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View Full Version : You guys make me want to plan a trip!



Jennifer626
06-01-2010, 05:17 PM
Ok. I have lots of questions, sorry!

I used to work at WDW, and I love everything Disney. We live in Oregon, so DL is a quick flight for us, vs WDW is a "major vacation". I haven't been to DL since I was probably 12 years old. Compared to WDW, am I going to be disappointed? I'm picturing it as just the MK only, so it would still be plenty "magical" just not 4-5 huge parks to explore. Is that about right?

My DD is 14 months old. I want to plan her first trip for a time when SHE will remember it afterwards, and when she will have a great time. I'm thinking for her 3rd birthday? Her birthday is April, and I would really like to go during a time when most kids are in school, but the weather is somewhat warm. To avoid crowds, what time of year would you go? Do you think 3 is old enough, or should we aim more for 4 or 5 years old?

What hotel would you recommend next to DL? Are there any that are on a monorail, or very easy to get back and forth to the park? I'm ok with paying more for a hotel, if we don't have to get a rental car or mess around with hotel shuttles.

Do the Disney hotel properties have on-site daycare and babysitters? The hotel that I worked at WDW offered this, and I'm definetly interested in this, as DH and I would like some alone time, if we are going to be there for ~5 days.

Also, should we plan on 2 days to visit the park? I can't think in my head of how "big" it is...similar in size to MK at WDW?

Thanks so much ladies!!

alien_host
06-01-2010, 07:35 PM
Disneyland now has two parks...Disneyland (DL) and California Adventure (CA). I see DL = MK, with some rides they don't have at WDW. CA to me seems like a cross between EPCOT/DHS, taking some rides from those places like Tower of Terror and Soarin. I did not visit CA though as we were short on time.

I liked how Disneyland had both parks in one place (no bus/shuttle/tram) to take between the two. I also believe Downtown Disney (shopping/restaurants) is right there. Less travel time between parks.

I think DL is very magical....of course we went to WDW and then 10 days later visited DL for a day. I did compare the two and b/c I just saw WDW, I felt that the castle was smaller etc. However, it still is wonderful at DL. DD who is 5 found both places magical.

Disneyland in general seems a lot more managable than WDW, especially if you are there a shorter time.

I can't speak to the hotels as we didn't stay overnight.

For your big trip, I think you mean WDW Florida? If so, we went in early May and it was great, it was hot but the crowds were less than they are in April (lots of states have an April Vacation week).

I love both :) and would visit either one again in a hearbeat. More so WDW b/c we are that much closer to it.

Have fun!

hillview
06-01-2010, 07:57 PM
HoJos is a great deal at DL and a fine place (not fancy but fine). It is walkable (10 mins?) to the parks. We spent 3 days there and it was great. We could have done 4 days IMO. It is smaller than WDW but kids loved it.
/hillary

alien_host
06-02-2010, 08:19 AM
I forgot to mention, disboards does have a Disneyland(California) section that can be helpful too.

TwinFoxes
06-02-2010, 01:00 PM
Ok. I have lots of questions, sorry!

I used to work at WDW, and I love everything Disney. We live in Oregon, so DL is a quick flight for us, vs WDW is a "major vacation". I haven't been to DL since I was probably 12 years old. Compared to WDW, am I going to be disappointed? I'm picturing it as just the MK only, so it would still be plenty "magical" just not 4-5 huge parks to explore. Is that about right?

My DD is 14 months old. I want to plan her first trip for a time when SHE will remember it afterwards, and when she will have a great time. I'm thinking for her 3rd birthday? Her birthday is April, and I would really like to go during a time when most kids are in school, but the weather is somewhat warm. To avoid crowds, what time of year would you go? Do you think 3 is old enough, or should we aim more for 4 or 5 years old?

What hotel would you recommend next to DL? Are there any that are on a monorail, or very easy to get back and forth to the park? I'm ok with paying more for a hotel, if we don't have to get a rental car or mess around with hotel shuttles.

Do the Disney hotel properties have on-site daycare and babysitters? The hotel that I worked at WDW offered this, and I'm definetly interested in this, as DH and I would like some alone time, if we are going to be there for ~5 days.

Also, should we plan on 2 days to visit the park? I can't think in my head of how "big" it is...similar in size to MK at WDW?

Thanks so much ladies!!

DH and I were annual pass holders until we moved east...so pre-kids!

What people refer to as "Disneyland" is the equivalent to MK, like Alien_host said. To me, and a lot of others, DL is better than MK. it's a small world is huge and beautiful, DL has the Matterhorn, the Pirates of the Caribbean is better, it's just more "magical". The castle is a LOT smaller, which is what a lot of people notice, but other than that, I think DL wins. Fantasyland in particular is nicer. Remember, it's the only park that Walt built. I also think you see more characters just out and about than at MK.

CA is right across the promenade. It's had a major renovation in the past year, so my info is a little out of date. It's got some nice rides, like Monsters Inc, California Screamin' and Soarin' over California (which I guess they now have at WDW too?) Tower of Terror at CA pales in comparison to the DHS one, not even a competition. It's one of my favorite rides at DHS, but often I don't even bother with the one at CA.

Downtown Disney is about a 5 minute walk. I think it's smaller than the WDW one, but I've never spent much time at the WDW one, so can't say for sure.

There are tons of hotels/motels that are walking distance to Disneyland. HOJO is the best of the non-Disney hotels I've stayed at. It's not fancy, but it's inexpensive, and the rooms seem to be larger. Folks with kids love the pool there. I do think people tend to underestimate how far it is though. I'd say it's a 15 walk, and I'm a pretty fast walker, and wasn't pushing a stroller. (I think people forget that you have to walk through the shuttle area, and then across the promenade). Walking back after a long day, it seems to streeeeetch out in front of you.

The nicest Disney property is The Grand Californian. It's beautiful. It's a great place to experience Disney magic, and it's the closest one to the parks, I'd say about a 7-10 walk depending on how fast you are, to Disneyland (MK). There's a gate that goes directly into California Adventure, which is great!

The Disneyland Hotel is further from the parks, but usually less expensive. It's nice, but not spectacular.

I don't know about childcare, sorry! I'm sure they have it, in fact I think they have kid-clubs.

If you're only going to Disneyland (MK) I would budget two days. If you're doing CA as well, I would say 3. These are minimums to me, but I'm a Disneyholic. We used to go a LOT.

It's a VERY different experience than WDW. Everything is on a much smaller scale. But it really is magical. And hey, relatively low humidity!

Have fun!!!