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PlutoTheDog89

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Joined
Sep 19, 2011
We grew up going to Disney World as a family. From 2009-2018, we went to DW every year for Christmas. We decided this past year would be our last year for a while. With SW:GE opening up, we figured we'd let it "air out" for a while. Plus, DW was getting a little stale for us, so we figured we'd take a step back, see some other places, then go back in 2021 once the construction was done. Then my dad passed in January, 2019. To make things worse, it was while my sister and I were in Disney World for our Pro Bowl trip. We made it back in time to see him, but still..

Anyway... figured I'd give a background. I know Disney World pretty well... but for Christmas we decided we "need" to get out and away from the house. We decided to do San Fran - LA - SD trip. We're renting a car in SF, driving to LA/Santa Monica, doing 2 days in Disneyland, then heading down to SD. It's a bucket list trip my dad would have loved.

I went to DL once in high school, but don't remember much. As a big Disney fan, I'd really like to soak it all in. Fellow Disney fans we know did it and said you could see "pretty much everything" in 2 days. We decided to time it so that we're there for NYE, but this may be a mistake?? Is Christmas week as crowded in DL as it is in DW?

Aside from that, what are some must-eats? I'm a foodie at heart. What should every Disney fan do/ride/see?

Thanks in advance!
 
Disneyland is extremely crowded the week between Christmas and NYE. NYE is the biggest day of the year. Turnstile closures happen often. I would not suggest a first timer doing this time frame. You will NOT be able to do and see all in 2 days at this time of the year (we are there every year for this.)

With that warning out of the way, get to the parks early. You will get more done between 8 and 11 than the rest of the day. Make table reservations for place you want. During this timeframe there are rarely walk up taken. Eat at off times and use Mobile Order. They should have the Holiday Festival going, so there will be food booths similar to Epcots food and wine. Napa Rose and Steakhouse are go tos for foodies.
 
Disneyland is extremely crowded the week between Christmas and NYE. NYE is the biggest day of the year. Turnstile closures happen often. I would not suggest a first timer doing this time frame. You will NOT be able to do and see all in 2 days at this time of the year (we are there every year for this.)

With that warning out of the way, get to the parks early. You will get more done between 8 and 11 than the rest of the day. Make table reservations for place you want. During this timeframe there are rarely walk up taken. Eat at off times and use Mobile Order. They should have the Holiday Festival going, so there will be food booths similar to Epcots food and wine. Napa Rose and Steakhouse are go tos for foodies.

Yeah, that's my thinking. Like... we never had a problem at Disney World, but then again... we've been SO MANY times that if we didn't ride Small World or get on Pirates, it wasn't the end of the world. With DL, if we don't get on Pirates or Small World, it'll feel like a waste. Plus, we won't be staying on-site (good neighbor), we won't have the perks we do with WDW (EMH, FastPass, etc.).

The main thing I'm struggling with is we don't really know the next time we'll be back. We'd like to think we'll get back to the west coast, but.. we also assumed we'd be back at DW as a family in 2021 and we'll be missing my dad then...
 
Christmas/NYE is the only time of the year that I wouldn't suggest that you could see and do "pretty much everything" in 2 days. It's definitely the most crowded time of the year, and the park does reach capacity.

If this is the only time of the year that you can take for the trip, then don't let the crowds stop you. Just know that your experience won't be the same crowd-wise as someone who visited at a non-peak time. For a 2-day trip, I would recommend a park hopper - the parks are right across from each other, and you can easily walk back and forth. Purchase MaxPass - right now it's $15/person/day (you can choose to purchase each day), and IMO totally worth it. MaxPass allows you to make FastPasses on your phone without going to the turnstile, and you can even make a FP for an attraction in DCA while you're in DL. You can get a lot done with MaxPass. Mornings are the most productive times - go through security before the park opens, so that you can be lined up at the park for opening. They usually let people in the park 15-30 minutes before it opens so there isn't a back-up at the turnstiles.

For the SF to LA drive portion of your trip, if you want to make a day out of it (it's much longer than just taking the 5), drive out to Monterey and take PCH down to San Luis Obispo - it's a beautiful drive (then I'd suggest hopping back inland and take the 1 down to Santa Monica). If you're familiar with the show Big Little Lies, that's where they film the opening driving scenes.
 


Yeah, that's my thinking. Like... we never had a problem at Disney World, but then again... we've been SO MANY times that if we didn't ride Small World or get on Pirates, it wasn't the end of the world. With DL, if we don't get on Pirates or Small World, it'll feel like a waste. Plus, we won't be staying on-site (good neighbor), we won't have the perks we do with WDW (EMH, FastPass, etc.).

The main thing I'm struggling with is we don't really know the next time we'll be back. We'd like to think we'll get back to the west coast, but.. we also assumed we'd be back at DW as a family in 2021 and we'll be missing my dad then...

One thing nice is staying offsite you can still use Maxpass with the same advantage as everyone else. I totally understand your time crunch, so you will have to prioritize based on your family's must do list. The biggest thing to enjoy will be the ambiance of Walt's park. I have been to both DL and WDW and that "feeling" while at DL is the #1 thing for me.
 
The Disney stuff has been covered above, but I want to make sure you know what you are getting into with the driving. It's about 7+ hours of driving on a good day from SF to Anaheim so basically one full day just in transit. San Diego is about 2 hours if you dont have much traffic, but can get ugly depending on when you attempt the drive. I am not sure how much time you have, but keep in mind that both SF and Southern CA driving can be an absolute nightmare. I'm not against it, I will be there in 2 weeks with a rental car....but I am fully prepared fro the delays and frustration.
 
My suggestion is to do Disneyland on Jan 6 and 7 (first monday and tuesday after New Years) if you can make the adjustment
 


One tip a CM gave me was to make a dining reservation. She said that if the turnstiles are closed due to being at capacity, they will still let you in if you have a dining reservation. If you can make it a 3rd day, you get one MM/EMH to use with your 3 day pass. I would not buy a 3 day pass just for that though - we used MM when we went and only Fantasyland was open. Nobody was interested in starting there, so we just lined up for rope drop at Adventureland and we were the first ones on Pirates.
 
The Disney stuff has been covered above, but I want to make sure you know what you are getting into with the driving. It's about 7+ hours of driving on a good day from SF to Anaheim so basically one full day just in transit. San Diego is about 2 hours if you dont have much traffic, but can get ugly depending on when you attempt the drive. I am not sure how much time you have, but keep in mind that both SF and Southern CA driving can be an absolute nightmare. I'm not against it, I will be there in 2 weeks with a rental car....but I am fully prepared fro the delays and frustration.

Our tentative schedule:
12/24: Fly to San Fran
12/24-12/26: San Francisco
12/26: Spend the night in Monterey
12/27: Big Sur/Drive to Santa Monica
12/28-12/30: Santa Monica
12/30-1/1: Disneyland (may just drop Disneyland now)
1/1-1/3: San Diego
 
As a former 13 year resident of Florida my advice to you is, at least in Disneyland Park, to concentrate on the rides that are specific to DL and the few that are in both parks but are better in DL. Kind of like your own personal tier 1 and tier 2 for rides. As far as DCA goes, make sure you are in the middle of the street at dusk when the neon lights go on in Cars Land. The experience never gets old.
 
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The must eat place for us was Café Orleans and it did not disappoint! Nothing like it at WDW, lots of unique items.

Under normal circumstances, I would agree that 2 days is enough time to do everything. We were there during a busy time - Memorial Day weekend, last weekend before SWGE opened, last weekend of SoCal ticket promotion, Grad Nites, etc. - but its my understanding that Christmas time is worse. I'm sure it would still be fun, but I don't think you'll get everything done. It may just end up being frustrating.
 
Our tentative schedule:
12/24: Fly to San Fran
12/24-12/26: San Francisco
12/26: Spend the night in Monterey
12/27: Big Sur/Drive to Santa Monica
12/28-12/30: Santa Monica
12/30-1/1: Disneyland (may just drop Disneyland now)
1/1-1/3: San Diego

Where are you flying out of? - could you go down to San Diego before Disneyland? Or even before Santa Monica - so you did San Diego 12/28-30, Santa Monica 12/30-1/1, and DLR 1/2-1/3 (I'll be there then myself)? Alternatively (if airline tickets haven't been purchased yet), what if you reverse the whole thing, do Xmas in San Diego, New Year's in Santa Monica, then DLR, then drive up to SF?

Also, sorry about your dad, and good for you for honoring him in this special way!
 
One tip a CM gave me was to make a dining reservation. She said that if the turnstiles are closed due to being at capacity, they will still let you in if you have a dining reservation. If you can make it a 3rd day, you get one MM/EMH to use with your 3 day pass. I would not buy a 3 day pass just for that though - we used MM when we went and only Fantasyland was open. Nobody was interested in starting there, so we just lined up for rope drop at Adventureland and we were the first ones on Pirates.
This is not true. They will make sure you don't get charged the no show fee though. (Had this happen.) . The one exception is Club 33. You will be escorted in (and out if it is still closed) for your meal.
 
Some trip planning information for you:
From the Disneyland (California) board -- the DLR trip planning forum:
Start with this sticky at the top of the first page: * DLR Info/Links - Maps, Hotels, DISer Reviews, Hydroguy's tips, NEWBIE INFO here! -- TONS of great information and threads here!
From that sticky:
A DLR Guide for WDW Vets -- this is pre-SWGE, but still very, very helpful!
HydroGuy Tips Compilation -- so much good information here!
Hotel Info: Read these threads then ask any questions on the DLR board
"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862
"Choosing the Right DLR Area Hotel for You" www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-hotel-for-you.3656512/ -- at DLR, it's all about location, location, location! If you can be walking distance to the gates, great! If not, be walking distance to one of the parking lots so that you can catch the free shuttle buses or the tram. Or be a quick Uber/Lyft ride away. But the less commuting you have to do to get to/from the parks, the easier your trip will be.
Book hotel and tickets separately -- you'll save more money that way. Unless you find a package deal that gives you perks that you want, e.g. Costco packages. But at DLR, booking separately is easy and cost effective. UT is well liked here, and they now offer MP with their tickets. LMT is good, too -- use Google to find a free membership code. Check Mousesavers.com for the latest deals on hotels, tickets, car rentals, etc. If a vendor is listed there, they are authorized and legit. If you can possibly add a third day to your tickets, you'll get a Magic Morning (one hour early entry to DL -- FL and TL only -- on a Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday -- but check the dates for Christmas Week because Disney can change this.) With good planning, a MM can help you get a lot done with rides that aren't on the FP system.
"Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" by @Skyegirl1999 - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/ -- you've already heard about the crowds -- MP can really help you if you know how to use it to your advantage -- ask all questions in this Superthread!
OFFICIAL 2018 Christmas & Holiday Time at DLR Superthread!! -- this was last year's Holiday Time Superthread -- read through it for a basic idea of what was offered, when/where, and what the crowds were like.
Disneyland Resort ‘Decks the Halls’ for the 2019 Holiday Season, Beginning November 8 -- today's announcement for Holiday Time this year!
Check the AP Blockout Calendar (blockout-dates)! If you decide to move your dates to January as suggested above, I would not suggest visiting the first day the lower passes are allowed back into the parks -- which would be the 5th for Deluxe and Flex (w/a reservation) and the 6th for both SoCal and SoCal Select. Those days are going to be very crowded!

For the non-DLR parts of your trip, post questions in the California & the West forum -- you'll get great help there!
 
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Our tentative schedule:
12/24: Fly to San Fran
12/24-12/26: San Francisco
12/26: Spend the night in Monterey
12/27: Big Sur/Drive to Santa Monica
12/28-12/30: Santa Monica
12/30-1/1: Disneyland (may just drop Disneyland now)
1/1-1/3: San Diego


Do you plan to drive from Santa Monica on the 30th to Disneyland and go to Disneyland park on the 30th? If so, don't.

I've lived on that west side area my whole life. Don't do that drive on the second to last day of the year in the morning. Unless you leave at 5 am, you won't see the inside of the parks before 9, and you'll have lost your advantage.

Also why Santa Monica? It's a pit. The pier is run down and gross, it's over run with homeless people and drug paraphenelia left on the streers by them, and the promenade shopping is just like literally any other high end shopping mall in the country...but outside.
Some od my closest friends live in Santa Monica and there's literally nothing worth staying several days to see. Same with Venice, unless you like street performers over age 60 and weed.

Hollywood is even worse.
 
Good point. If you want to see Santa Monica / Hollywood, just see it during the day (at the 27th) and then drive to Disneyland and make it a 3 day ticket (you get one Magic Morning to Disneyland). So you spend 28-29-30 in Disneyland, avoiding 31st and 1st
 
Also why Santa Monica? It's a pit. The pier is run down and gross, it's over run with homeless people and drug paraphenelia left on the streers by them, and the promenade shopping is just like literally any other high end shopping mall in the country...but outside.
Some od my closest friends live in Santa Monica and there's literally nothing worth staying several days to see. Same with Venice, unless you like street performers over age 60 and weed.

A friend at work recommended Santa Monica over LA. Then again, he also sold all his stuff and road tripped around America, so he's a bit more carefree. Where would you recommend staying around LA? I've head LA is very underwhelming.

We're thinking of skipping Disneyland. My mom doesn't really do rides and frankly, my sister and I don't wanna leave her along while we go on rides all day. She used to have my dad to sit and hang with, so...

Still trying to build out my itinerary, but do wanna have 2 days in Monterey so we can really enjoy Big Sur. Apologize to the Mods if this strays from a DL discussion now.
 
A friend at work recommended Santa Monica over LA. Then again, he also sold all his stuff and road tripped around America, so he's a bit more carefree. Where would you recommend staying around LA? I've head LA is very underwhelming.

We're thinking of skipping Disneyland. My mom doesn't really do rides and frankly, my sister and I don't wanna leave her along while we go on rides all day. She used to have my dad to sit and hang with, so...

Still trying to build out my itinerary, but do wanna have 2 days in Monterey so we can really enjoy Big Sur. Apologize to the Mods if this strays from a DL discussion now.


If you're interested in "LA" do one of those double decker bus tours for a day. You'll see all the sights you need to, and someone else drives, lol!

If you're thinking Santa Monica for beaches, there are way better ones in the area. Like I said.. pier is extremely underwhelming. It's like $8 for one ride on the ferris wheel i'm pretty sure is going to collapse in the next five years.

Shopping is...shopping. If you like high end and don't have it near you, I can see the draw. But honestly there are so many better malls. Santa Monica Promenade is horrible to shop at as a local because I have to fight the tourists taking pictures in front of the freakin' Nordstrom sign haha.

There is some good eats if that's what you're into, but not cheap. I can recommend a lot of other coastal towns in the LA westside area that would be better, BUT it depends on what you want to see and do.
 
If you're interested in "LA" do one of those double decker bus tours for a day. You'll see all the sights you need to, and someone else drives, lol!

If you're thinking Santa Monica for beaches, there are way better ones in the area. Like I said.. pier is extremely underwhelming. It's like $8 for one ride on the ferris wheel i'm pretty sure is going to collapse in the next five years.

Shopping is...shopping. If you like high end and don't have it near you, I can see the draw. But honestly there are so many better malls. Santa Monica Promenade is horrible to shop at as a local because I have to fight the tourists taking pictures in front of the freakin' Nordstrom sign haha.

There is some good eats if that's what you're into, but not cheap. I can recommend a lot of other coastal towns in the LA westside area that would be better, BUT it depends on what you want to see and do.

I hear ya. Yeah I'm totally conflicted. On one hand, I don't see us spending a ton of time in LA. On the other, I'd like to do Disneyland, but realistically I can't see it being worth it. Do we maybe just stay in Anaheim, try to pull off 3 days in Anaheim and then a day touring LA? Do we totally can Disneyland then maybe stay in a more desirable area?

I'd like to do the beach, see LA, maybe do a studio tour, probably run through some stores, etc. Maybe we should stay closer to Laguna Beach? I sound like a total tourist, right?
 
Do you plan to drive from Santa Monica on the 30th to Disneyland and go to Disneyland park on the 30th? If so, don't.

I've lived on that west side area my whole life. Don't do that drive on the second to last day of the year in the morning. Unless you leave at 5 am, you won't see the inside of the parks before 9, and you'll have lost your advantage.

Also why Santa Monica? It's a pit. The pier is run down and gross, it's over run with homeless people and drug paraphenelia left on the streers by them, and the promenade shopping is just like literally any other high end shopping mall in the country...but outside.
Some od my closest friends live in Santa Monica and there's literally nothing worth staying several days to see. Same with Venice, unless you like street performers over age 60 and weed.

Hollywood is even worse.
Unfortunately you can almost say the same thing about San Francisco. There are so many homeless in the city and I've personally witnessed a lot of drug use and human waste. I'm not trying to be negative, I love San Francisco -- it's where my DH proposed to me. They do have wonderful attractions like the Walt Disney Family Museum, Alcatraz, art exhibits, etc. Just don't be surprised if you notice a lot of homeless folks. Some areas are worse than others, but I wanted to give you some realistic expectations in case you encountered any of that.
 

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