1st trip booked!

squidward

squidward

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Just booked out first trip ever to Disneyland. So excited! We're WDW vets. Been there 35+ times. Never even been to California, and I know there's a bunch of stuff we're not going to see, which is a shame. But we're only going for 1 week, and going to Disneyland has always been a dream of mine, so it's all gonna be about the parks. I know some of the offsite hotels are an even shorter walk, but I wanted the full Disney experience, so we're staying at the Disneyland Hotel. I absolutely can not wait!!!

I don't want to sound like one of those people, but the minute we hit Main Street and see Walt's apartment, I'm gonna lose it, which is pretty sad for a grown man.
 
squidward

squidward

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I really think so too. Many people are telling me I won't like it because it's so much smaller and not as "enclosed" as WDW, and it feels like a scaled down Magic Kingdom. But I don't see it that way. Yes, it's smaller than the MK, but they've got so many rides that I'm gonna love. I'm a sucker for the classic dark rides. I'm gonna be in heaven with all the ones they have. And they still have some of the rides that I love at the other WDW parks there.
 
JediMasterMatt

JediMasterMatt

Well-Known Member
squidward said:
I really think so too. Many people are telling me I won't like it because it's so much smaller and not as "enclosed" as WDW, and it feels like a scaled down Magic Kingdom. But I don't see it that way. Yes, it's smaller than the MK, but they've got so many rides that I'm gonna love. I'm a sucker for the classic dark rides. I'm gonna be in heaven with all the ones they have. And they still have some of the rides that I love at the other WDW parks there.
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Scaled down Magic Kingdom? Other than the size of the property, there isn't anything scaled down about Disneyland when compared to Orlando. It's jam packed with rides and attractions and both parks possess a kinetic energy that you will likely feel that it's the Orlando experience that is scaled down by comparison (at least while in the parks, the overall resort is a different thing alltogether). To be honest, Orlando's parks can seem empty after time spent in Anaheim. Especially Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios since the are so similar to Disneyland and California Adventure. It's not just the rides and attractions either. The characters and street performers and Main St vehicles and bands and... well, you get the idea or you will soon enough.

You will be in heaven from all the dark rides. Not only are there more; but, the majority of them are in far better show shape than their conterparts in Orlando. There are still Orlando attractions that shine (like Splash, Tower, and Mansion); but, Anaheim's rides consistantly seem to be in better shape in terms of lighting, sound, animatronics working, and believe it or not... the lack of dust of the non-pixie kind.
 
Nextinline

Nextinline

Well-Known Member
Staying at Disneyland Hotel will help ease you into the DL transition from WDW since you'll never have to leave Disney property to go to either park.

Aside from walking through Downtown Disney, you can take the monorail to & from Tomorrowland, & I'm pretty sure you can cut through the Grand Californian to enter California Adventure near Grizzly River Run. Both alternate entrances/exits can be handy depending on where in the parks you want to go/are.

Anyway, soak it all in & enjoy your time there!
 
teacherlady19

teacherlady19

Active Member
Yes, you can cut through the Grand Californian to get to the parks. I'm not sure whether you can get into CA that way, but I'm SURE you can get to Downtown Disney and then to either park. (Getting into DCA from GC may have to do with the room card you hold, that I'm not sure of. But I've cut through the GC to get to DD when we stayed off-site, so I know that's possible.)


Donna
 
RMichael21

RMichael21

Well-Known Member
We got back from our first trip almost a month ago and it was one of the best Disney Park experiences I've ever had in my entire life. Almost EVERYONE that I talked too about our trip said I would be disappointed because it is smaller and has less rides. But boy were they wrong. The Disneyland Resort was everything I had hoped and wanted it to be and more. You'll have an amazing time. Based on what I experienced, here's my must do list:

  • Indiana Jones
  • Space Mountain
  • POTC
  • Peter Pan
  • BTMRR
  • Splash Mountain
  • Matterhorn
  • It's a Small World
  • Alice
  • Mr. Toad
  • Pinocchio
  • Radiator Springs Racers
  • Tower of Terror
Have fun in April!
 
PolynesianPrincess

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
We did our first DLR trip in April and were not disappointed AT ALL! We absolutely LOVEd it and we are WDW vets. Been to WDW 29 times in my 31 years on this Earth. We had 4 full park days plus a few hours upon arrival and we still didn't see everything. Of course some things we rode multiple times so if we hadn't done that we might have seen more. But that just means we will have to go back!! :) Also, quite a few things were down for refurb while we were there (Indy, Nemo subs, Alice, Grizzly River, Small World,.. Pirates closed midway through our trip...) so there was a lot we didn't even have the option to ride.
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
RMichael21 said:
We got back from our first trip almost a month ago and it was one of the best Disney Park experiences I've ever had in my entire life.
Click to expand...

derelicte19 said:
We did our first DLR trip in April and were not disappointed AT ALL! We absolutely LOVED it and we are WDW vets.
Click to expand...

I don't have much else to say here. But pardon us West Coasters as we chuckle at the 21st century Midwesterners or East Coasters who suddenly discover that there's another Disney theme park experience in America, and since it was built by Walt Disney's own blood, sweat and tears (and a lot of his own money) from 1954 to 1966 it might just be equal to Florida's cloned experiences built in the 1970's to 1990's by a corporate committee years after Walt was dead and gone.

Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom of Disneyland scores again. Nice job, Walt. :cool:

walt_disney_disneyland_map_of_park.jpg
 
squidward

squidward

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
derelicte19 said:
We did our first DLR trip in April and were not disappointed AT ALL! We absolutely LOVEd it and we are WDW vets. Been to WDW 29 times in my 31 years on this Earth. We had 4 full park days plus a few hours upon arrival and we still didn't see everything. Of course some things we rode multiple times so if we hadn't done that we might have seen more. But that just means we will have to go back!! :) Also, quite a few things were down for refurb while we were there (Indy, Nemo subs, Alice, Grizzly River, Small World,.. Pirates closed midway through our trip...) so there was a lot we didn't even have the option to ride.
Click to expand...

Wow - That is ALOT of stuff down at one time. I'll be furious if that happens on our trip.
 
PolynesianPrincess

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
TP2000 said:
I don't have much else to say here. But pardon us West Coasters as we chuckle at the 21st century Midwesterners or East Coasters who suddenly discover that there's another Disney theme park experience in America, and since it was built by Walt Disney's own blood, sweat and tears (and a lot of his own money) from 1954 to 1966 it might just be equal to Florida's cloned experiences built in the 1970's to 1990's by a corporate committee years after Walt was dead and gone.

Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom of Disneyland scores again. Nice job, Walt. :cool:

walt_disney_disneyland_map_of_park.jpg
Click to expand...

Well sorry if 1 theme park and a lackluster park (before DCA got its refurb) were not enough to warrant a trip all the way over to the west coast for us east coasters. It's so funny how you "west coasters" give off the vibe that you're so much better than anyone else because you have the original park.
 
squidward

squidward

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
TP2000 said:
I don't have much else to say here. But pardon us West Coasters as we chuckle at the 21st century Midwesterners or East Coasters who suddenly discover that there's another Disney theme park experience in America, and since it was built by Walt Disney's own blood, sweat and tears (and a lot of his own money) from 1954 to 1966 it might just be equal to Florida's cloned experiences built in the 1970's to 1990's by a corporate committee years after Walt was dead and gone.

Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom of Disneyland scores again. Nice job, Walt. :cool:

walt_disney_disneyland_map_of_park.jpg
Click to expand...

Can't speak for anyone else, but I think most people know about Disneyland. Sadly, the price of getting out to California is what keeps most people from the East away. For what I'm spending for 1 week at Disneyland, I can spend 2 weeks at WDW.
 

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