Question about DL....

[MeTa]

I am travelling to DL on my honeymoon in a few weeks, and as much as I hear about how much WDW blows it away I am still very excited. Anyone have pointers of things to do, look for....etc.

I am very history oriented, so looking at all the nostalgic stuff is on the top of my list.

I appreciate any info.

And if I find it to be terrible, I am going to WDW in Dec.

 

[Chape19714]

There's tons of nostalgic stuff in the Disneyland Hotel Lobby and surronding areas. It's a fun diversion. Be sure to see The Disney Gallery at New Orleans Square, and take a nostalgic ride on all the classics, including Mr. Toad. Be sure to see Aladdin (if it's preforming) at DCA. There is also some cool history on Main Street, just the dedication plaque gives me chills.

Be 100% sure to see the Fireworks from The Castle Hub. Remember...Dreams come true is an awsome show, and the parade of Dreams is really good as well. Don't forget to check a scedule, because the Main Street Electrical is currently at DCA, but only on certain nights.

 

[MainSt1993]

I am travelling to DL on my honeymoon in a few weeks, and as much as I hear about how much WDW blows it away I am still very excited. Anyone have pointers of things to do, look for....etc.

I am very history oriented, so looking at all the nostalgic stuff is on the top of my list.

I appreciate any info.

And if I find it to be terrible, I am going to WDW in Dec.

<GASP> I certainly hope you don't find it terrible. Please report back after your trip!! Hopefully you will be very pleasently surprised. Also, check out some of the other threads here. I think you'll find many lifetime WDW-lovers discovering why Southern Californians love Disneyland so much.

I lifted this great info below from a posting by TP2000 in another thread (TP - I hope you don't mind!!). I fully endorse her comments here. One add (this was written for a trip in September, so it takes into account things that will be closed) would be the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Try both tracks! Also, Haunted Mansion and Pirates. Both are WAY better at Disneyland than at the Magic Kingdom. For nice restaurants, try Blue Bayou (inside Pirates, on the water) and Napa Rose, an extraordinary restaurant at the Grand Californian.

From TP2000-
Attractions You Should Try To Experience at Disneyland:
Alice In Wonderland - Disneyland exclusive and a clever multi-level dark ride from 1958.
Pinnochio's Daring Journey - They have one in Tokyo, but it's a nifty dark ride missing from Florida.
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - Another dark ride now only found in Disneyland. They don't make 'em like this anymore!
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin - A very long, very impressive dark ride with a spinning vehicle gimmick. It's got Fastpass too!
Davy Crockett Canoes - Another Disneyland exclusive, and a great way to see the Rivers of America at duck level. Be ready to paddle.
StorybookLand Canal Boats - A 1955 original, and a real blast from the past. It's a beautifully landscaped part of Disneyland and it has Walt written all over it. In this modern age you just don't see this type of craftsmanship or TLC any more. Only at Disneyland.
Casey Jr. Circus Train - A surprisingly thrilling little train ride, and a good alternative if you can't handle the long StorybookLand queue. It zips over and around all of StorybookLand.
Sailing Ship Columbia - If you don't do the Canoes, see the Rivers of America from this vessel! More thrilling than the Mark Twain Riverboat, with cannons that are fired (BOOM!) and a wonderful below decks museum of historic ship life. Another Disneyland exclusive.
Enchanted Tiki Room - This show is the original 1963 version, with all of the Walt-era charm, wit and style left firmly intact. The pre-show lanai with the Gods & Godesses introducing themselves and campy 1960's Dole Pineapple video is a time warp back to Disneyland when Lyndon Johnson was President and Walt walked the park daily picking up scraps of paper and signing autographs. Plus, it's a nice air-conditioned break from the maddening crowds. Don't miss it! And then be really mad at what they did to the WDW version!
Mickey's Toontown - It's wall to wall strollers by Noon, but there's so much wonderful eye candy and Imagineering at it's best in this land. Try to just wander the area for 15 minutes in the morning if you can.

Things you could skip at Disneyland, in my opinion, are...

Star Tours - Exact same ride, just in a different building with a slightly different pre-show. Skip it.
Splash Mountain - This is about the only E Ticket that is inferior to it's Florida cousin. The pacing of the sets is faster and more frenetic here and it's just not as well done as Florida's. There are more animatronics in the Disneyland version, but you are going so fast it's hard to tell what they are saying or what is going on. I didn't even know Splash Mountain had a plotline until I went on the WDW version! The lines will be HUGE on a hot July day, and you'd have to waste a Fastpass that would be better spent on Indy or Space Mountain. Skip it.
Winnie The Pooh - Noticeably different ride, but not that much better than Florida's. Only do it if there's less than a 10 minute line. Otherwise, skip it.
Peter Pan's Flight - It's a great ride, but the differences from Florida aren't enough to justify waiting in the horendous 45-60 minute line.
Buzz Lightyear - Same story as Pooh and Pan. Fun, but too similar to WDW's when you're limited on time. The guns in Disneyland are not attached to the vehicles however, which is an improvement over the WDW version.
Innoventions - It looks snazzy from the outside with the spinning building, but it's just as boring as the Epcot version. Visit your local Best Buy instead.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

I think you will be pleasantly surprised in a lot of ways. I always have a little bit of a twilight zone feeling while there...things are the same, then again they're not.

Try checking in to the DL forums here for any specific information:
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=13

The first thing that strikes you is walking down Main Street, you start wondering....where is the Castle.... After you get used to that scale difference, it will start to feel like home. As was already said, Space Mountain, Pirates, Haunted Mansion are better in DL. Some, like ToT, Splash Big Thunder are different, some would say not as good, then you have your many unique attractions, like the Matterhorn, a lot of offerings in Fantasyland and some in DCA.

Do plan for one meal at Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square in DL. Other than that, you will notice that there are a lot less food offerings (sit down/variety) in the parks, so you may want to check out the hotels (Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel) for some more upscale dining.

One other thing that may or may not affect you are the guests. It seems to be a whole different kind of population that makes up the guests at DL parks. I guess many more locals and less tourista's (opposite of WDW). People don't seem to mingle as much and seem less in a Disney spirit.

Being a self professed "Disney history buff", you may want to consider this tour which is similar to WDW's "Keys to the Kingdom" : http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis...ours/detail?name=WalkInWaltsFootstepsTourPage

With all that said, its a wonderful place for any Disney enthusiast to get to visit, I think you'll enjoy it a lot.

 

[darthjohnny]

Disneyland is by no means inferior to WDW. There are many attractions that are that are much longer and better than the ones in Disney World. Pirates of the Caribbean is great in WDW, but it is amazing in Disneyland. It is twice as long and has 2 drops, both bigger than the one in WDW. Haunted Mansion is great over there, it is a little different, and the new Madame Leota and Bride effects are amazing! If you want to see the history of Disneyland, go to the 50 Years exhibit where Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was held in Main Street U.S.A. It has models, never-before seen concepts for the park, and a movie that is hosted by Steve Martin and Donald Duck.

 

[netenyahoo]

You may want to do the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour to get some neat history on Walt and the park. The opera house exhibit is great too as is the Disney Gallery above Pirates which was supposed to new a new apartment for Walt and Roy. Walt's original apartment is above the firehouse on Main Street.

Disneyland has several rides not at WDW and some better rides.
Not at WDW - Alice in Wonderland, Matterhorn, Mr. Toad, Indiana Jones, Roger Rabbit, Columbia, canoes, Tarzan's Treehouse, Casey Junior, Storybookland Canal Boats

Better rides - Pirates, HM, Tiki Room

Splash may not be as good as at MK, but it is still a fun ride and the Critter Country section is neat, as is New Orleans Square. Toontown is much better at DL. Space Mountain and Autopia are way different, so you will want to experience them. The exterior to Small World is much nicer.