Advice on first DL trip! need help with timing, how to plan, how much time, etc

[uandmfan]

Hi All

We've been to WDW a few times as a family. But my kids are totally obsessed with Disney, so I'd like to do DL while they are still little and having a blast there. I was thinking of maybe going next fall (September 2018). I have been doing a bit of looking around on the website and noticed they don't post park hours until 2 months (or less!!) before the trip. How do you know if you're going with short hours or a Halloween party that will impact your time?

From what I've read, 3 days seems like the best amount of time to be there. That being said, we spent 3 days at the MK this winter when we went to WDW. Any advice on how many days we should spend at the park? Some of the things to consider is for the same price as a 3 day DL ticket from Disney, I can get a city pass that will give us 3 days of hopper tickets at DL and a day at SeaWorld and a day at Lego land. So I'd like to do that, but I don't want to feel like we missed out on too much at DL. We will also have access to one magic morning hour whether we stay on or off property.

My kids hate fireworks at this point, but I would like to see the parades.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks

 

[theluckyrabbit]

This thread will get you off to a good start with your planning (most of the information is up to date): A DLR Guide for WDW Vets.
This thread should help, too: www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2291124.
Overall, DLR is more casual than WDW when it comes to planning. Yes, it's important to do your research and be organized, but there is much more room for spontaneity and flexibility. Do a search here for the current thread on Halloween Time and Mickey's Halloween Party. The dates and ticket prices should be announced any day now. Usually the parties start the last week of September, while Halloween Time starts around the second weekend in Sept. We recommend to friends that they take at least 3 days, but preferably 5, to experience DLR. Especially with little ones, taking a relaxed pace allows for a more enjoyable visit: less stress, no rushing, character meals, repeating favorite rides and shows many times, nap and pool time, etc.

 

[uandmfan]

Thank you!

 

[cruisehopeful]

Some of the things to consider is for the same price as a 3 day DL ticket from Disney, I can get a city pass that will give us 3 days of hopper tickets at DL and a day at SeaWorld and a day at Lego land.

Since the 3 days are park hoppers, you will have plenty of time. The parks are a very short walk away from each other, similar to a city block. I would absolutely buy the package that also gives you Sea World and Legoland. Just keep in mind that both Sea World and Legoland will be a let down after being at Disneyland for 3 days.

 

[chickapin parterre]

September 2018, that is a long ways away..........

if you were there five days....you would still miss out.....so don't worry about missing out.....just go with the flow.....because no one here can tell you about september 2018, it is that strange month of transitions, lots of transitions at Disneyland.

what are the ages of kids?

 

[uandmfan]

We can our dates without a problem. But we are doing a Disney Cruise in February, so I'd like to have some space in between our Disney adventures.

The kids will likely be 4 and 7 then (they are basically 3 and 6 now). Maybe September 2018 is bad? What are the transitions? I thought Star Wars was opening in 2019 there (or am I confusing it with WDW?).

Depending on how things go, I may be able to convince people to go this year, but I doubt it

 

[Rabb it]

The Halloween Parties are normal on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. Hope this helps!

 

[chickapin parterre]

well the problem with getting closer to Star Wars, is that refurbs need to be scheduled and they don't want them to happen during Star Wars, because Disneyland needs to be running at full strength to control the riotous behavior of guests denied to Star Wars. September is that ugly step child at Disneyland so it may be burden with many refurbs, changes for the holidays, etc. September and Jaunrary are those months that have nothing going on to draw in specific folks, so time to get some dirty work done during those months...could be a few days, few weeks, a few months....but it will happen in september and janurary.

 

[uandmfan]

Ok, so I'm hearing Sept. may be a bad idea. How about November the week before US Thanksgiving? That should be slower, but also not be filled with rides being down, right? Since I don't know if we'll ever go again, I don't really want to go when tons will be down. I've done that at WDW and it's not a big deal since it's a lot closer to home and I know we'll go back. But I'm not sure about DL. That's why I'm also struggling with whether 3 days will be enough or we would need more. My son loves Mickey Mouse right now, and Toon Town is a big attraction for us at the moment!

 

[chickapin parterre]

with the age of your children, 3 days is fine, and if you and spouse can baby sit in the evenings for each other, than you will be able to take in all the Es that the kids will not be interested in pursuing. Week before Thanksgiving is a better choice, cooler weather, christmas decor, and an extra week for visitors to visit before the December crush.

And I could be a "sky is falling" about september, but something has to give in 2018....and my fear is that with refurbs in 2018, you may find at one point in the day, everything is closed. That has happened to me Standing in front of a closed Indy, HM, and pirates and BTMRR closed for refurb , only the river, JC and splash were open, and I had just come off 3 rides in a row on splash.....the good event about the whole section closure was that for the first time in my Disneyland life, I went to the roof of the JC building. .....see....it is about looking for magic.....in every closure.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

While I'm not really getting the September hate, the reality is that it is impossible to predict either crowds or possible refurbishments this far out. Advance research certainly helps a bit - it can help with avoiding some consistent "random but known" busy times like marathon weekends, the weekend right before passes get blocked out at Christmas, that kind of thing - and it can also help with those rare "consistent ride closures," such as Haunted Mansion being closed end of August/early September in preparation for Halloweentime. But beyond that, it's pretty much a gamble. The websites that are trying to predict crowds are failing miserably and quite frankly leading to a lot of unhappy visitors when expectations don't match up to reality.

So far in 2017, traditional crowd patterns have been basically obliterated. Easter and the 4th of July were both pretty dead, when you'd expect holidays to be busy. February was a nightmare even though it's supposedly "off-season." (February in particular suffered from an unholy combination of large crowds combined with reduced park hours [sometimes 10-8], reduced staff and ride capacity, lots of refurbs, limited entertainment, etc...) Some of the most crowded days of 2017 so far were dictated by a 3-day ticket special that no one could possibly have predicted - Disney hadn't offered it lately. Special events like AP Days and Food and Wine drove crowds with very little advance notice. It's been topsy-turvy.

My honest advice is to do summer... but again, that's based on reality right now, which may not be accurate anymore by next year. Here's my reasoning: in summer, you have extended park hours and full offerings of rides and shows. If you go when the lower-tier passes are blocked out and Disney doesn't throw any curveballs with special events or new offerings, you've got just as good of a chance at low crowds as most other times recently. You might have heat... but weather is unpredictable, and certainly September is often VERY warm. Basically, summer has turned into one of the more "predictable" times to visit - there will be crowds, but Disney is expecting them and equipped for them, and that makes a HUGE difference compared to other times of year where the crowds can be unexpected and lead to way more issues.

No matter when you go, if you expect high crowds, you're either prepared or pleasantly surprised. You can have an AWESOME time at Disneyland even in high crowds if you know what to expect (and if Disney was equipped for them). If you think you're going at a magical "uncrowded" time, you are likely to be disappointed.

 

[ktlm]

We are,or were, primarily WDW people, but now we tend to hit both coasts every year. We have gone to DL every year since DD, now 11, was 4. We do 5 day hoppers. On arrival day we are typically in the parks by noon or 1 and have been known to be there until closing. We then do 2 full days no breaks. Another full day usually with a few hour break in the afternoon for DD to hit the DLH pool, and then on departure day we are usually in the parks from 8:30 or 9:00 am (once we get everything packed up) until about 3:00 pm when we head to the San Diego area. We are never ready to leave DLR then either. I would say do 4 days at DLR (or even 5 if you can spare the time) I actually think the younger the kids, the more time you need because they tend to be slower, want more repeat rides, and spend a lot of time in lines for characters- at least ours did. For us, 3 would be too short. Since you spent 3 days at just MK at WDW, I think 3 days may be too short for you too.

We went to Legoland once when DD was 4, but never again. It is okay if you are Lego crazy or very young. It doesn't have anything that appealing to older Kids or adults- where Disney gears it to amuse all ages. DH hated it. DD enjoyed it, but has never been interested in going back. She much prefers Disney. That was before they added the water park though. The water park is seasonal so it will be closed if you are there in the fall. Also be aware that off season Legoland is usually closed a couple days a week- Tuesday and Wednesday I think.

We have not done Seaworld- we have done other ones - just not San Diego. We have just always found other things we are more interested in.

One other place you might consider is the San Diego zoo Safari Park. We didn't know if we would be that crazy about it, but we absolutely loved it. We would definitely go there again.

 

[PiratesMansion]

One thing to consider when thinking about how many days is that Disneyland has more to do than Magic Kingdom does. I'd say three days is more of a minimum than anything else.

 

[chickapin parterre]

18 years later.....and 1999 is still giving out the best advice.....summer is the best time....because of the hours/staffing....nap the kids, early to bed....leave it open for you to enjoy Disneyland while the spouse is resting with the kids.

 

[goooof1]

4 or 5 day hoppers would be the best. When we go 4 days never seems like enough time! Always things that we say we are going to do and never quite get around to it all. And YES, you will want to take your time and enjoy all things little and big! And DO check out the threads linked above for lots of detailed information and helpful hints.

 

[uandmfan]

That's great. Thanks everyone. Unfortunately the summer would be too hot for us. I'm now wondering about a late fall trip (maybe October or November) this year. Or very late spring 2018. It depends on a lot of things. We'll aim for midweek and try to check out some school calendars and cross our fingers.

Is it possible to rent houses or something that aren't too far? It may be my family if 4, my sister and my parents. We'd need at least 3 hotel rooms and that gets pricey. Especially as I'm now thinking about 5 days!!!!

 

[chickapin parterre]

...are your parents up to baby sitting the kids from 2-5 and 9:00 sleep time.....because if so, the three days could work, with the money saved look into suites across the street., because of the age of your group, a hotel close will be a vacation saver!!!!

 

[uandmfan]

This year when the kids were 2.5 and 5, they went from 8 am at the parks until 5 pm. He napped for an hour or less and she sat down when she needed to. And many days we were there at 7. So I'm not as worried about stamina. But, yes, my parents would babysit . I'll look into the suites again.

 

[chickapin parterre]

....it is your stamina that I am trying to support.!!!!!...by having the kids back at the pool , you and spouse can go back , use your fastpass, do single rider.....plan away your worries...that is the beauty of Disneyland......rest is just a few blocks away.....and to be honest with you, some of us here write of our children enjoying the pool more with parents than Disneyland.....that is what my nine year old told me about his trip to Disneyland.!!!! really deflated me, but then it happen to other parents, so I didn't feel so bad.

 

[uandmfan]

Haha!!! I will keep that in mind!