1st trip to DisneyLand CA...any advice?

[Figments Friend]

Hi everyone!

I'm thinking of taking a trip next year out to CA to visit DisneyLand for the first time....seemed like a good time to go with the big "50th" bash in the works.

I know many of you are experts on the place and probably have some good, solid advice for a "DisneyLand Virgin" like myself and i would LOVE to hear what you have to say!

Where is the best place to stay? Is it as easy to get to DisneyLand from the airport as it is in Orlando? What can i expect?

Many years ago a friend went and came back telling me that it was VERY "small" in size and scale when compared to the Florida Park. Is this still true, or have things changed? Just curious.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice you can offer me!

 

[Merlin]

I assume that you are flying into John Wayne Airport? If so, yes it is pretty easy to get to DL from there. Others may have better directions to give, but I would say just get on I-5 and follow the signs to DL. You'll exit right into the parking garage.

As far as a place to stay, are you set on staying on Disney property? My personal opinion is that it is not worth it. Unlike WDW, where they have hotels to fit just about all budgets, the three hotels at DL Resort are kind of higher priced. On top of that, there's really no themeing to speak of. Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier both were built by outside companies and are pretty much just your basic hotel towers. The only one actually built by Disney is the Grand Californian. People say it has "great themeing" but I guess I'm just missing something. It is pretty, but I don't really see a lot of themeing, like you do at the WDW hotels. It's incredibly convenient (literally an easy walking distance from both Disney parks), but I'm not sure it's worth the price.

As far as the size, yes, prepare for a smaller scale. Interestingly, although Disneyland is smaller than Magic Kingdom, I don't personally take much notice of that. However, if you are looking at the entire resort of WDW compared to the entire "resort" of Disneyland, then yes you will notice a major difference. Unlike WDW, which is roughly the size of San Francisco, Disneyland Resort is only a few hundred acres. The upside to this is everything is within easy walking distance. In many ways, that's kind of cool.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Everything is within walking distance, but that doesn't mean you walk any less...if you spend a week or so in So Cal seeing everything in the area, your feet will still hurt I would go with a Good Neighbor Resort--they are cheaper, many of them are very nice, and they all have transportation to Disneyland.

I usually leave the SoCal driving to someone else--traffic can get insane, as you could imagine, so I utilize the shuttles.

 

[RU42]

Where to stay - that is a function of money. If on a tight budget stay off property. As pointed out, the price vs Disney magic just doesn't compare to WDW. If money is not a concern, stay at the GC.

You can get to DL from LAX or OC fairly easy with shuttles. If you plan on renting a car to go to other places, then it is still relatively easy. Yes, we have traffic but I have driven in most if not all major urban areas of this great Union, they all have good times and bad times. Just be patient if you have to drive during rush hour.

DL is smaller then MK. I notice the difference in the pathways - not the rides. At WDW there is a bit more elbow room. DL tends to get a bit tight from time to time. Also, the whole Resort is massively smaller then WDW. WDW you are in a Disney environment; totally submerged. At DLR, you are in the city of Anaheim with a small carved out section called DLR. 2 very different feels.

Timing - if you are in no rush I highly recommend you wait for the new Space Mtn (opening date is still floating as far as I know.) Also possibly target Septemeber for the reduced crowds.

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask away.

RU

 

[ToTBellHop]

it's a balance deciding when to go...while the odds of Space Mountain being open rise as the year goes on, you are also going to see entertainment and hours cutbacks starting in the fall (e.g. fireworks only on Friday and Saturday). Personally, I think it's a pretty safe bet that Space Mountain will open by July 17th--it's vital for both the 50th and the summer season, as it is probably the 50th addition that people are most looking forward to, and I don't see Matt Ouimet allowing Disneyland to miss the boat with this and tick a lot of people off. It's already been closed too long...

I am pleased to hear that they are going to indeed be sprucing up California Adventure in the same way that they've been sprucing up Disneyland in the spring--it could use it.

 

[Kaleigh]

As for where to stay, there is a whole line of hotels directly across the street within walking distance to the parks that you can usually get for decent prices. We personally have stayed at the Del Sol Inn ($55 on 4th of July weekend and Labor Day weekend) and the Howard Johnson Plaza ($59). The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland is good for showing which hotels are really close, and which just say they are.
Disneyland has some plusses and minuses. I found the dining lacking compared to Disneyworld. There are hardly any full, sit down dining experiences. On the other hand, the cafeteria type dining they have is pretty good. (Like the Plaza Inn and Rancho del Zocala) The only character meal I found worth the price was Ariel's Grotto.
As for the size, etc. the castle is surprisingly small when you first see it comparitively, but the whole park has an extra charm that I think isn't fully realized at the Magic Kingdom in Florida. There are more characters out, more variety. In one weekend, we saw all the normal characters in addition to Mulan, Pocahontas, Lilo, Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, Cruella de Vil, there are just so many in unexpected places, it is fun finding them. I personally prefer Fantasyland there. It has more attention to detail on all the buildings instead of the tent theme in Florida, and it is HUGE comparitively. Tomorrowland kinda sucks, but will be close when Space Mountain and Buzz open up. Splash Mountain is not as good as Florida's(not even close), but Pirates is longer and , in my opinion, better. Indiana Jones is great. You really don't feel that the Magic Kingdom is smaller just walking around.
It is also great to be able to cross the promenade to DCA. This is one of my hubby's fave Disney parks. You can usually ride everything, even the big rides in one day with hardly any wait if you use fastpass, and there are some fun rides. Soarin, Grizzly River Rapids, ToT, and the roller coaster are all must sees. In addition, we really enjoy Mulholland Madness, the animation studios, and the sourdough bread show.
Okay, so I have gone on and on. Let me know if I can answer any more questons. Have fun!

 

[LadyDarling]

I basically agree with the other folks -
If money is no concern - stay in the Grand Californian. You definately won't regret it! If it is, there is a $50 hotel right across the street from Disneyland.

I also see that you've been "warned" of Disneyland's size and environment. WDW has the space to be bigger. It's sort of removed from the world. Disneyland is right in the heart of a city. Now, that said, it does a MARVELOUS job of transporting you to a magical place! It's far more quiant than it's floridia counterpart (the Magic Kingdom) and when you think about the history involved (Walt actually touched many attractions and walked those very same streets!), it can be an amazing experience!

I would recommend going in the late summer or near the holidays (I hear the weekend after Thanksgiving is decidedly uncrowded). In the summer, you may catch Fantasmic! In the winter, the decorations are beautiful!

Have a blast! Let us know if you have any other questions!
~Jay

 

[Figments Friend]

Hi folks...


Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback regarding my inquiry about my upcoming trip to DisneyLand. I have learned a lot, exspecially the hotel picture....i may well stay across the street as i will be on a somewhat limited budget. Thanks again for all the tips!!

I've been away for a while, thus my long gap between posts here...but i wanted to take the time to thank everyone for responding. I will indeed keep all you suggestions in mind when planning my trip.

Here is another question i was wondering about....you have probably been asked this many times already by others, but here goes:

When in your experience has it been the best time of year to visit DisneyLand as far as crowds/ pricing rates (hotels mainly) and availiblity of attractions?

I have been to DW many times, and pretty much swear on always going there in either September or October. I have excellent luck with low rates, low to non-exsistant crowds (exspecially my last trip: Sept 11 2002..1 year anniversary and NO ONE was there practically. It was my BEST TRIP EVER!!) and stress free living at it's very best.

I guess i am wondering in DL has a similar thing out there...slow times tend to be in the fall after X-mas/early winter. I am toying with hitting DW this year as well in May maybe...then having a go at DL later in the year.

Any good time periods you could suggest?

Thanks again for all the great tips!!

 

[Christina]

Quick advice:

Don't visit Disney's California Adventure. It's pretty much a waste of time. Unless you get a free ticket. Then feel free to go.

 

[xfkirsten]

Any good time periods you could suggest?

Sept and Oct are GREAT times to visit! There's a few more refurbs going on during that time of the year (HM is usually closed during September for the Holiday install). I imagine, though, there will be fewer refurbs during that time this year than usual, due to the 50th celebration and the masses of refurbs between now and April. If you go during that time, though, definitely make sure that you are at the parks over a weekend, because fireworks and Fantasmic generally only run on weekends during the offseason here.

Quick advice:

Don't visit Disney's California Adventure. It's pretty much a waste of time. Unless you get a free ticket. Then feel free to go.

I whole-heartedly disagree. I love DCA - spend the majority of my time there even! It's very relaxing, crowds are smaller, and there's some great attractions and shows. By all means, visit! I will say don't buy a regular single-day ticket that is ONLY for DCA, because even I don't think that's worth it. However, Park Hoppers make a trip to DCA very worthwhile!

 

[Kaleigh]

I agree about definitely visiting DCA. My husband and I love it. You can ride everything, even the big rides in one day, no matter what time of year. I also went to DisneyWorld in Sept of 2002, so I know what kind of crowds you are looking for. Here has been my experience. We went to Disneyland last year in early March. During the week, it was very slow. On Friday afternoon, it got slammed. Here's the thing about Disneyland. Even when it is slammed busy, you can always get on Pirates of the Carribean in less than 10 minutes. Haunted Mansion is also usually pretty easy to get on as well as Winnie the Pooh, Mr Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White, Pinocchio and Jungle Cruise. Peter Pan is nearly always impossible busy or not. We had annual passes last year and with all the times we went, we only got to ride Peter Pan once. It is always more than 20 minutes. BTMR is hit or miss, but has a pretty quick loading time, so it should be doable even if it is busy.Splash Mountain is always busy, but I would NEVER ride this without a fastpass at Disneyland. The line inside is HUGE and fastpass gets you right up to the front. It is just so worth it to fastpass this ride. I cannot stress that enough. I would also fastpass Indy. You can get on it quickly sometimes without, but fastpass really can help.
Okay, back to times of the year. We also went in early June. Again, it was not that bad though busier than March, it stayed open later and we got to see all the parades and fireworks. We still rode everything we wanted at both parks in 2 days. Then we went 4th of July weekend. Crazy? Maybe. But we still rode everything in a day at DCA and by fastpassing Splash and Indy, we rode most at Disneyland. We were still able to get on Pirates in less than 10 and must've rode it and Mr Toad 3 times each. It was fuller than we had seen it, but it was not as bad as Labor Day. Labor Day was the worst we saw. We still rode everything at DCA, but the wait for even the fantasyland rides got long as the day stretched.
If I could, I would go on a weekday as well as a weekend so I could see the parades and fireworks, but still enjoy the low crowds of a weekday. Friday is pretty much a weekend, so consider staying over for a Monday and Tuesday if possible. These are the least busy days of the week.
I am sorry if this is too long or more info than you wanted. Let me know if you'd like to know anything else. I hope this helps!

 

[Tigggrl]

I would definately visit in the fall, as the time around May 5th and July 17th is gonna be a madhouse crazy time, and the Disney Hotels are booking up VERY quickly for the year... IF you call the Disney Travel Company,(I'm sorry I don't have the number!) They can help you book your trip and airfare and all kinds of local hotels too!
(My Best Friend Works for them, and people thought they had to wait till after the first of the year to book trips...now she is working overtime!) LOL! Just most important HAVE FUN! And I LOVE DCA!

 

[David]

We, too, are planning our first trip to Disneyland. We will have 2 days (Wedneady afternoon, Thursday, and Friday morning) in June to try to cram everything in before flying over to Honolulu. I've been reading some books and was wondering if "It's tough to be a Bug" and "Muppets 3-D" are the same as WDW. We want to see as much of Disneyland as we can, but don't want to miss something unique to Disneyland at the expense of seeing a duplicate of a show at WDW.

 

[Tigggrl]

Yep. they are one in the same show...(I skip them all the time)...But don't miss the ORIGINAL Tiki room, and check out Pirates for sure!

 

[Figments Friend]

Wow...thanks a bunch for all the great info everyone.....


If anything else happens to get me wondering in regards to my upcoming trip, i will ask away.

For now, i thank you all for your great advice!