It’s been asked 100 times but...Time at Disneyland

[corrie563]

We did 8 almost full park days in June, no down days but one in universal in the middle. Planned on big breaks in the day but didn't take them, noone wanted to leave, noone got bored. Enjoy!

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

Personally, far too long for me. I did four park days; granted they were pretty much GO GO GO days as my traveling party were all adults with high energy levels, but after the fourth day I was ready to get out and see more of California. But if you've done 10 days at WDW before and it worked for your family- go for it!

 

[lovethesun12]

It seems like a long time to me, especially when there are so many things to do in Southern California. I'd add in Legoland, Knotts Berry Farm, the beach, San Diego Zoo as some of the other options that are available to do.

That's a great suggestion and I have actually considered doing that, but I haven't figured out transportation. Are there any easy ways to get to those locations without a car? I've also considered Universal Studios.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

If your kids can use travel boosters (e.g. Mifold or BubbleBum -- look on Amazon.com), you can use Uber/Lyft/taxi for much of your transportation. There is also public transportation, like the train, for San Diego. And there is public transportation for USH, too, but other people here use Uber/Lyft or car service. And renting a car from Anaheim (there are quite a few car rental offices near the parks) can be surprisingly affordable.

 

[RainyDayPixie]

Personally, it is a bit too long for me, but it looks like you are looking at nice, comfy hotels! That would be key for that long of a trip. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in December and it was perfect!!! Nice pool/ water area, big corner room with a seperate bunkbed area and we had a fireworks view!

 

[DLgal]

No, you can't get AP discounts at offsite hotels.

You need a car in Southern California if you want to explore. Uber will get really expensive REALLY fast. Plus, if your kids are little and need car seats here, it's not doable with ride shares or taxis. Driving around here is not a big deal. People make it out to be one of the circles of hell or something. It's not. I live here and drive all around. There is traffic, sure, but that just requires some patience.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

That's a great suggestion and I have actually considered doing that, but I haven't figured out transportation. Are there any easy ways to get to those locations without a car? I've also considered Universal Studios.

As said earlier, the best way to get around Southern California is by car. You CAN take the train & metro to Universal Studios and south to San Juan Capistrano (for a mission tour/visit), and San Diego (for the zoo). I would weigh the time investment and cost to do those things versus the freedom of having a car to get around. You can rent a car once at the resort for a few days or look into deals that you might get in renting a car from the airport for your stay.

 

[dina444444]

No, you can't get AP discounts at offsite hotels.

You need a car in Southern California if you want to explore. Uber will get really expensive REALLY fast. Plus, if your kids are little and need car seats here, it's not doable with ride shares or taxis. Driving around here is not a big deal. People make it out to be one of the circles of hell or something. It's not. I live here and drive all around. There is traffic, sure, but that just requires some patience.

I think the hojo offers AP discounts.

 

[Indiana Scott]

Just got back from a 5 day trip and frankly, I was Disney'd out after 4 days.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

No, you can't get AP discounts at offsite hotels...

CCI and HOJO (I think) offer AP discounts. There was a thread on this a while ago -- I'm pretty sure a few other off site hotels also offer AP discounts, or, at least, they were offering them a year or two ago.

ETA:
Here is a thread from 2015: Annual pass holder discounts at hotels?. It couldn't hurt to ask at any of these hotels if an AP discount is still offered. NB that some of the hotels have changed names, e.g. Hotel Menage is now the Four Points Sheraton.

 

[rklafuller]

We’ve done 10 days/nights with two 7 year olds , pretty much open to close in a row, and it was awesome. Maybe one or two of those days we took a small afternoon break but our trip was all about DL. We are doing the same thing early next year and can not wait!

 

[brich330]

I think it really comes down to if this is just a vacation or do you LOVE Disney. If it’s just a vacation that’s too long. If you’re a huge Disney fan though, it’s impossible to gauge what’s too long.

 

[skuttle]

We went for the first time over the summer (We are WDW vets). We spent 10 days in California. First 2.5 days we spent in the LA area doing touristy stuff. After LA, we spent 7 nights at the Disneyland hotel and never left the Disney bubble. We had 5 day park hopper plus a special event that gave us an extra half day at the park. This allowed us to have a leisurely pace at the parks and not feel super rushed, plus allowed us time to lounge at the resort/pool. We did take advantage of 7am EMH often, but then slept in other days. It worked out great for us. We loved max pass. Even with a super long trip, I wouldn't want to spend time waiting in those long lines without max pass. For my family (14yo, 7yo and 5yo), 13 days just at Disneyland would have been too much. There are so many other things to do and see in California. One of our favorite parts was being able to explore California.

 

[Hatwriter456]

I wouldn't do DLR for more than 5 days. We just did 9 days this summer at WDW and WDW is just different. WDW it takes so long to travel between places and the heat wears you out. You can stay at the parks all day long at DLR without exhausting yourself.

DLR is small and you can walk to everything and you can efficiently use your time there. There's only 2 parks so a lot less to see. I would add in other LA/San Diego attractions if you want to fill your days. San Diego zoo for kids is awesome and one of the best zoos on the world. Take a day and spend it at the beach. You will need to rent a car though if you want to do site seeing.

 

[819mac]

Thanks! I'm from Canada actually. No 10 day park hoppers but there is currently a deal for Canadians that would allow us to get two separate 5 day tickets at a good price. Really interested in the AP idea! I did not know that you could get a hotel discount! Definitely have to look into that now =) Do you know if the AP offers discounts at the Courtyard Marriott Theme Park Entrance or HoJo? Those are the two I've been looking considering booking.

It looks like Hojo still offers a 20% discount for APs, check out https://www.hojoanaheim.com/disney-fan/

Again, it is all about balancing the extra cost of the AP (also considering blockout dates) with the savings you will make.

As an Australian, I find I have to prompt the AP question when making a purchase in the park, as my accent seems to throw the cast members a bit and they assume I don't have one.

 

[azdisneylover]

It looks like Hojo still offers a 20% discount for APs, check out https://www.hojoanaheim.com/disney-fan/

Again, it is all about balancing the extra cost of the AP (also considering blockout dates) with the savings you will make.

As an Australian, I find I have to prompt the AP question when making a purchase in the park, as my accent seems to throw the cast members a bit and they assume I don't have one.[/QUOTE

It is an awesome accent!

 

[hootey]

We normally go for five days at a time w/two teenage boys. Normally we stay at the DLH or the Grand, we always take the afternoons off and play in the pools/hot-tubs. We have been doing it for eleven years or so, stayed for ten days the last year Mainlanders were allowed to have ten day pass'. Some years we went two times for five days each. We have never gotten bored and only went home ONE time actually looking forward to leaving DL and going home(Long Story). So, by our track record, you would have plenty of time and not get bored. Do everything at a relaxed pace and truly enjoy being there. Take lots of pictures and have lots taken. Make sure everyone has very comfortable shoes. Relax and Enjoy

 

[hootey]

Make sure to get plenty of pictures of your children with their favorite DL Characters, as well as Mickey & Minnie. The pictures are virtually priceless when your kids get older, start looking at colleges and needing passports. You can look at the pics and remember the good ole days