DH said no more Disney World so I booked Disneyland instead!

StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
LuLaSue said:
Yes, it is true! DH appreciates my love for the World but said no more WDW...for this year anyway. However, he did have a pretty magical counter offer.... Disneyland! I have never been and he thought it would be a fun idea to visit where it all began.

I admit, I am a bit lost, I know NOTHING about DL and I am ashamed to say this!
I am banking on some sound advice from my WDW Magic Friends!

Hotel Option:
Disney Land Hotel (Club Level)

Dates of travel:
February 14th (late night arrival)
February 18th (early morning flight)
This will give us 3 full days in the Disneyland and California Adventure parks. Enough time???

The very loose plan...

Day 1
February 15
California Adventure

Day 2
February 16
Disneyland Park

Day 3
February 17
Deciding if we need more time in the parks or Spa treatments in the Grand Californian...

Dining Reservations:
2/15 - Carthay Circle w/ World of Color
2/16 - Blue Bayou
2/17 - Storytellers Cafe

Any feedback on these eateries would be splendid...
Click to expand...

Hmmm...
Please keep in mind that Disneyland park has a whole lot more to offer than WDW. You'll probably need at least 2, if not three days to cover it. Also, the parks are about 100 yds from each other, so definitely get park hoppers. It's easy and offers a lot of flexibility.

I see that you are from NY. I'm from MD. Keep in mind that it is a 5-6 hour flight each way. You may not want to be spending all of that time on a plane in such a short span of time.

Also, you may want to extend your stay and do some other stuff. Southern California has a lot to offer, so you may want to take the time to explore. There's nearby amusement parks, beaches, Hollywood, and San Diego. Adventures by Disney even has a great tour of Hollywood and the Disney studios. My family is going in June and we plan to do that.

The Disneyland hotel is very nice, but we like Grand Californian better. It has it's own private entrance to CA and is closer to Disneyland itself than Disneyland hotel. Disneyland hotel used to have a monorail station, but that got moved to Downtown Disney. Also, the monorail is always extremely crowded, so I usually advise against Disneyland hotel (or Paradise Pier). But it is still a very nice hotel if you decide to stay there. Grand Californian is a cross between Wilderness Lodge and Grand Floridian.

Make sure you buy some sort of guide to Disneyland and read it before you go. When we did this, we were so much more prepared. I recommend this one. Also, order the DVD. And study the maps before you go! The layout is not exactly the same! Pirates is next to Haunted Mansion is next to Splash Mountain. (Note: Skip Splash Mountain. It's not nearly as good as the one in WDW). Also, Captain EO, Star Tours, and Buzz Lightyear are all in Tomorrowland, there's an extra land called Critter Country, Big Thunder is not anywhere near Splash. Pirates is in New Orleans Square...you get the idea.

As far as restaurants go, all three that you've picked were good.

Comparisons for rides, a list of rides and where it was better:
Space Mountain-not really comparable, our Space Mountain is more like Matterhorn. Very cool
Splash Mountain- WDW
Haunted Mansion- although worth a try in DL, definitely WDW
Pirates Of the Caribbean- DL, hands down, has several extra rooms
Jungle Cruise- WDW, no tunnel in DL, generally longer waits
Tower of Terror: I think WDW, but this one could go either way
Autopia/Indy Speedway: DL, longer
Buzz Lightyear: Again, could go either way, but I prefer WDW
Fantasmic!: WDW, no seating for DL, it's in front of Tom Sawyer Island and you have to pay to sit.
It's a Small World: DL, look out! Your favorite Disney characters are there!
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: WDW
Tom Sawyer Island: DL, pirates' lair is pretty neat


A list of rides that are exactly/mostly the same in both places:
Captain EO
Star Tours
Big Thunder Mountain
It's Tough to be a Bug
Muppets
Soarin' [Over California]
Dumbo (except DL still only has one spinner)
Tiki Room
Carousel
Mad Tea party (though we found the cups smaller in DL and they did not spin as fast)
Peter Pan's Flight (the line is just as long too!)
Toy Story Mania (line tends to run shorter at CA)

Must see:
Disneyland Park:
Alice in Wonderland (if the wait is not terribly long)
Indiana Jones Adventure: is similar to Dinosaur! But way cooler.
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride: It's still there!
Snow White's Scary Adventures: Another blast from the past
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Rodger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin

CA:
Aladdin, a Musical Spectacular-Hands down the best show in the parks we have ever seen
Grizzly River Run-A better version of Kali River Rapids, lots of fun, but you will get soaked
California Screamin'
Goofy's Sky School-neat little Wild Mouse-type coaster
Monsters Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue


No recommendation:
The Little Mermaid-supposed to be a carbon copy of the one in WDW, but I have not been on it as of yet
Cars Land-supposed to be great, extremely popular, but again, I haven't personally been there yet.

I hope this helps.
 
LuLaSue

LuLaSue

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
StarWarsGirl95 said:
Hmmm...
Please keep in mind that Disneyland park has a whole lot more to offer than WDW. You'll probably need at least 2, if not three days to cover it. Also, the parks are about 100 yds from each other, so definitely get park hoppers. It's easy and offers a lot of flexibility.

I did purchase park hoppers and we decided to do the 3rd day in the Disney Land parks.

I see that you are from NY. I'm from MD. Keep in mind that it is a 5-6 hour flight each way. You may not want to be spending all of that time on a plane in such a short span of time.

Totally understand the flight time but, I have to work with the time we have and we only have those days. DH only gets 2 weeks vacation and a few days personal.

Also, you may want to extend your stay and do some other stuff. Southern California has a lot to offer, so you may want to take the time to explore. There's nearby amusement parks, beaches, Hollywood, and San Diego. Adventures by Disney even has a great tour of Hollywood and the Disney studios. My family is going in June and we plan to do that.

We make his two weeks stretch... we have this trip, Ireland, Aruba a long weekend in WDW and a Disney Cruise Thanksgiving Week. He works certain holidays to get an extra day here and there. Short hops aren't ideal for most but, we make them work. California will happen again.


The Disneyland hotel is very nice, but we like Grand Californian better. It has it's own private entrance to CA and is closer to Disneyland itself than Disneyland hotel. Disneyland hotel used to have a monorail station, but that got moved to Downtown Disney. Also, the monorail is always extremely crowded, so I usually advise against Disneyland hotel (or Paradise Pier). But it is still a very nice hotel if you decide to stay there. Grand Californian is a cross between Wilderness Lodge and Grand Floridian.

Grand Californian was our first pick but, we have other trips in the wind and this fit the budget. We enjoy the Club level so thats where we splurged.

Make sure you buy some sort of guide to Disneyland and read it before you go. When we did this, we were so much more prepared. I recommend this one. Also, order the DVD.

Great recommendation! Going to check these out now.

And study the maps before you go! The layout is not exactly the same! Pirates is next to Haunted Mansion is next to Splash Mountain. (Note: Skip Splash Mountain. It's not nearly as good as the one in WDW). Also, Captain EO, Star Tours, and Buzz Lightyear are all in Tomorrowland, there's an extra land called Critter Country, Big Thunder is not anywhere near Splash. Pirates is in New Orleans Square...you get the idea.

As far as restaurants go, all three that you've picked were good.

Comparisons for rides, a list of rides and where it was better:
Space Mountain-not really comparable, our Space Mountain is more like Matterhorn. Very cool
Splash Mountain- WDW
Haunted Mansion- although worth a try in DL, definitely WDW
Pirates Of the Caribbean- DL, hands down, has several extra rooms
Jungle Cruise- WDW, no tunnel in DL, generally longer waits
Tower of Terror: I think WDW, but this one could go either way
Autopia/Indy Speedway: DL, longer
Buzz Lightyear: Again, could go either way, but I prefer WDW
Fantasmic!: WDW, no seating for DL, it's in front of Tom Sawyer Island and you have to pay to sit.
It's a Small World: DL, look out! Your favorite Disney characters are there!
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: WDW
Tom Sawyer Island: DL, pirates' lair is pretty neat


A list of rides that are exactly/mostly the same in both places:
Captain EO
Star Tours
Big Thunder Mountain
It's Tough to be a Bug
Muppets
Soarin' [Over California]
Dumbo (except DL still only has one spinner)
Tiki Room
Carousel
Mad Tea party (though we found the cups smaller in DL and they did not spin as fast)
Peter Pan's Flight (the line is just as long too!)
Toy Story Mania (line tends to run shorter at CA)

Must see:
Disneyland Park:
Alice in Wonderland (if the wait is not terribly long)
Indiana Jones Adventure: is similar to Dinosaur! But way cooler.
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride: It's still there!
Snow White's Scary Adventures: Another blast from the past
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Rodger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin

CA:
Aladdin, a Musical Spectacular-Hands down the best show in the parks we have ever seen
Grizzly River Run-A better version of Kali River Rapids, lots of fun, but you will get soaked
California Screamin'
Goofy's Sky School-neat little Wild Mouse-type coaster
Monsters Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue


No recommendation:
The Little Mermaid-supposed to be a carbon copy of the one in WDW, but I have not been on it as of yet
Cars Land-supposed to be great, extremely popular, but again, I haven't personally been there yet.

I hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much, your advice has been most helpful!
All the Best,
Susan
 
StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
LuLaSue said:
Thanks so much, your advice has been most helpful!
All the Best,
Susan
Click to expand...
Aruba? Ireland? And I've never been outside of the US...lol. But I did get to go to Aulani and am going back this summer in a duel trip with Disneyland. And 2 weeks in WDW of course, at the end of the summer. And a trip to WDW in two weeks...My father manages to get a lot of time off. Glad I could help.
 
LuLaSue

LuLaSue

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
StarWarsGirl95 said:
Aruba? Ireland? And I've never been outside of the US...lol. But I did get to go to Aulani and am going back this summer in a duel trip with Disneyland. And 2 weeks in WDW of course, at the end of the summer. And a trip to WDW in two weeks...My father manages to get a lot of time off. Glad I could help.
Click to expand...
Enjoy yourself! You have many wonderful things coming up, savor each moment!

PS
At one time DH had 6 weeks vacation, he retired now he only gets 2. Doesn't make much sense but he rather work than be full time retired.
 
StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
LuLaSue said:
Enjoy yourself! You have many wonderful things coming up, savor each moment!

PS
At one time DH had 6 weeks vacation, he retired now he only gets 2. Doesn't make much sense but he rather work than be full time retired.
Click to expand...
Thanks. And enjoy yourself too!

PS: My father is a lawyer at a small law firm, and being the most experienced attorney there, he basically dictates his hours. Which is nice since he's never been an absent father. I seriously doubt that the man will ever retire, as he would be bored out of his mind if he did, plus he's still got two kids dependent on him (one who is going to college in a few months). That one staycation we took? He was so bored. I think he took about 6 weeks last year. Of course, he never takes sick days, so it helps. I dread being out of school and not having the breaks, but hey, I'm moving to Orlando within the next few years, so what do I care? I can go to WDW on the weekends.
 
GiveMeTheMusic

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
I would disagree with the above poster's opinion that WDW's Fantasmic is better than DL's. Yes there's no seating, the difference in show quality will blow your mind. DL's Fantasmic is in a league of its own compared to Florida's, which has been left to rot in recent years. There's more live action sequences, incredible use of the Columbia and Mark Twain, an astonishing dragon animatronic and a truly magical transformation of the peaceful island into a pulsating show environment. It's a must-see, as is World of Color at DCA.
 
Cosmic Commando

Cosmic Commando

Well-Known Member
GiveMeTheMusic said:
I would disagree with the above poster's opinion that WDW's Fantasmic is better than DL's. Yes there's no seating, the difference in show quality will blow your mind. DL's Fantasmic is in a league of its own compared to Florida's, which has been left to rot in recent years. There's more live action sequences, incredible use of the Columbia and Mark Twain, an astonishing dragon animatronic and a truly magical transformation of the peaceful island into a pulsating show environment. It's a must-see, as is World of Color at DCA.
Click to expand...
Oh, I didn't see that. No, Disneyland's Fantasmic is definitely better. It has been updated bit-by-bit over the years, whereas Florida runs the same show it has since the early 90's (minus whatever is broken at the time). Murphy in DLR versus the old head-on-a-stick dragon in DHS? No contest.
 
Cosmic Commando

Cosmic Commando

Well-Known Member
TP2000 said:
Wait until you see it. The last time I saw it at DHS I think I visibly winced and thought "Oh. Oh, my. Oh, dear. That's unfortunate, and I think it's gotten worse."
Click to expand...
@raven24 is too smart to actually spend the time waiting for the DHS Fantasmic. Life is short. Besides, when everyone is over at Fantasmic, I hear the standby for TSMM gets down to like 90 minutes. Walk-on! The youtubes will suffice:

Skip ahead to about 22:00


versus the DL dragon:
 
LuLaSue

LuLaSue

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Cosmic Commando said:
@raven24 is too smart to actually spend the time waiting for the DHS Fantasmic. Life is short. Besides, when everyone is over at Fantasmic, I hear the standby for TSMM gets down to like 90 minutes. Walk-on! The youtubes will suffice:

Skip ahead to about 22:00


versus the DL dragon:
Click to expand...


I actually don't think it's THAT bad. Could it be better? Yes, but it's not absolutely terrible.
 
GiveMeTheMusic

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
raven24 said:
I actually don't think it's THAT bad. Could it be better? Yes, but it's not absolutely terrible.
Click to expand...

I cringed several times while watching the show at DHS, not the least of which was when the white people started shooting the Indians off the cliff in the Pocahontas scene. Who okayed that? It's in poor taste.

I think the contained arena ruins the show and makes it feel very small and canned, and the tiny cartoon riverboat doesn't help.
 
Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
GiveMeTheMusic said:
I cringed several times while watching the show at DHS, not the least of which was when the white people started shooting the Indians off the cliff in the Pocahontas scene. Who okayed that? It's in poor taste.

I think the contained arena ruins the show and makes it feel very small and canned, and the tiny cartoon riverboat doesn't help.
Click to expand...

I'm definitely not a fan of the Pocahontas section. I don't like Steamboat Willie at the end, either. Sure, it's a classic, but it doesn't look the part for the show. I also think there are too many villains in the show and I don't like the setting, either. I do enjoy the Lion King section.
 

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