And we're back!!

PolynesianPrincess

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So my sister and I got home late last night (or early this morning actually) after our first DLR trip and I must say, we will DEFINITELY be back!! We loved it! :)

I went into it not really knowing what to expect and tried so hard not to compare it to WDW (which was difficult) but it really is so different. Even with the amount of ride closures they had (Indy, Nemo Subs, Alice and IASW were all closed the whole time we were there with Pirates and the carousel going down on Monday and Grizzly River Run and Mermaid down at DCA) we still didn't have time to see everything that WAS up and running. We had 4 full park days and a like 5 hours on the day we arrived. Next time we're planning a week!!

Some highlights for us were

-Radiator Springs Racers... we got off the ride and we were absolutely floored by it! the BEST dark ride I have EVER been on, hands down.
-World of Color.. Amazing! Really loved it
-Remember Dreams Come True... Awesome fireworks show! Wishes is still my favorite though!) The Tinkerbell flight on this one beats Wishes hands down though!
-Napa Rose.. One of our best dining experiences we've had in any Disney park
-The food in the parks was just so diverse and delicious. Better than the standard hamburgers and fries it seems like WDW has. DLR had tons of different options and we enjoyed everything we ate there.
-The parks in general just seemed so much better kept than WDW. I never saw trash cans overflowing or litter on the ground.

To me, the parks did seem pretty crowded, especially at DL. I'm sure having 4-6 rides down in just DL alone added to that feeling of crowdedness for sure. DCA didn't seem as bad.

The weather.... the first day we got there, the evening was CHILLY. The next morning was chilly. After that it was HOT. And VERY windy the last 2 days we were there. When I went back to the room Tuesday night, I had dirt in my ears from the winds! haha.

All in all, we can't wait to go back! This trip we stayed on my Mom's points at the Sheraton 2 blocks from the park entrance but next time, we will probably stay at either Paradise Pier or the Disneyland Hotel. We know it's pricey but for us it's worth it to be close after a long day at the parks!

I will be writing a full trip report for this! I hope to have it posted soon... as soon as I finish the current TR I'm working on and one more after that!
 
WishIwasThere

WishIwasThere

Active Member
Good to hear you had a good time. We had very similar observations. As a gluten free family, we usually have had a difficult time with food at WDW, but we had plenty of options both at DL and DCA. I thought that, yes the walkways were crowded, especially on Good Friday (one of the busiest times of the year there), but shocked that the lines for rides really were not that long.

Looking forward to your trip report.
 
harveyt0206

harveyt0206

Well-Known Member
You are right about comparing it to WDW, but I think it is natural to do it. In the end, there are enough differences between A and B that I realized it was okay for me to love both. In my heart I will always be a WDW girl, but I'm so thrilled I got to experience DL and DCA. If Indy was down during your trip, then that alone is your reason to go back!! :) Looking forward to your full report.
 
Axoman

Axoman

Active Member
Glad to hear you had a good time! I enjoyed my first DL trip last September and we are planning another trip this year. I had only been to WDW previously, but I think I prefer DL now.
 
JediMasterMatt

JediMasterMatt

Well-Known Member
derelicte19 said:
All in all, we can't wait to go back! This trip we stayed on my Mom's points at the Sheraton 2 blocks from the park entrance but next time, we will probably stay at either Paradise Pier or the Disneyland Hotel. We know it's pricey but for us it's worth it to be close after a long day at the parks!
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You should definately consider looking into a hotel across the street on Harbour Blvd. Unless you are going to stay at the Grand Californian, these hotels right outside the gate are much to the parks than either Paradise Pier or the Disneyland Hotel. They can be had for much cheaper than the Disney resorts. If you book a hotel directly across the street, you are in the real world for just the amount of time to leave your room and go across the crosswalk.
 
WishIwasThere

WishIwasThere

Active Member
disney4life2008 said:
between you and sweetpee - I am confirming my DLR trip for 2015. As much as I want to go back to disneyworld - its not worth it. DLR/Southern Cali has so much more to offer.
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As of right now, the family would prefer a return trip to CA over another trip to FL. Wife loved how there is no humidity in CA. Indy was closed and there really is no comparison to Radiator Springs in WDW. They are building a Harry Potter at USH, and I really want to do the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour. I have done the keys to the kingdom and that was awesome, I can just imagine how the DL tour would be.
 
sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
WishIwasThere said:
As of right now, the family would prefer a return trip to CA over another trip to FL. Wife loved how there is no humidity in CA. Indy was closed and there really is no comparison to Radiator Springs in WDW. They are building a Harry Potter at USH, and I really want to do the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour. I have done the keys to the kingdom and that was awesome, I can just imagine how the DL tour would be.
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Wait to do Walk in Walt's Footsteps until after they finish the Club 33 overhaul. ;) It's a great tour, tho. Loved being in Walt's apartment!

After our first trip to DLR our family is pretty much on the same page. There's so much other stuff we'd like to see/do in California. If $$ were no object I'd fly to San Francisco, spend a few days, drive Hwy 1 down, stay at the GCH, do DL parks in the mornings and do other stuff in the afternoons/evenings. Our teenagers both say the same thing: "I'd do Disneyland again but I want to go on another cruise first."
 
disney4life2008

disney4life2008

Well-Known Member
sweetpee_1993 said:
Wait to do Walk in Walt's Footsteps until after they finish the Club 33 overhaul. ;) It's a great tour, tho. Loved being in Walt's apartment!

After our first trip to DLR our family is pretty much on the same page. There's so much other stuff we'd like to see/do in California. If $$ were no object I'd fly to San Francisco, spend a few days, drive Hwy 1 down, stay at the GCH, do DL parks in the mornings and do other stuff in the afternoons/evenings. Our teenagers both say the same thing: "I'd do Disneyland again but I want to go on another cruise first."
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Does anyone live in Walt's apartment now? Or is it a museum?
 
PolynesianPrincess

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
sweetpee_1993 said:
Our teenagers both say the same thing: "I'd do Disneyland again but I want to go on another cruise first."
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After meeting your boys, I can totally see them saying this! haha And I do agree with them! While DLR was great and as long as they keep things fresh and new (which WDW doesn't do, but I digress...) we would probably visit once every year and a half, 2 years or so.. But with cruising.... you're in a new port every day! And even if you've been to that port before, there is always an excursion to try that is new to you. And there are so many different itineraries and ships that every trip is new and different! That's what I love about crusing!
 
sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
disney4life2008 said:
Does anyone live in Walt's apartment now? Or is it a museum?
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I think @raven24 answered this one pretty well. Nope, nobody lives there beyond Walt & Lillian's family memories. After having seen it i can tell you i wouldn't want to live or stay there. Its very tiny, the decor is rather dated & not my style. I'd rather stay in one of the hotel rooms onsite. I wouldn't describe it so much as a museum even tho sorta it is. It's more like a time capsule to me. It's been done up to closely replicate how the space was decorated by Lillian, the objects inside are correct for when Walt, Lillian, and their family would have been there. The bathroom is so super tiny and retro! There's even clean glass ashtrays in the kitchenette cabinet.

You maybe thinking of the Dream Suite which is much larger, newer, & modern. It's located above Pirates in the park. This, my understanding, was the west coast counterpart to the castle suite in WDW. As with the castle suite, the space was originally set aside with plans to build a nice apartment for the Disney's. Its another thing Walt didn't live to see constructed. I think he had more plans for the Dream suite than obviously he would have had for the castle. I imagine Walt would've had more of a modern space in his future city in mind for Florida. ;)
 
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PolynesianPrincess

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
fractal said:
So now how many trip reports are you behind?

What a problem to have!
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Well, I have the trip from last May.... and the one I'm working on now... Then the trip from November where we took our cousin for the first time.... and then our cruise in February... then Disneyland... So TECHNICALLY I have 5 to write.... but I'm not going to write 5. I'm not writing the one from May. And I might not write the one from November. So I guess I'm just 3 behind now! :)
 
Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
sweetpee_1993 said:
I think @raven24 answered this one pretty well. Nope, nobody lives there beyond Walt & Lillian's family memories. After having seen it i can tell you i wouldn't want to live or stay there. Its very tiny, the decor is rather dated & not my style. I'd rather stay in one of the hotel rooms onsite. I wouldn't describe it so much as a museum even tho sorta it is. It's more like a time capsule to me. It's been done up to closely replicate how the space was decorated by Lillian, the objects inside are correct for when Walt, Lillian, and their family would have been there. The bathroom is so super tiny and retro! There's even clean glass ashtrays in the kitchenette cabinet.

You maybe thinking of the Dream Suite which is much larger, newer, & modern. It's located above Pirates in the park. This, my understanding, was the west coast counterpart to the castle suite in WDW. As with the castle suite, the space was originally set aside with plans to build a nice apartment for the Disney's. Its another thing Walt didn't live to see constructed. I think he had more plans for the Dream suite than obviously he would have had for the castle. I imagine Walt would've had more of a modern space in his future city in mind for Florida. ;)
Click to expand...

The kitchen is beyond tiny. It's like a box haha.
 

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