Nixon Library isn’t too far. Here’s two lists I fount that pretty much match up. Anything else you pretty much would want a car, like going to LA or the beach. Huntington Beach used to be 20 minutes up the road, but not sure how long it is in today’s world.
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Thank you!
Welcome to the Club! (I was supposed to go to DLR for the first time in 2020!) I’ve done so much research!!
#1 - My plan is to arrive on a Sunday and just get the lay of the land. Maybe go to Trader Sam’s / Downtown Disney. I’m planning on 5 park days of Monday - Friday, avoiding the weekends. Most people say four days is plenty. I’ve done so many “virtual” TPs and have been able to do everything - multiple times in five days.
#2 - OMG!! The heat… I thought CA would be a tropical paradise - I’ve never been there. It’s insanely hot. I was originally trying for October, but it’s still over 100F! My new plan is the first week of December. (A typically low crowd time for both DLR & WDW)
#3 - Most, if not all, the hotels are within a 10 - 15 minute walk, There are so many “real time” YouTube videos showing the distance from various hotels. I like “Anaheim Park Tourist”.
#4 - I’m a RD - Close person, so hotels typically don’t matter to me. It’s a place to shower & sleep. There are many good ones to choose from on Harbor Blvd. (again… look at YT for review of those hotels) However, since my trip is postponed from 2020 to 2022 I’m saving up for DLH. My reason is mostly the Disney “bubble”. If I have any trouble I feel better knowing Disney will handle it than say Marriott.
This will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for my wife & I. She’s not as passionate about the parks. I will “feel” better if she wants to come & go with her walking through the Disney “campus” solo at any time of day / night. Plus, you get Extra Magic Hours each morning of your trip - That’s 5 hours! The hotel looks like it’s full Disney magic and since my countdown has gotten push to a total of 1165 days I think I’ll splurge. I looked into GCH, but that’s almost $800 / night. I love the location, but I just can’t do it.
#5 - There’s plenty of resources online / YT that can really help you without spoiling anything. If MaxPass comes back, get it! It’s amazing and totally worth it.
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Aw man! I’m sorry your once in a lifetime trip got pushed so far back! But yes, the extra time to save up should make it an even more special and magical trip!
I love that you’ve already done so many TP’s that you know how much time you will need. I was also thinking of doing a Sun-Sat trip with park days being on week days only. I’m hoping MaxPass will return, but if not, at least week days should be lower crowds.
Geez, is CA worse than FL? I assumed CA would be more comfortable since there would be less humidity. January could be an option for us, which I thought looked plenty cool out without being cold. We are from Michigan, so I don’t mind wearing a hoodie if it’s chilly.
I’ll take a look at YouTube for some Hotel pov walkthroughs! Thanks! I prefer to stay in the bubble too, for convenience and the feeling of safety, but offsite hotels within walking distance could be an option.
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No! I have been there when it’s 90, but I’ve also frozen to death there. I think in general the temps are more manageable and it’s not very humid when it is hot. I think if you go in September/October, it can be quite warm. I used to go in early April every year and it was chilly in the morning and freezing in the evening more than it wasn’t. When DD21 started going to college in SoCal, we started going in August, and I think it is much more bearable than last August in Florida!
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I lived in both Anaheim and Tampa. DL is nothing like FL in the summer. Nowhere close to the humidity levels or the duration. Heat wise, it can get toasty and I think it went to 100 last year, but unlike FL, you can duck into any indoor space and the temperature drops considerably. FL you can’t escape the humidity. That area usually has the typical SoCal weather everyone loves so much.
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Awesome, thanks! How is early May? Is that too crowded? I generally prefer the winter months, but May could be an option as soon as the college semester ends since DH teaches.
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May is good! Cooler for sure and post Spring Break crowds without the hours being affected too much.
(I was also a cast member, though my info is dated from the working side. My last trip as a guest was the week of Halloween 2019)
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Later May and early June you have to worry about all the local Grad Nights and the parks closing early to accommodate.
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Ohh, good to know!! Are the grad nights something I could research ahead of time to see which days to avoid?
I just googled it and it seems easy enough to find out the dates. Looks like it’s typically Friday/Saturday? That would work well and be easy to avoid I think.
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I found an old link for the obviously cancelled 2020 dates and this for the 2021 dates, which were also cancelled. I’m not sure when they announce normally, but the article I found linking to the site was published the previous August.
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Yes!
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Whoa, I just looked up Uber from John Wayne airport to a DL hotel, and it estimates $70+ each way. Is that accurate? I guess I’m spoiled living 15 min away from my home airport.
The Classic Afternoon Tea at Disneyland hotel Steakhouse 55 is not to be missed. I’m excited to see it return. A day trip from Anaheim to Hollywood is fun if you want to see the Funko store, Ghirardelli Disney store, Stars on the walk of fame or The El Capitan Theatre.
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I can’t speak to that as we normally drive down. John Wayne is the closest airport though and I completely recommend that over LAX. Maybe it’s because of traffic?
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Haha I hope it was just a fluke! I can always look into it once we have dates picked out.
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Thank you! I will check that out!
I don’t think we’ll visit Hollywood during the DL trip, that would probably be a separate vacation someday.
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In the past we’ve gotten an Uber or Lyft from John Wayne to DLR for around $25-$30. However, I’ve noticed Uber prices have increased significantly in the last couple of months. I’m not sure if that’s due to a shortage of drivers or what. But taking an Uber from MCO to WDW was a lot more in May than it was a few months prior.
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This! Just from ARTIC station to Tropicana Inn on Harbor Blvd in April it was $12 vs the $5 or $6 it was right before all this happened 
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