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bduff
09-13-2004, 03:14 PM
My family will be staying going to DLR for 6 nights starting Thu. Sept 23. Staying at the GCH, very excited about it! We're flying in from Seattle and have 2 kids, age 9 and almost 7.

Question about the travel day. If our flight is on time, we'll probably arrive and get checked in around 3:00 pm. DL is open till 8:00 pm on our arrival day. I'm interested to hear what others do on this first day. Do we go into the parks and burn up a day off our 5 day parkhoppers, which would leave us with an off day later on in our stay? Or do we just take our time getting settled, hit the pool, dink around in DTD? We should have plenty of time to tour the parks during our stay (we're not planning on doing any other attractions), so no need to hit the parks on our travel day from that standpoint. I'm just trying to anticipate the energy level of the kids on that first day and figure out what makes sense. For anyone who has similar circumstance, what have you found works for you?

CarlieB
09-13-2004, 03:40 PM
When we've had a timetable like this we have tended to save the parks for the next day and just settle in. The GCH is a nice hotel and fun to check out (you could definitely spend some time in the pool) and then you could head into DTD for dinner and browsing in the shops or a movie.

mystycalchyk
09-13-2004, 03:47 PM
Yeah, dont burn up a day. Go to DTD, let the anticipation build, have a nice dinner and relax in the pools. Definately!

rentayenta
09-13-2004, 03:49 PM
We always drive. We always stay in Vegas on the way out and the way back. We usually don't visit the parks on the day we arrive from Vegas. We usually stay with family but this next trip we will be staying on property and was just thinking the same thing.

I was thinking that we'll do DCA on the travel day because I can't take more than a half day there ;) The hours are eight until midnight on our travel day.

I wouldn't burn up a day. I would do a character meal and cruise around DTD and the hotels. If the parks were open until midnight then I would but since you will check in at 3:00, it'll be 4:00 before you clean up and are ready; 4 hours isn't enough time.

Photographer
09-13-2004, 04:14 PM
I agree with everyone, don't use a day on your Hopper. There's lots to see and do around the hotels and Downtown Disney. You can go swimming, take the kids to the workkshop (Pinocchio's?), go to the spa, trade pins, go to the arcade, have a character dinner at Goofy's Kitchen, walk around the koi ponds, play with the remote-controlled jungle cruise boats and so on. That was a long sentence! Take your time and get to know your surroundings.

Rae
09-13-2004, 04:21 PM
I have been thinking about this very subject.
We will be making our first trip in March and land at LAX at 7.15am. I figure by the time we get to the motel it will be at the least 10am.(A full 24hours since we left home) We have decided to get our bearing on where we are, have a wander around, buy all our supplies drinks etc, let the kids/husband/grandpa swim while my mum and I check out places to eat that won't break the bank. We hope to have an early dinner and a early night to recover from the jet lag and prepare us for our first day at DL the next day. You guys are 17 hours behind us

SarahShep
09-13-2004, 04:25 PM
I also agree...Save the day for a non-travel day if you are able to, so that way you can utilize the park to it's fullest. This year, we used one of our days on a travel day and it just wasn't the same. We didn't have near enough time in the parks, as we didn't arrive until about 2.

In the past, we have spent the travel day a couple different ways. One year, we went out to the mall and spent some time shopping. Another year, we just spent the day by the pool, relaxing, and then went out for a nice dinner in DTD and a movie afterwards. Another time, we went to Newport Beach, walked around on the pier, and ate at the Crab Cooker (mentioned by a few others in another post). Awesome restaurant! We've also been known to spend that day at other parks, usually just Knott's Berry Farm because you can easily see everything there in less than one day. You could spend that much time at Universal Studios as well, especially if you are just mostly interested in thrill rides, since there aren't many. Lots to do in SoCal!!

AVP
09-13-2004, 04:29 PM
We travel to WDW, not Disneyland, but the theory is the same. On the inbound travel day, we usually have a nice relaxing dinner, do a little shopping in Downtown Disney, and get a decent night of sleep. Since we have WDW APs, we may hit Epcot for Illuminations, depending on what time our flight lands.

On the outboound travel day, we usually have a nice breakfast at one of the resort hotels and do a lot of shopping in Downtown Disney. By then it's time to get to the airport.

I would not use an admission day on your arrival day, especially if you are coming from the East coast. You won't realize how "late" you are staying up if you try to close the park, and the kids might not respond well the next day.

AVP

SCUBAbe
09-13-2004, 04:43 PM
we usually just roam around then hotel grounds and downtown disney or we drive to the oulet store and look around.:)

Darren
09-13-2004, 05:00 PM
we always go to DL on our travel day. Our last few trips have had us arrive on Sunday during the fall and we like to go and check out the entertainment. Specifically, we attend the park that day to catch the parade and Fantasmic. If we didn't go to the park we wouldn't get to see F!

We always enjoy that day because it is not about rushing to/from E ticket rides but relaxing and enjoying the feel of the park. That is always great after being away from the magic for awhile.

Hakuna Makarla
09-13-2004, 05:57 PM
I have been thinking about this very subject.
We will be making our first trip in March and land at LAX at 7.15am. I figure by the time we get to the motel it will be at the least 10am.(A full 24hours since we left home) We have decided to get our bearing on where we are, have a wander around, buy all our supplies drinks etc, let the kids/husband/grandpa swim while my mum and I check out places to eat that won't break the bank. We hope to have an early dinner and a early night to recover from the jet lag and prepare us for our first day at DL the next day. You guys are 17 hours behind us
Rae, I wanted to tell you about the resturant 3 doors down from the carousel. It was called moms but has a new name now.we ate there and its very cheap! there is menue or buffet and they have the buffet for all 3 meals. my kids loved it as they got to mix and match. dinner was 5.99 and breakfast buffet was only 3.99 Also there is a small store 2 doors down at the motel entrance and I bought gallon jugs of water with spouts on them for only 2.09 we put them in the fridge and had nice cold water when we came back to our room. Better then all those small bottles for everyone, and easier for large familys. we loved them and it saved us a bundle. we took the smaller bottles in with us after freezing them over night.
Hope some of this in fo helped **Karla

Susan L
09-13-2004, 06:12 PM
If you only have a 5 day hopper, the first day of arrival I would relax, and have a nice dinner, go for a swim then get up early the next day and do the parks big time. We always stay for 7 nights and usually get 7 day hoppers so we can go to DL the night we arrive, its usually a Friday night so the park is open later.

aussiemum
09-13-2004, 07:16 PM
I have been thinking about this very subject.
We will be making our first trip in March and land at LAX at 7.15am. I figure by the time we get to the motel it will be at the least 10am.(A full 24hours since we left home) We have decided to get our bearing on where we are, have a wander around, buy all our supplies drinks etc, let the kids/husband/grandpa swim while my mum and I check out places to eat that won't break the bank. We hope to have an early dinner and a early night to recover from the jet lag and prepare us for our first day at DL the next day. You guys are 17 hours behind us

Rae - do not discount both the jet lag and the effect of spending 24 hrs+ in planes & airports. When I fly from West Australia to USA, I am usually completely shattered with the effects of the flight, customs, transport etc. Just spend the afternoon "taking it in" and getting used to some of the slight (but significant) cultural & language differences between Aussie & USA. I would suggest trying to find places to eat which are not heavy on fried food for the first meal. Then on the second day of your trip, you should be well rested & ready to take on the parks!

Rae
09-13-2004, 07:20 PM
Thanks for the info Karla, and you to aussiemum :)

CarlieB
09-13-2004, 08:02 PM
I've got to second Aussiemum - even coming from NZ is pretty tiring (12 + hours). I can't imagine what it's like to fly from Perth to LA - that's almost like travelling from NZ to London (which is hard work!). LAX is a madhouse, and by the time you're travelling the lines for Customs and Immigration will be much longer because of the new fingerprinting a photograph initiatives (even for visa-waiver countries) - it might take quite a while just to get through the airport.

Gr8Scott
09-14-2004, 06:44 AM
Rent a car and drive to Carlsbad. When ever we go to DL, we always go shopping in Carlsbad. My wife and 2 sons love it there. The shopping is great. We always arrive in Anaheim with just the clothes on our backs and go home with full suit cases. ;) LOL. It is about an hour drive each way.

Surfingstitch
09-14-2004, 08:15 AM
I travel from Seattle too. I find that it really depends on what time you get to Disneyland and how tired you are when you get there.

The GCH is a wonderful place to stay. We had a park view and enjoyed viewing the park from our room while relaxing. (One day we went on the GRR 10 times in a row and then sat in the hotel room for two hours to dry off).

Check the schedules and see if there is something that you want to do that might be closed later in the week.

Hope this was a helpful suggestion.

Surfingstitch
09-14-2004, 08:16 AM
PS. I hope you have lots of fun too.

sami869
09-14-2004, 08:32 AM
When we go to disneyland we usually drive down there after I get off work and don't get to our hotel until around midnight (or later) so we don't have to worry about if we're going into the park or not. The one time that we flew down there we did go into the park taht day but we have APs. In your situation I think you shouldn't go into the park. Use that day to do stuf fin Downtown Disney, go to the beach, have dinner at Medevil Times, check out the hotels or go for a swim.

bduff
09-14-2004, 08:35 AM
Thanks for the opinions! Since I'm arriving on a Thursday, no need to hit the parks from the standpoint of wanting to see something that will be closed later. I think we'll do what many suggested, and take our time getting settled in, roaming around the hotel and DTD, etc. And I'll be grateful we are able to make our little trip without having to work around the jet lag issues and all that!

dlandnut
09-14-2004, 08:37 AM
When we visit DL, we usually fly and arrive fairly early. You can check your luggage and then head to the park. One of the drawbacks to waiting, especially if you haven't been before or been in a while, is the anticipation. Anticipation is fun, but it can be crazy to little children who can see the top of the Matterhorn and/or "hear" Disneyland, but have to wait a WHOLE DAY before entering!!! But, I agree with the other threads in that usually a swim in the pool and visit to Downtown Disney may do the trick.

Once, when we landed at LAX years ago, we had talked and talked and planned so much about Disneyland, that when we were on the shuttle bus between the airport and our car rental, my 6-year-old nephew stared out the window at all the parked cars and with an amazing look on his face asked if this was really Disneyland? Lol. Guess all those parked cars was a lot for him to see!!! :)

dlandnut
09-14-2004, 11:11 AM
Another fun thing we have done the day before entering DL is to buy a round-trip ticket at the Monorail Station in Downtown Disney and ride it round-trip (without getting off). I think this option is still available, and it's a fun alternative to let you "see" what's coming up, without actually getting off in DL! :)

tink1234
09-14-2004, 11:28 AM
We try to settle in and do a non-disney thing the first night. Try Buena Park for Midieval Times or Rippley's!

CoasterChickie
09-14-2004, 01:54 PM
I agree with everyone else here. You're so lucky to be arriving early in the afternoon. We always drive so we never get there till 11 p.m. and it takes us a couple hours to settle down and go to sleep. Then we hit the parks full force for 2 days straight and are exhausted by the third day.

I think if you just take your time unpacking, getting settled in, wandering around the GCH and getting familiar with the lay-out, then exploring DTD at night, you'll be rested and totally anticipating going into the park first thing the next morning. Hope you have a wonderful trip!!!

cstephens
09-14-2004, 04:34 PM
Another fun thing we have done the day before entering DL is to buy a round-trip ticket at the Monorail Station in Downtown Disney and ride it round-trip (without getting off). I think this option is still available, and it's a fun alternative to let you "see" what's coming up, without actually getting off in DL! :)

Has anyone done this lately? I was under the impression that they haven't offered this option in quite some time.