*** July 2019 - Check In ***

We check in to Disneyland Hotel 9th July til 14th July. Its my 50th on 12th July and we stayed there back in 2014 and loved it so much thats where I wanted to be for my 50th!! We are travelling from Ireland and visiting Burbank, San diego and Palm Springs before finishing at Disney! There are 5 of us and my middle child is 18 in June just before he sits his school leaving exams so he will be celebrating as well I imagine!
Palm Springs is very hot at that time of year. Make sure you do your touring very early. Some things like the zoo close early due to the heat.
 
We only have 1 day to spend at Disneyland. I've been doing some playing around and though maybe we could fly in a day before our teams scheduled "travel day" if you had to pick a day would you choose Friday July 19th or Thursday July 25th? The only issue is if for some reason they make it farther in the tournament we could potentially be playing until the 26th (HIGHLY unlikely, but there is a chance) and that would leave us with having to go on a Saturday) How bad are Fridays in July at DL? This will be our first time...I really wish we had more than 1 day!!
 
I don't know if it's going to make a whole lot of difference this year. For what it's worth, the 'Is It Packed' crowd calendar is listing all Friday's in July as 'Forget about it'.
I think if it was me I would stick with the Thursday 25th.
At the end of the day, go on the day that best suits you. If it ends up being the Saturday, so be it. Just go with a good plan. Get there early before opening - like through security and lined up at the turnstiles at least 45mins before opening, maybe 60mins before on a Fri or Sat. You'll get a lot done in that first 1 -2 hrs. Have MP (which you mentioned earlier you were going to get) and just have an idea of your 'must-do's' and try and get them out of the way first.
I'm sure you'll still have a great day even if it's crowded. Since you're coming from Huntington Beach you won't be going back to a hotel for a break but there are options in the parks and nearby (like the lobby of GCH) that you can do to have a bit of a break from the crowds for a while.
 
My husband and I will be staying at the Candy Cane Inn from Friday, July 26 - Tuesday, July 30. We are meeting my SIL and her family as part of their larger California vacation. We will go to Universal Studios one day, Disneyland Resort another day, and one day is still to be determined. I'm advocating for a second day at Disneyland but I may be outvoted for a day at the beach or shopping. Wish I had more of a strategy for which day to do what, but I assume all parks will be crazy busy every day so it may not make much difference. Looking forward to it either way!
 


Add us to the list of folks braving the crowds this summer!!

We are going July 22-30, with a split stay at the Hyatt Regency and the CMTPE. The kids are super excited for the waterpark!
There will be 6 of us. Me and my three kiddos- 12,9, and 7 months. We are taking a friend and her 11 year old with us. She hasn't been since she was 7ish and it will be the first time for her kiddo. It will be my 12yo's second trip, third for the 9yo.

We had a trip booked last August to go before the SWGE craziness. But, I found out about 6 weeks before that I was pregnant very unexpectedly. We decided to cancel the trip because I didn't want to go and not be able to ride any of my favorite rides. And DH was not excited to take over being the main "ride parent". So, here we are in the middle of SWGE crowds!

We will have 5 day hoppers and MP. And possibly take one day for a beach break.
 
Going July 15-19 (with park days July 16,17,18) and staying at the Tropicana. So excited! I think we’ve had reservations since August... Defintely nervous about crowds this time around.
 


Thank you so much for starting this thread! Myself, DH, and DD are heading down with a spilt stay in San Deigo first from July 2nd(Checking in)-6th(Checking out), then driving up to Anaheim to do DL July 6th(checking in)-10th(checking out). Staying at the Kings Inn in Anaheim. This is our first time there from Canada, and we are super excited. Huge Marvel fans so excited to see the Marvel touch's and the GOTG ride! Expect the crowds to large and the heat to be hot but eh were on vacation right! We have not paid for our DL tickets yet. Would it be a good idea to book the tickets soon? Or should I wait closer to when we leave? I plan on getting MP for at least 2 of the full days we are there (spending at least 3 days in DL). Hoping to get a better idea how the MP work to by reading some of these threads. Stacking passes and book times ahead but only have certain times all seem so confusing to me. I just know we want to go in pre book some times to get on rides later in the day or end of day do what we can right away with out a huge wait and take a pool break at the hotel mid afternoon!! Seems doable right??!!
 
Thank you so much for starting this thread! Myself, DH, and DD are heading down with a spilt stay in San Deigo first from July 2nd(Checking in)-6th(Checking out), then driving up to Anaheim to do DL July 6th(checking in)-10th(checking out). Staying at the Kings Inn in Anaheim. This is our first time there from Canada, and we are super excited. Huge Marvel fans so excited to see the Marvel touch's and the GOTG ride! Expect the crowds to large and the heat to be hot but eh were on vacation right! We have not paid for our DL tickets yet. Would it be a good idea to book the tickets soon? Or should I wait closer to when we leave? I plan on getting MP for at least 2 of the full days we are there (spending at least 3 days in DL). Hoping to get a better idea how the MP work to by reading some of these threads. Stacking passes and book times ahead but only have certain times all seem so confusing to me. I just know we want to go in pre book some times to get on rides later in the day or end of day do what we can right away with out a huge wait and take a pool break at the hotel mid afternoon!! Seems doable right??!!
I would buy passes now. Never know when there's another price increase. For MP, I think it's well worth the cost to cut down walking time. Plus, you can find cancellations or sometimes they release more passes with the dynamic system. There's a MP thread you should read thoroughly to understand it. It isn't much like WDW FP+, there's some important differences. But I did find it useful to stack some fastpasses for later in the evening, I just needed to be very deliberate about timing.
 
Thank you so much for starting this thread! Myself, DH, and DD are heading down with a spilt stay in San Deigo first from July 2nd(Checking in)-6th(Checking out), then driving up to Anaheim to do DL July 6th(checking in)-10th(checking out). Staying at the Kings Inn in Anaheim. This is our first time there from Canada, and we are super excited. Huge Marvel fans so excited to see the Marvel touch's and the GOTG ride! Expect the crowds to large and the heat to be hot but eh were on vacation right! We have not paid for our DL tickets yet. Would it be a good idea to book the tickets soon? Or should I wait closer to when we leave? I plan on getting MP for at least 2 of the full days we are there (spending at least 3 days in DL). Hoping to get a better idea how the MP work to by reading some of these threads. Stacking passes and book times ahead but only have certain times all seem so confusing to me. I just know we want to go in pre book some times to get on rides later in the day or end of day do what we can right away with out a huge wait and take a pool break at the hotel mid afternoon!! Seems doable right??!!

No reason not to buy the tickets now. Some people are suggesting it's possible there could be another price increase. I personally don't think there will be, they'd have a bit of a hide doing so when they are only opening part of the new Land, IMHO but you never know.
You could save yourself a few bucks by buying tickets from somewhere like Undercover Tourist. Just watch out for the 'special' tickets that are currently on sale. There is a Canadian offer and other offers about on these 'special offer' tickets but they must be used by May 23rd so don't buy them, you need the 'regular' tickets for use after that.

Don't worry about using MP - once you've tried it once or twice you'll be amazed just how easy it is to use. It's also very easy to add on a daily basis. I assume you've already downloaded the official D/L app and registered a Disney account? You can go ahead and store your credit card in there before you arrive so it's all ready to go. Once you scan through the turnstiles then it's a couple of clicks basically to get MP for the day. If your credit card is already stored then you just have to enter your cards CVC number to finalise the transaction so it's good to memorise that 3 digit number. I know it seems confusing but it's really not.
There is a great sticky on the front page with info on the MP use, and other great info as well for newbies. I think it's a little hard to find myself. Someone else might attach the link for you - that is beyond my capabilities : )
However, it's amongst the 'stickys' on the front page of the Dis Disneyland page: *DLR Info/Links, NEWBIE INFO -> Hydroguy's Super Threads -> HydroGuy Tips Compilation -> Other Good Tips I Did Not Write -> Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview by Skyegirl1999. (Sorry, much easier when someone just posts a link for you!)
That is a great overview of the MP and worth a read - you still may feel confused after, but honestly, once you've actually tried it in the park you'll be amazed how easy it is.

Lots of other great tips and information in that area too that Hydroguy and others have taken the time to write.

Best of luck with your planning - keep reading up on here as there will be lots of info posted on DIS about all the happenings as they are announced.
I'm sure you guys will have a blast!
 
:). Thanks!!Very helpful indeed. I always seem to stress on trips, this year I plan to go with the flow let my daughter pick what she wants to do and just relax and enjoy the trip. We have been to DW a few times and I always seemed to stress out and not enjoy myself and missed out on the sites. This year will be what ever happens, happens!!! :cool2:
 
:). Thanks!!Very helpful indeed. I always seem to stress on trips, this year I plan to go with the flow let my daughter pick what she wants to do and just relax and enjoy the trip. We have been to DW a few times and I always seemed to stress out and not enjoy myself and missed out on the sites. This year will be what ever happens, happens!!! :cool2:
This is the absolute best way to experience Disneyland, in my opinion. If you don't care what you do, it completely eliminates stress over wait times, crowds, reservations, running from one thing to the next, etc. Make the focus spending time with loved ones, instead of checking off a list, and you're guaranteed to have a great time no matter what happens! Have fun!!!
 
Ok everyone what "extras" if any are you planning on doing? And must do sit down places you always have to eat at when you go?...i have ALWAYS wanted to do the WOC dessert party and have not been able to on previous trips so we are for sure doing that this year!! And I always say we are going to eat at cafe orleans and never have so we are going to do that this year also!!
 
So the main extra's I'm planning on doing this time are a lot of the food snacks / treats that we haven't done before .
I've been reading a lot of posts the last couple of weeks and compiling a list. I figure we'll share a lot of it so I can fit more treats in!
My list so far is:
Little Red Wagon - Corn dog
Bengal BBQ - Skewers and Piranha Lemonade Slushy
Troubadour Tavern - Baked Potato (if we are watching Mickey & the Magical Map - still have not seen this show)
Red Rose Tavern - the Grey Stuff (had this once before last trip but definitely going back for more)
Jolly Holiday - treats + Grilled Cheese & Tomato soup + Raspberry Rose Mickey Macaron
Tropical Hideaway - Beef Bao + Sweet Lumpia & as many dole whip floats as I can of course
Rancho del Zocalo - Tostada Salad
Harbor Galley - Lobster Roll
Cafe Orleans - Monte Cristo + Pommes Frites (usually do this one each time)

Lamplight Lounge - Lobster Nachos
Pacific Wharf - Boudin's Clam Chowder

R.B. Jazz Kitchen Express - Beignets
Whitewater Snacks - Nachos (we're staying at GCH so this is just if we want a snack near there)

We will also do the Blue Bayou Fantasmic Package as I like eating there - probably for dinner but I'm not opposed to a late lunch either but I think I'd still prefer ~ 5.30pm before going to the show at 9pm.

We've done the WOC DP 2 or 3 times before and I will do that again. I actually think the view is better in the fast pass areas nearer the front but you have to invest a lot more time / effort to get the best spot for that. It's just me and my husband this trip for the first time and there's no way my husband will be interested in waiting that long in the crowds for the show so DP it is. It is so nice to be able to relax in a chair in a non-crowded area with a drink and some treats so I will put up with a slightly less impressive view for that luxury.

We are going to do Storytellers on our departure day. This isn't a must do but we are staying at GCH and have to leave for SNA about 10 or 11am so I thought it would be a nice last touch of Disney before we leave. My son and I had breakfast there last trip and it was nice so I thought we'd go back.

I was going to book WIWF Tour but have crossed that off the list. My son and I did it last time and toured Walt's Apartment. I thought my husband would love to see it as he likes the history of Walt Disney etc.. but....
he informs me (yesterday) he's seen it before. He apparently went to Disneyland the year before we met whilst on a trip to the US in 1991 with his ex-girlfriend - I knew about the US trip and he says he told me he'd been to DL before but I'm sure I would have remembered that fact - our family didn't go till 2012 and I thought it was (all) of our first time there.
He swears he's been in the apartment. I showed him photos I found on the internet and he's 'pretty sure'. He also thinks he's been in there more recently (since 2012) with our middle son but I know for a fact that's not true so I'm not sure what he's thinking of there. We did go to the Walt Disney Family Museum in SF in 2016.
Anyhow...he wasn't too fussed about doing the tour and it was going to cost me $320 AUD so I've canned that idea - more money to put towards my treats list!

I worked out a rough pricing of all my 'extra' food treats the other day. I got paid some extra $$ for doing a few extra work shifts last week so I'm putting the money towards this. In my head I can justify it due to doing the extra shifts. We've only got 3 days though so fitting it all in could be the problem - our trips (me and the kids anyway) are usually a lot longer, like up to 8 days.
We will be taking this trip a lot easier though, more a 'stop and smell the roses' type trip. My husband 'likes' Disney but doesn't 'love' it like my youngest and I do. He particularly doesn't like the 'commando' type touring that we do so I'm going to make sure it's not like that. We have MaxPass included. He particularly expressed that he didn't want to be the FP runner. I don't think he ever was but probably remembers that I paid our kids to be the FP runners on previous trips ($10/day - before MP came about) and didn't want to get roped into that.
We don't need to do every ride, there's lots we won't worry about doing and probably won't enter SW:GE at all. Neither of us are Star Wars fans. If I could have got in without having to do long lines or waits we would have done so just to see it but I don't think that will be the case so I plan on skipping it as this stage.

So...that's my plans so far. I'm a planner, can't help myself. My husband is definitely not. He hates it when I plan everything out. I'm going to make a (loose) plan for each day but I won't show him that. If you want to make WOC / Fantasmic bookings etc.. you do have to have some kind of idea of what you want to do each day.
I do plan on having a break period back at the hotel each day. I'm not a day napper but my husband is. I can always go hang in DCA if he's having a nap and I don't want to.

Happy planning : )
 
So the main extra's I'm planning on doing this time are a lot of the food snacks / treats that we haven't done before .
I've been reading a lot of posts the last couple of weeks and compiling a list. I figure we'll share a lot of it so I can fit more treats in!
My list so far is:
Little Red Wagon - Corn dog
Bengal BBQ - Skewers and Piranha Lemonade Slushy
Troubadour Tavern - Baked Potato (if we are watching Mickey & the Magical Map - still have not seen this show)
Red Rose Tavern - the Grey Stuff (had this once before last trip but definitely going back for more)
Jolly Holiday - treats + Grilled Cheese & Tomato soup + Raspberry Rose Mickey Macaron
Tropical Hideaway - Beef Bao + Sweet Lumpia & as many dole whip floats as I can of course
Rancho del Zocalo - Tostada Salad
Harbor Galley - Lobster Roll
Cafe Orleans - Monte Cristo + Pommes Frites (usually do this one each time)

Lamplight Lounge - Lobster Nachos
Pacific Wharf - Boudin's Clam Chowder

R.B. Jazz Kitchen Express - Beignets
Whitewater Snacks - Nachos (we're staying at GCH so this is just if we want a snack near there)

We will also do the Blue Bayou Fantasmic Package as I like eating there - probably for dinner but I'm not opposed to a late lunch either but I think I'd still prefer ~ 5.30pm before going to the show at 9pm.

We've done the WOC DP 2 or 3 times before and I will do that again. I actually think the view is better in the fast pass areas nearer the front but you have to invest a lot more time / effort to get the best spot for that. It's just me and my husband this trip for the first time and there's no way my husband will be interested in waiting that long in the crowds for the show so DP it is. It is so nice to be able to relax in a chair in a non-crowded area with a drink and some treats so I will put up with a slightly less impressive view for that luxury.

We are going to do Storytellers on our departure day. This isn't a must do but we are staying at GCH and have to leave for SNA about 10 or 11am so I thought it would be a nice last touch of Disney before we leave. My son and I had breakfast there last trip and it was nice so I thought we'd go back.

I was going to book WIWF Tour but have crossed that off the list. My son and I did it last time and toured Walt's Apartment. I thought my husband would love to see it as he likes the history of Walt Disney etc.. but....
he informs me (yesterday) he's seen it before. He apparently went to Disneyland the year before we met whilst on a trip to the US in 1991 with his ex-girlfriend - I knew about the US trip and he says he told me he'd been to DL before but I'm sure I would have remembered that fact - our family didn't go till 2012 and I thought it was (all) of our first time there.
He swears he's been in the apartment. I showed him photos I found on the internet and he's 'pretty sure'. He also thinks he's been in there more recently (since 2012) with our middle son but I know for a fact that's not true so I'm not sure what he's thinking of there. We did go to the Walt Disney Family Museum in SF in 2016.
Anyhow...he wasn't too fussed about doing the tour and it was going to cost me $320 AUD so I've canned that idea - more money to put towards my treats list!

I worked out a rough pricing of all my 'extra' food treats the other day. I got paid some extra $$ for doing a few extra work shifts last week so I'm putting the money towards this. In my head I can justify it due to doing the extra shifts. We've only got 3 days though so fitting it all in could be the problem - our trips (me and the kids anyway) are usually a lot longer, like up to 8 days.
We will be taking this trip a lot easier though, more a 'stop and smell the roses' type trip. My husband 'likes' Disney but doesn't 'love' it like my youngest and I do. He particularly doesn't like the 'commando' type touring that we do so I'm going to make sure it's not like that. We have MaxPass included. He particularly expressed that he didn't want to be the FP runner. I don't think he ever was but probably remembers that I paid our kids to be the FP runners on previous trips ($10/day - before MP came about) and didn't want to get roped into that.
We don't need to do every ride, there's lots we won't worry about doing and probably won't enter SW:GE at all. Neither of us are Star Wars fans. If I could have got in without having to do long lines or waits we would have done so just to see it but I don't think that will be the case so I plan on skipping it as this stage.

So...that's my plans so far. I'm a planner, can't help myself. My husband is definitely not. He hates it when I plan everything out. I'm going to make a (loose) plan for each day but I won't show him that. If you want to make WOC / Fantasmic bookings etc.. you do have to have some kind of idea of what you want to do each day.
I do plan on having a break period back at the hotel each day. I'm not a day napper but my husband is. I can always go hang in DCA if he's having a nap and I don't want to.

Happy planning : )
Looks like we have similar tastes! I’m going to add a couple of your ideas to my list! Oh, and I always get the grilled cheese and raspberry macaroon from Jolly Holiday! As well as the lobster nachos!
 
I figure I’ll join both the July and August check-in groups, since we’ll be arriving on Monday, July 29, and leaving on Sunday, August 4. We’re driving down from San Francisco and will stay at the DLH.

I’m looking forward to any trip reports here, especially for your SWGE experiences.
 
Checking in!

I have villa reservations for 7/26-7/30. We’re locals but I thought it would be fun to book a staycation. The plan is for my son and I to arrive Friday morning, check out the villa and then head to a park for a few hours. Once the rest of our group arrives in the evening and we plan on hitting up Downtown Disney and will have dinner at Ballast Point. Saturday and Sunday will be park days and Monday will be a spa/pool day and dinner at Napa Rose. Somewhere on the itinerary we’d like to have breakfast at Storytellers Cafe, lunch at Lamplight Lounge and have drinks/apps at Hearthstone Lounge and Trader Sam’s.

Can’t wait!
 
Arriving on July 6 for a conference - staying at the Hilton Anaheim. Family is traveling with me, and we're moving to the Disneyland Hotel on Wednesday, July 10 for 4 nights. WDW veterans, first time at DLR - can't wait! I have a lot of research to do...
 
Just booked Candy Cane Inn July 15th -18th. The family has not wanted to come to Disneyland since November 2015 because of the crowds but the kids asked to go this year. I didn't know I booked during Disneyland's 64th birthday :headache: It's probably going to be super crowded that day darn it. Oh well this is the only time in the summer we can squeeze a trip in.
 
We are going July 13th - 17th for my daughter's 16th birthday. My mom, me, & my daughter for a girls trip. First trip to Disneyland and while I feel like I know Disney World pretty well...Disneyland is very different! We are staying at Grand Californian. What are some great restaurants for a celebratory trip with 3 generations of ladies?

Also, we are heading to Angel Stadium the 15th as my daughter is a big Astros fan. I assume it will be easy to Uber?
 

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