# Disneyland...



## elleny76 (Jul 13, 2016)

Learning about Disneyland and need some help. I might stop there for 1 day_night and need to learn about this Disneyland park.

Disneyland 

1) Is  Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure Parks  different parks?  how far are they from each other? what is the difference? 

2.)  Disneyland Parking:  I have WDW _AP  would this be free while visiting in LA?

3.) Are DVC resorts walking distance and I don't need to pay parking to go to the parks?

3.) Anyone knows the discount of the tix for a DVC member?

4.) How far are  these parks from the LAX airport?  if I stay close to the airport how do I get to the parks? inexpensive ways to travel back and forth?

Any advices for the La_disney parks will be appreciated. 2 kids 5 and 6y/o


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## Passepartout (Jul 13, 2016)

I can't answer every question, but here are a couple. Disneyland is in Anaheim. It's about 30ish miles from LAX, and could take 45 minutes of intense freeway driving or more depending on traffic. I can't speak to shuttles, rail, bus or otherwise. I would try to fly into John Wayne Airport if possible instead of LAX.

Disneyland and California Adventure and Carsland are adjacent to one another. You can walk. If you stay at one of the Anaheim TSs or hotels, there is a shuttle to the parks' entrances and back

Can't speak to DVC discounts.

Jim


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## rhonda (Jul 13, 2016)

elleny76 said:


> Learning about Disneyland and need some help. I might stop there for 1 day_night and need to learn about this Disneyland park.
> 
> Disneyland
> 
> ...


1.  Yes, different parks but only a few hundred feet apart gate to gate.  The distance is similar to the walk separating EPCOT's Future World of World of Nations. 

Disneyland is Walt's original park and can be compared to WDW's Magic Kingdom.  California Adventure might be compared to WDW's Studios ... but only 'sorta.'  The new Carsland is in California Adventure and it is awesome.  Very unique from your past Disney park experiences and should be visited, if possible.

2. No. Parking here is $20 per standard vehicle unless you are staying on property.

3(a). There is only one DVC resort at Anaheim, the Grand Californian, although you may use DVC points to stay at any of the three Disney hotels: Grand Cal, original Disneyland hotel, or Paradise Pier.  Yes, it is an easy walk from any of the hotels and DVC to the parks.  The Grand Cal has a private entrance to California Adventure park.

3(b). No DVC discount on park tickets except for the the higher level Disneyland APs.  DVC offers $20 off each higher level AP.


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## chalee94 (Jul 13, 2016)

1) yes. easy walking distance. they have completely different rides and theming. for wdw fans, disneyland is a more compact, alternate-universe version of the magic kingdom.  DCA has more in common with hollywood studios IMO...but they also had the first Soarin' ride that later was put into epcot.

2) no.  you used to be able to use days off a WDW ticket at disneyland but there is virtually no connection now.

3) there are fewer than 50 DVC villas there - so that can be a tough get.  but if you get to stay at the villas at the grand californian, it would be sweet and you could walk directly into the DCA park.  you could also consider using DVC points for disneyland hotels which are slightly farther away but still a good option.

after disneyland, walt built wdw to have more of a bubble.  which means that unlike WDW, there are non-disney hotels that are still within walking distance of disneyland.

4) there is no DVC discount for disneyland tickets.  there is a tiny discount off the disneyland AP but not much.  the restaurant DVC discounts are pretty decent.

5) it's quite a drive.  over 30 miles and more than an hour due to traffic. i would find a resort closer to disneyland for a disney focused trip.


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## presley (Jul 13, 2016)

elleny76 said:


> 4.) How far are  these parks from the LAX airport?  if I stay close to the airport how do I get to the parks? inexpensive ways to travel back and forth?
> 
> Any advices for the La_disney parks will be appreciated. 2 kids 5 and 6y/o



Don't do it. You'll be in stand still traffic coming and going. There is a closer airport, SNA is the airport code. That will get you to Disneyland in 20-30 minutes. You can use the uber app to see how much it would cost to take an Uber.

There are tons of hotels/motels walking distance to DL. Here's a link to a blog about some of them: http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disneyland-anaheim-hotels-reviews-rankings/


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## DeniseM (Jul 13, 2016)

DVC is difficult to get into in Anaheim, because it's very small.

There are 3 other timeshare resorts within about 1.5 miles - ranked in order of quality:

Worldmark Anaheim
Dolphin's Cove
Peacock Suites

Since the traffic is a nightmare - you want to stay close to the park.


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## ailin (Jul 13, 2016)

We rented points and stayed at VGC for 2 nights.  Self parking is free for DVC points reservations, in a lot across from the hotel.  The private entrance is too crowded at Early Entry, better to go through the main entrance.  It's great during the day though, we went on Grizzly Peak (very close to the private entrance), got all wet, then ran laughing back to the room to change.  Also, we lucked out with an awesome park view of Mickey's Wheel.

When I was first researching renting points, I was able to find a 2 night mid-week reservation for a studio about 6 months out.  It was gone by the time I decided though.  I ended up renting from a VGC owner to get exactly what I wanted at 11 months out.  But it is possible, especially shorter stays, so check at exactly 7 months and if no availability, keep checking for cancellations.


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## frank808 (Jul 13, 2016)

Slight correction on using dvc points for stays at disney hotels.

You can only use your dvc points for disney hotel stays if points were bought direct. Also resale contracts that were bought before march 2011 would be able to use points to stay at disney hotels.

If you bought resale after march 2011 you can only use your points to stay at dvc resorts.


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## Trudyt623 (Jul 13, 2016)

*Disneyland*

Hi, 

I flew into Long Beach and the drive to Anaheim was not bad.  The airport is smaller and the car agencies are directly across the street, so that saves time right there. (no need for shuttles)

Trudy


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## DeniseM (Jul 13, 2016)

We have flown into both LAX and John Wayne, and taken shuttles to our Disney area timeshares from both airports, for a reasonable fee.  

I prefer not to drive in that congested traffic, and since we were only visiting the park, we didn't need the expense of renting a car, and paying for parking.

It was easy and hassle free.


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## Ken555 (Jul 13, 2016)

As an LA native, I'll chime in to say that while arriving in OC or LB is easier, LAX is not that bad depending on your arrival time. If arriving after 7:30pm it's not likely to be that difficult at all to drive to the Disneyland area. 

There are many methods for transportation. 
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/transportation/

I recall years ago meeting friends at LAX and taking a bus to Disneyland - easy, affordable, no need to deal with parking, etc. 

Also, there are numerous hotels in the area surrounding the park and many (I believe) offer shuttles to the entrance.


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## Luanne (Jul 13, 2016)

Ken555 said:


> Also, there are numerous hotels in the area surrounding the park and many (I believe) offer shuttles to the entrance.



Also most of them offer breakfast included with the hotel room.


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## elleny76 (Jul 13, 2016)

Thanks all! I think I will start with staying by the airport(Hotel_LAX) since it seems traffic is bad. (Hilton honor here..)

I am flying to Hawaii from NYC and we will land in LAX..(stay a day _night then the next morning  in route to Oahu.)


* The bus from LAX to the park location sounds good!.. We will be arriving around 12pm and we can head to the park by 2pm. (taxi or bus)

* No renting car

* DISNEYLAND PARK:  8:00am-12:00am open hours in April

If I get to the park by 4pm , we still have good -7-8 hours to enjoy (hopefully I am right)

* We will get a taxi back to the hotel by 12am (Close to Airport_LAX) for the next morning flight.


Will look into all these but based on all comments this can be a good schedule.

Thanks so much


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## presley (Jul 13, 2016)

elleny76 said:


> * DISNEYLAND PARK:  8:00am-12:00am open hours in April
> 
> If I get to the park by 4pm , we still have good -7-8 hours to enjoy (hopefully I am right)
> 
> * We will get a taxi back to the hotel by 12am (Close to Airport_LAX) for the next morning flight.



I highly recommend park hoppers. In the evening Disneyland gets very crowded and they start crowd control by roping off a bunch of areas. It makes walking anywhere slow and also difficult to get from one area to another. I have found it is best to go to California Adventure for a while and then back to DL when the fireworks are over, unless you want to see the fireworks/parade.


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## DeniseM (Jul 13, 2016)

A cab to LAX is going to be pricey - in the range of $100 plus tip.


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## Passepartout (Jul 13, 2016)

elleny76 said:


> I am flying to Hawaii from NYC and we will land in LAX..(stay a day _night then the next morning  in route to Oahu.)
> 
> * We will get a taxi back to the hotel by 12am (Close to Airport_LAX) for the next morning flight.



This would not be the way I would want to spend a delay day enroute, but each to their own. It will be tiring, crowded and expensive. You'll (or at least your family will) be ready to unwind when you get to Hawaii.

Jim


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## Ken555 (Jul 13, 2016)

Passepartout said:


> This would not be the way I would want to spend a delay day enroute, but each to their own. It will be tiring, crowded and expensive. You'll (or at least your family will) be ready to unwind when you get to Hawaii.
> 
> 
> 
> Jim





I agree. Not very relaxing at all. Plenty of other activities to do in LA for an afternoon/evening...


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## Luanne (Jul 13, 2016)

Ken555 said:


> I agree. Not very relaxing at all. Plenty of other activities to do in LA for an afternoon/evening...



But, if you've never been to Disneyland and your kids want to go...............

I could do it knowing I'd be getting on a plane the next day and could sleep then (hopefully).


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## SmithOp (Jul 14, 2016)

Luanne said:


> But, if you've never been to Disneyland and your kids want to go...............
> 
> 
> 
> I could do it knowing I'd be getting on a plane the next day and could sleep then (hopefully).





If that is the case, fly in two days early and take your time visiting Dizzyland.  This sounds like a case of someone trying to make the most of bad flight connections.


Sent from my iPad Mini 4 using Tapatalk


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## VegasBella (Jul 14, 2016)

Personally, with flights like that I would probably stay by the airport too. But yeah, traffic is going to be a nightmare. I would do it if my kids really wanted to go but I would not drive. I think I would do Lux bus. They have a Disneyland option and I believe they will pick up at LAX. This way you could go but you will have the option to give all your attention to your kids during the commute rather than having to pay attention to traffic. Plus you will have a bathroom on board so no wasted time for potty breaks. 

http://www.luxbusamerica.com/disneyland-shuttle-bus.php

Also, you can ask all these questions and more at DisBoards where they're Disney experts: http://www.disboards.com/


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## elleny76 (Jul 14, 2016)

*Yes... get them tired is the idea (lol) so they will sleep in their way to Oahu. We will stay in the island for 14 days exactly.(plenty time to rest).

*Looking at "one way" earlier to LAX from NYC and just sow couple.

*We wont be driving for sure.........$200 round trip

*We go to Orlando_WDW every 3 months , my kids love  mickey and friends and we just curious to see Disneyland for first time. (*We want to cut the travel time 6 hours then 6 hours we though doing this is better than 11 hours 1/2 with 2 toddlers.

*A hooper_tix sounds good!........ $ 503 (with our discount)
* Food, miscel..$ 100

A day in Disneyland all for $ 803!

*Also looking to book DVC so we have the resort close and then wake up around 5am and take a taxi or any transportation to LAX.  our flight is appx 9;45am to Oahu.

* Or close to the airport..Still thinking ( I have until sept to think about it)



OR  going to VEGAS!












Luanne said:


> But, if you've never been to Disneyland and your kids want to go...............
> 
> I could do it knowing I'd be getting on a plane the next day and could sleep then (hopefully).


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## Luanne (Jul 14, 2016)

SmithOp said:


> This sounds like a case of someone trying to make the most of bad flight connections.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad Mini 4 using Tapatalk



And your point is?


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## Ken555 (Jul 14, 2016)

~5-8 hours at most at the parks with two young children after a cross country flight is not my idea of a vacation...and this doesn't even include the round trip drive time from the LAX area. As others have said...take an extra day (or two!) so you can really enjoy a full day at the parks.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## ailin (Jul 14, 2016)

elleny76 said:


> *We go to Orlando_WDW every 3 months , my kids love  mickey and friends and we just curious to see Disneyland for first time. (*We want to cut the travel time 6 hours then 6 hours we though doing this is better than 11 hours 1/2 with 2 toddlers.



Wow, you are a hardier soul than I for contemplating this with 2 toddlers!  

If your kids still use a stroller, with the time difference, wouldn't they conk out sometime around 7 pm?  Would you mind paying for them if they only had 3 hours awake in the parks?


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## blondietink (Jul 15, 2016)

I think a layover in Las Vegas sounds like a better idea. Lots to see, cheaper transportation around town and a lot of the fun stuff is free..... Freemont Street, Bellagio Fountains, Paris, etc..


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## Luanne (Jul 15, 2016)

blondietink said:


> I think a layover in Las Vegas sounds like a better idea. Lots to see, cheaper transportation around town and a lot of the fun stuff is free..... Freemont Street, Bellagio Fountains, Paris, etc..



Depends on the time of year.  If it's summer Las Vegas will be miserable unless you stay inside.


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## famy27 (Jul 16, 2016)

I'm confused. Are the kids toddlers or 5 and 6? That's a world of difference to me. Also, is the airfare booked yet? If so, what are the actual flight times?

I would be willing to do a day at DL with a 5 and 6 year old. If it's really two toddlers coming from the east coast, then I agree they will likely be asleep before you get to see much.

If your flights aren't booked, I'd fly into LAX late at night, and take a shuttle or Uber or whatever and stay at GCV on rented points. That direct entrance is amazing. I don't think we'd stay at DL again and not stay there. We've stayed at local hotels and a Dolphin Cove in the past, and they were fine, but Grand Californian is awesome. You'll want to go straight to Radiator Springs Racers  or straight to the FP machine to get FPs for RSR, as that is the most popular ride. It's really amazing. Carsland is so immersive. It just feels like you are actually in Radiator Springs. Definitely get hoppers and go back and forth between DCA and DL as much as you like. I'd make sure to get back to DCA in time to see World of Color. 

For that night, you could either do a second night at GCV and then Uber back to the airport bright and early or go to the airport late at night and stay at the Hilton. Either choice would be good, so it pretty much comes down to personal preference.

When is your trip? We'll have to compare notes, as we are going to Hawaii in May, and I will be taking a 5 and 11 year old. I am curious to hear how your kids do on the flight. We're considering doing an overnight stopover in LA or SF. We talked about doing a day at DL, but I don't think we'll be able to fit it into our schedule. We'll probably do SF instead and take BART to one of the Starwoods in the city and spend the day in SF, as it's one of our favorite places.


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