CALIFORNIA BABY!!! Feb 2018 PTR

Megara84

Earning My Ears
Joined
May 2, 2016
I know it's a long way off but we are soooo excited about this trip. It'll be part honeymoon part my (soon to be) husband's 30th birthday and it has been such a ridiculous journey getting to the stage of deciding to go, that I thought I'd start writing it down now. Also, as I mentioned, I'm excited.

This has all been such a saga and all of our own doing!! We had Disneyworld booked for October 2017 but then got engaged and the wedding is in July 2017 so , being sensible grown ups, we pushed Disneyworld back to April 2018. I mean, there was soooo much more back and forth than that, a weekly rollercoaster ride of emotions around whether we were going, not going, being there for Halloween, being there for flower and garden.... it just went on and on! Our excitement levels were through the roof of course but there was something that just didn't ever feel very permanent about the trip. It was booked, deposits had been paid (several times because of the aforementioned changes :yo-yo:) and although we were fully invested in it, something didn't feel right.

We both really really want to go to Disneyland California and kept saying "next time we'll do Disneyland, that will be really special". The more we started talking about it, the more we realised that, actually, we didn't want to go to Disneyworld, we wanted to go to Disneyland! I love Disneyland Paris and, although I've never been to Disneyworld, I just feel really drawn to Disneyland California. Ed has been to Paris many times and Disneyworld twice and also has a real desire to go the original Disneyland, or Old Dis as I call it when I'm getting confused as to which park we're talking about. So we thought, why are we going all the way to Florida when actually, this time around, we'd rather be going all the way to California? So we came to another very grown up and sensible decision. We will cancel the April 2018, two weeks at Yacht Club in WDW and throw all of that money and energy at five days in California!

So that's that, all decided. Disneyland California, February 2018 for Ed's 30th birthday and sort of our honeymoon, but that's mostly so we can just celebrate as much as possible.

What next? Well, you can probably tell that coherent planning and decision making are not really our strong points so we haven't really got much further than that if I'm honest. We spend a lot of time talking about it though and I strongly believe that that counts for something...

We'll be going for five nights and have to decide whether to stay onsite or offsite. Any thoughts on this at all would be welcome? I'm currently thinking perhaps a couple of days offsite and then finish of in fabulous style at one of the fancy onsite hotels. And then of course there are flights to book and decisions to be made about dinners etc. Although I think one thing I love about Disneyland is that it's not necessary to book everything 180 in advance and try and work out what you want for lunch next May! Don't get me wrong, I would love to be able to do that, but my brain just doesn't work in that way.

Also, does anyone have any experience of transferring a holiday deposit from one park to another? Otherwise I think we may be about to loose more deposit money.

I've never done a trip report before but I'll confess I have been lurking around these boards for a while, occasionally posting. Everyone just seems so lovely and it's very important to be able to share these dangerous levels of excitement with others, I think.

Any hints, tips or suggestions you have would be hugely welcome. I cannot wait until we can start properly planning this trip!! xx
 
Hello!
Congratulations on your up coming wedding!!

We normally stay offsite because it's generally cheaper and there are some nice places right across the street. Most at least have a continental breakfast and some even offer a free breakfast. I've been told the walk is closer than from the Disneyland and Paradise Pier Hotels. I haven't ever tested it. My husband and I love the Ayres Hotel in Anaheim, it's a little further away but, the ART buses pick up and drop off in the parking lot right outside the front door of the hotel. The Ayres is a nice place to stay. They have a full breakfast every morning, chocolate chips in the afternoon, and beer and wine in the early evening. They treat their guest very nicely.

One thing I advise is to look on Tripadvisor to see the reviews from guests who have stayed at the various places. I use it as a tool frequently. I have no idea about moving the deposit but, try calling Disney Travel and ask them. You could get lucky and have it transfer over. Good luck!
 
Hello!
Congratulations on your up coming wedding!!

We normally stay offsite because it's generally cheaper and there are some nice places right across the street. Most at least have a continental breakfast and some even offer a free breakfast. I've been told the walk is closer than from the Disneyland and Paradise Pier Hotels. I haven't ever tested it. My husband and I love the Ayres Hotel in Anaheim, it's a little further away but, the ART buses pick up and drop off in the parking lot right outside the front door of the hotel. The Ayres is a nice place to stay. They have a full breakfast every morning, chocolate chips in the afternoon, and beer and wine in the early evening. They treat their guest very nicely.

One thing I advise is to look on Tripadvisor to see the reviews from guests who have stayed at the various places. I use it as a tool frequently. I have no idea about moving the deposit but, try calling Disney Travel and ask them. You could get lucky and have it transfer over. Good luck!


Thanks so much for the hotel recommendations! I've been looking at the good neighbour hotels and I think you're right, they look lovely and you can't argue with a 10 minute walk from the park!
 
Staying on site at DL is really great, but it's also really expensive. We've stayed at off site hotels a couple of times and have had good experiences. If we stay off site, I prefer the hotels that are on Harbor Blvd within a 10 min walk to the Disneyland main gate.

THE closest one is the Best Western Park Place Inn. It comes with a free hot breakfast every morning, which is convenient and saves you $$.

Our family will be at Disneyland next week for 5 days. We're staying at Hojo's on Harbor Blvd.

The Tropicana and the Camelot motels offer a 15-20% discount if you stay for 5 or more nights.

A huge benefit of staying at an off site hotel is that it costs way less. So this means that you have more pocket money to spend on extras...like:
  • doing the Walt in Walt's Footsteps tour - it's about $100/person
  • booking a World of Color dessert package - $79/person
  • doing a special dining package
  • having a fancy dinner at Napa Rose at the GCH
  • bringing home some special artwork from the Disneyana store
Re: your travel deposit on the WDW trip -
If you booked it through Disney Travel, then just call them and ask if you can transfer the deposit for a new trip to Disneyland. If you booked it through another travel company, call them and ask the same question.
 


Staying on site at DL is really great, but it's also really expensive. We've stayed at off site hotels a couple of times and have had good experiences. If we stay off site, I prefer the hotels that are on Harbor Blvd within a 10 min walk to the Disneyland main gate.

THE closest one is the Best Western Park Place Inn. It comes with a free hot breakfast every morning, which is convenient and saves you $$.

Our family will be at Disneyland next week for 5 days. We're staying at Hojo's on Harbor Blvd.

The Tropicana and the Camelot motels offer a 15-20% discount if you stay for 5 or more nights.

A huge benefit of staying at an off site hotel is that it costs way less. So this means that you have more pocket money to spend on extras...like:
  • doing the Walt in Walt's Footsteps tour - it's about $100/person
  • booking a World of Color dessert package - $79/person
  • doing a special dining package
  • having a fancy dinner at Napa Rose at the GCH
  • bringing home some special artwork from the Disneyana store
Re: your travel deposit on the WDW trip -
If you booked it through Disney Travel, then just call them and ask if you can transfer the deposit for a new trip to Disneyland. If you booked it through another travel company, call them and ask the same question.


Oh this is so helpful, thank you! I think Ed would really love the Walt's Footsteps tour and Napa Rose looks amazing so that's definitely in the plan, as is Blue Bayou. Hmmm, I think I'll definitely spend more time looking at offsite then. Thanks so much!
 
Congrats on your wedding and vacation planning. My family is looking at February too. Its a great month to go.... crowds are down a bit and the weather is lovely (compared to up here in Seattle anyway.)
We have stayed both on site and off, and had good experiences with both. We are early morning people though, so the extra early hour in the parks is really worth staying on site for us. If you don't plan to get up early (and who wants to on their honeymoon !) then an off site hotel is the way to go.
My tip for you is to collect gift cards starting now. I buy a $100 card every month, and then when we get to the parks, I use them for meals, souvenirs, and a dessert party or some other special treat. Its like a forced savings plan. Each vacation I am so happy that I did it! Have fun planning.
 
Congratulations on the wedding and deciding to head to DLR! We've gone through near enough the same as you guys - we've been to WDW twice in the last 2 years and we couldn't decide whether to return next year or go to DLR as it's something we've wanted to do for a long time too, so we decided to take the plunge and head West this time! So we're also going Feb 2018 for our 2nd wedding anniversary and we've only booked the flights from Heathrow so far, and like you, we weren't sure whether to stay onsite or not, but I think we're pretty much set to stay onsite at the DLH when dates are released (those little light-up headboards are swaying me dramatically!! :rotfl2:) We still might change our mind once we've costed it up of course haha. So I'll be looking forward to hearing more of your plans! ::yes::
 


Congratulations on the wedding and deciding to head to DLR! We've gone through near enough the same as you guys - we've been to WDW twice in the last 2 years and we couldn't decide whether to return next year or go to DLR as it's something we've wanted to do for a long time too, so we decided to take the plunge and head West this time! So we're also going Feb 2018 for our 2nd wedding anniversary and we've only booked the flights from Heathrow so far, and like you, we weren't sure whether to stay onsite or not, but I think we're pretty much set to stay onsite at the DLH when dates are released (those little light-up headboards are swaying me dramatically!! :rotfl2:) We still might change our mind once we've costed it up of course haha. So I'll be looking forward to hearing more of your plans! ::yes::

I can't believe I've only just seen this, I'm so sorry!! Oh it is such a tougj decision though. I feel confident we've made the right one now but a little bit of my soul does long to go to WDW and to Epcot...

Have you booked yet? I'm going to try and transfer the deposit this week if I can. I've been putting it off because a) I don't want bad news and b) we are now two weeks before wedding and there are a few bits to do for that... Be good to hear about your plans though!
 
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Congrats on your wedding and vacation planning. My family is looking at February too. Its a great month to go.... crowds are down a bit and the weather is lovely (compared to up here in Seattle anyway.)
We have stayed both on site and off, and had good experiences with both. We are early morning people though, so the extra early hour in the parks is really worth staying on site for us. If you don't plan to get up early (and who wants to on their honeymoon !) then an off site hotel is the way to go.
My tip for you is to collect gift cards starting now. I buy a $100 card every month, and then when we get to the parks, I use them for meals, souvenirs, and a dessert party or some other special treat. Its like a forced savings plan. Each vacation I am so happy that I did it! Have fun planning.

That is such a great tip! I would never have thought to do that!!!
 
Congrats on your wedding! If this trip is kind of a honeymoon, why not go all out and stay at a Disney hotel? This is coming from a WDW vet, but there is something to be said for staying inside the magic Disney bubble.
I would recommend the Disneyland Hotel if you're big Walt fans - there is so much there that represents his vision for the original park.

That said we're also looking at going in February 2018, though we're bringing our kids, so we're looking to save money by staying at a Harbor Blvd Hotel. I've stayed at all three DL hotels though, so if that's the route you end up taking, you really can't go wrong with any of them.
Have fun planning; I'm looking forward to hearing more!
 
A little update:

So the wedding has been and gone and it was honestly the best day of our entire lives!! Everyone says it but I didn't appreciate just how much love and joy we would feel on the day. Oh, I would go back and do it all again in a heartbeat if I could. Mostly so I could actually eat the delicious food (lasagne and roast chicken, shared family style, if you're interested. Gaaad it was insane!) without the nerves of hoping everyone was having a lovely time!!

I thought I'd throw in a couple of pictures of us at the wedding. Partly because I am showing them to pretty much anyone who glances in my direction but also because I realised I haven't introduced us properly yet and personally, I like the see the faces of the people whose holidays I get so invested in!!

kings again.JPG

king one.JPG

singing kings.JPG
And this is one of us how we normally look. Way less fancy but doing one of our fave things:



le marg sur le plage.jpg Martini time.jpg


Straight after the wedding, well two days after (we had flowers, decorations and vans to return) we flew to Sicily, to zaferana, to lie down looking at this for a few days. Then we went to Taormina and did pretty much the same. It was bliss. But now the wedding is over, the first part of the honeymoon is over and I can begin turning my attention to the adventures that are still to come!

So, where are we with Dis? Well, we haven't changed our plans again and I consider that to be not only a success but actually a bit of a miracle. Also a relief. Well I say we haven't changed our plans...we've decided that while we're in America we may as well have a look around, so after Disneyland we're heading down to New Orleans for a few days and then swinging past New York on the way home. But that's it. No more changes now. Definitely no more changes.

I've spent the last couple of weeks looking at flights, hotels and tickets, trying to to work out whether we want to book a vacation package with Disney or book it all separately. So far it seems to come out a lot cheaper booking it all separately:

Flights: (inc to Nola, NY and home) £994 (£497 each)
Hotel: Hilton Anaheim £510 for five nights
Park tickets: £700 for the two of us

So that's £2200 inc flights!! Pretty good I think. If we were just doing a return to LAX it would be around £1800 max for the two of us.

When I looked at a vacation packages it came to over £2000 just for hotel and tickets and I can't figure out why? Is that just a premium Disney adds on or are there genuine benefits to booking with them? I'd be happy to pay it if there are, I just couldn't work out what they were. Particularly as it seems as though you don't need to be an onsite guest to get the extra magic hour in the morning....? If anyone can clear that up for me that would be fab!

The hotel we chose through a process of elimination, really. We wanted one that was cheap but close ish, clean with good breakfast and that could provide some calm at the end of busy park days. The Hilton seems to fit this bill! Has anyone else stayed there who can give a review?

We're also looking at flying with Norwegian as the flights are soooo cheap!! I know you have to add on a bit when you factor in luggage etc, but it still seems to work out to be a great price. Has anyone else flown Norwegian?

So now I'm fairly sure we've made our decisions, I just need to book! Which requires payday to happen next week. Come on payday!!

Well that wasn't a little update at all, was it? Sorry!! I'm really looking forward to being able to having everything booked now though. I think then it will finally feel like a real life trip that's going to happen and not just something Ed and I spend our evenings discussing for no apparent reason.

Roll on booking day!!
 
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Well first off huge congrats on your wedding, you two look like a wonderful couple! My wife and I are celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary tomorrow. May you continue to have that Disney magic as the years go by! :wizard::bride:

I can't offer any thoughts on the Hilton or Norwegian Air, we haven't used either. I did look at the Hilton when deciding on our accommodations, especially since we are a member of their Honors program. We decided against it as it is a bit farther away and there had been a few reviews that stood out on TripAdvisor. But when it comes down to it there are some bad reviews for every property down there. That more comes down to having realistic expectations about check-in times and having clearly stated what you needed in relation to your room.

As far as why the Disney properties are so much more it is just to have that wall to wall Disney experience. My suggestion is to stay on property at least once, but in general go for the Good Neighbor Hotels. We stayed at DLH for our 2009 trip and thoroughly enjoyed it and the extra couple of perks you get with it. But most of the perks are offered to the Good Neighbor Hotels so when we have gone back we have chosen them instead.

It is good to see someone with a PTR even farther out than mine - in my eyes it is never too early to start planning, sharing, and collecting ideas and tips. This is especially true right now with so many areas changing/reopening and the FastPass system being modernized. Have fun and enjoy the other trips you have planned in the interum! :thumbsup2
 
Sounds like an amazing trip!

Re: Norwegian. The comfort level of the seats will be similar to BA or Virgin, but make sure you really price out the extras. The lowest fares don't include meals and with seat and and bag fees you may not be saving much money in the end.

It's also worth pricing out their premium class. Fares to LA can be under £500 one way and would be a very nice ride.
 

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