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Disney Vacation Guide 2024: Which resort is right for you?

From Vancouver, there's plenty of Disney vacation options.

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A dream is a wish your heart makes — but a dream Disney vacation requires a bit more planning and research.

It may seem daunting to plan for and tackle a family vacation at the “happiest place on earth” but it doesn’t need to be. There’s no shortage of information available online, detailing everything from the best Disney resorts to the basics of the Genie+ system.

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This guide, however, skips a lot of what’s out there and is geared toward B.C. or Canadian residents, covering things like:

• Disney vacation options for B.C. residents
• How to pick the right Disney destination
• How to get there from Metro Vancouver
• Tips specific to Canadian travellers

So let’s get started, shall we?

Last updated: March 2024


Travelling from Vancouver, what are my options?

There are four options for Disney vacations if you are travelling from here in B.C. You could visit one of two North American Disney theme parks, vacation at Disney’s Hawaiian resort or hop on a Disney Cruise Lines trip departing from right here in Vancouver. (There are also four Disney resorts internationally, one in Europe and three in Asia, but we’ll save that for another day.)

The Disneyland park resort is the original park opened in 1955 and is located in Anaheim, Calif. Meanwhile, the Walt Disney World park resort is located in Orlando, Fla. Both resorts have attractions and offerings that overlap and some that are different.

Other options include Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa in Hawaii, and Disney Cruise Lines which frequently depart from Canada Place in downtown Vancouver. Both are alternatives to park crowds and lines but offer the same Disney magic.

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What’s the difference between the four options?

Disneyland Resort

The Disneyland resort is made up of two parks: Disneyland and California Adventure.

The parks are within walking distance of each other — the main gates are approximately 390 feet apart, about a minute to walk — and the closest airport is John Wayne Airport (SNA) located in Orange County, about 20 minutes away by car. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is also an option and about 45 minutes away by car.

Mickey and Minnie are pictured in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif. Each park features a different castle.
Mickey and Minnie are pictured in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif. Each park features a different castle. Photo by DISNEYLAND RESORT / HANDOUT /PNG


Walt Disney World Resort

The Walt Disney World Resort includes four theme parks and two water parks: Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom are the theme parks; Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are the water parks.

The parks are spread out across a massive property, with complimentary monorail, ferry and bus transport available between parks. To travel from one park to another via resort transportation, allow up to an hour. It is not possible to walk between the parks. The closest airport is Orlando International Airport (MCO), a 20-minute drive away. Tampa International Airport (TPA) is also an option, about an hour’s drive away.

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The “Partners” statue, featuring Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, is pictured in front of the Cinderella castle at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fl.
The “Partners” statue, featuring Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, is pictured in front of the Cinderella castle at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fl. Photo by John Raoux /AP


Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa

Aulani is a beach resort in Ko Olina, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The resort encompasses a hotel property, several pools and splash areas, a lazy river, character experiences, live entertainment and a kids club. There is no Disney theme park nearby but the resort offers unique Disney activities, entertainment and character experiences for a more laid-back vacation. The closest airport is Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), a 24-minute drive away.

Disney’s Aulani Resort offers a different type of Disney vacation, trading theme park rides and lineups for beach time and relaxing family activities.
Disney’s Aulani Resort offers a different type of Disney vacation, trading theme park rides and lineups for beach time and relaxing family activities. PROVINCE


Disney Cruise Lines

There are several Disney Cruise Lines itineraries that travel between Vancouver’s Canada Place cruise ship dock and San Diego, Alaska or Honolulu. A DCL trip includes the usual fare expected from a cruise vacation but with Disney-style service and entertainment. Families can enjoy the on-board water parks and open-air movie nights, as well as character experiences and princess makeovers.

The Disney Wonder ship is pictured on a cruise to Alaska. Disney Cruise Lines offers several itineraries that depart from Vancouver, B.C.
The Disney Wonder ship is pictured on a cruise to Alaska. Disney Cruise Lines offers several itineraries that depart from Vancouver, B.C. Photo by HANDOUT /PNG


Should I visit this year or wait until next year?

Disney is continually rolling out new attractions, parades, and expansions to its parks so it’s a worthwhile question to ask if you should visit now or later.

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Here are a few of the new things coming up in the world of Disney, so you can decide for yourself whether you want to wait.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: To keep up with Walt Disney’s ethos that the parks should continually be changing and growing, the classic Splash Mountain water log ride attraction has been closed on both the west and east coasts for some time to allow for a complete re-themeing. Instead of the controversial Song of the South, Brer Rabbit characters and music guests have enjoyed for nearly 35 years, the ride will be rethemed for Princess Tiana of the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. The WDW version of the ride will open summer 2024, while the DL version of the ride will open in late 2024.

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Pixar Fest: The fan-favourite festival returns this year to the Disneyland Resort with a host of new food offerings, a nighttime spectacular, and an updated parade to celebrate all things Pixar. The “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” parade will take place in California Adventure, while the “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” fireworks show will take place in Disneyland. A number of themed food items will be on offer, while Pixar Fest merch will take over the resort’s many retail shops. The festival kicks off on April 26 and runs until Aug. 4, 2024.

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EPCOT transformation: Over the past few years, EPCOT has continued to undergo a number of expansions and transformations, with the introduction of new rides and neighbourhoods. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, which was delayed due to the pandemic, finally opened in the France pavilion in the fall of 2021. The Guardians of the Galaxy – Cosmic Rewind, a multi-direction indoor coaster, finally opened in 2022. The Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana walk-through attraction opened in late 2023. It’s safe to say there’s plenty of new things to explore at EPCOT.

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What time of year should I visit?

For the 2023/2024 school year, the last day of instruction in B.C. will be June 27, 2024 before summer break begins. The first day of school for the 2024/2025 school year will be Sept. 3, 2025.

Late summer is an ideal time for B.C. residents to enjoy a Disney vacation, as Canadian schools generally don’t start up until the first week of September and many American schools start their terms in mid to late August.

Don’t overlook winter break! Disney goes all-out with their seasonal celebrations and decorations so escaping Vancouver’s rain for a little magic can’t hurt either.

Generally speaking, Disney theme parks will never be without crowds and though there used to be quieter times of year to visit, the post-pandemic return to travel has seen crowds grow ever more consistent at the Disney parks. Visits during April and May give you a chance at seeing lower crowds, as that’s generally when many rides go down for refurbishment but again, nothing’s for certain post-pandemic.

Regardless of when you go, be sure that you check for special events such as After Hours or Grad Nights that can close the parks early to the general public and draw bigger crowds.

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How do I pick which Disney vacation is right for my family?

It depends on whether you are:

Limited for time? Disneyland and California Adventure could be tackled in two full days, though most people spend about three days at the parks. Disney World is much, much bigger so most families budget about a week to a week and a half in Orlando for that resort, including a day for rest between park days.

Disney Cruise Line itineraries vary in length from four nights up to nine nights when departing or arriving in Vancouver. Aulani stays are flexible, with direct flights clocking in around six hours.

Visiting with younger children? Disneyland is more manageable for toddlers and kids and the proximity of both Disney resort hotels and off-site resort hotels means it’s easier to head back to the room for a mid-afternoon nap if needed. A Disney cruise or a stay at Aulani is also ideal, particularly if your kids are too young to enjoy the many rides available at theme parks.

Visiting with grandparents? Aulani or a Disney Cruise Lines may be an easier venue for all three generations to spend time together. The parks can get a little maddening, particularly if you’re travelling with extended family or wrangling a large group. The resort or a cruise could offer an easier way for grandparents to enjoy time with grandchildren without having to navigate rides, line-ups and more.

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Looking for character experiences? If your child is set on meeting certain Disney characters, all four Disney vacation options offer character dining experiences, where characters roam through the dining room and greet each table individually. At Disneyland, the characters pop up in locations throughout the parks at varying times while at Disney World, the character meet-and-greets are set up as designated attraction spots.

Worried about time zones? Disneyland is ideal because it’s in the same time zone, whereas Disney World is three hours ahead, something that could be a factor if you know your kids don’t do well time changes. A Disney cruise would also avoid time changes.

Hoping to get away from rain? Vancouverites need not fear the humid weather and flash storms that often come with a visit to Florida’s Disney World resort; you’ll probably be better prepared than most people who visit the Magic Kingdom. But if you really don’t want to deal with umbrellas and ponchos, Disneyland during the spring to early fall or Aulani during Hawaii’s dry season might be a better bet.

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Planning a trip with friends? Whether it’s a guys’ trip to see Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge or a bachelorette party for your Disney princess bestie, any of the four options would be ideal. Just make sure everyone attending is on board with the type of trip you’re planning. Is it a “bucket list” type of trip where you want to hit every ride? Or is it a more casual drinks on Pixar Pier type of visit?


How can we get there from Metro Vancouver?

To get to Disneyland (Anaheim, Calif.)

By car: The drive to Disneyland is 24 hours or about two to three days of driving depending on how you split it up. There’s plenty to see on the way, particularly if you turn it into a road trip vacation (Seattle! Oregon sea lions! San Francisco!) with Disneyland as the reward at the end.

By plane: There are direct and connecting flights available from YVR to Orange County (SNA), costing anywhere from approximately $300 to $600. WestJet offers direct flights to Orange County (SNA) that take just under three hours, almost every day of the week. You might also snag deals now and then that fly into LAX but keep in mind that LAX is a 45-minute drive to the resort area (possibly longer if you’re taking an airport shuttle or if L.A. traffic is bad).

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To get to Disney World (Orlando, Fla.)

By car: This is a doozy of a road trip. It’s an approximately 48-hour drive which might sound terrifying to some parents or exciting to others. (This reporter’s family has completed this road trip so yes, it’s doable with kids.) When broken up into segments, the drive could take anywhere from three days up to a week one way.

By plane: Again, there are both direct and connecting flights from YVR to MCO but it’ll cost you. WestJet offers one direct flight a week, clocking in just under six hours long. Flights to Orlando can run anywhere from $400 (for a really good deal) up to $800. Red-eye flights are also a possibility, which means you can try to mitigate the impact of a time change by having the kids sleep on the plane. There are some flights out of Abbotsford that might save you about $100 or so depending on time of year but those come with at least two layovers en route to Orlando.


To get to Aulani (Oahu, H.I.)

By plane: There are both direct and connecting flights from YVR to HNL, with prices ranging between $600 up to $900 depending on time of year. Both Air Canada and WestJet offer direct flights daily, a trip of about six hours. Meanwhile, connecting flights often take eight hours or more.

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To get to Canada Place

By car or transit: Disney Cruise Lines depart from the Canada Place cruise ship terminal, located at 999 Canada Place, to the west of Waterfront Station.

The Canada and Expo lines, as well as most downtown Vancouver buses, terminate at Waterfront Station, just a short walk around the block from the cruise ship terminal. If you’re transferring from the airport or elsewhere in Metro Vancouver, cabs and shuttle services will offer cruise ship transfers as well.


How much will this cost me?

For theme park tickets, it depends on how many days you want to visit, whether you want park hopping privileges or Genie+ and what time of year you want to visit. The more days you visit, the cheaper the cost per day.

Canadian resident discounts

Disney knows the Canadian-U.S. exchange is not what it used to be. In a bid to attract Canadian guests, Disney had historically offered a Canadian resident discount about once a year.

Since the pandemic, however, the Canadian resident offer has only returned for Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fl. but not Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

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For more information on the Canadian resident discount at WDW, visit here. Mind you, this offer is only good until May 9, 2024.

Tiered ticket prices and other promotions

Can’t wait? Disney World and Disneyland operate on a tiered-pricing system, where each day has a different ticket price to even out peak and non-peak crowds. Park hopping privileges and Genie+ line-skipping privileges are added costs.

Disney Cruise Lines also offers some Canadian resident promotions, with up to 35 per cent off on certain DCL sailings, while Aulani offers various promotions throughout the year.

tickets
This calendar shows the one-park-per-day, single-day ticket pricing for Disneyland and California Adventure during June and July 2024. Photo by SCREENGRAB

Vacation packages and layaway plans

Instead of booking each part of your trip separately, check your local travel agent or official offers from Disney to see what vacation packages are available. Some vacation packages may offer a free day on multi-day tickets or a dining plan as a bonus for booking specific accommodations.

A number of authorized Disney vacation travel agents also offer layaway plans with some conditions. This allows you to split the cost of a vacation package into instalments so you can pay over a set period of time, instead of having to pay up all at once.

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What else should I know?

Familiarize yourself with the new Genie and Genie+ system.

Following the pandemic, both Disneyland and Disney World introduced a free smartphone-based feature called Genie that allows you to input your top picks and priorities and it will build a personalized itinerary for you. It crowdsources all other guests and their priorities and aims to streamline crowds and wait times across the parks. Guests using Genie will use the free, standby line at each ride.

Genie+ is the paid version of Genie that allows you to access Lightning Lanes at a number of rides. Those using Lightning Lanes will get priority boarding for rides. (It’s what used to be known as the FastPass line.)

To add another layer, there are a la carte Lightning Lane purchases you can make. These are rides that cost an extra fee if you’d like to use the priority Lightning Lane access; they are not included in the Genie+ paid access rides. Don’t want to pay extra? You can still access the rides via the standby line.

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If you’re a Canadian headed to Disney World, EPCOT’s Canada Pavilion is worth a visit.

EPCOT is a delightful tour around the world and a great way to introduce different countries and cultures to young ones. Each pavilion has its own food offerings and a Kidcot Fun Stop that allows kids to collect a stamp for their Disney passport.

The Canada Pavilion, of course, is worth checking out even if only for the chuckle at how Canadians are presented to the world. A 360-degree theatre showcases the wonders of Canada and it’s always fun to chat up a cast member from back home. (All cast members working at the EPCOT pavilions are from the country represented.)


Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened summer 2019 at both Disneyland and Disney World.

The Star Wars-themed land is located at Disneyland Resort’s Disneyland park and Disney World’s Hollywood Studios park, and opened May 31 and Aug. 29, 2019 respectively.

If you’re a Star Wars geek, it’s worth a visit but be mindful that crowd numbers will be much higher than usual for some time. You might think that with a park expansion, there’s more room to accommodate crowds but it’s more of a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ scenario.

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The second anchor attraction Rise of the Resistance is also now open at both the west and east coast parks, joining the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride. Reviews of the RotR ride have been off the charts with universal praise for its advanced ride technology and effects.

You can check out a video walk-through of the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland here.

Black Spire Outpost is the name of the village inside of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, opening May 31, 2019, at Disneyland Resort in California and Aug. 29, 2019, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The outpost is closely associated with the geological formations that surround it. As the largest settlement on the planet Batuu, Black Spire Outpost is an infamous stop for traders, adventurers and smugglers travelling around the Outer Rim and Wild Space.
Black Spire Outpost is the name of the village inside of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, opening May 31, 2019, at Disneyland Resort in California and Aug. 29, 2019, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The outpost is closely associated with the geological formations that surround it. As the largest settlement on the planet Batuu, Black Spire Outpost is an infamous stop for traders, adventurers and smugglers travelling around the Outer Rim and Wild Space. Photo by Disney Parks /Postmedia Wire


Toy Story Land is among the highlights of the east coast Disney resort.

The first entry in the Toy Story series was released in 1995 and remains a classic passed on from now-grown children to their children, so it should be no surprise that the Toy Story Land, which opened in June 2018 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, remains as popular as ever.

The land — which is also at Disney’s parks in Hong Kong, Paris and Shanghai — is only available in North America at the Florida resort so if your kids are big Toy Story fans, it may be worth opting for the east coast park. Plus — Slinky Dog Dash!

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What else should I know?

We’ve covered off the basics for B.C. residents but there’s a wealth of information out there on understanding the Genie+ system, suggestions for the most efficient park itineraries, tips for navigating the parks and other tricks for getting the most out of your Disney vacation.

Some final tips

• Make sure you understand the Genie+ system at your respective theme park.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff and be flexible with your daily plans.
• Do your research so you can avoid disappointment and surprises.
• Decide what you are willing to budget and what you’re willing to splurge on.
• Don’t forget to enjoy the moment!

Other resources for planning your trip

• SoCal Daily: Genie+ Guide for Disneyland and California Adventure
• Disney Tourist Blog: Guide to Genie+ at Disney World
• Undercover Tourist: How to save money at Disneyland
• Disney Tourist Blog: 10 ways to save money on your Disney World vacation
• Touring Plans: Resources for Disneyland and Disney World


Do you have any other questions about planning a Disney vacation from Vancouver? Email our newsroom Disney expert Stephanie Ip and we’ll find an answer for you.

sip@postmedia.com
twitter.com/stephanie_ip

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