Woohoo!! I'm going to DL/DCA!

[TSI_Fan]

Okay, well, after my most recent trip to WDW I figured, ya know what, I really need to head out to Disneyland and DCA. Soooo..I got me a guidebook (Birnbaum) and I already read it cover to cover. I've been searching the web and looking for airfare deals and everything.

Okay, so I have bunches of questions to ask for you all (so please bear with me)

Oh yeah, I am currently looking at going April 29th - May3rd. Looks like it may be a good off-peak time to go, and as the guidebook suggests, avoid the weekends, so that was my plan. What do you all think about this time frame? Yes? No? Right now my dates *are* flexible, so I could put it off another couple weeks or so if that will cut down on crowds.

#1. Top priority thing here. Is it better to book with DreamRES or do it on your own? I noticed DreamRES has vacation packages with accommodations at one of the Disney hotels (that's a big incentive for me..I love Disney resorts) plus a park hopper pass for my entire stay. It seems to me that booking through them is a better deal then doing it on your own, seems like it would be more expensive if you add up the cost of the resort for the total night plus add in cost of a park hopper.

#2. Looking at airfares from Tampa to Irvine. right now best I have found is $500 round trip via expedia.com I may try looking at the individual airline's websites just to see if I can get it cheaper than that. I really don't want to fly into LAX if I don't have to.

#3. DCA - Sun Wheel. The guidebook says "the cabins rotate in and out along the interior edges of the wheel's frame." Does that mean rotate as in go upside down, or rotate as in move from the inside part of the wheel and travel towards the outside of the wheel..like on a track?

#4. Any perks to staying at the Disneyland Hotel v. Grand Californian? Any benefits that would warrant choosing Paradise Pier over either of those 2?

#5. Is Rocket Rods permanently closed?

#6. I was planning 3 days of Disney. First day at Disneyland, second day at DCA, 3rd day to do whatever I missed before or want to do again. Should I extend this into 4 days and just do 2 at DL and 2 at DCA?

That's all the Qs I have for now. Should hotel rooms at the Disneyland resorts be available now (for my predicted vacation dates) or is it too early in advance?

Thanks for any answers you all can give, and you can toss in some advice or hints if you'd like.

 

[Michelle]

Hi TSI- Fan! Good for you; you're going to have a blast at Walt's original park and DCA!

Your dates sound very good, great time of year weather-wise for us and crowds are not bad at all.

Right now Disneyland has not released package OR room-only reservations for 2002 yet (they are different from WDW in that respect) so you actually can't book anything until they release them.

You will DEFINITELY find much cheaper airfare than $500 RT. I fly LAX to Orlando all the time for around $200; Tampa has similar prices. It's too far in advance for there to be any deals, though, so I would wait to book airfare.

On the Sun Wheel, unless you get a stationary car, the cabins swing back and forth on a track (side-to-side, like a swing), they do not go upside down.

The perks are the same at all the DL resort hotels; where you stay is just a matter of personal preference. The Grand Californian is the closest to both parks.

Yes, Rocket Rods is closed permanently.

Three days should be a good length of time to enjoy both parks if you plan on doing the parks full time and not taking major breaks during the day. If you want a more leisurely pace, opt for four days.

Hope that helps!

 

[teri]

Hey, TSI Fan. Michelle is right, of course.

DreamsRes packages are as good as you can get, and of course the agents there are fabulous. You can get better room rates on occasionally if you look at internet travel sites, but it won't be a package price and they re "you snooze you lose" deals which are only good for a short time frame, often on short notice. You might be able to get a better room rate with a AAA discount, if you want to do the work yourself, but again it won't be a package and you won't get the service.

I'm not sure about Tampa, but I wouldn't pay more than $198 RT for airfare from SFO to Orlando on any airline (except last year, when I had to go on 3 days notice for a funeral, and then it was still under $500 on ATA) so don't go paying full fare just yet. Check the airline sites for a while, every few days.

You are planning to go at a nice time of the year. It isn't as horrendous at Spring Break time during the week at Anaheim as it is in Orlando, the crowds are quite manageable.

Will you be going to see the Sequoias while you are in CA?

 

[TSI_Fan]

As far as side trips go, I am not sure. I've never ever been to California before so hopefully I am not in for a big culture shock..I guess as long as I avoid Beverly Hills..LOL. I'm trying to avoid LA, and stay around the DL area primarily. Sequoias would be cool to see..finally something in this world taller than I am! LOL.

Drat...all this info and tentative plans and I can't do anything with it yet!! Oh man, this makes the wait even worse.

 

[teri]

Well, there are plenty of good side trips to be made. You should certainly check out Mary Jo's nice post at the top of the page on other things to do in the area. I am not sure 'culture shock' is the right term for the differences you will encounter... Anaheim is very built-up and sprawling suburban, unlike Orlando. The Disney onsite resorts (highly recommended) are directly adjacent to the parks and Downtown Disney, so you would not need a car if you are only going to hang at Disneyland and DCA. It is much more compact, and more directly accessible to locals and offsite folks than WDW... just a different feel. Hang out on this board for a while, you will find lots of useful information.

 

[TSI_Fan]

Well, culture shock as far as east coast v. west coast. Culture, language, etc... all that good sociology stuff! *drools*.

I am here mainly for the Mouse..oh yes, and to walk in the park that Walt did..that will be an honor.

 

[TheLionKing]

The only problem of not going on a weekend is NO DIS MEET. At least for me, unless I swing something out of the ordinary.