Questions About Planning a Disneyland Trip

[JohnLocke]

Some friends and I are planning a trip out to California next summer, and hopefully we'll be able to swing a few days at DL, I'm hoping 3, but probably at least 2. So my question is, what should we plan on planning to do? Is it best to try to go the extra mile and get about a 2 night stay at a DLR hotel?

I'm assuming the DDP isn't as worth it in DL as WDW, is that the case? Or are there any restaurants worth trying to do?

Will 2 or 3 days be enough to get in almost everything we'd want to do? (Probably mostly the rides, and some aren't very big thrill seekers)

 

[Hakunamatata]

Menu options in DL are more expensive than their counterpart in WDW. Probably along the lines of two to three dollars more. Sit down options are far fewer than WDW, and many of the sit down options are character meals. You can most definitly do everything in three days. I think Fastpass is much easier to use in DL because the parks are so much smaller. For instance, you can say go back and fourth between MK and DCA in the same time that you can go from POTC to Space Mountain at the MK in Florida.

I will say that the DL MK has sooooo many more attractions packed into its smaller space than does WDW MK.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Some friends and I are planning a trip out to California next summer, and hopefully we'll be able to swing a few days at DL, I'm hoping 3, but probably at least 2. So my question is, what should we plan on planning to do? Is it best to try to go the extra mile and get about a 2 night stay at a DLR hotel?

I'm assuming the DDP isn't as worth it in DL as WDW, is that the case? Or are there any restaurants worth trying to do?

Will 2 or 3 days be enough to get in almost everything we'd want to do? (Probably mostly the rides, and some aren't very big thrill seekers)

Fastpass is easier to use at DL because they still don't enforce the end of the return window like they do at WDW now and some of the machines are not connected to each other. You can get multiple Fastpasses right next to each other: I think you can have one in each park and then there are certain rides in each park that are not connected at all. For example, I'm pretty sure you can get a Space FP and then walk right to Roger Rabbit and get another. @RSoxNo1 I'm sure knows ALL the ins and outs of FP at DL.

Table service is not as prevalent at DL. However, I think the counter service has been stepped up way beyond most of WDW's levels. I suspect it's their plan to keep the mostly local guests from grabbing a bite to eat across the non-Disney street or stopping at the drive-thru on the way home. The dining plan at DL is even stranger and more worthless than the one at WDW, from what I've heard on here.

If you would normally spend $250-$400+ per night on a hotel, then I don't think there's anything wrong with the DL Hotel and the Grand Californian. I wouldn't really recommend the Paradise Pier Hotel because it was an outside hotel that Disney bought and I've heard (never stayed there) that it doesn't have the "feel" of a Disney hotel. You can stay on Harbor Blvd even closer to the parks than the DL Hotel for $100 bucks per night. Staying on-site isn't really the same as it is at WDW. Wikimapia is the perfect tool for this kind of thing. Hover over all of the parcels on Harbor Blvd (right of the parks) to get the names of the hotels and google for their official websites.

And since I just like throwing this picture out there whenever I can and to help with the sense of scale, this is an almost equivalent number of attractions to all of WDW crammed in a space roughly the size of Epcot:

 

[JohnLocke]

Thanks for the info so far. I'm normally for staying some place a bit cheaper, because I mainly use the hotel for bed rather than a place I'll spend a large amount of time, I'm assuming my party has similar opinions. That said, is Disney transportation worth the extra money? I feel it is for WDW, though they have the value hotels to take care of what I feel I need.

Can you easily walk from one of the neighboring hotels to the park, or do you have to go through security/Disney parking? And are they well maintained/at least fairly nice for their value?

 

[RSoxNo1]

Thanks @Cosmic Commando, I didn't have enough time on my last Disneyland trip to really test out their Fastpass system for holes, but I did discover that as of late June, California Screamin' was not linked to Tower of Terror, Radiator Springs Racers or Soarin' Over California. Those links seem to change on a regular basis though, so it's worth testing out whether or not you can get an extra Fastpass in DCA.

In theory you could go into DCA at 7:30 in the morning, head over to California Screamin' for a Fastpass (Get it at 8:00) then head back to the Radiator Springs Racers Fastpass line which at that point will be at Tower of Terror. Then you can grab a Tower of Terror Fastpass (around 8:10) and get in line for Radiator Springs Racers FP. By the time you're up to the Fastpass booths for Radiator Springs Racers it will probably be close to 8:50-8:55 and you can grab a Fastpass for Radiator Springs Racers. If you want to really push it, you could go get another California Screamin' FP (or whatever machines are linked to that, possible Goofy's Sky School and/or Grizzly River Run) and a World of Color FP (not linked to anything).

In Disneyland, the only machines that are every detached from the rest of them are Autopia and Roger Rabbit's CarToon Spin

 

[Cosmic Commando]

In Disneyland, the only machines that are every detached from the rest of them are Autopia and Roger Rabbit's CarToon Spin

Are those two linked to each other, or could you get three fastpasses at once?

 

[JohnLocke]

Is there an updated list of these ways to get multiple FPs?

 

[Californian Elitist]

If you only care about having a place to sleep and shower, I would suggest you book a hotel somewhere across the street. The Desert Inn is literally directly across the street from the parks and the walk is less than five minutes, even closer than the Disneyland Hotel and the Paradise Pier Hotel, which is very nice by the way. I don't understand the complaints I hear about that hotel, but whatever.

I'd recommend more than two days. If anything, at least three or more. You just won't be able to see and do everything in two days, in my opinion. Don't even think about doing the dining plan at Disneyland, because it's a rip-off. We have a few table services, but not only do you not need to call 180 days in advance, but you really don't have to call at all. You just walk up, tell them you want to eat there and they'll seat you. It's okay to make reservations early but there's really no need. Some people do it just to be safe. The counter service options at Disneyland are great.

 

[JohnLocke]

If you only care about having a place to sleep and shower, I would suggest you book a hotel somewhere across the street. The Desert Inn is literally directly across the street from the parks and the walk is less than five minutes, even closer than the Disneyland Hotel and the Paradise Pier Hotel, which is very nice by the way. I don't understand the complaints I hear about that hotel, but whatever.

I'd recommend more than two days. If anything, at least three or more. You just won't be able to see and do everything in two days, in my opinion. Don't even think about doing the dining plan at Disneyland, because it's a rip-off. We have a few table services, but not only do you not need to call 180 days in advance, but you really don't have to call at all. You just walk up, tell them you want to eat there and they'll seat you. It's okay to make reservations early but there's really no need. Some people do it just to be safe. The counter service options at Disneyland are great.

Thanks, I'm going to push for 3, but DL isn't our chief reason for going out there, so it's going to be interesting to see how things go. Still a long way to go before all things are in place.

How are the surrounding hotels? And you can walk from a place like The Desert Inn?

 

[Californian Elitist]

Thanks, I'm going to push for 3, but DL isn't our chief reason for going out there, so it's going to be interesting to see how things go. Still a long way to go before all things are in place.

How are the surrounding hotels? And you can walk from a place like The Desert Inn?

Oh, well if DL isn't the point of your California visit then you'll be fine with two days.

I've heard good reviews from people concerning a lot of the good-neighbor hotels (HoJo, Annabella, Best Western, Alpine Inn, etc.). Yes, when you walk out of the Desert Inn, there's the crosswalk. You walk across the street, into the resort. Less than a five minute walk.

 

[JohnLocke]

Oh, well if DL isn't the point of your California visit then you'll be fine with two days.

I've heard good reviews from people concerning a lot of the good-neighbor hotels (HoJo, Annabella, Best Western, Alpine Inn, etc.). Yes, when you walk out of the Desert Inn, there's the crosswalk. You walk across the street, into the resort. Less than a five minute walk.

Thanks, I should have known with the location it would be much easier, but for someone so used to WDW it's tough to imagine.

Still hoping for 2 night/3 day stay to get a good bit out of the visit, it should be interesting either way, but there's definitely a lot I want to get done, especially those things not at WDW.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Thanks, I should have known with the location it would be much easier, but for someone so used to WDW it's tough to imagine.

Still hoping for 2 night/3 day stay to get a good bit out of the visit, it should be interesting either way, but there's definitely a lot I want to get done, especially those things not at WDW.

Yeah, the DLR is completely different from WDW.

We do have a lot of attractions that aren't found in Florida and hopefully you get to experience them all.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Are those two linked to each other, or could you get three fastpasses at once?

I believe you can get 3 at once, keep in mind that if you go to Autopia, Roger Rabbit and any other FP attraction outside of Tomorrowland and you're talking at least a 20 minute walk.

 

[JohnLocke]

Yeah, the DLR is completely different from WDW.

We do have a lot of attractions that aren't found in Florida and hopefully you get to experience them all.

I'm hoping it all works out and that happens. I guess my one other perk for possibly staying on site would be EMH, or the equivalent at DL, can you let me know a bit more about that? I think I read it's really only in the morning and is like WDW in that it's only for resort guests.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'm hoping it all works out and that happens. I guess my one other perk for possibly staying on site would be EMH, or the equivalent at DL, can you let me know a bit more about that? I think I read it's really only in the morning and is like WDW in that it's only for resort guests.

If you have a three day Park Hopper you can use it once for a Magic Morning at Disneyland on either a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday. Don't quote me though on the specific days. Resort guests currently get it every day at either park, but that is new as of this summer.

 

[JohnLocke]

If you have a three day Park Hopper you can use it once for a Magic Morning at Disneyland on either a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday. Don't quote me though on the specific days. Resort guests currently get it every day at either park, but that is new as of this summer.

Thanks, I read something about the limitedness of it, but I wasn't really sure. I got the wait times app for both DL and WDW, are the waits not as bad in Summer at DL? And how's the weather generally in July?

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I believe you can get 3 at once, keep in mind that if you go to Autopia, Roger Rabbit and any other FP attraction outside of Tomorrowland and you're talking at least a 20 minute walk.

Just like having the option.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Thanks, I read something about the limitedness of it, but I wasn't really sure. I got the wait times app for both DL and WDW, are the waits not as bad in Summer at DL? And how's the weather generally in July?

Is it the official app? I noticed it does not always update well. Can't really comment on the weather since I'm not a local.

 

[JohnLocke]

Is it the official app? I noticed it does not always update well. Can't really comment on the weather since I'm not a local.

No, it's one of the unofficial user submitted ones, I believe. Looking at the WDW and USF ones, they seem to be pretty accurate, though I have no way of knowing personally since I haven't been down there with it.