ancienthills

I think you are talking about a dedicated VIP guide. You may want to search the following boards though, they are usually on top of all things Disney. We are going to the World at the End of Dec and I have been researching. I highly rec. Tour Guide Mike if you want to beat the crowds but you have to be willing to go commando style and follow his advice to the T. There are "tricks" to strategically utilize fast passes with the same result as going to the front when you want to.

Disboards
Mousesaver
TourGuideMike
Allears.net

We are paying about 9 k for 6 people, with dining plan and park admission and staying in 2 Tower Rooms at Contemporary Resort onsite. It is High Season. We are flying a really cheapo airline but in retrospect I should have booked on UA for the miles.

SkiAdcock

I doubt it. November/December are off season I think (other than Thanksgiving & Xmas, which are a zoo). And while the schools/banks/gov are shut down for Vet Day, not a lot of corps are. You should be ok. Again, rule of thumb w/ anything Mouseland/Mouseworld is get there early. My guess is if you do that in Nov you won't encounter a problem. The FastPass might be of interest, but if you're paying a gazillion $$ for front of line queue w/ multiple people I'd save the $$ on the dedicated jump the queue thing.

Cheers.

dddc

There's just 2 of us going. Don't forget, I'm spending GBP so $$ is only £ for me! (at least at the moment!)

Pretty sure these weren't for guided tours.

I can understand that people may be upset by having these priority/express tickets, but it's not much different than flying economy, business or first. You still get there in the end, just in a different style. And I believe they limit the number of these types of passes anyway so that not everyone can get them. If only I could find them!

sierranevada

I am a dedicated Disney Geek and have been on Veterans Day. Unfortunately, it usually is very busy!! When we went last year, they shut the gate to new admissions a few times for about an hour each time.

There is not Front of the line pass for sell at Disneyland (don't know about Disney World) - just rumors. And the VIP does not offer Front of the line, although the Tour guide will go ahead of your group and get fastpasses for you. Here is the official description:

"Experience the VIP treatment as only Disney can provide! Our VIP Tour Services team customizes your vacation so you spend your time playing, not planning. Prepare to be pampered with a Disney VIP Tour!

From the moment you arrive, your personal VIP Guide is there to take care of everything:
Creates your ideal personalized itinerary
Serves as your personal guide, host, concierge and storyteller
Obtains priority seating at some of our premier restaurants
Arranges preferred seating for certain shows, parades and nighttime spectaculars
Tour Length: Four hour minimum.
Price Info: $75 per hour for up to 10 Guests; $95 per hour if booked less than 48 hours in advance
Additional Information
This tour does not offer expedited access to attractions.
Valid Theme Park admission is required.
Tour times and elements – including attractions – are subject to change without notice. Please check upon arrival with the Guided Tour Gardens for the latest information.
Tours may be booked by calling Disney Special Activities at (714) 300-7710†."

I have found invaluable advice and tips from the following two websites:
Mouseplanet.com and Miceage.com

I have also compiled my own Disneyland Tips that I would be happy to email to you. I have it in PDF or Word form. Sent me a PM with your email address if you would like it.

dddc

You've got PM!

I'm begining to wonder if I found a scam page when I saw this. I've had no luck in finding it again!

What day does Veterans day fall on? The Sat or Sun? Would it make a difference if I went on one of those days? My other option is to go on the Monday, but all our lugguage will be in the hire car and then we are staying in Palm Springs that night. Not sure if I fancy a day at Disney and then a 2 hr drive to PS!!

sierranevada

Have to say that I disagree with this. I have been taking my son since he was 2 yrs old (and in a stroller). He is now almost 12, and Disneyland is still one of his favorite places!

ws8n

I'll be swinging by LA for a couple of days, and while my sis will be bringing her kid to Disney, I'll be shopping away. Question is, which location has a hotel that is nearby a major shopping mall, preferably within walking distance.

delmargal

So you want to stay in LA or close to Disneyland (because Disney is in Anaheim)?

No good shopping in Anaheim. I guess others could offer opinions about Victoria Gardens, etc.

camargo

Shopping in LA? If you want to stay near Beverly Hills there are plenty of hotels within walking distance of all the stores. Send Sis on a shuttle to Disneyland.

Or, in Orange County, around South Cost Plaza there are plenty of nice hotels within walking distance---Nordstroms, Bloomingdales, Tiffany, Chanel, Gucci, etc. Nice selection of restaurants too. Wyndham, Westin, Marriott Suites, etc.

Also, Marriott and the Island Hotel (formerly The Four Seasons) are both across the street from Fashion Island in Newport Beach---Nieman Marcus, Bloomingdales, plenty of upperend specialty shops and good restaurant selection.

Once again, take the shuttle to Disneyland and avoid the parking/traffic.

Enkhuizen

Any good tips on special deals for October on staying at Disney hotel ?
How long would you reckon you need with a 7, 5 and 4 year old ?
Which hotel would best suit them ?
Are the Disney hotels worth the expense ?

faxmonkey

I have a similar question... My kids are 9, 6 and 4. I wanted to use MR points to stay in the "Kid's Suite" at the Marriott Court Yard @ Disney... But i was told that that type room cannot be had with points.


Vacation planned for Mid October.
Free breakfast would be great.

Gold Member (not like Austin Powers)

michellemck99

I'm sure there is a wealth of helpful information to be had by searching around the LA forum as well as the various hotel program threads. That said, here are a few things that come to mind that might be helpful to you both:

* There are two separate parks to consider in planning: Disneyland (the original park) and California Adventure (heavier on rides than Disneyland, a bit less crowded in my experience). Most but not all tickets allow you go back and forth between the parks.

* There are three hotels that are part of the Disney group: Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel, and Paradise Pier. They are extravagant/expensive in that order (most to least). The Grand Californian is within the California Adventure park; it is the closest hotel imaginable to where you and your family will be spending your days. To get to the other two hotels, you need to walk through Downtown Disney (an area of restaurants and shops, primarily). These 3 are quite a bit closer than most other hotel choices.

* In terms of "is it worth it", a few thoughts. One is that the demand for these hotels are high, particularly Grand Californian, so you will want to book in advance and forget any thoughts of great deals. The other is that Disney wears out a lot of kids - lines, heat, noise, excitement - and so even though your respective kids may be past naps at these ages, I'd strongly consider planned mid-day quiet times back at the hotel. This will have impacts on both which hotel you want to stay at (do you want to be able to pop easily to and from the hotel, or is walking/waiting for the bus no big deal) as well as how many days your trip should take.

* For me, I normally sort through all this and stay at the Sheraton on Harbor Blvd (note there are two Sheratons adjacent to Disneyland). Very big standard rooms, comfortable beds, a pleasant-enough coffee shop, and great views of the Disney fireworks with rooms on the Disney side. I have also stayed at Disneyland Hotel with the concierge floor add-on....we got to have dessert and coffee while watching the fireworks, and Disney pipes in the music into the hospitality room. Great fun!

* October should be great in terms of weather and (lack of) crowds - you should have a great time!

goosegreen

I visited Disneyland/California Adventure back in late Oct 2004 with my 9yo daughter. We had a five day ticket and that was plenty of time! We spent one whole day at each park and then another day at both parks. The last two days were spent re-visiting our fave rides. I would agree with the mid-day rest stop...my daughter was completely exhausted at the end of the day.

wingless

Any good tips on special deals for October on staying at Disney hotel ? There may be some special deals but they are usually for locals. If you can get your hands on a LA Times there may be packages available. You can check www.latimes.com but I am not sure they put the ads there.

How long would you reckon you need with a 7, 5 and 4 year old ? Three days max. 1-2 days for Disneyland and 1/2-1 day for California Adventure. You could check out Knott's Berry Farm too. It is just a few miles away and they have a great kids area www.knottsberryfarm.com (it's now owned by Cedar Point)

Which hotel would best suit them ? If you are choosing between the 3 Disneyland Resort hotels I would say the Disneyland Hotel. Although it is not as posh as the Grand Californian it has a large fantasy pool and the rooms are larger.

Are the Disney hotels worth the expense ? With kids...yes. Although all of the hotels nearby do have shuttles to Disney. It is nice to be able to walk mid-day to your hotel or pool for a break.

FYI I worked for the Disneyland Resort for almost 17 years.

BlissWorld

If you have kids, I'd definitely stay within the park. The Sheraton Disneyland sometimes offer pretty decent rates.