I'm leaving for my first trip to Disneyland on March 29th, which is Easter weekend. I'm scared that it will be packed because of the holiday weekend. I would love to fit everything into the three full days that we will be there. I, of course, want to do all the attractions featured at Disneyland that are not at WDW. I grew up going to WDW every summer, so I also want to compare the attractions located in both parks. In short, I want to do everything. Any advice for a first time visiter going on a very busy holiday weekend? We will be staying at the Grand Californian. Does anyone have any good or bad experiences with this resort? :sohappy:
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First visit to Disneyland
- Thread starter Chropistopy
- Start date
Lhriangel
New Member
Okay these are just a native Californian's tips...
Head STRAIGHT for Indy as soon as the park opens.. I mean get there before hand and by the rope before it drops and head straight for Indy. Being this will be a busy season the line might be rather long for that.
If you can get reservations for the Blue Bayou (I'm still trying to do this cause everytime I wanted to eat there in the past my plans were thwarded.) It is one of the very few table service places in DL to eat.
Definately ride the Matterhorn. And Alice in Wonderland. And Mr. Toad's wild ride.
Hmm... I can't give you any hints about DCA because I haven't had a chance to go there yet. All I know is DEFINATELY see Blast.
Head STRAIGHT for Indy as soon as the park opens.. I mean get there before hand and by the rope before it drops and head straight for Indy. Being this will be a busy season the line might be rather long for that.
If you can get reservations for the Blue Bayou (I'm still trying to do this cause everytime I wanted to eat there in the past my plans were thwarded.) It is one of the very few table service places in DL to eat.
Definately ride the Matterhorn. And Alice in Wonderland. And Mr. Toad's wild ride.
Hmm... I can't give you any hints about DCA because I haven't had a chance to go there yet. All I know is DEFINATELY see Blast.
PrincessK
Member
I'll add some info too...my first trip there was last May and I loved it.
DL: Indy
Alice in Wonderland
Toontown (WAY cool)
Pirates (different from WDW)
Avoid Small World...it's twice as long and twice as hellish!
DCA: California Screamin'
Grizzly River Run (Hell yeah!)
Maliboomer
Disney Animation (very fun and interesting)
I loved it! Have a blast!
Kristin
DL: Indy
Alice in Wonderland
Toontown (WAY cool)
Pirates (different from WDW)
Avoid Small World...it's twice as long and twice as hellish!
DCA: California Screamin'
Grizzly River Run (Hell yeah!)
Maliboomer
Disney Animation (very fun and interesting)
I loved it! Have a blast!
Kristin
Thanks for the replys! I'm so excited! Only 11 days!!! I'll post a trip report when I return. 
I was there March 15 and they had lots of stuff down for repair / renovation.
The stuff down was: Indy, Pirates, Space Moutain, King Arthur Carousel, Pinocciho, Snow Whites Scary Adventure, Splash Mountain and all of the Critter Country attractions.
The must see's are
DL: Indiana Jones, Pirates, and the Storybook Land Canal boats.
The hour leading up to closing is the best time to hit some of the rides, Small World, Star Tours, Pirates and lots of the smaller Fantasy Land attractions will all be no wait and walk on...
DCA: Soaring over California, (get a fast pass early as they will sell out, they also have single rider lines which are usually very short), California Screamin, Grizzly River Run, Sun wheel and the Blast show.
For fast food at DCA try the Pacific Wharf Mexican Grill or the Pacific Wharf Cafe. DCA has more shows and presentations than rides and is geared as such...
The stuff down was: Indy, Pirates, Space Moutain, King Arthur Carousel, Pinocciho, Snow Whites Scary Adventure, Splash Mountain and all of the Critter Country attractions.
The must see's are
DL: Indiana Jones, Pirates, and the Storybook Land Canal boats.
The hour leading up to closing is the best time to hit some of the rides, Small World, Star Tours, Pirates and lots of the smaller Fantasy Land attractions will all be no wait and walk on...
DCA: Soaring over California, (get a fast pass early as they will sell out, they also have single rider lines which are usually very short), California Screamin, Grizzly River Run, Sun wheel and the Blast show.
For fast food at DCA try the Pacific Wharf Mexican Grill or the Pacific Wharf Cafe. DCA has more shows and presentations than rides and is geared as such...
Dumbo Deprived
New Member
I'm just back from DL/DCA.
Other tips for Disneyland:
Splash is much better at WDW
IASW is better at DL
Star Tours is the same so feel free to skip it
Space Mountain is better at DL IMO
Do:
Storybook Land Canal Boat
Alice in Wonderland
Mr. Toad
Indiana Jones
Roger Rabbits Car Toon Spin
At DCA:
Soarin' over California
California Screamin'
Sun Wheel
Maliboomer
Animation (different than at WDW)
Blast
Golden Dreams
Grizzly River Run
We stayed at the Grand Californian and it was fabulous!!!
Other tips for Disneyland:
Splash is much better at WDW
IASW is better at DL
Star Tours is the same so feel free to skip it
Space Mountain is better at DL IMO
Do:
Storybook Land Canal Boat
Alice in Wonderland
Mr. Toad
Indiana Jones
Roger Rabbits Car Toon Spin
At DCA:
Soarin' over California
California Screamin'
Sun Wheel
Maliboomer
Animation (different than at WDW)
Blast
Golden Dreams
Grizzly River Run
We stayed at the Grand Californian and it was fabulous!!!
Any last minute suggestions? I leave on Friday!!!! WOOHOO!!
DLMAGICDARREN
New Member
Just so you are not disapointed, Splash is still down at DL, but MK's is better anyway like everybody says.
Go on Pinocchio, I didn't see it mentioned above and MK does not have it. Also go on those unique to Disneyland but already mentioned.
I prefer HM at DL, but it's close to the same, but check it out.
At DCA Muppets, Millionaire, and Tough To Be A Bug are the same. I'm not saying skip them, but they aren't any different if you need to prioritize time.
Explore Downtown Disney, since it's so convienetly located in between the two parks.
But mostly enjoy the ambiance of Disneyland, the park that started it all. Take a peek above the fire station, that's where Walt's apartment is located. Check out the Disney Gallery (it's above PIrates), they just opened a new exibit I haven't seen yet called 100 Mickey's, to correspond to Walt's 100th birthday.
Fanstasmic is still on hiatus so you'll miss that.
Go on the railroad, there is a diorama of both the Grand Canyon, and dinasours that Walt had in the world fair in 1964. It's after the Tomorrowland station and before the Main Street station. Also don't miss Great MOments with Mr. Lincoln aslo from the 1964 world's fair.
Go to Toown Town, they have Roger Rabbit, a faboulous dark ride. They also have the jolly trolly, the rest of Toontown is pretty similar, different but the same idea.
Ride the monorail, it runs inside the park, the station is in Tomorrowland, it wil take you to Downtown Disney. A very nice way to exit when you are done for the day. It will also take you through Hollywood, Sunshine Plaza, and Condor Flats of Disney's California adventure, then it will go through the Grand Californian.
If you have time, take a drive, or a peak down Harbor Blvd, and passed Katella, that's the proposed site for a third park.
Most of all have fun, and say hi to all my friends. I haven't been since January.
Go on Pinocchio, I didn't see it mentioned above and MK does not have it. Also go on those unique to Disneyland but already mentioned.
I prefer HM at DL, but it's close to the same, but check it out.
At DCA Muppets, Millionaire, and Tough To Be A Bug are the same. I'm not saying skip them, but they aren't any different if you need to prioritize time.
Explore Downtown Disney, since it's so convienetly located in between the two parks.
But mostly enjoy the ambiance of Disneyland, the park that started it all. Take a peek above the fire station, that's where Walt's apartment is located. Check out the Disney Gallery (it's above PIrates), they just opened a new exibit I haven't seen yet called 100 Mickey's, to correspond to Walt's 100th birthday.
Fanstasmic is still on hiatus so you'll miss that.
Go on the railroad, there is a diorama of both the Grand Canyon, and dinasours that Walt had in the world fair in 1964. It's after the Tomorrowland station and before the Main Street station. Also don't miss Great MOments with Mr. Lincoln aslo from the 1964 world's fair.
Go to Toown Town, they have Roger Rabbit, a faboulous dark ride. They also have the jolly trolly, the rest of Toontown is pretty similar, different but the same idea.
Ride the monorail, it runs inside the park, the station is in Tomorrowland, it wil take you to Downtown Disney. A very nice way to exit when you are done for the day. It will also take you through Hollywood, Sunshine Plaza, and Condor Flats of Disney's California adventure, then it will go through the Grand Californian.
If you have time, take a drive, or a peak down Harbor Blvd, and passed Katella, that's the proposed site for a third park.
Most of all have fun, and say hi to all my friends. I haven't been since January.
Thanks everyone for all the replys!! Less than 24 hours from now I will be on a plane for California. I'll be sure to keep everyone's advice in mind. Thanks again!!
DLMAGICDARREN
New Member
Have fun, and write when you get back. Have a safe triip
I'm back from my trip to the Disneyland Resort. We had such a great time!! My favorite rides are Indy and California Screamin. I loved the little opening "ceremony" that happened every morning. The mad rush to Indy every morning was hilarious. We were some of the first in line every morning that we were there. The stampede was a highlight of the trip. We had fun picking out the differences between Disneyland and WDW. My first thought was that it was so small, but growing up with WDW that was to be expected. It was very crowded, so we unfortunately didn't have time to do everything. I loved Alice and Pinocchio. Soarin' over California was wonderful. I was a little scared of the Monorail. It seemed a little untrustworthy. I felt like it was going to tip over on the curves. We stayed at the Grand Californian. Beautiful is the only word to describe it. We did have 10 dollars in Disney Dollars stolen out of our room while we were there. I was a little disappointed because you don't expect that in a Disney resort. All in all, the trip was wonderful. I'm glad I was able to experience the original, but WDW is my favorite. There's really no comparison between the two.
Advice for first time visitors: I'll pass along the same advice that was given to me. Be the first in line when the park opens. Run straight to Indy or Soarin' over California depending on which park you are at. The crowds are significantly smaller in the mornings. We got the majority of the rides done within the first few hours of the park opening.
Advice for first time visitors: I'll pass along the same advice that was given to me. Be the first in line when the park opens. Run straight to Indy or Soarin' over California depending on which park you are at. The crowds are significantly smaller in the mornings. We got the majority of the rides done within the first few hours of the park opening.
dianedisney
New Member
Happy you had Fun!!
Glad to hear you had a great time. Yes, the Grand Californian is a beautiful hotel. As for the Disney Dollars being missing more than likely the maid thought it was a tip. Never leave money out in the open as the maids usually think it is a tip for their services. Now if it wasn't out in the open I would have reported it immediatly to the front desk. Were you able to see Blast? Have a Disney Day!:animwink:
Glad to hear you had a great time. Yes, the Grand Californian is a beautiful hotel. As for the Disney Dollars being missing more than likely the maid thought it was a tip. Never leave money out in the open as the maids usually think it is a tip for their services. Now if it wasn't out in the open I would have reported it immediatly to the front desk. Were you able to see Blast? Have a Disney Day!:animwink:
The $ was in a camera case which was closed. The maid had to have been going through our things to find it. We didn't get to see Blast. We spent the majority of our trip at Disneyland as opposed to California Adventure. With the crowds, it was difficult to get alot done. We sacrficed the shows so that we could have more time for the rides, but still didn't get all the rides done. I would love to go back during a less crowded time of the year.
dianedisney
New Member
Sad!!!
It's pretty sad when that happens, I hope you reported it. They will know exactly which maid did it and hopefully get rid of her. I too am looking forward to my next trip, probably in September. I always do a yearly trip the first weekend in March and love it then. They have some rides down for refurbishment but it is so not busy then you walk on everything. Have a Disney Day!!!
It's pretty sad when that happens, I hope you reported it. They will know exactly which maid did it and hopefully get rid of her. I too am looking forward to my next trip, probably in September. I always do a yearly trip the first weekend in March and love it then. They have some rides down for refurbishment but it is so not busy then you walk on everything. Have a Disney Day!!!
DLMAGICDARREN
New Member
Thanks for the report. I was out of town when oyu wrote it but am cathing up tonight. Thanks for spending the time writing it, and I agree report the incident about the missing dollars. They need to know this happened.
I agree that Indy is probably one of the great differences we have at Disneyland!
I agree that Indy is probably one of the great differences we have at Disneyland!