1st time to Disneyland next summer

HappilyEverAfter71

Member
Original Poster
I've been to WDW about 10 times in my 24 years but never managed to get over to the other coast to go to Disneyland but finally my family is going to make the trip next summer (I think around mid to late June) and I'm incredibly excited! I know it's probably very different from WDW in some ways. So I was just wondering if there were any tips anyone had, particularly on things that differ highly from WDW. We plan to spend one day at Disneyland and one day at CA. Is this enough time to do most things? Any non resort hotels that you recommend? Any advice is great :)
 

JediMasterMatt

Well-Known Member
Congratulations on planning your first visit. It sounds like you are a frequent visitor to WDW over the course of many years. Assuming those visits just weren't in the last 10 years, a trip to Disneyland Resort may serve as a trip back to a time when WDW exhibited top tier Disney Parks quality.

The first suggestion I would try to impart upon you is to plan for more than two days. While it may be possible to knock out an Orlando park in one day due to the lack of rides and attractions in each park, a visitor to the west coast needs to understand that in the two parks in Anaheim are almost the same number of rides and attractions in all four parks in Orlando. This means that there is much more to experience per park and you would be less likely to get everything completed in one day.

More importantly, you only get one chance to make a first impression - so my advice, is plan at least an extra day or two so you can take it all in and savor your first trip to Disneyland. A fan of Disney Parks (which you are since you are on this forum and have visited WDW 10 times) will want to do everything and save time for seconds on anything they enjoy.

Unlike Orlando, DLR takes care of their attractions and it is very common to encounter attractions down for refurbishment. Also, DLR is very seasonal in terms of many of the entertainment offerings (fireworks and Fantasmic only on weekends during the off season). Because of this, your trip in June is going to mean busier attendance; but, full entertaiment schedules and the likelyhood of fewer refurbs. This usually comes with longer operating hours as well. With next year being the start of the 60th celebration, it will likely be a perfect time to visit.

As far as where to stay offsite, any of the places right across Harbor Blvd are convienient. Recently, my wife and I have become partial to Camelot Inn and Suites. The rooms are big and clean and only about a half block from the crosswalk to the resort.
 

MDactor1980

Well-Known Member
I found this thread incredibly helpful!! http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guide-to-dlr-for-wdw-veterans.875596/

I'm planning a trip myself in April 2015, and have been finding a lot of value in reading other people's DLR trip reports. But I totally agree with the other reply in that you need another day. We're only doing 3 days so that we can do some additional CA sightseeing on our trip, and I'm worried that 3 days might not even be enough!
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
I would recommend 3-4 days at least, then you won't be rushing around as much as you would with one day for each park. Then you can also go back and do things you liked again.
 

HappilyEverAfter71

Member
Original Poster
Thank you everyone for this great advice! I'll definitely try to push for at least 3 days. Since it's a brand new experience for us, I think it would be good to throw in an extra day just in case. I think we'll be in California for about a week, so you're probably right that at least 3 days would be good. Also, I completely forgot about the 60th! That will make it even more exciting, I think :)
 

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
We just made our first trip to DL in May. It was fabulous. Take in the attractions that are unique to DL, but don't miss POC and BTMRR because they are different and so much better than WDW. There is a much bigger variety of counter-service restaurants at DL than at WDW. We stayed directly across the street at the Best Western Park Place which was incredibly convenient and comfortable. You might want to buy the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland - I found it helpful. And the regulars on this forum are extremely knowledgeable and helpful when you have specific questions.
 

RMichael21

Well-Known Member
We just got back from our first trip a few weeks ago and it was a blast! We did 4 days in the parks and for us, it was perfect. You're going to have great time!
 

PacNWTigger

Well-Known Member
I highly recommend The Annabella Hotel for a non resort hotel. It's a short walk up to the Grand Californian Hotel where you can cut through to DTD to get to the parks. It is one of the Good Neighbor Hotels, so you still get your Magic Mornings perks. The last time we stayed there (Oct '13) we were upgraded to a suite and free breakfasts for the week...it was a very nice surprise at check in.

3 days should be just about right if you're going to be doing other things while in CA.
 

Pooh'sBuddy

Well-Known Member
We're planning an August '15 trip - also three days so we can visit other California places. I've had my eye on Park Vue Inn (with a AAA discount) since they're right across the street from the entrance and their website claims to offer free internet, parking and breakfast and rooms with a queen/bunk beds set up and safes.

I'll be so grateful to read more trip reports. :)
 

Walt Disney1955

Well-Known Member
My opinion is buy a 3 day hopper pass. We did this a couple years ago. We did a full day in Disneyland and DCA, then on the 3rd day we stayed in Disneyland the whole time again. It was worth it for sure. We missed stuff like the Matterhorn the first time around. So we did it on Day 2. Fun stuff.

You're going to love Disneyland. You'll notice some things are different but you'll realize the feeling is the exact same.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Two days isn't enough for a true Disney fan; three days with park hopper tickets would be better. This is Walt's personal park, not a corporate clone. Be ready to be charmed.

The following are rides at Disneyland and DCA that do not exist at WDW. You would do well to focus on this list first:

Disneyland
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage - E Ticket
Matterhorn Bobsleds - E Ticket
Indiana Jones Adventure - E Ticket
Storybook Land Canal Boats - D Ticket
Casey Jr. Circus Train - C Ticket
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin - C Ticket
Pinnochio's Daring Journey - C Ticket
Alice In Wonderland - C Ticket
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - C Ticket
Snow White's Scary Adventure - C Ticket
Sailing Ship Columbia - C Ticket
Davy Crockett Canoes - C Ticket
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk-thru - A Ticket


Disney California Adventure
Radiator Springs Racers - E Ticket
California Screamin' - E Ticket
Mickey's Fun Wheel - D Ticket
Goofy's Sky School - D Ticket
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail - D Ticket
Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley To the Rescue! - C Ticket
Luigi's Flying Tires - C Ticket
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree - C Ticket
Golden Zephyr - C Ticket
Silly Symphony Swings - C Ticket
Jumpin' Jellyfish - B Ticket
Flik's Flyers - B Ticket
Francis Ladybug Boogie - B Ticket
Tuck n' Roll Drive 'Em Buggies - B Ticket
Heimlich's Chew Chew Train - B Ticket
Red Car Trolley - B Ticket


Then you have to consider all the rides at Disneyland Resort that are noticeably different than the clones at WDW. Many of these Anaheim versions are noticeably superior, have longer ride times, or have a high quality of showmanship and maintenance compared to their WDW cousins. But they are at least noticeably different than the WDW version:

Pirates of the Caribbean (A Must! See the missing seven minutes of ride time hacked off the WDW copy)
Haunted Mansion
Big Thunder Mountain (very different!)
Space Mountain (very different!)
It's A Small World
Splash Mountain (one of the few rides noticeably inferior at Disneyland)
Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters (removeable guns)
Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan's Flight
Tarzan's Treehouse (the Robinson family moved out)
Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island (very different theme)
Grizzly River Run (Kali River Rapids with 3 extra minutes and one extra drop)
Disneyland Monorail (kind of a ride, not really transportation)
Tower of Terror (a different show, no Fifth Dimension room)
The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh (not as good at Disneyland)
Disneyland Railroad (Grand Canyon Diorama and Primeval World viewing)
Disney Animation (a collection of exhibits, Turtle Talk, Animation Academy, and WOW! visuals inside)

So that's 45 various rides/attractions that either don't exist at WDW, or are noticeably different at Disneyland. You'd want to focus on those 45 attractions first, choosing the ones that most interest you. You can't do all of them in 3 days likely, but it's a solid selection to choose from.

Then there's the rides that are identical to their WDW versions, but have differences mainly in the facades or queues or pre-show areas. You could skip these in Anaheim unless they are personal favorites:

Star Tours
Midway Mania
It's Tough To Be A Bug (but with upgraded HD projection)
MuppetVision
Captain EO
Enchanted Tiki Room
Fantasyland spinners (Teacups, Dumbo, Carousel)
Little Mermaid (no Fastpass, always a 5 minute wait)
Main Street Vehicles
Mark Twain Riverboat
Gadget's Go Coaster (rethemed Goofy's Barnstormer)
Autopia (same concept as Speedway, different scenery)
Soarin' Over California (rumored to be getting HD upgrade for 60th, so could be worth it then)


There will be new parades for the 60th Anniversary next year; a rumored night parade and a new day parade for Disneyland. There's the Pixar Play Parade daily at DCA. You won't want to miss World of Color water spectacular one night at DCA, and Fantasmic! has much higher showmanship standards and different scenes at Disneyland. There are excellent major stage shows in both parks; Mickey and the Magical Map at Disneyland and Aladdin at DCA. But you at least need to see the two major water shows and the fireworks, and you'll need at least two full nights to do that.

Study up and figure out what's important for you to see and what you can skip. Realize there are as many rides and major entertainment offerings (parades, water shows, etc.) in the two Disneyland Resort parks as there are in all four WDW parks combined. You will be very busy.
 
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Pooh'sBuddy

Well-Known Member
If I may ask, how high are the temperatures getting now? The daily high averages posted on weather-related websites show in the mid 80s. I'm not going to ask about the crowd forecasts since estimated attendance this year may not be applicable to next year, but if anyone would like to speculate, I'd love to hear it.
 

JediMasterMatt

Well-Known Member
Then there's the rides that are identical to their WDW versions, but have differences mainly in the facades or queues or pre-show areas. You could skip these in Anaheim unless they are personal favorites:

Star Tours
Midway Mania
It's Tough To Be A Bug (but with upgraded HD projection)
MuppetVision
Captain EO
Enchanted Tiki Room
Fantasyland spinners (Teacups, Dumbo, Carousel)
Little Mermaid (no Fastpass, always a 5 minute wait)
Main Street Vehicles
Mark Twain Riverboat
Gadget's Go Coaster (rethemed Goofy's Barnstormer)
Autopia (same concept as Speedway, different scenery)
Soarin' Over California (rumored to be getting HD upgrade for 60th, so could be worth it then)

I'll add a little addendum to the highlighted attractions:

Enchanted Tiki Room - unless you consider the first incarnation of Orlando's that went away when New Management came in, the current comparison is not a 1:1 as MK's current version is an abbreviated version. This is because... well, it's because TDO is stupid. I don't know if the argument is to get more shows per day in; but, if so, it's not like there is ever more than a show or two wait even at peak season. Besides, Anaheim's Tiki Room has a better preshow and you can enjoy it the way it was meant to be enjoyed... with a Dole Whip with an umbrella and cherry on it.

Little Mermaid - just got a significant refurb in Anaheim and no longer looks like a dark ride through a Sam's Club or Costco.

Autopia - yes, it's the same concept as Speedway; but, Autopia is actualy fun and has a great setting. Tons of twists and turns and not a big concrete track. Best way I could describe it is the difference between a drive through a hilly forest versus a trip down I-4 at rush hour.
 

JediMasterMatt

Well-Known Member
I've gone to DLR the last week in August the last 3 years the weather is always pretty much the same. Highs in the 80's to maybe 90's (one year it got close to 100 for a day or so). Hardly a cloud in the sky and low, low humidity.

The only thing that could change is if a front comes through and shifts the winds around.
 

HappilyEverAfter71

Member
Original Poster
Two days isn't enough for a true Disney fan; three days with park hopper tickets would be better. This is Walt's personal park, not a corporate clone. Be ready to be charmed.

The following are rides at Disneyland and DCA that do not exist at WDW. You would do well to focus on this list first:

Disneyland
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage - E Ticket
Matterhorn Bobsleds - E Ticket
Indiana Jones Adventure - E Ticket
Storybook Land Canal Boats - D Ticket
Casey Jr. Circus Train - C Ticket
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin - C Ticket
Pinnochio's Daring Journey - C Ticket
Alice In Wonderland - C Ticket
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - C Ticket
Snow White's Scary Adventure - C Ticket
Sailing Ship Columbia - C Ticket
Davy Crockett Canoes - C Ticket
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk-thru - A Ticket


Disney California Adventure
Radiator Springs Racers - E Ticket
California Screamin' - E Ticket
Mickey's Fun Wheel - D Ticket
Goofy's Sky School - D Ticket
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail - D Ticket
Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley To the Rescue! - C Ticket
Luigi's Flying Tires - C Ticket
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree - C Ticket
Golden Zephyr - C Ticket
Silly Symphony Swings - C Ticket
Jumpin' Jellyfish - B Ticket
Flik's Flyers - B Ticket
Francis Ladybug Boogie - B Ticket
Tuck n' Roll Drive 'Em Buggies - B Ticket
Heimlich's Chew Chew Train - B Ticket
Red Car Trolley - B Ticket


Then you have to consider all the rides at Disneyland Resort that are noticeably different than the clones at WDW. Many of these Anaheim versions are noticeably superior, have longer ride times, or have a high quality of showmanship and maintenance compared to their WDW cousins. But they are at least noticeably different than the WDW version:

Pirates of the Caribbean (A Must! See the missing seven minutes of ride time hacked off the WDW copy)
Haunted Mansion
Big Thunder Mountain (very different!)
Space Mountain (very different!)
It's A Small World
Splash Mountain (one of the few rides noticeably inferior at Disneyland)
Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters (removeable guns)
Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan's Flight
Tarzan's Treehouse (the Robinson family moved out)
Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island (very different theme)
Grizzly River Run (Kali River Rapids with 3 extra minutes and one extra drop)
Disneyland Monorail (kind of a ride, not really transportation)
Tower of Terror (a different show, no Fifth Dimension room)
The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh (not as good at Disneyland)
Disneyland Railroad (Grand Canyon Diorama and Primeval World viewing)
Disney Animation (a collection of exhibits, Turtle Talk, Animation Academy, and WOW! visuals inside)

So that's 45 various rides/attractions that either don't exist at WDW, or are noticeably different at Disneyland. You'd want to focus on those 45 attractions first, choosing the ones that most interest you. You can't do all of them in 3 days likely, but it's a solid selection to choose from.

Then there's the rides that are identical to their WDW versions, but have differences mainly in the facades or queues or pre-show areas. You could skip these in Anaheim unless they are personal favorites:

Star Tours
Midway Mania
It's Tough To Be A Bug (but with upgraded HD projection)
MuppetVision
Captain EO
Enchanted Tiki Room
Fantasyland spinners (Teacups, Dumbo, Carousel)
Little Mermaid (no Fastpass, always a 5 minute wait)
Main Street Vehicles
Mark Twain Riverboat
Gadget's Go Coaster (rethemed Goofy's Barnstormer)
Autopia (same concept as Speedway, different scenery)
Soarin' Over California (rumored to be getting HD upgrade for 60th, so could be worth it then)


There will be new parades for the 60th Anniversary next year; a rumored night parade and a new day parade for Disneyland. There's the Pixar Play Parade daily at DCA. You won't want to miss World of Color water spectacular one night at DCA, and Fantasmic! has much higher showmanship standards and different scenes at Disneyland. There are excellent major stage shows in both parks; Mickey and the Magical Map at Disneyland and Aladdin at DCA. But you at least need to see the two major water shows and the fireworks, and you'll need at least two full nights to do that.

Study up and figure out what's important for you to see and what you can skip. Realize there are as many rides and major entertainment offerings (parades, water shows, etc.) in the two Disneyland Resort parks as there are in all four WDW parks combined. You will be very busy.
Thank you so much for this list, I will definitely keep this in mind for our trip. I've already convinced my family to shoot for a 3 day ticket once I'd done some more research on the things that are different from WDW. I think this is a good guide to make sure we at least do all the things that aren't at WDW or that are different there.
 

Pooh'sBuddy

Well-Known Member
I've gone to DLR the last week in August the last 3 years the weather is always pretty much the same. Highs in the 80's to maybe 90's (one year it got close to 100 for a day or so). Hardly a cloud in the sky and low, low humidity.

The only thing that could change is if a front comes through and shifts the winds around.
Thanks!
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
I'll add a little addendum to the highlighted attractions:

Enchanted Tiki Room - unless you consider the first incarnation of Orlando's that went away when New Management came in, the current comparison is not a 1:1 as MK's current version is an abbreviated version. This is because... well, it's because TDO is stupid. I don't know if the argument is to get more shows per day in; but, if so, it's not like there is ever more than a show or two wait even at peak season. Besides, Anaheim's Tiki Room has a better preshow and you can enjoy it the way it was meant to be enjoyed... with a Dole Whip with an umbrella and cherry on it.

Little Mermaid - just got a significant refurb in Anaheim and no longer looks like a dark ride through a Sam's Club or Costco.

Autopia - yes, it's the same concept as Speedway; but, Autopia is actualy fun and has a great setting. Tons of twists and turns and not a big concrete track. Best way I could describe it is the difference between a drive through a hilly forest versus a trip down I-4 at rush hour.

Those are great points! I'd completely forgot about the upgrades Little Mermaid recently received. It's a much better ride now, and the WDW version still has the old version.

When I was typing the original post I'd aslo thought about saying something similar about Tiki Room and Autopia, but didn't want to be criticizing Florida management and their operation too much. ;)

But now that the cat is out of the bag... @jedimaster is right.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
If I may ask, how high are the temperatures getting now? The daily high averages posted on weather-related websites show in the mid 80s. I'm not going to ask about the crowd forecasts since estimated attendance this year may not be applicable to next year, but if anyone would like to speculate, I'd love to hear it.

Yup, we've had highs in the low to mid 80's and lows in the mid to upper 60's for weeks. The biggest difference though isn't the temperatures, but the lack of humidity compared to Florida. California is a very dry climate year round, while Florida's is very damp.

For weeks now there's not been a cloud in the sky, although in the last week we've had some early morning beach fog move inland to Anaheim that burns off around 9:00AM. The inland morning beach fog is rare for August, that's usually weather you'd see here in May and June. But otherwise not a cloud in the sky for weeks, and it's statistically nearly impossible for it to rain of any significance in June through September. This has been very typical, average summer weather for SoCal.

anaheimvsorlandorainfallSmall.jpg


You all do realize there's a reason The Beach Boys wrote so many hit songs about pretty girls on pretty beaches under a warm golden sun and they were all about California instead of Florida, right? :D
 

PacNWTigger

Well-Known Member
Thank you so much for this list, I will definitely keep this in mind for our trip. I've already convinced my family to shoot for a 3 day ticket once I'd done some more research on the things that are different from WDW. I think this is a good guide to make sure we at least do all the things that aren't at WDW or that are different there.

Be sure to get a hopper ticket!! It truly is the way to go at DLR...my DH and I generally go back and forth between the parks everyday. You can hold a fastpass in one park, and go across the way and enjoy other stuff until your window starts.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
I've been to WDW about 10 times in my 24 years but never managed to get over to the other coast to go to Disneyland but finally my family is going to make the trip next summer (I think around mid to late June) and I'm incredibly excited! I know it's probably very different from WDW in some ways. So I was just wondering if there were any tips anyone had, particularly on things that differ highly from WDW. We plan to spend one day at Disneyland and one day at CA. Is this enough time to do most things? Any non resort hotels that you recommend? Any advice is great :)

The biggest advice we can give is to go read the amazingly helpful thread created by @GiveMeTheMusic entitled Guide To DLR For WDW Veterans http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guide-to-dlr-for-wdw-veterans.875596/

I'm as much to blame as anyone, but so much of the information here is already contained in that dedicated thread. DLR is a very different animal than WDW. Do your homework with the dedicated thread. :)
 

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