Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide

Tips to help you book a Disneyland Vacation Package in California

If you're in a California state of mind and are planning a visit to Disneyland, there are a number of key options to consider before you go on your vacation. 

First, forget the old adage that Disneyland can be done in a day. To fully enjoy the Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure theme park, you should plan on a minimum of two full days, preferably three (or more), in Anaheim.

Next, plan your budget. In addition to your hotel, you'll need to factor in theme park admission, meals and transportation. If you plan on adding a visit to other Southern California destinations, this will also impact your vacation budget.

Another key factor in planning your vacation is the time of year you choose to go. Budget wise, off-season is the best time to go and is usually when you'll find discounts available. However, off-season often interferes with school calendars. (This is also the most likely time of year for attractions to undergo refurbishment and the park hours to be shorter.) Throughout the year, there are special events that you may not want to miss.

Now that you have a price in mind and the time of year you'd like to visit, let's go about matching it to your "Disney Dream."

If you want to be in the "middle of the magic" during your vacation, the three Disneyland Hotels puts you there. Whether you choose the Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel or Disney's Paradise Pier, you'll not only be within walking distance of the Disney theme parks and Downtown Disney, you'll also be able to take advantage of exclusive amenities for guests who stay at a Disney owned hotel. These are:

• Exclusive entrance to the California Adventure theme park
• Charging your meals and merchandise to your room account
• Package delivery of park purchases

If staying at a Disney owned hotel isn't realistic, there are endless choices through Disney's "Good Neighbor Hotel" package. These hotels are recommended by Disney and offer Moderate, Superior and Suite accommodations. The amenities offered vary greatly. Some of the hotels have basic facilities, some offer free breakfast, some have free shuttle service, etc. Compare your budget to the hotel descriptions and you can easily decide which hotel gives you the most "bang for your buck."

Before thinking that the better value is planning your trip "a la carte", there's a lot to be said for a Disneyland vacation package. Besides the convenience, you'll find them to be competitive and to include amenities that will enhance your stay:

Disneyland Resort Package:

Package for guests staying at the three Disney owned hotels. Includes Extra Magic Hour (early entry) to one of the theme parks on every day of your stay, a souvenir layard & pin, luggage tags, and a Walt Disney Travel Savings Card.

Disneyland Good Neighbor Package:

Same features as the Disneyland Resort Package for guests staying at a Disney Good Neighbor hotel, except for Extra Magic Hour. Includes Magic Morning (early entry) at Disneyland Park on select days with a ticket of 3-days or longer.

Disneyland Southern California Package:

This Package requires a minimum 3 night stay at a Disneyland or Good Neighbor hotel (with the benefits mentioned above) and a minimum of 2 nights at your choice of a Beach, Hollywood or San Diego hotel. A great add-on to this package is the Southern California City Pass.

There are a number of Disneyland discounts currently available. Additionally, if you have a Disney Visa you can get some special perks by booking your package with your card.

Room Only Discounts - If a package deal doesn't interest you, you may be able to get a room discount if you fall into the following categories: Annual Passholder, Military, Senior, Disney Visa, Hotel Rewards member, AAA member. (The latter gives you a discount at select Disney restaurants.) These are only available at the Disney owned hotels.

Ticket Discounts - Significant discounts on tickets are generally hard to come by, but check with your credit union or military ticket office.

Details, details, details...

We covered all of the basics when it comes to planning a Disneyland vacation. The next step is knowing in advance what to expect when you arrive. This is where using a Disney Travel specialist could be invaluable. While being spontaneous is fine, it's not so great when you're shut out of restaurants or missed a show because you were in the wrong place. Of course, we recommend Dreams Unlimited Travel. Our Disneyland pros know how to make your vacation magical.