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Going to Disneyland (California)
Aridhol
Daddliest CatchRegistered User regular
Daddliest CatchRegistered User regular
In a couple weeks me and the mrs. are going to Disneyland and we're pretty sure everything is planned out ok so far but I thought it would be an excellent idea to ask here as well.
To cover the basics we have:
got our passports and lots of ID
got travel insurance
got a hotel reservation confirmed
got shuttle and all park passes (disney 5 days + universal 1 day)
changed our multicolored money into green all the same money
talked to the credit card companies and let em know when we are going
sort of looked at restaurants around the area (outside of the park)
Now the trip itself is bought and paid for but spending money there and meals and souveneirs is not.
A rough guide we have is $75-$100 per day per person for all meals including tips.
What I need out of you guys (and gals) is a list of *MUST DO* and restaurant recommendations that are not a terribly long walk from the park (our hotel is 10 minutes away, called the anabella)
So anything you can think of that we must do/see/eat while there would be great, as well as tips on how to maximize our time in and out of the park.
Thanks in advance!
To cover the basics we have:
got our passports and lots of ID
got travel insurance
got a hotel reservation confirmed
got shuttle and all park passes (disney 5 days + universal 1 day)
changed our multicolored money into green all the same money
talked to the credit card companies and let em know when we are going
sort of looked at restaurants around the area (outside of the park)
Now the trip itself is bought and paid for but spending money there and meals and souveneirs is not.
A rough guide we have is $75-$100 per day per person for all meals including tips.
What I need out of you guys (and gals) is a list of *MUST DO* and restaurant recommendations that are not a terribly long walk from the park (our hotel is 10 minutes away, called the anabella)
So anything you can think of that we must do/see/eat while there would be great, as well as tips on how to maximize our time in and out of the park.
Thanks in advance!
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It's been years since I've been to Disneyland, but unless they've changed it there's a restaurant right inside Disneyland (in the "New Orleans" area) that serves the best damn chowder this side of the Mississippi. I mean, damn. It's so good. Can't promise it's still like that as it's been years, but I can't imagine that they'd change it. It'd be a crime if they did.
No? You haven't? You have NOT? Oh, you must! Do you like seafood?
Hmm, I wonder if you'd actually like even good clam chowder if you've never had it before. I don't know if it's something you had to have had a bunch of in order to enjoy. I grew up in the Boston area (New Hampshire, technically), and we're big on Chowder out there.
If you haven't seen it, it's like a thick white soup with little bits of clam and big chunks of potato in it. It tastes good with salt and pepper, and tastes GREAT if you're a fan of spicy stuff and wouldn't mind tossing in some tabasco sauce. Mmm, it's good with tabasco.
If you like "cream of ___" soups, you'll be accustomed to the usual texture of a chowder... the texture being the only thing that might potentially put a new chowder eater off. So if you don't mind the texture of "cream" soups, you'll love everything about Chowder.
I'm not a cream soup guy normally but I do love seafood (never had clams /for shame) so I'm willing to give it a shot.
What does everyone think of the ESPN bar? The food is supposed to be damn good according to the reviews.
I am glad I have one recommendation but I will need more than chowder to last me
There's also a Brennan's resturant in the Disney MarketPlace area - which has New Orleans-style food. I haven't eatten there, but probably worth checking out. (Again, this might be a bit seafood orientated).
There's a House of Blues near it too. I remember the food being pretty good there too.
It was awhile back - things may have changed.
In Disneyland the stand is right outside the enchanted Tiki Room, and when I head to Disneyland on the 27th of this month I'm heading straight for that stand. Out of all the food at Disneyland (And they have some damn good food) That's the thing I'm most excited about.
How long are you going to be there? Have you ever been?
I proposed to my wife at the Blue Bayou. The food there is really good, and the atmosphere is better.
It's set in the bayou queue-line / entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean so even at 12-noon it's perpetual twilight. It's the absolutley perfect atmosphere for the food and makes for a really great long lunch.
It'll also mean you'll be confused as heck wandering out into the blazing sunshine at 2-3pm, but it's worth it.
BTW, I'd use that number even if you're going to the Blue Bayou. You can make the reservations up to 6 weeks ahead of time (So, now if you're going to be there in a few weeks) and it makes it really easy to get right in and eat.
When my wife and I got married in Walt Disney World, we had made reservations at different restaurants every day for the 2 weeks we were there. There's no penalty if you don't show up or anything like that, and there's no wait if you make the reservations. It worked out great.
Also, even people who don't like seafood tend to like Clam Chowder. The taste is... mmm... good
A rough guide we have is $75-$100 per day per person for all meals including tips.
At 75-100 a day you should be ok doing two sit-down restaurants a day. Disneyland is hilariously expensive when it comes to food inside the park. One morning you should go to Story Tellers Village in Grand Californian Hotel. They do a breakfast buffet. The omlette bar is so awesome and if you go make sure to ask your server for the waffles.
What I need out of you guys (and gals) is a list of *MUST DO* and restaurant recommendations that are not a terribly long walk from the park (our hotel is 10 minutes away, called the anabella)
So anything you can think of that we must do/see/eat while there would be great, as well as tips on how to maximize our time in and out of the park.
Make sure you get a churro and frozen lemonade while you are there. I don't know how common that stuff is in Canada, but man. There is no sweeter combination. That is pretty much a MUSTDO for me, whenever I go to an amusement park.
See Phantasmic. It's located on the water across from the New Orleans section. Best show in the park. Get a bowl of Clam Chowder or Gumbo from the place that Ven was talking about and get a seat around 7:45-8:15. It's almost like the whole park goes to see the show when it happens, so you need to go at least an hour early to get a decent seat. (SOUP INFO: Ok, since Ven wasn't positive I will confirm. The soup place is just a counter, right by Pirates. There is NE Clam Chowder, Spicy Gumbo, and Spicy Vegetable gumbo(Neither are very spicy. They all come in a bread bowl and are a really satisfying meal, especially if it is cooler at night.)
If you have the parkhopper tickets, California Adventure has some of the best restaurants and a lot of cool sights to see, and is normally not too crowded. The must do thing, for me, there is the Twilight Zone ride.
ESPN zone is good if you like the bar atmosphere. Can get a little loud when a game is on, and since its the playoffs for basketball and the lakers are in it (I think I dont care about basketball) it might be rowdy a couple nights.
If you are not familiar with FastPasses, they will make your life so much better. You get a ticket for a ride that tells you when to come back for it so you wait in a different, much shorter and faster line. If a rides line is an hour and a half long, the fast pass line is like 10 minutes. You can get another fastpass after one becomes due or after two hours of receiving the first one. Make use of it if you go on crowded days. It helps give the day structure.
All in all, with that much time, you will have enough time to do everything you want and go just about anywhere. IF you call ahead now you should try to get the seats in Blue Bayou that are near the Pirates ride. Its really awesome in there.
Have fun.
I'll be sure and check out phantasmic and the clam chowder/gumbo stand. Can I really call ahead now and book blue bayou seats? I will be going from may 24th to may 31st ish.
I am sort of familiar with fast passes but still not %100. If there is a line for a ride like an hour long and I swipe my fast pass how can I get in before those people? Why wouldn't they do the same?
What kind of things can be brought into the park? I am not a sun person (to put it mildly) so I'll be needing a massive bottle of sunscreen, tonnes of water and maybe a snack. Can we bring in bottled water or must this be bought in the park? What about the lockers, are they a good idea?
I'd like more restaurant advice for the local area. I'll be trying to go to red lobster since I have never been but I'd also like to check out a great steakhouse and possibly a pub to try some local beers.
Also, even though it's a chain, I would recommend checking out the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. The food's okay, but if you're in a Disney mood, there's nothing like being surrounded by animatronic jungle animals while you eat.
If you don't feel like leaving the park, but want something besides burgers, check out the Space Port restaurant in Tomorrow Land. It's got pasta, pizza, and salad and is really quite good. It's right over near the entrance to space mountain.
As to maximizing your time, fast passes are now a must for the rides with longer lines. I recommend getting one for Splash Mountain and Space Mountain in particular. The Matterhorn too if they have them. Other popular rides like Thunder Mountain Railroad and Indiana Jones have them too, but the lines move pretty quickly on their own. Anytime you see an attraction you're interested in with a short line, go for it. Also, it's a good idea to do the rides in Fantasy Land later at night when most parents have already taken their little ones home.
One other tip, if it's hot, the best rides to go on are the Pirates of the Caribbean and It's a Small World. While you may get really warm waiting in line (espeically for Small World), you get to sit in a boat in air conditioning for 10 minutes after that - a great way to cool off. Just keep in mind you might not be the only ones with that strategy.
So, a common usage scenario would be:
You arrive at the Indy Jones ride at 9am, but there's a huge line - so you get a fast pass which says come back between 11:30-12:30.
You go off to Space Mountain, there's a huge line, but you wait. Get done at 11:30, go to the Indy Jones ride, go ahead to the front, and you're in.
Now, you go to the Matterhorn, there's a huge line, but fast pass it and get 2:10-3:10. Go ride Space Mountain again, come back, get at the front of the Matterhorn, etc.
You FastPass by putting your guest card in a machine (kind of like an ATM) which then spits out a paper ticket with your time. You can have one person use multiple guest cards (so you run to Matterhorn while your wife uses the bathroom and get FastPasses for both of you).
You can definitely call ahead for Blue Bayou seats. Just call that number in my previous post. In fact, I made reservations for 1:30PM on May 27th at the Blue Bayou shortly after posting that info. Along with Fantasmic, I'm pretty sure they still do the Wishes fireworks display, if you can get to main street to see that after Fantasmic, it's by far the best fireworks display I've ever seen.
I concur with everyone who says the clam chowder is great. They also sell it in California Adventure. The Dole Whip Floats, and the Clam Chowder are the two best fast counter-service foods at Disneyland in my opinion. That's not to say everything else sucks, it's all pretty good.
One more thing.. You absolutely should go on Soarin' over California while you're there. #1, Patrick Warburton hosts. #2, it's a beautiful ride. There's something about it that makes me feel like a kid every single time I ride it.
Edit to answer some questions: You can bring water into the park, and I suggest doing it. There are drinking fountains all over the place, but if you want bottled water it's pretty expensive in the park. What I usually do is bring a 1 liter bottle of water, and fill it up at drinking fountains when I run out. Also, you can buy sunblock in the park but it's cheaper at the gas stations and grocery stores outside of the park. The posts above gave some great ideas for places to cool off. One place a lot of people go to is Splash Mountain. Don't do it. The lines are huge at the hottest part of the day, and walking around soaking wet isn't always fun.
You will definitely be able to book then. That is not even that far away. You may also want to ask what other DL restaurants they would recommend based on your personal preferences.
What kind of things can be brought into the park? I am not a sun person (to put it mildly) so I'll be needing a massive bottle of sunscreen, tonnes of water and maybe a snack. Can we bring in bottled water or must this be bought in the park? What about the lockers, are they a good idea?
You can definitely bring all the sunscreen you want, or buy it there if you need it. They have general type stores that would sell it. Water should be fine to bring in. If, for some reason, it is not. They have drinking fountains around so if you buy one bottle inside the park you can keep filling it up. Snacks would be fine to bring. Lockers are a good idea if you decide to bring a lot of stuff. Like maybe store a jacket or two in there for the evenin'. If you feel like you dont want to carry the stuff around all day, and will not have a car to keep it in, you might as well get a locker.
I'd like more restaurant advice for the local area. I'll be trying to go to red lobster since I have never been but I'd also like to check out a great steakhouse and possibly a pub to try some local beers.
If your life dream is going to a red lobster, go for it. But honestly, chain seafood is never THAT good. I am sure there are places around there that have much better stuff.
My friend is dessert Chef at Catal in Downtown Disney and she says their food is awesome, so that could cover a steakhouse.
I normally do not hang out in Anaheim. I am usually on my way through it or to disneyland. You may want to check this out http://www.mytravelguide.com/restaurants/ctrestaurants-7217101-United_States_California_Anaheim_hotels.html
List of restaurants in Anaheim. Also, if you call the hotel you are staying at. The Concierge will be more than happy to give you a list of places that are recommended around that area and probably be willing to make reservations and schedule transportation if you need it.
If you buy any souvenirs, you can ask to pick them up later. The store will give you a claim check ticket, and you'll be able to pick up any souvenirs you have claim check numbers for at the store right next to the park's exit after 8:30PM.
If you were staying at any of the Disney hotels they'd actually deliver the stuff to your room free.
Also I came to find out the pizza place is good for two reasons, one being if your going to eat in the park it's the cheapest place to get a good meal (I got 3 slices and 2 cokes for 14 bucks which in Disnenyland terms is fucking cheap.). Two, for the nightly fireworks show you get a pretty damn good view and nobody is over there because they are all huddled up by the Matterhorn.
If you're interested in Blue Bayou, then yes- attempt to make reservations now. I haven't been since the refurbishment last year, as the prices have gone up quite a bit, and the menu doesn't seem to be worth it to me. Especially now that you can get a Monte Cristo sandwich at Cafe Orleans just a dozen yards away.
However, if you really want some fine dining on Disney property- I highly recommend Napa Rose over at the Grand Californian Hotel. It's reeeeealy expensive, but worth. every. penny. We had our first anniversary dinner there, and never regretted it. One of the best meals I've ever had- hand to god.
Google Maps shows your hotel right across the street from the parks. Cool. After walking around all day, you'll appreciate a short distance back to your room. There's some decent off-property restaruants, but to be honest, I don't go to many. I hear that the GardenWalk has some good places now. PF Chang's and such.
As for the parks themselves- again just try and pace yourselves. It's going to be busy around that time, and crowds are not always easy to deal with. Remember that if DL is too crowded for you, hop over to DCA for a spell- it's usually not as bad. Try to eat at non-peak times, or head out to Downtown Disney for lunch/dinner- you can take the Monorail out and back. You can take in water, and some small snacks to save some coin.
Question for you, though. You mentioned Universal. Do you have concrete plans on how to get there? It's quite a ways from Anaheim (actually closer to where I'm at- in the valley) and possibly cumbersome to travel to if you don't have a rental car.
If you do have a car- there's one other recommendation I have. For souvigners, there's a shop up Harbor Blvd. in Fullerton- it's about 5-10 miles north of Disneyland. It's a Disney Outlet, and they sell a lot of overstock and out of print merchandise- most for a substantial discount. There's no real guarantee of what you'll find- but you may pick up a treasure or two. I can get you the address if you're interested.
The bread-bowl clam chowder can be ordered in pretty much any restaruant in New Orleans Square, but also in the Pacific Wharf food-court area in DCA.
There's plenty of other advice or info I can give, let me know.
If you're at all interested in meeting up with some PA'ers for a little bit, drop a PM.
Have a great time!
There's not exactly much to do outside the Disneyland Area, since it's the big thing in the area. There is The Grove of Anaheim nearby which features some great concerts, but it's a bit pricey.
Overall though Disneyland is all there is to do in the area. Southern California is very, very spread out and it's difficult getting around without a car (Also the bus system here is shit). I can't think of anything that I'd recommend as a Must do activity outside of going to Disneyland and maybe Knott's.
I guess we may try to do something else monday as it's memorial day. Do park hopper passes have to be used in consecutive days? I didn't think so, I hope not.
Are there really no good pubs or brewpubs around the area, even if a cab is needed?
Thanks for the heads up on that souveneir shop, I think we will try and check it out.
What I highly recommend is that you find a copy of the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. It explains in exacting detail the best way to strategize your way across both Disney parks and the Universal park. I don't know how experienced you are with theme parks, but with poor planning you can have an aggrivating and totally ineffective day, and with good planning you can ride every ride there is in 2 days. A lot of people don't like the idea of planning to the degree the guide recommends, but I find the tips around ride capacity as well as how to exploit the FASTpass system are something you should not go without, if at all possible.
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One final question, will I have any issues bringing my laptop via carry on baggage? I had read some horror stories where they open it up, turn it on and root around for stuff.
I ripped and transferred (didn't want to bring dvd's) some tv shows to the laptop for watching in the hotel room and on the plane. Is this an irrational fear?
Never been an issue for me, and I travel with my laptop for work relativly often. The only time I've seen them take more than just an X-Ray look at a laptop was a co-worker of mine who had a refubished laptop, I guess something internal looked loose or moved around somehow? I wouldn't worry about it.
The TSA have the power to root through your hard drive at their discretion; but I personally have never seen that happen to anyone, let alone me. They'll only use that power if they've already stopped you for something else that's setting off alarm bells: there are simply too many laptops going through to search them for no reason.
Plus: copyright infringement is a civil case, not a criminal case, so the TSA have no jurisdiction over ripped DVDs anyway.
It is very good.
I also really really like the Aladdin show at California Adventure (if its still running). I saw it twice even though it's the same thing, because it was just wonderful. It made you feel like Disney actually remembered what they used to do as animators and storytellers, rather than a bunch of stuffed suits that make movies based on bottom-lines.
One thing you definately have to see in my opinion is the Golden Horse Shoe show while dining. As said before great A/C for hot days with decent food and a live hillbilly quartet. I think I may just like them because they insulted public school teachers from my city unknowingly infront of my group which was entirely composed of my parents and their teaching colleagues.
Otherwise call in advance and book reservations for every day you're at the park and make sure to see every ride. Given the amount of time you have their on at least one day you should wait out for some good seats for the fireworks show. Depending on how crowded it is a good seat may require waiting quite a few hours. Look into seeing if it's possible to reserve a spot as I remember certain sections being reserved during my last trip a few years back.
EDIT: I second the Aladdin Show, it is definitely a must see
To bad the rest of California Adventure sucks ass.
Seriously, don't pay money to go in there, you will be disappointed.
Come back in 2-3 years when the remodel is done.
The harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun.
They are doing a remodel?
And isn't it included in the price of admission?
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but it didn't. It was awesome.
You get both if you pay more, but it's cheaper to just go to the main park.
And yes, Disney is aware of how crappy it is, and is going to remodel it to be a little california pioneer town and add in a big ass Cars themed area and such.
The harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun.
One thing I regret not asking about with our travel agent/hotel person was internet. The only internet here is wireless and while it's not slow it was $50! for one week access. $50!
Thats cheap. It's usually $11.95 a night.
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