mommybee Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 So after many, many years I finally get to plan a Disneyland vacation. I grew up going all the time so I have a lot of nostalgia but I live up north now and my kids never get to go. So we are finally going to be able to take the two I still have left at home. Only complication is that I am doing the trip with my ex, but that would require a different thread altogether. First question is there are deals right now for two hotels that aren't the closest. If I have to choose would you prefer the Anaheim Marriott or the Annabella Hotel? Am I going to hate the walk? The only time I went before we stayed at Howard Johnsons but there are no rooms this time for our dates. Any tips and tricks would be great! My kids are older so that will make it easier. TIA :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 I don't have hotel tips, sorry, but make sure to check online to see the "busy times" not to go. It makes such a difference in your overall experience if you go during a non busy time. Summer is jam packed!! IMO, Sep-Nov is a great time, as is Jan-March ( before spring break) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 Thanks......we are planning on Sept. I guess I can't decide if staying at a Disney hotel is worth the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 So after many, many years I finally get to plan a Disneyland vacation. I grew up going all the time so I have a lot of nostalgia but I live up north now and my kids never get to go. So we are finally going to be able to take the two I still have left at home. Only complication is that I am doing the trip with my ex, but that would require a different thread altogether. First question is there are deals right now for two hotels that aren't the closest. If I have to choose would you prefer the Anaheim Marriott or the Annabella Hotel? Am I going to hate the walk? The only time I went before we stayed at Howard Johnsons but there are no rooms this time for our dates. Any tips and tricks would be great! My kids are older so that will make it easier. TIA :) We just came back from there. :-) We always stay at the Ramada Maingate-At The Park. Except for once, when we stayed at a hotel that was on the other side of I-5, and I didn't like the walk. The Ramada was a decent price, and it's close to the main gate (I think it's closer than the Howard Johnson, and I think it's also less expensive). Use Flash Passes. Technically, you can only have one at a time, but if you work it right, you can keep them going. If, for example, you have a Flash Pass for Splash Mountain that's good from 10:15 to 12:15, at 10:18 you get a Flash Pass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, then go do Splash Mountain. A few minutes after your assigned time for BTMR, get your next Flash Pass, then do BTMR. On the down side, Flash Passes are not always available, and they're not available for all attractions. Such is life. :-) We always try to open the park. :-) And we turn left at the end of Main Street and go do Indiana Jones, Pirates, and the Haunted House. Depending on the weather, we'll do Splash Mountain, and then maybe Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or maybe the Matterhorn. When we open California Adventure, we zoom straight back and get a Flash Pass for Radiator Springs Raceway. And we always see the Aladdin show, sometimes more than once (there are different casts for different shows, and Genie is different. We love the Genie.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 I really like that plan Ellie! I wanted to book through costco travel and they only have so many hotel choices on their list. I don't think Ramada is one of them. So I'm having a hard time finding a good one. I'm not sure if staying at Paradise Pier would be worth the extra money but sounds like a fun place. Oh and with Flash passes is their a special line? Not sure how those work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Oh and with Flash passes is their a special line? Not sure how those work. Yes, there is a special line. Everyone else will wait while the Flash Pass peeps go ahead. It's frustrating if you aren't a Flash Pass holder, but such is life. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonwood Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Yep, work those fast passes! We've stayed on and off the site. First time we were pretty tight on $ so we found an expensive suite hotel room to share with my parents. For $30/a night (our half, dh had a military discount) it was worth the 7 min drive and navigating everything. Three yrs later I saved longer and stayed on site and ohhhhhh how much fun it was! Coming back to the hotel to wash cloth animals and other fun things left behind with the maids, the super cute themeing of that area of hotels, letting the Disney busses or other transportation offerings navigate everything for you, and the fun pools, having my purchases sent back to my room so I don't have to carry them around all day....etc etc...etc! Yes please! Plus since then they have added other free service to those staying on site. And,at that particular time if you booked 4 nights or more you got a meal pass deal for 4, so very often we ate free in the park! Worth every red cent to me. We chose one of the lower priced places and though inside was pretty basic we reasoned that we were only there to sleep. I'd vote that is worth it for sure. Now the price of the higher end ones......ermm...that's not my style or budget so I'd have to think harder on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermama Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Watch out for Labor Day weekend - the Disneyland Half Marathon is then so the weekend itself will be very crowded. Other than that, September is a lovely time to go! We were able to get Fast Passes for everything we wanted to do, and the waits were pretty minimal. What sort of deal are you getting through Costco? Will you be driving? What's your breakfast plan? We like staying at a hotel that has free parking and free continental breakfast. Since your kids are older, I'd recommend having them do some research and make a list of their top 3 rides. Many of the rides that tend to have longer waits have FP (Radiator Springs Racers, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones, etc) - the one big exception is Toy Story Midway Mania, so definitely hit that one as early as possible in the day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WagsWife Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 My thoughts on staying onsite versus off: I love staying on site for the experience if you can afford it, but prefer the DL hotel. PP is nice...but it is the furthest of the Disney hotels. The walk back to PP at night can be LONG! Cheaper and closer hotels can be found right across the street from the main gate. They may not have the "wow" of the onsite hotels, but when you consider the small amount of time spent in the hotels, and the close walk...IMO, they are a better choice than the PP. The exception would be if you plan to visit Downtown Disney after leaving the parks. If so, then the walk to PP would be much closer than having to walk all the way back through DD, past the parks, and accross the street. The DL hotel is further away from the parks than some of the hotels across the street...but we like to walk through DD so it does not seem like such a hike when we have been able to stay there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 ok so I am just going with Howard Johnson. No free breakfast but at least free parking. The Disneyland site has a good deal bundling the rooms and the tickets right now. We will be arriving Tues after Labor Day. I've been reading up like crazy but what is this Radiator springs ride and why is it so cool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrub Jay Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 My girls love HoJos. It's an acceptable walk and the splash pad is a lot of fun for the kids. We've always been comfortable there. Have fun! And, yes, half marathons are crazy there. There was one yesterday and it was nuts just trying to park. The park itself was busy but not insane, though, so not as huge of a deal if you're staying nearby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 Let's talk food!! Where to eat and how much am I looking to spend while I'm there? I did pre purchase a character meal so that will be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamzanne Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 My favorite place to eat in Disneyland is the place with chicken and beef skewers right across from Indiana Jones. Also, don't miss the pineapple dole whips in Adventureland. My best tip is to purchase Ridemax, a program for your computer/phone that will help you schedule your time to avoid waiting in line. We went in the middle of summer and rode every single thing and never waited longer than 15 minutes. It is SO worth your $20 or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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