WDW veteran, but never DL. Please share.....

[disney4us2002]

We've been to WDW about 6 or 7 times now and I love it but dh says before every trip that this is the last time. He's not a big fan of rides and believes WDW is too expensive for a vacation, etc. Anyway, with Disneyland celebrating this big 50 yrs and it's being 'different' than WDW, maybe I can talk him into a California trip. When we do WDW it's never for less than one week and we still don't get to do everything on our 'to do' list, so with that in mind, here are the specifics I'm wondering about Disneyland....

1) We are a family of 5. Can we stay at the onsite Disneyland hotels comfortably? I'm gathering there is only three; which one is good but not ridiculously expensive? Don't bother staying onsite? Where else is good and closeby? We are Shades of Green eligible in WDW (DoD civillian, can get tickets thru military cheaper here probably) and also belong to AAA, are there any great discounts available for either of these groups?

2) Two DL parks = how many touring days? There are hopper tickets from 2-day to 7-day. Packages at DL, good bargain or skip them? I wouldn't recommend a family attempt WDW for less than a week especially for their first visit (I know many do though but this is just mho); how many days are realistically needed to 'experience' Disneyland?

3) What is DL close to as far as beaches, other tourist attractions, etc.? Remember we've never been to CA.

4) We always try for a character meal or two in WDW; what character meal is a 'must do' in CA? Breakfast or dinner doesn't matter.

5) Which airport does one fly into to visit CA? Are there shuttles to DL? Will we need a rental car? If so, which companies are there?

6) Any rides exactly the same as at WDW so we can put those at the bottom of our list? Which rides are better at DL? Which are better at WDW?

7) Any good books, like the Unofficial for WDW or Passporter that apply to DL? Also, does DL have a planning DVD/video?

I have a sneaky suspicion that once I get all the info and price out the cost (flights alone - yikes) for a DL trip, dh will realize WDW is a bargain, lol.

Thanks for any tips.

 

[disneychrista]

1. Staying on site is not as important at DL as it is WDW. There are many hotels right accross Harbor Blvd, that are a closer walk then from 2 out of the 3 DL hotels. Most of the hotels accross the street, as well as the DL hotels give AAA discounts.

2. We usually plan 3 full days for both DL/DCA. Depending on when we get in and what ticket we have purchased we either visit the parks or DTD on our arrival day.

3. There are many beaches to choose from, someone else could probably give you a better answer, as we haven't "done the beach" in 5 years. Disneyland is close to Knott's, Ripleys Believe It or Not Meuseum & The Wax Meuseum. A little further away there is Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Moutain, Sea World, Lego Land, San Diego Wild Animal Park, The San Diego Zoo. And I am sure many more things that I am misisng.

4. There is a princess breakfast at the Plaza Inn, Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel, Lilo & Stich Breakfast at Paradise Peir Hotel, Chip and Dale are at Story Tellers for Breakfast. Captin Mickey & Friends at (not even sure of the name) in DCA.

5. I would fly into John Wayne (Orange County) Airport. We have never flown so I am not sure on the Shuttles. If you plan to do thins other then Disneyland I would get the car. Otherwise, stay either at one of the DL Hotles or one accross harbor Blvd and take the shuttle.

6. Many of the rides with the same name are not really "exactly" the same. Depending on when you are coming and your use of time you should have plenty of time to experience all the attraction, including those that are "the same."

7. There are both the official guide and unoffcial guides for Disneyland. As for the planning video as of right now I believe they do not have one but are planning for a new one for 2005 in the near future. My guess is that they are waitng for some of the attractions to be finished with their refurbishemnt (like the Tiki Room and Space) and for others to be completed (like Buzz Light Year and the Walt Exhibit).

IMO everyone should come see the original.

 

[iceskatejen]

Ok, I'll take a stab at this:

1. I live localy, so I've never stayed in a hotel, just drive there and back from home, but if I could afford it, I'd stay at either the DLH or the GCH. If not, then I'd go for the HoJo--evereyone here raves about it.

2. 3 days minimum--go longer if you can, esp if you're going to be here during the summer or over weekends.

3. Newport and Huntington are probably the closest to DL. These are very popular "surfing" beaches. Other than what the above poster already mentioned are the Queen Mary, various museums and historical sites.

4. Above poster pretty much covered the options. Goofy's is always a good choice and is available for any meal I believe. Capn Mickeys is just lunch and sometimes dinner. All others are breakfast.

5. I agree with John Wayne, but there's also Long Beach and Ontario. I'd suggest renting a car if you plan to do anything other than DL/DCA. Most major rental companies are here. I'd suggest sticking with a well known name like national, enterprise, avvis.

6. The only ride exactly the same (at least the ride portion) is Star Tours. Otherwise, they are all pretty much more or less different. POTC is way better at DL. Most others are about equal. BTM is a bit better at WDW.

7. This has been answered.

 

[jlmarr]

5. Also consider Long Beach, which JetBlue uses. I believe there's a direct flight from Dulles (IAD) to LGB.

 

[jlmarr]

I have a sneaky suspicion that once I get all the info and price out the cost (flights alone - yikes) for a DL trip, dh will realize WDW is a bargain, lol.

Once you've budgeted everything please share with us what you've learned. I know DL tickets are significantly cheaper than WDW, and you can access off-site hotels and restaurants that are walking distance to the DL and DCA main gates, so my gut feel is that DL should be cheaper excluding transportation. The cost of transportation might offset that, but I think the comparison will be of general interest.

 

[poohj80]

We're in your exact same boat Carla but we've already decided to go to DL in May for the 50th and to celebrate my b-day. We are using frequent flyer miles to fly into John Wayne airport so air fare wasn't an issue. We'll probaby just use Super Shuttle but don't know for sure yet. Since we don't get to DL as often as WDW, we decided we didn't want to skimp TOO much since this may be a once in a decade trip (haven't been to DL since Christmas 1996 - why did mom have to move out of CA? ) so we're staying at the Grand Californian. We think it will give us the closest feeling to the WDW resorts we are used to

 

[pjlla]

I was so glad to see these questions and answers!! We too, are planning our first trip to California and DL (we are east coasters). It looks like we are making many of the right decisions. We currently have hotel reservations at HoJo and we are flying out of SNA (John Wayne) airport. (We are driving into CA from New Mexico). We are planning on purchasing 3 day park hoppers. We may or may not do a character meal. We LOVE Chef Mickey's and Cinderella's Royal Table at WDW, but since we have such a short time at DL, I'm not sure we want to spend the time... we will have to have a family meeting about it! And I promised my DD that we would AT LEAST be able to say we dipped our toes in the Pacific Ocean!

Thanks to the OP for asking my questions, and thanks for all of the helpful replies!..............P

 

[JulienK]

Another wonderful family beach is Seal Beach. Has a cute main street with lots of fun little shops and eateries. One of my favorites beaches, not quite as "stuck up" as the others.

 

[spendleb]

Julien, where exactly is Seal Beach?

 

[fam4jc]

I have found that without including air, DL is quite a bit cheaper night for night with park hopping options than WDW. That is because there are nice close hotels "Good Neighbor" that makes a big difference and the park tickets are much cheaper (2 parks vs 4) - but it is NOT half the price for half the parks... The cheapest non stops for my family are into LAX not orange and I have no idea how much getting from LAX to DL will cost compared to WDW's free transportation starting in May... So really, it is about the same cost if you calculate into the equation the fact that there are half as many parks to enjoy.
One thing I don't like is that DL doesn't have a "value" resort onsite. So I was comparing high end delux pricing (GF, CR) and reg delux pricing to the DL hotels. I guess the Good Neighbor hotels are the only choices in DL for moderate or value pricings. I like staying at Disney, but with DL I will have a hard decision to make. I am trying to get first hand info for my budding ta business but there is such a huge price difference within walking distance!

 

[JulienK]

Julien, where exactly is Seal Beach?

Seal Beach is right off of PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) between Westminister and Seal Beach Blvd's. I believe I read that you're staying in Huntington Beach, right? Well it's just a little bit north on PCH. It's close to 2nd street in Belmont Shore which is also another fun drive that can take you through a scenic route to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Belmont Shore is a trendy hang out area with lots of fun shops and pubs. Total surfer hangouts, and very family friendly. You can even park there and take the Long Beach transit buses to the Pike in Long Beach where the Aquarium is along with some trendy restaurants. Saves on paying for parking. I always end up driving myself though. Hope I haven't confused you!

 

[WheresGoofy]

We can normally visit DL for a substantial amount less than WDW which includes airfare, tickets, hotel, and food. At DL we stay at a neighborhood hotel. We save money there since there are so many in a nice walking distance. Normally, our vacations to DL are 4 to 5 nights while our trips to WDW are normally 5 to 7 nights in a Moderate resort. We normally get really good airfare into John Wayne Airport...sometimes half of the normal airfare to Orlando like our upcoming trip to DL. Also, as mentioned before, there are many choices to eat at close to the park if you choose.

 

[ksjayhawks]

You will find that there are plenty of hotels just outside the gates that fill the "value" price. You've got to remember that DL is different from WDW. DL is set in the middle of the city, in a neighborhood basically. So the hotels outside the gate would be comparable to staying at one of the values at WDW. You can walk to the parks or take the transportation that is offered. Many walk in the morning and take the transportation back at night. It is very reasonable.

There many beaches nearby on the PCH. This is a nice road to travel on. You will see such diversity as you travel through the towns. There is a Wayfarers Chapel, you can visit the shops in Seal Beach and eat on the pier, there is Newport Beach with shops and beaches. Long Beach has aquarium, Queen Mary, harbor tours. You will be close to the Crystal Cathedral. There is a place that has go karts, etc--my daughter calls it the big kids Chuckee Cheese--and I think it is on Tuesdays that they have an all-you-can-ride price. Your boys might really enjoy that. It is south of DL on the 5, I think, towards Irvine. It is called Boomers. There is a water park in Irvine as well. You can go to Hollywood for a day, walk around, and take some tours. You can go to Universal, Knotts Berry Farms, etc as already mentioned, go down to SanDiego for SeaWorld, zoo and wild animal park, and old town area. There is Venice Beach that is up north--probably an hour away. There might be hockey and baseball games, depending on when you are there. If I was going to SD, I would probably do that at the end of the trip or at the beginning and stay down there for a night or two. You would waste too much time driving back and forth each day.

You can get a City pass which gives you admission to DL/DCA, Knotts Berry, Zoo or animal park, sea world and maybe something else. I will see if I can find the link. The last time we were there we did both parks comfortably in three days.

We have never flown into SNA as it is so much more expensive for us--$150 or more per ticket for a direct flight. To get a cheaper flight, it doubles our travel time at the least and we have to change planes! Someone on another thread mentioned getting a reasonable price on a town car/limo from LAX to DL. If you plan to go anywhere else besides DL, you might want to get a rental car. That way you can come and go as you please. We have always been able to get good rates. Do you have any codes from credit cards, memberships. work?

Have fun planning. We are going again in July.

Edited to add:

Here is a link to pictures of the HoJo right outside the DL gates.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=739988

Here is the link to the city pass:
http://citypass.com/city/socal.html

Here is the link to Boomers: there is also one in SD I believe
http://www.boomersparks.com/parks/irvine/

Here is a link to the water park in Irvine:
http://www.wildrivers.com/

 

[rapriebe]

This is probably a way-out-there-question but we are planning a cross country trip with our Fifth Wheel. I was wondering what the closest campground would be - an hour? or two? We want to spend two weeks in the LA area and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for some campgrounds.

 

[disneychrista]

I believe there is an RV park a few blocks away from Disney. Not a "camp ground" but a cement parking lot that I am sure has hook ups.

 

[dletz]

Here's an excel doc I creating comparing the two, not completely up to date, but close.

http://f2.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc...scounts&.dnm=Land+-+World+Compare.xls&.src=bc