Disneyland...OMG!!!!!!!!!!

[jordan13402]

Thanks! We did get hoppers, so very glad to hear you'd recommend it. Our kids are still little-- 5 and 2 (though youngest turns 3 during the trip)-- and we're still solidly in the mode of nap breaks etc. So, totally looking forward to staying at Grand Cal and popping into whichever park seems to be the thing to do after naps. We know which WDW equivalent rides will resonate with the kids, and I'm curious to see which of the unique-to-CA rides strike a chord. We grabbed Genie+ too, just for the added flexibility.

oh man are you going to LOVE the Grand Cali and it being attached to DCA....super convenient

 

[miksicnarf]

BTW, is MIckey's Runaway the same at DL and WDW?

The ride is the same but the queue at DL is much better.

We're DL locals, Magic Key holders there, DVC owners for 26 years and I'm an AP holder at WDW. Many many years of frequent visits to both, in my case solo, with friends and with large extended family of all ages. My opinions:
DL is usually a day visit unless we can get in at the Grand Californian. That may be the very top tier of Disney experiences, literally living IN the park. WDW is at least a week, often 10 days. Needless to say I love both.
I think CMs are nicer at WDW and guests are nicer at DL (of course there are exceptions). The rides that are duplicated are better at DL. Several of my favorite rides are at WDW--FoP, GotG--but I can't discount the oldies at DL--Alice, Mr. Toad, etc. WDW lacks ToonTown, Cars Land and a great sleeper, Redwood Creek. DCA has gotten onboard with festivals although they are of course on a much smaller scale than Epcot's. WDW has the advantage of seemingly endless space, and once inside the bubble it's all good. It's much harder to stay "bubbled" at DL, which is why I feel the GC is so magical. Even the DL Hotel and Paradise Pier feel "outside."
All Disney food is subpar, with the exception of the Mickey ice cream bar . QS is just fuel to keep going, and TS are experiences in atmosphere, not cuisine.
I'll be back at DL in a week, and WDW in 2 months--can't wait for both!

 

[DLgal]

How was the motion sickness factor? I keep reading that it’s a vomit comet.

Okay, so this was really worrying me. I can't bend down and touch my toes without getting dizzy. My inner ear is super sensitive to changes in head position and being turned upside down or sideways, in particular. So, I was nervous about this aspect.

I had NO issues at all. The motion of the coaster is so smooth and the way the cars rotate, your head positioning doesn't change. You are looking forward the whole time. Sometimes you are going backwards, sometimes forwards, sometimes sideways, but the visuals are always directly in front of you. And the changes in car positioning are very smooth and gradual. You barely notice it's happening.

Now, I could see getting into trouble if you start looking around to the left and right as you ride. THAT could trigger some motion sickness. But you aren't supposed to do that on this ride. Just look straight ahead and you'll see everything you should see and should have no problems.

The first time we sat in the middle and the second time in the very back. I didn't notice a difference in the ride experience. Although it is important to note that the back car at loading becomes the front car after the launch. So, I'd maybe avoid sitting in the front car on your first ride. If you do it, ask for a middle car.

 

[Disney Ron]

You lost me at this. I have several adjectives for CA, but gem isn't one of them.

I'm kidding. Glad you had a great time. They're definitely different, but yet familiar experiences. You can't go wrong with Grand Cal. It's like if Wilderness Lodge was across the street from the Magic Kingdom.

Last time we went, we had a great meal at Blue Bayou. Sad to see hear the quality has decreased.



I feel the same way. I also hate being trapped in the FOP ride vehicle too.

The food was fine that wasn't what bothered us, but the menu is limited and very over priced in our opinion, but our meals were fine.

So I guess you are not a fan of DCA, but we loved it. We were all very happily surprised about it.

 

[AustinTink]

Okay, so this was really worrying me. I can't bend down and touch my toes without getting dizzy. My inner ear is super sensitive to changes in head position and being turned upside down or sideways, in particular. So, I was nervous about this aspect.

I had NO issues at all. The motion of the coaster is so smooth and the way the cars rotate, your head positioning doesn't change. You are looking forward the whole time. Sometimes you are going backwards, sometimes forwards, sometimes sideways, but the visuals are always directly in front of you. And the changes in car positioning are very smooth and gradual. You barely notice it's happening.

Now, I could see getting into trouble if you start looking around to the left and right as you ride. THAT could trigger some motion sickness. But you aren't supposed to do that on this ride. Just look straight ahead and you'll see everything you should see and should have no problems.

The first time we sat in the middle and the second time in the very back. I didn't notice a difference in the ride experience. Although it is important to note that the back car at loading becomes the front car after the launch. So, I'd maybe avoid sitting in the front car on your first ride. If you do it, ask for a middle car.

Good info, thanks. My kid loves all the thrill rides but he has had issues with motion sickness for the last few years.

 

[DLgal]

Good info, thanks. My kid loves all the thrill rides but he has had issues with motion sickness for the last few years.

I'd throw on a motion sickness band or take some dramamine and at least try it once. It is too good a ride to miss.

 

[jordan13402]

The ride is the same but the queue at DL is much better.

We're DL locals, Magic Key holders there, DVC owners for 26 years and I'm an AP holder at WDW. Many many years of frequent visits to both, in my case solo, with friends and with large extended family of all ages. My opinions:
DL is usually a day visit unless we can get in at the Grand Californian. That may be the very top tier of Disney experiences, literally living IN the park. WDW is at least a week, often 10 days. Needless to say I love both.
I think CMs are nicer at WDW and guests are nicer at DL (of course there are exceptions). The rides that are duplicated are better at DL. Several of my favorite rides are at WDW--FoP, GotG--but I can't discount the oldies at DL--Alice, Mr. Toad, etc. WDW lacks ToonTown, Cars Land and a great sleeper, Redwood Creek. DCA has gotten onboard with festivals although they are of course on a much smaller scale than Epcot's. WDW has the advantage of seemingly endless space, and once inside the bubble it's all good. It's much harder to stay "bubbled" at DL, which is why I feel the GC is so magical. Even the DL Hotel and Paradise Pier feel "outside."
All Disney food is subpar, with the exception of the Mickey ice cream bar . QS is just fuel to keep going, and TS are experiences in atmosphere, not cuisine.
I'll be back at DL in a week, and WDW in 2 months--can't wait for both!

technically theres an extra scene at the DLR MMRR that doesnt exist in FL

 

[DLgal]

technically theres an extra scene at the DLR MMRR that doesnt exist in FL

I was going to say this. The beginning is also a bit different when they hit the track switch.

 

[jordan13402]

I was going to say this. The beginning is also a bit different when they hit the track switch.

partly whyI'm excited to ride MMRR next month as we rode in WDW two years ago. sounds like the queue and the ride is over all better

 

[DLgal]

partly whyI'm excited to ride MMRR next month as we rode in WDW two years ago. sounds like the queue and the ride is over all better

The queue is AMAZING. Like, it is it's own attraction.

 

[GoofyGoofyGoofy]

You will have a wonderful time at GCH but DLH has its own very different charm. I tend to choose GCH for the location, decor/style, and because I usually no longer go with kids. But there are many who will always prefer DLH for its mid-century modern vibe, history, whimsy, etc. I would go there more often if they'd bring back a decent dining restaurant. I haven't forgiven them for closing Steakhouse 55!

And bring back tea time! I miss doing tea time with my daughters.

 

[GoofyGoofyGoofy]

Thanks! We did get hoppers, so very glad to hear you'd recommend it. Our kids are still little-- 5 and 2 (though youngest turns 3 during the trip)-- and we're still solidly in the mode of nap breaks etc. So, totally looking forward to staying at Grand Cal and popping into whichever park seems to be the thing to do after naps. We know which WDW equivalent rides will resonate with the kids, and I'm curious to see which of the unique-to-CA rides strike a chord. We grabbed Genie+ too, just for the added flexibility.

Park hoppers are great! Like others have said, the parks are close to each other, you can pop back and forth to each one. We have stayed at all three hotels, and I prefer GCH. Nothing beats getting off Grizzly Rapids soaking wet, and being steps away from your room! Wishing you a wonderful trip.

 

[Shaft41]

I have really enjoyed reading the original post and all the responses. We just got back from our first DL trip after many WDW vacations. (I've been to WDW around 20 times, and my kids have gone 6-7 times and they're in their late teens). We very much enjoyed ourselves but I'm having a hard time processing whether I can say I like DL better than anything at WDW. In our experience, I would not agree with cast members being more friendly in California; we commented that many of them we experienced were not necessarily rude, but just boredly going about their business with not a lot of joy. Our favorite by far was Drew, our waiter at Cafe Orleans. We had a great chat with him during our lunch there and even stopped back by two days later just to chat with him even though we weren't eating there again. As far as the guests being nicer in DL, I guess I can see that in retrospect, although it didn't necessarily stand out to me at the time.

I felt there was way more "line jumping" at DL, with people moving past you in line to theoretically join their party up ahead. This seems to be more frowned upon at WDW.

We spent two days in Disneyland park and went open to close both days. Ironically, I suppose when you tack on the walk from the hotel, we ended up walking more those days that a typical day in WDW. We walked over 11 miles our last day. It was fun riding the old Fantasyland rides that I grew up riding at WDW, and really enjoyed being old enough to not pee myself in fright at the evil witch on Snow White. I LOVE Indiana Jones, but I didn't necessarily think the ride was superior to Dinosaur except for riding to the iconic music. Pirates was definitely better, BTMR was better with the effects, and, even though my kids are older, we loved the atmosphere of Mickey's Toontown and agree the queue for MMRR is vastly superior at DL.

We all ranked DCA in 6th place of the U.S. parks. Now, that is based on one day there, and I can't say we had a great experience there. It was probably a rookie mistake, but we went straight to RSR at open, only to find it not running. We waited a bit to see if it would open, but by the time we headed out, with other rides being down as well, by the time we go to Soarin', it was over 40 minutes. We went back to RSR afterwards, as that was our top priority, as the line was posted at 45. It ended up being twice that, since the ride went down again while we were in line for awhile. By now, it was basically lunchtime, and after lunch, we decided to try GRR. We got about 20 yards from the loaded area when the ride stopped. After waiting about 15 minutes, they told us it was down and we had to leave. So, we decided to try Webslingers, which again was listed at 45 but ended up being 80. So now it's 2 pm and we've done exactly 3 rides. We headed over to Monsters Inc, and it closed as we were walking up to the queue. Needless to say, we were frustrated at this point. Now, the day got better. We loved Incredicoaster. We ended up getting to go in the G+ line later for Monsters, even though we didn't have G+ due to a very kind cast member. We tried GRR again later, and it closed down when we were in line again, but they gave us a MEP so my kids got to ride Incredicoaster again. Our older two loved GOTGMB. We ended the day nearly dying on GSS and watching World of Color.

I would definitely visit again. We live in Illinois, so we sometimes drive to Florida, but we wouldn't to California. I think it's hard to objectively compare a place you visit once to someplace you've grown up loving for many, many times. But I've very thankful we got the opportunity to visit.

 

[pks_domer]

oh man are you going to LOVE the Grand Cali and it being attached to DCA....super convenient

Looking forward to it. Saw on the previous page you stayed at Poly at DW... that's probably our favorite so far, to the degree that we always look there first now. Very short walk from villa to TTC to clear security for monorail MK/Epcot plus Dole Whips plus fireworks from the beach every night. Kids are spoiled. I loved staying at Bay Lake Tower to just walk into MK, but my wife thinks there's not enough theming there.

 

[BrianL]

I have really enjoyed reading the original post and all the responses. We just got back from our first DL trip after many WDW vacations. (I've been to WDW around 20 times, and my kids have gone 6-7 times and they're in their late teens). We very much enjoyed ourselves but I'm having a hard time processing whether I can say I like DL better than anything at WDW. In our experience, I would not agree with cast members being more friendly in California; we commented that many of them we experienced were not necessarily rude, but just boredly going about their business with not a lot of joy. Our favorite by far was Drew, our waiter at Cafe Orleans. We had a great chat with him during our lunch there and even stopped back by two days later just to chat with him even though we weren't eating there again. As far as the guests being nicer in DL, I guess I can see that in retrospect, although it didn't necessarily stand out to me at the time.

I felt there was way more "line jumping" at DL, with people moving past you in line to theoretically join their party up ahead. This seems to be more frowned upon at WDW.

We spent two days in Disneyland park and went open to close both days. Ironically, I suppose when you tack on the walk from the hotel, we ended up walking more those days that a typical day in WDW. We walked over 11 miles our last day. It was fun riding the old Fantasyland rides that I grew up riding at WDW, and really enjoyed being old enough to not pee myself in fright at the evil witch on Snow White. I LOVE Indiana Jones, but I didn't necessarily think the ride was superior to Dinosaur except for riding to the iconic music. Pirates was definitely better, BTMR was better with the effects, and, even though my kids are older, we loved the atmosphere of Mickey's Toontown and agree the queue for MMRR is vastly superior at DL.

We all ranked DCA in 6th place of the U.S. parks. Now, that is based on one day there, and I can't say we had a great experience there. It was probably a rookie mistake, but we went straight to RSR at open, only to find it not running. We waited a bit to see if it would open, but by the time we headed out, with other rides being down as well, by the time we go to Soarin', it was over 40 minutes. We went back to RSR afterwards, as that was our top priority, as the line was posted at 45. It ended up being twice that, since the ride went down again while we were in line for awhile. By now, it was basically lunchtime, and after lunch, we decided to try GRR. We got about 20 yards from the loaded area when the ride stopped. After waiting about 15 minutes, they told us it was down and we had to leave. So, we decided to try Webslingers, which again was listed at 45 but ended up being 80. So now it's 2 pm and we've done exactly 3 rides. We headed over to Monsters Inc, and it closed as we were walking up to the queue. Needless to say, we were frustrated at this point. Now, the day got better. We loved Incredicoaster. We ended up getting to go in the G+ line later for Monsters, even though we didn't have G+ due to a very kind cast member. We tried GRR again later, and it closed down when we were in line again, but they gave us a MEP so my kids got to ride Incredicoaster again. Our older two loved GOTGMB. We ended the day nearly dying on GSS and watching World of Color.

I would definitely visit again. We live in Illinois, so we sometimes drive to Florida, but we wouldn't to California. I think it's hard to objectively compare a place you visit once to someplace you've grown up loving for many, many times. But I've very thankful we got the opportunity to visit.

I pretty much agree with your assessment on the CM's. To me, at DL, they are a little more like employees, whereas at WDW they are more over-the-top with the "happy" if that makes any sense. It's also weird to see a CM in full costyme, walking down Harbor Blvd. and getting on a bus. It's not something you see at WDW as they hide the backstage better.

I think your assessment is pretty fair, though it's a same that you had a rough go at CA, as it can be a really great park. I kind of agree that it's probably whe worst of the six domestic parks, but that's kinda like ranking Star Wars movies - I still like them all!

 

[OKW Lover]

I pretty much agree with your assessment on the CM's. To me, at DL, they are a little more like employees, whereas at WDW they are more over-the-top with the "happy" if that makes any sense. It's also weird to see a CM in full costime, waliking down Harbor Blvd. and getting on a bus. It's not something you see at WDW as they hide the backstage better.

Interesting perspective. I live very close to WDW and I see it as almost entirely opposite. Not trying to start an argument here though. I see CM's in our local Publix (supermarket) in costume all the time. I also feel that too many of the WDW CM's are either College Program or just transient and don't really feel committed to the Disney culture. The ones I've encountered in California have seemed to better present the Disney experience. Again, just my opinion

 

[BrianL]

Interesting perspective. I live very close to WDW and I see it as almost entirely opposite. Not trying to start an argument here though. I see CM's in our local Publix (supermarket) in costume all the time. I also feel that too many of the WDW CM's are either College Program or just transient and don't really feel committed to the Disney culture. The ones I've encountered in California have seemed to better present the Disney experience. Again, just my opinion

Well, I never go in the grocery stores in Orlando. I know they used to not let CMs wear costume off-the-clock, but that may have changed. Honestly, I find those College Program kids to be the most pleasant of all. I know they often just end up becoming "lifers" and seem very into the whole thing. I always feel like people at DLR are just doing their job. I have heard conversations between them that should not be held in earshot of guests. That said, it's all anecdotal. Generally, CMs at both parks are generally excellent and provide great service!

 

[NorCalFanatic]

I would gladly give up those two rides coming to DL if we could have the Rocket Rods back.

Rocket Rods? I just want the people mover back!! Lifetime west coaster and never been to WDW but I almost want to go just to ride the people mover one more time. I loved that ride as a kid at DLR.

While waiting for the Monorail in tomorrow land I overheard a group of teens trying to figure out where to find that ride that used those “other tracks”.

Later talking to some of the older CM working the Monorail about people mover, they told me something was going on with it, but it would likely never return in its entirety if they did bring it back as so much of the old track is in disarray.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

It's also weird to see a CM in full costime, waliking down Harbor Blvd. and getting on a bus. It's not something you see at WDW as they hide the backstage better.

I see CM's in our local Publix (supermarket) in costume all the time.

When I was in college my best friend used to work for Disneyland. Back then, costumes were kept at the park and she changed their backstage, so you never saw CMs waking around in costume outside the parks. I don’t remember when it switched and the cast members began keeping their costume at their home.

 

[BrianL]

When I was in collage my best friend used to work for Disneyland. Back then, costumes were kept at the park and she changed their backstage, so you never saw CMs waking around in costume outside the parks. I don’t remember when it switched and the cast members began keeping their costume at their home.

I guess I thought that they still did that at WDW, but I also am never really outside the bubble in Orlando so I wouldn't see them.