I had just planned on driving down to SD for a day but now, I'm really considering spending 3 nights & ending our SoCal trip there!
I currently have booked 6 nights at PPH from 9/2-9/8 Thursday-Wednesday, with the Buy 3, Get 2 free package and includes 5 day park hoppers. However, I've made up my mind that I do want to change to DH just because I've always wanted to stay there, it will be our 1st time staying on-site, & I don't know when we will get back to Cali as we visit WDW every year and decided on skipping that and heading to DLR. For some reason, I just cannot get myself excited about PPH.
The main reason we are heading to Cali (besides our obvious mutual love of Mickey Mouse) is my husband is a huge Dodgers fan so we plan on going to see 1 or 2 games in LA on Friday &/or Sat night, as well as driving down to see the Dodgers play the Padres in San Diego one day....
But now, as I am ADDICTED to planning our vacays and analyzing and pricing different scenarios, I'm starting to put together another idea in my head.... What if we stay 4 nights at DLH (cutting 2 nights off DLR stay
but staying at dream hotel!!!), booking through the room only deal, which saves literally about half the cost especially since we do have 2 day park hoppers left over from WDW that we can trade in and use, and since we have other things on our itinerary (2 dodger games, hollywood, beach), 2 days would be enough for us to spend in the parks without feeling pressured to have to go everyday with the 5 day passes.....
And then..... from Monday-Thursday 9/6-9/9, stay in San Diego for 3 nights!! I never even considered staying 1 night in SD because we just planned on going to see the Dodgers but then I started thinking, who wants to drive back to Anaheim at 1030pm after a ballgame.... I started browsing the boards, found a recommendation for the Dana at Mission Bay, which offered a special package for birthday celebrations, if you stay on your bday, which it would be my husbands bday 9/8, you can stay 2 nights and get the 3rd night free! We have never been to San Diego, hear it is gorgeous, and maybe finding this deal is a sign we should split up our vacay??
Although it does sadden me to spend just 4 nights at DLR, it would be wonderful to do something new since we've been to DL 3 times before.... In the end, staying 4 nights at DLH (no tix), and 3 nights at the Dana would actually be total about $400 cheaper!!
So, my questions are: Anybody have any input on the Dana resort? Is it nice? Ive read the location is great and to upgrade to the newer buildings which I would plan on. How close is it to Petco Park? And most importantly, how far of a drive would it be to drive back to John Wayne from SD on an early Thursday morning? I have a camaro reserved as a bday surprise for my husband and it is required to be dropped off at the same airport it is picked up at. If we had a 10am flight out of Orange County, what time should we leave San Diego to give us enough time?? And does anyone know if there is a change/cancellation fee to switch hotels or switch from package to room only ressie and if so, how much? Thanks for any input!!! Only my wonderful DISers understand the obsession with planning Disney vacations!! Everyone else thinks I'm insane!