First family trip!

[Kalice]

I can't remember if there was a time frame, although the website is likely to have changed by now. I do remember it was hard to find cereal that want sugar loaded. We ended up eating a lot of the Kashi brand. The brad was too sweet for our tastes, hence why we ditched the packed lunch idea! The fruit was good though.

 

[kiwigirl]

Some good advice, thanks, I think we will consider getting our own breakfasts in especially with an immune suppressed child, hot breakfasts sitting there wouldn't be safe. We can get travel insurance so will definately do this once we are ready to book. I'm happy to travel anytime, will pull them out of school as this trip is important and we need to do it next year before my son starts college or he will miss too much. Is the weather nice most of the year round? My preference would be for moderate days and low crowds over high heat and big crowds!

 

[zanzibar138]

I'm happy to travel anytime, will pull them out of school as this trip is important and we need to do it next year before my son starts college or he will miss too much. Is the weather nice most of the year round? My preference would be for moderate days and low crowds over high heat and big crowds!

We've had lovely mild weather both times we've been in late Feb/early March. I imagine mid November/early December would be similar (don't go late November as that is Thanksgiving in the US and the parks will be insanely crowded!). Do keep in mind that going in winter will mean a higher chance of rain, but Southern California is pretty much a desert climate and has been in drought for years and years, so even a higher chance of rain is still pretty minimal. Just make sure you're prepared for the possibility though so it doesn't ruin your trip if it does rain (take raincoats/hats etc).

If you want to avoid the heat, don't go in September. It's generally known as the hottest time of year in Anaheim and, speaking from personal experience, it definitely was not pleasant weather for walking around in the sun all day!

 

[kiwigirl]

So, after lots of reading decided to talk with my husband today (yep I'm the planner and I just fill him in as we go) Anyhow he agrees that we should definately take it slow on the parks, having longer so we can come and go, but then he also said we should stay somewhere nice where we can relax around the pool and swim when we want breaks (I was sharing some of the trip reports from disney hotels!!). So he says its a trip of a lifetime, we might not get to go again, lets do it properly!!

He definately balances my budget self out, I do like the nice things too but know what we can afford. So I guess we will save as much as we can and then take the rest out on the mortgage, this is one holiday we should go all out (we have hardly even been away in NZ for the last 8 years or more, esp since my daughter was born).

So I guess i now need tips on Disneyland hotels with nice pools, and recreation areas, not too far to walk, and when to get the best rates we can for these pricey properties! Lara said she would like a character breakfast so tips would be great.

My parents will have a separate room since dad snores like a train! Unless there is another option for us all.

Also has anyone done the carnival cruises?

 

[zanzibar138]

So, after lots of reading decided to talk with my husband today (yep I'm the planner and I just fill him in as we go) Anyhow he agrees that we should definately take it slow on the parks, having longer so we can come and go, but then he also said we should stay somewhere nice where we can relax around the pool and swim when we want breaks (I was sharing some of the trip reports from disney hotels!!). So he says its a trip of a lifetime, we might not get to go again, lets do it properly!!

He definately balances my budget self out, I do like the nice things too but know what we can afford. So I guess we will save as much as we can and then take the rest out on the mortgage, this is one holiday we should go all out (we have hardly even been away in NZ for the last 8 years or more, esp since my daughter was born).

So I guess i now need tips on Disneyland hotels with nice pools, and recreation areas, not too far to walk, and when to get the best rates we can for these pricey properties! Lara said she would like a character breakfast so tips would be great.

My parents will have a separate room since dad snores like a train! Unless there is another option for us all.

Also has anyone done the carnival cruises?

If you're going to be getting 2 rooms at a Disney owned hotel, it's DEFINITELY worth looking at an annual pass. The standard discount is 20%, but it varies. You may be able to get a better discount if you're going at a traditionally quiet time and they're trying to fill the hotels. Otherwise, as I mentioned earlier, a good way to get a great discount at the Disney owned hotels is to go over Dapper Day and join in the fun there. They usually offer the hotels at about half price, so it is better value than anything else out there. You have to get in early though as, at that price, the hotels sell out very quickly. Dapper Day is usually held one weekend in early March and one weekend in early September. I recommend the March one if you're hoping to avoid the heat. It definitely will make the weekend days more crowded, but it is great fun, and if you're going for a week you'll still get plenty of quiet week days.

The other option is renting DVC points and trying to get a condo style room at the Grand Californian. I have never done this myself (even doing it this way is out of our budget!), but there are a lot of Aussies on the boards who swear by it and can probably give you heaps of advice on how to do it. If you're looking at getting a 2 bedroom, it would save you a HEAP of money.

If it was me (and I wasn't doing the DVC rental thing), I would choose the Disneyland Hotel. The rooms have some magical features, the pools have great theming and look like fun, and it's just a short walk to the parks through Downtown Disney.

You say your husband mentioned lots of sitting around the pool and swimming. Just be aware that if you go during winter, it may not be warm enough to do that. On our first trip at the end of February, day time temperatures hovered around 20c (sometimes just under, sometimes just over). Most days we wore light jackets. In that sort of weather, you may prefer the cosier feel of the Grand Californian anyway. The pools aren't as fun, but you might not use them that much anyway. The only thing that might put me off (apart from the price), is that the Disney theming is much more subtle there. It seems more like a high end national park lodge than a fun magical Disney hotel.

As for character meals, there are plenty of choices. Does your daughter have any specific characters she'd like to see? If she's into princesses, go to Ariel's over at DCA. If she likes Stitch, try the Surf's Up breakfast at Paradise Pier. If she's a Brother Bear fan, Kenai and Koda often appear at Storyteller's at the Grand. And Goofy of course at Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel. Minnie's breakfast at the Plaza Inn is generally known for having a wide array of characters of varying eras. We had Minnie (of course), Fairy Godmother, Chip, Dale, Honest John (Pinocchio), Captain Hook, Tigger, Eeyore and Rafiki.