Canadian looking at DL vacation ~ never been ~ don't know where to start! YIKES!

[SandraC]

Hi all! We've been to WDW 6 times, and I'm looking into a DL vacation but don't know where to start!

I have the DL vacation planning video ~ glanced at a view web sites, but that's it.

What's it like compared to WDW? Smaller I gather. Disney pixie dust still all ove the place? THANKS S

 

[MarkRG]

Looking at your countdown timers, I feel much better about our advance planning now

Ok, being my first trip to DL wasn't that long ago, after many years at WDW, I can probably give you some good answers.

Smaller than WDW but a lot bigger than the MK alone. It has a totally different, possibly more, um, classical atmosphere, although that doesn't even begin to explain it. It definitely is Walt's park, first and foremost. More than enough pixie dust to go around! And barring what a lot of the locals will say, I found California Adventure a really fun park. It is a great deal more than its title suggests, and worth a day's time at least, if not more.

You said you don't know where to begin? Look at Dreams Unlimited for planning as far as where you want to stay, if you want to stay on property. I couldn't help you if you want to stay off, but, I would say the convenience of being able to walk to everything is worth staying on property for me. (we've been there twice now, at Paradise Pier and Grand Californian)Disneyland has their own version of the park hopper, which is good for the time you'll be there.

Go ahead and throw some questions out!

 

[SandraC]

Thanks Mark! I am 95% sure we would stay on site. We've stayed on site at WDW twice, I a love it! Walking to the parks is definately an asset! So DL is bigger than MK ~ WOW! that's good to know! Have you done character meals? Where to you fly to? How far is the airport to DL? Thanks! S

 

[DisneyOhio]

Mark: Which is better, Paradise Pier Hotel or Grand Californian. You will be th ebst to answer because you are a DVC member, so am I. I want larger rooms but I also want to be close to the parks. Which would be a better use of points? I think we're going in 2005 for the 50th. First time and very confused on hotels. I already studied up on the parks but they don't give enough info on the hotels. Thanks in advance for your help.


EVAN

 

[stings]

Good afternoon,

Disneyland the park is smaller than the Magic Kingdom at WDW. There are not as many "vistas" in the park due to its smaller size. That being said, DL seems a little more magical than the MK because everything is so compact and the lands flow into each other in a quite different way.

The MK and DL are very similar in most respects. The layout of the lands is much the same, so if you can navigate the MK you can navigate DL without any problem.

California Adventure is a great day trip, and is easily accessed as it is a two minute walk from the DL front gate. There are three, in my opinion, "Disney" rides in the park; Grizzly Rapids, California Screamin', and most of all Soarin' over California. Soarin' is a must see.

The three "onsite" hotels are all great. The Disneyland Hotel is quite nice and it carries a lot of history as well. The Paradise Pier Hotel is nicely done although it is the least themed of the three. The standout onsite hotel is the Grand Californian. The best description I can give you is that it is a cross between the Grand Floridian and the Wilderness Lodge resorts at WDW. The GC is my choice as the place to stay. It is of course the newest, and most expensive, of the three onsite hotels as well. In addition the GC has direct entry into California Adventure. All these hotels are five (the Grand Californian) to ten (Paradise Pier Hotel) minute walks from the front door of DL.

And lastly Downtown Disney sits between the two parks and is a very nice evening stroll/shop/dine experience located on your walk back to any of the hotels.

I hope this helps. My family has lived within thirty minutes of DL all our lives (forty-five years) and we haunt the place often. I am sure you will a great time when you come.

 

[MarkRG]

For Airports, Orange County/John Wayne Airport is the airport of choice. It's less than 30 mins away and very easy to get to/from, and is a LOT quieter than bigger airports like O'Hare(I've never flown to LAX, but suspect it's comparable to O'Hare)

We normally have at least one character breakfast each trip at the hotels. Paradise Pier has 'Breakfast With Minnie and Friends', Disneyland Hotel has Goofy's Kitchen with, of course Chef Goofy, and Grand Californian has it with Chip and Dale, and it is usually the least crowded of the three. Characters are very accessible at all three. Food is either by order, or buffet style(don't remember which/where, we usually got the buffet), and is very good at all three, with some unusual offerings at Goofy's.

(Mark goes digging thru the Mickey border wallpapered popcorn tin where he stores all the booklets! )

Ok, let's start with a scanned map:

Now, if you look at the map, A lot of it comes down to geography. Paradise Pier is the furthest away, as you have to walk up to that orange road to go across to the parks. The Monorail stop is not shown, but right next to that aztec pyramid under the green leaves, which is a Rainforest Cafe. The main entrances are on the right, facing each other, but the Grand Cali has one of its own to California Adventure that drops in right behind Grizzly Peak there.

As for my personal preference between PP and GC, I would go for Grand Californian, just for the location, and, imagine the Wilderness Lodge, but with Frank Lloyd Wright theming instead. Lots of geometric glass and such. It is, being the newest, the best decorated of the three. Room space is about the same at all three resorts, with the one exception being a double sink in the GC rooms. Now, the only big point for the Disneyland Hotel is it has the most kids themed pool, but the GC has one if it's own that was never really crowded when we were there.

The bulk of the good restaurants that are part of Downtown Disney are to the left of the sign saying Downtown Disney, with a few being on the other side of that purple road there.

Ok, more questions? Or do I go into the parks?

 

[c&m]

Hi Sandra: We enjoy eating at Goofy's Kitchen with our 2 DDs and Blue Bayou, which is the restaurant in the Pirates of the Caribbean. The Blue Bayou has great ambience--not to be missed!!!

 

[Rodrigo]

There is a great web site and a board with a lot of info about Disneyland:

www.mouseplanet.com