I'm planning on taking the family to Disneyland Friday and Sunday, while hitting the Rose Bowl on Saturday. Any recs on where to stay for Disney? The Disney owned resorts look rather expensive especially when there are a boatload of much cheaper options right across the street within walking distance. Also, I'd appreciate if any locals have advice on getting to the Rose Bowl Saturday morning- how much time will it take, where to park, etc. I went for the Michigan and USC games but took a bus. All I remember is I was drunk and parking looked awful. Thanks
Not fond of any of the hotels in the area, but there is a Holiday Inn a couple of blocks away that is ok and cheap. It's not great, but for the price difference it's certainly more than acceptable. Marriott runs deals from time to time depending on what, if any convention is next door. I did some business in Pasadena and would fly into John Wayne because of price. I'd take the 57 north all the way to 210 and go West to Lincoln. Exit, turn left and go down the hill to the golf course and park. On Saturday, I would allow an hour, but probably 40-45 minutes.
For the '06 Rose Bowl, we stayed in the Marina Del Rey area, and did a day trip to Disneyland. I don't recall it being logistically complicated. Point being.......just find your location and hotel that is suitable for both Disneyland and the game....somewhere in LA being the obvious choice, IMO
For Disneyland, we stay at the Grand Californian, which I highly recommend. If you want to do a cheaper option, do the Ramada Maingate -- you can easily walk to it from the park. All of the hotels have transport to and from the park, but with the Ramada, you can easily walk. The Park will get crowded as you go through the day on friday -- so go early and take out the high priority attractions. Spend the evening seeing the fireworks shows. How old are your kids?
Not sure where to stay at the park -- when we went, we were staying in Laguna Beach. What I can tell you is that you can burn through these parks much faster than the Disneyworld parks. DIsneyland has a lot of the same rides as the Magic KIngdom, but it is more compact. The California Adventure doesn't have a lot of rides, and you'll finish it even quicker.
Just a suggestion - buy a book called "The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland." It gives lots of suggestions on how to avoid lines and maximize your time. We used it when we went to Disneyworld and Epcot. We thought that maybe it was just a slow day because we never stood in a line the whole day at Epcot. In the restroom after dinner, two women were complaining that they did nothing but stand in line. Guess it worked!
