Guide to DLR for WDW Veterans!

jeffk410

jeffk410

Well-Known Member
GiveMeTheMusic said:
If you are crunched for time, you can do that. Just be sure to skip clones and focus on unique or better attractions.

If you can swing 3-4 days, that's ideal to really get everything in and be able to enjoy some details.
Click to expand...

We arrive Thursday AM and leave Sunday afternoon. Staying at the Grand Californian, so planned on spending Thursday / Sunday morn there and focus on the parks Friday and Saturday. May end up caving and going on Thursday too! Thanks for the advice.
 
75disney

75disney

Well-Known Member
My DH and I went to DL in 1999 and stayed at the DL Hotel. We are planning our first and probably only trip there with our DDs (ages 15 and12) in August. We are spending 5 days in San Diego first and then moving up to Anaheim for 5 days - 4 at Disney and 1 exploring Hollywood. We are debating where to stay... Paradise Pier, Howard Johnson, or Candy Cane Inn. I want Paradise Pier but my DH is bulking at the exorbitant cost of this trip. Any recommendations or thoughts about the 3 hotel possibilities?
 
GiveMeTheMusic

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
75disney said:
My DH and I went to DL in 1999 and stayed at the DL Hotel. We are planning our first and probably only trip there with our DDs (ages 15 and12) in August. We are spending 5 days in San Diego first and then moving up to Anaheim for 5 days - 4 at Disney and 1 exploring Hollywood. We are debating where to stay... Paradise Pier, Howard Johnson, or Candy Cane Inn. I want Paradise Pier but my DH is bulking at the exorbitant cost of this trip. Any recommendations or thoughts about the 3 hotel possibilities?
Click to expand...

Your husband is right. PPH is way overpriced and has no real advantage other than the Disney name. It's an old hotel that is badly in need of being bulldozed. I haven't stayed at Candy Cane in years, but if the price is right HoJo or the new Courtyard next to it are great options.
 
Y

YourHumbleServant

New Member
I can't find it now, but I think someone mentioned that if you're staying close to the Toy Story transportation center, you can just walk to there and catch a tram (or bus or whatever)? I was thinking of putting us at the Convention Center Hyatt Place, and that Toy Story transportation center would be pretty convenient (especially for coming BACK, but maybe even going)...
Can anyone confirm or deny that?
 
GiveMeTheMusic

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
YourHumbleServant said:
I can't find it now, but I think someone mentioned that if you're staying close to the Toy Story transportation center, you can just walk to there and catch a tram (or bus or whatever)? I was thinking of putting us at the Convention Center Hyatt Place, and that Toy Story transportation center would be pretty convenient (especially for coming BACK, but maybe even going)...
Can anyone confirm or deny that?
Click to expand...

It is still a bit of a hike to the lot entrance and then to the shuttle area, but it's shorter than walking all the way to the esplanade from there.
 
BrianV

BrianV

Well-Known Member
jeffk410 said:
We arrive Thursday AM and leave Sunday afternoon. Staying at the Grand Californian, so planned on spending Thursday / Sunday morn there and focus on the parks Friday and Saturday. May end up caving and going on Thursday too! Thanks for the advice.
Click to expand...
If you make it there before say noon, bite the bullet and pay for another day. You can use that day to wander and have fun. Make sinnder reservations in the park somewhere..

Enjoy!
 
jeffk410

jeffk410

Well-Known Member
Another Question: Are the Halloween parties at Disneyland worth the price increase? I've been to MNSSHP in WDW and enjoyed it, but not sure it warrants it with only 2-3 days at the parks.
 
Jedi Stitch

Jedi Stitch

Well-Known Member
I'm a Disneylander. I went to WDW the first time in 2016. We spent a week with at least 1 day a park, and we still did not see or do everything that is to be done. When I plan a Southern Californian adventure it is just that. We usually spend two or three days at Disney, and for cheaper in a non-Disney hotel. The biggest difference is that it is a Californian adventure. We would have a day at Knotts's Berry Farm, a Day at Universal, A beach day. Now My wife is a fly down and usually stay at a DLR area hotel and drive to the other places. In my youth, my family would road trip from Seattle. So, it would be the parks as Icing after going to Reno or Vegas, Yosimite, Redwood, San Juaquim Valley, San Fran, Deigo.
When you do go to DLR for 2-3 days you pretty much can see everything in that time. Character Dining vouchers are good, but meal vouchers is a loose. Many of the passes ans attractions are first come first served the day of. Blue Bayou is a must, it was first come first served for reservations, but I am told that has changed. It has been some time since my last DLR trip. I have not been to DCA yet, so you might need to go 4 days. Even if you have a similar ride at WDW, you still need to ride the west cost version.
 
Witchy Chick

Witchy Chick

Well-Known Member
WDW vet here, working on our CA itinerary for July. Our family is me (super uber planner :cautious:), DH, DD8, and DS7.

For our CA trip, we have four days in San Francisco (DH is a marathoner and running the marathon to cross CA off of his 50 states goal/list) and then four days in Anaheim. We fly from SFO -> SNA on a Monday, arriving at SNA around 11am. I'm figuring with getting luggage and shuttling to our hotel, we only have the afternoon/evening for DLR that first day, then three full days Tues - Thurs after, checking out/flying home Fri morning (no park time that day). Sounds like our total of 3.5 days in the parks is enough time to get most everything done.

Day 1 Monday
  • mid-dayish arrival to Anaheim, head to DCA for afternoon/evening, possible dinner/WoC package (I'm back and forth on this, or just getting regular old FP for WoC), just hang around Paradise Pier area

Day 2 Tuesday
  • MM at DL, trying to hit as much as we can before regular park opening
  • Breakfast approx 10am at Minnie and Friends at The Plaza Inn for the kiddos (who are just about outgrowing the "character thing"). We just purchased 4-day PH tickets from aRes that include character meal vouchers for the kiddos; since this character meal is inside the park, we thought this was a good option for this day.

Day 3 Wednesday
  • DCA? Park hopping to both parks?

Day 4 Thursday
  • DisneyLand park? (This is another MM but not for us since we're using ours on Tuesday. Thought we could get there at park opening, though, and head to Frontierland/Adventureland for an early start.)

Questions:
  1. Did ToT/Does GotG: MB have a single rider line (or rider swap)? The kiddos were not big fans of ToT at WDW, so DH and I may tag off on riding this one without the kids.
  2. Summer of Heroes (sorry, locals): Will the Avengers Initiative and the Jedi Training Academy both be available? Our kids have done JTA at WDW, and I think it would be neat to do it at DLR as well. They might also want to do Avengers Initiative (since they and DH are huge comic book dorks). Would we be wasting too much time doing both training things for the kids?
  3. MaxPass -- any word yet on when this goes live?
  4. Aside from WoC (possibly) on our first night, I have not even thought about other nighttime entertainment. Rumor is Fantasmic!! might still be down (our trip is late July)? My kids had not seen MSEP at WDW yet, so that might be nice to see at DLR. And fireworks one night. Any recommendations for parade/fireworks viewing? I've read staying for the second parade is probably a better option, but I don't know if my kiddos can hang that late.
  5. Anything else I should know?

Thank you!!!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom