I've been going to WDW all my life, but October 11th-15th will be my first trip to Disneyland. I'm extremely excited to go where it all started! Here are some questions for the Disneyland pros:
1. Is it important to get the meal package for a good view of World of Color?
2. How early should I arrive for a good view of Fantasmic?
3. Over four days, should I spend two at each park or three at Disneyland?
4. What would be your most highly recommended FastPasses to get early in the day? Also, are there any that might not seem like FP is necessary, but is highly beneficial? (i.e. Peter Pan's Flight at MK)
5. Would it be wise to spend part of our time on a tour? Im considering the 'Walk in Walt's steps'. Do you get quick access to rides on this tour as you do for 'Keys to the Kingdom'?
6. Any reccommended offsite hotels for a good value/quality/location?
7. Is it pretty certain Haunted Mansion will have the Nightmare overlay during this time?
8. What are often overlooked attractions/areas of the parks that I should visit?
Thanks for any help. I'm sure I'll think of more questions soon. Feel free to include any other tips you may have
First off, an early welcome to California and Disneyland!:wave:
1. I myself don't think it's important to get the meal package for a good seast for World of Color. If you show up early, then getting seats shouldn't be a problem. There are Fast Passes for WOC, though.
2. You should definitely arrive EARLY! I'd say at least an hour or two. Disneyland guests are HUGE fans of Fantasmic!, so you definitely need to show up early to get a good spot. Don't forget we don't have stadium seating for the show. It's more of a standing thing.
3. Since you'll be visiting in October, I would definitely reccommend staying for two days in each park, because the new DCA will be up and running. Two days still aren't enough for either park in my opinion. Both parks, especially Disneyland have lots of details but hopefully you will get a lot done!
4. As far as Fast Passes go, I would suggest you get them for Space, Star Tours, and Indy. Maybe even Roger. Splash and Autopia too. Definitely Space and Indy though, as those lines can get VERY long. Our Peter Pan doesn't have a Fast Pass system, so be prepared to wait! None of the Fantasyland rides do. Thunder has a Fast Pass system but the wait is never too long, so you should be fine.
5. As a first time Disneyland guest, I would suggest you do the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour. Plus, you seem like the kind of person who enjoys Disney history, so I think you'd like it! Yes, guests who are doing the tour come in through the exits of the rides, like those with GAC cards do. So you have priority.
6. I've never slept in an offsite hotel before but I hear great things about the Howard Johnson, aka HoJo, and the Annabella Hotel. Both are fairly close to the parks, maybe a good 10-15 minute walk. If you want to get really close, the Desert Inn is directly across the street from the esplenade. At the most, a 5 minute walk.
7. Haunted Mansion Holiday should definitely be open at the time of your visit. You might want to get a Fast Pass for that one!
8. The Casey Jr. Circus Train, Storybook Land Canal Boats, the Davy Crockett Canoes, and Winnie the Pooh are some of the overlooked attractions that are actually interesting and entertaining. Winnie the Pooh never has more than a 1 minute wait, but lines can pick up for Casey and Storybook. The Canoes, Casey, and Storybook are not found at WDW, so I suggest you try those. Also our entire Fantasyland is so different from MK's, so you should spend some time there as well! Moments with Mr. Lincoln is pretty cool too!
Other tips: Disneyland guests are not like WDW guests. You may notice at night the crowds will start to pick up. Some of us will visit the park after school or after work, so it can get crowded at night sometimes.
The pathways at Disneyland are smaller and more narrow than MK, so be ready for that. It can become congested sometimes.
Characters at Disneyland don't have character handlers. They usually walk around the park by themselves. Burt and Mary Poppins are usually in Main Street, and sometimes you'll see them in Fantasyland. Alice and the Mad Hatter are for the most part in Fantasyland. They are very funny and lots of fun!
Just like Fantasmic!, you should arrive early for a parade and fireworks too if you really want a good spot. Guests usually arrive for spots maybe an hour or two hours prior.
YOU MUST RIDE INDY!
Check out Toontown! Toon Fair was VERY different from Toontown, so it'll be nice to check out the differences.
We have some dark rides in Fantasyland that are missing from MK, such as Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and soon to be Snow White's Scary Adventures. Actually the only rides that both parks have are Peter Pan, Dumbo, Teacups, and IASM(?). Other than those, Disneyland's FL has a total of EIGHT attractions that are not found in MK, and I've heard our Peter Pan is different. I would suggest the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough too!
Ride in the back for Thunder Mountain. Not only is it faster, but during the second lift, there's a goat with dynamite in its mouth sitting on the cliff. If you stare at the goat as you go down the hill, it will feel as if you're going faster. It's really cool, and it only works if you sit toward the back!
Ask for a first visit button!
Try a corndog from the corndog wagon on Main Street!
Enjoy your time at DCA!
Disneyland doesn't have a special dining plan, so don't stress about that. You just walk in the restaurant and sit down, basically, besides Blue Bayou maybe. Also getting food at DL is set up like a cafeteria/buffet type process.
Soak up Main Street!
Have fun! Let me know if you have more questions!:wave:
