We just returned from the Disneyland Resort and wanted to share with all of our blog readers and podcast subscribers the latest news and goings-on at the two parks. If you've always wanted to go to Disneyland during the holidays, we're going to help you get there. Starting today, when you book your Disneyland Resort vacation online, we'll give you ONE NIGHT FREE at one of our participating partner hotels. The only thing you need to do is pick your dates and choose a hotel Space is limited and rooms will go quickly.
Disney's Christmas Celebration Starts November 16th - Disney's HalloweenTime is going on right now and the Christmas celebration starts November 16th. Treat your family to the Disney holiday magic this season. Remember, your vacation package already includes a 3 Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus ticket for each traveler. Each ticket comes with these BONUS BENEFITS:
TWO early entries to the Disneyland Resort- ONE Disney collectible trading pin featuring Pluto
- ONE Get Away Today lanyard
One thing is for sure, if you vacation at the Disneyland Resort during the holidays, your family will talk about it for years.
If you would like to learn more about the ONE NIGHT FREE promotion, please take a few minutes and listen to the Get Away Today Travel Show podcast with Patrick Wiscombe and Wade Stocker, Operations Director for Get Away Today.
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Todd Carlson: (Announcer)
Travel news you can use. This is the Get Away Today.com Travel Show. Get Away Today is a top provider of affordable, fun family vacations to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Hawaii, San Diego, Beaches, and Sandals in the Caribbean. The Travel Show is heard exclusively on Get Away Today.com. And now, here's the host of the Travel Show.
Patrick Wiscombe: (Get Away Today Internet Marketing Manager)
Welcome to the Get Away Today Travel Show podcast. I’m Patrick Wiscombe broadcasting live from the Anaheim Marriot Suites this afternoon, just south of the Disneyland Resort. Talk about perfect weather; its 70 degrees right now in Anaheim. There’s a beautiful blue sky and no clouds anywhere. What a beautiful time to be in Anaheim. Wade Stocker the Operations Manager for Get Away Today is in Anaheim with me. Instead of doing the broadcast from the Anaheim Marriott Suites hotel lobby, we thought we would take you live to the Disneyland Resort. He joins me via the cell phone somewhere inside the park. Where are you right now?
Wade Stocker: (Get Away Today Operations Directory)
We are over in Paradise Pier near the California Screamin’ roller coaster.
Patrick Wiscombe: How many times have you been on California Screamin’?
Wade Stocker: On this trip, I think about six or seven times. It’s my youngest son’s new favorite ride. It’s the first time he has dared to go on a roller coaster and now we can’t get him off of it. [children screaming in the background]
Patrick Wiscombe: What took off? Was that the Maliboomer or the California Screamin’?
Wade Stocker: That’s the California Screamin’.
Patrick Wiscombe: Where are you in the park right now?
Wade Stocker: I’m standing on the pier where the roller coaster takes off.
Patrick Wiscombe: What hotel are you staying in?
Wade Stocker: We’re staying at the Paradise Pier Hotel. The hotel overlooks Disney’s California Adventure. The hotel has a beautiful view of the park. It also has great rooms. It also has easy access to Disney’s California Adventure.
Patrick Wiscombe: Take us through your whole day.
Wade Stocker: We’ve been here for several days now. The park usually opens around 10 AM. With your Get Away Today early entry passes, you can get in around 9 AM. The first day we hit Disneyland Park and went on some of our favorite rides. We went on Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean first. We went of several times because my kids really enjoy that. Next, we went on Splash Mountain and The Haunted Mansion. The Haunted Mansion was decked out for Christmas. I liked the way it was decorated better than the regular haunted mansion. The next day we hit Disneyland Park. We went on Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, and Finding Nemo. These are some of the newest rides at Disneyland. They were a blast.
Patrick Wiscombe: How are the lines for Finding Nemo? I've heard the lines for Finding Nemo are pretty long. With our Disneyland Parkhopper Bonus Ticket, it allows you to get into the Disneyland Park. I understand that’s the best time to ride Finding Nemo because the lines are fairly short. Is that right?
Wade Stocker: You know, you nailed it right there Patrick. The best time to ride the Finding Nemo ride is during early entry. If you go during regular park hours, the wait for the Finding Nemo ride can be one to two hours long. Everyone I talked to coming off the ride said they loved it.
Patrick Wiscombe: Even though you were in the park one hour before everybody else, how long did it take you to get through the Finding Nemo ride?
Wade Stoker: Somewhere between 20 to 30 minutes. It wasn't bad at all. You get in line and the line keeps moving. It doesn’t feel like you're in line that long. Disneyland has done a great job of keeping people moving so everyone can have an enjoyable experience.
Patrick Wiscombe: Excluding the Finding Nemo ride, how are the lines this time of year?
Wade Stocker: You know Patrick; I've traveled down here many times during different times of the year. This is, by far, the best time to go. The lines are always short this time of year. I think the longest we've waited in line is maybe 40 minutes. The rest of the rides are between 10 to 15 minutes. I would say the majority of rides we just walked right on.
Patrick Wiscombe: How is the Disneyland Park dressed for HalloweenTime?
Wade Stocker: As soon as you walk in the Disneyland Park main entrance, they have pumpkins and characters dressed in costumes hanging above the gate. You just really get in the mood for Halloween. As you enter the park, you walk around where the flagpole is and that’s where they have a great big Mickey Mouse pumpkin head. Then as I walked down the Disneyland Main Street, all the light posts have banners on them that have fall colors. The orange, yellow, and brown fall colors with pumpkins above every window. As you walk down Main Street they have jack-o'-lanterns with scary faces that light up at night. You just sense that the holiday season is around the corner. When the characters and park employees come out and do the “meet and greets” with the audience, they are all dressed up in Halloween costumes. It is really fun.
Patrick Wiscombe: For those people who aren’t familiar with the Jedi training academy, what’s that all about?
Wade Stocker: The Jedi training academy is designed to let kids become young Jedi knights. Everyone gets to go through Jedi training with a light saber. They get to learn how to use them. You learn how to swing the light saber and learn the rules of a Jedi. You also wear the brown Jedi robes. Then, as a surprise, Darth Vader pops up on a stage behind you and the kids get to stand up and fight Darth Vader. It’s a lot of fun for the kids that are participating. It is also a lot of fun for the parents who get to watch their kids learn how to swing a light saber and fight Darth Vader.
Patrick Wiscombe: How many times have you been to the Disneyland Resort with your family?
Wade Stocker: [laughter] Many. I bring my family down once a year. This is probably my kids sixth or seventh trip to Disneyland. We come to Disneyland every year. It’s something my kids look forward to every year. Every year they get a little braver and dare to go on more of the scary rides. For me, as a parent, it’s really fun to see my children's eyes light up as they go on a new ride for the first time or go on their favorite rides over and over again.
Patrick Wiscombe: Have they dressed the Tower of Terror for Halloween?
Wade Stocker: Not really. It’s already spooky enough. They did put some Halloween decorations on the inside, but on the outside there are no decorations. In fact, the California Adventure Park isn’t really dressed up at all during the day.
Patrick Wiscombe: So what is your favorite ride?
Wade Stocker: Well, you know it depends on which park I’m at. In the California Adventure Park I love California Screamin’ and the Tower of Terror. At the Disneyland Park I love Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, and Splash Mountain. I guess it depends on what kind of mood I'm in. I love all the rides here at Disneyland. I'm a kid at heart and that’s why I like coming down here so much.
Patrick Wiscombe: People who are coming down to the Disneyland Resort for the UEA break or the holiday season, how many days should people budget for the Disneyland Resort?
Wade Stocker: I would recommend at least three days. I think three days gives you a good feel for both parks. You can do each park one day then on the third day you can hit the rides that you want to hit again or try new things you didn’t try. I would say a minimum of three days. We have been here six days and we just keep going on the rides that are our favorites or we try new rides we went past. [Children screaming in the background]
Patrick Wiscombe: We can hear everyone screaming in the background. Where are you standing in the park? Give us an audio tour.
Wade Stocker: Well, I'm standing next to this beautiful palm tree right here by the Paradise Pier. I'm standing here overlooking the big body of water that’s inside the Disney’s California Adventure Park. Those screams you're hearing are from the California Screamin’ roller coaster. The roller coaster pulls around and stops. That’s where it launches all of the occupants. It does a count down of 5-4-3-2-1, then takes off. It goes about 50 mph as it heads up the track. So those screams are happening when it takes off. It’s a fun area. It has a great California feel. I'm looking at the Sun Wheel and the Maliboomer next to it. There's a great big orange, which is an attraction that has the swings inside of it. It has a fun California ocean side feel to the park.
Patrick Wiscombe: Is Holly or Adrienne there with you?
Wade Stocker: Yeah, let me get Holly. Here’s Holly.
Holly Stocker: (Wade’s Daughter)
Hi Patrick.
Patrick Wiscombe: Hi Holly. How are you?
Holly Stocker: (Wade’s Daughter)
I’m good. How are you?
Patrick Wiscombe: I’m doing good, thank you. What is your favorite thing about Disneyland?
Holly Stocker: I like California Screamin’ and the Tower of Terror.
Patrick Wiscombe: Oh, did you go on California Screamin?
Holly Stocker: We just did. It was a blast.
Patrick Wiscombe: What are you going on next?
Holly Stocker: We are going over to the Tower of Terror.
Patrick Wiscombe: Well, have a good ride for me, okay?
Holly Stocker: Okay, here's my dad. Bye.
Wade Stocker: [Laughter]
Patrick Wiscombe: [Laughter] That was brief and to the point. Go have fun Wade, I’ll talk to you a little bit later. That was Wade Stocker, Operations Director for Get Away Today.com. While I have a second, let me remind all of you to go to the Get Away Today homepage and sign up for our 'Last Minute Travel Alerts' e-mail. All you have to do is go to Get Away Today.com and look at the top of the homepage. There you will see our travel alerts section. Type your e-mail address in that space. The e-mail we sent yesterday afternoon was promoting our third, fourth, or fifth night free promotion depending on which hotel you reserve. It’s a great time to go down to the Disneyland Resort this holiday season. Take your family, it will be a vacation you'll talk about for years.
Todd Carlson: (Announcer)
You can book your Get Away Today Vacation right now by going to Get Away Today.com or calling one of our friendly reservation agents by calling (866) FUN-TRIP. This has been the Get Away Today Travel Show podcast heard exclusively on Get Away Today.com.
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