Disneyland for Summer 2008

[DisneyDellsDude]

Hey everyone. We're going to be making our first trip out to Disneyland in 2008 during the summer. We've been to WDW many times, and I was wondering if there is anything we should not miss in Disneyland; weither it be a food we should try or something else like that.

We'll be going sometime in June.

We'll be there staying off site for 3 days (so far we're guessing that we'll save 1 day for California Adventure and 2 days for Disneyland). This will be our first time to California, so we're also going to be seeing some other things too.

 

[Nicole220]

Yay for the first trip!! :sohappy:
You're going to have a lot of fun, Disneyland is great! Yes it is smaller, but the quality is top notch. 1 day for DCA is plenty, and 2 for DL sounds perfect. Will you be going over the weekend? Weekends are the most crowded, I highly suggest staying away from them if you can. In the summer, the mornings are pretty empty for a while, so I would hit the big things then.

Rides:
Space Mountain- blows MK's out of the water! Since its renovation, the ride is smoother and feels faster.
Indiana Jones- can't even compare it to Dinosaur. The theming is fantastic and the ride is amazing!!
Haunted Mansion- better effects and quality than MK's
Pirates of the Caribbean- longer than MK's
Matterhorn
The Subs! I would grab fastpasses for Space and hit this first. The line will probably still be insane next summer.
Pirates Lair (Tom Sawyer's Island) It sounds neat and definitely worth checking out from what I've heard!
Alice and Wonderland and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride- darkrides that cannot be found in WDW.

Food:
Blue Bayou is pretty neat.
Napa Rose- best restaruant on property, and possibly the best on any Disney property!

Other:
Parade of Dreams- a great parade, I love it!
Remember...Dreams Come True- the best fireworks display Disney has created! This is not to be missed! The best seats are in the hub, right in front of the castle. Since you're going in the summer, I would get your seat
1-2 hours before.
Fantasmic- a lot better than MGM's. Again, I would get there an hour before showtime.

DCA:
The Aladdin musical is great, I highly recommend this!
California Screamin' is a rollercoaster that is a lot of fun.
ToT does not have the 3rd dimension room, but is still fun. I'm one of the few who actually prefer this one to MGM's.
Soarin'- the same as Epcot's
Monster's Inc.- cute darkride
Grizzly River Rapids- fun, imho better than Kali.

Have a great trip and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Nicole's got most of it covered. I'll sound like a broken record from my last few posts but we LOVE the Billy Hill and the Hillbillies show in Disneyland. Order a counter service meal and relax in the air conditioning for the show. You won't regret it!

 

[isitingood]

Nicole pretty much covered everything. It's a Small world is a lot better at DL and if you have kids take them to Goofy's kitchen

 

[TP2000]

Nicole has got you rolling! But may I also suggest the following attractions which are only found at Disneyland, or that are only in Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland? (You aren't planning on visiting Tokyo Disneyland before 2008, are you?) They'll be very new and unique for someone who has only been to WDW.

Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes - A great way to see the Rivers of America! Open 7 days a week in summer, but they usually close at 5:00 PM. But if you've got teenage daughters, beware, as the buff college guys in buckskin outfits who work this ride regularly show up in online polls as the "hottest" CM's at Disneyland.

Sailing Ship Columbia - Another great way to see the Rivers of America, Pirate's Lair, Indian Territory, etc. This attraction is only found in Disneyland, and Walt had it built in 1958 as the last boat ride added to his river.

Pinnochio's Daring Journey - This dark ride is only found in Anaheim and Tokyo. It's done very well.

Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin - Another dark ride only found in Anaheim and Tokyo. But this is more a D Ticket dark ride, and is longer and more involved than the classic Fantasyland versions. You can spin your car through the ride like the Teacups, if you so choose.

Storybook Land Canal Boats - NICOLE! How could you forget this one?! :ROFLOL: This is only found in Anaheim. It is a genuine throwback to the 1950's and a style of Disney attractions they haven't made in 40+ years. Walt lovingly created this 10 minute ride for his guests in 1956, and the attention to detail is fabulous. A hostess sits on the back of the boat and tells you all about the castles and fairytale scenes you view along the canal. Think of it as a girly-girl version of the Jungle Cruise, with a heavy dose of Walt's own artistry. Don't miss it! But remember they always close for an hour or so when the parade goes by the queue and loading dock.

Casey Jr. Circus Train - A zippy little train ride over and around the canals of Storybook Land. Casey Jr. is just fun, fun, fun! It can be surprisingly thrilling, especially when you sit in the caboose or rear cars, and offers an alternate view of the Storybook Land area. This is another circa 1955 Walt ride that is just charming and delightful and only found in Anaheim. (There's a version in Paris that is more of a pilot-less roller coaster. Anaheim's version is a real train driven by a Cast Member in the locomotive with a very different feel than the Paris copy.)

Chevron Autopia - A vastly superior and much more immersive version of the Indy Speedway at WDW.

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room - Thankfully, this is still the original 1963 show, and it still has Walt's name prominently on the big sign out front. Compared to the cynical 1990's remake in Florida, it is infinitely more gracious, charming, pleasing to the senses, and worthy of the name Walt Disney. Don't miss the hilarious Dole Pineapple film and the awesome Gods & Godesses introducing themselves on the lanai during the pre-show. Suddenly it's 1963, and you are at the hippest Tiki Lounge in town!

Jungle Cruise - A 1955 Opening Day Original, but this one has been updated regularly with new technology and revised scenes, where the WDW version just sat for the last 35 years. The most recent update in '05 added attacking pirahnas, exploding dynamite in the river, and new animatronics. The skippers are generally funnier than WDW, and some of them moonlight as stand-up comics up on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. It makes for a much more immersive and entertaining ride I've found.

Over at DCA, don't miss....

Whatever show is playing in the impressive Hyperion Theatre. This facility is unparalleled in the Disney empire, and even the theaters in Tokyo don't match up.

Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley To The Rescue! - Yet another Anaheim dark ride that is really well done. Some very impressive modern technology and some nifty special effects went into this relatively new ride. Anaheim is the land of dark rides, so don't miss out on any of them.

 

[Nicole220]

Nicole has got you rolling! But may I also suggest the following attractions which are only found at Disneyland, or that are only in Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland? (You aren't planning on visiting Tokyo Disneyland before 2008, are you?) They'll be very new and unique for someone who has only been to WDW.

Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes - A great way to see the Rivers of America! Open 7 days a week in summer, but they usually close at 5:00 PM. But if you've got teenage daughters, beware, as the buff college guys in buckskin outfits who work this ride regularly show up in online polls as the "hottest" CM's at Disneyland.
Ooooo, canoe CM's :slurp:

:lookaroun

Sailing Ship Columbia - Another great way to see the Rivers of America, Pirate's Lair, Indian Territory, etc. This attraction is only found in Disneyland, and Walt had it built in 1958 as the last boat ride added to his river.

Pinnochio's Daring Journey - This dark ride is only found in Anaheim and Tokyo. It's done very well.

Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin - Another dark ride only found in Anaheim and Tokyo. But this is more a D Ticket dark ride, and is longer and more involved than the classic Fantasyland versions. You can spin your car through the ride like the Teacups, if you so choose.

Storybook Land Canal Boats - NICOLE! How could you forget this one?! :ROFLOL: This is only found in Anaheim. It is a genuine throwback to the 1950's and a style of Disney attractions they haven't made in 40+ years. Walt lovingly created this 10 minute ride for his guests in 1956, and the attention to detail is fabulous. A hostess sits on the back of the boat and tells you all about the castles and fairytale scenes you view along the canal. Think of it as a girly-girl version of the Jungle Cruise, with a heavy dose of Walt's own artistry. Don't miss it! But remember they always close for an hour or so when the parade goes by the queue and loading dock.
Slaps self for forgetting that one. :lol:

Casey Jr. Circus Train - A zippy little train ride over and around the canals of Storybook Land. Casey Jr. is just fun, fun, fun! It can be surprisingly thrilling, especially when you sit in the caboose or rear cars, and offers an alternate view of the Storybook Land area. This is another circa 1955 Walt ride that is just charming and delightful and only found in Anaheim. (There's a version in Paris that is more of a pilot-less roller coaster. Anaheim's version is a real train driven by a Cast Member in the locomotive with a very different feel than the Paris copy.)

Chevron Autopia - A vastly superior and much more immersive version of the Indy Speedway at WDW.

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room - Thankfully, this is still the original 1963 show, and it still has Walt's name prominently on the big sign out front. Compared to the cynical 1990's remake in Florida, it is infinitely more gracious, charming, pleasing to the senses, and worthy of the name Walt Disney. Don't miss the hilarious Dole Pineapple film and the awesome Gods & Godesses introducing themselves on the lanai during the pre-show. Suddenly it's 1963, and you are at the hippest Tiki Lounge in town!

Jungle Cruise - A 1955 Opening Day Original, but this one has been updated regularly with new technology and revised scenes, where the WDW version just sat for the last 35 years. The most recent update in '05 added attacking pirahnas, exploding dynamite in the river, and new animatronics. The skippers are generally funnier than WDW, and some of them moonlight as stand-up comics up on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. It makes for a much more immersive and entertaining ride I've found.
Beware the pirahannas!! They get me every time!

Over at DCA, don't miss....

Whatever show is playing in the impressive Hyperion Theatre. This facility is unparalleled in the Disney empire, and even the theaters in Tokyo don't match up.

Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley To The Rescue! - Yet another Anaheim dark ride that is really well done. Some very impressive modern technology and some nifty special effects went into this relatively new ride. Anaheim is the land of dark rides, so don't miss out on any of them.

Nice job of covering the classics. Have to agree with everything. With these attractions, you really see the difference between WDW and DL, which is quality.

On my trips, I tend to overlook them because of time....need to change that. Forgot how great they are.

 

[atterris]

What's the food like at the blue bayou? What are the prices? $$$?