Traveling to the BCS National Championship Game on 1/7 and considering Disneyland Too

[islandbound1day]

That is absolutely wonderful! What a great trip for everyone in your family! Hopefully I will figure it out all soon.

Thanks Stacey. I forgot to mention how my husband feels about all this! He loves Disney - in fact, he took me to WDW on our honeymoon (many, many years ago). But he is also very "careful" with his money...LOL.

But he is so happy about the BCS he said to DD and I.."Hey! Let's stay at a Disneyland hotel!"

We are up for anything!

 

[ktlm]

Definitely go to DL/CA!! From a WDW addict who went to DL/CA for the 1st time since I was a child last year on a business trip, I absolutely loved it! Even if you want to stay somewhere near the game and just drive out to DL for one day it is worth it. I do think you can easily do everything in both parks in 2 days. Everything is so much closer together than things are at WDW. DH and I only had one day. We went on a Sunday in July before my Monday business meetings. We did both parks in one day and did almost every attraction, including sitting down and watching the 45 minute Aladdin show. We did counter service, not table service for meals to be faster. We did it at breakneck speed and I wouldn't recommend doing it that fast if you didn't have to, but we had an absolute blast!

 

[islandbound1day]

Thank you so much!

Definitely go to DL/CA!! From a WDW addict who went to DL/CA for the 1st time since I was a child last year on a business trip, I absolutely loved it! Even if you want to stay somewhere near the game and just drive out to DL for one day it is worth it. I do think you can easily do everything in both parks in 2 days. Everything is so much closer together than things are at WDW. DH and I only had one day. We went on a Sunday in July before my Monday business meetings. We did both parks in one day and did almost every attraction, including sitting down and watching the 45 minute Aladdin show. We did counter service, not table service for meals to be faster. We did it at breakneck speed and I wouldn't recommend doing it that fast if you didn't have to, but we had an absolute blast!

 

[Judy from Boise]

If you want to research all of the good neighbor options quickly, use the "DL Resorts" link in on planning guide on the top of the page. There is also a ton of information on the Disney options.
Trust me, all good neighbor options are not equal with many actually being motels. The 3 Disney options are all pretty safe, with the Grand CA being the "Flagship".

For the person who booked PP, make sure to use the short cut through the GC when you walk through the parks.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Hmm, am I the only Texas fan here? Uhoh.

I do know that the teams who compete in the Rose Bowl every year (and this year since there will be 2 games; the BSC game and the actual Rose Bowl game) go to DLR a couple days before the actual game. So one day Alabama and Texas will be there and a seperate day Ohio State and Oregon will be there. They do a little parade and the teams go through DL and mingle with the fans.

 

[annameg]

Another Bama fan here. We have been to WDW several times and thought that this is the perfect opportunity to visit DL. We have also stayed at the Contemporary and LOVED it. We decided to go ahead and stay at the Grand Californian for our trip. My husband would absolutely die if we were in the parks with the team. It would be a dream come true for him. Let us know if you find out anything about the team visiting the parks. We are staying 3 nights in Anaheim and then moving on up toward Pasadena for 3 nights. I can't wait! Roll Tide Roll!!!!

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Now I'm kind of confused.

The last time the BCS Championship game was played at the Rose Bowl was 2006. It was the BCS Championship game AND the Rose Bowl game. This year there will be BCS Championship game (Texas and Alabama) SEPARATE from the Rose Bowl game (Oregon and Ohio State).

So it is unknown if Disneyland will host BOTH sets of teams, since the last time it was only 1 set of teams for the Rose Bowl game. So they may just host Oregon and Ohio State this year and NOT Texas and Alabama.

Does that make sense?

I'm really not to sure now.

 

[Bama_C]

I will be crossing my fingers for you regarding tickets! Also don't forget that Ticketmaster will be selling a limited amount of tickets to the general public on December 15th at 10 am central time via their website or by phone.

I too agree that KIM aka GATORFREUD is one classy fan!

We got our TidePride ticket confirmation late this afternoon. Now we are trying to make all our travel arrangements, flight plans, etc. I can't believe that we'll be doing Disneyland and a BCSCG all in one trip... could it get better? Great thread and information... I am glad to know that the dining plan at DL is different from the WDW version. We will definitely not be doing that, so that simplifies things. I am also hoping that the parks may not be so crowded while we're there... with some schools having started back. I am really excited about this! Hope all your planning works out. I normally plan out all our WDW trips to the "nth" degree... even down to making spreadsheets with our park days, dining, etc. But those are with the whole family of five. This trip is just hubby and me, so I am letting him plan this time... our 23rd wedding anniv. is Dec. 20th, so we're considering this a late anniv. trip, too.

TO JACKIE: Congratulations to your son! That is so exciting! I know he must be so proud. What a great season.

Great to see so many Bama fans going out and doing the DL thing, too!

 

[UmmGooD]

Hmm, am I the only Texas fan here? Uhoh.

You aren't alone

I would love to see the game but we won't be there this year. We are going home on the 4th back to Texas. I do have my longhorn windsock to attach to the rental van while we are there

 

[ballarinamom]

You aren't alone

I would love to see the game but we won't be there this year. We are going home on the 4th back to Texas. I do have my longhorn windsock to attach to the rental van while we are there

Hook 'em!! Another fan/alum here as well! But we just got back from DL so an extra trip is out of the question.

But as we too have done both WDW and DL, you will find that monorail is not needed. The walk to the park is almost as close as where the buses/ monorail drop you off. The parks are so close (maybe 50 yards apart?). We do 4-5 days but that is because we do a dedicated DL trip. You can see most of both parks in 2 days. But as Hydro said, plan and prepare.

Just hoping for a great game!
Good luck!
Bevo rules!

 

[islandbound1day]

Thanks everyone for the info! I have narrowed my decision down to staying at GCR or in one of the Newport Beach Hotels. I am going to make myself decide today!

 

[ktlm]

We stayed at the Island Hotel at Newport Beach. It was recommended by my clients. It is not right on the beach and we did not have a beach view, but it is a really nice hotel with a nice pool area. If you are a shopper it is a walk across the street to the Fashion Island shopping area, which also has a lot of restaurants in addition to the shopping (Cheescake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen; Roy's Hawaiian fusion; PF Changs etc). Normally, I prefer hotels right on the beach, but I'd be really tempted to stay at the Island again.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

As someone who's spent at least 1 night in each of the 3 DLR hotels I can say that DLH is my fave followed by PP and last would be GCH ~ however I prefer HoJo's over all 3 of them, and would stay at several other off site hotels/motels for a multi night stay for sure over a DLR hotel ~ we stayed at the DLH Mon. night, in a view room and the beds at HoJo's are comfier! I love the lobby "Great maybe Grand Hall" at the GCH ~ but anyone can sit and enjoy that space, our room was dark and woodsy ~ I didn't care for it.

We also spent 10 days in WDW early Oct. of this year ~ and I very much prefer DLR!!

Have fun!

No you don't need/want the Dining Plan at DLR.

 

[islandbound1day]

Ok I finally broke down and booked something after 3 straight days of research. I decided to book a suite at the Radisson in Buena Park. I will be arriving late on Wednesday 1/6 and staying until Sunday 1/10. I as important to me. While I do not intend on staying in my room all day, the amenities of the room are extremely important to me. I love the sleep number beds and my suite will have two of them in addition to down comforters and really soft linens. Next on the list is a dining option for a full breakfast which the Radisson has and it is included in my rate. They have a complimentary shuttle to Disneyland but I will probably drive my rental car instead. I like that the location is a little north of Anaheim since I will be driving north to Pasadena for the game the next morning after we arrive. Hopefully it will be an easy drive there and back and then on Friday and Saturday my 11 year old and I can enjoy Disneyland. Thank you again to everyone that provided any insight. I will save the Disney on-site hotel for my trip down to Orlando during spring break.

 

[HydroGuy]

They have a complimentary shuttle to Disneyland but I will probably drive my rental car instead.

Here is some food for thought:

"Hidden Time Losses When Using a Car At DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1381580

However you get there, have a great trip at DLR!

 

[islandbound1day]

Thanks for the link! I may end up using the shuttle. If I found a hotel that offered the same amenities as the Radisson then I would stay closer but I do not see one that is close and even though the nightly rate is not an option, the Disney on-site hotels dont seem to compare either. I guess I am just a little disappointed that the Disneyland Properties do not offer the free airport shuttle to the Disney Hotels, do not offer a refillable soda mug, and a few other of the awesome amenities that the Florida Disney Hotels offer.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks for the link! I may end up using the shuttle. If I found a hotel that offered the same amenities as the Radisson then I would stay closer but I do not see one that is close and even though the nightly rate is not an option, the Disney on-site hotels dont seem to compare either. I guess I am just a little disappointed that the Disneyland Properties do not offer the free airport shuttle to the Disney Hotels, do not offer a refillable soda mug, and a few other of the awesome amenities that the Florida Disney Hotels offer.

Having seen many WDW vets on this board, I think the consensus from the DLR vets is that to have the best experience you need to keep a close watch on your expectations. In some cases WDW vets become so intent on forcing their WDW expectations onto DLR that they blind themselves to places where DLR really shines and miss out.

An example that arises frequently is DL's castle. WDW vets are castle-centric and DL's castle is much smaller than MK's. The all-too-often response when entering DL is one of disappointment.

But let's add a twist to the WDW vet's expectation... At DL the castle is not considered to be the park's center. The Matterhorn mountain adjacent to the castle has always held that distinction. DL vets have a mountain-centric thinking when it comes to the park landmarks.

Some WDW vet's well meaning but misguided castle expectations can mean that they hardly even see the Matterhorn and/or underappreciate it. And they miss out.

To have the best DLR experience possible it is helpful if one embraces the DLR differences. Some things at DLR will fall below WDW expectations. Restaurants and food is one of them. Immersion is another. But some things at DLR will exceed WDW expectations if one let's them. A few off the top of my head are easier parkhopping and park access. Better entertainment - especially the Fantasmic show inside DL and Aladdin stage show at DCA. Lots more rides (DLR's two parks have just 10% less rides than all four WDW parks put together). A much better Space Mtn and POTC. And can you say Indiana Jones ride?

 

[islandbound1day]

Thank you again and I totally understand. This trip to California was never about doing a "Disney Vacation" like our spring break trip earlier this year was. This was all about experiencing the National Championship Game inside the "Rose Bowl." I decided to add a visit to Disneyland in because I thought it would make it that much more special. Now that I have realized that, I have a new outlook and decided to stop making this trip all about the "perfect" Disneyland trip. We will take 2 days of out of our 5 day trip and spend them at the parks and enjoy ourselves. I think the real comparison for me came in picking a "Disney on-sit hotel" that would provide the same level of "magic and awe" that we experienced at the Contemporary. The visit to the parks will be exciting for us and that is what it is all about.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thank you again and I totally understand. This trip to California was never about doing a "Disney Vacation" like our spring break trip earlier this year was. This was all about experiencing the National Championship Game inside the "Rose Bowl." I decided to add a visit to Disneyland in because I thought it would make it that much more special. Now that I have realized that, I have a new outlook and decided to stop making this trip all about the "perfect" Disneyland trip. We will take 2 days of out of our 5 day trip and spend them at the parks and enjoy ourselves. I think the real comparison for me came in picking a "Disney on-sit hotel" that would provide the same level of "magic and awe" that we experienced at the Contemporary. The visit to the parks will be exciting for us and that is what it is all about.

I am sure you will have a great trip. Good luck to your team too!

 

[hookem81]

You are in for a treat! I am a diehard Texas Longhorn and will be making my third Rose Bowl/Disneyland combo trip with my family. We have had some incredible times on the two previous trips (of course winning the games helped me a lot).

Disneyland will have lots of Horn and Tide fans there before and after game day, which was a real blast. I am not sure if the teams will be visiting the parks, but if they do, that is really fun to see too. For the 2006 Rose Bowl, USC and Texas visited the parks six days before the game if I recall correctly.

I can't tell you what a special place Disneyland has become for my wife, myself, and our three kids since I begged my wife to let me go to the 2005 Rose Bowl, and she replied, "we are all going and will go to Disneyland." Even though we live in Chicago, this will be our seventh trip back to Disneyland since the 2005 Rose Bowl. It is where my kids want to go when we talk about vacations, and my wife and I feel the same way. Not to rip on WDW, but I strongly prefer DL.

There is one thing that concerns me a bit about this year though. The BCS title game will be on January 7 this year and DL will have taken all of the holiday decorations down by the time we get there on January 4. That is a real shame because the park is amazing when decorated for Christmas. Unfortunately, on January 4, they also will close down a number of attractions for refurbishments. While crowds will be light, I almost am worried about that. I kind of like the crazy crowds to a point.

For hotels, we have always stayed at the Embassy Suites Anaheim South, which is nice for bigger families and an okay shuttle ride to the parks.

Anyway, best of luck - while I am rooting for the Horns, I hope you have a great time.