Need some big advice! We are leaving next weekend!!

[happymomof5]

Hi all! I've been looking around this board for months getting advice from everyone about what to do or not to do for a trip to Disneyland! We are almost ready to go at this point! We leave on the 12th! Anyway, I have a few questions! I've only been to Disneyland 2 times...once when I was 8 and again when I was 15! It's been a long time, and this time I have 5 kids to entertain!! That's probably how they'll be! The are 10, 7, 5, 4, and 3!

Anyway, it is a VERY LONG and VERY EXPENSIVE trip for us, so I want to get it right. It will probably be a long time before we can do it again!

So...

First of all, do you need cash for meals and other stuff in Disneyland, or can you use check cards and credit cards?

Next, we will have one early entry day...we are going to be in the park on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday...and I think Friday isn't an early entry day...which day would be best to use it?

Would you take 5 kids, the ages that mine are (10, 7, 5, 4, and 3) on the canoes with only two adults, me and dh, to watch them?

We have two free days...Wednesday and Thursday, that we want to do something other than Disney stuff. Want to go to the beach one day...is Huntington or Laguna better?? How far is it to Laguna? For the other free day, would you do the beach again, some other town, go to San Diego for Sea World, Universal Studios, Knott's, Legoland, etc?? We are trying really hard to decide!

We have water bottles for everyone. Our kids have matching, bright colored outfits, colored ribbons for the strollers, we are taking a little snack for the little ones in the backpack. Any great ideas besides those for a trip with a bunch of little children?

Oh, we can take the backpack on the rides, right?

Thanks so much to all of you in advance! I love all the stuff I've learned from this board!

 

[*Robin*]

HI!

You may want to plan an extra day or two to do the other parks...Knotts is a blast, and the shopping there is a lot of fun... DL isn't nearly as big as WDW, I don't know if you're used to that or not, but you can easily do both parks in 2 days, and take a 3rd for going back to the fun stuff... (DL is my home park, I've been there hundreds of times, but now that we've moved to the midwest, I just finally got to go back earlier this year)

If you can get down to San Diego, the zoo is to die for! It's absolutly amazing...I think better than seaworld, but that's only me...

There is SO much to do in Southern California...Mountains, desert, Ocean...(I'm homesick, sorry! LOL)

I'm sure others will come along with lots more..I just wanted to let you know that you may want to take a couple of those days for other stuff...(I don't know if you already have entry tickets or not)...

ok...anyway...Have a super trip!!

 

[disneychrista]

First of all, do you need cash for meals and other stuff in Disneyland, or can you use check cards and credit cards? Credit Cards/Visa (or MC) Check Cards are accepted at all "restaurants" and gift shops. The only thing that is cash only is the food vending carts. So bring cash for Mickey Ice Cream Bars, Popcorn, Bottled Soft Drinks etc.

Next, we will have one early entry day...we are going to be in the park on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday...and I think Friday isn't an early entry day...which day would be best to use it? Saturday being the busiest day would probably be best for EE.

Would you take 5 kids, the ages that mine are (10, 7, 5, 4, and 3) on the canoes with only two adults, me and dh, to watch them?I would have one parent take the older two while the other parent took the younger ones on Pooh or took the train around the park.

We have two free days...Wednesday and Thursday, that we want to do something other than Disney stuff. Want to go to the beach one day...is Huntington or Laguna better?? How far is it to Laguna? For the other free day, would you do the beach again, some other town, go to San Diego for Sea World, Universal Studios, Knott's, Legoland, etc?? We are trying really hard to decide!We usually go to Huntington, beacuse it is the easiest to get to (Katella to Beach Blvd, West on Beach until you water). As for the other day of the choices and the ages of the kids I would pick either Knotts, which is closest to DL or Legoland. Legoland is 90 - 2hrs from Disneyland depending on traffic, so it is quite a jont to get to.

Oh, we can take the backpack on the rides, right?Yes you can. But you might want to stash it in the free lockers for the Grizzly River Run. The are to the left of the enterance of the ride. And FREE for up to 2 hours.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Hi all! I've been looking around this board for months getting advice from everyone about what to do or not to do for a trip to Disneyland! We are almost ready to go at this point! We leave on the 12th! Anyway, I have a few questions! I've only been to Disneyland 2 times...once when I was 8 and again when I was 15! It's been a long time, and this time I have 5 kids to entertain!! That's probably how they'll be! The are 10, 7, 5, 4, and 3!

You're going to have a BLAST!

First of all, do you need cash for meals and other stuff in Disneyland, or can you use check cards and credit cards?

You can use your credit card for any restaurant or shop. The vending carts that sell food only take cash.

Next, we will have one early entry day...we are going to be in the park on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday...and I think Friday isn't an early entry day...which day would be best to use it?

I expect Monday to still be a little busy. I would recommend Tuesday in order to get the most out of your early day - Look at Dumbo & Peter Pan first, but if the lines are really long, then take advantage of the other attractions.

Would you take 5 kids, the ages that mine are (10, 7, 5, 4, and 3) on the canoes with only two adults, me and dh, to watch them?

I would. I would sit the 3 year old next to me, and the 4 year old in front, the dh in front of the 3 year old with the 5 year old in front of dh, and the 10 year old sitting next to the 5 year old w/the 7 year old in front of the 10 year old. The canoes are a fun experience, and kids usually like to do something active.

Oh, we can take the backpack on the rides, right?

Yup - no problems with that at all.

 

[Tink33]

I would stay away from Laguna Beach. Yesterday 16 homes were destroyed due to a hillside slide. About 300 have been evacuated and the experts say that the next 2 weeks many more homes may be damaged. My personal favorite beach is Newport with Huntington coming in second.

 

[karylrocks]

I agree that you might want to skip that 4th day at DL and do something else. Every park is busier on Saturday, but I would think that a Saturday at DL is much busier than Saturday at other parks. With the ages of your kids, I would recommend Legoland, and maybe Knotts.
Enjoy it while you can
In about 8 years I would bet that your name will be insanemomof5

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

We have water bottles for everyone. Our kids have matching, bright colored outfits, colored ribbons for the strollers, we are taking a little snack for the little ones in the backpack. Any great ideas besides those for a trip with a bunch of little children?

Will your kids all have their own backpack or "fannypack"? In our past trips, we've given each of our four kids their own childsize fannypack. It's much easier than loading supplies for all the kids into one or two adult backpacks. And you'll proably find plenty to pack into your backpack without the kids things!

We've stuffed our kids' packs snacks (cheese/crackers, granola bars, etc...), autograph book/pen, a disposable camera (it's interesting to see things from their perspective. and you will probably end up with a couple good pictures!) and something to keep them busy while waiting in line. We've had small books with puzzles, dot-to-dots, etc or small, cheap hand held games. I think McDonald's might be giving away small hand held games with happy meals right now. Your older two can probably handle a fannypack large enough to hold their own water bottle, which would really help you.

Have fun!

 

[CalGal]

I don't think I would skip a fourth day with your crew. DL is so much more magical than the alternatives. With four days, you have more flexibility to relax, take breaks, and re-ride Peter Pan 5 times in a row. (I'm guessing that you already have your passes since you have EE; if so, feel good with your decision to do 4 days).

On the extra off day, I'd lean toward Legoland with your kids, especially if the older ones like Legos. It's a pretty small park, so you aren't walking around as much. (Save your feet for DL) It's unique, and has lots of rides for the smaller set, but still enough to keep a 10 year old interested (especially if he likes Legos). Unless your kids like to sit still through lots of shows, Universal is not a good idea. Sea World is also largely shows. I think Knotts tends to be better for older kids who like "thrill rides"; their non-thrill rides are nothing special IMO. Like Robin, I do love the SD Zoo also. If your kids like Zoos, this one is special. It is a little further than Legoland and some of your other options though.

 

[Itinkso]

Another option is to use your charge card and purchase Disney Dollars. These can be used anywhere in the parks...stores, vending carts, restaurants. Your kids will love them!! I usually purchase my DDs at Disneyana as they are never as busy as the Emporium.

 

[lntsmom]

We used Tony the Limo King (lol...yes, you get exactly what you'd expect with a company name like that!!!) He sent a van to take us to Laguna...then picked us up with his limo to return us to HoJo's. Round-trip was $100. Both drivers were great, the vehicles were clean, and I can't say enough about Laguna itself!!!

You might contact their chamber of commerce...I haven't been able to figure out exactly, but I don't think the slide was right in the beach area.

(My thoughts about California are that the whole state is a natural disaster waiting to happen...so I guess I'm just philosophical about the chances of getting injured in a slide!)

The beach there is beautiful and clean. The crowd was all families...no bathing beauties to be seen. Even the teens who were there were nice kids, there to have fun, not to preen or cause trouble. The waves were a nice size for younger kids, but be warned that the water is still a bit chilly this time of year.

There's a little store just off the beach where you can buy or rent sand and beach toys (we hauled ours cross country because I didn't know if I'd find someplace to do this!). They also sell soda. There's a wonderful ice cream shop just across the street, and places that you can get carry-out pizza and other family food.

In addition, there are clean public bathrooms and showers and a small playground for kiddies.

Not having done any of the other beaches, I can't compare, but I can say that Laguna beach was a dream for our family. We'd go again in a heartbeat!

BTW...you can do a search for Tony's website and contact him thru there if you're interested. He may try to sell you an additional tour or offer to find you a beach house to rent,as he did for us, but I think with a company named "Tony the Limo King" I'd have been disappointed if he hadn't, lol!!!

He does tours all over the area and his prices were lower than the cabs, so you might check with him if you need transportation.

As for hints for visiting with kids:

1. Don't promise anything other than parades and shows. If you tell them, "Today we're going to ride...." you'll be setting yourself up for failure! Last Sunday was crazy busy in Disneyland. By noon they were hauling out the white ropes. White ropes are not good, lol!!! I abandoned our touring plan around noon. We ended up spending time in Toontown, seeing the Snow White show, had lunch at The Golden Horseshoe while watching the Billy Hill show, and then saw the parade before heading out of the park for a two hour nap break. I was REALLY glad I hadn't let the kids in on my touring plan, because if I'd told them we were going to ride the Tea Cups that morning, they wouldn't have let me out of the park until we did!

2. If you're taking walkie talkies for the older kids, don't use channel 8. Everyone uses channel 8. The walkie hint worked better at WDW. I'd almost say that cell phones would be a better option at DL.

3. Have lunch at Ariel's Grotto. Seriously! My kids got to have their photos taken with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, and Dale. In addition, they got to take part in a conga line and limbo contest. The money you spend on lunch will be returned to you in time...you can walk right past the loooong lines of kiddies lined up to have their photos taken with these characters! I don't know how many times we smuggly walked by long lines. I'd suggest the Princess Breakfast if you have girls...for the same reason.

4. For all parades, stake out a spot next to a trash can. This may sound nutty, but it worked for us. Make sure the trash can is between you and the direction the parade will be coming. This way, the kiddies won't have thier line of vision blocked by an adult who decides to plop down next to them...and you'll have a clear line for photos. Build time into your schedule to wait for parades. 30 to 45 minutes per parade is good. For the fireworks, stake out benches on the inside of the hub. They'll put up a white rope to guide people from Tomorrowland to Frontierland....you want your kiddies on that rope. They clear the walkway just before the fireworks start. This will give you a clear line of view to the front of the castle!

5. Give each kiddo a disposable camera. This will keep them busy!

Well, I am zonked, or I'd try to list some additional ideas! Hope you have a great trip!

 

[Vanvmom]

We've uesd AMEX all through the park. Food vending carts were the only cash only deals, but in each 5 day stay we've done (and we've done many in the past two years ... I think every 8-12 weeks last year) we've spent under $100 cash. We have 3 kids (age 4, 8, 11) and love having 4-5 days between the two parks. We would focus on specific lands at a time, and use fast passes and parent passes whenever we could. BTW fast passes are good for any time after the begining time listed on them (you don't specifically have to use them during the hour they list on the ticket). By day 3 and 4, the kids could repeat whatever rides they really liked. As for things not to miss, do Thunder Mountain, Matterhorn, and Autopia cars at night (daytime is fun too, but my kids loved these rides better at night). Fantasmic is wonderful (we staked out a viewing spot, then hubby took the kids on Pirates while I stayed with our spot, when they returned, I took the oldest child with me to go get dinner while hubby stayed at the spot, we all ate, then the show was ready to start). Also, the shows in the park are great! Loved Snow White (even my boys liked it). Alladin in CA Adventure was AWESOME, a must see if it is available. Billy Hill show is funny. CA Soaring is great, we usually get Fast Passes for it as soon as we get inside the park so that we can come back later and enjoy it.

A way we choose to save money on the trip... we eat the free breakfast in the hotel, pack in a lunch to leave in the lockers outside the park entrance, then eat dinner in the park. I bring a carryon size suitcase full of bread, PB (use the hotel's jelly packets), crackers, applesauce, juice pouches, snack stuff). Also, there was a reasonably priced minimart right next door to our hotel (PM me, if you'd like details).

We did Legoland as part of one of our DL trips, and personally I would not recommend it (and my middle child is a lego maniac). The admission is pricey, the lines are 45-60 min. long (no fast passes), of the few rides there, many have height limits. Not worth the money IMO. Plus, after experiencing DL, you're a bit spoiled.

All the beaches mentioned are great! San Diego Zoo is great (about an hour south of DL, and an all day experience... a little pricey though). San Diego Wild Animal Park is closer and still fun.

You're going to love your vacation! DL is fun, but a whole new type of fun seeing it through the eyes of your children!

 

[Alice's Mom]

I wanted to second Tink33 in staying away from Laguna Beach, no one residing there is having a good time right now.

If you do go to San Diego, Coronado Beach was just rated as the 10th best beach in the US and I personally love the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal park.

Have a blast!