Starting from scratch

[dollydaydream7]

So we have always been planning a Disneyworld Orlando trip with our boys who would be 11,8,6,3 when we were thinking of going however with prices going up and those parks being so busy we started to think about a west coast trip. Myself and hubby did one about 6 years ago, we only did universal in LA but loved that. I know nothing about Disneyland California though. Is it two separate parks? Is it as good as Disney word or more Disneyland Paris? Do you stay onsite?

We are thinking few days Disney, couple universal and then maybe a road trip? Would or to take boys to San Francisco too. Any advice would be welcome.

[Bad Pink Tink]

I have been going to Disneyland California every June for the last 10 years.

Disneyland is situated in Anaheim, which is about an hours drive from Hollywood Walk of Fame. It would be about 90 minutes drive between Universal Studios Hollywood and Disneyland.

Disneyland California is like a bigger, more entertainment, better food version of Disneyland Paris.

There are 2 parks, the main Disneyland Park and California Adventures Park.

Think of the entire Disney property as a square.

• The north side is Disneyland main park
• The south side is California Adventures park
• The east side is Harbour Boulevard, pedestrian entrance and shuttle bus area
• The west side is Downtown Disney, car park shuttle area, pedestrian entrance,
• The whole big space in the the middle of the square is an esplanade.

There are 3 onsite hotels, which are extremely over priced and would be like the high end deluxe hotels in Walt Disney World.

The majority of people stay off site. There are a huge number of hotels in various price ranges on the Harbour Boulevard side of Disney property. Many are walkable to Disney property and some have a shorter walk to the park entrance than the on site hotels.

I usually do a split location stay.

I stay about 5 days in LA / Hollywood and over the years I have been to

1. Universal Studios
2. Warner Bros Studio Tour
3. Paramount Studios Tour
4. Sony Pictures Studios Tour
5. Walk of Fame
6. Madame Tussauds
7. Hollywood and Highland Mall
8. Farmers Marker / The Grove Shopping Plaza
9. Santa Monica
10. The Museum of Tolerance / Holocaust Exhibition
11. South Pasadena
12. Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour
13. La Brea Tar Pits
14. Rodeo Drive / Beverley Hills

I usually stay in budget motels and I have also stayed in 2 AirBnB's

I then switch locations and stay in a hotel in Anaheim to go to Disneyland.

[dollydaydream7]

Thank you for your reply, think I’d have to do a lot of research into it all.

[Bad Pink Tink]

Originally Posted by dollydaydream7

Thank you for your reply, think I’d have to do a lot of research into it all.

See more...

You are welcome

I just posted general information to start you off. Let me know f you have specific questions, as the more info you have , the better you will be able to plan.

Some other things

Disneyland California does not have Fastpass ++ or magic bands or a dining plan.

Fastpasses can only be obtained on the day, once you are scanned into the parks. There are 2 ways to get Fastpasses
Maxpass
This is a paid for digital Fastpass on your phone. It cost $15 per day and includes the Photopass for on ride photos
Free Paper Fastpasses from kiosks located near the rides

Restaurant reservations open 60 days in advance for everyone. Restaurant reservations are booked online through the Disneyland website.

You will need to make a new Disney account on the Disneyland website. The My Disney Experience used in Walt Disney World does not work for Disneyland California.

[Buzz242]

Great info from Bad Pink Tink, we've been several times and love it because it's so different from Disneyworld. Great being able to walk to the parks when you're staying offsite, lots of the rides are different too.
There are so many options for road trips, I would suggest you read some trippies for ideas that suit you best. Our two boys love San Francisco, I think they were early teens the first time we went. you could easily spend 3-4 days there. We also love San Diego, it's not too far from Anaheim and lots to see and do there.

[KayLouise]

I would recommend Bambikate's trip report- The 1200 Mile West Coast Adventure - August/September 2018 if you would like some ideas (it's an epic roadtrip and with 2 children)
Happy planning!

[KarenG]

I wouldn’t say it was necessarily cheaper than WDW and if you’re including travelling between different cities, some of the hotels in (for example) San Francisco are very expensive.

I’m not saying this to put you off, because I love the West Coast and Disneyland far more than Orlando, but Orlando is extremely cheap for hotels compared to some of the West Coast locations. Your family size means you’d need two rooms, suite type accommodation or something similar (eg Airbnb) which is something to bear in mind

[Mrs Red C]

It is a different holiday than Florida. I expect people will disagree with me but here are my thoughts.
Given the age of your children, I think it might prove too much. Long flights and long drives if you want to go to San Francisco. It can be very expensive to eat out and hotels etc are also costly. There are loads of West Coast Trip Reports to get the research etc but I'd stick to Florida and wait until your children are older. Think they'd appreciate it more and enjoy all the different places and experiences that California can provide, it's an amazing State.

Happy planning whatever you decide.

[KayLouise]

We are planning for next year, kids will be 5 and 9 so just focusing on the south this time (excuse for a future trip!)
We are doing LA, Palm Springs and finishing with 4 days in Disneyland.