Quote:
Originally Posted by tinkerbelle24
What hotel ON property and why??? What hotel has the Tinkerbell soap??(im serious)
Does Dl offer ME? DDP? Is it ALOT different than DW?? Will I need a rental car?? Do they offer Disney transportation??? Which airport to fly into from Philly? I called DVC and Easter week is avail for all 3 hotels. Should I hold off till Memorial week?? What places should I try for dining with kids?? Do they have character meals?? and any other question you may have the answer to that I didnt ask... Thanks so much everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
Well, as you know, you can use your DVC points at any of the on-site Disneyland resort hotels & there are different room categories. So honestly, as far as a place to stay, it REALLY depends on how many points you want to use & at what time of the year. If you are accustomed to staying at 'deluxe' resorts in WDW than the Grand Californian is the closest experience to that, if not even nicer. It's a peaceful, gorgeous, casually sophisticated hotel that offers direct entry into the California Adventure park, a couple GREAT dining options, a GRAND lobby, & beautiful rooms.
My second choice is always the Disneyland Hotel. It's slightly less points than the Grand and I personally think it has one of the coolest Disney pools ever! The rooms aren't as 'deluxe' as the Grand but they are themed to a tee & comfortable. The property of this hotel has a lot to do on it's own & it's the original classic. I've stayed there 3 times & never had a bad experience.
I personally, and this is just my opinion, refuse to stay at Paradise Pier. I've only been in the hotel once & was just turned off by it's mild theming, 'cheap' design, & personally if you were going to go that route I'd probably pick a different non-Disney hotel on 'the Disneyland strip' first. Just not worth my DVC points in my opinion.
That being said, there is no Magical Express per say but getting to Disneyland isn't complicated. If you are ONLY visiting Disneyland and not going anywhere else in SoCal don't bother with a rental car; it will just sit at the hotel's lot. We use the blue 'Super Shuttle' that picks you up directly at LAX airport & brings you to the door of your hotel.
Welcome to SuperShuttle.com I can't remember exactly what the cost was but it was not as expensive as I had expected. I wanna say it was around $60. roundtrip for Daniel & I, including tip. We got there fast and it was direct to Disneyland. If you plan on visiting other locations in SoCal, then yeah, a rental car would be wise.
As far as food goes, I sware on my life that the quality of food is WAY better in Disneyland than in WDW. Even most counter service locations have healtier options that are delicious & you can tell a lot of locally grown produce & freshness is appreciated. With younger girls I DEFINATELY think you should try "Ariel's Grotto;" it's an awesome princess character meal & the food is good. Another great character meal is Goofy's Kitchen (like Chef Mickey's with better food & a less hectic atmosphere), and Storyteller's Cafe in the Grand Californian has a GREAT breafast. Another quintisential 'Disneyland first-timer' restaurant to try is "Blue Bayou." It's located right 'on the bayou' where you can watch the PotC boats float by, fireflies lighting up the dim atmosphere, & the desserts are pretty awesome.
There is NO dining plan like WDW's but there is some sort of 'meal voucher' program you can purchase. I have never heard anyone use it, I've never used it myself, and from what I've read it's pretty much a waste of time & money. You would be smarter to choose dining locations that offer a DVC member discount, which you can find on your member website.
Once you are on Disneyland property you REALLY don't need transportation. I can literally walk from one corner of Tomorrowland in Disneyland park all the way to the farthest corner of the Disneyland Hotel in about 15-20 minutes. In retrospect, you get A LOT more 'done' in your day versus WDW b/c you aren't wasting time on buses, boats, trams, etc. There is a monorail that runs from DtD direct into Tomorrowland (smart to use when you want to ride Nemo first thing in the morning), it's fun to ride b/c it's an original & so cool but you can honestly walk anywhere in Disneyland in less than 20 minutes. I love that.
I think I covered all your questions.
Oh, and I have no clue what you are referring to with the Tinkerbell soaps; they have cute Disney soaps but I've never seen Tinkerbell. OH, and as far as airports go I ALWAYS fly into LAX. People are going to tell you that John Wayne airport is closer & easier, YES IT IS, but anytime that I've checked the airfare to fly into John Wayne from Newark it's nearly double.
So I always get the better rates to LAX.
I hope you decide to go! I grew up 'WDW' and absolutely fell in LOVE with Disneyland in my 20's. There's nothing like it & they currently have the most AMAZING Disney fireworks show EVER; "Remember Dreams Come True."
Keep us updated!