We are thinking of a Disneyland vacation over Christmas with our 5 and 6 year old. Any thoughts or tips. It would be our first big family vacation and we want to make the most of it. I assume this would be a busy time:)
Disneyland at Christmas
Hey first bigvacation. My family of five (2 adults and three kids ages 16, 14,and 9)went to Disneyland last year around christmas. The week before Christmas is best because it is not as crowded as the week before christmas and new years. The longest we had to wait was maybe 20-25 mins. Not bad. There are also Fast Passes which allow you to get a return ticket to come back and ride the ride at a certain time and you get to go to the front of the line. There also is something called I believe the Switch or something like that that if your kids are to small to ride when you get to the front where one waits with the kids and the other rides without getting back in line. and then you switch places.
There were lots of people but if you plan right you can hit the rides just right. A must is the fireworrks and there also is a Fantasmic Show which your kids may be to young for. They may enjoy it but some of the younger ones do get scared. Earlier in Decemebr I know the crowds are less. The christmas decorations are up and it is beautiful. After the fireworks in the evening at certain spots by the castle and small world it ';snows';.
We went the 17th-23rd of December and stayed at the Park Inn Anaheim in a 1 bedroom suite. There were two queen beds and 1 bathroom with the sink outside the shower area. In the other room there was a pullout sofa,kitchenette with table, chairs, microwave and fridge. It was located across the street from Disneyland and took 5 mins. or so to get to the front gate. An easy walk and nice to be so close if you wish to return for a break. The rooms were clean and spacious and when we asked for extra pillows and towels, blankets etc that was not a problem. There is also a small pool and gift shops on site. There are also several restaurants within easy walking distance and there is a McDonalds right next store. Favorites of ours are Mimi%26#39;s cafe and in downtown disney ESPN Zone, Rainforest Cafe and in the Disneyland Hotel there is Goofy%26#39;s Kitchen which is open for Breakfast and Dinner. It is a character meal and the characters walk around to the tables and pose for pictures and sign autographs. You can buy a autograph book in any of the gift shops. This I would highly recommend for your first big vacation. Your kids are at the right age to have a blast. It is for kids of all ages.
We also took a side trip to Universal Studios which was a blast. It is about 30 mins. away by car. Don%26#39;t know how long yo uare going but at least a 4 day Park Hopper pass which allows you flexibility and it also gets you into California Adventure which is across the walk way from Disneyland.
Good luck with planning your trip. If ya have anymore questions let me know.You will have a good time.
Disneyland at Christmas
our family went a few years ago at the beginning of Dec.It was so nice with all the decorations.I just have to pass on an italian resturant we went to. They had a limo pick us up which just cost a tip and the meals were great an cost between $9-21. it is called MARRI%26#39;S 714-533-1631.
I forgot to mention to not confuse the Park Inn Anaheim which I mentioned in my previous post that my family stayed at and were extremely pleased with either the Parkside Inn and Suites-Maingate at Disneyland or the Park Vue Inn. I can recommend the Park Inn Anaheim without any hesitation. Another good one we have stayed at is the Best Western PArk Palce Inn which is literally right across the street from the Disneyland Crosswalk. The Park Inn Anaheim is only 2-3 hotels away fro mthe Best Western Park Palce Inn. The rooms at the Best Western aren%26#39;t as spacious but they are clean and also come with a microwave and smal lfridge which are perfect for keeping water bottels cold as well as snacks. Both places also come with a continental breakfast included. Basically there is cereal, fruit, toast, muffins and pastries as well as juice etc. Hope this helps. One important thing is to book EARLY as places do fill up for the holidays. You can also check out reviews of theses places on trip advisor and take a virtual tour. Each hotel also has there own website where ever you should decide to stay. Hope this helps you out!!!!
You never know wha tthe weather will be but whe nwe were there the weather ranged from the high 60%26#39;s to the mid 80%26#39;s. It mostly was in the 70%26#39;s and 80%26#39;s. Very comfortable. ENJOY!!!!
May I make a suggestion? I would avoid the two weeks of Christmas at all costs. It is busy, crowded and very, very horrible. No room to move, long lines. Yuck.
However, if you go the first week of December, all the Christmas decorations will be up----but you will be minus the crowds. I went the first weekend of December this last year and it was lovely. Weather in the upper 60%26#39;s during the day, upper 40%26#39;s at night.
All the Christmas Decorations are up, the Holiday Parade is going. The park hours are a bit shorter, but with a 5 and 6 year old, this actually works to your advantage.
We found that there were lines when we went the week before Christmas 2005 but often times we would walk on rides and be able to ride them again and again or with a 5-10 minute wait. There were times though that we did have to wait longer (the longest was maybe 25 minutes but it wasn%26#39;t that long and it is part of the fun and teaches kids patience. I was surprised.I did make a suggestion also that the crowds are less the beginning of December, however I wanted to give you our experience and my suggestions on what worked for us. Whatever time you go you will have a blast. Christmas Decorations actually come out in November so you have a lot of time to choose from. You have to do what%26#39;s best for your own family. I wouldn%26#39;t avoid the week before christmas and the crowds aren%26#39;t horrible. That is true for the week between christmas and new years. The hours are longer and you have more options for coming and goingthe week before christmas. Everyone has a different experience. It is a fun time to visit!!!! Start planning early and have fun.
My experience in December of 2004 were the 3 days leading up to Christmas and the week after were bad--but that was just my experience!
Hi firstbigvacation. Our family went between Christmas and New Years and extended into the first week of January this year. Since we have a teacher in the family, we had no choice and the comments on the boards about the crowds were really stressing me. We found that with careful planning (getting there very early in the morning, planning which day we%26#39;d use early entry, familiarizing ourselves ahead of time with fastpasses, etc!) it was very stress free for us and we had a great time. Yes, there are huge crowds and on certain days if it gets too busy you can%26#39;t get back in if you leave the park, but by planning our days we weren%26#39;t so overwhelmed and only waited 25 minutes at the longest for our rides (usually muchless). My suggestion would be to subscribe to Ridemax (it%26#39;s 14.95 for 3 months)in October (gives you some time to play with it)...we really felt it was a lifesaver for a busy time. Yes, it%26#39;s a schedule, but we found it more stress-free to use it than not and they give some very helpful tips. We stayed at the Candy Cane Inn and loved it. They include breakfast and have their own shuttle. Another thing you may want to take in is the Christmas production (The Glory of Christmas) at the Crystal Cathedral. We were really impressed and found it worth the money. As well, if you are considering Legoland, I know Zellers did have some Lego buckets that included free kids passes and $10 off per adult...I can%26#39;t remember if they were good til the end of 2006 but you may want to check. We purchased Disney passes from Getawaytoday. We got 8-day passes which were only $20 more per adult than the cheapest 5 day ones I could find. This allowed us to be able to spend part days at the park so the crowds didn%26#39;t become so overwhelming. If you decide on a hotel you like, book early as some are hard to get into if you leave it. As well, if you are considering a rental car, book that early as well. You can keep checking back for better prices, but they seem to be cheaper the earlier you book.
Have fun planning!
We (myself and sons age 8 and 13) spent December 17 - 23 2005 at Disneyland and had an awesome time. We went expecting crowds (with the 50th), and yes, some times were busy but nothing we couldn%26#39;t handle.
We seldom felt the need to use Fastpass except for Space Mountain and Soaring Over California (although we did use it more than that).
We stayed at the Best Western Park Place Inn and really enjoyed being so close to the park, plus there was a microwave in every room which came in handy.
I guess it all depends on the attitude you go in with (we decided to just ';go with the flow'; knowing there%26#39;d probably be crowds - also, this being our first trip we don%26#39;t know what Disney%26#39;s like when it%26#39;s not busy!).
Hey Wingsong. We were at Disneyland at the same exact time this past December 17-23rd, 2005. We probably crossed paths in the crosswalk. We stayed down the street a bit at Park Inn Anaheim and like you we expected crowds but felt the same, it wasn%26#39;t anything we couldn%26#39;t handle. Many rides we rode on and then on them again and we had the same experience, very few fast passes needed, except for as you said Soaring Over California, SPace Mountain and we would ride Indiana Jones and get right on and get a fast pass for later. I felt being there only added to the magic of christmas. There is something about seeing SANTA in Disneyland around Christmas time. Glad you had a great time. Seems as if we both had similar experiences and at a great time of year. I agree that it depends on the attitude you have going into it and that you have to just go with the flow.
Altamom - maybe we know each other. I am an Alberta Treacher too. Thanks to you and all the others who have posted replies so quickly. I think we are leaning towards going over Christmas, having plenty of time and being flexible.
The replies from others have been excellent and very helpful.
Thanks again from Alberta
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