Newbies to Disneyland

[rn_wannabe]

My daughter, her husband and 6 month old baby will be going to Disneyland at the end of October. It's a super last minute trip. I've never planned a Disney trip without a lot of notice and we haven't been to DL since 2012 so I feel like a total newbie trying to help her plan and with such short notice don't even know where to start. Anyone have tips to get me started? They will only be there two days so I'm guessing they'll go to CA and DL. Especially need help with best lodging. I'm thinking they might not want to spend the money to stay on site. Thanks in advance for any advice/tips.

Melissa

 

[vacationaward]

Definitely research Genie+. There are lots of decent priced hotels in Anaheim that won't break the bank, just go to one of the hotel websites like booking.com and sort by price/distance.

 

[sophy1996]

They'll want to get their park tickets and park reservations squared away. With such a short trip, they may want park hoppers for maximum flexibility.

 

[RoseColored97]

Do they have their hotel booked? They'll need to do that as soon as possible because hotels nearby are pretty solidly booked for October. It'll take some digging, but they should be able to find something reasonably close to the parks. I recommend park hoppers so that they can spend the morning in California Adventure then head over to Disneyland in the evening (or vice versa). Genie+ is a good idea, especially if they don't visit DL often. Reservations have already dropped, so I would recommend doing mobile order for quick service restaurants. They'll have a great time!

 

[Gypsybear]

On a two day trip, I would definitely agree with the others....Park Hoppers. And yes, lodging is going to be a pain, as so many nearby hotels are booked up, and prices are reflective of that fact. I've learned that if you use those 3rd party sites, you don't always get the best price. I book directly through the hotel site (check the url on the site you're at to make sure you're not on another 3rd party search engine). I also know that some hotels have "Disney discounts" if you look around their sites. I know the one we're using does. Never hurts to research it. As for food, don't forget to have them check the walk up check in availability. Sometimes you get lucky.

One last thing, since it's toward the end of October from the sounds of it, make sure they check OBB party dates, and plan accordingly.

 

[jbh275]

Definitely research Genie+

I would suggest Genie+ for your first day.

At this point, you'll probably be driving to the parking garage rather than walking from a good neighbor hotel. But you'll save enough to offset the daily parking.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

If they don't already have their park tickets and park reservations, make sure they do that ASAP. I also recommend Genie+ as others have said. Dining reservations may be difficult to get for table service, but if they have their heart set on something in particular they should start checking for it. Definitely download the Disneyland app and play around with it before the trip to get comfortable using it.

A lot has changed since 2012! I don't mind all the changes, but I do miss how easy it was to just show up at DLR and still find dining reservations and take a more relaxed approach to the day. I know it's still possible to get that laid back trip but it feels more and more like WDW with all the advance planning needed now.

 

[DizFan13]

When you say the end of October, what dates? With only two days, they'll want to know if there are any OBB events on their planned days.

Hopefully they can find a hotel on Harbor. Will such a little one, it would be nice if they can walk back to their room and rest without taking too much of their limited time.