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mask41
01-16-2007, 06:59 AM
Thanks so much for having me as a new member of this board - I absolutely love it! I just scanned most of the past threads and got some really great tips & ideas (I am an obsessive planner). We are going to be in DL from April for 5 days and we are taking Amtrak to the Fullerton station.

What kind of weather should we expect in early-April?

I have seen pictures of people walking around with backpacks - isn't this a pain when riding rides? If we take a backpack 1 or 2 days to hold camera, etc. will it fit in a day locker if we get tired of lugging it?

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get from the Fullerton
Amtrak station to the Residence Inn-Maingate Hotel. The reservationist gave the # for a shuttle. I am concerned about car seat laws in California - my twin boys are 5 - will they be allowedto ride just belted into a van?

We get into Fullerton at 6:30am which will make for a long day - I was planning on dumping our stuff at the hotel and heading to DCA - seems like we could tackle that park in a relaxing way, hopefully ending with the Block Party parade, and going home early since I think we will all be tired that day. Any better suggestions for a relaxing, yet productive, first day?

We have reserved a kid's suite with bunk beds at the newly remodeled
Residence Inn-Maingate. It has a room with a bunk bed for my mom and
boys and then a loft with a bed for my husband & I. Has anyone
stayed at this hotel recently, or a kid's suite? Hope we made a good
decision there! The free grocery shopping, free breakfast & light
dinners and kiddie pool, walking path to the park won us over!

I would love to hear recommendations on what shows to see and which
shows to skip while at Disneyland! Fantasmic will be shut down while we are there so that is immaterial :(.

Also, are any of the character meals that are actually worth the money
(and I need to take into consideration that one of my children only
eats pb&j & grilled cheese ((autism)) and if those aren't on the menu he wouldn't eat the meal)?

Thanks so much in advance for any answers to the above questions. Any other tips for doing the parks with 5 year old twin boys and senior citizen would be greatly appreciated!! We have 5 full days so I am hoping to get it all done without flailing into total exhaustion!!

-Amy

MollyTrolly
01-16-2007, 07:27 AM
Hi, congrats on your first family trip, you will LOVE it!

Lets see, Residence Inn Maingate, is the hotel of choice for me for several reasons, its a bit farther than some other hotels but if you are like me and you and DH want time alone after the kids go to sleep its a wonderful choice because its more like a little apartment. Also the kids suite is what I stay in and I love it.

You can take the shuttle without needing carseats, call them to confirm but for busses and shuttles carseats are not needed.

I like the Chip and Dale character breakfast at the Storytellers Cafe, the food is great and you can either order from the menu or do the buffet, there are not a lot of main stream characters but the dancing and singing are a hoot and you can schedule it before the park opens so you dont lose time at the park. Personally we always go to the Princess lunch are Ariels Grotto, but with two boys, they may not want to sit through lunch with just the princesses. Also the food there is not my favorite.

The best advice I can give you is learn the fastpass system and use it, and take your time dont try to do everything at once. Take breaks even go back to the hotel for a swim or something to keep the boys calm.

April weather varies, it shoudl be mid 60s but our weather here has been so off that you just never know, it could be 80 or it could be 50.

Have a great time!

Malcon10t
01-16-2007, 07:53 AM
We love the Residence Inn Maingate. Stayed there Dec 23-Jan3. But the walk is a long one (almost a mile.) They are on the ART shuttle, which stops outside Building 6. If you are in a back building, you can walk over to the Red Roof Inn. We were in Building 6 and still on occasion took the B shuttle back and walked the minute walk from Red Roof.

I would suggest a taxi to the hotel, but am unsure of the car seat rules.

Food... There may be some issues if that is all your child will eat. Most places have chicken nuggets, some have PBJ (Goofy;s has a PBJ pizza), I can't think of any that have grilled cheese. We really have liked Goofy's. It is loud interaction though and may overwhelm an autistic child. Story Tellers is quieter. May be easier for your child.

You may want to make a few PBJs before coming to the park.

Residence inn has a great morning breakfast, including eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, waffles, pancakes, juices, etc...

ThreePts
01-16-2007, 08:30 AM
If you plan on getting a locker at any point, get it early in the morning as they will be sold out shortly after opening.

Bytebear
01-16-2007, 10:03 AM
Carrying around a backpack isn't a big problem (unless it is heavy). You can usually tuck it between your legs or on your lap on most rides, and there are very few rides where you would be in any real danger of losing it.

hefferdude
01-16-2007, 11:46 AM
I was going to ask why you don't go to the Anaheim station but I'm guessing your on the Southwest Chief so Fullerton is the last station before LA Central.

The Res Inn on Clementine is a great hotel. The suite with the loft is great!!! If the weather turns warm, be sure to leave the small upper window open as the upstairs can get really warm even using the AC. The walk from RI to the Esplanade is loooong one. ( .75 mi ) I would encourage the ART passes for all the days you are there. I'm not aware of a "walking path ".

We purchased Disneydollars ( mickybucks ) and gave each of our boys a daily amount to spend on things in the parks. They loved having their own money and we think it made them choose a little more carefully.

5 days? 3 words. " Take your time ". and take lotsa pool breaks. You have tons of time to see everything. And don't forget to spend some time over at Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Hotel Area.

edit - you can take a cab over to the wset side of Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Hotel area. I think its less than 10$ for the whole your group. They usually have a van ( like a Windstar or Freestar )

Malcon10t
01-16-2007, 12:12 PM
The walk from RI to the Esplanade is loooong one. ( .75 mi ) I would encourage the ART passes for all the days you are there. I'm not aware of a "walking path ".I think the "walking path" they are talking about is simply down Disney Way. Not really much of anything there. With 2 5yos, I would take ART. Its the G bus to Disneyland and back. Nice route. B Bus if you are in the back of the hotel. Reminder, they break at 12:45-2pm.

nun69
01-16-2007, 12:18 PM
I am new to the board as well and am glad you posted this question. I will also be taking our 1st family DL trip Mar 29- Apr 6th (with a family of 5)...

disneyhound
01-16-2007, 02:47 PM
Backpacks are no big deal. We always have one to pack a couple coats, water, snacks, sunglasses, whatever. Ours is a small day pack. As posted previously, most rides have room to place the pack besides you or at your feet. A few rides have a place for you to place things that could fly around...

kirstie_29
01-16-2007, 02:57 PM
I hope you have a wonderful time. My only suggestion, be prepared for any kind of weather, you will have a better idea of the forcast when you get closer to your trip. One year we visited the second week in April, temps were in the 70's-low 80's, but towards the end of the week the temp spiked to 100+ degrees...fortunately we had brought shorts. Also, I think just last week temps had reached the 80's and that is in January.

MollyTrolly
01-16-2007, 03:28 PM
Yes the weather can change quickly. Last Monday it was well over 80 degrees, and 6 days later I dont think it got over 50 degrees, in fact at my house (a bit north) we had a freeze warning and 17 degree temps at night... yikes.

raediance
01-16-2007, 04:19 PM
Thanks so much for having me as a new member of this board - I absolutely love it! I just scanned most of the past threads and got some really great tips & ideas (I am an obsessive planner). We are going to be in DL from April for 5 days and we are taking Amtrak to the Fullerton station.
Glad to have you here! x) I'm also an obsessive planner, and I'm 13!


I have seen pictures of people walking around with backpacks - isn't this a pain when riding rides? If we take a backpack 1 or 2 days to hold camera, etc. will it fit in a day locker if we get tired of lugging it?
We usually bring a backpack, but we stick it in the little basket on the stroller. Since your kids are already five, I don't know if you still take strollers. They should probably fit in a locker, but we've never used one. Maybe a small bag (not a fanny pack! x) no offense to all you fanny-pack users...) that you can carry in your hand and on your back would be good, I think.


We get into Fullerton at 6:30am which will make for a long day - I was planning on dumping our stuff at the hotel and heading to DCA - seems like we could tackle that park in a relaxing way, hopefully ending with the Block Party parade, and going home early since I think we will all be tired that day. Any better suggestions for a relaxing, yet productive, first day?
Being obsessively organized, I made a list of ALL the rides in both parks. Then (we have a big group, about 20 people, whenever we go) I ask everyone to check off two/three rides that they really want to go on. You'll probably be able to raise it since there's less of you. Then try to hit at least two of their rides.


We have reserved a kid's suite with bunk beds at the newly remodeled
Residence Inn-Maingate. It has a room with a bunk bed for my mom and
boys and then a loft with a bed for my husband & I. Has anyone
stayed at this hotel recently, or a kid's suite? Hope we made a good
decision there! The free grocery shopping, free breakfast & light
dinners and kiddie pool, walking path to the park won us over!
Never been there, but it sounds cool!


I would love to hear recommendations on what shows to see and which
shows to skip while at Disneyland! Fantasmic will be shut down while we are there so that is immaterial :(.
That's too bad. x( It's not the end of the world, of course. There are the fireworks (higher elevation might cancel this without notice, so plan ahead), The Aladdin Musical Spectacular (my favorite CA show!), Muppets 3D in CA, Playhouse Disney in CA (I don't know if they'll still like it once they're five)...my mind is stuck in CA right now, and I can't think of too many DL ones. Oo yeah, there's the electrical parade (still, in CA). I can't think of anymore, but I love those ones! Tiki Room is okay, I think. Scared me sometimes (I've said this A LOT --- i'm a scardey cat! =])
I hope you have a great trip!
EDIT: http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=65423 was titled Show Not To Miss or something along those lines, so maybe you should check up with that there.

partyoffive
01-16-2007, 04:42 PM
Congratulations on your first Disney vacation! You will love it. We are on our fourth and our oldest is five years old. With five days you will have plenty of time. We like to just take our time and hit all the rides the kids want to do in each land. We try to do some of the shows on the busy weekend days so we don't have to stand in line all day. You will have a lot of time to do things twice. We usually bring a small lunch box with PB&J and a juice box and pudding in for our kids for lunch since they are picky eaters and it's a waste of money to buy lunch in the park. Also, bring plenty of water. We wore shorts the WHOLE time we were there in April - it was hot enough that we spent a small fortune on water (It was our first trip!) Also, we went in late march last year and it rained on two days so make sure to take your own slickers unless you want to spend $40. Pack extra socks if it looks like rain - we find those are the best times to be in the park if you can stay fairly dry because a lot of people leave. Don't miss the Tiki Room - our five year old LOVES it!

Wendi
01-16-2007, 05:11 PM
Definitely pack PB&Js for your little guy, some restaurants serve them, but they are almost all Smucker's Uncrustables now. Not sure if you can still find a traditional PB&J at DLR. You can get grilled cheese sandwiches at White Water Snacks in Disney's Grand Californian - easy access to/from DCA, they have good food and it's very reasonably priced.

I would take at least one stroller if you aren't already planning to. You can put your backpack there rather than lug it around if it's too heavy. The boys will probably enjoy resting. I still take a stroller for my 5-year-old, it really came in handy when he came down with a stomach virus on Thanksgiving day after we checked out of our hotel too, since he slept almost the entire day in the stroller. It also saves me from losing him - he does not have autism, but he is on the spectrum and he's always in motion, impulsive, and a wanderer/explorer. The stroller has been a lifesaver (and backsaver!) for me.

Use fastpass and rider switch passes whenever you can.

Take earplugs for your son if he is sensitive to sudden/loud noises - there are a lot in the parks - fireworks, and all of the movies are very loud.

If you need a dark, somewhat quiet place to relax you can head over to the lobby at the Grand Californian and sit by the fire - they have storytelling and campfire songs at certain times too. You can also hang out in the big main room inside the Animation building in DCA or ride the Mark Twain in DL. Oh... speaking of Mark Twain, ask the CM if your boys can pilot the Mark Twain when you are getting on, it's very cool!

DebT
01-16-2007, 06:45 PM
I have seen pictures of people walking around with backpacks - isn't this a pain when riding rides? If we take a backpack 1 or 2 days to hold camera, etc. will it fit in a day locker if we get tired of lugging it?

Any other tips for doing the parks with 5 year old twin boys and senior citizen would be greatly appreciated!! We have 5 full days so I am hoping to get it all done without flailing into total exhaustion!!

-Amy

I usually carry around a huge purse or my husband carries a back pack. We pack snacks and water. It never fails that my young son has to have food "now" while we are in line for a ride or a show is about to start. The snacks have saved us many times. We also pack a camera and sometimes a video camera. My husband I switch off carrying the pack. That works for us.

The thing I love about Disneyland is it's great for a group with a wide age span. There are so many rides your kids and mom can enjoy together. We visited with a group a few years ago between the ages of 3 years and 72 years - it was great.

Enjoy your trip!

mask41
01-16-2007, 07:18 PM
Thanks so much for all the great tips!!

IdahoMike
01-16-2007, 07:45 PM
We have 3 boys, and some of the fun things that they love to do, in no particular order, are:
Turtle Talk With Crush
Nestle Junior Chef
Storytelling With Aladdin and Jasmine
As much character interaction as possible (of course this one varies from child to child, but mine are "character hunters."

Congrats on your first trip, take it slowly, and have fun!

twist1980
01-16-2007, 09:33 PM
What kind of weather should we expect in early-April?

In my experience, early April is usually quite nice, in the low to mid-seventies. I always bring warm clothes just in case, but it is generally fairly warm!


I have seen pictures of people walking around with backpacks - isn't this a pain when riding rides? If we take a backpack 1 or 2 days to hold camera, etc. will it fit in a day locker if we get tired of lugging it?

I've never gotten tired of carrying a back pack throughout the day and I've always done it. I generally carry my camera, sweatshirt (except in the hottest months), chapstick, wallet, band aids, hand sanitizer, etc. I've never found it to be a pain on the rides. Even if you carry a full size backpack on California Screamin, you can easily loop your foot through it and the upside down portion won't be an issue!



I would love to hear recommendations on what shows to see and which
shows to skip while at Disneyland! Fantasmic will be shut down while we are there so that is immaterial :(.


If Remember...Dreams Come True (the fireworks show) is running, you MUST do it. Amazing, that is all I can say, well that and can't be missed! Also the Aladdin show at the Hyperion in DCA is wonderful. The Parade of Dreams is great too. And if you are in season, catch the Electrical Parade in DCA! Your kids will love them all!

As far at the character meals go, just remember that it is the experience, not the food that is what is important. If you want an idea of the menus, check out www.dlresortinfo.com (http://www.dlresortinfo.com), that should help you decide on one. But I've gotta tell you, my boyfriend and I (neither of us are big breakfast eaters) are totally excited about doing Goofy's Kitchen next month. It's all about meeting the characters!

Donald Duck Fan68
01-16-2007, 09:55 PM
Congratulations on your 1st family trip to Disneyland! You've come to the right place to get good advice.

You asked about the early part of April for weather, but, if it's within the first 2 weeks, expect it to be crowded, as that is Spring Break period. Starting your first day at DCA sounds like a good idea and you should experience lighter crowds there. My kids loved Block Party Bash; it is very high energy and interactive. My 5 year old daughter enjoyed the Playhouse Disney show (also at DCA). In Disneyland, don't miss the fireworks show, and if your boys are Star Wars fans, you should catch the Jedi Training Accademy.

Carrying a backpack isn't that big of a deal so long as you don't overstuff it. Plus, my son also has a limited amount of foods he's willing to eat (autism as well) so I always had something in the packpack for him if he suddenly got hungry. It became a real lifesaver in many instances when we were no where near a restaraunt that served food he liked and he needed to eat something in the next 5 minutes or there was going to be a meltdown.

My kids loved the character meal we went to (Goofy's kitchen) and there was enough of a variety there that my picky eater was able to find something he liked. To view all the menus of restaraunts in and around the resort, you can check out this site:
http://dlresortinfo.com/

If your son has sensory issues, especially with sound, bring ear plugs or comfortable head phones that cancel noise as some shows (like the fireworks) and rides can be loud or startling. If there's any other issues unique to autism that you have questions with, you can also find very helpful advice in the Theme Park Access board.