California Christmas December 2017 - Planning

Our first trip to Disneyland was in January of this year.  We had a great time and at the end of the trip our first reaction was we wanted to go back.  We didn't know when though.  We really enjoyed the idea of going on vacation as our Christmas present too.  Because of that, we decided we wanted to go at Christmas time.

I occasionally look for cheap airfare and I happened to look when Southwest had a sale going on.  We found fairly inexpensive flights and that made our decision to go on another trip to California.  We decided to go the second week of December because we want to see the Disneyland resort decorated for Christmas.  We also wanted to make sure that all of the decorations were completely displayed.  I found that the Christmas season starts November 10, so anytime after that and until the first week of January would work for us.

When looking at flights, we wanted to fly into Santa Ana again, but the flights were quite a bit more expensive than LAX.  We were also able to get non-stop flights going to LAX, which we hope will be better for Ellie on the airplane.  The flights were so cheap that I was able to use points for my ticket (I didn't have very many points).  It was also the first time I have ever used point to buy a ticket.  That was sadly pretty exciting.  I found a flight in the morning on the way there and in the afternoon on the way back.  Really good time too.  My only concern is getting to and from LAX.

Courtyard by Marriott Theme Park Entrance

After picking dates and booking airline tickets, we needed to find somewhere to stay.  We have used a DVC (Disney Vacation Club) rental site in the past to stay at Walt Disney World, but I have not found availability at the Grand Californian  I did find availability for the Grand Californian in December, but we waited too long to decide if we wanted to go and we missed it.  Darn!  I then decided to start frugal.  I was looking at the Sheraton Park, Anaheim Marriott and the Anaheim Hilton.  These are regular hotel rooms that were a further walk from where we stayed previously.  They did not excite us very much so we kept looking.  I looked at the Springhill Suites and Residence Inn, which is where we stayed last time, but they were quite a bit more expensive than last time.  A hotel we looked at last time that we really liked was the Courtyard by Marriott Theme Part Entrance.  This hotel is almost right across the street from the entrance to Disneyland and the rooms look amazing.  They are 530+ square feet with bunk beds in all rooms and very large bathrooms.  It is also a newer resort with nice furnishings and decor.  It was a little more expensive still so we couldn't decide.  During our planning discussions, we found out that we will be expecting our second child, due in April 2018.  Since my wife will be around 6 months pregnant while we are there, we decided at the Courtyard.  We want to be as close to the parks as possible with comfortable accommodations.  This resort met all of our needs.  It gives us a close walk back if we need to rest or relax for a while or some can go back early and others can stay late.  We'll see what happens, but it gives us plenty of flexibility.  It is also close enough that you can see the fireworks.  We decided to reserve a King bed room, which has the bunk beds in a separate room.  This was appealing for us because Ellie sleeps better in a separate room from us.  We are really looking forward to trying out this hotel.

While deciding on airfare, I had to figure out a way to get from LAX to Anaheim.  There is a shuttle that goes to and from, but the schedule was pretty crazy.  We want to have as much flexibility as possible to do more while we are there.  Last time we rented a car at the Santa Ana airport and it was a really easy drive to Anaheim.  I have heard horror stories about driving from LAX through LA so I was a little hesitant to book a rental car.  We would also need to get a car seat for Ellie.  I tried to contact the company we used in January to rent a car seat, but I was unable to get a hold of them.  We decided to buy a travel car seat and stroller instead.  It didn't cost too much more than renting, but we have to haul them around with us.  We are travelling Sunday through Saturday so I don't think traffic will be too bad those days.  I have wanted to see Griffith Park and since we are flying into LAX, it gave me an excuse to do go there.  I decided to rent a car and we'll see how it goes.  My plan is to drive north the first day, drive through Hollywood and up to Griffith Park.  We are going to go to the LA Zoo and also check out the carousel in Griffith Park.  The carousel is where Walt Disney took his kids to play and it is where he came up with the idea for Disneyland.  We are then going to drive to Anaheim that afternoon or evening.  Our flight gets in around 10:00am so we should have plenty of time to check out that area.  We are going to drop the car off in Downtown Disney that night.  The rest of the time, we will be at Disneyland.  On the way home, our flight is in the afternoon, so we are going to rent a car again and drive back to LAX.  Depending on time, I am thinking about stopping at the La Brea Tar Pits on the way.

Our Disney plans are pretty much the usual, with Christmas additions.There is one significant difference.  Disneyland has added MaxPass since we were there.  MaxPass is a digital version of FastPass that adds PhotoPass to it.  It is $10/day and from what I have found it makes it easier to get a FastPass rather than walking/running all over the parks.  It also works in both parks so you could be in Disneyland and make a FastPass reservation for Guardians of the Galaxy in California Adventure.  Sounds pretty cool.  We are going to try it out and see how it works.

We are really looking forward to the holiday decorations and additions.  Ellie really likes Nightmare before Christmas so we are really looking forward to the Haunted Mansion because they do a holiday overlay with Jack and Sally.  We want to see the decor in the parks and resorts and try as many holiday snacks and treats as we can.  We didn't get to see the afternoon parade in January because they were not running, but there is a Christmas afternoon parade that we are looking forward to. 

It's the Friday before our trip and we are almost ready.  Our dog just had surgery number 2 in three weeks and we are trying to plan Christmas at the same time.  There is a lot going on.  There are wildfires in the Los Angeles area that we are hoping subside by the time we get there.  It is also supposed to be 10-15 degrees warmer than we expected so we are talking about going to the pool.  When you think about planning a vacation, you develop an idea of what you think it wll be like.  I'm not sure this trip will be 100% what I idealized, but that is ok.  It is going to be a great trip and I am really looking forward to it.  I have found that the laid back culture of California is much more flexible than the scheduled complex Florida Disney vacation.  Don't get me wrong, I still love Disney World, but Disneyland allows more go with the flow vacations than Disney World does.

We leave in two days and we haven't told our daughter yet.  We are going to do it tomorrow somehow, but we haven't figured that out yet.  I can't wait to see her reaction.  She is going to have a great time and she doesn't even know it's coming. 

There's not much more to plan.  I'm ready to get on the plane and be on vacation.  California here we come.