I would start by taking a look at
HydroGuy's DLR Guide for WDW Vets. That should really help you get a sense of the similarities and differences between the two resorts.
How is late April crowd-wise?
Easter is in late March in 2016, so you should miss most/all of the Spring Break season crowds at DLR. So, the crowds will probably be fairly manageable at that point. It's worth noting that because it's not considered "peak" season, fireworks and F! will probably only be presented on weekends (Fri to Sun) at that point. WoC will likely be nightly. We do not yet know what the non-peak season schedule for Paint the Night will be (the new parade).
What would be the appropriate number of days? We have been to WDW many, many times. I'm thinking three days in the parks?
It depends on whether you want to get a sense of the parks, try to do everything, etc. For a cursory overview of the parks, I think three days is good. If you really want to explore the parks, I think you need five days.
We're looking for a non-Disney hotel within walking distance. I'd like to keep it in the $150-175/night area. We'd like some sort of included breakfast or a mini kitchen but don't care about the pool.
Most of the accommodations within walking distance of DLR are motels, not hotels. There are several hotels down near the convention center. Of the motels near DLR, I like the BWPPI because of proximity. It's a pretty standard motel, but it's location cannot be beat.
Best airport using Southwest?
I would avoid LAX if at all possible just because that airport is always undergoing major construction! SNA is closet to DLR, so I would probably look into that one.
Do we need a car? I'm not sure we'll want to eat with Mickey for every meal.
If you're going to dine off-site, I would consider a car. There is
GardenWalk within walking distance of DLR.
World of Color Dining Package-do y'all recommend this?
If you want to see WoC and not deal with getting a FP, then sure. You will still need to get to the viewing area early if you really want to see the show.
Any tips or advice deeply appreciated!
Some other random thoughts (in no particular order):
- Proximity: The two parks are very close to each other (about 110 yards apart), so park hopping is very easy. Think of DL as being Epcot's FW, DCA as Epcot's WS, and DTD as being just outside International Gateway. The distance between the two parks is less than then length of Main Street.
- Fastpass: DLR still uses the "legacy" FP system, but they do enforce wait times. The two parks are "disconnected" from each other (meaning you can get a FP in one park and then immediately go get a FP in the other park). You only have to use the ticket in one park to be able to get FPs in both parks (so you can send a runner to get FPs in the other park if you want). You can find more information on the Fastpass Encyclopedia thread.
- Dining: Disneyland Dining reservations open 60-days in advance. Unlike WDW, it's not nearly as crazy/hard to get ADRs. You can often still score prime ADRs with only a week or so to go. I still recommend making ADRs if you know you want to eat somewhere, but you don't have to be online/phone right when the system rolls to a new day. For photos of the food, check out the Disneyland Dining thread.
- Payment Methods: Balloon sellers and coin press machines only take cash. Most of the third-party locations in DTD do not accept Disney Gift Cards (different from WDW's DTD).
- Tickets Verification: DLR does not use a "biometric" scan system to avoid ticket fraud. They will take your photo when you enter the park for the first time and that photo will pop up every time you use the ticket.
- Photopass: DLR has Photopass, which you can pre-purchase at a considerable savings. Like WDW, they have Magic Shots, ride photos, etc. Check out the Photopass SuperThread for more information.
- Misc: DLR does not use FP+ or MagicBands at this point. They are rumored to be coming at some point, but no date has been announced.