Absolute Best Advice For A DL Newbie

[jhaig]

So our plan is to make our first trip to DL as part of my daughter's senior trip next June. We're going to hit Hollywood, the beach, do an LA and movie studio tour etc. and then finish with four nights at DL. We plan on going around June 20-21 after school is out. Having never been to CA or DL I have been doing a lot of reading up on the boards trying to get an idea of what to do.

We are also WDW veterans who usually go to Florida every September. Now we're kinda burnt out and want to experience DL for something new.

What is the best piece of advice you can give a DL first-timer when it comes to touring the parks, where to stay, and what would you say is the biggest mistake not to make?

 

[smartlabelprint]

Stay in the parks on a 5 day park hopper.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Check the AP blockouts to make sure you don't accidentally go the last few days before SoCal/Select passes are blocked.

 

[HydroGuy]

So our plan is to make our first trip to DL as part of my daughter's senior trip next June. We're going to hit Hollywood, the beach, do an LA and movie studio tour etc. and then finish with four nights at DL. We plan on going around June 20-21 after school is out. Having never been to CA or DL I have been doing a lot of reading up on the boards trying to get an idea of what to do.

We are also WDW veterans who usually go to Florida every September. Now we're kinda burnt out and want to experience DL for something new.

What is the best piece of advice you can give a DL first-timer when it comes to touring the parks, where to stay, and what would you say is the biggest mistake not to make?

Stay at a walking distance hotel. It makes all the difference.

WDW vets are accustomed to needing transportation from their hotel to the parks. DLR offers something WDW does not*: the ability to have your hotel room door as close (or closer) to the parks as the bus or boat dropoffs at WDW. Don't make the mistake of thinking "it is no big deal to have to drive or take a shuttle to the DLR parks since we do that at WDW". It is a dream to be able to use your feet for everything and never have to wait for transportation. It makes you much more efficient, much more likely and able to take afternoon breaks, and lets you sleep later each morning because you are not stressed about transportation times and delays. It helps you feel more comfortable staying later at the parks each night because you know how close your bed is and you will have no delays getting back to your room.

See "HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862



* The asterisk is that some WDW hotels are close to some of the parks (Contemporary is close to MK, Boardwalk Hotels are close to Epcot). But no hotel at WDW is close to all the parks.

 

[Winnowill]

Check the AP blockouts to make sure you don't accidentally go the last few days before SoCal/Select passes are blocked.

SoCal passes are blocked starting, I think, the 9th.

 

[HydroGuy]

Check the AP blockouts to make sure you don't accidentally go the last few days before SoCal/Select passes are blocked.

This would be a close #2 best advice for me.

 

[figment_jii]

What is the best piece of advice you can give a DL first-timer when it comes to touring the parks, where to stay, and what would you say is the biggest mistake not to make?

I would say the biggest thing to remember is that everything at DLR is very close together. I like to describe it this way: think of DL as Epcot's Future World, DCA as Epcot's WS and DTD as being just outside the International Gateway. Now that everything is within the security checks, it very easy to go from park to park to DTD and back. The two parks are less than 110 yards apart (you can see the entrance to DL from inside DCA and vice-a-versa). So while there are fewer parks to visit, there is still a lot to do and see at Disneyland Resort.

Where to Stay: If finances aren't an issue, then I would stay at the GCH. That being said, I usually stay at one of the motels/hotels on Harbor Boulevard. The ones between Katella and Ball are all within easy walking distance of the parks. The only hotel is the Courtyard Theme Park Entrance, which is a really nice place. The room was comfy and it has a very fun water park area, but it's on the pricier side. Otherwise, I usually stay at the BW Park Place Inn, which is about as close as you can get. It's a motel, so nothing fancy, but serviceable. I've also stayed at the Fairfield Inn, BW Anaheim Inn, and the Grand Legacy (when it was still the Ramada) and they were all fine.

Caveat: Disneyland is always changing, so how things operate now, may not be how things operate next year (e.g., we expect MaxPass to roll out this year, which may impact how FPs work). I would check back closer to your travel dates to find out the latest news and tips.

Check the AP blockouts to make sure you don't accidentally go the last few days before SoCal/Select passes are blocked.

There are two different levels of SoCal APs. The SoCal Select AP's blockout starts earlier (6/9 this year) and the SoCal AP blockout starts later in June (6/30 this year). Based on the last few years, the blockouts will probably start around the same time in 2018, but the blockout calendar won't be posted for a few more months.

 

[julieheyer]

The main thing has already been mentioned, stay close by, walk to the park if you can, and understand that it's all much closer together and faster to navigate, .

Don't go around holidays and obviously week days are your best bet for lower crowds .

 

[jhaig]

The main thing has already been mentioned, stay close by, walk to the park if you can, and understand that it's all much closer together and faster to navigate, .

Don't go around holidays and obviously week days are your best bet for lower crowds .

My plan was to avoid the weekends for sure...

 

[fly girl]

As a WDW vet, my very first piece of advice was pick a close hotel. And ... TAKEN! It's so nice being able to walk and not rely on busses. For that reason, I'm also a big fan of the park hopper. It's easy to hop and beneficial if one park gets really busy.

My second piece is don't go in thinking you have to plan every single detail. It's a dream to not have to book dining 6 months out, and it has the old FP paper tickets. (MaxxPass is coming out so stay in touch with how that goes).

We love DLR, and my family goes back and forth on whether WDW or DLR is better.

 

[BayouQueen]

I'll share the one rule I have for myself. I always have one meal a day with a reservation. Quick service is really great at DL, and as others have said, it is so great not to have to do a whole lot of planning like at WDW, BUT...crowd levels are very unpredictable, and I personally get tired and cranky and just worn out if I need a meal, lines are long, and there's nowhere to sit. Just having a place to sit, regroup, get my steam back up...it saves the day if the parks are crowded. Or, if you don't want to make any reservations, know ahead of time when places like the French Market or Harbour Galley open for the day. If you are there before lines build, no problem at all.

You may do it differently, with nap breaks or whatever, but I just share what works well for us.

Have a wonderful first visit!

 

[az4boys]

My advice is to do some research before you go and have at least a general idea of what you want to do and how to navigate the parks. I think this is especially important if it is crowded. About 10 years ago I went with my DH and 3 year-old twins. Neither of us had been for over 10 years and we went in with no plan. It was right after Memorial Day weekend. I just remember being overwhelmed with lines and massive crowds. We spent way too much time looking at a map trying to decide what to do next. I'm afraid the crowds are worse now, but when I plan ahead (I'm the family planner), we have a great time.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

This thread by Hydroguy will help you a lot: A DLR Guide for WDW Vets. Also, don't start your visit comparing DLR to WDW. It should be the other way around (in a positive sense). Remember, DL came first and all the other parks grew out of Walt's original dream. See where the magic started and how much it has grown since 1955. Do your research, make your plans, then have a back up. DLR allows for a lot of spontaneity and flexibility, so while planning is important, it doesn't have to be rigid.

 

[g-dad66]

The biggest mistake you can make is not to stay up to date with DISBoards info.

For example, I recently learned that FP for the two parks are no longer disconnected, which makes a big touring plan difference for our upcoming trip vs. last June.

And I JUST learned (from reading this thread) that it's not a good idea to go during the last few days before AP blackouts. Aha, that's why Monday, June 6, last year had the longest lines I've ever seen to get into a Disney park! (Pure luck that we are going two weeks earlier this year than we did last year.)

Have done 16 WDW trips in the last 8 years, but did our first DLR trip in summer of 2015, so I can identify with your situation, and I have to agree with HydroGuy that staying right across the street from the park entrance was the smartest thing we did in 2015 (did it again in 2016, and doing it again in 3 weeks).

Also, thanks to HydroGuy's World of Color Superthread, we knew exactly how we wanted to deal with the issue of having a good view but too impatient to endure a long wait (i.e. the Fire Hydrant spot for us!)

 

[kristabelle13]

Be at the gates at least 30 mins before rope drop. It makes all the difference in my day.

Also, after the fireworks, enjoy the quieter crowds for the rest of the night.

Makes for long days but both times are the best.

 

[BriannaRuth]

I disagree about avoiding weekends. We've had some of our least crowded days in the parks by going to DL on a Sunday. This year we purposely planned our trip to be there on a Sunday.

 

[chiisai]

You've gotten great advice.

Build in time to take it slow at DL; so much is packed in that park. My favorite part of DL is New Orleans Square. It is beautiful. Take time to rest in that area. I really miss it there. If you can, dine at Blue Bayou.

I don't have too much experience with CA, but the kids loved the bugs' life area, and I thought the boardwalk was really fun. The Mickey wheel moving cart (whatever they are called) scared the bejeebus out of me, far more than I expected.

I grew up with every other year one day visits to DL and it's part of my memories with family and joy. Enjoy it!

 

[MrJT]

The Mickey wheel moving cart (whatever they are called) scared the bejeebus out of me, far more than I expected.

This was my least favorite experience in either park. When we were there, there was no line on either side. Most of our party went on the regular side. My parents and I did not. We were miserable!

 

[jhaig]

When you say things are close together, how long of a walk is it to the main park entrances from, say, the Disneyland hotel? Is it comparable to waking from the Contemporary to MK?

 

[Xenorye]

When you say things are close together, how long of a walk is it to the main park entrances from, say, the Disneyland hotel? Is it comparable to waking from the Contemporary to MK?

Closer, actually. From the main gates to DLH is a little less than half a mile. From Contemporary to MK is about .6 miles.