HELP- Planning our first trip!

[WDWOswald]

My wife and I have been to WDW four times in the past four years. We LOVE it and had the BEST time there this past April.

According to some people's opinions that I have tremendous respect for, disneyland is superior to the magic kingdom. In fact, many say that california adventure on its own is better than any single WDW park.

With this is in mind, I have decided I need to see for myself if Disneyland is really that magical.

Here's the plan. 5 nights. Arrive on Wednesday, July 17th and fly home Monday, July 22nd. We live on on long island (new york) so it's quite a trip.

Wednesday- Arrive in LAX by 2:00 pm. Get rental car. Drive to hotel (sheraton garden grove, which is less than two miles from disneyland) and check in. Have dinner at the grand californian or disneyland hotel.

Thursday- Disneyland ALL day!

Friday- California adventure ALL day!

Saturday- Explore southern california. Possibly drive to hollywood and a beach. Not what the best places to see in southern cali are if you are only spending one day.

Sunday- Check out of the sheraton. Disneyland until about 6 or 7 pm. Head to LAX and check in to the sheraton four points at the airport.

Monday- Wake up at 4:30 am to catch our 7:05 am flight back to long island.

For WDW vets- what are some can't miss disneyland attractions. Is 3 days at the parks enough? Is 5 nights a long enough trip if we are coming all the way from new york?

 

[EStop]

Sounds like a fun trip! Three days n the park should be fine if you get there at opening the first two days, make sure to get a fast pass for a couple of the bigger rides (especially RSR) when you get into the park. Then you can go to anything you may have missed on that Sunday.

As for beaches, Huntington Beach is hosting the US Open of Surfing and it starts that Saturday. It's quite the spectacle and worth checking out. HB is only about 15-20 minutes away from Disneyland.

Hope you have fun!

 

[ArchOwl]

Welcome to the Disneyland boards! Some folks with more experience will be along shortly to discuss the finer points of WDW vets doing DL. There is actually a superthread about this subject, which I can't link to on my phone, but I am pretty sure it is stickied at the top. That would be an excellent place to start.

Looking at your plans a few things jump out at me. You will be visiting during high season, which has its pros and cons. I am assuming you know it is a busy time and will plan accordingly.

I also see that you are assigning days to specific parks and one of the benefits to DL is how close the parks are to each other. Lots of visitors park hop to get the most oh of their visit and I would encourage you to at least entertain the idea.

Another thing that jumped out at me is the time you have set aside. Not even three whole days if I understand your itinerary correctly. Even though there are only two parks, they are jam packed with attractions. Our two parks give WDW a run for its money in number of attractions. I think you are seriously underestimating how many days it takes to see the parks. You are also only giving yourself two nights to do all the nighttime entertainment in both parks. If World of Color, fireworks, and Fantasmic are all priorities, you are going to be pretty busy!

I am guessing you won't be coming out this way very often. Why not do DL at least 3 whole days? Is there anyway you can leave later your last day and make that your beach day?

I hope you have a great trip and fall in love with Disneyland. I don't know about California Adventure being better than the MK at WDW, but it is pretty cool after its re-do.

 

[interstate70s]

I would consider more days at Disneyland. DL has more attractions than MK, and DCA has more attractions than Epcot. So if you are the type that typically does 2 days at MK and/or 2 days at Epcot, I would think you would want more than a day for each park here, especially if you are planning on the shows or parades. If your time is limited, you can see alot in 2 1/2 days, but I think some of the little details that make Disneyland special will be lost on a rushed visit But hey, 2 days in disney is better then none!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

We will be in DL/DCA next week, and are also flying in from the East Coast (Ga). We will be spending 5 full days in the parks, because I don't want to feel rushed. I have been to WDW over 25 times, this will be my third visit to DL/DCA, but the first visit for my DH and 2 DD's so I wanted to allow plenty of time to take it all in without feeling like we needed to run from place to place.

DL is VERY different from WDW, especially when it comes to the viewing of their nighttime shows. Guests start "staking out" their spots for fireworks and Fantasmic HOURS before show time, so that can eat up a lot of park time if those are things you want to see.

I would also get a Park Hopper ticket. Unlike the parks at WDW, you can literally stand at the entrance of DL and see the entrance to DCA, they're that close! It makes park hopping really easy, and you only have to go through security once, which is nice.

 

[lk2500]

Since you are flying in from the East coast I would definitely invest in 5 day park hoppers. You could always do a beach or something else in the morning and then DL/CA in the evening/night. It's nice to have the option.

As others mentioned I would definitely park hop.

I have seen mentioned that with AP's blocked out that sometimes Saturday is less busy than Friday or Sunday. I was there on a Saturday in late June last year and the crowd level was pretty low. Don't discount going to the parks on a Saturday.

I'm a theme park nut so I always suggest trying to hit up Knott's and SFMM while you are there. Much funner than a beach in my book. We usually make it a long day and do Knott's/SFMM at opening, rest for a few hours, then do CA/DL in the evening/night.

You could even open up Knott's on Sunday, stay for several hours (invest in fast lane passes if it's busy) and make your flight.

Have fun!

 

[WDWOswald]

We will be in DL/DCA next week, and are also flying in from the East Coast (Ga). We will be spending 5 full days in the parks, because I don't want to feel rushed. I have been to WDW over 25 times, this will be my third visit to DL/DCA, but the first visit for my DH and 2 DD's so I wanted to allow plenty of time to take it all in without feeling like we needed to run from place to place.

DL is VERY different from WDW, especially when it comes to the viewing of their nighttime shows. Guests start "staking out" their spots for fireworks and Fantasmic HOURS before show time, so that can eat up a lot of park time if those are things you want to see.

I would also get a Park Hopper ticket. Unlike the parks at WDW, you can literally stand at the entrance of DL and see the entrance to DCA, they're that close! It makes park hopping really easy, and you only have to go through security once, which is nice.

What were your feelings upon your first visit to disneyland vs disney world? Disappointed? Pleasantly surprised?

 

[GrandBob]

Here's the superthread that ArchOwl referenced:

A DLR Guide for WDW Vets, by Hydroguy. Truly a must-read for any WDW vet going to DLR.

For the record, ever since CarsLand was built, DLR's 2 parks now have more rides than WDW's 4 parks in total. So ask yourself if you'd be satisfied with 3 days in WDW...

-Bob