Hi there, Erica!
I'm sending you a warm welcome to planDisney! I'm always extra happy when I get to help someone from my beUTAHful home state. I know that planning a visit with a large party and multiple generations can feel really daunting, but don't you worry! I'm happy to chat about all things Disneyland Resort with you. I also have a family of four, and we visited the Disneyland Resort with both my parents and my in-laws over the last year. We can totally figure out this adventure together!
One of the first things that we always consider is when we can make the trip happen. With work, school, and life, picking dates with a larger party can be tricky! I recommend working together to find a few different options in the next year or so when you'd be able to travel together. Then we decide how we'll get to California...our family usually chooses to fly (smaller airports in Utah sometimes have great deals on flights to California!) but we have also made the drive!
Deciding how many days you want to spend in the parks is also an important part of your planning. With my own kids being 8 and 11, we usually spend about four days in the parks. That leaves us time to take breaks to swim (or nap if you're one of the adults!) and revisit our favorites without feeling like we're in a time crunch. But even one day at Disneyland is great! It just changes your planning style a bit. Choosing between one park per day tickets and Park Hopper tickets also depends on how you want to plan your visit. We love the flexibility of Park Hopping, which lets you visit both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park in the same day, but if this is your first visit (or first in a long time) then it might be nice to focus on one park each day.
When you're planning your budget I would say that one of the biggest factors will be where you choose to stay.
The Disneyland Resort Hotels are gorgeous and provide some great benefits for guests, but don't forget about the
Good Neighbor Hotels, too! We like to stay within walking distance of the parks so that it's easy to go take a break during the day. If you book your vacation package (hotel and park tickets together) through the Disneyland website you can pay a deposit and then make payments over time to break up the total cost. You just have to make sure your reservation is paid in full 30 days before your vacation. Use these websites to price out
Disneyland Resort Hotel Vacation Packages or
Good Neighbor Hotel Packages online to see the costs associated with each, just remember prices will vary by date.
Booking your vacation package on the Disneyland website will involve creating your online Disney account. That's where you'll eventually use your tickets to make
park reservations, which typically open around 120 days in advance. When you're 60 days before your trip you'll be able to make
dining reservations, which I highly recommend for a nice break during your park days!
Erica, I know this is a ton of information...and we're just getting started! But the clock is approaching midnight and I have to run for now. I would love to help you continue planning your trip, though!
Send me a note here with your next questions and I will jump right in with more pixie dust to help you.
Keep moving forward!
Amanda