First Time to DL!!!

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Alright, I'm getting a lot of flak about this at work for never have visited the mothership. Being a native Floridian, DL is just too far away.

But! I am preparing to make the pilgramege there! I'm looking for as many ideas and suggestions as possible. My ideal time frame is going to be around June but I am willing to be flexible. I'm on a bit of a budget, so I need to find the closest airport and the best hotels for the value (I can't do on property - just not in the budget even with my discounts). I won't have to pay for tickets since I've already got them and it'll most likely be only for myself.

So here is what I am looking for:

What is the best hotel for value that is affordable (looking for around $100/night)?
What is the closest airport?
What season is best?
What is the weather like (temperatures, rainy, etc)
As a person who has grown up with WDW, am I going to be disappointed based on size?
How far is Universal, Knott's Berry Farm, and Magic Mountain, and their admission costs?
How much should I plan for merchandise?
What are the food recommendations?
Any tours or special events I should consider?
What are the parades and fireworks times?
Tell me about the characters! Any good ones?
I might also try to go to an anime convention, where are the convention centers located?
Should I buy a lot of memory cards to take photos?


Anything else you can recommend for me would be great! I'm really excited that I'm about to go there. I might even try for March! Not sure though...gotta plan around school and my own work here at WDW.

[NotaGeek]

Lots of your questions are answered several times over in other threads going on presently in Vacation Planning ... I am sure lots of people will chime in, but if you search through other posts, you will find out some cool stuff. You can also check out the stickey threads in vacation planning to see info about weather and crowd estimations.

2 of your questions regarding how much money to take and extra memory cards required can really only be answered by you ... do you plan on buying lots of stuff and taking tons of pictures? If so, I say yes then most definitely. :thumbsup:

Good luck, and be sure and use the other threads to help your planning ... anything you can't find and/or aren't sure about I am confident we can help with.

Good luck! :mickey:

[Disneyluvr2]

I'll throw in my 2cents worth on a few of your questions...
* Best $100.00 hotel - There are many hotels in this price range on Harbour Blvd. We've always been very happy staying at the Park Vue Inn which is directly across the street from the entrance.

*Closest airport - SNA, aka John Wayne, aka Orange County airport is the closest and my favorite airport when staying at DLR. It's only about a short 20 minute drive away.

*Disappointed based on size? - Why do WDW people always think they're going to be disappointed with Disneyland? If you're a true Disney lover, how could you possibly be disappointed with the original and only park that Walt ever walked in? Disneyland is where the magic began...and it's still there! Just wait...you'll feel it the minute you walk through the gate!:mickey: Remember, size doesn't matter!

*Best season - I think it depends on what you like. Jan & Feb usually has the fewest crowds. Oct is wonderful if you like the fall and Halloween. The weather is usually warm during the day and cooler at night. The Christmas season is well, just spectacular! Pick your favorite season and you won't be disappointed.

There's lots of information in some of the older threads that might answer more of your questions. You're going to have a great time at the one and only original Disneyland park!

[2Epcot]

Like you've heard, you will probably find a lot of your answers in other Disneyland vacation planning threads, but to answer some of your other questions.



Knotts Berry Farm is only about 5 miles from Disneyland. Ticket prices are around $50, but you can find discounts for purchasing tickets before you get there, or AAA discounts on their website.

Universal Studios Hollywood is about 36 miles from Disneyland. Drive time is about 45 min. with no traffic, an hour and a half in traffic. Ticket prices are around $64, but they also have discounts on their site.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is about 60 miles from Disneyland. If traffic is bad, it could take you over 2 hours to get there from Anaheim.

Six Flags also has a water park called Hurricane Harbor. Since you are going in June, that may be something you would want to do as well.
Prices for Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor are about $30 dollars each, or a 2 park ticket for around $70. You could probably find some discounts for this online as well.

[Carol]

*Disappointed based on size? - Why do WDW people always think they're going to be disappointed with Disneyland? If you're a true Disney lover, how could you possibly be disappointed with the original and only park that Walt ever walked in? Disneyland is where the magic began...and it's still there! Just wait...you'll feel it the minute you walk through the gate!:mickey: Remember, size doesn't matter!Well said. :high5: