Trip Reports
10-16-2005, 06:33 PM
* Time of Year: Summer
* Travel Method: Plane
* Resort: DLH
* Accommodations: Standard Room
* Ages Represented in Group: Elementary, Teen, Adult
* Disneyland Experience Represented in Group: Infrequent
* Comments: This is a very, very, very short report on Kelli's trip. Since I don't have many reports with comments about the Disneyland Hotel, though, this is worth reading for that information alone!
6/18-6/22/2000
Our trip to Disneyland this June was memorable in more ways than I care to say. We checked in to the DH (we had rented a car, so make sure you ASK for a parking permit, otherwise you WILL pay to park). Our room was nothing out of the ordinary, we could see the fireworks at night, it was very clean but very disappointing there were no coffeepots in the rooms for those like myself who need an immediate caffeine jolt in the morning. We did receive a refrigerator in our room at no extra charge which was nice. Maid service was always prompt and efficient. We did have to visit several other floors for ice, it seemed their ice machines were never quite up to par.
Since monorail service is under re-routing, there is a considerable wait at the stations to and from the park. We found the tram to be more efficient. HOWEVER, on 6/21 we decided to stay until the park closed. We successfully boarded the tram and it no sooner turned the 1st corner and it stopped. Apparently another tram had broken down up ahead, therefore they basically told us to walk because they couldn't go around. Now the Disney people are usually pretty good about overseeing passenger safety, but I couldn't believe they made us walk the rest of the way. It was over a mile, with already tired feet and irritable kids. It seemed kind of dangerous walking through a parking lot (large crowds of people) without anyone escorting us.
Disneyland Park was a wonderful experience. I highly recommend using FASTPASS when you can, it made my kids feel special when they didn't have to wait in the long lines. The drawback is that you can only have 1 fastpass at a time, you cannot get 1 for one ride and 1 for another. Another drawback is that we tried to get a fastpass for Space Mountain. We all received one except my youngest daughter, it said she currently had an outstanding Fastpass but this was not the case. We used our passes earlier in the day. Therefore we only got 3 fastpasses for Space Mountain so guess who didn't ride....Me (mom). Oh well my tummy wasn't feeling too good after that hotdog anyway. When staying at DH you receive early entry passes for M, T, Th, Fri or Sat. I highly recommend taking advantage of this when you can. The lines get long during the summer even for the simple rides like Peter Pan, Dumbo, etc. and you can usually get on these rides with early entry and no wait. The kids were very reluctant to go into Innoventions but ended up finding that this was a very enjoyable experience. Inside you find various companies that sponsor all kinds of activities, such as virtual tours, game shows and video games. Your kids will definitely enjoy this one! Even though I have seen some web postings as to the condition of the park (ie., maintenance...and it is true) the park is still kept very clean and the employees must come from another planet because every one of them has a smile and says "Have a great day" . Why can't McDonalds hire some of these people???
In summary, Disneyland Park is still a terrific place for a family vacation, however don't waste your precious dollars on the DH. I was very disappointed and will choose less expensive accommodations next time. I really don't even think its worth it 1 time.
Happy Trails! - Kelli Wayne
* Travel Method: Plane
* Resort: DLH
* Accommodations: Standard Room
* Ages Represented in Group: Elementary, Teen, Adult
* Disneyland Experience Represented in Group: Infrequent
* Comments: This is a very, very, very short report on Kelli's trip. Since I don't have many reports with comments about the Disneyland Hotel, though, this is worth reading for that information alone!
6/18-6/22/2000
Our trip to Disneyland this June was memorable in more ways than I care to say. We checked in to the DH (we had rented a car, so make sure you ASK for a parking permit, otherwise you WILL pay to park). Our room was nothing out of the ordinary, we could see the fireworks at night, it was very clean but very disappointing there were no coffeepots in the rooms for those like myself who need an immediate caffeine jolt in the morning. We did receive a refrigerator in our room at no extra charge which was nice. Maid service was always prompt and efficient. We did have to visit several other floors for ice, it seemed their ice machines were never quite up to par.
Since monorail service is under re-routing, there is a considerable wait at the stations to and from the park. We found the tram to be more efficient. HOWEVER, on 6/21 we decided to stay until the park closed. We successfully boarded the tram and it no sooner turned the 1st corner and it stopped. Apparently another tram had broken down up ahead, therefore they basically told us to walk because they couldn't go around. Now the Disney people are usually pretty good about overseeing passenger safety, but I couldn't believe they made us walk the rest of the way. It was over a mile, with already tired feet and irritable kids. It seemed kind of dangerous walking through a parking lot (large crowds of people) without anyone escorting us.
Disneyland Park was a wonderful experience. I highly recommend using FASTPASS when you can, it made my kids feel special when they didn't have to wait in the long lines. The drawback is that you can only have 1 fastpass at a time, you cannot get 1 for one ride and 1 for another. Another drawback is that we tried to get a fastpass for Space Mountain. We all received one except my youngest daughter, it said she currently had an outstanding Fastpass but this was not the case. We used our passes earlier in the day. Therefore we only got 3 fastpasses for Space Mountain so guess who didn't ride....Me (mom). Oh well my tummy wasn't feeling too good after that hotdog anyway. When staying at DH you receive early entry passes for M, T, Th, Fri or Sat. I highly recommend taking advantage of this when you can. The lines get long during the summer even for the simple rides like Peter Pan, Dumbo, etc. and you can usually get on these rides with early entry and no wait. The kids were very reluctant to go into Innoventions but ended up finding that this was a very enjoyable experience. Inside you find various companies that sponsor all kinds of activities, such as virtual tours, game shows and video games. Your kids will definitely enjoy this one! Even though I have seen some web postings as to the condition of the park (ie., maintenance...and it is true) the park is still kept very clean and the employees must come from another planet because every one of them has a smile and says "Have a great day" . Why can't McDonalds hire some of these people???
In summary, Disneyland Park is still a terrific place for a family vacation, however don't waste your precious dollars on the DH. I was very disappointed and will choose less expensive accommodations next time. I really don't even think its worth it 1 time.
Happy Trails! - Kelli Wayne