We did this a few years ago when our kids were 5, 2, and 1. If your budget allows, I would recommend staying onsite to take advantage of the early entry for onsite guests. We stayed at the Grand California which is connected to DCA. This was great because my wife would take the girls for a nap while my son and I stayed in the park riding rides.

Since it’s slow season the parks probably won’t open until 10:00 (noon central time). My kids never adjusted their sleep pattern to Pacific time. They were up very early every morning and going stir crazy by 9:00.

We flew nonstop SW from MSY to LAX and hired a driver pick us up at the airport. The driver provided the needed car seats for my kids. This was much cheaper than renting a car for the week. We didn’t leave the Disneyland “bubble” during our stay.

Research the dining plan before purchasing it. When we went it was essentially a prepaid gift card for each meal only they didn’t give you change if you underspent and would make you pay the difference if you went above the predetermined value of the voucher.

The DIS Boards will give you several hints on how to maximize your fun while at Disneyland.

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Posted by Rep520

Member since Mar 2018

10476 posts

Posted on 1/7/19 at 9:34 am to armytiger96

For OP, if you think the kids would like it, the Grand Californian runs character breakfasts where you get a buffet and there are Disney characters wandering around.

You don't have to stay there to go to the breakfasts either. If you think the kids would like that, it's not a bad option. The buffet is a little over priced due to the characters, but it's a buffet, so you can fuel up and recoup some $.

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