How to do Disneyland right?

[bigboom]

We just got back from spring break with two kids at 7 and 9 and as most people have said get the Genie Pass. Genie pass is well worth it other than you now have to pay separately to get onto rides that only have lightning ride, the fast pass included all rides. I really hate the new lightning pass because it feels like you are getting nickeled and dimed, for instance the new Star Wars ride will cost you an extra $80 for a family of 4 if you dont want to wait in line.

[suntan]

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Forgot to add that we will just bring bottled water in and then ask for cups at the various food places so we can have ice water without spending crack money on the shit inside the park.

How was the food? It always seems to suck.

[rage2]

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How was the food? It always seems to suck.

I really liked the food at downtown Disney. Several really great restaurants. It’s changed a bit since I was last there tho.

[suntan]

That's the part outside the park?

[rage2]

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I've taken my kids 3-4 times now and they have zero recollection of when we took them the first time when they were 2.5 and 4.

We printed an album, and made video montages of our trips. Kids watch them here and there, so they remember from that.

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That's the part outside the park?

Ya.

Another stupid tip, play the Disneyland adventure game on console. It has a perfect rendition of the park, so you can familiarize yourself with the park layout. All the shortcuts can be learnt there.

[suntan]

Yeah I don't understand why the food inside the park is so abysmal, and just outside it's so much better.

- - - Updated - - -

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We printed an album, and made video montages of our trips. Kids watch them here and there, so they remember from that.

God that's so 10/10 asian.

[Rocket1k78]

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How was the food? It always seems to suck.

Yep it still sucked but now you're paying even more for it
Insider tip is to starve yourself till you cant take it anymore and then go eat so the food is somewhat enjoyable.

[me_dennis]

We went to Disneyland and California Adventure on our spring break too with 2 kids (aged 6 and 4). I would say the minimum height to enjoy most of the good rides would be 40" (48" for the thrill rides).
We stayed off site at the Homewood Suites by Hilton by the John Wayne Irvine Airport. It was $200CAD per night, and it included free breakfast, free wifi, free parking, and pool.
We paid for parking ($30/day) as well as rented a double stroller ($35). The stroller was worth it to carry the bag full of snacks/water/lunch as well as the inevitable stuff you will buy from the stores.

RE the reservation system, the only thing available for us because we booked last minute was the 2 day park hopper pass, so that's what we went with. We did it a week apart, to allow for enough time to recover from the fatigue of a full day of Disneyland. As others have mentioned, get the Genie+ add on, and download the Disneyland App beforehand. As soon as you enter the park, I would head straight for the popular rides (Spider-man in Cali, and Rise of the Resistance in DL). Those 2 rides you have to pay $15-20/person for the lightning lane, and if you go there right when the park opens, the wait times are not as long. As soon as you enter the park, add yourself onto a lightning lane for some of the other popular rides. Make the most out of the LL by adding yourself to another LL just as you redeem your past LL, cuz you can only hold one LL at a time.
From what I remember, these are the rides worth using LL for:
Cali: Incredicoaster, Radiator Springs, Guardians of the Galaxy, Soarin', Toy Story midway games
DL: Millenium Falcon Smuggler's run, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Indiana Jones, Rise of the resistance ($), Star Tours, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion

To build your own lightsaber, you'll have to make a reservation as well as pay a builder fee of $220 USD
To build your own droid, you will need to make a reservation and pay a builder fee $99 USD

They allow you to bring outside food and a small cooler. We packed Viet Subs (picked up from nearby Vietnamese Town in Westminster/Garden grove). Saves you from waiting in line and paying $10 USD for a corn dog.

It was an expensive ass 2 days, but worth every penny. The Rise of the Resistance Ride is worth the price of admission itself!

[ThePenIsMightier]

Ok, I finally have some time to ejac my wisdom on this!
We booked 5 nights at the DL Hotel coming up and it was $8,500 USD... Now keep in mind that's a room big enough for 5 and that includes admission for 5 x4 days with Genie (but not park hoppers).
To stay in something a bit bigger and a bit nicer at The Grand Californian was going to be... No shit... An additional $645 USD per night... Go fuck your hat.

So like I said before, I don't think you can touch an on-site hotel for $400/night but Paradise Pier might be getting close.

Is it worth it to stay on-site? It's complicated... I would say it's well worth it to give it a try once. After that, I think the price has gone so bananas that it no longer offers a competitive value. It really enhances the overall experience and has many perks and the service is spectacular, but I think the price has fuckin near tripled since we first started doing it. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but Holy fuck balls.

If you're going to stay offsite, I have stayed at the Fairfield Inn Marriott (essentially beside McDonald's) and it's excellent and I bet thousands cheaper than on-site. It's actually more convenient in some ways because it's near many food options outside of the park.

The days of terrible food at Disneyland are thankfully over. But Holy shit, did it ever used to be bad! Now there are several good options, particularly in California Adventure. Particularly the sour dough bread bowl soup place! And they have beer!! The Blue Bayou is a wonderful (but very expensive) fine dining experience, if that's up your alley.

I don't think your kids are too young. You will be restricted in rides but that won't bother you. We went with kids at 18 months and they fuckin exploded with joy. I will remember it until I'm dead. It was incredible. Strangers took videos of the elated children. That's how much fun they had.

Have a great time and let me know if you have any specific questions. I love talking about that place.

[killramos]

Florida better or worse in this regard?

[ThePenIsMightier]

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Florida better or worse in this regard?

I don't know. I've only been to that one once, but we rented a house in Kissimmee which was incredibly convenient and would recommend. It was basically an entire community of rented houses for Disney World visitors with pools and everything.
But this was 09 so before vRbO and etc etc.

[taemo]

Isn't 4-5 days overkill for Disneyland? Disneyworld you definitely need at least 2-3 days but Disneyland I can't see myself there for more than 2 days.

Can anyone comment on the sewage smell in Disneyland? heard it was a thing earlier this year but hopefully they have this sorted out?

We are going to Disneyland for our daughters birthday in May, she's turning 4 and she's only 38" tall so it will mostly be for the experience in the park and seeing the Disney characters for her.
Fortunately I forgot to book Adventure Park and it's no longer available when we are going, saved us over 400$ there.

We are staying at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Anaheim Maingate and my parents at the Holiday Inn & Suites Anaheim so at least our daughter gets to enjoy 2 different pools and water parks

[ThePenIsMightier]

3 in Disneyland and 1 in California Adventure is manageable.

[mr2mike]

Keep getting news on how terrible Disney now is with genie plus.
Spend all day on your phone and basically have the grease your way to rides. $18/p/ride on top of the admission.
People are walking out of there like they traded in their 2020 TrackHawk at the dealership for a 2022 model.

[rage2]

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Keep getting news on how terrible Disney now is with genie plus.
Spend all day on your phone and basically have the grease your way to rides. $18/p/ride on top of the admission.
People are walking out of there like they traded in their 2020 TrackHawk at the dealership for a 2022 model.

Haven’t used genie plus yet, but it’s basically the same as fastpass, with more ride support, and the super rides excluded. Still includes Photopass so it’s a decent deal.

It does suck that it doesn’t include the top 3 rides across 2 parks but pre Covid fastpass was getting ridiculous, cars for example was out of fast passes by 930am making it useless anyways. With the exclusion, less people buying genie plus, means less wait across most rides. Now, with the 3 super rides, you don’t have to pay, but the question is how much your time is worth. Star Wars has an average wait time of 2 hours. I’d gladly pay $20pp to not wait. That ride is so popular, even more so than cars, the old fastpass system would’ve ran out before magic hour was up.

[ThePenIsMightier]

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Haven’t used genie plus yet, but it’s basically the same as fastpass, with more ride support, and the super rides excluded. Still includes Photopass so it’s a decent deal.

It does suck that it doesn’t include the top 3 rides across 2 parks but pre Covid fastpass was getting ridiculous, cars for example was out of fast passes by 930am making it useless anyways. With the exclusion, less people buying genie plus, means less wait across most rides. Now, with the 3 super rides, you don’t have to pay, but the question is how much your time is worth. Star Wars has an average wait time of 2 hours. I’d gladly pay $20pp to not wait. That ride is so popular, even more so than cars, the old fastpass system would’ve ran out before magic hour was up.

Anyone pleb could Fast Pass. I think you're talking about MaxPass which was their upgraded thing we used in 2019 and you are correct, Cars would be sold out by 10, but boo-hoo, be organized and get your ass to the park, in the gate and book it.
I think Genie is just a mild tweak on MaxPass and let's face it - it was far too good a deal with all the photos included and everything else before. It was dumb to not buy it.

Now more price discovery has taken place, but don't tell Kert.

[killramos]

Call me when I can get a fast-trackhawk Genie Pro Max Pass.

I want to literally be guided around the park by the mouse

[mr2mike]

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Call me when I can get a fast-trackhawk Genie Pro Max Pass.

I want to literally be guided around the park by the mouse

The Glutton Pro Pass. EV scooter that lifts right into the ride.

[rage2]

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Call me when I can get a fast-trackhawk Genie Pro Max Pass.

I want to literally be guided around the park by the mouse

VIP tour. $4k. Easily do all the rides at both parks in a day.

That’s the only way to do Disneyland right imo.

[killramos]

I want the dude inside the mouse to be named walt