Hi mama's,
We are taking our 5 yr old son to Disneyland for the first time. We are going the week before Christmas. Where did you stay, and did you book a package deal? Are the strollers there big enough for a 5 yr old. My son has some muscle weakness in his legs and he gets tired easily. He is almost 4 foot tall so, not sure if we should buy a stroller or rent at Disneyland. Thank you for any and all answers.
Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions! I can't wait to go on vacation.
We stayed at the Hyatt down there. We had a Disney package that gave us hopper passes to both parks and we stayed for three days. It was wonderful. The Hyatt will pick you drop you off at Disneyland and pick you up. It was really fun, great rooms too!
We went just 1 1/2 years ago. FYI, Christmas time is one of the busiest times to go.
We stayed at the All Star Sports resort. It was nice, not fancy but we were there to spend lots of time in the room. We did the package of the accommodations, meal plan, and park tickets and utilized the shuttle service. Unless you are planning to prepare your own meals, the meal plan is the way to go because even though the price per person may seem high at first actually purchasing the meal one there is even higher. You have to stay at a Disney hotel/resort to utilize the meal plan.
The stroller is big enough but I am not sure if they are tall enough for a 4ft child. You could probably contact them for dimensions to make your own call.
That is the best time to go!! We go almost every year and love it. They have everything covered in lights and it, as my son says, is even funner! The strollers are big enough for bigger kids so just rent one there. We stay at the Grand Californian which is awesome. The rooms are nice and clean and the park access is great. The entrance to both parks is right behind the hotel. If you are willing to shell out more money there are some really cool suites. If it's available you can actually stay in Walt's private apartment inside the park. We stayed in a suite last time that is right above the Disney store. I don't remember the number but the person booking will know what you're talking about. It was great because you're right over the park entrance so the views are cool. Awesome place to see fireworks for both parks and the people watching is great. We have never done the meal plan because it really isn't a good deal unless you eat like a bird. You end up paying out of pocket for a lot of things or end up fighting with your kids because they want something that isn't on the plan. The rooms in the Californian have a mini fridge and I think most places you stay will provide one even if there isn't one in the room. You can also usually get a toaster too. If you want to save money on food bring your own breakfast and lunch stuff and you can eat in your room some days. My son eats 4 things so it's kinda nice to have food he'll eat instead of paying $10 for something he's going to call gross and refuse to eat!!
If you want to see the fireworks close up watch them from the exit of the Small World ride. They are really loud but so awesome! Speaking of the Small World ride look for Disney characters from all of the movies as you go thru. The pirates ride is really awesome...much better than Disney World. The 3D rides are great and you have to see the Bugs Life show. If you are going to see the Aladdin show don't get stuck at the top. You are so high up that you can't see anything and it's terrifying! It's so steep you feel like you'll tumble right down and you're 5 floors up from the stage itself. If you can't sit on the lower floors then skip it. It will only make you mad that you can't see. Get up and go out early to avoid crazy lines. If you really want to avoid crazy lines you can shell out even more money to have a VIP guide to take you all over the park. They can't cut all of the lines but they can cut many of them. I know all kinds of other Disney tricks so if you want more info or have other questions just message me :) Disneyland is one of my favorite places. It really is Magical!
I would book a package. My kids love the Paradise Pier hotel-because of the pool. i like the grand Ca. because it's nicer, and closer! if you stay at the hotels you can get into the park earlier. It rocks! Try doing one of the character meals. It is worth it.
I'm assuming you are going to CA. Here in Orlando (Disneyworld) there are a lot of websites and blogs on vacationing to the parks with kids. They have loads of information on how to make your trip great, what to bring, what to rent, where to stay, etc... Just google it. Good luck and have fun!
we just got back from Disney last month. We stayed at the Residence Inn Anaheim Maingate. It is literally at 10 minute walk to Disney from the hotel. It was much faster for us to walk than park in their structure and take the tram to the park. We like Residence Inns as they have full kitchens in their units (can bring and make your own food if you're interested), free breakfast (includes eggs and other protein choices), and have a pool (rather small, but good for kids). You can take food and water into Disney. They have a security check area right outside Downtown Disney and once you get through, there is not any other security points to get into the park. We brought water and some snacks to cover us between meals.
The week before Christmas will be very crowded and expect to a lot of people and long lines. The Disney strollers are actually pretty nice. http://disneyland.disney.go.com/plan/guest-services/strol...
or you can bring your own umbrella stroller.
I went to Disneyland 20 years ago during spring break. I also went another time during the winter. I think it was February. Twenty years ago, Disneyland was so crowded with kids and families during spring break that it wasn't much fun, especially in comparison to the time I went while school was in session. Lines were long and people were always bumping into each other. We did search out entertainment with short lines but because of the crowds finding them was difficult. Twenty years later, I suspect it's even more crowded during school breaks. Just something for you to think about.
Here are some top tips on Disneyland.
http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/ourcorner/780
Hi G.,
If you are able to, you might try to book a room at the California Grand Hotel. Although it's pretty pricey, it's located right in the California Adventure Park, next to Disneyland. We stayed there once on a staycation, and absolutely loved being able to take a break in the room or at the pool when we were getting tired. Also, if you are there on certain days, I think you are allowed to get in the park an hour ealier than the public, which was really great. We were able to hit all the long lined rides and still enjoy ourselves the rest of the day.
As for the stroller situation, try calling Disneyland and speaking directly to a cast member. If they don't have a stroller that can help, they may be able to direct you to someone who can help.
Have a wonderful trip! Your son will have a great time!
L.
Look online to see how much the stroller rental costs. If you plan on going anywhere else than buy a cheap stroller so you can use it anywhere. You may want to visit Knotts berry farm too. They have a petting zoo and fun rides for your child as well. Disneyland almost alway has long lines and high price food. I would put some snacks in your purse if possible and eat breakfast before you go.
There are a lot of very reasonably priced hotels around Disneyland (CA) and you can just walk across the road to the park - it's been a few years since i have been there and i know things have changed a lot. If you mean DisneyWorld (FL) then I would suggest you stay at one of the Disney properties and use the shuttle buses. Check out the websites. Does your son have a wheelchair? Disney is very amenable to people (especially kids) with diabilities, try calling them and asking for suggestions - I know many of hte rides are adaptable to wheelchairs (I was very impressed to see them take out a seat and make adjustments on one of the flying rides last time we were in FL). Call them - they want it to be a magical experience for everyone in your group.
Have fun.
We live nearby, so we don't need a hotel. And my kids are too old for a stroller - but we always took our own.
This site has lots of tips: http://www.mousesavers.com
Visit the Disney site to learn all you can beforehand: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/
Their FastPass will save you lots of time - but read about it so you understand how it works: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/plan/guest-services/fastp...
Take refillable water bottles with you - that will save you tons of money on drinks. We even take snacks with us. If we're going to be there for two meals - we pack a picnic & put it in the locker. Then eat out for just one meal.
Don't feel limited to eating in the park, there are lots of places to eat outside at Downtown Disney. And, if you want to eat at the House of Blues, restaurant.com has a $25 certificate for just $10 right now.
This is an interesting blog on doing it on a budget: http://simplyschooling.blogspot.com/2008/02/disneylandca-...
Good luck and HAVE FUN!
The strollers are big enough for a 5 year old and cost $12 a day to rent. I just got back and stayed at the Hilton Homewood Suites. They have a shutttle that rins every 1/2 hr up unitl and hour after the park closes. It is a great hotel with complimentary breafast and light dinner, there is a Red Robin, Oggies Pizza, Outback, and Joes Crab Shack in same parking lot. It is considered Garden Grove and not Anaheim so prices are a bit cheaper (5 blocks north of park). I believe that a 2 queen bed suite is about $129 a night and you get a full kitchen with plates and pots and pans so you can buy grocieries and cook to save $$ (full size fridge). The staff was winderful and I highky reccomend. As far as tickets the hotel might offer some discounts (check website). Hope this helps and have a great trip, the park is so beautiful decorated for the holidays :) If you have any /s feel free to mess me
It's going to be very crowded that week, so even though some people recommended getting a hotel that has a kitchenette, you most likely won't do any cooking, you'll be eating in the park a lot because you'll lose a lot of time standing in lines, and wont' want to leave to go get meals.
The rooms at the Disney hotels do have a small fridge, so if you want to save some money, buy some milk and cereal from a nearby grocery store and eat breakfast in your room. Bring fruit and snacks too.
The strollers at the park are nice and big, definitely big enough for a 5 year old, I'd recommend them. You might even want to get a Disney credit card. We don't have one, but I know that they used to give you free stroller rentals if you had a Disney credit card.
We have annual passes, so when we have stayed at Disneyland, we haven't booked a package with tickets. We always stay at the Paradise Pier Hotel at Disney. It's beach themed and the pool is nice, plus fun waterslide. This is the least expensive of the Disney hotels. The Disneyland Hotel (original one) is about the same price right now, but that's because they are doing major construction there (we were just at Disneyland two weeks ago). I'd be wary of booking a room there, it might be really loud. The construction is supposed to go on for quite some time.
BTW, they say check in is at 3 PM, but you can get there at 1 PM, and your room is usually ready. Or get there even earlier, and they will hold your bags until your room is ready, and you can go in the park.
Also, the pool is freezing at the Disneyland Hotel, the Paradise Pier pool is much warmer.
The Disney CA Grand Hotel is really nice and the closest to the parks, but very pricey. Have a great time! :)
