Any advice on Disneyland for first timers - late Sept. How many days are enough to fully experience it?

Question

Are any days of the week better than others to go? Can anyone recommend a great hotel. Not too expensive. 2 adults and 2 kids (9 & 11yrs)?

Answer 1

Wednesdays are good to go. Are you planning to get a multi-day hopper ticket? I'd plan for at least 1 day in Disneyland and 1 day in California Adventure.

Really good sources are:
Mouseplanet.com
Allearsnet.com

As far as a hotel goes, there are many hotels within 1-2 blocks of Disneyland that offer free shuttle service to Disneyland.

Here's a link below.

Answer 2

If its your first time I would reccomend three days. Yes you can see it all in two if you really bust your butt, but three days gives you the time you need. I am a bus tour operator from Canada that makes my living sending Canadians to Disneyland. I know the park fairly well as its my business too.

What I normally do is spend one day at Disney, one day at California Adventure, and than have the third day left over to do all those things I missed the first two days because of long line ups, etc. I also use the third day to "re-do" rides that I really liked.

You want a nice cheap place to stay thats not too far? My tour groups always stay at the Super 8 on West Katella. Its VERY affordable and only a ten minute walk from maingate. This Super 8 is clean and has a great staff. While it is not the Disneyland hotel the value is there. The reality is you just need a place to store your stuff while your at the park, why waste a bunch of money on an expensive room that you will barely use? I have literally sent hundreds of people to that Super 8 with very little problems.

If your going to be in the area for awhile can I suggest the Southern California City Pass? It is a booklet that includes a three day Disney park hopper, one day at Universal Studios, and one day in San Diego taking in the Zoo and Sea World. The City pass saves you a good amount of money as compared to purchasing all these things seperatly. If your concerned about transportation just talk to the front desk at the Super 8 and they will arrange transportation to all the parks you need to go to.

Disneyland and the area is fantastic. Good luck!

Answer 3

To FULLY experience Disneyland as a first-timer, I'd recommend 2 days, preferably any weekday. I think that's the perfect pace for your family to try all the rides, plus shop, eat, pose for photos and take some breaks from standing all day. Unless you plan to be around for 3 days, skip Calif. Adventure as it is definately not as good as Disneyland (less good rides, LOTS of walking past dry colorless landscaping--Disneyland feels compact, lush and colorful!)
Near the entrance of Disneyland is a train ride that circles around the park so that you preview a bit of the far side Fantasyland --but stay on the train til it comes back to Main Street. Walk on the left side (as viewed from the entrance) of Main Street and go through quickly--save it for the way back instead as stores there are the last things to close. You will walk past the best store, by the fire station. It has fun dioramas in the outside windows and has the most merchandise inside. Come back to it on your way out. Once past Main Street, go left into Frontierland and get the Fast Passes for Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Carribean, then get in line for the Jungle Cruise. By the time you're off JC, one of your FastPasses should be ready to use. Pair up Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain Fast Passes too. When done with the left side of the park, cross back to the right side, into Tomorowland.

When you want to eat a main meal, get on the Tommorow land monorail and exit at Downtown Disney, there are some less-expensive places to eat there. The pace is slower, not so hectic, there, too. After eating (and maybe walking through Build A Bear Workshop, if you've never seen one) get back on the monorail to Disneyland (the line will be shorter going that direction). You may want your stomach to settle before Space Mountain, so grab a Fast Pass for it and do the milder Buzz Lightyear, Autopia and submarine rides while you wait for your Fast Pass time. (Not sure if there is Fast Pass for sub now that it's Nemo)
Do Fantasyland last; you'll be tired and lines are much shorter there (and at Toontown, which your kids may deem "for babies".) I think your feet will thank me later. The exception in this area is the Matterhorn, which has a long line.
Day 2: catch what you missed (Tiki Room, kayaks, looking for the secret Club 33 door), re-do your favorites, visit more of the free-to-enter Downtown Disney and check out the Disney hotels. ALWAYS get your hand stamped when exiting the park; remember it can't hurt to do so, even if you think you're done for the day.
For hotels, get any with a shuttle. If you take a car, parking is expensive and you may have to park too far away for your car to be used as a locker for sweaters and food. Besides, we once spent AN HOUR between paying the parking attendant and actually getting to the ticket booths, because of where we were directed to park (past all the flat-surface parking, wait for signal, cross the street, into the multi-level parking structure) and traffic jams and a finally a little bit of waiting for the tram. So a shuttle is not that much worse!
FYI- Weather will be good then--doesn't get cold at night til mid-October. AND it won't be the 100 degrees it was today!

Answer 4

i really think with kids that the first time you go you probably need three days if going during the week or four days if you're going during the weekend. no matter what time of year, weekends (and mondays) are always fairly busy in disneyland. late sept. is a non-peak time, but friday-monday will still be fairly busy. if you're going on a tues-thurs trip then three days would be enough.

if you go during the week in non-peak season, however, you'll miss "..remember dreams come true" (amazing fireworks show) and "fantasmic" (light and sound show on the rivers of america.)

IMHO, there's no way you can do everything at disneyland in one day and then one day at DCA. DCA has half the rides of disneyland, and it's never very busy there. plus, you don't want to have to rush through everything, you want to be able to stop and take pictures, or get something to eat, or go on a ride you really liked for a second time.

Answer 5

This is a pretty nice place I have been using.
Days Inn Anaheim West
1030 W. Ball Road
Ball & Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA 92802 US
Phone: [phone]
go for at least 3 days, get a three day hoper ticket. weekdays are going to be less crowded but the parks might close early, you can check the calander at www.disney.go.com for park hours. Make sure to enter at park opening, especially if you go on a weekend. 1st day go to The Magic Kingdom, start at opening and spend the day there. 2nd day you can go to MK at opening then over to California Adventure when it opens, (CA opens at 10:00 am), or you can get a little extra sleep and go to CA at opening. Often Mk is open later also so with the hopper tickets you can go to MK after CA closes. 3rd day do both parks, anything you may have missed or things you really enjoyed again. I recommend going to the Disney website and seeing what they have and make a list of things you really want to do and try to do them first.
some things you will want to do are:
Character dining experience, Minnie and Friends breakfast on main street or Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland hotel are both great, the Lilo and Stitch breakfast at Paradise Pier is great also, all are buffets.
Aladdin show, Soarin, tower of Terror, tough to be a bug all at CA.
At the Magic Kingdom, Indiana jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted mansion (Hm might be close for holiday install) Finding Nemo Subs (get in line one hour before closing time) Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Matterhon bobsleds, jungle cruise.
these are just some of the highlights, try everything if you can, its all great, even ride the "kiddie rides" dont let them fool you, they are a lot of fun.

I really conside 3 days a minimum, if you have more time spend more days, you will love it and you wont be rushed.

Answer 6

The weekdays are the best days to go. You can generally see the both parks in two days but I recommend three. If you're buying the hopper passes, there's not much difference in pricing between the two and three day passes.

The hotels off Katella Ave. are pretty decent and not too expensive. They're about $60 a night for a two bed room.

Answer 7

try to go in the middle or the week, spend a day and a haft in Disneyland and haft a day in California park. To get a good deal try hotwire, all the hotels around the parks have shuttles, so choose which ever is good for u.

Answer 8

My advice having been to disneyland more times than I can count 2 days. one day for disneyland the other day for california adventure.