1st Visit

[RunnerEd]

My wife and I will be visiting DisneyLand for the 1st time in July for our 10th anniversary and yes, the kids are staying home! We will arrive and check in on Saturday and chill at the Paradise Pier/Downtown area. We will have 3 day park hoppers (military appreciation). Please post your best tips for WDW people visiting DLR for the 1st time. Thanks!!!

 

[NiarrNDisney]

I don't really have tips for you except take your time to suck everything in! However I will say bring your appetite because DLR has some seriously amazing eats!
Here's a few favorites:

DL - Bengal Barbecue, Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue, French Market Restaurant, Rancho del Zocalo, Royal Street Veranda

DCA - Carthay Circle Lounge, Cove Bar, Pacific Wharf Distribution Co, Paradise Garden Grill Wine Country Trattoria @ the Golden Vine Winery (Mendocino & Sonoma Terrace)

DTD - Catal Restaurant, La Brea Bakery & Cafe, Napolini, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, Uva Bar

 

[lego606]

My wife and I will be visiting DisneyLand for the 1st time in July for our 10th anniversary and yes, the kids are staying home! We will arrive and check in on Saturday and chill at the Paradise Pier/Downtown area. We will have 3 day park hoppers (military appreciation). Please post your best tips for WDW people visiting DLR for the 1st time. Thanks!!!

@raven24 can give you way better advice, but I do have to say, try to see all 3 nighttime shows. They're all amazing (especially World of Color).

Another thing is that the FastPass system is quite different. You can hold Fastpasses in both parks without the 2 hour wait (you can have a Tower of Terror FP and also a Space Mountain fastpass) at the same time and sometimes a ride is taken off the network so you can, for example, assuming one is "off the network" get a Fastpass for Roger Rabbit and also for Peter Pan.

 

[Californian Elitist]

My wife and I will be visiting DisneyLand for the 1st time in July for our 10th anniversary and yes, the kids are staying home! We will arrive and check in on Saturday and chill at the Paradise Pier/Downtown area. We will have 3 day park hoppers (military appreciation). Please post your best tips for WDW people visiting DLR for the 1st time. Thanks!!!

Try not to plan too much! I understand coming from a WDW perspective, you want to plan, plan, plan, but it's really not necessary at the DLR. You don't even need to make reservations, but since you're going in the summer, it wouldn't be a bad idea to make them, if needed. Just relax and take your time when touring the resort. It's a lot less huge and stressful, so just soak it up and enjoy your time.

 

[coachwnh]

all right runnerEd, my advice to you is listen to Raven. Im a veteran of WDW, and I was overwhelmed at times with the thought I didnt prepare enough for our first trip to DL last summer. And now we are returning this august, and whenever I have a question, I post something on here for Raven, and I get my answer. best of luck and enjoy! happy Anniversary!

 

[RunnerEd]

Thanks everyone. I'm really looking forward to seeing the DLR and the differences!

 

[Tuvalu]

Check out our recent trip report:

Who Wants a Churro?: A trip to the West Coast!

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

Check out our recent trip report:

Who Wants a Churro?: A trip to the West Coast!

The link for that is in my signature! We're frequent WDW visitors and went to DLR the first week of March. There are so many differences in the two resorts but still so many similarities. I've included a lot in the report, but there is a much slower-paced atmosphere in DLR (especially depending on when you go). I agree with @raven24 - don't over-plan. It was very refreshing to walk in to a table service restaurant and be seated without ADRs!

 

[fosse76]

@raven24 can give you way better advice, but I do have to say, try to see all 3 nighttime shows. They're all amazing (especially World of Color).

Another thing is that the FastPass system is quite different. You can hold Fastpasses in both parks without the 2 hour wait (you can have a Tower of Terror FP and also a Space Mountain fastpass) at the same time and sometimes a ride is taken off the network so you can, for example, assuming one is "off the network" get a Fastpass for Roger Rabbit and also for Peter Pan.

Peter Pan does not offer a FastPass...and you can hold FPs in 2 different parks at the same time at WDW too. The difference is that the proximity of DL and DCA make them more useable. And keep in mind the DLR now enforces the FP return times as well. Roger Rabbit is the only attraction I know about which is off the network, so you can have a FP for it and any other attraction in the park at the same time.

Make sure check out Aladdin, it's pretty decent. And I would opt for the single rider line at Radiator Springs Racers. It's usually at most a 45 minute wait. Space Mountain is really popular at DLR, I would say even moreso than at WDW, so get to it early and grab a FP, and if the line is short, get in line. Splash Mountain is also pretty popular with long waits, but it also has a single-rider line if you don't want to wait too long. Make sure to ride all the Fantasyland attractions, they are great.

If you are a WDW regula and find you don't have much time to do everything, you can skip some of the redundant attractions: It's Tough to be a Bug is the same as at DAK; MuppetVision 3D is the same as at DHS; Soarin' over California is the same, but with a nicer queue; Toy Story Midway Mania is the same (it does NOT have FP at DCA, so be prepared to wait about 45 minutes for it); The Little Mermaid is to my understanding the same as at MK. I would not skip Tower oif Terror though...it's not exactly the same, but not too different.

That said, it should be pretty easy to do mostly everything if there for two or three days.

 

[lego606]

Peter Pan does not offer a FastPass

I was just offering ride names as an example

 

[Zman-ks]

Hope you have a great time!

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

FYI - I've been hearing Roger Rabbit is networked now. Not sure if California Screamin' is connected or not, need to test it myself.

Radiator Springs Racers is a freebie as well.

 

[bhodge]

My suggestion is... enjoy it and be pleasantly surprised. We were at DLR two years ago in the midst of DCA construction - no parades at either park - three weeks before Mermaid started soft openings and we STILL were impressed enough to plan a trip we just got back from last week. I can tell you after this past trip - with DCA realized, Cars Land "complete" and the crowds distributed across two parks, we have no plans of returning to WDW in the near (if ever) future, and we aren't remotely close to CA. It is just a wonderful experience. It was so relaxing to walk home to the Paradise Pier hotel every afternoon with the kids for a break. It was so nice to sit with my wife and a have a SUPERB Mojito each afternoon at the Carthay Lounge as the crazyness of the park was just steps away. It was so nice to be able to get fastpasses (for the few rides that had them) and "hop" between the two parks so easily to use them - only to often not even need them since the lines were manageable. I really appreciate the fact that DLR is really strategic about their use of Fastpass. We didn't even bother with them for RSR - just did single rider - and got to ride together every time anyway! I feel all aspects of DLR are so much more relaxing than the micro management, transportation logistics nightmare that WDW has become. So what if I can (only from the top of high rides or my hotel) see a power line or two. For the trade off - its so worth it to me. You can eat better, enjoy the attractions better, and be entertained so much better at DLR - good choice in planning the trip - hope you have fun!

 

[bhodge]

Oh, and we did Splash Mountain, Pirates and Haunted Mansion 3 times each night (kids three favorites - lucky they are right in a row!) during the 9:00 Fantasmic with NO WAIT and were right there to snag a perfect spot for the 10:30 show. Stay out of this area (and Adventureland) in the early - mid afternoon as it is a ZOO there. Matterhorn is usually a walk-on after Fantasmic as well.

 

[Lizzie In Disney]

Welcome to Disneyland! Disneyland is my home resort Just a few suggestions: if you have time, check out Fantasmic! It is one of my favorite Disney shows, and I have heard that it is better than WDW, but I haven't had a chance to check out the World's yet to tell you for sure. However, I do know it is a slightly different show with different scenes. Also, if you are in DCA and looking for a quick(and tiny but free!) snack, take the Boudin Bread Factory tour you get free food at the end, and you can do them as many times as you want. We have walked through each of these several times in one day, depending on the crowds. They are on the Pier eatery area, right across from Bugs Land and Little Mermaid. Have an amazing time! Disneyland is awesome