among DL visitors.)

I think the most important thing to note is that although Disneyland does require planning, it requires much less than WDW. So don't stress out; gather information and then plan to have a wonderful time at the original Disney park!

 

[OlliePop27]

Yesterday and today were the most crowded I’ve seen the parks in a long time. I get that yesterday was a Federal holiday, but considering the lowest two MK are blacked out, and the lowest allegedly houses the majority of MK users, I’m stunned.

It is important to remember DL closed early twice this week plus the holiday. Any early closures of DL ALWAYS mess up crowds. I believe that is a big reason why Thursday in particular was so crazy. People avoided earlier in the week and all came on Thursday.

 

[LKing]

You have received some great advice. Here are my two cents:

Basic plan --- fly in. 4-5 days at DL and maybe 1-2 days on other outside activities ( tours, other sights to see etc). Really enjoy trip but also save money on things not worth the cost for the level of enjoyment

If this is a once in a lifetime trip and then you are going to be back at WDW, I would definitely spend the 4-5 days.
As far as things to do outside of the parks, my recommendations would be the following.

1. California beaches
2. Disney Studios Tour - reservations open a few months in advance.
3. Warner Brothers Studio Tour
4. Academy Motion Picture Museum/Petersen Automotive Museum/LACMA/La Brea TarPits - All within a couple blocks of each other. The Grove/Farmers Market is also very close.
5. Hollywood Walk of Fame (horribly grungy but something that you should see if you aren't coming back to LA), hike to the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory
6. Other regions to explore: The Natural History Museum, the California Science Center with the Endeavour (should be open by next summer), George Lucas Museum (opening in 2026), Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and USC are all within a few blocks of each other.
7. If you like sports, SoFi, Intuit Dome, and Angel Stadium all offer tours. Personally, I think SoFi's tours are the best.
8. Santa Monica/Venice Beach - kind of iconic but very urban and can be grungy.

Other #1. #5, and #8, none of the above are cheap. Accommodations and transportation will need to be taken into account. There is another forum called California & the West where you will find more discussions and tips about exploring other areas.

Trip dates --- I know around Memorial Day is not the least crowded time but my wife and I are both teachers so we a set in a summer vacation timeline . Would later in the summer be better?
Onsite hotel vs off site - is cost/convenience worth it?

My opinion is to save money on accommodations so you can spend it on other things. The offsite hotels near Disneyland are much more convenient than off site hotels at WDW.
Regarding dates, I am local and visit Disneyland regularly. We didn't hit summer crowds until this week. If you visit in early June, I think you will be fine. July is also a good month to visit.

meal plan (if available) - what type at DL

Disneyland Resort does not offer meal plans.

Transportation there -- if off site is vastly cheaper what about transportation to parks?

Several off site hotels are closer than the Disneyland Hotel or Pixar Place Hotel. For those off site hotels, you can just walk. Some hotels that are farther away offer a shuttle. Others are close to ART stops or the Toy Story parking lot. Guests can walk to the Toy Story parking lot and take the bus to the park. Hotel Shuttles, ART, and Toy Story busses, all drop off just outside of the park entrance.

Must see shows/fireworks/experiences

We have a few discussion threads on this topic. Here is a general list of what is available in the parks in June, 2025. Some entertainment will be gone or replaced with new entertainment by next summer. I am going to assume that Paint the Night will still be happening. If so, "must see" entertainment includes:

• Paint the Night
• Fantasmic
• Wondrous Journeys Fireworks
• World of Color (DCA)

Park hopper tickets? --- would it be worth if for new visitors or should we stick with one park per day?

If you are staying 4-5 days, I think park hoppers will be worth it. It is unfortunate that you can't just add it for a couple of your park days.
LLMP - I agree to add that by the day. Do one day in each park without LLMP. Learn the layout of the parks and the attractions that you want to book LL for. Learn how and when to book attractions, how to modify, etc. so that you can optimize your LL days.

Regarding LAX. There are large threads about that as well. My opinion is to save money on the flights so that you can use it for other activities. Los Angeles County has twice the population of the entire state of Alabama. You are traveling to a large, very diverse, metropolitan area. LAX is a large airport. Take your time, get your bearings and you will be fine.

 

[LKing]

It is important to remember DL closed early twice this week plus the holiday. Any early closures of DL ALWAYS mess up crowds. I believe that is a big reason why Thursday in particular was so crazy. People avoided earlier in the week and all came on Thursday.

I agree, although Thursday was also Juneteenth. I was in the parks on Monday this week and again yesterday (June 20). It was very crowded in both parks yesterday. Based on wait times today, it looks like today will be crowded as well.

OP this is for 2025 but might give you an idea of what to expect in 2026. https://www.disboards.com/threads/disneyland-resort-calendar-2025.3963816/

 

[irlandaise]

If this is a once in a lifetime trip and then you are going to be back at WDW, I would definitely spend the 4-5 days.
As far as things to do outside of the parks, my my recommendations would be the following.

1. California beaches
2. Disney Studios Tour - reservations open a few months in advance.
3. Warner Brothers Studio Tour
4. Academy Motion Picture Museum/Petersen Automotive Museum/LACMA/La Brea TarPits - All within a couple blocks of each other. The Grove/Farmers Market is also very close.
5. Hollywood Walk of Fame (horribly sketchy but something that you should see if you aren't coming back to LA), hike to the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory
6. Other regions to explore: The Natural History Museum, the California Science Center with the Endeavour (should be open by next summer), George Lucas Museum (opening in 2026), Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and USC are all within a few blocks of each other.
7. If you like sports, SoFi, Intuit Dome, and Angel Stadium all offer tours. Personally, I think SoFi's tours are the best.
8. Santa Monica/Venice Beach - kind of iconic but very urban and can be grungy.

Other #1 and #8, none of the above are cheap. Accommodations and transportation will need to be taken into account. There is another forum called California & the West where you will find more discussions and tips about exploring other areas. https://www.disboards.com/forums/california-the-west.131/

Everyone please note that LKing has included links to those places. Very helpful! Another list to save for future use!