New to DL

[Jackiemarie21]

hi!
My family and I are pretty frequent WDW travelers and have been to DL once for one day. We are thinking of taking a longer trip to DL this fall and I have tons of questions, but I will start with my basic ones and come back for more later! My family is myself, DH, DD4 and the new DD who will be 7 months.

We are looking to go in early Novemeber, what is the weather like, can you usually swim during that time of the year?

Is it worth it to stay at an onsite hotel? Being a WDW visitor I am very programmed to want to go onsite, but the value of the off-site is really tempting if you can walk to the parks?

Right now we're are tentivly planning for nov 3-8, how are the crowds? Would it be worth it to wait until the holiday decorations are up?

What are the crowds like at that time?

I think that about covers it for now! I'll be back, I'm sure!

 

[coaches24]

I believe the holiday decorations will up or will be going up at the time you are planning on going. I could be wrong as I have never been in November.

Onsite Vs offsite is debated often here. I usually stay offsite simply because I generally cant afford onsite. But I have stayed at the PPH one time and had a great time staying onsite. But the offsite motels/ hotels within walking distance mostly get good reviews and are very convenient and a couple of them are closer than the PPH or DLH. The biggest benefit to staying onsite to me (and while I love it I cant justify the difference in price just for this benefit) is the EMH that you get for being an onsite guest. There are other perks as well but nothing major IMO. If I had the budget to do so I would stay onsite but its not a big deal to stay offsite at all and most people prefer not spending that extra money to do so at DL I think.

Weather that time of year is nice. Good temps, it will cool off at night but often times during the day you can go in shorts and T-shirts. That is around the time that rain becomes more possible but it really hasn't been a problem (or it has been a big problem with lack of rain depending on how you look at it) for several years now with this drought we are in. But you definitely want to plan for everything just in case.

I don't know if crowds are big at that time or if there is a lull in the crowds between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Someone else will have to chime in on that one.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

The benefits of staying on-site at DLR are not as great as the benefits for staying on-site at WDW. The best benefit would likely be the early morning entry each day. This is nice but to me not worth the extra hundreds (literally) that it costs to stay on-site. The hotels along Harbor Blvd are very close walking distance to the entrance and are filled with other families visiting DLR, so they are pretty safe and often offer conveniences catered to DLR guests. I would seriously consider these hotels in your trip planning.

Weather can be a bit variable at that time, but variable in SoCal just means there is a possibility of some rain. Actual storms are unlikely. It is usually quite cool in the early mornings and the evenings at that time of year, so I would definitely recommend bringing a sweater/jacket into the park or returning to your room to pick one up (there are also lockers to rent in front of the park). During the day, it may be a bit chilly, calling for long sleeves and pants, or it could be sunny and warm, calling for t-shirts (I would stick with pants since you will probably get cold in the evening just wearing shorts). I should also mention that the rain is usually not terrible, not lasting all day and not that heavy, however compared to Florida rain it is colder. I remember being in WDW and it started raining but was still warm and sunny out and feeling confused! In California rain = cold. But you certainly don't need a huge parka or anything! Just some sweaters and ponchos.

 

[Sherry E]

I would wait and go when the holiday season has actually begun, if that interests you. There is a difference between when the decorations go up (or begin to go up) and when the season begins and the parks are in full holiday mode. In my opinion, the holiday season is worth waiting for.

This year, because of the Diamond Celebration's festivities all year, it's hard to say when exactly things are going to begin appearing or opening, but chances are the holiday season will officially start after Veterans Day -- somewhere between 11/12 and 11/19.

However, that said, you might see some decorations without getting the full holiday season experience if you go during the early November dates you are considering. And the crowds will be lighter (to some degree) up until the weekend.

The weather at that time of year can go a few different ways. I live in Los Angeles -- and have lived here my entire life -- and it never ceases to amaze me that we can have totally different experiences in the same month of different years. For example, last year in May it was over 100 degrees for a week or so. This year in May, it has been hovering around the upper 60s and low 70s for much of the month, and it has even rained a bit, only climbing into the 80s for a couple of days here and there. One year in September it could be pouring heavy rain off and on all day on a specific day, and a couple of years later it could be 115 degrees (seriously!) on that same day -- I have experienced and witnessed all of these weather events.

In November there could be wind, there could be heat, there could be dry air... or there could be rain (probably not heavy rain in early November, though), and there could be nice, pleasant, comfortable weather.

 

[Cats2]

Don't forget to read through Hydroguy's numerous tips/super threads http://www.disboards.com/threads/hydroguy-tips-compilation.1520483/

In particular, check out his "A DLR guide for WDW Vets"

 

[Nicolette11785]

The Christmas Day parade will most likely be taping that weekend Nov 7-8. I would personally wait until the holiday season is fully under way.

 

[Sherry E]

The Christmas Day parade will most likely be taping that weekend Nov 7-8. I would personally wait until the holiday season is fully under way.

There is no Christmas parade this year, but there will likely be other footage taped for ABC (I don't know what the footage will be, but it won't be a Christmas parade) on that weekend. Someone was kind enough to let us know (in the Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread) that their relatives -- who usually perform in the parade every year, I think -- were told that there will be no Christmas parade this year. That was already assumed to be the case -- Steve Davison of Disney and someone else from Disney whose name escapes me said that the 60th anniversary entertainment will last for the rest of the year, and that even during the holiday season it will still be "all 60th, all the time" -- but it was good to get the extra confirmation.

It is possible that they may decide to tape Paint the Night, though. Or they may just tape some sort of stage show or other entertainment -- like last November the taping was not of the Christmas parade, but of various Frozen-related things.

 

[VandVsmama]

You're going to love DL!

Re: swimming in November
It's probably hit or miss. You could always pack your swim suits, but don't count on it being warm enough to swim. In my opinion, October is the latest time of year to swim in Anaheim, unless you're a polar bear and you love swimming in cold weather!

On site vs off site hotel:
There's often a fair amount of debate on this board on this topic. There are pro's and con's to either option. Staying on site is much more expensive, but you get the bonus of getting EMH to 1 park every day during your stay. We've stayed at the DL Hotel before and it was really great. For our next visit, we're staying off site because: (a) it costs so much less (3 nights at the Tropicana in mid-October for $416.00! That's like 1 night's stay at an on site hotel); and (b) it's a closer walk to the main gates than the DLH. Staying off site at DL is much different than staying off site at WDW. You really don't lose any sort of Disney "bubble." Most people staying at motels across the street are going to Disneyland. Plus, there's Pizza Port on Harbor Blvd!

Nov 3-8:
Crowds will probably be pretty low. But if you have your heart set on seeing all of the Christmas decorations up, go in mid-November instead. DON'T GO DURING THANKSGIVING WEEK! It's really busy. Some school districts in Southern CA have started giving students the entire week of Thanksgiving off.

Cool unique things that DL has which WDW doesn't:

1. the Blue Bayou restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride
2. Pirates of the Caribbean is a tad longer
3. Peter Pan - original to the park's opening 60 years ago. No FP for this, so if this is a must do, get to the park entrance 30 minutes before rope drop and go to Peter Pan first thing.
4. PhotoPass+ only costs $69 if you buy ahead of time (DL's version of Memory Maker photo pass). If you're going for 5 days, it's a bargain.
5. the Matterhorn!
6. the original Haunted Mansion
7. the original Autopia - different cars, but still the same track from 60 years ago
   
8. getting to walk in the theme park that Walt Disney designed himself
9. Carsland - it's really amazing. It's like you're teleported right into the movie. Seriously, the theme'ing in Carsland is totally awesome.
10. Park hopping is really easy. You just walk across the esplanade. You don't have to wait for a bus or a monorail (at DL, the monorail is more of a ride, not a means of transportation; you need park admission in order to board it) and then wait for another bus transfer or monorail and spend 45 min-1 hour transiting from 1 park to another. Seriously, it's literally right there. This is where staying right across the street is so helpful if you want to take an afternoon break.

In case you won't be bringing your own stroller, I've rented from Anaheim City Strollers before and they're great. I was able to push 1 kid in the stroller with 1 hand and hold my other kid's hand with my other hand. They'll deliver the stroller to your hotel & pick up at the end of your stay.

Grocery delivery:
Vons is a southern California grocery chain (partially owned by Safeway) that does grocery delivery. It's handy in case you won't have a rental car. Usually you can get free delivery for your 1st delivery. I've used them before without any problems.

Airport transfers from airport to hotel:
There will be no "Mickey's Magical Express" free bus service run by Disney Corporation. You have to arrange this yourself. There are several options, though, depending on which airport you fly into.