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tomoyo
05-31-2007, 02:17 PM
I'll be going to San Francisco for my cousin's wedding in mid-November and of course, I want to go to Disneyland while I'm on the mainland. :) Will Christmas decorations be up by then? That's the main reason I'm making this side trip. Also, my brother hasn't been to Disneyland in over 10 years, so I want to reintroduce him. My goal is to do this as cheaply as possible though, since he's only working PT now and may be jobless come November.

I picked Veterans Day weekend because I think the crowds will be better than Thanksgiving Day weekend. Is it the same either way or am I guessing correctly?

We'll be flying into LAX early Thursday morning, November 8 and will spend Thursday to Sunday at Disneyland and then go to Universal Studios on Monday.

This is where I'm not sure what to do. We have to get from Anaheim to San Fran on Tuesday (13th) and then back to Anaheim/LAX on the following Monday (19th). I read elsewhere that it takes 8 hours to drive from LAX to San Fran so I would prefer not to drive. My cousin told me to take Southwest, but it's more expensive right now at $138.

I got a rate of $113 roundtrip from SNA to OAK. I've been planning my budget based on having to fly to/from SNA and OAK and then taking the shuttle back to LAX for my return flight (and ok, I admit, a part of it was also so I could visit Disneyland one last time for a few hours before heading back to LAX for my return flight) :p I know Southwest has a one-way tix promotion running now for July. Do they always have a sales? Southwest would be lot more convenient (and probably cheaper since we have to add transportation from the resorts to SNA), otherwise we'll be doing OAK -> SNA -> Anaheim -> LAX in a span of 6 hours.

It's so confusing typing it out, maybe we should drive instead. :confused:

VegasMike21
05-31-2007, 02:37 PM
I'll be going to San Francisco for my cousin's wedding in mid-November and of course, I want to go to Disneyland while I'm on the mainland. :) Will Christmas decorations be up by then?


They'll probably just start putting the decorations up at that time, the tree might be there already but may not be lit. But this is a nice time to visit the park as it won't be crowded.

Drince88
05-31-2007, 04:10 PM
Southwest never 'requires' that you do round-trips, so in that respect, they usually have 1-way sales. Most airlines would charge more for 2 one-way tickets - Southwest, it's the same for 2 one-way as it would be for a round-trip.

But the seats do sell out at the better fares, so don't wait too long.

MermaidHair
06-01-2007, 09:00 AM
Check into Jet Blue from Oakland to Long Beach. Long Beach is not far from DL and you should be able to get a fare under $100 round trip. it is about a $35 taxi ride from Long Beach to Anaheim. Hope that helps.

Gilesmt
06-01-2007, 09:17 AM
Check out Alaska, I got a rate of $92 round trip for dates in Nov.

Suzie Minnie
06-01-2007, 12:57 PM
Southwest is having a sale right now. Especially for flying within CA. You have to fly on Tuesday or Wednesday to get the special deal.

I found rates for $27 each way (one way), it is more expensive to purchase round trip tickets. It must also be booked on the internet at: www.southwest.com

Bolivar
06-01-2007, 02:18 PM
Wouldn't it be cheapest and easiest to fly from home to LA. then LA to San Francisco. then SF to home? If you want extra time at DL just spend a day or two more there?

misdisney
06-01-2007, 03:18 PM
We go the second week in November every year, its prefect and its usually vetrans weekend when we get there. The park has all the decort. up and the fireworks have snow falling afterwords. Its beautiful ! You've never seen anything like it. The park is a little more busy on the weekened I think they do some kind of deal for vets but on Monday its dead. Have fun:p !

tomoyo
06-01-2007, 07:19 PM
Wouldn't it be cheapest and easiest to fly from home to LA. then LA to San Francisco. then SF to home? If you want extra time at DL just spend a day or two more there?

I should've added that home is Hawaii, so no, it's not cheaper to buy one way tickets. I've thought about that and priced it already and it's at least $100 more.

1 hour is considered a long commute here, which is why I'm against driving.


Southwest is having a sale right now. Especially for flying within CA. You have to fly on Tuesday or Wednesday to get the special deal.

I found rates for $27 each way (one way), it is more expensive to purchase round trip tickets. It must also be booked on the internet at: www.southwest.com

I've been looking at SW. They're not booking past November 2 right now, but I've been plugging in dates in October and I don't get $27, the lowest I get is $59.

To all, thanks for the Disneyland help! I have one more question though, how's the weather? I was just there during the POTC premiere weekend and I thought it was pretty cold. I had a thick sweater on each night and we walked back to the motel with hot chocolate every night.

I think I'm set on my flight plans. I'm stupid. :rolleyes: For some reason, I didn't think SW flew from LAX to OAK. Now that I see they do, we'll just avoid SNA all together.

Bolivar
06-01-2007, 10:17 PM
I should've added that home is Hawaii, so no, it's not cheaper to buy one way tickets. I've thought about that and priced it already and it's at least $100 more.

No you don't want to book one way tickets. That will be more expensive. You want to book the flight from HI to LA to SF back to HI. You book that as a single ticket, not as three one way flights. I have done that many times. I have even booked what they call an "open jaw" flight. For example I flew from SF to Shannon Ireland and home from Edinburgh Scotland to SF. That isn't two one way tickets; it is an open jaw ticket.

I don't know how to book the open jaw tickets yourself and have used travel agents (or direct with the airlines) for that. But you can do the other yourself. For example go to expedia.com and click on flights. Then where it says flight type you have three choices: Roundtrip, One way, or Multiple destinations. That's what you want.

It will be more expensive than flying round trip to LA, but it should be cheaper than flying round trip to LA and roundtrip from LA to SF. It won't always be cheaper and it won't be the same price on different days. Airline ticket prices have the strangest, constantly changing pricing. It is like a commodity market.

tomoyo
06-02-2007, 03:16 AM
It won't always be cheaper and it won't be the same price on different days. Airline ticket prices have the strangest, constantly changing pricing. It is like a commodity market.

Wow, you learn something new everyday! But I hope you're right about the prices changing because it's still more expensive to go this route. As of right now it's only $20 more, but if Southwest has cheap flights in November, there could be substantially more savings to go with 2 round trip tickets.

Heh, there are only so much cheap flights back to Hawaii. The flights I'm pulling up that fit my time frame have a layover in LAX and a change of planes to the flight I would be taking with the roundtrip ticket. So I have the same itinerary, but I'd only have to book one flight. ^^;

VegasMike21
06-02-2007, 05:04 AM
To all, thanks for the Disneyland help! I have one more question though, how's the weather? I was just there during the POTC premiere weekend and I thought it was pretty cold. I had a thick sweater on each night and we walked back to the motel with hot chocolate every night.


I believe it's in the high 60's/mid 70's at that time. Perfect weather.

Bolivar
06-02-2007, 04:10 PM
I told you about the open jaw, but I didn't tell you why I told you about it. You might also look into what the price would be for a flight from HI to LA and then SF back to HI. Again, not as two one way flights, but as an open jaw. Then you buy the Southwest ticket from LA to SF. That is another thing to see what the price would be. But like I said, I don't know how to do that yourself. You would have to call a travel agent or the airline.

Now that I think about it, every time I have booked an open jaw flight I have done it using frequent flyer miles. They let you book that without charging any extra miles, but I have no idea how they charge for that.