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If you go on your birthday, stop by Guest Services and tell them.
Last year, they had the "get free admission on your birthday" promotion. My MIL had gotten free passes from someone for her birthday but let DL know when she got there. They gave her a giftcard to use in the shops for $69 (the cost of a 1 day admission).
I first went to Disneyland at age 5. My parents, wisely, said they would never take a child younger than that. We lived a few hours from the park, so I guess it made sense.
As a parent, I never took my (now grown) daughter. I wanted to give her "real life" experiences such as camping, backpacking, sailing and hiking as opposed to the Disney-pre-packaged deals. She later skipped the whole amusement park/roller-coaster thing and went straight for the sky-diving.
This year, as an adult, she took a Disney Cruise. She described it as "creepy".
So...what I think about Disney Parks is that they are good for the mindless and non-creative masses. If you have a bunch of money and are bored and don't have anything better to do they might work in a pinch.
Otherwise.........
I guess to each its own. I understand your preferences.
Although I do have to say that I see no reason not to do both. My family loves outdoors, we love hiking, camping and etc... There are completely 2 different types of fun and I want to expose my son to EVERYTHING, there are some really good educational rides in Disney that he will eventually appreciate as well.
Thank you for your input anyway, as I did ask about what people think of the parks.
If you go on your birthday, stop by Guest Services and tell them.
Last year, they had the "get free admission on your birthday" promotion. My MIL had gotten free passes from someone for her birthday but let DL know when she got there. They gave her a giftcard to use in the shops for $69 (the cost of a 1 day admission).
I adore Disneyland. As a kid growing up in Northern California, a trip to Disneyland always meant a family car drive down south from SF and if the weather was nice, a trip to the LA beaches, too. I went three years ago for my 37th birthday and stayed in the park and had the most wonderful time yet. Now that we live in Austin we'll plan on a trip to Disney World eventually even though my only child is already 20 ... lol.
What I love the most about the park is the cleanliness everywhere. Everything is meticulously maintained and cleaned. The employees everywhere you go are so professional and friendly. I've been to other parks that had run-down buildings and grounds, unruly crowds cutting into line, etc. Never see that at DL.
If you go on your birthday, stop by Guest Services and tell them. They'll give you a big bright button with your name on it that says it's your birthday. Through your ENTIRE visit you will be greeted with "Happy birthday!" by all the staff and characters. At the Blue Bayou restaurant they brought out a free dessert - a tiny treasure chest made of painted sugar and filled with chocolate coins. At California Adventure they let us in the front of the line to get on a ride! It was such a great little treat.
Another great tip I have is to go online and download RideMax software. It's specifically created for the Disney parks and once you punch in some basic info about what you'd like to do while there it will spit out an awesome itinerary that makes the most of slow/busy periods throughout the park and plans a day that results in minimal waiting. It tells you what ride and at which time to grab fast passes for to get the minimum wait time, too. We actually used it one whole day while there and it was spot-on!
Thank you for your input.
I would be curious as to how Disneyland is different from Disneyworld. I would like to eventually check out the one in Cali, I've never been to Cali and it's actually a dream of mine to drive along the coast from North to South.
I would be curious as to how Disneyland is different from Disneyworld. I would like to eventually check out the one in Cali, I've never been to Cali and it's actually a dream of mine to drive along the coast from North to South.
In California you only have the 1 park. In Orlando you have MANY!!!! Not just the Disney parks but all of the Universal Studio parks as well. Then the parks in Florida are MUCH LARGER. It has been a few years since we did DisneyLand in California but we only did it for 1 day (kids were much smaller) and it did not seem any different than the Six Flags here by us except for the Disney characters.
You do NOT need to stay on a Disney property to be close by. As a matter of fact there are plenty of places to stay that are actually closer to the Disney parks than some Disney properties. We went to DW back last year the week of Thanksgiving - another BUSY week for them. We stayed at one of the Westgate properties in a 2 bedroom 3 bathroom w/ a full kitchen and w/d and were only 5 minutes from the front gates. It literally took us longer to probably walk from our car (got front parking every time) to the front gate or the monorail than it did to drive. Friends have done the shuttle from the Disney properties they stayed at w/ no car and ended up renting a car midway thru their trip. They got tired of being on the shuttles for 30 minutes and sometimes an hour especially at the end of the day (one just went back and stayed at a NON Disney property and LOVED it and they were closer than they had been at the Disney properties they had stayed at). We didn't feel the need to leave the parks either during the day for a break. If the kids are old enough there really is no reason to leave the parks. You can stay, get everything in, eat dinner at whichever restaurant you have reserved (you NEED TO DO THIS EARLY and I mean like in MONTHS BEFORE you go), enjoy the fireworks or parades, wander thru the shops and then head out to your car and back to your lodging. We liked the larger condo vs a regular hotel room as well as it gave us more room to relax. The kids could go into their room, watch a movie or read a book and chill and get ready for bed. Hubby could go into the master and get ready for bed and watch a little tv (he needs more beauty sleep than I do ) and I could stay up in the living area and watch tv, read and read in the guidebook and study the tour maps from our book and prepare for the next day. The next morning I could be up and in one bathroom getting ready without disturbing anyone and we could all eat breakfast before heading out. Having a kitchen makes this possible. We had a full fridge so we could load up on bottled water to take with us to the parks and snacks as well. We had snacks back in the room at night. It made going to the parks and being in a crowd a LOT more enjoyable knowing we came "home" to a place with plenty of room for us to all unwind in our own ways. With little ones this is nice as they can go to sleep and you won't disturb them staying up or getting up early. Most places have very nice pools too so if the kids want to swim they can. As a matter of fact the big Westgate complex where we stayed was finishing up a HUGE new expansion project w/ all kinds of play pools and such for the kids.
Check into the condos in the immediate area as they can be a LOT cheaper than the Disney properties. I know a lot of people swear by the Disney properties because they are "convienent" but there are plenty of places close by just as convienent and sometimes moreso. I know ours was closer than many of the Disney places.
Last week we made a mistake of bringing our son to Disney World parks. Remind me to never go there during this time of the year! It was absolutely crazy packed there! I felt like we were sardines! Magic Kingdom was closed at 11am on the 30th due to the fact that it was filled to capacity! No sign of a recession there, I'll tell you that.
Overall my son enjoyed it but I realized 4 1/2 is a little too young for those parks. Standing in lines for pretty much everything, even for a bottle of water, it can be overwhelming and exhausting. He loved "It's a small world" ride and "Winnie the Pooh" rides but some rides are still too scary for him. For example, Snow White. I would think a ride named "Snow White" will be mild and fun, but the witch scared him. And "Pirates of Carribbean" was way too scary as well! Although, after the ride, he couldn't stop talking about "those bad pirates are in jail! They got those bad pirates!" LOL.
What made the trip worth it are the parades. Seeing his face when Mickie waved at him was priceless.
Do you guys take your kids to Disney Parks? What do you think about them?
I consider myself to be an expert at Disney Parks. There are so many things that can make your experience great, so on behalf of those who love Disney, I will share a few:
1. Chose your time to go to the parks. DO NOT GO during the weeks of Christmas and New Years (as you found out). Don't go during Spring Break (basically the entire month of March and the begining of April). Do not go during the Summer. My favorite time to visit Disneyworld is at the beginning of December but any time that isn't listed above works well too.
2. Don't try and do everything. There are websites (my favorite is allearsnet.com) that will help you with planning your visit. They even list what days are the most crowded at each park! Understand that Disneyworld is a massive area and that each park needs to have a full day designated for it. We always plan an extra day just to go back to enjoy something one more time or to see something we missed.
3. Go with a plan and don't stray from it. You have to treat Disneyworld like you're storming the beach at Normandy... Use the Fast Passes and spend the extra money on character theme breakfasts so your child can meet the characters and you can skip the hours-long character lines at the parks. Most of the character breakfasts are done very methodically so if you stay for at least an hour, the characters (and their handlers) will bring them to your table. If you don't want to do that, see the characters at Epcot. For some reason, the lines aren't as long there. Most people travel to the right when they get to the theme parks, so always go to the left. Most parks have at least 2 "big" rides that include long lines. Send someone to get the fast passes for one of those while standing in line for the other. If you've got kids, head to the Dumbo ride at the Magic Kindgom first thing...the line for that is hours and most little kids aren't up early enough for the park opening. Get there early, check that ride off your list, then proceed through the park as I said above.
4. Go with a financial plan and stick to it. Disney is a massive marketing machine. Every single ride is accompanied with a store and there are stores that offer everything from $100,000 crystal replicas of Cinderella's castle to $5 keychains. If you don't have a handle on your budget, you will blow it.
5. Take the time to actually SIT and enjoy the parks. Take a look at the flowers that are planted, listen to the music, enjoy a churro and let your kid play at the jungle gym that looks like the one you've got at home (that's free!). Don't try and get on every ride. Take a break during the day to go and swim at the hotel pool. Let your child nap. Watch the parades and shows.
6. Comfort: Don't feed your kids soda and lollipops if they don't get them at home because they will be one of the many kids at the park at the end of the day who are freaking out from a sugar meltdown. Wear comfortable shoes...it's Disney...I am always amazed at those who dress up. If there is one place where you can wear tennis shoes, a fanny pack and a Goofy Hat, this is it. I am usually pretty conscientious of what I wear but at Disney...comfort is everything and having a shoe "blow out" on day 1 of your vacation is not a good start.
7. Age: If this is going to be your one trip to Disney with your family...think of what age they would enjoy it most. IMHO, a child younger than 5 is not going to remember anything and what you see as a cute mouse will look like a gigantic monster from their perspective. You might be lucky that your kid enjoys everything, but trust me...most little kids freak out when they see the characters and not in a good way. We've taken our kids from a very young age to the parks but we do it because we know we'll be back. There are lots of people who save for a long time to do ONE trip...so that is who I'm talking to. I think kids between 6 and 12 are the best to take. Teenagers are just that...trying to pretend that everything is "lame" while trying to not to smile on the Log Ride. Kids between 6 and 12 can still think Tinkerbell is flying, Mickey is waving at them only, Cinderella is the most beautiful person she's ever seen, etc, etc.
You do NOT need to stay on a Disney property to be close by. As a matter of fact there are plenty of places to stay that are actually closer to the Disney parks than some Disney properties. We went to DW back last year the week of Thanksgiving - another BUSY week for them. We stayed at one of the Westgate properties in a 2 bedroom 3 bathroom w/ a full kitchen and w/d and were only 5 minutes from the front gates. It literally took us longer to probably walk from our car (got front parking every time) to the front gate or the monorail than it did to drive. Friends have done the shuttle from the Disney properties they stayed at w/ no car and ended up renting a car midway thru their trip. They got tired of being on the shuttles for 30 minutes and sometimes an hour especially at the end of the day (one just went back and stayed at a NON Disney property and LOVED it and they were closer than they had been at the Disney properties they had stayed at).
Everyone's experiences are different but as someone who's been do DW more than a dozen times, I would never consider NOT staying on property. I never had a problem with the DW Transportations sytem, never thought the walk to the entrance was any longer from the bus stops versus the parking lots, and always loved being totally embraced into the DW experience. The hotels are all themed and just add another little "zing" to my vacations. Plus, it's great to spend the money on getting a rental car and apply it to something else.
In California you only have the 1 park. In Orlando you have MANY!!!! Not just the Disney parks but all of the Universal Studio parks as well. Then the parks in Florida are MUCH LARGER. It has been a few years since we did DisneyLand in California but we only did it for 1 day (kids were much smaller) and it did not seem any different than the Six Flags here by us except for the Disney characters.
We didn't feel the need to leave the parks either during the day for a break. If the kids are old enough there really is no reason to leave the parks. You can stay, get everything in, eat dinner at whichever restaurant you have reserved (you NEED TO DO THIS EARLY and I mean like in MONTHS BEFORE you go),
I know a lot of people swear by the Disney properties because they are "convienent" but there are plenty of places close by just as convienent and sometimes moreso. I know ours was closer than many of the Disney places.
California has 2 parks now. California Adventure has been open for several years.
During peak times, maybe you need to make meal reservations way ahead of time, but I made a reservation today for next week at Goofy's Kitchen.
Yes, the hotel we are staying in is not a Disney hotel, but is closer or as close as the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier.
I would be curious as to how Disneyland is different from Disneyworld. I would like to eventually check out the one in Cali, I've never been to Cali and it's actually a dream of mine to drive along the coast from North to South.
Disneyland is much smaller than Disneyworld. DLand can easily be done in a day (2 if you go to California Adventure). They still have the classic rides, but it's not anywhere close to being as overwhelming as DWorld can be.
That being said, because we try and do the parks during "off times" DLand has very weird operating hours (6:00 close at California Adventure is absurd) and they close a lot of stuff for refurbishment. Since there is no change in pricing, I find that really annoying. DLand is also surrounded by cheesy hotels and restaurants that literally go to the front door of the parks. DWorld is much more of an experience...with acres and acres of property around it to really put you into a different frame of mind when you're there.
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) and I could stay up in the living area and watch tv, read and read in the guidebook and study the tour maps from our book and prepare for the next day. The next morning I could be up and in one bathroom getting ready without disturbing anyone and we could all eat breakfast before heading out. Having a kitchen makes this possible. We had a full fridge so we could load up on bottled water to take with us to the parks and snacks as well. We had snacks back in the room at night. It made going to the parks and being in a crowd a LOT more enjoyable knowing we came "home" to a place with plenty of room for us to all unwind in our own ways. With little ones this is nice as they can go to sleep and you won't disturb them staying up or getting up early. Most places have very nice pools too so if the kids want to swim they can. As a matter of fact the big Westgate complex where we stayed was finishing up a HUGE new expansion project w/ all kinds of play pools and such for the kids. 
