Two adults and a toddler some advise requested

[Mikkimús]

We are a family of 3, me (29), fiancé(29) and our son(2).
We will be staying at Best Western Plus Raffles Inn & Suites from 30th of Jan to 10th of Feb.
I am the planner of the trip, but I dont have much planned
We are very loosey goosey about this all. I was thinking about Disney for 3 days from monday 5th of february throught the 7th or from tuesday 6th to thursday 8th of february.
We dont need to hit every attraction and will have to go with how the two year old is handling all this. His first time in a foreign country in a very different time zone.
We are also kind budgeting so I was thinking of skipping park-hoppers, it would save us almost 100 bucks on disneyland. com. And I cant justify it, I would definitely buy it if it was just us adults but I dont think it will be worth it with a toddler.

We do have a rental car but are thinking about walking to the park from the hotel if possible, is it?
I was also wondering how ride swap works? Does one person have to go in line and get a ticket for the other or does the child have to be seen by staff to get the ride-swap?
Can the one waiting with the child walk through the line with the one who is riding and take the chicken exit?
And lastly do you recommend some things to do that are with in distance to travel in one day that is fun to do with a toddler?
We are already thinking of the San Diego Zoo at least.

Thank you for reading

 

[sherilaine]

I think that with time change it's good to wait a few days before heading to Disney but if you are going to be staying for that long in the area then have you considered spreading your park days over a longer period of time and perhaps going on one of the weekend days when the park will be open for longer hours, rather than doing a Monday to Wednesday or Tuesday to Thursday?

While you can walk from that distance I think it would not be an easy walk - it'd likely take you close to 20 minutes to get from your hotel to security, and maybe longer on the way back at the end of the day. So while the 2 year old would be comfy in their stroller you might be pretty tired.

I would certainly not drive to the parks - but would take a shuttle or the ART if possible.

For ride swap I'd ask the first ride attendant you see at each ride if there is a "chicken exit" that is easy to use, I would imagine each ride is different.

With a rental car in the area there is lots to do! Shopping, beaches, and of course the Zoo would be a great day trip.

 

[figment_jii]

It can vary a little by CM, but I would generally plan on having to bring your son with you to the attraction to get the rider swap. Lately it seems like the CMs are being stricter about this requirement. The CM at the entrance will give you the rider swap pass and then either you or your fiance will enter the line (either FP, if you have one, or the standby if you do not) and the other adult and child can go off and do something else. When the first person finish the attraction, the adult that did not ride can go back to the attraction, show the CM the swap pass and enter the FP line. (The swap pass is usually good for up to three people, but if it's just you and your fiance, that won't really matter.) If your son is not tall enough to ride the attraction, he will not be allowed into the queue.

I wouldn't drive to the park if you could avoid it, but you're not really within easy walking distance either. It's about 1.0 mile (so not a long distance, but not short either), so it would probably be faster to walk than drive, but after a long day in the parks, your feet might not enjoy the walk. I would probably opt to walk, just because driving seems like a bigger hassle, but that might change by the third day...

I'd look into the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Zoo Safari Park and maybe Legoland.

 

[10SE]

For other close by activities, check out Pretend City Children’s Museum in Irvine. It’s great for toddlers. It’s a big warehouse that they’ve set up to look like a miniature city complete with grocery store, gas station, post office, bank, etc.

https://www.pretendcity.org/

 

[poptart90]

You must be nearby to get the Rider Switch because the switch pass will be loaded on the 2nd Adult park ticket by the CM at the entrance. And in Dec/Jan, the CMs wanted to see me and DD who was too small before issuing a switch. Here's how it works.

Example: you both want to ride Star Tours. Son is too small for height requirement. One of you waits in line with BOTH ADULT PARK TICKETS until getting to the CM at the main entrance (when you actually go inside). When that happens, request a rider switch. Waiting parent and son are close by enough to "wave" etc to CM so they can see it's a legit request. CM loads a rider switch pass on the parent park ticket who is waiting with son. If you are using the Disneyland App (highly recommend!) you can check the time the CM has scheduled for the next parent to return and enjoy the attraction. At that point, second parent does not wait in regular line again, but enters through the Fast Pass line. Speeds things up considerably!

Been taking our daughter since she was 9 months. She's two now. Utilize all the "fun" at the parks too. There's so much for little ones to explore outside of the attractions. My daughter loves Bugs Land in California Adventure. There are two super fun water areas in the middle. I know it will be Jan/Feb, but there are kids in there all year long. If you plan ahead and stop there during the warmest part of the day, it can be a great energy burn! Even getting toes wet! Bathrooms are adjacent, so bring a towel and change of clothes. Tom Sawyer's Island in Disneyland is a great place to run and explore. Pirate caves, treasure, fort, bridges, etc. Just walking and exploring...my daughter was thrilled with simply spotting the ducks and following them everywhere. Allowing her to have some roaming freedom, made it possible to have her tolerate stroller time while the rest of the family went on rides.

 

[MonocularVision]

If you are staying at the Raffles Inn, I recommend either getting ART (Anaheim Resort Transportation) tickets or if you want to save money (and sometimes time) just walk to the Toy Story Parking Lot and ride that to the park. It will be faster and easier than walking. We have done it many times from the Raffles Inn.

The advantage of ART is that it will pickup right outside the hotel instead of walking to the Toy Story Parking Lot. The disadvantage is that you will generally have to wait for shuttles (while the shuttles in the TSPL Zaire nearly continuous) and that you have to pay per person (while the shuttles are free to use in the TSPL).

 

[smartlabelprint]

WHAt country are you coming from? If Australia there’s a 10 day pass you can purchase through a travel agent in your country.

 

[bumbershoot]

the child have to be seen by staff to get the ride-swap?



Can the one waiting with the child walk through the line with the one who is riding and take the chicken exit?

We always had to make sure our son was seen for rider switch.

The too small child does NOT go into the line beyond being seen by the first CM you come to. So no, parent and child will not do that unless it’s a non-height-restricted ride and the child doesn’t want to ride. (Our attempt at taking our then 2 year old on haunted mansion the first time...)

Be sure to bring a stroller/pram for the walk! We’ve walked from further away but the stroller is needed for a bitty child. (Or Ergo type of babywearing item)

 

[rowan1813]

I stay at BW Raffles all the time and I really recommend just walking into the Toy Story parking lot which is practically next door and riding their buses to the esplanade. The buses are always plentiful (rarely have ever had to wait more than 5 minutes for one) and it totally beats walking to and from the parks every day. That said, I would still have a stroller or something for your little one. Even the short walk at the end of the night can feel like an eternity (it always does for us big kids ) and he will be very tired and very heavy to carry.

 

[Mikkimús]

I think that with time change it's good to wait a few days before heading to Disney but if you are going to be staying for that long in the area then have you considered spreading your park days over a longer period of time and perhaps going on one of the weekend days when the park will be open for longer hours, rather than doing a Monday to Wednesday or Tuesday to Thursday?

While you can walk from that distance I think it would not be an easy walk - it'd likely take you close to 20 minutes to get from your hotel to security, and maybe longer on the way back at the end of the day. So while the 2 year old would be comfy in their stroller you might be pretty tired.

I would certainly not drive to the parks - but would take a shuttle or the ART if possible.

For ride swap I'd ask the first ride attendant you see at each ride if there is a "chicken exit" that is easy to use, I would imagine each ride is different.

With a rental car in the area there is lots to do! Shopping, beaches, and of course the Zoo would be a great day trip.

Thank you, somehow splitting up the park days had not even crossed my mind. I was stuck in it had to be three in a row .
Yes our son will be in a stroller so he wont mind the walk but I will have to check for a shuttle for us.

It can vary a little by CM, but I would generally plan on having to bring your son with you to the attraction to get the rider swap. Lately it seems like the CMs are being stricter about this requirement. The CM at the entrance will give you the rider swap pass and then either you or your fiance will enter the line (either FP, if you have one, or the standby if you do not) and the other adult and child can go off and do something else. When the first person finish the attraction, the adult that did not ride can go back to the attraction, show the CM the swap pass and enter the FP line. (The swap pass is usually good for up to three people, but if it's just you and your fiance, that won't really matter.) If your son is not tall enough to ride the attraction, he will not be allowed into the queue.

I wouldn't drive to the park if you could avoid it, but you're not really within easy walking distance either. It's about 1.0 mile (so not a long distance, but not short either), so it would probably be faster to walk than drive, but after a long day in the parks, your feet might not enjoy the walk. I would probably opt to walk, just because driving seems like a bigger hassle, but that might change by the third day...

I'd look into the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Zoo Safari Park and maybe Legoland.

Thank you. We will maybe walk some of the days but rowan1813 mention the Toy Story parking lot and that sounds more manageable

My son loves Legos, or duplos, so Legoland sounds sounds like a really fun option. I and my fiancé have only visited the one in Denmark so it would be fun for us to see the one in the States.

For other close by activities, check out Pretend City Children’s Museum in Irvine. It’s great for toddlers. It’s a big warehouse that they’ve set up to look like a miniature city complete with grocery store, gas station, post office, bank, etc.

https://www.pretendcity.org/

Thank you that sound really fun.

You must be nearby to get the Rider Switch because the switch pass will be loaded on the 2nd Adult park ticket by the CM at the entrance. And in Dec/Jan, the CMs wanted to see me and DD who was too small before issuing a switch. Here's how it works.

Example: you both want to ride Star Tours. Son is too small for height requirement. One of you waits in line with BOTH ADULT PARK TICKETS until getting to the CM at the main entrance (when you actually go inside). When that happens, request a rider switch. Waiting parent and son are close by enough to "wave" etc to CM so they can see it's a legit request. CM loads a rider switch pass on the parent park ticket who is waiting with son. If you are using the Disneyland App (highly recommend!) you can check the time the CM has scheduled for the next parent to return and enjoy the attraction. At that point, second parent does not wait in regular line again, but enters through the Fast Pass line. Speeds things up considerably!

Been taking our daughter since she was 9 months. She's two now. Utilize all the "fun" at the parks too. There's so much for little ones to explore outside of the attractions. My daughter loves Bugs Land in California Adventure. There are two super fun water areas in the middle. I know it will be Jan/Feb, but there are kids in there all year long. If you plan ahead and stop there during the warmest part of the day, it can be a great energy burn! Even getting toes wet! Bathrooms are adjacent, so bring a towel and change of clothes. Tom Sawyer's Island in Disneyland is a great place to run and explore. Pirate caves, treasure, fort, bridges, etc. Just walking and exploring...my daughter was thrilled with simply spotting the ducks and following them everywhere. Allowing her to have some roaming freedom, made it possible to have her tolerate stroller time while the rest of the family went on rides.

Thank you for that. I wasnt really sure how it all worked. Have hung around on the Universal Florida boards a bit so I know how the child swap works there but havent been on the Disneyland boards enough to figure it out
Yes, one of the reasons why I dont want to plan to much is because I think my son would be just fine hanging a round in these areas you mentioned and following animals . I will have to write them down for places to see at the parks.

WHAt country are you coming from? If Australia there’s a 10 day pass you can purchase through a travel agent in your country.

We are coming from Iceland. Unfortunately there are no travel agents here that have trips to Disney :/

 

[Mikkimús]

If you are staying at the Raffles Inn, I recommend either getting ART (Anaheim Resort Transportation) tickets or if you want to save money (and sometimes time) just walk to the Toy Story Parking Lot and ride that to the park. It will be faster and easier than walking. We have done it many times from the Raffles Inn.

The advantage of ART is that it will pickup right outside the hotel instead of walking to the Toy Story Parking Lot. The disadvantage is that you will generally have to wait for shuttles (while the shuttles in the TSPL Zaire nearly continuous) and that you have to pay per person (while the shuttles are free to use in the TSPL).

Thank you, thats great and sounds more manageable than walking after a long day

We always had to make sure our son was seen for rider switch.

The too small child does NOT go into the line beyond being seen by the first CM you come to. So no, parent and child will not do that unless it’s a non-height-restricted ride and the child doesn’t want to ride. (Our attempt at taking our then 2 year old on haunted mansion the first time...)

Be sure to bring a stroller/pram for the walk! We’ve walked from further away but the stroller is needed for a bitty child. (Or Ergo type of babywearing item)

Thank you, it makes sense that the child can not enter the line. Yes I bought a cheap stroller just for this trip so we dont have to travel with the big one we use normally.

I stay at BW Raffles all the time and I really recommend just walking into the Toy Story parking lot which is practically next door and riding their buses to the esplanade. The buses are always plentiful (rarely have ever had to wait more than 5 minutes for one) and it totally beats walking to and from the parks every day. That said, I would still have a stroller or something for your little one. Even the short walk at the end of the night can feel like an eternity (it always does for us big kids ) and he will be very tired and very heavy to carry.

Thank you, yes that sounds way better than walking after a long day

 

[LilyJC]

Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach is another fun option; especially if the weather isn’t fantastic during your visit. It’s not incredibly far from Anaheim either.

http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/mob/ile

I didn’t read through all the other comments so this might have been mentioned, but perhaps checking out sites such as Getaway Today, Last Minute Travel Club(don’t pay for membership), Undercover Tourist, or Parksavers might help save a bit of money on three day passes?? YMMV

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I have an almost 3 year old and we love Pretend City in Irvine! We are members there (annual pass). The Discovery Cube in Santa Ana is another kids museum, more like a true museum with science exhibits tailored to kids. Very fun! This very close to Disneyland. Long Beach Aquarium is a lovely smaller aquarium with lots to see, perfect for little ones.

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

Buy a cheap umbrella stroller for the trip, don't bring anything big. The smaller strollers are easier to fold for riding the train/monorail. Bring backpacks for the kiddo supplies. We also used colored duck tape on the handles of the stroller to mark it easily. If you are on a ride, sometimes CMs move the strollers if they are in the wrong location.

 

[tzeitel]

We loved the San Diego Zoo! There are also some fun restaurants in the area - we went to http://www.hashhouseagogo.com/ There is also Griffith Park which has tons of things to see and do - including the carousel that inspired Walt Disney to build Disneyland. https://www.laparks.org/griffithpark

 

[starry_solo]

OK, some things to possibly think about for tickets.

Southern California City Pass
https://www.citypass.com/southern-california

Includes Admission to these three parks ($353 for adults), your son won't need a ticket since he's under 3 years old

• Disneyland Park & Disney California Adventure - 3-DAY PARK HOPPER TICKET WITH MAGIC MORNING

• SeaWorld San Diego

• LEGOLAND® California

Read more at https://www.citypass.com/southern-california#i3i2c4QrWRGlypUH.99

It's only $83 per ticket more than buying the 3-day, one park per day ticket from Disneyland's website and you get Sea World and LegoLand included!
It's only $40 per ticket more than buying the 3-day park hopper from Disneyland's website and you get Sea World and Legloland included.

If you wanted to add the zoo or safari park, it's an extra $44.

Go Card Los Angeles (doesn't include Disneyland):
https://www.smartdestinations.com/l...s/_d_Lax-p1.html?pass=Lax_Prod_Go&allInc=true

For the parking, remember it's $20-25 per day to park at the Disneyland parking structure. If you are trying to save funds, you might consider a walk in the morning and then ART in the evening (or get a multi-day ART pass).

 

[tzeitel]

Sea World has Sesame Street stuff, there is a show and character meets, plus a couple of kiddie rides. We went a few years ago, it was pretty cute, my DD loved it.