(*UPDATED WITH TRIP REPORT) First-Ever-Visit-To-Disneyland Pretrip Report: 8/24-29, 2019

[Weather_Lady]

Hello, all! I realize that Disneyland planning is quite a bit more relaxed than Disney World planning, but my family still likes to go in with at least a rough plan. If you don't mind, I wanted to post our plans here, in the hopes that any Disneyland veterans might be able to identify any issues or red flags. (I did run all of our touring plans through touringplans.com to make sure my wait time estimates weren't too far off.) Here goes:

THE TRAVELING PARTY: Me, DH, son (13) and daughter (11). Multiple WDW trips under our belts, but we've never been any further west than Minnesota before!
GETTING THERE: JetBlue has direct flights from Buffalo, NY (we're east of Rochester) to LAX, so that's what we're doing.

DAY 1 (Saturday, 8/24): Drive to Buffalo, with an early lunch at the historic original Anchor Bar (creators of the Buffalo wing!), and bore the kids with stories about how DH and I first met one another in Buffalo during grad school. Flight from BUF to LAX (5 hrs. 30 min. duration), arriving at 3:55pm PT (3 hours behind EST). Take shuttle to Alamo rental lot, with "Skip the Counter" ticket in hand. Select rental and drive to the Tropicana Inn & Suites (across Harbor Blvd. from DL), arriving around dinnertime (local time). Check in for a 3-night stay. Relax: no firm plans this night (particularly as our bodies will still be on EST).

DAY 2 (Sunday, 8/25): Pre rope-drop arrival. Tour Disneyland (Fantasyland, Adventureland, Liberty Square [EDIT: New Orleans Square, I mean], Tomorrowland) - this is HM's last day before closing for overlay and [Hyper]Space Mountain likewise will be closed 8/26 and 8/28 during our visit). Lunch at River Belle Terrace (DH's choice; he is a kind and optimistic man who would not be dissuaded by poor reviews). Finishing around 4pm. Evening is unscheduled, but we may hop to California Adventure to start Pixar Pier and Cars Land, or go back to Disneyland to catch the Electric Light Parade.

DAY 3 (Monday, 8/26): Pre rope-drop arrival. Finish tour of Disneyland (Galaxy's Edge, Toontown, revisit favorites, finish "anytime" attractions in Frontierland. Afternoon rest/pool break at the hotel. 5:40pm dinner ADR (my pick) at Blue Bayou (Fantasmic! package). Finish any skipped attractions. See 9pm Fantasmic! and fireworks. Then head directly to Oga's Cantina (10pm ADR) for a quickie snack/drink (mainly just want to look around), and to see Galaxy's Edge at night. Get in line for Milennium Falcon just before closing if desired.

DAY 4 (Tuesday, 8/27): Pack up and check out of Tropicana. Head to Disneyland Hotel to drop bags, check in (if line is short), and have breakfast (8am ADR) at Steakhouse 55. Then drive to the Los Angeles Zoo (opens 10am) for a 4-5 hour tour. (I know the San Diego Zoo is bigger and better, but my son is obsessed with chimpanzees, has never seen them in real life, and only the LA Zoo has them.) Start the trip back by 3pm (to avoid traffic). Check into the Disneyland Hotel (if not already done) for a 2-night stay. Retrieve bags, unpack. Dinner ADR at 5:30pm at Splitsville (son's choice), followed by 7:30pm adventure at the VOID (Downtown Disney).

DAY 5 (Wednesday, 8/28): EMH at California Adventure. Tour most of the park by 11am. Head back to the DL Hotel for snacks/lunch at Trader Sam's. Swim, take naps, relax. Go back to California Adventure in the evening to do unfinished attractions and have dinner at the Lamplight Lounge at 6pm (daughter's choice). See World of Color! if desired. Consider hopping to Disneyland, if desired, after closing (see Electric Light Parade if not already done).

Day 6 (Thursday, 8/29): Morning unscheduled (check out of DL Hotel by 11am). May visit Huntington Beach. Depart for LAX by 1:30pm to return rental car, take shuttle to terminal, and pass through security (TSA Precheck) for 4:45pm flight (4 hrs. 45 min. duration) to Buffalo. Arriving 12:34am EST (9:34pm PT). Drive home.

Sound okay?

 

[mickEblu]

Hello, all! I realize that Disneyland planning is quite a bit more relaxed than Disney World planning, but my family still likes to go in with at least a rough plan. If you don't mind, I wanted to post our plans here, in the hopes that any Disneyland veterans might be able to identify any issues or red flags. (I did run all of our touring plans through touringplans.com to make sure my wait time estimates weren't too far off.) Here goes:

THE TRAVELING PARTY: Me, DH, son (13) and daughter (11). Multiple WDW trips under our belts, but we've never been any further west than Minnesota before!
GETTING THERE: JetBlue has direct flights from Buffalo, NY (we're east of Rochester) to LAX, so that's what we're doing.

DAY 1 (Saturday, 8/24): Drive to Buffalo, with an early lunch at the historic original Anchor Bar (creators of the Buffalo wing!). Flight from BUF to LAX (5 hrs. 30 min. duration), arriving at 3:55pm PT (3 hours behind EST). Take shuttle to Alamo rental lot, with "Skip the Counter" ticket in hand. Select rental and drive to the Tropicana Inn & Suites (across Harbor Blvd. from DL), arriving around dinnertime (local time). Check in for a 3-night stay. Relax: no firm plans this night (particularly as our bodies will still be on EST).

DAY 2 (Sunday, 8/25): Pre rope-drop arrival. Tour Disneyland (Fantasyland, Adventureland, Liberty Square, Tomorrowland) - this is HM's last day before closing for overlay and [Hyper]Space Mountain likewise will be closed 8/26 and 8/28 during our visit). Lunch at River Belle Terrace (DH's choice; he is a kind and optimistic man who would not be dissuaded by poor reviews). Finishing around 4pm. Evening is unscheduled, but we may hop to California Adventure to start Pixar Pier and Cars Land, or go back to Disneyland to catch the Electric Light Parade.

DAY 3 (Monday, 8/26): Pre rope-drop arrival. Finish tour of Disneyland (Galaxy's Edge, Toontown, revisit favorites, finish "anytime" attractions in Frontierland. Afternoon rest/pool break at the hotel. 5:40pm dinner ADR (my pick) at Blue Bayou (Fantasmic! package). Finish any skipped attractions. See 9pm Fantasmic! and fireworks. Then head directly to Oga's Cantina (10pm ADR) for a quickie snack/drink (mainly just want to look around), and to see Galaxy's Edge at night. Get in line for Milennium Falcon just before closing if desired.

DAY 4 (Tuesday, 8/27): Pack up and check out of Tropicana. Head to Disneyland Hotel to drop bags, check in (if line is short), and have breakfast (8am ADR) at Steakhouse 55. Then drive to the Los Angeles Zoo (opens 10am) for a 4-5 hour tour. (I know the San Diego Zoo is bigger and better, but my son is obsessed with chimpanzees, has never seen them in real life, and only the LA Zoo has them.) Start the trip back by 3pm (to avoid traffic). Check into the Disneyland Hotel (if not already done) for a 2-night stay. Retrieve bags, unpack. Dinner ADR at 5:30pm at Splitsville (son's choice), followed by 7:30pm adventure at the VOID (Downtown Disney).

DAY 5 (Wednesday, 8/28): EMH at California Adventure. Tour most of the park by 11am. Head back to the DL Hotel for snacks/lunch at Trader Sam's. Swim, take naps, relax. Go back to California Adventure in the evening to do unfinished attractions and have dinner at the Lamplight Lounge at 6pm (daughter's choice). See World of Color! if desired. Consider hopping to Disneyland, if desired, after closing (see Electric Light Parade if not already done).

Day 6 (Thursday, 8/29): Morning unscheduled (check out of DL Hotel by 11am). May visit Huntington Beach. Depart for LAX by 1:30pm to return rental car, take shuttle to terminal, and pass through security (TSA Precheck) for 4:45pm flight (4 hrs. 45 min. duration) to Buffalo. Arriving 12:34am EST (9:34pm PT). Drive home.

Sound okay?

I think Liberty Square might not be a good idea on day 2. Going to WDW and back could take a huge chunk out of your day if the wind isn’t right.

 

[mickEblu]

Ok now that I got that in please standby for real tips

 

[Weather_Lady]

I think Liberty Square might not be a good idea on day 2. Going to WDW and back could take a huge chunk out of your day if the wind isn’t right.

LOL - my bad! I meant New Orleans Square, of course. Got my wires crossed. You get the gold star for your careful reading, though!

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

One thing I would suggest is to get Fastpass for World of Color. Even if you're not sure you're going to watch it, it's good to have reservations for a viewing section so you don't have to camp out in one of the other areas like the bridge or in front of Mermaid.

 

[mickEblu]

I would say don’t get so caught up on only going to certain lands on certain days. I would definitely rope drop Peter Pan one of the mornings since it doesn’t have FP and has a 30 minute + line almost immediately after opening. That’s if you care about riding it. Are you mostly focused on DL originals since you ve been to WDW?

Outside of dining reservations and maybe prioritizing a few FPs in the morning like RSR, GOTG at DCA and Space Mountain and Indy at DL I would let the day kind of come to you. Based off crowd flow, FP return times, and your mood.

Glad to see your going to Blue Bayou. River belle is good but I think Cafe Orleans has better food and atmosphere. But then again the food is similar to Blue Bayou so you probably have the right idea there.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I would say don’t get so caught up on only going to certain lands on certain days. I would definitely rope drop Peter Pan one of the mornings since it doesn’t have FP and has a 30 minute + line almost immediately after opening. That’s if you care about riding it. Are you mostly focused on DL originals since you ve been to WDW?

We were planning on starting with Peter Pan first thing on Day 2, given the long lines. While our primary focus is on things that are unique to DL, we still hope to do just about everything in terms of attractions (rides, anyway; shows less so).

 

[mickEblu]

We were planning on starting with Peter Pan first thing on Day 2, given the long lines. While our primary focus is on things that are unique to DL, we still hope to do just about everything in terms of attractions (rides, anyway; shows less so).

And In 3 +days you should be able to do everything including repeats of some of your favorites. Especially when you re rope dropping. That’s why I think you don’t have to have things so planned out, outside of the few things I mentioned in my last post.

 

[Hatboxer]

You’re going to have an amazing time, your plan looks great! I have never had good luck rope dropping PP at DL. Both times I tried, I found it stressful...and the line was pretty immediately to 30-40min so I ended up skipping it. You’ll probably wait about that long later in the day, but at least you won’t have eaten up the glorious morning time by waiting first thing. Then again, maybe you are a more advanced rope dropper than me

Would echo what a previous poster said about not getting too caught up on which lands on which days. It’s more compact than DW and max pass might give you some opportunistic redirects (you are going to spring for maxpass, yeah? It’s very worth it), so you may find yourself deviating from it. Of course; still helpful to have a rough plan so you don’t wander about.

Glad you got the fantastic package. I have never seen the whole show because we arrived late and it was mobbed...but wow what I did see was amazing! I made a mental note to spring for the package next time

 

[mickEblu]

You’re going to have an amazing time, your plan looks great! I have never had good luck rope dropping PP at DL. Both times I tried, I found it stressful...and the line was pretty immediately to 30-40min so I ended up skipping it. You’ll probably wait about that long later in the day, but at least you won’t have eaten up the glorious morning time by waiting first thing. Then again, maybe you are a more advanced rope dropper than me

Would echo what a previous poster said about not getting too caught up on which lands on which days. It’s more compact than DW and max pass might give you some opportunistic redirects (you are going to spring for maxpass, yeah? It’s very worth it), so you may find yourself deviating from it. Of course; still helpful to have a rough plan so you don’t wander about.

Glad you got the fantastic package. I have never seen the whole show because we arrived late and it was mobbed...but wow what I did see was amazing! I made a mental note to spring for the package next time

You bring up a good point about rope dropping. If your not at the front of the Fantasyland ropes at park opening and/ or not willing to run/ walk very fast to Peter Pan you won’t be walking on. But I’d imagine you won’t be waiting more than 15-20 minutes either.

 

[Hatboxer]

You bring up a good point about rope dropping. If your not at the front of the Fantasyland ropes at park opening and/ or not willing to run/ walk very fast to Peter Pan you won’t be walking on. But I’d imagine you won’t be waiting more than 15-20 minutes either.

Yes good point, I was likely not there early enough to get the true rope drop benefit. We were in the hub ‘corral’ when it opened officially, but likely not close enough to the front. If one can get there for a 15 min wait, thats probably worth doing.

 

[mickEblu]

Yes good point, I was likely not there early enough to get the true rope drop benefit. We were in the hub ‘corral’ when it opened officially, but likely not close enough to the front. If one can get there for a 15 min wait, thats probably worth doing.

I had to learn the hard way the first time too. But you still get the major benefit regardless. Being at the park before the hoards show up two hours later.

 

[truecoat]

Sit outside at the Riverbelle Terrace. It's a great place to people/Mark Twain watch. I had a great time eating there.

A couple Saturdays ago, we ate at Cafe Orleans for dinner and a jazz combo was playing. The mind juleps, french dip and deserts along with the live jazz made for a good time.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

I noticed you didn't mention MaxPass, if it's going to be your only DLR trip for a while then I would get it. Just makes life easier and will speed things up. You're probably not in much danger of missing stuff with 3 days as long as you're focused and don't dally too much though.

I have a general rule of not waiting for any line longer than 40-45 mins posted. You should be able to follow this too, you just have to know when good times are for everything. You should definitely rope drop Peter Pan.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Thank you for the tips, everybody! They are well taken. Our plans of what to visit each day are, like the Pirate Code, more "guidelines," a general idea of where to start so we're not standing in a huddle going, "what do you wanna do? I dunno, what do you wanna do?"

For those that asked, yes, we do plan to purchase MaxPass most days -- given that it includes photos, too, it seems a particularly good value.

We are so excited for our trip. Thank you for your suggestions (might do a little tinkering with a restaurant ADR here or there, and reconsider when to visit Peter Pan), and I look forward to letting you know how it all went when we get back!

 

[truecoat]

Thank you for the tips, everybody! They are well taken. Our plans of what to visit each day are, like the Pirate Code, more "guidelines," a general idea of where to start so we're not standing in a huddle going, "what do you wanna do? I dunno, what do you wanna do?"

For those that asked, yes, we do plan to purchase MaxPass most days -- given that it includes photos, too, it seems a particularly good value.

We are so excited for our trip. Thank you for your suggestions (might do a little tinkering with a restaurant ADR here or there), and I look forward to letting you know how it all went when we get back!

My nephew wanted to meet all the Marvel superheroes last year and using maxpass paid off for that. He got all kinds of pictures loaded right to the app and some of those had special borders.

 

[Hatboxer]

One more tip on max pass: make sure to take advantage of the 90 minute window while you’re on breaks. We took a pool break one day, and I was able to line up 3 fast passes for when we returned to the park, just to get us started (got a couple more after that). Takes some getting used to versus WDW but if you keep on top of it, you won’t have to wait much at all in between rides.

 

[minnie4ever]

Have been reading along as I will be in the parks for a couple of days after my ABD Backstage Magic tour in October. I am too am a WDW Veteran so I am used to having lots of Fastpasses. I like the idea of getting photos as I will be on my own and there are so many selfies I can
take of myself. So thanks for the information.

 

[Phroobar]

Thank you for the tips, everybody! They are well taken. Our plans of what to visit each day are, like the Pirate Code, more "guidelines," a general idea of where to start so we're not standing in a huddle going, "what do you wanna do? I dunno, what do you wanna do?"

For those that asked, yes, we do plan to purchase MaxPass most days -- given that it includes photos, too, it seems a particularly good value.

We are so excited for our trip. Thank you for your suggestions (might do a little tinkering with a restaurant ADR here or there, and reconsider when to visit Peter Pan), and I look forward to letting you know how it all went when we get back!

I think it will be interesting to see how well you keep to that schedule. Personally Disneyland is better when not going commando and sticking to a schedule. Sometimes it's just nice to relax. I'd like to see the general mood of everyone from day to day. My guess is everyone is going to get really tired and crabby by the end.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I think it will be interesting to see how well you keep to that schedule. Personally Disneyland is better when not going commando and sticking to a schedule. Sometimes it's just nice to relax. I'd like to see the general mood of everyone from day to day. My guess is everyone is going to get really tired and crabby by the end.

I tried to clarify that it was just a potential plan and not a strict schedule to which we're aiming to adhere (so I can tell you now, with certainty, that we won't be keeping to it). My family does better when there's a plan at least to start with, otherwise they just stand around, hem, haw, and spin their wheels with indecision, which is far more stressful and exhausting than having an idea of where we want to go at the outset. YMMV, but if WDW at peak times hasn't made us tired and crabby, I don't think Disneyland is going to!