Is this enough money to take?

[Jager_mom]

We are going to be taking about 2500.00 or a little more hopefully....

It will be me, dh my dd5 and dd1 ( the age of my girls when we go in April)

Our hotel is being provided by my MIL"s timeshare in Oceanside, we are driving from Az and we will be buying So Cal city passes, other than that the rest of our money will go towards food and souvineers....My mil has also said that she will be helping pay for some stuff She is going along with us.


What do you think????

 

[HydroGuy]

We are going to be taking about 2500.00 or a little more hopefully....

It will be me, dh my dd5 and dd1 ( the age of my girls when we go in April)

Our hotel is being provided by my MIL"s timeshare in Oceanside, we are driving from Az and we will be buying So Cal city passes, other than that the rest of our money will go towards food and souvineers....My mil has also said that she will be helping pay for some stuff She is going along with us.


What do you think????

I guess "mil" is mother-in-law? It sounds you will have plenty of money. The SoCal city pass is something like $200 per person. After that, all you have is food and gifts and gas around CA. If you pay $200 for gas (from AZ to CA, and back), then that leaves $1500 for food and gifts. That seems like plenty.

If you are planning to commute to DL from Oceanside, that will take a lot of time. I would encourage you to do the cost tradeoff of the gas to drive back and forth, the time (at least one hour if not two each way), and the food you will be buying at DL. Last August we stayed at the Best Western Park Place Inn across the street from DL. It had a fridge and microwave. If you spend money on this (a suite will run $100-125 per night in April, I believe) you can save money on gas and buy some of your food at the grocery store and eat at your room. We ate breakfast in our room each day, and usually lunch. This saved money and time vs. eating at a restaurant or eating at DLR itself.

 

[Dale-n-Chip]

I agree with Hydroguy on running the numbers. I'd also take into consideration the "nap factor" for your girls. DS was 4 when we took him to WDW in March and we ALL needed a mid-day break for a nap and quiet time. We were burning the candle at both ends--going early and staying late--so for us proximity was paramount.

DS is not much of a napper and generally runs on less sleep than his parents need but Disney is sensory overload central. That said, some kids are great stroller nappers--I just didn't get one!

Gas prices in Dallas are dropping, but I don't know about SoCal. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Have a magical trip!!

 

[Jager_mom]

I thought about staying a few nights ay the Candy Cane Inn while we are at DL but when I ran it cross my MIl (mother in law) she got snotty and said then it would be a waste of her time share credits for the days that we are not there and also we have 6 other family members that would have to get hotels and they werent planning on putting that in to their budget.

We are staying in Oceanside so that we will be right in between San Diego and Dl.

My husband and mil dont seem to mind the drive back and forth.

We will be renting a mini van and splitting the cost and gas with everyone that goes w/us.

 

[PrincessSitka]

How long are you going to be staying

 

[lulubelle]

Just have to agree with the previous posters. The drive from Oceanside to DL could easily take over 2 hours, depending on traffic. It will wear on you after a day or so. Even if you could stay one night at DL, that would help a lot so everyone could get rest during the day (for two days, actually) and not have to drive home that night. JMHO. That said, have a wonderful vacation and good luck deciding.

 

[HydroGuy]

I thought about staying a few nights ay the Candy Cane Inn while we are at DL but when I ran it cross my MIl (mother in law) she got snotty and said then it would be a waste of her time share credits for the days that we are not there and also we have 6 other family members that would have to get hotels and they werent planning on putting that in to their budget.

We are staying in Oceanside so that we will be right in between San Diego and Dl.

My husband and mil dont seem to mind the drive back and forth.

We will be renting a mini van and splitting the cost and gas with everyone that goes w/us.

You know what's best for your family, so by all means do the drive from Oceanside. The more time goes on, the more I agree with Dale that staying the night near DL makes a lot of sense. Even if it does not save money, the traffic in SoCal is so bad that for many folks their DL experience will be decreased if they have to drive there.

My folks live in Riverside, and my "mil" lives in Thousand Oaks. In the past we have tried to use their homes as a base to visit DL. After we wake up especially early, fight thru heavy traffic (possibly two hours), and get to DL, we are already tired. Then everyone poops out early. If we are going to spend a bunch of money visiting DL, I have concluded it is totally worth it to get a nearby hotel. Then the "commute" is a five minute walk, and we have somewhere to go for a nap in the afternoon. With the extra energy level, we can stay late - we usually stay until closing. Everyone has more energy and enjoys things more. All in all, we enjoy it more and get more done.

I hope you have a good trip!

 

[Jager_mom]

Here is our itenerary....

We leave Az in the morning April 14th,

hotel check in is at 4

15th-pick up Mil and other family from SAN
EASTER 16th-Leave for DL around 6 am (staying til closing)
17th-Leave for DL again around 6 am (staying til closing)
18th-Hanging out at hotel and explore local beach
19th-San Diego Zoo
20th Sea World
21st-Lazy day at beach and hotel
22nd- Leave for home at noon

 

[Flagger]

Just an FYI, If you are a Costco member, you can get SoCal City passes online. You will need to wait until the new ones are issued though if not travelling until April. I think mine have to be used by March or even earlier. However, it was the cheapest place we found them. You don't even have to be a member, but you will pay a 5% upcharge. We had a friend do it for us and just paid for them plus shipping. I think we spent $328 for the both of us. DD is under 3.

 

[samkj]

Leaving at 6 am and staying till closing (spring break that could be 11-midnight) means you have only 4-5 hours in your hotel. I VERY strongly recommend in the DL area, even if it is just for your immediate family. MIL and the others can stay in the time share if its not in their budget. I just think you will all be miserable and exhausted otherwise. You should be able to get a room for less than $100, per night and believe me it will save your sanity.

 

[rsschneck]

15th-pick up Mil and other family from SAN
EASTER 16th-Leave for DL around 6 am (staying til closing)
18th-Hanging out at hotel and explore local beach
17th-Leave for DL again around 6 am (staying til closing)
19th-San Diego Zoo
21st-Lazy day at beach and hotel
20th Sea World
22nd- Leave for home at noon


I rearranged your itinerary a little. Since you are driving back and forth and leaving early and staying late @ DL I think you might want a day to recoup before going back.

 

[lap3]

Leaving at 6 am and staying till closing (spring break that could be 11-midnight) means you have only 4-5 hours in your hotel. I VERY strongly recommend in the DL area, even if it is just for your immediate family. MIL and the others can stay in the time share if its not in their budget. I just think you will all be miserable and exhausted otherwise. You should be able to get a room for less than $100, per night and believe me it will save your sanity.

Amy made a very good point. While you probably got a great deal on a timeshare in Oceanside, a day at the parks PLUS driving back and forth is just too exhausting. I would suggest staying in the Anaheim or surrounding areas. I'm sure you can get a great deal on a room with a much closer drive.

 

[Dobie]

Easter is going to be packed. If what previous posters said about a 2 hour commute is true, you probably want to leave your hotel 3 hours before opening, to give you time to get there, park, get from the parking structure to the park, and get in line before the park opens, so you will have a chance to get onto rides before the rides get really long.

I would strongly, strongly, strongly, strongly encourage you to get a cheap hotel on Harbor for Sunday night. You then would be rested and refreshed and ready to tackle the parks Monday morning. Monday is an early entry day for people with early entry on their park hoppers--I don't know if you get that on your Southern Cal Pass. If you do, you want to take advantage of it so you can get a jump on the Fantasyland rides. If you don't, then Monday morning Fantasyland will be PACKED by the time you can get into the park, so the lines will be long, so you want to be there first thing.

 

[Disneycruiser]

hmm, do you ever really have enough money when you are at Disneyland ? I would make a budget and stick to it.

 

[laura&fam]

We are leaving in three weeks for a family trip to DL. It will be four families. I sense your frustration trying to plan this. Sorry. There are things we would have done differently if it were just us.

There were times when we just had to say "I'm sorry, this is what we are doing. We will meet you at X time". The hotel for at least one night may be one of those things for you, but you have to decide.

Good luck.

 

[Eeyorecln]

I know how hard it is to plan a vacation with family members and please everyone. I would suggest you think about your family and then set boundaries. Our first family trip with our kids to WDW went less than magical because of this same issue. I will do things differently from now on when we travel with others. We also had stayed a drive away (at WDW). My kids were exhausted and cranky halfway through the day(so was mommy ). I would have preferred being nearby to nap or rest in the afternoon. Then because we were tired and slept in then traffic we were late to the parks a couple days and the lines were terrible by then. DL can be the same way lines get long in the afternoon and even though it's less walking it's still very tiring. It's a lot for kids especially younger ones. If changing hotel plans is not an issue, then build a day of rest between park days. Also look into areas around the park that are quiet enough for your kids to get some rest. Either way good luck and hopefully your family will have a magical time.

 

[HydroGuy]

Here is our itenerary....

We leave Az in the morning April 14th,

hotel check in is at 4

15th-pick up Mil and other family from SAN
EASTER 16th-Leave for DL around 6 am (staying til closing)
17th-Leave for DL again around 6 am (staying til closing)
18th-Hanging out at hotel and explore local beach
19th-San Diego Zoo
20th Sea World
21st-Lazy day at beach and hotel
22nd- Leave for home at noon

I thought the SoCal city pass has three days at DL. But your schedule only shows two. Are you planning to skip the third day?

 

[HydroGuy]

You then would be rested and refreshed and ready to tackle the parks Monday morning. Monday is an early entry day for people with early entry on their park hoppers--I don't know if you get that on your Southern Cal Pass. If you do, you want to take advantage of it so you can get a jump on the Fantasyland rides. If you don't, then Monday morning Fantasyland will be PACKED by the time you can get into the park, so the lines will be long, so you want to be there first thing.

According to the DL website, the city pass includes a three day parkhopper bonus ticket, which means one day of EE. A city pass ticket bought today must be used by March 31, so it is possible they could change things next April.

Jager, in case you were not aware of EE, I would agree with Dobie that you should take advantage of EE. This will mean leaving an hour earlier than you are planning. If you do not use your EE, then you would be better off going to DL on a Wed for one of your days, because Wed is not an EE day and the lines are shorter in the mornings.

 

[AFMom]

Really, really, really, really, consider staying a night near DL - I know this will be a nightmare with MIL - but if it's just your immediate family - she'll still beusing her timeshare for the other family members. Easter will be a nightmare traffic wise, you'll have to get there extra early to park, etc, you really are looking at 2-3 hours of drive time to get there and then 1.5 to 2 hours to get back at night, plus 10-12 hours in the park, then back again then next day..... when are you sleeping? You really will have so much more fun - just tell your MIL you decided to take a little 'you-only" trip-within-a-trip while you're there, and that you want to make sure your kids get enough rest so that they will enjoy the parks. We stayed at the Super 8 on Disneyland Dr and althugh it certainly was the budget way to go - it was clean and comfortable, and inexpensive! It wouldn't hurt your budget hardly at all! If there is any way at all you can work that out - do it! If not - make sure to have pillows, blankets, etc in the car for sleeping to and from the park!
Budget looks great, though! You should have plenty for momentos and food!

 

[Zoemakes5]

Here is our itenerary....

We leave Az in the morning April 14th,

hotel check in is at 4

15th-pick up Mil and other family from SAN
EASTER 16th-Leave for DL around 6 am (staying til closing)
17th-Leave for DL again around 6 am (staying til closing)
18th-Hanging out at hotel and explore local beach
19th-San Diego Zoo
20th Sea World
21st-Lazy day at beach and hotel
22nd- Leave for home at noon

What if you compromise and stay over at DL for Easter only? Talk it up as you really think the kids will end up being crabby, etc. and it will negatively affect the family. And/or maybe that being a "special surprise" for your children. That way you can mini-van it up with the rest of the family, stay overnight, meet them the next day and van it back with them.
You didn't say whether there were other children in the extended family, but if there are, you might want to talk with the other family members about it. Maybe if you have an ally, this would work better for you. If it's an approach of "this will be better for the children" for that one day, maybe it won't be as big of an issue. Or, perhaps you and the other family member(s) could talk about getting a few rooms as an Easter "gift" to the whole family just for that one night. I know there are suites at the Anaheim Plaza hotel that are $150 night and sleep 6. Includes a microwave and mini fridge and two bathrooms. There's also single rooms that sleep 4. Maybe between you, you'd only need one suite and one regular room.
Also, a thought, you could also approach it as a desire to use the EE, if it's available on Monday?
Maybe I'm wrong, but don't they have a big televised Easter parade at DL every year. Could be crazy!!!!