Are we crazy?

[jbugg8200]

We are doing DL the 14-16 of Dec. We orginally choose this due to my sister living close and avoiding hotel cost and maybe crowds would be a little lighter than the following week. Now that the park hours are out for our time we are going back and forth on getting a hotel even though she lives 8 miles from the park. Would we be crazy to not get a room and just go back and forth? At DW we didn't go back because it was such a hassel but 8-12 are really long days....am I going to regret not getting a room?

 

[millie0312]

I think it depends- how much you can do (it's a LOT of walking), if you have younger kids- naps, tired feet, if you want to avoid the biggest crowds (that week will be BUSY just not the busiest lol). 3 park days is a long stretch with no rest but doable especially if you are trying to "do it all." I have a 9 and 2 year old and we walk back at lunch for a nap and rest from the crowds- we also do waiting in line at rd to close though so a nap is needed lol if you plan on needing sleep get a hotel- you won't want to drive and re-park but if you just need to sit there are quiet dark places to rest even on busy days

 

[jbugg8200]

Thanks we have never done dl, so I am completely out of my element. My girls are 5 and 7. I have had your thoughts about going back for naps etc since I know it will be a lot of walking....my fear is we won't go back because it is so crowded and trying to do everythung and that's all that money for nothing. I have planned for DW but know that I am 6 weeks out I feel overwhelmed

 

[Geemo]

Thanks we have never done dl, so I am completely out of my element. My girls are 5 and 7. I have had your thoughts about going back for naps etc since I know it will be a lot of walking....my fear is we won't go back because it is so crowded and trying to do everythung and that's all that money for nothing. I have planned for DW but know that I am 6 weeks out I feel overwhelmed

If you're considering a hotel room, book something NOW! Many of the places on Harbor have a no penalty cancellation policy with a couple of days notice.
A mid day break is refreshing when you want to spend max time in the parks.

My group isn't much on naps. They do like a little pool time mid day with lunch. We'll call and order a pizza from Marris's on our way out of the park. They deliver shortly after we're back at the pool.

Enjoy the holiday's in the parks.

Geemo

 

[SMD]

If you're really planning to go rope drop to close, you'll end up being home for about 6.5 hours before you have to leave to go back the next day. You could compromise and get a room for 1 night and make that your late night and the next morning use your MM if it's included in your ticket.

 

[gottalovepluto]

8-12 are VERY long park days & the best time at DL is first thing in the morning and you'll want to stay through fireworks in the evenings and that gets very long, very quick. We've done DL for years, and learned we have to take a midday break. Without it the kids break down by day 2 and the adults crack around day 3. Unfortunately I'm not joking here. DL is very crowded because of its small size so it will feel different from WDW, and the intense crowds up the misery factor significantly. If your hotel would require a car drive I would skip it and stay at the house because you will deal with the hassle of parking no matter what. If you're debating a walking distance hotel I'd spring for the hotel to take full advantage of those days in the parks.

 

[sheetz]

16 hours straight in the parks is tough. I couldn't do it for 3 straight days. If you want to avoid staying at a hotel then maybe do 8am-5pm for the first 2 days then 8am-closing on the last day. You'll still get to do lots as long as you make rope drop.

 

[rentayenta]

8 miles is not that far if you decide to take a midday break. I could maybe do one 16 hour day in the parks but no way could we do 3; not even my 3 teenagers could handle it. I like the advice above. If it were me, I would get a hotel room. Late nights and early rope drops will lead to exhaustion so while you may be able to physical handle 16 hours a day, how much enjoyment will you really be getting out of it?

 

[Taraven87]

I agree that those are very long park days, and it may be wise to at least book a room with a good cancellation policy until you decide how long to spend in the parks each day. If you do pull back from a full open-close day and just need a place to unwind for an hour or two, don't forget that the Disneyland Hotel and the Grand Californian are easily accessible from the parks, and there are lots of relatively quiet public areas to sit down and relax for a bit!

 

[Sagginit]

The crowds there will make you want a break. I found that even going off peak this fall certain areas of DL got extremely crowded due to the closure of the area near the waterfront and Fantasyland does not have good stroller parking space, so walkways can become tiny. I remember one or two afternoons where we couldn't find a bench in certain areas to sit for a minute and have a snack. If you can afford to book something within walking distance I would definately consider this even if it means cutting back on money for meals or extras. The problem I see here is if the parks open at 8 you will want to get in early for certain rides and FP at rope drop, but evening shows might not be until 8-9pm which is a very long day. Personally going to a disney hotel and sitting in the lobby is not the same as going back to an actual room that you can kick off your shoes in. The hotels are so close too that you can get back to rest in 10-15min which is why it is so worth it (vs WDW where onsite is still often a 20-30 min bus ride).

Start shopping around now and since most hotels have a good cancellation policy I would book something in your price range and then search for last minute deals as you get closer. The good news is since you are going Wed-Fri you could get a good discount on Wed-Thurs nights. I would perhaps do that with checkout on Fri and stay with your relatives Fri night. You can use your afternoon break that day to move your luggage over via an Uber and then shuttle back to the park with an Uber. If you do stay with your relatives you might want to consider Ubers/Lyfts instead of driving over. I found there were always plenty in the area and they get you super close to the gate. We used them a few times when we went offsite to eat and just couldn't bear walking 1-2 miles after a long day.

 

[Midnightred]

I would absolutely get a hotel room, but my family needs more down time/rest time than most. I think it's nice to be able to take your shoes off, watch a little TV, warm up if it's cold outside (also get a break from relatives, lol).

Midnightred

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I live 7.5 miles from Disneyland. If you wanted, you could do a mid-day break, but it would take away a big chunk of park time. I do have to leave home about an hour before I actually want to be in the parks - between parking, shuttling over, security, line to get in... We are home within about 25-30 minutes of walking out of the park, though.

I'm assuming you're looking at four nights - Can you do your sister's for the first part and then switch to a hotel for the last couple? You'll still save some money, but have a hotel available for the end when you're more tired.

 

[Elima2015]

I would get a hotel, at least for 2 of the nights. Those are long days. DH and I just did 3 days alone with shorter park hour days - we were there at RP until almost close and we were exhausted. There was no way we could have done that with our kids en tow. I would have been very antsy with the time needed to get to the car, drive the 8 miles, rest, drive back, find parking, tram, security.... So, my opinion is stay close and ENJOY!!! Take a mid day break, be closer for the beginning and ends of your park days!