Disneyland Tips?

[Rhettzky]

So we're packing the kids up in early February and heading to Disneyland. We're going to do 4 days there, Universal Studio's, LegoLand, SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo. My question is; have you ever been? any tips or tricks that come in handy (line tips, special passes you can get, any tricks that came in handy...)? Anything else you can think of that would be cool to take 2 kids to (both under 5)?

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

[SportsJunky]

Tell that boy of yours to stop growing or his mouse ears hat won't fit over his melon.

[Eric Vail]

My only advice would be not to stay in the Disney resort. I have gone down to Anaheim a bunch of times for a yearly conference and have stayed in a variety of places - all within a block or two of Disneyland. We stayed at one of the Disney resorts once to get a sense of what you'd get there. It was very disappointing. For about double the cost of other places, we got a clean simple room, the pool was closed because they were "Creating Disney Magic" (ie. renovations). It wasn't terrible, but was hardly worth the big price tag that went with it.

[Daradon]

4 days is probably not enough time to do all of those things well. Course since they are so young, they may not be doing a lot at each of those parks. I dunno, you may want to shorten your schedule a little. You definitely don't want to add anything to that.

[Ice_Weasel]

Buy your disneyland tickets before you go - i think you can get them at AMA for a decent price. If you are there for one day (which it sounds like if you are doing the other parks you mentioned) don't bother with California Adventureland. If you are there for two days it is worth going to both (in my opinion).

I agree re: Disneyland resort - especially if you are going to other places. You pay a HUGE premium to be right at the park, which is worthless if you are just getting in your car and driving to Universal studios. However, most of the other options near the park are motels (albeit nice ones).

Depending on sleep schedules, go to Disneyland during the day and at night - the park really has a different feel at night with everything lit up.

Not sure if you have boys or girls (or both) but that will make a huge difference - if girls there are lots of 'princess' things to see and do and if boys 'tommorow land' in the Disneyland park is a must.

I could go on and on - bit of a Disneyland junkie (been about 5 times in the last 7-8 years). If you have a specific question feel free to pm me.

[krazycanuck]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

So we're packing the kids up in early February and heading to Disneyland. We're going to do 4 days there, Universal Studio's, LegoLand, SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo. My question is; have you ever been? any tips or tricks that come in handy (line tips, special passes you can get, any tricks that came in handy...)? Anything else you can think of that would be cool to take 2 kids to (both under 5)?

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

A great place to stay in the Disneyland area is right across the street, it's a best western and I believe it's called the Park Place Mini Suites. It's nice to be able to leave the park in the middle of the day to nap and not waste a whole lot of time doing it. Just a Good moderate priced hotel that is clean but location, location, location

My opinion of Legoland is that it was kinda blah...then again, I checked it out years ago when it first opened. Knott's Berry Farm is another amusement park just north of Disneyland that is worth spending a day at...but again, it's geared more towards teenagers than younger children.

While in So. Cal you MUST eat at an in-n-out burger at least once. Fries and a double-double animal style=win.

I would advise to purchase your tickets in advance for the attractions, you can buy them online and in many cases it saves you money, in all cases it saves you time.

Rent a car...Cabs will run you way too much money and shuttle services aren't ideal if you'll be going from Hollywood to San Diego.

Lineups in Disneyland are always lighter during the middle of the week, this will be especially true while you're there in the off-season. Rides are especially easy to get on later in the day mid-week.

If you're on a budget, I'd avoid eating at Disneyland. There is a Mcdonald's across the street that is key for my family when we visit. One special thing that your kids may go bonkers over is the character dinners...they are a little pricey ($20-$30) per person, but it's a nice way for your kids to meet mickey, or cinderella without having to fight with everyone else when they're out on their regular walks around the park.

If you have kids who are too short to be riding some of the rides, but you and the wife want to go on them, ask for a child swap pass from a ride operator as you get into line...this means you'll get to ride, while the wife watches the kids, and then after you're done, she'll get to skip the line to ride while you watch them.

Have fun!

[simonsays]

My suggestion would be to figure out which of the big rides you want to going on (ie: Space Mountain) and heading to those first thing. Also consider starting at the back of the park and working forward. It'll make your day a little anti-climactic, but you'll also avoid some of the crazy lineups that seem to follow you from the entrance all day.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

My advice would be to wait about 10 years before going.

Seriously, right around closing time, Disney land becomes the crakiest place on earth. You're gonna be another dad trying to carry 1 passed out toddler, while the other walks behind you crying.

This is not a comment on your child rearing ability or the general manners of your children, but trust me I'd say the VAST majority of kids leaving Disneyland do not have smiles on their faces.

For real tips though, I can say a few things regarding speed passes

1) DO NOT get a speed pass if return time is more than about 1.5 hrs away, it's a waste of a speedpass

2) DO NOT get in line for the big rides like Indiana Jones first thing in the morning (if you'll even be doing those with little kids). Grab a speed pass first thing and hit some of the smaller rides when there are no lines

3) As soon as your speed pass is ready to go (as in if it's good for 1:00 to 2:00) grab a speedpass for a second ride at about 1:01. That's the only way to overlap them and it can save a lot of time.

There's actually a website that will tell you exactly how to get the most rides in for any day, it'll actually build a schedule for you, so maybe look for that too.

Oh, and "Try the churros"

[HotHotHeat]

A good general tip about amusement parks is if you go for opening in the morning (not a bad idea), go left as you as you get into the park. Most are set up in a circle and going clockwise will mean less lines....The theory being that most people's instinct is to turn right. I lost a mickey mouse hat 12 years ago in a LA cab, if you see it let me know.

[getbak]

Are you doing four days total, or four days just at Disneyland? You can't really do the five places you listed in four days, so, I'm assuming it's 4 at DL and one each at the rest.

Buy as many of your tickets as possible in advance, either at AMA or online. It'll save you some money and some time when you get there because it'll be one less line you need to stand in.

As said, there's no real advantage to staying in a Disney hotel. In fact, there are some hotels across Harbor Blvd that are closer to the front gate of the two parks than the Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier. The Grand Californian is a really nice hotel that literally overlooks California Adventure, but it's pretty pricey. If you can get a hotel anywhere along Harbor Blvd between Katella and Ball, you can walk to the parks. There's also a shuttle bus that goes to all of the hotels in the area for a small fee. I wouldn't recommend parking at DL unless you get free parking and are staying somewhere without a shuttle.

Go to the Disneyland parks during the week and the crowds should be really light. Saturdays and Sundays will be busier, so I'd go somewhere else on the weekend. If you buy a multi-day ticket, it'll allow you to park-hop between Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, so picking a park shouldn't be a big issue.

To avoid lines, use the Fastpass system that allows you to get a pass for a ride with a time stamp, then return after the time on the ticket to ride. I don't think any of the rides that would appeal to the pre-school crowd have Fastpasses anymore, so it may not be as valuable to you.

If your older child wants to ride the coasters but the younger doesn't (or isn't big enough), and both you and your wife want to ride the rides as well, ask about a child swap ticket. Basically, it allows you to go through the line as a family, then you ride with the older child while your wife waits with the younger one, then, when you're done riding, your wife rides with the older child while you wait with the younger one.

Overall, crowds probably won't be a big issue since you're going mid-week in early February during a recession.

If you want to start at the back of the park and work your way forward (going opposite from the crowds), hop on the train right when you walk in the gates and ride it around to the ToonTown station. This will drop you off right outside It's a Small World and ToonTown on the north end of the park.

Are you renting a car or will you be taking a bus from Anaheim to San Diego? I'd recommend the rental because it gives you a little more flexibility, and for four people, it'll probably won't be much more expensive.

Personally, I would not do Universal if I were you. There isn't much there for young kids, and not a whole lot for adults either. If you're staying in Anaheim, it's a long drive for not a lot of pay off.

If you are going to have a rental car, I'd also consider the San Diego Wild Animal Park rather than the Zoo. It's quite a distance from San Diego itself, but not much difference if you're doing it as a day trip from Anaheim. It's different from a regular zoo because the animals are in larger enclosures that better simulate their natural habitats. Of course, if you want to see the pandas, you have to go to the Zoo.

[stang]

I loved Universal way more then DL....

[Locke]

Hahahaha.....Rhettzky is going to Cali?

You're gonna roast like a Christmas ham you daft Ginger!

[Weiser Wonder]

-Matterhorn is a really fun little roller coaster but be wary of taking kids on it. There are monsters throughout the ride than pop out at you and roar. Can be very scary for some kids.
-Try the pineapple whip they sell at the Dole Fruit Stand next to the Tiki Room in Adventureland.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by stang

I loved Universal way more then DL....

But, really, what do they have that would appeal to preschoolers?

There's a Curious George play area, an animal actors show, Shrek 4D (which might scare young kids), the Simpsons ride (which might scare young kids and has a height requirement), and the Jurassic Park ride (which might scare young kids, get them soaking wet, and has a height requirement).

The tram tour would bore them, Terminator 2 3D would give them nightmares, and The Mummy coaster would likely be too intense even if they're big enough.

I'd say at that age, the kids are too young to get any real enjoyment out of Universal. It's a long way to drive and quite expensive for what they'd get out of it.

[chid]

I'm a huge disney nut been over 10 times, biggest tip for sure in Disneyland is not to stay at the resorts, since its right in the city you can stay elsewhere.

Disneyland has the 2 parks - California Adventure and the main park, you cannot do both in one day unless you plan on missing a TON.

+1 for the Dole pineapple whip by the Tiki Room

Indiana Jones, Matterhorn are both pretty fast/jolty rides although I saw lots of young children go on them and love it.

Just don't over exert yourself in one day, you won't enjoy your trip the next day if you go overboard on day one.

[Kipper is King]

I went there in 2001, so things may have changed quite a bit. We found that using Fast Passes was a wonderful way to cut down on wait times. Get a ticket, come back at the stated time, and you're on the ride sometimes in less than five minutes.

I did stay at Paradise Pier, but in hindsight, I agree with others that you can do just fine staying away from an actual Disney resort. We also stayed at the Hilton Anahiem which was very nice, and all the surrounding hotels have regular shuttle buses to the park.

Lastly, I'd say enjoy Downtown Disney, but resist the temptation to eat dinner there. Places like ESPN Zone and the Rainforest Cafe look cool, but you end up waiting a long time for a terrible, overpriced meal.

Also, some of my favourite aspects of southern California actually had nothing to do with Disney. Huntington Beach is a beautiful area with amazing restaurants, and it's great to watch the surfers from the pier. Laguna Beach also is quite cool.

Have a great trip!

[Rhettzky]

Wow, some great info, thanks. Here's a little more detail. We're going for 11 days and plan on hitting the parks during mid-week as much as we can. The kids won't be wanting to go on crazy rides, probably just the toddler type stuff. The only reason we are taking them to Universal Studio's is because we are planning to buy City Passes (3 days disneyland, seaworld, san diego zoo and universal passes included). So we'll probably hit curious george island and do the simpsons ride and then get out of there.

We are staying at the Ho-Jo across the street from the park and it has a big water park. Price was way cheaper then the resort rates, so that's great advice too.

Lastly, we're kind of on the fence about lego land. We might ditch it and just add a day at the wild animal park as well as the san diego zoo.(my daughter loves going to the zoo here)

[mykalberta]

Do not go on the tea cups, then to the McDonalds. TRUST ME.

[MissTeeks]

I was going to ask the same questions about Disneyland. I'm heading to Palm Springs on the 14th of February and we're going to try to make the trip to Disneyland, I haven't been there since I was 12. Is it worth going to California Adventure as well?

[JohnnyFlame]

I've done the San Diego Zoo twice and it's one heck of a walk. I'd plunk down the cash to use the bus system where you can hop on an off at various points. Go on their website to see where the points are and how much it cost. When my kids were little I discovered it was always about keeping them from being tired, thirsty and hungry.

Actually it hasn't changed much now that they are teenagers. At the best zoo I've ever been to(yes even better than San Diego) which was the Singapore Zoo there is the standard one and then the Night Safari. We did both in one day which is pushing it LOL. Thankfully the second one you ride a tram around with short stops. They have a large area where you can eat before the Safari starts. So they were fed, rested and then didn't have to walk much and were happy.

The standard Zoo was great but the legs took a beating!!!!!!!!!!!

SeaWorld is dang near a guaranteed success with the kids. Shows and exhibits --they will be entertained for sure.