Is a trip to Disneyland worth the money?

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  1. philli profile image82
    philliposted 11 years ago

    Is a trip to Disneyland worth the money?

    I have never been to Disneyland but as a kid I always wanted to go. I now have a young son and have thought about taking him. However, I have also heard that you pay a lot of money to stand in lines all day. Has anyone ever been and did you and your kids enjoy it. Give me some details and advice, please. Thanks!

  2. Stina Caxe profile image80
    Stina Caxeposted 11 years ago

    I went with my boyfriend many years ago and we had a good time.  It was expensive but we got a good deal buying a hotel and air package.  Once we got there we bought a 3 day pass for about $90 I think.  It was probably about 7 or 8 years ago though.  I think it would be a great experience for a kid, and definitely something most young children really want to do.

    1. philli profile image82
      philliposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Cool. It's good to know that adults will enjoy it, too.

  3. Brandi Cooper profile image60
    Brandi Cooperposted 11 years ago

    I've never been to Disneyland, but I did grow up in Orlando, FL where we went to Disney World (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and now Animal Kingdom) constantly. I've never gone more than a few years without going back. Disney World is a huge tradition in my family. When I have kids, I am definitely planning on taking them as often as possible. I couldn't imagine my childhood without it, so I would say it is WELL worth the money.

    You can get stuck standing in line all day if you don't plan your trip correctly. Disney has fast passes at each ride where you can scan your park ticket and you get another piece of paper that tells you to come back to the ride at a certain time of day and you'll be able to use the fast lane to get to the head of the line for the ride. If you get there when the park opens, you can go ahead and grab fast passes for the more popular rides and while everyone else is waiting in line for those, you can ride the less-popular ones with little to no wait. Also, if you don't think your kids will enjoy the parades much, you can ride the rides during parade time and you'll find much, much shorter lines then, as well. It also depends on what time of year you go as to how long lines will be.

    But as someone who grew up taking in the magic of Disney theme parks, I would say it's well worth it to take a kid. And even as an adult, I still have a huge love for the parks. They're definitely expensive, but it's a fabulous experience if you plan it correctly. There are endless websites out there that do nothing but offer tips, advice, and outlines for how to make your trip to Disney a great one, so I'd definitely suggest checking those out to help make the whole thing less stressful.

    1. philli profile image82
      philliposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks a lot for this thorough answer. From your response I can tell that you really loved the experience as a kid and still do even though you are older. Thanks for the express pass and research advice!

  4. duffsmom profile image61
    duffsmomposted 11 years ago

    Disneyland in Anaheim, California?  I used to go with my parents a couple of times a year as a kid, and with my husband as a young adult - many many years ago so I imagine the crowds are worse now.  What worked for us was to get tickets to the private events from the aerospace industry.  My in-laws both worked in the aerospace field and so they were able to get tickets to those events.  The crowds are manageable then.

    If you know anyone who works for TRW or Rockwell, they might be able to get tickets for you.  I never took my kids as we had moved out of state by that time, but it is absolutely magical.

    A fun thing to do is to get a motel across the street from Disneyland that way you can split the Disneyland visit into two days.

    1. philli profile image82
      philliposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Never thought of this...thanks for the different perspective.

  5. tirelesstraveler profile image60
    tirelesstravelerposted 11 years ago

    If your kids are old enough to remember and or big Disney fans the answer is "Yes" everyone should go at least once. If you do go look up the book on strategies for enjoying the Park.   They really help.
    Also try to go when school is in session. Avoid Thanksgiving like the plague.  If you get there when its not too crowded it's a wonderfully fun place.

  6. edhan profile image38
    edhanposted 11 years ago

    My wife went there more than 10 times. It is definitely memorable for the kids. Whether or not it is worth the money, I believe the experience your kid can feel by going there is well worth. The time of childhood is important part of growing up and when a child enjoys during childhood, it will definitely be a good thing.

  7. freedomsthoughts profile image61
    freedomsthoughtsposted 11 years ago

    https://usercontent1.hubstatic.com/7600624_f260.jpg

    I have not been to Disney Land in California.  My family has visited Disney World in Florida.  True or not, I'm not sure, I was told that they are similar. Disney World is broken up into parks.  You may purchase tickets for individual parks or a pass to all of  Disney World. The animal kingdom, is where we had chosen to take our three children. At the time, was ages 4,5, and 7.  We thought this particular park would be ideal, since our children love animals.  This part of the park consists of animals in their own habitat (as close as the park can get.)  The Disney animal characters are on sight to sign autographs.  The lines do get long.  Our children lost interest after only a few autographs.  The rides in this part of the park are few. My husband and I personally found the animal safari amusing and the high light of our day was the tree of life.  We arrived at 9:30 in the morning and by 3:30, our children were literately whining and crying to leave.  I will assume that the heat of that day and long lines may have played apart in their change of attitude.  The entrance fee to this particular park alone and did not include the admission to the other three parks for a family of five was well over $300.00 after a park discount.   We had the pleasure of an employee guiding us through the park. (We did not have to pay for our guide. She is a family member and toured us on her day off.  Although guides are provided for an additional cost.)  She suggested that anyone, planning to visit should set a side at least one day per park, lots of sun screen and patience for long lines.  Please keep in mind this is only one of the parks.  I can not speak for the rest.  You may also want to consider the age of your child. I think, we could of had better results if we would have waited until ours were older.  Even considering their ages, I am sceptical about returning.

  8. jaydawg808 profile image80
    jaydawg808posted 11 years ago

    I've had the privilege of visiting Disneyland in my early years as a child and adolescent.  I think I've been there about 7 times.  Every single time is special and magical.  You cannot compare money to the joy you have there and how much your son would be so happy.  It's not only for children, but for adults, too.  Everyone of every age enjoys Disneyland.  It truly is the happiest place on Earth.  I wouldn't worry about the money.  I'd worry about not taking the opportunity to go.

  9. JessBraz profile image90
    JessBrazposted 11 years ago

    I've never been to Disneyland, but I have been to Disneyworld in Orlando, twice. I'm 28 years old and I felt like the biggest kid while I was there.. If your son is old enough to fully appreciate where he is and remember it when he's older, I would say it's definitely worth it.. The line ups are long, but there are always ways around preventing temper tantrums.. Get a fast pass for the rides that have the longest lineups so you can go and ride the other ones first, then come back without having to wait in line... And if you can, break it up into a few days so you're not trying to cram each park into one day..

    The tickets were the most expensive item we purchased during out trip. To keep costs down we drove there (not sure how far you are from disneyland.. i'm from ottawa, ontario...24 hour drive to get to orlando..yikes is all i can say. lol)  gas there and back was cheaper than two plane tickets and while we were in florida instead of staying at the disneyland resorts, we camped.. Campsites can be booked for about $20 a day.. I assume it's probably about the same in California.

    Good luck!

  10. freecampingaussie profile image62
    freecampingaussieposted 11 years ago

    https://usercontent1.hubstatic.com/7600984_f260.jpg

    Yes - Yes - Yes ! We  longed to go as children and never got there . We went as a family to Euro Disney with our 3 children & they LOVED it - Make sure you go on a week day  and plan ahead - Make your childs dream come true while you can and have a fantastic time creating beautiful family memories ! I have been to Disneyland with 1 daughter as well. My daughter & husband took my Grandkids from Australia to Disneyland last year & they loved it ! They will jump up & down with excitement lol!
    We will go have a fun day and we are 47/65 lol !

  11. lupine profile image66
    lupineposted 11 years ago

    Yes, you must go at least once, especially since you have never been there. Yes, it is expensive, but so is everything else. You will get your value..a full day of happy times together with your son, the look on his face--take plenty of photos, lot's of laughs, amazing things to see, magical parades especially at night, gift shops, music, much more. Depending on your son's age, there is an area of the park for younger kids too. About those long, long lines...you won't be going on all the popular, scarry, fast rides...they are not for young children anyway. If you want to go on the adult rides, you will need to take someone that can wait with your son. As for the cost of tickets, if you, or someone you know can get them on a military base, they will be cheaper. Don't go when school is out (summer vacation, spring break, holidays) too many park visitors. Hope you can go!

  12. lilian_sg profile image64
    lilian_sgposted 11 years ago

    I have only been to a small Disneyland in Hong Kong before. It was worth it and is a good memory for me as I grew up watching so many cartoon characters. But as it is pretty small, I probably won't visit it again so soon unless they expand the park.

    But if given a chance to visit USA , I would definitely visit Disneyland if possible smile

 
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