Originally Posted By jbmgsdmom We are planning an impromtu spring break vacation to California and wanted to take our kids (9,5,& 4mons) to Disneyland. We have never been to CA or Disneyland and are realizing the cost and the short amount of time we have to fully save. I am wondering if it is worth purchasing the 3 day hopper deal or if we should just do Disneyland and just go for one day and spend money at other attractions in CA? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer ^This is a Tough question... Check out the prices at MouseSavers.com Have you seen the CityPass, Costco has it on sale, and will allow you to go to Disneyland/DCA for 3 days, plus 3 days at other parks. 3 day tickets for the Disneyland Resort are discounted at Disneyland.com thru late April (Everyone at the Kids Price). But Knott's has kids 11 and under at $16.95 full price, and you can usually find Adutl tikets on sale for under $30 (Currently $17.95, but should go up in February). DCA is NOT worth the single day, single park price of $63, but if you can get it is part of a package, such as the current 3 day ParkHopper at $129, then yes, it is a good value.
Originally Posted By thenurmis Yes, it has a lot of rides, holds a good amount of magic, and I do think you will have a great time.
Originally Posted By debtee We like DCA and judging by the crowds in there over Christmas week, others do too!
Originally Posted By lasvegasgirl DCA is a hit with our family too.......... enjoy your wonderful trip !!
Originally Posted By nemopoppins Even if you don't like DCA as much as Disneyland, and I'm sure you won't, I think it's better than any non-Disney park unless you crave extreme thrills. I couldn't go to Disneyland for only one day, and I couldn't go to Disneyland for more than one day without checking out the park across the esplanade.
Originally Posted By joeysmommy I agree..you've got to check out DCA. Also, that would be torture for your 9yr old and 5 yr old to walk by it and not get to go in. My 5yr old LOVED Turtle Talk with Crush (he got to ask Crush some questions), Monsters Inc., All of Bug's Land, Grizzly River Run, Meeting Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater, Soarin Over California(even my 3 yr old loved that one) and we loved Tower of Terror. The Haunted Mansion was closed for the Holiday refurb so we did get our scary fix. It's a must see!
Originally Posted By irishfan I've always my visits to DCA, and to be honest, I couldn't imagine going to Disneyland and not going to DCA.
Originally Posted By debtee I agree irishfan! Maybe because we don't live there but we really enjoy the whole California theme and feel of DCA! Soaring, Screamin and Tower of terror, Grizzly River Run are must do's for us!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo DCA is excellent, especially if you have not been to other Disney Parks. The little ones will love Playhouse Disney Live (seeing Bear, Jojo, Stanley and Pooh perform live is great for a 5 year old!!!). Monsters, and Animation will appeal. For the adults, Soarin' is one of the best attractions Disney has ever made. ToT is world calss. Muppetvision 3D and It's Tough to be a Bug are awesome 3D movies. Screaming is a fun coaster. Grizzly River Run is IMHO the best raft ride anywhere in the world. The restaurants are great. Aladdin is a fantastic stage show. And it on, The Electrical Parade is not to be missed. With the exception of Epcot, we have a better time at DCA than any of the Florida parks. And it's easy walking distance from Disneyland. Personally, I would go for a three day hopper. Spend day 1 at DL, Day 2 at DCA (if you don't like it, you can always go back to DL), and Day 3 at your fav, or hop across both in the same day.
Originally Posted By stagemomx3 On our last visit we spent much more time in DCA than in Disneyland. Definetly it is worth spending at least one day there.
Originally Posted By junglejoy Another CA supporter! It's not Disneyland, but it's very fun. And we have lots of favorite things to do there - Soarin' over Calif, Tower of Terror, California Screamin', Boudin bread factory tour and get a bread bowl of soup!, Animation building, Aladdin show, Muppet Show, Flicks Fair, Grizzly Rapids - there's more, but you get the idea. There are many fun, great things there.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Oh, and let's add, we spent more time at DCA than DL in 2002, but we are veteran disney park goers so your milage may vary.
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>Is DCA Worth it?<< I think it's at least worth a Park Hopper ticket. Spend two hours .. Do the big attractions - Soarin', Screamin' ...... And if you like the 2 hours you spent .. then you can always go back on another day .. or stay. <--- A statement from a DCA critic trying to be fair .. and think it's the least creative, imaginative and entertaining of all Disney parks in the US.
Originally Posted By dlkozy I agree with oc_dean. It's worth 2 hours. That being said, if you are pressed on time/money stick to Disneyland, there is more than enough to keep you busy, it is a MUCH better bang for your buck and you really won't miss that much. Given the choice, my kids prefer to go to Disneyland hands down. They would not miss going to DCA at all.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan 2 hours? LOL! I could spend that much time in the Animation building alone. I think riding the big rides and running out of the place isn't the most fair way to see the park.
Originally Posted By No Waiting in Line I like DCA and so do my kids. It IS worth it to visit. Get the parkhopper for sure.
Originally Posted By whistler DCA is absolutely worth getting the park hopper for. The area is much more fun to visit since the addition of the second park, grand Cal hotel, and downtown disney. It's not a resort like Disneyworld of course... but all the additions have made a very cool little resort-y type place that is really pleasent to be in ( for Disney fans, anyway ). Having DCA to supplement Disneyland just makes a visit that much better. I hope you have a great time.
Originally Posted By Pixie Glitter Get the parkhopper and plan more than one day. It would be absolute agony to try to do Disneyland in one day--very, very frustrating. And I, too, think DCA is certainly worth a visit. Our family with kids currently ages 12 and 9 have spent a fair amount of time in DCA every time we've gone to DLR in the past four years.
Originally Posted By Bucky N Satchel If it's a choice between DCA and a non-Disney park... Go for the park hopper! It's a very rare DLR trip that doesn't include at least a small amount of time at DCA for us. DLR has more than enough things to keep you occuppied for 3 full days (especially if you are going during a peak time, such as Spring break)
