Califiornia Disneyland Vacation Idea's

We've stayed at Embassy Suites several times and really liked it. They serve a complimentary breakfast in the morning. You can buy a ticket for the shuttle that will take you to Disney, they pick up and drop off right in front of the hotel.

Don't miss Space Mountain and Indiana Jones. Big Thunder Mountain has just recently been redone and I'd make that a priority too. You should also plan to see the Disney classics like The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Carribean.

The food in Disneyland is much better than it used to be, but be prepared to pay for it. If we are getting tired and thinking about leaving the park at dinner time we will wait to eat until we are out of the park.

Have Fun!!

M

Several great hotels, depends on your price point. Tripadvisor is your best bet for figuring that out. We like "suite" style hotels with kitchenettes when doing Disney.
The food is decent but very expensive and lines can be long. We only ate one meal a day in the park, usually lunch. Breakfast was generally something like bagels and fruit in the room before leaving, dinner we would have somewhere offsite (with cocktails!) after resting up and heading back to the park for the after dark stuff.
Honestly we never really planned our visit very much, just showed up, grabbed the park map and decided what we most wanted to see that day. Our favorites were Space Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Tower of Terror (at CA adventure.) I have heard that the Soaring over CA ride is really great but we missed that one.
Have fun!

If you have the budget for it, you should stay at the Grand Californian Hotel, which is a Disney hotel. Super convenient because it's connected to California Adventure.

Food at Disneyland is pricey and just barely edible. The only restaurant I would eat at Disneyland is called Plaza Inn on Main Street. I generally try to pack my own food or eat right before I get there because the food is unsatisfying and expensive. CA Adventure restaurants are better, but still expensive. One thing people rave about is the Dole Whip so you should try that -- you can get that at Disneyland, near the Indiana Jones ride.

Since your youngest is 6, all your kids should be able to ride all of the rides. I love their fireworks, which usually start at 9 p.m. barring poor weather conditions. I love the new Cars ride at CA Adventure and the Toy Story ride there. At Disneyland, my favorite is the Splash Mountain. I used to like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but after they redid it, it seems slower and not as exciting.

A lot will depend on your budget and personal interests. Check out mousesavers.com for some ideas.

With three kids, I'd look for a place with suites. We stayed at the Doubletree and it had a sleeper sofa in the living area, along with two beds in the bedroom area. It's along the shuttle line to Disneyland. Beautiful hotel. We ate breakfast and dinner at the hotel.

Lunch fare at Disneyland is pretty much what you'd expect. We didn't scope out all of the options, but let's just say most of it wasn't Weight Watchers approved. :)

Consider getting the pass that gets you in to Disneyland and California Adventure next door. We liked being able to go between the parks. Can't really say what rides are "do not miss" rides, because preferences vary so much with kids. A family favorite was the Toy Story Midway Mania ride at CA Adventure. It's a fast-paced target shooting ride. Our daughter was only 5 when we were there and even she loved this one. It does get long lines, though.

Have fun!

Soaring Over California is the BEST ride. It is at California Adventure. The Indiana Jones ride is also excellent although it may be too scary for your 6 year old. They need to be 46" for that one. The food is marginal at best.

ETA: Forgot about the Tower of Terror. Great. However, I would only take the 17 year old on it. I am assuming it is the same as in Fl.

I recommend finding a book called "The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland"!
It has great tips for planning and preparing for the trip (start taking walks now to get used to walking), as well as information about each ride at both Disneyland and California Adventure.

I got the "family uniform" idea from this book, coupled with my friends tie-dyed shirts, to make our family really easy to spot in a large park!

I've stayed at a couple different hotels within walking distance as well as the Grand Californian. If I can afford it, I'll always stay at the GC in the future.. because the amenities were nice (private entrance to DCA, closeness to Downtown Disney, early entry every morning!, etc...).

If you just plan for the hotel to be a place where you sleep... where you stay pretty much doesn't matter. If you want it to be more (pool, etc) then check out the booking sites and read reviews.
(If you are traveling with someone in the military, please keep in mind that Disney gives hotel discounts for their resort hotels. We went this last time with military friends, which is why we could afford GC!)

What will be fun will depend on your kids and their interests. The unofficial guide has lots of great information about each ride and what to expect, so I really do recommend it.

Food in the park is pretty basic, maybe a step above McDs. If you want to do a character meal go for breakfast. Definitely do Star Tours, Indiana Jones, Space Mountain in DL, Cars ride, California Scream in' and Toy Story Mania in CA. Try to catch atleast one parade if you can. Since I'm local I don't have any hotel recommendations, but I would'nt stray to far from the resort area. Some parts of Anaheim are a little sketchy. As far as a beach, Huntington Beach, Surf City USA

We took our 16 and 12 year olds to DL last spring break. We stayed at a condo not far from the park (Vrbo.com). It had 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and included parking at DL. It was only about $200 a night. It was the best decision we made! We bought snacks and breakfast goodies at the grocery store when we arrived so we had stuff at the condo and packed into the park.

I got 4 day passes (3 days would have been enough), and we spent our last vacation day at Huntington Beach. It was a great trip!

You've got a big age gap but I assure you they will all have a great time! There is something for everyone at DL!