Our own California Adventure - Pre Trip **Updated 3/21/11** - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Our own California Adventure - Pre Trip **Updated 3/21/11**
Hi everyone! I'm so stinking excited about this trip that I couldn't stop myself from starting a very pre-PTR. We're headed off to Disneyland this time! We are limited to vacations when DS has a break from school. We were planning on going over the summer but due to some recent health issues for DFil, who we're going to visit, we wanted to go sooner. So Spring Break it is! We know it may be crowded but we're ok with that. We're in the same boat as all the other families that can only go on trips during school vacations.
DH went once with DS to CA and DL when DS was about 2 or 3. DS really doesn't remember anything about it. I've never been to Disneyland so this is my first time! DH and I are so excited to go to the place where Walt was. Cheesy I know but I also know I can let my Disney geekdom shine here with pride. Anyway here's the players.
DH, me, and DS (10) on our first trip to WDW as a family.
DS will be 11 by time we go. We've been married a little over a year now and DS lives with us. DH and I got engaged at WDW and went there for our honeymoon. Needless to say WDW holds a special place in our hearts.
This time though we're headed west. DH and I went to CA once about 4 years ago so I could meet his dad. DS hasn't been there since he was really little.
We're going for 9 days this time! It's really a trip of all trips for us. We're going longer and spending more on this trip than we ever have. We have quite the adventure planned. Oh and DS doesn't know we're going to Disneyland. He thinks we're leaving earlier than we are. So somehow we have to keep this secret for the next 5 months. I already had to lie to DS this morning on the way to school when he asked if we were going to DL. I told him I didn't know if we'd have time. It was soooo hard not to spill!
This is what we've got so far.
Dates: March 26-April 3
March 26, Saturday
-Depart from O'Hare at 10:45, arrive at LAX around 12:15. It's a 4 hour flight for us. Pick up the rental care and drive north to Lompoc where DFiL lives. It's about a 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive. We could fly up to Santa Barbara but the flights are more expensive and you still land in LA first. It's cheaper and easier to just rent a car and drive. Besides it's a gorgeous drive straight along the coast.
- Check in at Holiday Inn Express - still have to book the room
- Probably dinner with DFiL
March 27-29, Sunday through Tuesday
-We'll be hanging in Lompoc spending time with DFiL. One of these days we want to drive up north along the coast. It's a great drive with lots of cool beaches to stop at along the way. You can see wild elephant seals that live on one beach, there's shell beach which is littered in seashells, and there's plenty more with great tide pools to explore.
March 30, Wednesday.
-Check out early and drive to LA. Take DS to see Hollywood stuff - hollywood sign, houses in Beverly Hills, Grauman's Chinese Theater. We figure DS will get pretty bored pretty quick. We think he's expecting Hollywood to be a lot different than what it is.
-DS thinks we're heading to the airport after we visit Hollywood. Really we'll be driving to Disneyland! We want to see how long it takes him to realize we're going to Disney after all.
-Check in at Disneyland Hotel. Return rental car. I'm hoping to do Goofy's kitchen tonight for dinner.
-Do whatever. Swim, hang out the hotel, wander downtown.
April 1, Thursday
- Head to Disneyland Park for the day.
April 2, Friday
- California Adventure
April 3, Saturday
- Whichever park we want to spend more time in. Heck both if we wanted.
April 4, Sunday
- Check out and return home from LAX at 10:45 so we arrive at 4:30pm. Darn time zone changes.
I just have to mention airfare was a nightmare! Southwest just released their dates for that week maybe 2 weeks ago. The lower cost flights are sold out, some flights sold out completely already. Other airlines were selling out quick too. So we ended up booking through Orbitz. I've never used their site before but I like to use Kayak, which directed me to Orbitz. We'll be flying out on United and flying back on Alaska Airlines?! I don't know how we ended up with Alaska Airlines but ok. Even with the baggage fees it's still about $500 less than the cheapest SW prices and SW flight times were not good. To get back we'd have to be up at something crazy like 5:00am.
We've been saving Disney Reward dollars too since we just got the card about a month ago. We had talked about getting one when they sent us an application with an offer of $150 rewards dollars if approved. We've been putting everything on it - gas, food, utilities, cable and phone bills, etc - then just paying the card instead of the bills. We're already up to $174. We'll get a bunch more now that I just put the flights on there.
And we got our homebuyer tax credit check yesterday!!
We've been waiting for that check for about 6 weeks. If you bought a house where you qualified for the rebate, you could file an amendment on your 2009 taxes and get the rebate immediately instead of waiting til next year. I don't know how it goes on last year's taxes since we bought it this year, but I'm not complaining. So everything is already paid for!
Next up I have to book the hotel in Lompoc and figure out the rest of the transportation - rental car, shuttle from DL hotel in LAX, and parking vs shuttle from here to the airport.
Sounds like you have been doing a lot of 'undercover' planning. LOL. From what you wrote you have done a great job at it too. Disneyland Hotel is a good choice to stay and as far as getting from the hotel to LAX, they have a shuttle you may want to check into. It also goes to John Wayne International. If you want to eat at Goofy's the night you get in you may want to get a reservation 60 days from the date you arrive. Out here, 60 days is as far out as you can book your dining reservations. If you have any questions about the area out here, there are many of us 'local' Mousers who can assist you so feel free to ask.
I can't believe I just booked this trip and I'm already making changes. I was looking at our reservation yesterday and looking at different room types at DL Hotel. We're taking our chances with the hotel being under construction. I didn't realize if you want a refurbished room you have to get the preferred standard view instead of just standard view. So I called and changed us from a regular room to one of the newly refurbished ones. I'm really excited about it. I saw pictures online of the new rooms and I can't wait to stay there.
I haven't mentioned this to DH yet. I worked last night so I'm gone before he gets home. Then when I get home in the morning, he's already gone. He'll love it though and won't mind the extra cost.
Last New Years Eve, my DW and I stayed in a newly refurbished room in the Dreams Tower at the Disneyland Hotel over looking the California Adventure park and loved what they had done with it as we have stayed at the hotel several times in the past and could see the vast improvement from years past. When we were there last month we saw where they had begun work on the Wonder Tower. I guess that because the Magic Tower houses the Main Lobby and all they are saving that remodel to last. Also last month we saw where they have started the improvements to the central plaza by remove Hooks Point, the Lost Bar and everything else. Hope they finish with this remodel soon.
Last New Years Eve, my DW and I stayed in a newly refurbished room in the Dreams Tower at the Disneyland Hotel over looking the California Adventure park and loved what they had done with it as we have stayed at the hotel several times in the past and could see the vast improvement from years past. When we were there last month we saw where they had begun work on the Wonder Tower. I guess that because the Magic Tower houses the Main Lobby and all they are saving that remodel to last. Also last month we saw where they have started the improvements to the central plaza by remove Hooks Point, the Lost Bar and everything else. Hope they finish with this remodel soon.
We're kind of worried about the construction but what are you going to do? We just hope they'll get a lot done in the next 5 months. DH was concerned about having a usable pool but according to their website, one pool will be available at all times.
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We're kind of worried about the construction but what are you going to do? We just hope they'll get a lot done in the next 5 months. DH was concerned about having a usable pool but according to their website, one pool will be available at all times.
Never fear for as long as you are a Resort Guest, staying in any one of the three resort hotels, ALL swimming pools are open to you. So, if you are staying at the Disneyland Hotel, you can use the pools at either or both of the other hotels. All you have to do is use your room key card to get into the pool area.
Never fear for as long as you are a Resort Guest, staying in any one of the three resort hotels, ALL swimming pools are open to you. So, if you are staying at the Disneyland Hotel, you can use the pools at either or both of the other hotels. All you have to do is use your room key card to get into the pool area.
Thanks for the tip! I assumed it was like WDW where you can only use the pool at your own resort.
DS was visiting his DGM over the long weekend so we put in some overtime with the planning while he was gone. DH finally got hold of DFiL to make sure it was an ok time to go visit. We already have the flights and DLR part booked so really either way, we're going to CA. DFiL said no problems with those dates and is going to try and get the time off work. Last time we visited he had to work half the day or more most of the days we were there.
Lompoc, CA is where DFiL lives. There's a huge military base there but the town itself is pretty small. The last trip we made we stayed in what was easily the worst hotel I've ever stayed in. The staff was horrible. One night we had to listen to people outside on the walkway of the second floor throwing beer bottles over the railing. We actually checked out early and paid for a different hotel for the last night. I just couldn't take it anymore and didn't care if it cost us an extra $100. Totally worth it IMHO.
So this time I've really been researching different hotels in the area. For a small town there's a lot of hotels here. We finally decided on the Holiday Inn Express. The rooms look nice and the reviews are generally around 4 stars. You also get breakfast every morning - cereal, bagels, donuts, eggs, fruit, coffee, etc. It sounds like a decent hotel breakfast area. We figure it'll save us buying breakfast every morning. There's also a grocery store right across the street so we can easily stock up on water and snacks for the week. All the rooms have microwaves and refrigerators.
Looks like all that's left to book is the rental car and transportation from DL to LAX. I'll wait a while to do the rental car. Mousesavers has lots of discount codes for rental cars but they all expire before our dates. I'm hoping as we get closer they'll have more discount codes.
Now the transportation back to LAX from DL is a whole different situation. I'm trying to figure all that out. I've heard good things about Supershuttle and their prices seem pretty reasonable but I'm still not sure what's the best way to go about it.
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Our own California Adventure - Pre Trip **Updated 3/21/11**
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