Hello all,
My family and I are looking into a trip to Disneyland (our very first!) for next summer. We usually go to WDW in August, but want to try a new Disney experience. How are crowd levels the beginning of August? I know the humidity is no where close to what it is in WDW, but how hot is it during this time? A few other questions:
1. How many days do you REALLY need to see all of Disneyland? We usually go to WDW for 8 days, but I'm not sure how many DL needs?
2. Any restaurant recommendations?
3. Out of the 3 hotels, my mom and I both agree we want to stay at the original Disneyland Hotel, and reviews on that?
Thank you everyone in advance for your help!!!!
Definitely check out Hydroguy's thread. But as a WDW vet myself, I know I loved reading any immediate experiences as we prepped for our 1st DL trip this past summer
Let me just say we had the absolute best Disney trip in years! I went in w/ lower expectations based on "how much smaller" DL is, and how the castle is "kind of a let down" but honestly, I was nearly overwhelmed with how much there is to do. The castle is smaller, yes; it's not the centering point of MK in DL. You look up for it and you end up seeing the Matterhorn. But SB's castle is just as enchanting with an adorable walk through. So knowing this in advance helps, imo. As for the smaller size of DL, I gotta say, it felt pretty big to us. Maybe because it was our 1st trip, but there is no empty space, so you literally walk from ride to show to experience to snack to ride and that fills your time in ways that WDW has not done for us in recent years. I felt we experienced more in DL's 2 parks than we have in WDW's 4. And the added benefit of just park hopping from DL to DCA in minutes cannot be overstated.
How many days? Well we stayed four and I am glad I pushed for the four (we had other plans in San Diego & Hollywood but I wanted the extra time in DL). As a first trip, plus the summer crowds, plus it was DL's 60th anniversary, I knew the heat & crowds would be high. So I wanted to maximize mornings, relax at midday, then have a leisurely night back at parks--without feeling rushed. And I also knew the fireworks, parades, and shows would be tough to get great spots for, so I wanted time to schedule those in. We could have spent another couple days, easily, as we didn't fit in a handful of things we wanted. Three days would be a minimum if your traveling from a distance. It's great to break up the trip with other destinations.
Restaurants. A huge relief in DL is we didn't need to make ADRs (we did for Carthay Circle in order to use the World of Color dinner package). But we walked in everywhere we wanted with little to no wait or made same day res. I read that was the case but honestly wasn't sure until we experienced it lol. And we were there during a busy time! AND I don't think we ever saw a completely full restaurant. quite different than WDW. I would say if you know you HAVE to have a particular meal, make the ADR. And in cases like Blue Bayou (kind of THE high end eatery), you definitely should. But generally it was a no stresser. We loved: French Market, Orleans Cafe, Carthay Circle, The Plaza Inn Breakfast with Minnie & Friends (character interaction was more varied & fun than we've ever had), Jolly Holiday for best treats and quick meals, Carnation Cafe (that's all I remember off-hand, all of which are in DL. IN DCA we grabbed more quick snacks). Plenty to eat in Downtown Disney (again much smaller than WDW but totally charming with lots of choices of eats and shops--we even watched the fireworks a couple times from there). My kids loved the French Toast beignets from the quickie Jazz Kitchen.
Hotels. We stayed at DLH. I figured the Californian, despite its decor more to my style (and reminds one of Wilderness Lodge in WDW--AND having direct entry into DCA, is so similar to Wilderness Lodge why not try the classic DLH? The room was amazing, but we did have a pretty large room, balcony facing fireworks. Loved the castle light up bed--my daughter was so excited! And I loved the short easy walk from room to the parks via Downtown Disney (grab a coffee!). I also love that the kids knew the lay of the land pretty fast and could run back and forth to the hotel if they had to (we didn't do this but nice feeling if they needed to). All the hotels have a proximity to the parks that is hard to imagine until you see it. It's fantastic. That all said, I feel the hotels are lacking in that *something* you get at WDW. Just a feel. The pools were 'less' as well. Fun monorail slide at DLH though! But they just do resorts right at WDW. There are always trade-offs. It wasn't something that makes or breaks a trip (for us). But we definitely felt that missing 'something'. I do feel on-site was valuable during our stay to get the extra hour, especially at DCA. Carsland alone is nearly worth the trip across country lol. And that is the ride that will run out of Fast Passes early so even you don't get on the ride early, you want to snag a FP for later. So we spent a lot of time in Radiator Springs
