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anaspiringalice · 5 years ago

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Starting The Magic: How to Start Planning for Disneyland!

Disclaimer: I'm not a travel agent, Annual Passholder, cast member or associated with the Disney company in any way. The views, as with everything on my blog, expressed here are my own and how I personally begin to plan and will follow through planning. This is to help those who have no idea where to start. Planning is overwhelming. I go into far too much detail with planning, starting a year or more in advance as it's entertaining for me and take a lot of the anxiety out of the trip. I enjoy it and thus spend too much time doing it. I hope that what I have found will help others and reduce the stress of planning their own Disneyland vacations.

You've gone ahead and chosen Walt's original park to have your next vacation - Disneyland in California! An excellent choice and one you won't regret (but who would regret a Disney vacation? Perhaps those who don't plan it properly!) That begs the question: now that you've chosen your destination, where do you begin?

Hi, I'm Aspi! I'm an avid Disneyland fanatic and the purpose of my blog is to share my own knowledge, experiences and mistakes so that you can learn from them and plan your own trip. I want to compile Disneyland tips, tricks, how-to's, suggestions and little bits of magic .. all while removing as much of the stress as possible to help your own trip. Please read my blog disclaimer before continuing!

WHO'S COMING?

One of the most important things is to figure out who is coming, as the people you bring (as well as the number of them) will have the largest impact on the rest of the planning. They present the most variables you need to account for: scheduling, rides, food, budget and more. Everybody has their own way of doing things, so by planning and allowing for that, the process becomes that much easier. Far less meltdowns and stress and much more fun ahead!

When I planned for my sister and I back in 2018, I had no problem getting a rough draft of what to expect. Not only did we grow up together, we share many of the same interests and opinions on Disney and how we prefer our days to go. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses and what would be tough in the park, our sleeping and eating habits, staying all day, remaining in the "disney bubble" and the like! She's been to the park several times before, so it was easy for her to communicate what she did and didn't enjoy about her previous trips. With a year for me to plan, it was more than enough time to figure out what we didn't see eye to eye on and plan a vacation that would be magical - for the both of us! I'm happy to say it was a success, and it meant so much to me when she said I'd been her favourite to visit with and that our trip had been the most magical of all the others she'd been on. In fact, she was even bored of Disneyland and didn't want to go, she just wanted to spend time with me! Now she can't wait to go back.

This time around, I was in more of a pickle as I don't have that experience with the group I'm going with. I want to do for them what I did for my sister; make it magical and memorable. While I've known two of the people I'm travelling with for almost fifteen years, having gone with them to many anime conventions, I know Disneyland puts even the largest con to shame and poses bigger and different problems than struggling to put contacts in or staying up until 3AM to paint scales on a dress. The third person I'm friends with, but I've only known for about three years and haven't had the pleasure of going on a trip with or getting to know as well as I'd like to! I don't know the fourth at all and really wanted for us to connect and get a sense of how well everyone worked together and what their preferences were. More on this in a moment!

WHEN TO GO?

Fortunately for us, the time of year or the amount of days wasn't even a question! It was without hesitation that we wanted to experience the Halloween season and attend Oogie Boogie's Bash on the 31st, with 5 Day Park-Hoppers. Unfortunately, life goes as it does, and several factors such as COVID-19 and a wedding just made those dates not work for us. We've adjusted our dates and will now be visiting in early November, hopefully enjoying the first few days of the Christmas season.

In any other situation, the way I narrow down when to go is factored in by all of the following points, which makes it easy to choose the month and year. I don't tackle these things in specific order or worry about hte exact day, unless there's a specific celebration, as that is narrowed naturally by things like days off of work, openings in hotels, crowd levels, flight prices, Disney tickets, etc.

» Budgeting. Of course, this is a rough ballpark of what you want to spend. I take into account items to purchase as well such as clothes or shoes for the trip, food, tours, character dining, flights, hotel, transportation, gifts and merchandise. I find around $5,000 is my ideal budget without having to worry about money while I'm there and to be more than enough extra, including for emergencies or if something doesn't go as planned. Plus, it feels good to come home realizing you spent $1,500+ less than what you budgeted for! You want to find out what works for you. Take the time to browse prices, what interests you in the parks and how long it takes to raise what you can comfortably afford. It might be a few months, or even a few years. Keep in mind your budget may look different, as I may be interested in different things or you may be driving/have cheaper flights and may not need to factor in conversion rates if Disneyland isn't an international park for you. I'm Canadian, so this is something I need to keep in mind!

» Celebrations/Holidays. These are things that you would like to be, or not to be, in the park for. Consider birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, new ride or land openings, special parades and shows, park events such as Dapper Day, holidays and the like. One of our members comes from a military family, so wasn't wanting to be in the parks on Remembrance Day as it's an important day for her family if we could help it!

» Refurbishments. Consider attractions that would completely ruin your trip if they were unable to be ridden while you were there. I personally have six that I couldn't imagine not riding, but the only ones that would completely ruin my trip would be Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Carribbean. Indiana was originally planned for refurb in 2020, but due to COVID, I'm not expecting that to happen this year; if it did, I would re-schedule in a heartbeat. This happened to me with the Matterhorn in 2018, as I'd never ridden it before and wanted to! I also missed seeing Fantasmic as the last day it was available was our first day there. Make sure to check the schedules!

» Crowd Levels. This, I’m sure, is the major factor for most people. Nobody wants to be elbow-to-elbow walking from point A to point B; but it’s hard to say for sure what the park will be like on any given day. Fortunately for us, there’s plenty of tools out there to help you make educated estimates on levels. While my personal favourite is IsItPacked, you do need to take into account Public Holidays as well as thing like Events or Refurbishments and seasonal holidays such as spring break. There are many websites that have articles on the best and worst times to go, some of them being MouseSavers, IsItPacked, GetAwayToday and DisneyTouristBlog.

» Weather. I will likely lose a lot of you on this one as I don’t mind a rainy day or two or the colder weather and I find it much more comfortable than any amount of heat, but of course nobody likes to be out in line for two hours when it’s sweltering. Take the time to check historical averages and some information on Disneyland during different times of the year. Weather also affects what rides are operating and how long the parks are open, so do take that into account too!

WHERE TO STAY?

Disneyland currently offers three official hotels; Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier & the Grand Californian. However, there are many places to stay right across the street for just a fraction of the cost, some being even closer than the official hotels! With that, I think my opinion on the matter is pretty clear: I don't think it's worth it to stay on-property at Disneyland. Some say the benefits aren't worth losing, but other hotels offer similar amenities for a little extra (but still remain lower than the average night at a Disney hotel.) Some things may be done yourself in "DIY" fashion, or made up for in other areas!

» Extra Magic Hour. The perk of entering earlier every single day of your stay compared to entering early only once is easily made up for with a good itinerary and time management. If you are willing to fork over the extra money just for this, then I recommend the Max Pass as a still-cheaper and even better solution as you have access to all PhotoPass photos, including ride photos.

» Proximity. With the exception of the Grand Californian, several hotels are actually much closer to the parks. Those that aren't are only a few minutes more walking distance, may offer free or low-charge shuttles to and from the parks, or are only a $5-7 Uber ride away; all of which are cheaper than the average nightly rate.

» Theme. Personally, I was less than impressed with the Disneyland Hotel when I visited in 2018. After a meltdown where my sister ducked me into the nearest bathroom to calm down, I was a little disorientated and had to ask where we were.. because the themeing was just so minimal. Apart from the teacup-chairs and headboards in the rooms, the dark carpet and odd texures mixed with historical elements that I feel would be better off highlighted in a tour.. it just felt far too dirty, focusing on quantity rather than quality with no privacy in areas like the pool. It was disenchanting and unwelcoming in comparison to the gorgeous Majestic Garden, offering full-out castle themeing with a rose garden and koi pond, not to mention a fairytale surrounding the hotel with its own Princesses who wanders the halls and tells her story nightly by the fireside and even responds to letters. The Grand Californian was beautiful, but I feel the cost of staying is better put to use with more days in the park at an off-property hotel. We never visited Paradise Pier, though it was almost our hotel of choice, but the cons outweighed the pros. With so many hotels much more beautiful than Disney's, as well as AirBNB's in the area, offering so much more private space and even full kitchens... it's just not worth it, to me. I do think it is more than worth it to take half a day or so to tour the hotels and the lobby, especially during holidays, but I’m not fond of the themes otherwise.

» Character Dining. This is offered in other locations, my favourite being the in-park Minnie's Breakfast At The Plaza Inn.

» Reservation Priority. For most everything you would want to reserve, they may typically be made up to 60 days in advance for non-hotel guests and there is generally no issue with booking if you're early enough.

» In-Room Celebrations. As far as this goes, I will be making a post at a later time in my AddALittleMagic section which presents a DIY Method to bring in a cheaper celebration. Part of what this will mention is various Princess Party businesses, which bring in characters who will do a series of activities. I'm sure if you phone those companies, they'd be more than willing to offer specialized wake-up calls as well, just like the Disney property hotels.

The only benefit I see as worthwhile for staying on Disney property is the Package Express, which delivers items directly to your room for you. Even then, there is something so special to me about choosing a particular item in a store with friends and family. Some of my strongest memories in the parks, including one of my very few memories of my 2004 trip, were choosing items in the store and carrying it around the rest of the day. There are locker rentals for larger and more cumbersome purchases, but I also recommend midday breaks back at your hotel.. which just trumps the benefits of the Package Express. The decision of staying on or off property is completely up to you, but I would much rather buy an extra day or two in the park!

How do I choose where to stay?

I don’t have a fancy way of narrowing down the options which I use, but I am thorough in choosing where to spend the night. The method I use is meticulous, but well worth it. I consider the amenities the people I travel with would like or need, ranging anywhere from free breakfast, pool, gym, suite, connecting rooms as well as a their overall budget.

From there, I search on Google Maps for “Disneyland Hotels” and keep within a few blocks of the park itself to make sure everything is in walking distance or only a short Uber ride away. I use the options to narrow down guests staying, the dates and the price per night. I visit the websites of these hotels and view the rooms, listing pro’s and con’s. I then do similar on the AirBNB website and compare amenities and price! When I’ve narrowed it down to the top 5, I take the list to those I’m staying with and ask them their opinions - voicing what I think the best option for us is.

The most beautiful hotel I found in the area, offering so much for such a ridiculously low price, is the Majestic Garden Hotel where my sister and I stayed in 2018. I have stayed in many a hotel and AirBNB and the service and quality offered here is completely unmatched.

For 2020, my group and I will be staying at the Hyatt House. I was sad to compromise with this, but we would have needed two rooms at the Majestic Garden - which doesn’t offer free breakfast either, so it made more sense costwise and it was important for us to all be in one room. We’ll still be visiting the Majestic Garden during our trip, to tour the hotel and eat the amazing sliders at their bar!

Other places which I haven’t had the pleasure of staying at, but I would have stayed in a heartbeat, is this gorgeous Peter-Pan themed AirBNB. The host also offers several other spaces themed to Disney movies, but I’m a sucker for Peter! There was also this stunning muted pink-and-grey townhouse!

I sincerely hope that this post helped you in some way and would appreciate a follow if you would like to see more! I’ll be making plenty of posts about Disneyland and my planning process. *No affilliate links are featured in this post. All opinions are my own.

#disneyland #disneyland planning #disney vacation #tripplanning #startingmagic #novtrip

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anaspiringalice · 5 years ago

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My Disney Story: Apsi’s Introduction!

Hi there! Thanks for clicking to get to know a little bit more about the person behind the posts. It’s nice to meet you! You can call me Aspi.

I won’t be sharing too much personal information on the blog, but I’m a chronically ill twenty-odd-something who has been mentally living in Disneyland every single day for nearly three years. Currently, I’m still residing in my home country of Canada. It’s beautiful here, but no matter what road I look down I only see Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at the end of Main Street. I might not trade my home for the world, but I can certainly consider letting it go for a couple months for fantasy.

I could say that my story began back in the 90's when I was first introduced to Disney films and found that my like for them was just a little bit more than anyone else around me. Where people "grew up" and out of it, I was forever stuck admiring the beauty and nostalgia of the music, artwork, animation and storytelling. I'm just like a lot of you reading this, hopefully.

But, my Disney story truly began on November 9th 2017. It was my birthday and despite the best efforts of friends/family to be of comfort, company and cheer I was at home alone and struggling with severe chronic pain and anxiety. I was walled up inside my bedroom, not physically capable of getting out of bed without assistance and too tired to try. In fact, I couldn't do anything to enjoy my birthday. Now, I'm not really someone for personal celebrations. I don't like the attention, I don't like the presents, I don't like any of it. Usually, I like the day completely ignored save for a game of Clue (Cluedo in some countries), Red Robins for dinner and chocolate or red velvet cake. That’s an amazing birthday, in my eye. But, there is a huge difference between wanting to be left alone and not having a choice in it. Many people not in similar situations to me now are sure to understand: everyone likes to take the day off and spend it at home, but when there’s a stay-at-home order and you’re not allowed to leave? Completely different. All you want is to go out. Add in that you’re overwhelmed with pain that you can't do anything about and it’s no fun at all. It wasn't even snowing - and I love the snow! I was miserable and I decided that would be the last year I'd ever feel like that on a day where I was supposed to "feel special."

So, that begged the question - what would my ideal birthday be like? My first idea landed on an anime convention falling on that date, as cosplaying is my favourite hobby. Unfortunately, it is way too cold in November for that to ever be a thing and it was quickly scrapped. At that time, Youtube user Briberry (now Briannacherrygarcia) was uploading a hilarious bunch of shenanigans from Alice and the Mad Hatter at Disneyland. That was all that it took. I hadn't been to Disneyland since 2004 and I had no memories of my visit, despite being more than old enough to! It started as something just for fun, planning exactly how I would have a birthday in the park. That was all it was, a fantasy, until I came back to it a few weeks later and decided... well, why not? Why can't I save up and do a solo trip for a few days?

I went completely mental over the idea. I subscribed to nearly anyone with a Disneyland-based youtube channel, followed as many blogs as possible and spent more hours than was healthy planning. Not a moment passed where I wasn't thinking about the trip. I talked about it so much that my sister, who had been to the Disneyland park several times, was a bit jealous I'd be going without her and she invited herself. The rest is history! In November 2018, my sister and I went for my "first" trip to The Happiest Place On Earth. After an extremely hard year for our family, it was exactly what we needed.

I'll share more details on the 2018 trip in my Reliving Disney tag as the blog progresses since I’d like share all the magic. But, there was one moment which really stuck out to me. While playing musical chairs with the Alice-less Mad Hatter, I realized I knew all of the "lines" she was supposed to say. I took them from the pianist and Hatter and I had some back-and-forth. When we played, he did all he could to keep me in the game as long as possible without being unfair to the kids who were younger than I. When he approached me to pull me off my chair and give it to a child who couldn't sit in time, he dropped his voice and whispered to me: "You would be good at this, you know." I belonged there and I knew it. Gone were my previous thoughts of maybe wanting to become as Cast Member and be friends with Princess Aurora. My friend was none other than Alice herself.

The following months comprised of me doing all I could to help myself with my health problems, more than I had before. I spent an extended period away from my city where I can receive better healthcare and have been trying to knock off many of the other things which stand in my way to prevent me from auditioning. In fact, I don't ever expect I'll become a cast member in the way I want to. To me, that's not the point. To me, what matters is not that I succeed, but that I try. I will go to an audition, no matter how high the odds are stacked against me.

"You try, you fail. You try, you fail. But the only true failure is when you stop trying." "What do you want me to do, huh?" "Try again." (--- Disney's Haunted Mansion, 2003.)

Sometime in the summer of 2019 I was discussing this with one of my best friends, who sadly moved very far away from me earlier in the year. When it was mentioned that along with roommates, they were all planning a trip to Disneyland "sometime" in the future that I wanted to hijack the trip the way my sister did with me. I snuck in and took over as Trip Planner, or Magic Coordinator. We roped in a few more people and turned a "maybe in the future" dream to a "now" reality. We're still facing issues to the COVID-19 Pandemic, but no matter how high the odds are stacked we will all go! That leads us to the now! So come along with me and relive memories of the past and follow along while I share my thoughts on planning for Disneyland during Halloween/Christmastime!

Remember, all it takes is faith and trust...

- Aspi!

#aspiblogs #pastmagic #aboutaspi #blogintro

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