1st visit--some ?'s and crowds in Sept?

[dizzneebabe]

Hi all,

We are WDW veterans and are planning a side trip to DL (1st time ever) after visiting DH's friend in Vegas.

Since I don't know a single thing about DL (other than it is in CA--lol) I'm a bit nervous that I am planning in the dark. I read another post similar to this that I REALLY can relate to!

Although we prefer to visit WDW with low crowds (the week following Labor Day is our usual plan), our last visit was over July 4th--so we can manage if we have to. We're planning on being in DL around Sept 7-9th give or take a day. What are the hours and crowds like during that time of year?

Initially, I figured we could do both parks in 2 days, because I had no idea what was there--I just assumed it was a smaller MK. Then I started looking around on various sites and realized that even our favorite attractions may have a different spin on them than what we are used to. So, I don't want to miss anything! I found myself saying, "What's that?" or "Oh--they have (blank) too!" So, will three days be enough to see everything? OK, well maybe not EVERYTHING--but enough to give us the fix we need??? I've read that things are closer together, so you can cover more ground, but time is still a concern.

We have 2 boys ages 10 and 12 (6 times to WDW) and an 18 month old princess making her Disney Debut! Currently, we are planning on staying at the DLH. I'd love to hear restaurant recommendations. Is there any site that lists the menus for the parks like www.allearsnet.com does for WDW?

Sorry--I know my questions are all over the map--but any info or advice is appreciated!!!!!

TIA! ::

 

[Buttercup26]

3 days is the minimum, 4 would probably be better. During the week it won't be as crowded as the weekend, many locals go on the weekend, particularly that time of year when the weather is nice.

If you are used to the WDW resorts and want that same type of feeling, you may want to consider the Grand Californian. It is the most similar to the moderate/deluxes at WDW. DLH is nice too, just less of that 'resort' feeling. The GC has it's own entrance into DCA, which is another plus.

You definitely want to eat at the Blue Bayou, the restaurant inside POTC. You will need PS, and then check in 20-30 minutes prior to your PS and ask for a table beside the water. It's worth the wait for a waterside table, the kids will love watching the boats go by and waving to everyone on the ride. The food is quite good too and the childrens menu is printed on a pirate hat.

The sites below have lots of good info for helping to plan a trip to DLR. Mousepad has reviews of hotels, restaurants, etc.. MouseInfo has lots of info on the parks and restaurants.

http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/
http://www.mouseinfo.com/
http://www.laughingplace.com/

 

[Blackunicorn]

Do a search in this forum for threads about September travel, or just look through threads--it's been discussed a lot lately.

Crowds are very reasonable in September, and using fastpasses will make your wait times short. I usually travel at the end of September, and I seldom have to stand in line for more than 20 minutes. While you're at Mouseplanet.com, take a look at the park update for Disneyland--the archives are listed on the right-hand side of the update, and you can look at previous years for an idea of what the hours will be like.

Don't stress--the more you read this board, the more you'll feel at home.