Which park is better for little ones?

[ColoradoLime]

We'll have four full days to be in DLR, but we're thinking of making one day a beach day. So if I only had three days - 2 in DL & 1 in DCA or 2 in DCA & 1 in DL?

My son will be 2 1/2 at the time. He's a thrill seeker already at this age so I know he'll prefer fun rides over just play ground type attractions.

We're planning on having one parent stay at the hotel each night after dinner with the little one so the other one can go back to the park with DD and play a bit longer.

 

[Jkpark]

How old is your DD? Do you know their height?

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Disneyland will have more he will enjoy. In DCA my little ones love the Bugs Life rides, Playhouse Disney, and Toy Story Midway Mania...we haven't done Carsland yet.

ETA: Didn't notice you also had a 10 yr old....Not sure that changes my answer, but there is a lot in DCA she will enjoy. Are you not getting park hoppers?

 

[Carolynleanne]

Disneyland!

I have toddlers and there is way more for them to do there (rides and such) I'd do 2 days Disneyland and 1 in DCA.

 

[ColoradoLime]

How old is your DD? Do you know their height?

Well my DD is nearly 5', but she isn't a thrill seeker so it doesn't much matter. My son, the little one, is 36" now. I seriously doubt he'll be 40" by May.

Disneyland will have more he will enjoy. In DCA my little ones love the Bugs Life rides, Playhouse Disney, and Toy Story Midway Mania...we haven't done Carsland yet.

ETA: Didn't notice you also had a 10 yr old....Not sure that changes my answer, but there is a lot in DCA she will enjoy. Are you not getting park hoppers?

We are getting park hoppers, but for right now our plan is just use those at night without him. Of course that's largely dependent upon how we feel when we get there and what the crowd levels are like. All this planning may go right out the window anyway!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We are getting park hoppers, but for right now our plan is just use those at night without him. Of course that's largely dependent upon how we feel when we get there and what the crowd levels are like. All this planning may go right out the window anyway!

Then I wouldn't concentrate on which park on which days or 2 days in DL and 1 in DCA. it is super easy and fast to hop between parks.

 

[theokris]

disneyland has more to do for the little ones, 10 yo should enjoy both

 

[bumbershoot]

As a littler dude, my guy could have played all day at bug's land, and loved Monsters Inc.

Everything in Fantasyland, apart from the teacups, has a spooky or scary element, and even the Peter Pan *line* got to him once when he was overtired (it feels really really dark sometimes, and he was too little to remember that he loves the ride itself).

During the year of everything freaking him out, POTC was off the list as well. We found DCA to be pretty awesome during that year! And that was *before* TSMM showed up, let alone CarsLand.

 

[Judy from Boise]

As a littler dude, my guy could have played all day at bug's land, and loved Monsters Inc.

Everything in Fantasyland, apart from the teacups, has a spooky or scary element, and even the Peter Pan *line* got to him once when he was overtired (it feels really really dark sometimes, and he was too little to remember that he loves the ride itself).

During the year of everything freaking him out, POTC was off the list as well. We found DCA to be pretty awesome during that year! And that was *before* TSMM showed up, let alone CarsLand.

I agree DCA is based on more current movies too. bugs life, little mermaid, monsters etc.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[pharmama]

If you're ok not being a hyper planner, the do one day in each to start then on your third day go back to what they liked most or things you missed. By then you'll have a pretty good idea what you'll still want to do.

 

[MateasMom]

I've got to disagree with most and go with those saying that (a) California Adventure rides are not the indoor scary type found in Fantasyland which gives it a +1 over DL, and (b) the characters and themes at DCA are more recent and relevant. If your little one was a girl I might be on the fence about which park you'll spend more time at (because visiting with a little girl means standing in line for Princesses, which can be an all day event). With a boy, though, hands down I think you'll spend more time at DCA.

But, in the end it doesn't really matter because you'll have hoppers You can jump back and forth, easy peasy.

 

[wannagoback]

Don't forget DCA also has the wilderness play area. I bet your little guy would love it there! There are great options in both parks, so I say to save your day 3 plans until you've experienced days 1 & 2 to discover what your family loves

 

[californiamomof4grls]

I have a wide range of ages and I think that both parks have what you are looking for just in different areas. I think it's a good plan taking your daughter back out with one of you to ride things that she will like. My "littles" have always loved Fantasyland and everything around it! LOL! Our littles have always love POTC too! BUT they love DCA too! Bugsland is a favorite! It has a bumper car like ride that my kids love plus the swinging raisin cartons as my kids call it! Those both ones that my "bigs" liked! LOL! Not sure what it's really called. Disney Junior show,Toy story mania and the Monsters ride! We do a family movie night leading up to the trip of all the movies that go with the rides as I'm sure everyone does! That will help with his enthusiasm for the rides! LOL!! But I believe we both going on May so it will all depend on those crowd levels. But if it's just an adult and your daughter it will be easier to navigate through crowds then a stroller and family!

 

[ktlm]

DL isn't like WDW where it takes time to get between the parks. You can get out the gate of one park and into the other in a matter of minutes. The parks are also compact so it isn't that far to walk from the back of one to the back of the other by WDW terms. Being more WDW people, when we go to DL it feels like one park to us. I wouldn't worry about which day at which park. You can go back and forth all day and won't lose much time doing it. Plus, it has been different with Carsland and the parks are opening at the same time a lot now, but sometimes DL opens an hour before DCA, so you can get in a couple of rides and still be at DCA when it opens. Assuming they open at the same time, I would plan one day staring at DL, one day starting at DCA, and then play by ear where you want to start out the 3rd day. As far as dining, you don't have to let that dictate because it is so easy to go back and forth between the parks. I would highly recommend trying out Minnie's Breakfast at DL one day. It is the best character meal we have been to at either DL or WDW, hands down- so many characters and so mucn interaction with the kids. We like to do that as a late "brunch"- 10:00 a.m. or 10:15. That lets us do some stuff in the park first, and the restaurant usually isn't so full by then which means more interaction with the characters. One of the times we went, we could hardly eat because the characters were constantly playing and dancing with DD- it was wonderful!

 

[ColoradoLime]

Thanks for all the input! I looks like the question of which park has about a 50/50 split. lol But it will be fun to get there and see what we all think of each park.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks for all the input! I looks like the question of which park has about a 50/50 split. lol But it will be fun to get there and see what we all think of each park.

Hmmm. This Colorado Disney fan thinks DL is the no-brainer answer on this.

 

[Mortimer Mouse]

Hmmm. This Colorado Disney fan thinks DL is the no-brainer answer on this.

i agree....nice to see you posting again hydro....

 

[coaches24]

my answer is there are great things at both parks to do. Now I think DL has a little more as far as quantity but DCA has quite a bit too. I have a 4 yo and we found a ton at both parks that she absolutely loved. In sure all the top attractions from both parks have been mentioned so I won't go into it but parts of both parks will cater well to young children.

 

[kevdo]

We're planning on having one parent stay at the hotel each night after dinner with the little one so the other one can go back to the park with DD and play a bit longer.

Where are you staying? There's a babysitting service location at the Grand Californian Hotel that is available to all three Disney Hotels guests. That might be an option.

As much as I love what they're doing at DCA, I'd say Disneyland is better for really small kids because their sort of rides are much more concentrated in a single area in places like Fantasyland, ToonTown. There are good rides at DCA, such as Mermaid and Monsters and but they're spread out and (other than Bugs Land) kind of an attraction here and an attraction there kind of thing. Don't overlook Redwood Creek Challenge Trail and the show there - lots of fun for little ones.

 

[HydroGuy]

i agree....nice to see you posting again hydro....

I've been around.

Everyone else is doing such a great job lately that I have less need to post. But I have been lurking a lot. And posting here and there. Thanks for noticing!