1st Trip - Need help planning

[haley's mom]

So my family is considering our first trip to DL in June 2010. When would be the best time to begin planning, reservations, etc?

We are a family of 5 (3 kids age 16, 11 ,7).

Any advice?

[Phantod]

June 2010, ouch. That's a pretty busy time at the park. I know your kids are in school, but if you could do it off season, you'll be much happier.

But really, I'd say one of the key questions is how will you be getting there? Driving or by plane? If by plane, you'll want to wait for a time when you can get specials. With the way the airlines are dealing today, it's really hard to know when the best time is. If you can fly Southwest, I'd find out what there standard prices are and keep an eye out for their specials. If you can use air miles, then, I'd book the airfare as soon as the flights open up for scheduling. If you're driving, forget all of this.

And for lodging, I'm not sure. There are a ton of hotels/motels in the vicinity. We usually only book a month or so before but we always go off-season, unless you want something in particular, like a hotel across the street. If that's the case, you'll definitely want to book earlier since June is crowded.

We were there the early part of May this year and got our best deal for air and car via Southwest, probably a month or so before our trip. My DW is tenacious in looking for hotel deals, and got us a great rate, pay for 2 days and get one for free. So limit the hotels you are willing to stay at and keep looking for specials, but again, I wouldn't wait too long with a June date...i would think something after the first of the year, but don't quote me.

So when you get there, however that happens, have a great time. And say hi to Tigger for me.

[nicster]

We always go during off times, Fall or Spring & never around a holiday. The weather is mild in SoCal so you should be fine as far as that goes. We found the Sheraton Anaheim Hotel to be a great option if you don't want to spend the $$ on the Disney's Resorts. If you don't want to pay $$ for parking or don't have a car, the Sheraton has it's own shuttle to Disneyland & is very regular. Some of the other Hotels in the area you have to use the local shuttle, which means you have to ride it as it stops at all the other places along the way. That is all I can think of now... except have fun!

[NotaGeek]

So my family is considering our first trip to DL in June 2010. When would be the best time to begin planning, reservations, etc?

We are a family of 5 (3 kids age 16, 11 ,7).

Any advice?

Hey there, June is pretty busy, so if you find great airfare you should definitely plan as early as possible. Hotels can be tricky as it depends on where you will be staying ... there are 3 DLR Resort hotels and several Good Neighbor hotels to choose from, you can check out the Resort Guide which has fully updated information about hotel options.

Might I suggest you enlist some help from our resident Disney planning experts? Magical Journeys is an INTERCOT sponsor and they can do WONDERS helping you get the most bang for your Disney bucks!

[haley's mom]

When you say June is very busy? How busy? What kind of wait times should I expect?

We cannot go before school is out, we are going to WDW in October and will already be pulling the kids out of school this year. If we waited until Fall 2010, my oldest Step-daugther will be a Senior. I am not sure how that will work.

Being that we live on the East Coast and have never been to California, what else should we plan on seeing/doing while in California? I would assume we would go for at least 7-8 nights. From what I have read, you do not need that long to see all at DL.

[NotaGeek]

Here's a link to the Disneyland Crowd Estimator -- June will be very busy. Monday-Thursdays are less busy, weekends are generally crazy. I have no idea what wait times will be, I don't think it's possible to guess, but if you take advantage of Fast Passes, you should be fine. Remember, when in the afternoon Disneyland will be packed -- take a break and head over to DCA! Their walkways are much wider and gives way more room to navigate, and they have a Beer Truck at Pacific Wharf and some REALLY good margaritas at the Cove Bar on boardwalk at Paradise Pier!

As for other SoCal attractions, well the list goes on and on. SoCal is the #1 tourist destination in North America and without knowing your family there's no way to start. There's Knotts, Universal, beaches, San Diego, Sea World, TONS of restaurants, Hollywood ... check out the Visit California website and peruse Southern California. Hopefully with a little research you can plan your trip -- you have more than enough time to get it all worked out.

[haley's mom]

So I was playing around on the internet yesterday. I think I may have an initial plan. I know it will change many, many times, but I need to get an idea of how much this will cost our family of 5.

1. Airfare:
So, I think we will fly from PIttsburgh to John Wayne Airport. United yesterday was only $217 with taxes round trip. Should I consider anyother airport? Any others typically cheaper that the rest?

2. Car:
We will pick up a rental car at the airport. I was thinking of either an SUV or Minivan depending on price. I want to make sure that whatever car we have has abig enough trunk to hold luggage with 5 of us in the car.

3. Saturday through Wednesday:
I figure we would arrive on Saturday. Not sure of arrival time until we book airfare. We will lose 3 hours and will need some time to adjust to different time zone.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday will be spent at DL and DCA.

4. DL hotel:
I would like to save some money. I was thinking of either the Ramada Maingate or HoJo. Which do you prefer? Does anyother hotel close offer FREE transportation to DL or DCA so that I will not need to pay for parking at the parks?

5. Wednesday and Thursday:
Checkout of DL hotel early, head to Hollywood. I am not sure of our plan here, but I would like to see some of the sites, being that none of us have ever been to CA. Any suggestions? Should I try to navigate on our own? Should we consider a bus tour? Also, need suggestions on hotels? What parts of town should I try to find a hotel where we will feel safe and comfortable?

6. Thursday through Sunday:
Checkout of Hollywood hotel. Drive to San Diego. Friday and Saturday hit Sea World and either San Diego zoo or Adventure park.

7. Sunday
Drive back to John Wayne and catch flight home.

What do you think? Suggestions?

How about Travel agents in California that I could work with? I can use AAA here in PA, but I would rather have someone from the area to help me out.

[Magic Smiles]

3. Saturday through Wednesday:
I figure we would arrive on Saturday. Not sure of arrival time until we book airfare. We will lose 3 hours and will need some time to adjust to different time zone.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday will be spent at DL and DCA.

You actually gain 3 hours going to California. It is on the way home that you will lose the 3 hours. We (DH, DS 17 and myself) are headed out this coming Sunday for our first trip to Nevada / California and I am getting so excited. We also couldn't go off season this year as DS was in Grade 11 and would have missed too much school.
We are flying into Las Vegas and out of Las Vegas as it was much cheaper for us and our trip starts in Vegas. We rented a mid sized SUV for the entire trip. Great price, I thought ($135.00 per week) through Costco travel online, which includes unlimited mileage and free 2nd driver.
As it is also our first trip to Vegas and California I don't have much to offer as of yet, but hope to when we return.
We will be out there for 17 nights. 5 nights in Vegas, 5 nights in Los Angeles and 7 nights in Disneyland.
I found that you need to constantly check prices. Also if you do belong to Costco and AAA they offer some good discounts/bonuses. Both Costco and AAA or in my case CAA were offering not only the Disneyland Hotel special but their own bonuses on top of that. Unfortunately I did not book through them for this trip so we miss out. Lesson learned however for me.

[Aisling]

Hailey's mom,

Sounds like a good plan so far. John Wayne is the best for close to Disneyland arrival. Don't even try to go to LAX. Crazy! If you have to, fly into San Diego and just re-arrange your trip.

I would suggest Wild Animal Park over the Zoo in San Diego. Don't get me wrong, they are both great, but the Wild Animal Park is amazing. Sea World usually has some great nighttime entertainment, but if you are going to see the fireworks at Disneyland, skip them at Sea World. Trust me on this. Disneyland's are about a half hour long and SW, maybe 6 minutes and not a single Mickey Ear.

Hollywood - just wing it! The only place I can suggest to stay where you'll feel safe is Santa Monica. I haven't stayed in L.A. for so long, I just don't know the areas anymore. When we went a few years ago, we stayed near Universal Studios. The hotel was inexpensive and you felt it. Ergh, just remembering it, I get the heebie jeebies.

We try to avoid the parks during the summer, but if you have to go in June, bring something to do in line. Some waits are two hours, some a half hour. My husband and son bring their ds's to play with in line. I like to people watch, but the lines can be tedious. If you know in advance, it still isn't fun, but at least you know.

[Woozle]

The one time we went at the end of June it was really crowded. We also avoid summer. But I understand the school thing. You might want to consider only checking into the one hotel in the DL area for your entire stay in the LA area. It is a little more of a drive, but LA can be tricky on neighborhoods if you don't know the area. Hotels in LA can double that of what you can get closer to DLR.
As for San Diego, the Zoo is nice but all up/ down hill. You may want to look into the City Pass, it inlcudes DLR, San Diego Zoo, Universal Studios, and Sea World. You can always upgrade your DLR tickets from this package to be the amount of days you want.

Have fun!

[haley's mom]

So I am driving myself nuts trying to begin to plan this trip.

I have made a few changes. I think I will stay at a Good Neighbor Hotel for the entire trip. We will spend 4-5 days at DLR and DCA. I would like to spend 1-2 days exploring Hollywood. And then 1 day driving up the coast - Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, etc. I am the only one who has ever been in the Pacific Ocean.

I am also beginning to reconsider mid-June. I have read a few trip reports on various discussion boards, and a few noted DL reached capacity around the same time this year.

I would consider October to see the decorations and because we LOVE the villans.

Any advice on October? My concern is refurbs. Are there a lot of refurbs in October. I'd hate to travel to DL for the first time and have a lot of rides down.

Thanks for any advice!

[NotaGeek]

1. Airfare:
So, I think we will fly from PIttsburgh to John Wayne Airport. United yesterday was only $217 with taxes round trip. Should I consider anyother airport? Any others typically cheaper that the rest?

2. Car:
We will pick up a rental car at the airport. I was thinking of either an SUV or Minivan depending on price. I want to make sure that whatever car we have has abig enough trunk to hold luggage with 5 of us in the car.

3. Saturday through Wednesday:
I figure we would arrive on Saturday. Not sure of arrival time until we book airfare. We will lose 3 hours and will need some time to adjust to different time zone.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday will be spent at DL and DCA.

4. DL hotel:
I would like to save some money. I was thinking of either the Ramada Maingate or HoJo. Which do you prefer? Does anyother hotel close offer FREE transportation to DL or DCA so that I will not need to pay for parking at the parks?

5. Wednesday and Thursday:
Checkout of DL hotel early, head to Hollywood. I am not sure of our plan here, but I would like to see some of the sites, being that none of us have ever been to CA. Any suggestions? Should I try to navigate on our own? Should we consider a bus tour? Also, need suggestions on hotels? What parts of town should I try to find a hotel where we will feel safe and comfortable?

6. Thursday through Sunday:
Checkout of Hollywood hotel. Drive to San Diego. Friday and Saturday hit Sea World and either San Diego zoo or Adventure park.

7. Sunday
Drive back to John Wayne and catch flight home.

What do you think? Suggestions?

How about Travel agents in California that I could work with? I can use AAA here in PA, but I would rather have someone from the area to help me out.

1. John Wayne (SNA) is the closest aiport to Disneyland. That's an amazing airfare. Jump on it. SNA is about 20 minutes or so from DLR.

3. Great choice of days for the Parks, Sunday will be busy, but you can relax in the afternoon at DCA -- evenings in June can get chilly. Crowds on Mon-Tues should be lighter.

4. The Ramada Maingate is one of my favorite non-DLR hotels ... it's literally caddy-corner street from the main entrance (less than 10 minute walk if you catch the cross-walk!) so you don't need transport. They give free parking and have ample spots and a nice pool. They also do complimentary continental breakfast which isn't amazing but they do have choices, one of the better free breakfasts I've had around the park.

5. Get a GPS or bring one if you have it. LA/Hollywood isn't hard to navigate and as long as you check out the hotels, to be completely honest the areas of Hollywood/West Hollywood/Santa Monica are not scary at all. Bus tours can be fun ... it depends on your family. I have stayed at the Ramada West Hollywood, it's great and centrally located (West Hollywood is the gay area of town, so keep that in mind) -- or I have also stayed at the Hyatt Century Plaza several times, very nice bit more money -- it's very close to Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive. There are a TON of hotels. If you would like to PM me more info I would be glad to advise. I have traveled the LA area extensively and I worked in travel for 15 years, so I can give you some hotel leads.

[NotaGeek]

So I am driving myself nuts trying to begin to plan this trip.

I have made a few changes. I think I will stay at a Good Neighbor Hotel for the entire trip. We will spend 4-5 days at DLR and DCA. I would like to spend 1-2 days exploring Hollywood. And then 1 day driving up the coast - Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, etc. I am the only one who has ever been in the Pacific Ocean.

I am also beginning to reconsider mid-June. I have read a few trip reports on various discussion boards, and a few noted DL reached capacity around the same time this year.

I would consider October to see the decorations and because we LOVE the villans.

Any advice on October? My concern is refurbs. Are there a lot of refurbs in October. I'd hate to travel to DL for the first time and have a lot of rides down.

Thanks for any advice!

October is great and there are few if any rides in refurb then ... it's the start of the holiday season, so except for IASW which might be closed to do the holiday overlay everything should be OK.

[Woozle]

We love Oct. It was the must go time for us. The kids (and that includes us adults) really like doing the trick or treating, we've done it for the past 5 years. The weather is nicer too.

[Phantod]

3 days at DL and DCA should be plenty. We knocked it out easily in 2 during off season. Avoid weekends if you can. Even off season, it was a zoo at DL on sunday. So if you have to do a Sunday, i'd maybe start at DL EARLY and then switch to DCA once it gets unbearably busy. I prefer DL to MK because it's smaller and easier to get around, and therefore quicker from area to area, but that means the crowds are definitely more noticeable.

There are a number of airports in the vicinity. John Wayne being the closest, but if you're going to rent a car anyway, there are 3 other airports you could fly into....LAX, Burbank and Ontario. We got our best deal flying into Ontario. It's a bit of a drive to DL, but a partial tank of gas is much cheaper than the difference in air fare was.

If you get one of the motels that are on Harbor...they can be right across the street from the DL and DCA entrance. If you drove to the park, you'd end up walking almost farther than from the motel. I mean literally, many of them are right across the street.

It's always a challenge figuring out the decisions, but whatever you choose, have a great time.

[Aisling]

I LOVE the parks in October! And the bonus of that is the weather is so awesome, you can still go to the beach!

I don't remember the parks being a zoo in October, but we go so often, the trips blend into each other. I do know that it is fun to see the Halloween stuff at both parks and the weather is totally nice.