[Screever]

Long to short, my mom's life has been nonstop stress for a good year concerning matters with her parents (losing one to cancer) and mold growing in the house. Those issues are not getting too much better and one of them just got worse and SHE said (not me for once) "I wanna go to Disneyland...!"



So I mentioned it to my dad and wondered if it'd make a good surprise for her, and of course he's on board, cause he gets to spend money.

My questions are:

- have you heard of/done this travel discount through Costco? Pops saw it in an email, and I'm proud of him for wanting to save some dough. In case the link is bust, it's "save $400 on a four night stay at a DL hotel and 3 day park tickets", among other nice perks. Does this sound legit? Smart? Moronic?

- I've been to WDW twice lately during xmas holidays, early in season. What are crowds like ALL through December at DL? (Want to plan for early, but just in case they're booked...)

-Whats you're fav DL hotel and why? Is there a cheaper one? I can already see us at the Grand Cali, but I thought it fair to ask y'all...

-Should we splurge our money and trust our finances, my gramma's health, and any other major water leaks in the house to God's hands and just go have a good time?!?

We could really use time together again as a happy family, because the last good memory I think ANY of us had was our last Dec trip to WDW in 08. It's been a rough year. But heck, on that vein I'd let my parents go without me and see if they don't have a good time. Their marriage is...borderline failing.

Answers asap are much appreciated, and I'm sure I'll come up with more when I'm not RUNNING LATE FOR WORK. It's all for a good cause, I swear!!

Thanks, my DL buzzers!! Mwa!

[MerlinMatt]

With the way Disney has been trying to bring people in, I doubt that a third party (ala Costco) would have a better deal than anything Disney is offering directly.

Although, if you put my third-party comment to one side, you should really consider contacting Mouseketrips Mouseketrips - Disney Vacations. Not only do they sponsor and administer MouseBuzz, everyone I know who's used them has commented how wonderful they are.

If anyone can help you track down deals and plan a magical trip for your folks, it would be them.

[anaheimboy]

1st Question: I myself have never used the discounts through Costco, though I have purchased an AP from Costco, My dad bought a DLR vacation package through Costco once in the past, he had no issues with it, check into it before buying it: IE: What comes with the package, what hotel is included in the package if one is in the package deal, etc. So if it saves some money, what not go for it? But as Matt said above, Disney is offering some really great deals currently, and sometimes you can find better options through a Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, give Mouseketrips a shot, they offer some great deals and will work one-on-one with you to customize your vacation with what you want and they work directly with Disney, un-like costco which has these pre-planned options where you dont really get to work with disney hand-on-hand and you cant customize things that work best for you.

2nd Question: Crowds at DLR during the Holiday seasons are generally always busy, the last 2 weeks of December are the busiest since thats when the SoCal/California schools are out for Winter Break and gets busier as the actual day of Christmas nears, so the beginning of December, usually in mid-week (tuesday-friday) are the best days to go, weekends are obviously going to be the busiest times of the week. And un-like WDW, At DLR all the Holiday events are free and you do not have to pay extra, The Holiday Fireworks, Shows, Parades, Events etc are all free, there is no special extra-cost ticket to see the Holiday Shows.

3rd Question: My favorite Disneyland Resort hotel is Disney's Grand Californian Hands down, no doubt about it. The Hotel is beautiful, was designed by Disney, it has a Private entrance into Disney's California Adventure Park, an entrance into DTD, the lobby alone is amazing, it has on-site restaurants, shops, lounges, childrens work-shops & play areas, story telling, great pools, it now has DVC units on-site, amazing views...it is a wonderful hotel and well worth the money.
*The Disneyland Hotel is great too, but is currently going through a multi-year complete remodel and renovation, the company is doing one tower at a time, then all of the hotels ground and amenities, with a possibly 4th tower being added in the future, it only has a DTD entrance, no direct private park entrance. *Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel is nice too, its the furthest away with no direct entrance into DTD or the parks, a bit of a walk but still a nicely Paradise Pier themed hotel, if you have the money, stay at the Grand Californian, its really worth every penny...for as much as the hotel offers, its awesome
Pricing for the current 3 hotels is as follows:
Grand Californian: $$$$
Disneyland Hotel: $$$
Paradise Pier Hotel: $$
Good Neighbor Hotels (off-site hotels) are just as nice (most) and are usually less-expensive than the resort hotels, they obviously dont come close to offering any of the amenities or service that you would find staying at a Disney resort, be careful which ones you choose to stay at if taking that option, some charge just as much nightly as a Disney hotel and aren't always the closest, Stay at a Disney on-site hotel if you can, its just so much more worth it.

4th Question: The finances, Im not sure what to say there, that is something that only you know the answer to inside your heart. Memories like a Disney trip with the family are some of the ones we hold onto forever, but if there are other things that need to be taken care of first, then maybe they need to be attended to first, but if you think you can afford it and you all want to do this (which I know you guys would have a wonderfully magical time) then I would say go for it, make some last magical memories and enjoy the time at the resort.

The Disneyland Resort during the holidays is one of the most magical times at the resort, its so wonderful, I get goosebumps just thinking about it as I type this.

Good luck with what you decide, my heart goes out to your moms parents and best of luck with the homes mold problem.

[ssn]

I think Disney is offering this deal directly. I found this on Mousesavers:

400 Savings Offer
Now through December 20, 2009, you can save $400* when you buy a 4-day/4-night Disneyland Resort vacation package. That’s as little as $87, per person, per day.

Each Package Includes:

4-Night accommodations at one of the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort
4-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper souvenir ticket
Plus, These Special Benefits:

Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness** - An extra hour in Mickey’s Toontown with everyone’s favorite Disney Characters
Preferred Seating – Available at select attractions in Disney’s California Adventure Park
EXCLUSIVE! Collectible pin, lanyard and luggage tag (one per person)
Disney Character Calls – Get a complimentary phone call from Mickey, Minnie or Goofy. (This is an extra benefit for online bookings only)
*$400 savings is based on the non-discounted price for the same 4-night package, with 4-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper souvenir tickets, at a Disneyland Resort Hotel for a family of four (3 adults and 1 child age 3-9). Offer is valid for bookings from 8/12/09 through 12/19/09 and for arrivals from 8/23/09 through 12/20/09, with travel being completed by 12/24/09. Not valid for previously booked rooms or for suites. Check for offers associated with different package lengths of stays. The Disneyland Resort Park Hopper souvenir tickets expire 13 days after first use or 12/30/09, whichever occurs first, and each day of use of a ticket constitutes one full day of use. Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial purposes. The number of rooms allocated for this package may be restricted and subject to the Blockout Dates of 11/25/09-11/27/09; advance reservations required. Not valid with group rates or any other discount or promotion. Subject to restrictions and change without notice.

**Entitlement available for one morning throughout the length of your ticket on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday, and days and times are subject to change without notice.

I would call Disney direct or a Disney travel agent. I've used Costco for rental cars before - but if you can I would book direct instead of going thru a 3rd party!!!

[WishUponAStar]

I looked into the Costco packages and perhaps it was because we were going during the peak summer season but it didn't come out to be such a great deal for us. Not too much savings, look into it yourself & make sure you compare it with any deals Disney if offering on DL packages at the moment. If you go to Disneyland Resort | Welcome To The Magic! you can probably find more information. They also have the Disneyland packages listed on Costco.com I believe.

Yes, some resorts are cheaper than the others. The least expensive is Paradise Pier & the most expensive is the Grand Californian. There are several different "views" at each resort that may bring down the price a bit. I've never stayed at Paradise Pier but I absolutely love the Disneyland Hotel & it's not that much more expensive, especially if you get a "standard view."

[Voldemort]

For what it's worth, when 6-2-6 and I were there in early Dec. in 2007, the crowd levels were extremely reasonable. It helped that we were there during the week, I'm sure, but even on Sat. it wasn't bad. The closer you get to the actual holiday, and to schools being on holiday break, the crowds will be greater accordingly, but if you can take advantage of that window after Thanksgiving/before Christmas, you can enjoy the holiday decor without the holiday throngs.

[dznygrl]

Screev, go for it! (Of course you know I'm going to say that, right? We're talking about Disneyland here! ) But seriously - it sounds like your family could use this vacation. A magical time at DL during the holidays could be just what the doctor ordered for all of you.

The earlier in December, the better. The last 2 weeks of Dec are the busiest time of the year at DL, but early Dec is literally some of the lowest crowds. It's a WONDERFUL time to go, when the crowds are light, the weather is cool and all the decorations are up! I am with Tim - it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!

I haven't stayed at any of the DL resorts, but of course just from touring them the Grand Californian gets top marks. It's a beautiful world unto itself. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the DL resorts though, and hey, there are tons of great non-DL hotels that are almost as close and a heck of a lot cheaper! It's not hard to find a great place to stay at DL.

My family has booked through Costco before and their packages work out great - never had a problem. That being said, I think others are right that with the discounts Disney has been offering lately, a third party will not necessarily be that much cheaper. Keep your eyes on mousesavers.com.

I'm sorry to hear that things have been so rough. I'm sending you lots of **hugs** and I really hope you guys go to DL - I know you won't regret it.

[Screever]

Er....nevermind?

Decided that I cannot take even a few days off work in December, as that is our busiest month, and they rely on me heavily, bein full time and all.

So no $400 deal. =(

But we're still plotting a surprise, probably to take place in WDW and in Jan 2010. Yay for momma!

Go on back to your lives, citizens. But thanks for all your helpful info and I will remember it for the future!!

[anaheimboy]

Originally Posted by Screever

Er....nevermind?

Decided that I cannot take even a few days off work in December, as that is our busiest month, and they rely on me heavily, bein full time and all.

So no $400 deal. =(

But we're still plotting a surprise, probably to take place in WDW and in Jan 2010. Yay for momma!

Go on back to your lives, citizens. But thanks for all your helpful info and I will remember it for the future!!

Thats too bad, but you should still go to DLR in January!
WDW will be fun too, good luck with the busy work season!

[dznygrl]

Yay, I'm glad there is still a surprise being planned! January will be here before you know it!!

[delmarjohn]

I have read all the previous posts.......given the circumstances ....I would contact disney travel directly and explain the situation and see what they say ,maybe just maybe disney will throw in a perk or two...if not the info from mousesavers and costco is usually ver reliable and accurate ...call costco travel sometimes if you book through them they give you a costco cash card...