By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist
In my last blog entry, I talked about the advantages of staying on-property vs. off-property at the Walt Disney World® Resort. Now let’s move over to the west coast and talk about the Disneyland® Resort. On-Property Staying on-property at Disneyland® Resort can be quite a bit different for those used to the dozens of resorts at Walt Disney World® Resort. Disneyland Resort only has three on-property hotels: Disney’s Paradise Pier® Hotel, the Disneyland® Hotel, and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa. However, unlike at Walt Disney World, there are no value-priced on-property resorts. Disney's Paradise Pier is roughly equivalent price-wise to a high-end Walt Disney World moderate resort, while the Disneyland Hotel and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa are priced similarly to Walt Disney World deluxe resorts. Each of the three on-property hotels is located very near the theme parks, with Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa even having its own private entrance into Disney California Adventure® Park. Disney's Paradise Pier and the Disneyland Hotel are a short ten-minute walk to the main gates, making all three extremely attractive from a location perspective. One of the biggest perks of staying on-property, other than being immersed in the Disney magic, is that your entire party gets to enter one of the parks an hour early every morning, letting you get a huge jump on crowds. Off-Property But what about off-property? At Walt Disney World, off-property is usually only an attractive option if you’re traveling with a larger group that needs a suite or a vacation house. Staying at an off-property location usually means a long trek to the theme parks, using either a hotel shuttle or your own rental car. Staying off-property in the Disneyland Resort area is a whole different ballgame, though— there are off-property hotels within easy walking distance. A few are even closer to the parks than the on-property hotels, believe it or not! It’s entirely possible to stay off-property with no need for a rental car and never setting foot on a shuttle. Unlike the on-property Disneyland Resort hotels, off-property hotels come at all price points and at a wide range of amenity levels. Most located closest to the parks are older properties with fewer amenities, while those located a bit further away are more luxurious properties. Many, even within easy walking distance, have suite configurations designed for larger groups. So when it comes down to it, which is the better choice— on-property or off-property? There really isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ answer; it all comes down to what you want in a hotel. Are location and luxurious amenities most important to you? On-property may be right for you. Or, if you’re a traveler who cares more about price and being close to the parks, you’ll probably be really happy with a nearby off-property hotel. If you’d like to talk more about Disneyland-area properties, drop me a line at davidp@mousemastertravel.com.
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By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist
One of the first choices you need to make when planning a Walt Disney World® Resort vacation: where to stay. The number of choices can be overwhelming, which is why enlisting the help of a Disney travel specialist can save lots of time and frustration spent researching. With over 25 on-property resorts, there’s almost bound to be an on-property option that’s right for most groups— but, occasionally, there are times when staying off-property can be a better choice. While these lists are by no means exhaustive, here are just a few of the more valuable pros for staying on-property vs. off-property: Pros of staying on-property
Pros of staying off-property
A doubly-unique experience at Disney California Adventure® Park By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist
Ariel’s Grotto has the unique status of being the only character meal at Disney California Adventure® Park, and the only Disneyland® Resort character meal where you’re guaranteed to meet princesses. The sea-themed restaurant overlooks Paradise Bay, fitting in perfectly with the ocean/pier theme of Paradise Pier. If you have a princess fan in the family, you’ll want to consider a reservation at Ariel’s Grotto at Disney California Adventure Park. Rather than spending a long time waiting in line to meet princesses at Princess Fantasy Faire Royal Hall at Disneyland® Park, guests at Ariel’s Grotto can get up close and personal with a host of royal visitors. Unlike many character meals, Ariel's Grotto is not a buffet. Ordering from a prix fixe menu combines the benefits of knowing your cost in advance with no worries about missing a character while you're at the buffet for food. For a fixed price of $42-$48 for adults and $22-$26 for children (prices as of Oct 2016), guests get breakfast or lunch and face time with 4-5 princesses, who might include Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, or Belle. A town crier periodically announces the arrival of each princess before she visits each table and poses for pictures with adoring fans. Note that while Ariel’s Grotto does serve dinner, at this time only breakfast and lunch are character dining experiences —dinner at Ariel’s Grotto is presently a World of Color dining package. David's Mouse Master Tip: Don't waste precious early morning park hours eating breakfast. Make a 10:30 a.m. reservation instead. Use those first couple of park hours to enjoy your favorite attractions while the lines are shorter. Then enjoy your breakfast (preferably with a FASTPASS you grabbed just before breakfast in hand to use after your meal) while the park crowd is getting larger and wait times are getting longer. Disney’s Port Orleans Resort-- Riverside
By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist Today I'm taking a closer look at a Walt Disney World® moderate resort: Disney’s Port Orleans Resort-- Riverside. Themed after picturesque New Orleans, this resort has several unique features that make it a great value in the moderate category. Lush, manicured walks wind through the stately Magnolia Bend Mansions, down to the quaint Alligator Bayou. Enjoy the tranquility and hospitality of a picturesque waterfront resort that embodies the traditions born of steamboat travel, garden parties, mint juleps on the front porch, and life along the scenic Sassagoula River. A huge plus for larger groups: Port Orleans— Riverside is one of the only moderate resorts that sleeps five people in a standard room. Some standard rooms have two queen beds as well as a smaller pull-down bed suitable for a young teen or smaller child. Port Orleans— Riverside offers a wide variety of outdoor activities including exceptional swimming pools, children’s playgrounds, jogging trails, and even cane pole fishing at the Fishin’ Hole. For swimming fans, Port Orleans— Riverside is the only on-property resort that allows pool-hopping. Guests at Port Orleans— Riverside may hop to its sister resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort-- French Quarter, and use its fabulous Doubloon Lagoon pool in addition to Riverside’s own Ol’ Man Island swimming hole. For princess fans, Port Orleans-- Riverside offers Royal Guest Rooms with a plethora of special touches from past royal visitors such as Tiana, Jasmine, Belle, and Cinderella. The lushly-decorated rooms, which sleep four, feature lots of special touches designed to make you feel like royalty. A Mouse Master Tip: While the Port Orleans resorts have their own dedicated bus line, for a relaxing scenic trip to Disney Springs, take advantage of the Sassagoula River Cruise ferry! By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist
'Holidays at the Disneyland® Resort' returns November 10, 2016 and runs through January 8, 2017. Old favorites like the Jingle Cruise, "Believe … in Holiday Magic" Fireworks, and A Christmas Fantasy parade return, but most intriguing are two new offerings: An all-new World of Color: World of Color- Season of Light, celebrating the festive holiday season, makes its Disney California Adventure® Park debut. The new nighttime spectacular combines holiday songs with scenes from Disney classics for a not-to-be-missed show. Festival of Holidays: A celebration of diverse cultural holiday traditions, including the popular Disney ¡Viva Navidad!, comes to Disney California Adventure Park. Also new, holiday-themed festival marketplaces-- a sort of 'Holiday Food & Wine Festival' -- will be offered for the first time. For Disney Jr. fans, Princess Elena of Avalor will make her Disneyland® Resort debut during the Festival of Holidays! If you've never visited the parks during the holidays, it really is something special and spectacular. And, if you time your visit properly, you can still avoid the holiday crowds. My family just happens to already have a trip planned from November 11-16, so this Mouse Master will not only be celebrating his birthday at the Disneyland® Resort, but also exploring these new holiday offerings and reporting back here in detail. For more details on Holidays at the Disneyland® Resort, visit the Disney Parks Blog. By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist
For the first time, Disneyland® Park gets its own Halloween Parade! It's had Mickey's Costume Cavalcade anchoring Mickey's Halloween Party for a few years now, but Disneyland recently announced a full-fledged parade that sounds really amazing. It features the Headless Horseman, Jack Skellington, Dr. Facelier and various other Disney villains, and all of our favorite grim grinning ghosts from the Haunted Mansion! It's not too late to book a trip to see the new Frightfully Fun Parade. From Disney's official release: "Beginning this year, you are invited to gather for chills and thrills when the all-new “Frightfully Fun Parade” takes to the streets at Disneyland® Park, featuring a spectacle of spooky spirits from the deepest bayous of New Orleans to Halloweentown and beyond. The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow sets the mood as he arrives on his ghostly black steed just ahead of the parade itself, carrying a flickering jack-o-lantern as a warning to everyone along the parade route. From “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Jack Skellington the Pumpkin King brings greetings from Halloweentown, as residents arrive to celebrate their favorite time of year. Grim, grinning ghosts come out to socialize when Disney’s iconic Haunted Mansion attraction comes to “afterlife,” with swirling ballroom dancers, ominous gravediggers and a trio of hitchhiking ghosts. Inspired by Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog,” Dr. Facilier calls on mystical powers, summoning his Shadow Men from the bayou to loom large over his strange and twisted Voodoo parlor, and the mischievous Disney Villains appear out of the darkness, ready to stir up some trouble. A dark and dungeon-like lair takes over the parade route, bringing with it a wicked gathering of villainy from Hades and the Evil Queen to Jafar, Cruella and more! The “Frightfully Fun Parade” will be presented exclusively during Mickey’s Halloween Party, a separately ticketed event at Disneyland Park hosted over 17 nights from Sept. 23-Oct. 31, 2016." By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist
Originally printed in the June 2016 issue of NW Kids Magazine I visit Disney (both Land and World) a lot, and friends often ask what the perfect age to take your kids is. My answer: any age. Disneyland® Resort and Walt Disney World® Resort aren’t just for young kids. While there certainly is something to be said for taking your 4-8 year olds who see Disney parks with wide-eyed wonder, those same parks can be just as exciting for toddlers and teenagers. Babies/toddlers “Why should I take them now? They won’t remember it!” That’s the number one statement I get from parents thinking about a Disney trip with younger kids. I’ll let you in on a secret: it isn’t all about the kids. Disney vacations are about creating magical family memories. You’re creating and strengthening a bond with your younger kids when you soar through the air for the first time on Dumbo the Flying Elephant or buckle in for their first magical journey on Peter Pan’s Flight. While they might not remember their very first trip, YOU will—and you’ll have lots of pictures and memories to share with them as they grow older. Disney parks are extremely baby- and toddler-friendly, with lots of rides, character meets, and shows with no height requirements. You’ll find Baby Care Centers in every park with plenty of feeding areas, child-size pottys, and private nursing areas. These quiet centers can be an oasis for over-stimulated children needing a mid-day break. Preschoolers/Elementary Kids “They’re the perfect age! I want to go now!” This seems to be a ‘magical age’ to take kids to Disney parks. For preschoolers and early elementary-age kids, everything around them is absolutely real. They don’t doubt for a second that they’re meeting the Mickey Mouse and the Anna & Elsa. For older elementary kids who may have started figuring things out, they’re now hitting that magical height of 46” when they can ride almost everything in the parks. Speaking from personal experience, there’s nothing like seeing your daughter proudly walk up to Space Mountain, have a Disney cast member declare her tall enough, then launch into a space adventure only dreamed about back when she was still a ‘little’ kid. Tweens/Teens “My kids are too old for Disney!” Here’s another Disney secret: they’re probably going to love it. Walking through those turnstiles and down Main Street reignites the childlike wonder in most tweens and teens. You may find your nostalgic teenager wanting to rub shoulders with Mickey Mouse or take a selfie with Ariel. Even if they don’t shave off a few years of attitude during their trip, tweens and teens alike will still revel in the glory of such thrill rides as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Star Tours, and Space Mountain. They may also enjoy the freedom to explore the parks on their own for a bit, something they may have wanted to do for years when younger. Best ways to enjoy the new nighttime show at Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme ParkBy David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist
The Jungle Book-Alive with Magic opened Memorial Day weekend to mixed reviews. It's a different kind of nighttime show compared to nighttime spectaculars like the Wishes fireworks show in the Magic Kingdom® Park or IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth in Epcot®. This limited-engagement show, infused with Bollywood style and based on the new hit live-action film The Jungle Book, requires a unique approach for the best possible experience. Somewhat like Fantasmic!, performance is a big part of show. Complex dance numbers take place on barges moving on Discovery River, combining with fountain and lighting effects as well as water screens and projection to create a truly unique experience. Because the seating area was designed for the yet-to-debut Rivers of Light show, sight lines for this limited engagement show can be challenging. You essentially have two options to get the best views: 1) Book a FastPass+ reservation for the show, AND show up at least 30 minutes prior to show time. This will get you seated in the best viewing area on the Asia side of the River. 2) Book a Dining Package AND show up at least 30 minutes prior to show time. This will get you seated in the best viewing area on the DinoLand U.S.A.® Land side of the River. If you're not seated in one of the first two rows, you'll probably have a better view standing in the back of the viewing area than in the middle rows - the rake of the seating is not steep enough for this show. Tusker House dining packages cost $37+tax & gratuity/adult for breakfast; $49+tax & gratuity/adult for lunch or dinner (or 1 Table Service Dining credit). The packages are the same great character dining experience as the regular meal at Tusker House, just restricted to more limited times. The best cash value is the Tiffins dining package, for lunch or dinner. The whole menu is available, and unless you order the vegetarian option, the prix fixe dining package option, priced at $67+tax & gratuity/adult for lunch and dinner, is less expensive than ordering the same items but NOT getting the special seating for the show! Have you seen The Jungle Book-Alive with Magic yet? Let me know what your experience was like! By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist
So you've booked your Disneyland® Resort package. Now comes another question: how do you get there? If you're more than a few hours away, you're likely going to choose to fly. Unlike flying to Walt Disney World® Resort where you're pretty much locked into Orlando International Airport, the Los Angeles area has a ton of different airports to choose from. Let's examine the three most likely candidates for a Disneyland Resort trip: LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) This airport is probably the default for a lot of people, because people think "L.A." and automatically think LAX. It does have some limited advantages-- you'll have a multitude of choices for flights, particularly if you're flying internationally. But it's also got a lot of downsides: it's HUGE. Allow at least an hour to get from your gate to baggage claim and your ground transportation. On your return trip, getting through security will likely be an ordeal, as lines are almost always lengthy. It's also the furthest of the three airports I'll discuss here; while theoretically it's possible to get to Disneyland Resort from LAX in about 45 minutes, let's be realistic: this is Los Angeles. 60-90 minutes is more likely, depending on traffic. But on the transportation plus side: there's a shuttle bus (the Disneyland Resort Express) that runs fairly regularly to Disneyland Resort until 8:00 PM. The Lowdown: May be your only option if flying internationally. This should be your last choice of airport, if you have other options. While it can be inexpensive, you'll waste lots of time waiting on baggage, waiting in security lines, and waiting in traffic. SNA (John Wayne Airport) Also known as the Orange County Airport or the Santa Ana Airport, SNA is a great choice for Disneyland Resort travel. It's several orders of magnitude smaller than LAX, while still having a decent number of airlines serving it, giving you lots of choices for decent, inexpensive flights. Baggage claim and rental car service are a breeze, and security lines, for the most part, are short. SNA is just 15 miles from Disneyland Resort, making it a fairly quick and easy drive of about 30 minutes, depending on traffic. The Disneyland Resort Express also serves SNA, but Uber or Lyft are also viable options (don't forget a car seat or booster seat if you're traveling with kids!). The Lowdown: SNA is the sweet spot of having lots of airline choices and convenience. It's the closest of all the airports, it's fairly easy to navigate the medium-sized airport, and you won't spend a lot of time waiting on anything. LGB (Long Beach Airport) I have a soft spot for LGB. It is TINY. To give you an idea of how tiny it is: on my first flight into LGB, I deplaned (none of those fancy jetways here; you walk down a staircase onto the actual runway!), got my bags, walked to the rental car counter, and was actually in my rental car within ten minutes. On your return flight, you'll encounter virtually no security lines; I've flown from LGB at least a dozen times, and can't recall a time I waited more than five minutes. Being small, though, it doesn't have nearly as many flight options as SNA or LAX. Your transportation options are a *bit* more limited than LAX or SNA, but not by much. It's about 17 miles from Disneyland Resort, making the drive time fairly equal to coming from SNA. There's no Disneyland Resort Express, but cabs are plentiful and relatively cheap. Uber & Lyft are also options. The Lowdown: if flying into LGB is an option for you, this is the airport to go with. By far the tiniest airport, which translates directly to less waiting and quick navigation. By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist
The World of Color Dessert Party at Disney California Adventure® Park offers a premium viewing experience for the World of Color nighttime spectacular. For the first time, guests can sit to watch the show instead of jostling for a good view in the standing sections. Instead of lining up an hour or two early to ensure a good viewing spot, guests can now walk up to reserved seating at the last minute and have a great view. At $79/person, it’s not cheap— but you get a premium dessert plate, a glass of sparkling wine or sparkling cider, and an unobstructed view from an elevated table. Guests who’ve already attended say there’s not a bad view in the reserved section, which is located right in front of The Little Mermaid– Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. Is it worth it? There are a lot of factors at play when answering that question: the length of your vacation, how many people you're traveling with, and how often you visit Disneyland, just to name a few. It all comes down to value proposition: is extra comfort and reduced wait time for a premium view worth the extra cost? Personally, I’m usually willing to spend a little extra money and devote the time I save to exploring other areas of the park with my daughter—and, after a long day, sitting down for World of Color could be a very welcome relief. Is the World of Color dessert party right for you? Talk to your Mouse Master agent today to find out! |
AuthorI'm David Platt, your Mouse Master Disney Destination specialist. I'm delighted to bring you the latest news on Disney Destinations. Archives
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Telephone412-654-5869
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david@themousemaster.com
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