Disneyland and Universal

[imimahoney]

Thinking of going to Disneyland and Universal next summer.

How many days would you recommend for both parks? My son is dying to see the Mario stuff and both kiddos are interested I'm spending time at DL. We did 10+ days at DW and Universal in 2021.

Also, do people stay on property or are the hotels near by ok options?

[mrsslocombe]

I haven't been to Universal Hollywood, so I'll only speak to DL.

I'd recommend 3 days at DL-1 day each part and then hop on the third to anything you missed or want to repeat. I hate Genie + but do think it's worth it, at least some days, at DL. You can definitely get by with just two days (one day each park) but if you are big Disney people, or likely to only go to DL once, I'd get 3 days. Also be aware, DL does a lot of special ticketed nights, so check to see what might be going on while you are there.

I've only stayed off property at DL (but on property at DW). The price difference was just too great and the on property benefits are meh. There's so many hotels within walking distance, and many have free breakfast.

[ny96]

We go to Disneyland a couple times a year and are pass holders at Universal. If we were coming from out of town we’d probably stay on-site at Disneyland and at the Sheraton Universal for Universal Studios. I’ve never done multiple days at Disneyland, but with both parks there is plenty to do. Universal on the other hand can be a one day trip.

Keep in mind too that both parks get very crowded in the summer, especially in July. I’ve been looking at the wait times for the past few days thinking we could go after camp and work and finding that we would would probably be spending our evenings in line.

[imimahoney]

Jul 24, 2024 14:54:46 GMT -5 ny96 said:

We go to Disneyland a couple times a year and are pass holders at Universal. If we were coming from out of town we’d probably stay on-site at Disneyland and at the Sheraton Universal for Universal Studios. I’ve never done multiple days at Disneyland, but with both parks there is plenty to do. Universal on the other hand can be a one day trip.

Keep in mind too that both parks get very crowded in the summer, especially in July. I’ve been looking at the wait times for the past few days thinking we could go after camp and work and finding that we would would probably be spending our evenings in line.

Thank you!

[imimahoney]

Jul 24, 2024 11:05:10 GMT -5 mrsslocombe said:

I haven't been to Universal Hollywood, so I'll only speak to DL.

I'd recommend 3 days at DL-1 day each part and then hop on the third to anything you missed or want to repeat. I hate Genie + but do think it's worth it, at least some days, at DL. You can definitely get by with just two days (one day each park) but if you are big Disney people, or likely to only go to DL once, I'd get 3 days. Also be aware, DL does a lot of special ticketed nights, so check to see what might be going on while you are there.

I've only stayed off property at DL (but on property at DW). The price difference was just too great and the on property benefits are meh. There's so many hotels within walking distance, and many have free breakfast.

Thank you!

Does Genie + work like it does at DW?

[kath16]

i just did this trip earlier this year - we are a flight away

one day at universal was more than enough. SNW was awesome and worth the early entry if they're still doing that. we rode the ride three times in that hour and then walked around the rest of the land at the actual park opening. it is smaller than you'd think though, and then soooooo many of the other rides are virtual rides and they just got old quickly. we were out by probably 2pm that day.

disney: with the two parks, we spent 3 days at DL with hoppers and genie+. hoppers get you more at land than world bc you literally just walk across the street to go back and forth vs. getting some version of transportation all over florida. three days was good for us. we took in between days to do other stuff around the area and hang in the pool.

if you have specific questions i'm happy to try to answer them!

[onthemove]

Not sure of your kids’ ages…we went in January with a 2 and 5 year old and their grand parents. We did 4 days, we unfortunately had to take our rest day on our 1st day in CA because of weather so we did 4 park days in a row, but it was fine. We had park hopper, not genie or LL, but we didn’t do as many of the big rides. We did park open until early afternoon, took naps and then back for a bit in the evening. We thought it was the right amount of time to not feel rushed. You certainly could do it in 3.

We stayed off property across the street. It was a very short walk to both parks. So much easier than DL. We had a 2 bedroom 2 bath suite and was great. Very basic, but we weren’t there for the room. Was too cold really to swim anyway.

[stuffandthings]

We did DL this spring in two days--one for each park. We didn't have enough time in the regular Disneyland and had too much time in California Adventure, so I would maybe park hop at least one of the days.

[hermione]

We did universal in less than a day. The Mario part is very tiny. We spent less than two hours there and that included eating at the Toadstool Cafe.

[was5]

Jul 25, 2024 8:57:18 GMT -5 onthemove said:

Not sure of your kids’ ages…we went in January with a 2 and 5 year old and their grand parents. We did 4 days, we unfortunately had to take our rest day on our 1st day in CA because of weather so we did 4 park days in a row, but it was fine. We had park hopper, not genie or LL, but we didn’t do as many of the big rides. We did park open until early afternoon, took naps and then back for a bit in the evening. We thought it was the right amount of time to not feel rushed. You certainly could do it in 3.

We stayed off property across the street. It was a very short walk to both parks. So much easier than DL. We had a 2 bedroom 2 bath suite and was great. Very basic, but we weren’t there for the room. Was too cold really to swim anyway.

Do you mind sharing the name of the hotel you stayed at?

[onthemove]

Jul 26, 2024 21:49:37 GMT -5 was5 said:

Anaheim Desert Inn and Suites. Not updated, but just about the closest hotel you can get, has parking ($10/day I think). Breakfast is at 7 and again very basic and the same every day, but we made PB toast and oatmeal and put in the stroller and ate while we waited in line for the park to open. For a few days it was fine. Has a lot of different multi-bedroom layouts.

[dellabear]

We are going to DL in late August for the first time. We ended up getting 3 day passes with genie+, no park hopping, and plan to do days 1 and 3 at DL and day 2 at CA. We’re staying at the Cambria Suites, it’s close and decently priced and has free breakfast and a water park.

[sonrisa]

We haven’t gone to Disneyland in a while, but may go next month. We only do one day - rope drop to fireworks. At those prices I can’t justify any more.

My main recommendation is look up the pass holder blackout days and visit on one of those. Days when SoCal pass holders come are insane by the afternoon - even if it’s off season, midweek and considered a really light crowd day. It’s not worth it. Huge lines for every ride/experience and even the walkways and benches are crazy crowded. Hoards of people cram into every corner to hang with friends. Mid July weekend pass blackout days listed as ridiculously crowded are actually more manageable.

We stayed at the grand Californian once and will never do an onsight hotel again. The rooms and pool were pleasant, but most of the hotel is open to anyone and has the crowds to show it. Checking in took over an hour. Every meal was a long, sad wait with two young kids. Now we stay elsewhere for a quarter the price so our non park time is calm and pleasant.

[livinitup]

You have loads of options for regular hotels at Disneyland - it’s literally across the street from the entrance (and up and down the block). You can also easily go back for a dip in the pool mid-day.

They have 2 Disney parks with both entrances close to each other. I really like the California Disney parks !