The Imagineering Break Room

D Hulk

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
David2319 said:
Very interesting. I'll be at Disneyland tomorrow, so I'll definitely compare my trip Disneyland Paris last year to Disneyland.

I think all of the Disney resorts are unique in a great way.


Disney World has the blessing of many park themes, so you get a great variety and so many ideas can fit inside each park's mission statement (which is why overusing IPs is especially silly for WDW). Disneyland is the original. Disneyland Paris is romanticized, and Tokyo is obviously just on steroids of the other resorts' epicness. Obviously Shanghai & Hong Kong still need to grow, but they have their own unique flair: Shanghai with the Chinese feel and Hong Kong with it being super tiny and with its inclusion of 'mini-lands'. Disneyland Paris is really one park at the moment IMO:D.
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Have a great time tomorrow at Disneyland! It's gonna be hot, up to 100 where I live (but cooler in anaheim). Disneyland is of course a wonderful place, but maybe be prepared for the walkways to feel super congested since they were designed for smaller crowds than the park now gets.

Do you have an attraction game plan or anything?
 
Daveeeeed

Daveeeeed

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
D Hindley said:
Have a great time tomorrow at Disneyland! It's gonna be hot, up to 100 where I live (but cooler in anaheim). Disneyland is of course a wonderful place, but maybe be prepared for the walkways to feel super congested since they were designed for smaller crowds than the park now gets.

Do you have an attraction game plan or anything?
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I made a meal guideline plan which includes which parks we plan on going to for the day. We are staying at the Disneyland Hotel, so we will definitely be taking advantage of Extra Morning Hours (hopefully naps will be possible to stay up late:p). We are planning to rope drop Cars Land on Thursday... do you think we should get World of Color fastpasses before or after Carsland? Any tips on wait times (like in WDW Space Mountain usually has a very low wait after 11:30pm).



Here's the current plan/guideline:

DL Wednesday (21st - Arrival)
Breakfast - Goofy's Kitchen 11:00am
Lunch - Little Red Wagon (or Turkey Legs)
Dinner - Plaza Inn
DCA/DL Thursday (22nd)
Breakfast - Flo's V8 Café
Lunch - Cove Bar
Dinner - Paradise Garden Grill & Ghirardelli
DL Friday (23rd)
Breakfast - Little Red Wagon (or Turkey Legs)
Lunch - Carnation Cafe 1:00pm
Dinner - Trader Sam's (or closest Quick-Service)

DL/DCA/DL Saturday (24th - Birthday)
Breakfast/Snack - Jolly Holiday Bakery
Lunch - Bengal BBQ or Rancho Del Zocalo
Dinner - Carthay Circle 5:00pm

DCA Sunday (25th - Departure)
Breakfast (quick bite to eat in a park)

The most obvious exclusion is Napa Rose, but that was more down to the atmosphere. Do you have any recommended changes? I would loooove to get some recommendations & tips!!!!
 
D Hulk

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
David2319 said:
I made a meal guideline plan which includes which parks we plan on going to for the day. We are staying at the Disneyland Hotel, so we will definitely be taking advantage of Extra Morning Hours (hopefully naps will be possible to stay up late:p). We are planning to rope drop Cars Land on Thursday... do you think we should get World of Color fastpasses before or after Carsland? Any tips on wait times (like in WDW Space Mountain usually has a very low wait after 11:30pm).



Here's the current plan/guideline:

DL Wednesday (21st - Arrival)
Breakfast - Goofy's Kitchen 11:00am
Lunch - Little Red Wagon (or Turkey Legs)
Dinner - Plaza Inn
DCA/DL Thursday (22nd)
Breakfast - Flo's V8 Café
Lunch - Cove Bar
Dinner - Paradise Garden Grill & Ghirardelli
DL Friday (23rd)
Breakfast - Little Red Wagon (or Turkey Legs)
Lunch - Carnation Cafe 1:00pm
Dinner - Trader Sam's (or closest Quick-Service)

DL/DCA/DL Saturday (24th - Birthday)
Breakfast/Snack - Jolly Holiday Bakery
Lunch - Bengal BBQ or Rancho Del Zocalo
Dinner - Carthay Circle 5:00pm

DCA Sunday (25th - Departure)
Breakfast (quick bite to eat in a park)

The most obvious exclusion is Napa Rose, but that was more down to the atmosphere. Do you have any recommended changes? I would loooove to get some recommendations & tips!!!!
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You've certainly been planning, and you're at the resort long enough that seeing everything, maybe even multiple times, shouldn't be an issue.

One restaurant I don't see in your plan is the Blue Bayou, which overlooks POTC. It's worth it for the atmosphere primarily, more than the food. Actually, absolutely try to do at least one meal in New Orleans Square, maybe Friday or Saturday lunch. At Plaza Inn, absolutely get the fried chicken. At some point you'll need to do the Enchanted Tiki Room (good for midday when lines are longest) and get the Dole Whip from the counter inside the Tiki waiting area.

At Carthay Circle, I recommend the hush puppy starters and the popcorn marshmallow turnover for desert. Entrees rotate seasonally. At Cove Bar, try the lobster nachos. And go to Trader Sam's before the night crowds descend, because there's hardly any room inside and the details are among the resort's best.

For DCA, if they're doing more than one showing of World of Color, and if you have the energy for the less crowded later showing, try to do that. This means waiting to get the WOC Fastpass until maybe mid morning or later. Rope dropping Cars Land is a good call. For DCA priority Fastpasses, since it's new (and draws crowds) I would say FP Mission: Breakout first, followed by another pass for Radiator Springs Racers. (RSR Fastpass distribution is not in Cars Land - be warned! - but near the Tough to be a Bug theater.) Midway Mania has FP now, but crowds don't know that yet, so it's an easy midday FP ride. With the heatwave, Grizzly River Rapids can get 90+ min waits, so do that FP or Single Rider.

And remember we're on the old paper FP system. I like to get a new FP as soon as it's available (check the time on your pass) before using the old FP. Do FP attractions near each other so you're not crossing the park repeatedly.

In Disneyland (especially using Magic Mornings), my usual strategy is to knock off the Fantasyland dark rides first thing. If you're efficient, you can do most of the dark rides in under an hour before crowds gather. Toad, Alice, Snow White, Pinocchio, Storybook Land, Matterhorn, and Roger Rabbit in Toontown are all unique from WDW. Peter Pan has no FP, and its line stays at 45+ all day unless you do it at rope drop, so depending on its line I'd say prioritize the unique stuff nearby.

For Fastpasses in Disneyland, start with Space Mountain (I think it's still Hyperspace for the next month or so). Then basically work from east to west with Fastpasses. On the west side, only Indy and Splash (summer heatwave) really see long lines. Indy is a must do! So is POTC! The Nemo subs have low capacity and long waits, but the line tapers off at night - which isn't a rule for every ride in DLR, since locals like to drop in after work.

Sadly, no Fantasmic right now because of Star Wars Land. The castle fireworks are worth sticking around for, and the Electrical Parade is if it's novel to you. (Didn't that just migrate back over from WDW?)

Your schedule should allow for a relaxed pace, maybe even mid afternoon naps. Have a great trip!
 
Daveeeeed

Daveeeeed

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
D Hindley said:
You've certainly been planning, and you're at the resort long enough that seeing everything, maybe even multiple times, shouldn't be an issue.

One restaurant I don't see in your plan is the Blue Bayou, which overlooks POTC. It's worth it for the atmosphere primarily, more than the food. Actually, absolutely try to do at least one meal in New Orleans Square, maybe Friday or Saturday lunch. At Plaza Inn, absolutely get the fried chicken. At some point you'll need to do the Enchanted Tiki Room (good for midday when lines are longest) and get the Dole Whip from the counter inside the Tiki waiting area.

At Carthay Circle, I recommend the hush puppy starters and the popcorn marshmallow turnover for desert. Entrees rotate seasonally. At Cove Bar, try the lobster nachos. And go to Trader Sam's before the night crowds descend, because there's hardly any room inside and the details are among the resort's best.

For DCA, if they're doing more than one showing of World of Color, and if you have the energy for the less crowded later showing, try to do that. This means waiting to get the WOC Fastpass until maybe mid morning or later. Rope dropping Cars Land is a good call. For DCA priority Fastpasses, since it's new (and draws crowds) I would say FP Mission: Breakout first, followed by another pass for Radiator Springs Racers. (RSR Fastpass distribution is not in Cars Land - be warned! - but near the Tough to be a Bug theater.) Midway Mania has FP now, but crowds don't know that yet, so it's an easy midday FP ride. With the heatwave, Grizzly River Rapids can get 90+ min waits, so do that FP or Single Rider.

And remember we're on the old paper FP system. I like to get a new FP as soon as it's available (check the time on your pass) before using the old FP. Do FP attractions near each other so you're not crossing the park repeatedly.

In Disneyland (especially using Magic Mornings), my usual strategy is to knock off the Fantasyland dark rides first thing. If you're efficient, you can do most of the dark rides in under an hour before crowds gather. Toad, Alice, Snow White, Pinocchio, Storybook Land, Matterhorn, and Roger Rabbit in Toontown are all unique from WDW. Peter Pan has no FP, and its line stays at 45+ all day unless you do it at rope drop, so depending on its line I'd say prioritize the unique stuff nearby.

For Fastpasses in Disneyland, start with Space Mountain (I think it's still Hyperspace for the next month or so). Then basically work from east to west with Fastpasses. On the west side, only Indy and Splash (summer heatwave) really see long lines. Indy is a must do! So is POTC! The Nemo subs have low capacity and long waits, but the line tapers off at night - which isn't a rule for every ride in DLR, since locals like to drop in after work.

Sadly, no Fantasmic right now because of Star Wars Land. The castle fireworks are worth sticking around for, and the Electrical Parade is if it's novel to you. (Didn't that just migrate back over from WDW?)

Your schedule should allow for a relaxed pace, maybe even mid afternoon naps. Have a great trip!
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Thank you so much for the thorough guidance. This will be our reference advice:D. I like to play it by ear, but with an idea of what to do, so you're help will be so useful. Thank you! We also love the electrical parade, and it is such a cool thing for us to be able to see it one last time.
 
Daveeeeed

Daveeeeed

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Well, I'm here:D
image.jpg


Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of my favorite films, so I really like Toontown. Yes, it looks a bit cheap (and it is), but it is to me like Toon Lagoon with heart. I feel like a potato for saying this but I actually prefer Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin to Matterhorn. I never in a BILLION years thought that that would happen, but it has for me. Maybe it was because I was on the front row on Matterhorn, so I will definitely be riding it again to see if the Fantasyland track makes a difference, at night, and non-front row.

I'm guessing I'll like Matterhorn more when I change it up, but Roger Rabbit was a really cool open-feel dark ride attraction. Different than Disneyland's usual very intimate feel of its dark rides.

I love Disneyland so much though!!! All around just being here for less than 3 hours has really been an epic experience.

Crowds are far better than MK. The park (especially Fantasyland) feels so personal and up close. No crazy meet and greet lines. No humidity. Queuing for rides takes less time, and most importantly knowing that Walt had a hand in this place. So cool it's surreal!!!!
 
D Hulk

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
David2319 said:
Well, I'm here:D
View attachment 211568

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of my favorite films, so I really like Toontown. Yes, it looks a bit cheap (and it is), but it is to me like Toon Lagoon with heart. I feel like a potato for saying this but I actually prefer Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin to Matterhorn. I never in a BILLION years thought that that would happen, but it has for me. Maybe it was because I was on the front row on Matterhorn, so I will definitely be riding it again to see if the Fantasyland track makes a difference, at night, and non-front row.

I'm guessing I'll like Matterhorn more when I change it up, but Roger Rabbit was a really cool open-feel dark ride attraction. Different than Disneyland's usual very intimate feel of its dark rides.

I love Disneyland so much though!!! All around just being here for less than 3 hours has really been an epic experience.

Crowds are far better than MK. The park (especially Fantasyland) feels so personal and up close. No crazy meet and greet lines. No humidity. Queuing for rides takes less time, and most importantly knowing that Walt had a hand in this place. So cool it's surreal!!!!
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So awesome to hear your impressions! You oughta keep updating throughout your trip! Do the Matterhorn again at night; same for stuff like Big Thunder. Agree on loving Roger Rabbit, which is really underrated, probably because of its out-of-the-way location. The queue is one of DL's best too, but granted most of ours are outdoors switchbacks. I've heard about the lines for meet 'n' greets in MK, which is something I really don't understand. The DL face characters just roam freely like wild bears. Keep having a blast!
 
Voxel

Voxel

President of Progress City
D Hindley said:
So awesome to hear your impressions! You oughta keep updating throughout your trip! Do the Matterhorn again at night; same for stuff like Big Thunder. Agree on loving Roger Rabbit, which is really underrated, probably because of its out-of-the-way location. The queue is one of DL's best too, but granted most of ours are outdoors switchbacks. I've heard about the lines for meet 'n' greets in MK, which is something I really don't understand. The DL face characters just roam freely like wild bears. Keep having a blast!
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Have the new cushions made a difference for Matterhorn? My mother loved it but it was rough for her hip replacement.
Side note my mother and I laughed are collective butts off in the Roger Rabbit queue the subtle inappropriate jokes everywhere were brilliant.
 
D Hulk

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
Voxel said:
Have the new cushions made a difference for Matterhorn? My mother loved it but it was rough for her hip replacement.
Side note my mother and I laughed are collective butts off in the Roger Rabbit queue the subtle inappropriate jokes everywhere were brilliant.
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In my experience, the cushions do make a difference, but it's a controversial topic and some locals don't like 'em (or nearly any change that ever happens). I've also never found Matterhorn all that rough to begin with, certainly not compared to some roller coasters (Mean Streak), but for a Disney park it's pretty gnarly.
 
Voxel

Voxel

President of Progress City
D Hindley said:
In my experience, the cushions do make a difference, but it's a controversial topic and some locals don't like 'em (or nearly any change that ever happens). I've also never found Matterhorn all that rough to begin with, certainly not compared to some roller coasters (Mean Streak), but for a Disney park it's pretty gnarly.
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If your not ready for it it can be jerky and bouncy and with a hip replacement and bouncing on hard plastic it hurts. I think they made the right choice.
 

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