HELP-WDW pro to DL in 2 weeks...1ST TIME EVER!

[lisa-upnorth]

So-I have been reading up and looking at the map! We have NEVER left the east coast-but now after dozens of trips to WDW we will finally be going to DL!!!!
We will be on our 'bucket list' tour to the west by train! Trip is 23 days and 18 states. We will arrive at Fairfield Inn around 6pm July 11th and head to parks on July 12th only.July 13th we have until about 5pm to enjoy downtown area.
Head to park-to be at gate for 7:40AM! PLease evaluate my plan and give imput teach me oh wise ones!

PLAN-

• enter park and head up to railroad station to try to ride Lilly Belle car on train! Recent poster said train ran once or twice a day,for 14 people each time.Times were 11:45 and 1:45 I believe.We are huge trains fans and this would be great!You have to get name on a list to ride later
  
• Head to Space Mtn-little one is 10 and this will be her 1st time riding.She was all set to ride last year in WDW and ride went down
• head back to Main St and continue to Adventureland.
• get FP for Jungle and Indy
• go and ride Haunted and Pirates
• then head to fantasyland! ***how should we walk that??
• try to ride Peter Pan,Mr Toad,Snow,Alice(not teacup-barf!) AND Small World!!
• probably time to go back to space mtn for FP now??? if not try for Dumbo
• after 1st FP is used try to get one for Nemo subs or Autopia-which one??
• THEN BE LAZY AND ENJOY FOR AWHILE-walk thru castle,take a million pics,take it all in!
• ride monorail roundtrip!!
  
• get lunch at a counter service (we always have dining plan and eat a ton at WDW but this trip we want an open eating plan) best counter food??? we plan to graze all day
• probably will get times to ride Jungle and Indy FP by now.
• ride People Mover
• leave park from 2-5 to swim and be lazy slugs!
• return around 5:30 ***what to hit now???
• Find parade/firework spot around 7:30pm...want to see some of Main St projections and castle so maybe near entrance to the wheel hub from Main ***other ideas??
• we LOVE the castle show and fireworks at WDW and are ready to be dazzled!!PLan to be in our spot until fireworks end
• We will stay in park until closing at midnight so now we are open to look for characters and rides we missed.
• we plan to skip the WDW rides we have been on many times like Splash and Big Thunder-unless line is about 20min then we might hop on BUT really want to use time to enjoy DL only things.
• is the Fantasmic that different? worth catching the later show???

THANK YOU for any insight you can offer
***************oh, did I mention it will be my 45th birthday and I will NEED to find a pin for that! and for our 1st visit!

 

[RKKUNK]

Jungle Cruise doesn't have a FP at DL. You could get your FP for Indy and then ride Jungle Cruise and if the line isn't long I would do Pirates because you will be right there next to it. Also, they were using FP for Haunted Mansoin a while back (in May) but I am not sure if they are still using it. We don't usually do any FL rides, but if you want to do that , most people here recommend that you do those first thing because the lines there get long quickly. Nemo subs also doesn't have a FP so I guess you could one for Autopia. There is no People Mover at DL.

CS we like at DL: Plaza Inn for Fried Chicken, Harbor Galley for Baked Potatoes, and French Market.

There are more experienced people here on the boards that will have more info and tips, but I hope that helps a little. Have a great time! Hope you enjoy Disneyland!

Edited to say that Hydro Guy has a thread that is for WDW Vets going to Disneyland that could be of help.

 

[Girimama33]

There is no FP available for the Jungle Cruise, Autopia or Nemo subs. FP is only available for SM, ST, Indy, BTMRR, Buzz and Splash. Sometimes it is offered for HM.
You may want to try and go to Peter Pan first thing after checking with the MSTS about the LB. It will have the longest wait likely throughout as the day goes on. It is best to get it out of the way first thing.

 

[NiceOneSimba]

I'm a HUGE fan of Ridemax, which is ride maximization software. If you only have one day in the park and want to do a bunch of stuff, I'd say it's well worth the $15 to subscribe. It will minimize your overall waiting time, and increase your chances of being able to fit everything in--especially if you want to take a long break in the afternoon. I've used it three times, and honestly, my husband gave me TONS of grief about it the first time (I'm on vacation! I don't want to follow a schedule!), and now he reminds me to subscribe. Our experience has been nothing but positive, and I honestly can't imagine taking a 1-day trip without it.

I'd also add the Storyland Canal Boats to your list, and maybe Casey Jr, too. Toontown, too, for Roger Rabbit and/or just to walk through Mickey and Minnie's houses. Roger Rabbit does SPIN a lot, though, so if the teacups are no good, consider yourself warned. Those are definitely Disneyland-only attractions. Even if you can't ride the Lily Belle, take the train around for a round trip. It's relaxing. Make sure you don't miss the Grand Canyon and Primeval World. Classic Disneyland!

My favorite counter service spots are: Hungry Bear (fried green tomato sandwich), Plaza Inn (fried chicken dinner), churro cart (honestly, they're the best) and the Dole Whip stand--go inside and watch the show at the Tiki Room! It's air conditioned and the line inside tends to be shorter, too. I also like the Mint Julep window for a julep and a beignet, but I will admit the juleps are not universal favorites.

 

[emily94]

Additional rides:
* Matterhorn! New for the 60th!
* Big Thunder Mountain
* Splash Mountain
* Buzz Lightyear
* Winnie the Pooh
* A ride around the Rivers of America on the Mark Twain Riverboat or the Sailing Ship Columbia
* Monorail to DTD

Counter Service - 1 in each Land:
* Bengal BBQ - Adventureland
* French Market - New Orleans Square
* Hungry Bear - Critter Country
* Village Haus - Fantasy;=land
* Golden Horseshoe/Stage Door Cafe (pretty much right next door to each other) - Frontierland
* Pizza Port - Tomorrowland
* Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe - Main Street

Other tips:
* No FB for Jungle Cruise! In my experience that line wait time is pretty accurate.
* No FB for Autopsic! But the line moves pretty quick.
* No FB for Nemo - that line is all outside with some umbrellas so it can easily get pretty warm waiting in line!
* No People Mover in CA!
* Get to Fantasy Land rides early if possible
* Peter Pan is currently closed for refurb

Are you going to DCA? Here are some rides and CS:
* Radiator Springs Racers
* Tower of Terror
* Grizzly River Run
* Little Mermaid
* Silly Symphony Swings
* Toy Story
* Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta - Paradise Pier
* Flo's V8 Cafe - Carsland

Hope this all helps!

 

[jlwhitney]

Downtown is small. On the 13th any reason for not getting tickets so you can also see DCA park?

 

[Disney Kidd]

I like the fantasmic here better than at WDW. It is a bit different so if you like the one at WDW, I recommend it. If you want to see rides unique to DL, I would also suggest Matterhorn, all of Toontown included Roger Rabbit, and the original tiki room!

 

[VandVsmama]

Just wanted to reiterate the other posters' suggestions and add a couple of my own:

1. There is no People Mover at Disneyland anymore. They removed it many years ago.
2. No FP available for Jungle Cruise
3. No FP available for Finding Nemo submarines either
4. But Haunted Mansion now has FP!
5. Peter Pan won't be open until 7/1. And when it does open, expect really long lines.
   
6. Dumbo - this is a slow loader. Ride it within the 1st hour otherwise you'll wait 30-45 minutes.
7. If you want to see parade & fireworks from Main Street, find a spot earlier than 7:30 pm. We saw it from It's a Small World and it was great.
   
8. Characters - Princess Fantasy Faire ends at 7:00 pm. Pixie Hollow meet & greets end at 3:15 pm. When we left the parks at 11:30 pm a couple of weeks ago, Minnie & Mickey were doing a meet & greet by the main entrance at the end of Main Street.

I second the suggestion to use Ridemax. If you don't use Ridemax, consider doing this:

• go to train station 1st thing and see if you can ride the Lilly Belle
• then go to Tomorrowland and get a FP for Space Mountain
• then get on Finding Nemo, then Autopia. Now you're done with Tomorrowland for awhile.
  
• Go to Fantasyland and go on Dumbo.
• pay attention to start time of your Space Mountain FP. When that hour starts, send a runner to Adventureland and get a FP for Indiana Jones.
• While still in Fantasyland, then do Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, Snow White. But if you want to go on the Storybookland Canal boats, do that right after Dumbo. It's another slow loader. Fantasyland is much more compact than WDW Fantasyland. Matterhorn has no FP, so consider that if it's something that you really want to do.
  
• It's A Small World - if you choose to see fireworks & parade by IASW, take turns going on IASW while 1 of you saves your parade/fireworks spot. We did this recently and walked onto the ride.
• Monorail - there's no A/C, so it'll be hot & sweaty riding it during the day.
• Download Mousewait on your smart phone & use it to check ride wait times

Great counter service options at DL:

• fried chicken at Plaza Inn. Interior was designed by Walt Disney's wife.
• Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country. downstairs is cooler than upstairs. It's a great spot. Right on the water. Fried green tomato sandwich is really good.
• the pizza at the pizza port at Tomorrowland is reknowned for being really awful. But the pasta there gets decent reviews.
• Rancho del Zocalo - I don't care for the Mexican food here. I don't think it's very authentic or that it tastes very good, but lots of folks really enjoy it.
• Royal Street Veranda - in the afternoons, there's often a Dixieland jazz band playing there. TONS of atmosphere and a lovely spot!

 

[mgd]

Am I the only one who thinks Star Tours is a ride not to be missed? Or do they have the same thing at WDW making it pointless?

Keep in mind you will be there in peak season and on a sunday. Early mornings should be ok, but night may be crowded. Expect places with good views for the parade to be crowded early. If you are only interested in the rides you mentioned, it may be doable. Just don't waste early morning time on rides that have low waits all day. Some rides also get really low waits late at night before closing.

 

[Butterfly123]

Downtown is small. On the 13th any reason for not getting tickets so you can also see DCA park?

I second this!!

 

[Disney Kidd]

Am I the only one who thinks Star Tours is a ride not to be missed? Or do they have the same thing at WDW making it pointless?

Keep in mind you will be there in peak season and on a sunday. Early mornings should be ok, but night may be crowded. Expect places with good views for the parade to be crowded early. If you are only interested in the rides you mentioned, it may be doable. Just don't waste early morning time on rides that have low waits all day. Some rides also get really low waits late at night before closing.

They have Star Tours at Hollywood Studios. I agree though that it should not be missed. Definitely one of my favorites!

 

[SMD]

If the standby line for Space is 20 minutes or less just ride it without getting an FP. You'll end up waiting about 15 minutes with an FP anyway, so why not just knock it out and not have to backtrack. Also, you won't be able to pull 2 FPs at once. You have to wait 2 hours or until the FP return window opens, whichever is first. Fantasmic and the PFF show are disconnected, but only those 2. After Space I'd send a runner to get Indy (unless you're ok doing single rider) then do Peter Pan or Alice. You can probably find a shorter line at Peter Pan during the parade, but who knows if that will change when it reopens. You can do those 2, and either knock out Fantasyland or go back and do those later. If you have until 5pm on the second day I'd highly recommend you look up what's available at DTD. You can walk from one end to the other in under 5 minutes. It might be worth adding a second day ticket as it will give you a second chance to get the Lily Belle reservation and then you could do Peter Pan first on the non-MM day. Or you could do the other park. You can get birthday and first visit pins the night before at World of Disney or one of the resort hotels.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Someone above recommended HydroGuy's thread about DL for WDW Vets. If you haven't already read it, please do (http://www.disboards.com/threads/a-dlr-guide-for-wdw-vets.1162599/). It seems like some of your info (e.g. Peoplemover, which rides have FP, how many FPs you can hold at once, etc.) is either inaccurate or old.

 

[KCmike]

One day in the parks is a tough call. We finally went West back in 2007. We went for a long weekend and had the time of our lives. If you can swing it I would grab a two day pass as well. You've come a long ways to limit yourself to one day. I hope I'm not speaking out of bounds here. I just want you to see as much as you can in the time you've got.

 

[Irish9697]

I agree with the others. Get a two day pass. Better yet, a 2 day park hopper. If you only have WDW for reference, it's hard to understand, but it's all so close together, you can hop around all day. It's so easy. And, there's so many cool things at DCA. DTD is small and doesn't have anything you'll miss seeing. Edited to add: you could see all of DTD the night of your arrival

Also, don't skip Splash and Big Thunder!!! They're different than FL, but great and fun!

I'd also stop scheduling so much. Just get there before it opens and have fun! Starting around 10-11, crowds build but you should be able to accomplish a lot before that. Our 4 day hopper ticket included a Magic Morning. That extra time was priceless!!

 

[lisa-upnorth]

you guys are the bomb!! So, what I have learned-

• can't hold 3 FP tix like WDW
• advised to do Fantasy before Adventure-thoughts on doing Haunted and Pirates AFTER Fantasy??
  
• DTD is lame
• you guys really like Star Tours....but it is a puker if I remember my past correctly
• NO PEOPLE MOVER!!!!! where will I rest??
• I read Hydroguys thread
• thanks for the pin info KCmike!
• I plan to enjoy that fried chic I have read about!

So-we are on a 23 day trip across the country from Vermont...by train! We will be visiting Chicago,5 days at Grand Canyon,3 days at Sequoia,3 days at Yosemite,driving around LA and up California Route 1 along the coast...and DL will be at the end of all that! While it will be a HUGE highlight for us Disney fans, I think the 1 day is ok. We aren't big 'fast ride' people and that CA ferris wheel gives me chills just looking at it.Couldn't see paying another $400 just to go there for 9-5.I would have loved to see that water show at night but would have missed it anyway.The cars ride looked AMAZING but didn't seem to be enough other things to justify spending another $400 for the 4 of us.After DTD we will be heading back to LA to a hotel for that night so if we head back early we can explore the walk of fame and other area attractions a bit.
At WDW we have found that after the fireworks is often a great time to hit some popular rides-like Dumbo and such.Last summer we walked on many things after 10:30pm. I hope it is similar at DL. We have done WDW on July 4th so we are in the know about working around a crowd!
Knowing what you have taught me about the FP limit makes a big plan change! Kinda of pain for someone so spoiled by WDW but I will adjust

Keep the great ideas coming!! You have all been very helpful to this DL newbie

 

[lisa-upnorth]

I agree with the others. Get a two day pass. Better yet, a 2 day park hopper. If you only have WDW for reference, it's hard to understand, but it's all so close together, you can hop around all day. It's so easy. And, there's so many cool things at DCA. DTD is small and doesn't have anything you'll miss seeing. Edited to add: you could see all of DTD the night of your arrival

Also, don't skip Splash and Big Thunder!!! They're different than FL, but great and fun!

I'd also stop scheduling so much. Just get there before it opens and have fun! Starting around 10-11, crowds build but you should be able to accomplish a lot before that. Our 4 day hopper ticket included a Magic Morning. That extra time was priceless!!

thanks for the ideas! Rest assured-we will be very laid back and leisurely... after about 1pm!It's just the morning that we will try to race around.We are all about the fun! We sing,we dance,we take time to smell the flowers! I plan to take a lot of time enjoying the castle and gorgeous grounds.We might ride Splash and Thunder if lines aren't too crazy.Splash is my fav at WDW! I do see how close CA and DL are on the maps(wow!!) but my issue is paying another $400 for that park doesn't seem worth it for me.Only thing I would really want there would be Cars and water show.Sorry but it is out.Just thought DTD might be fun for the World of Disney shop and lunch.After that long day on the 12th we will be ready for lazy morning in the pool and late start!

 

[GoBears 1980]

I think missing Disney's California Adventure is a huge mistake. You've never been out this way before so who knows when you will be back.

DTD isn't bad, it is just small. All of DCA, the Grand Californian and DTD was built in Disneyland's Parking Lot. Here is DL before the expansion.

They squeezed in a lot in a small space.

I'd consider a two park hopper.

 

[Filipina]

Just my opinion but it seems so structured. I will give my two cents in a bit but I think you can be a little more relaxed.

 

[Filipina]

Plus, I love DCA.. You can't miss Cars Land!