Any tips for DVCers Visiting Disneyland next weekend

[kikiq]

DL Fantasmic was started in 1992. I think the show at DHS was built in 1996.
I don't ever remember standing for Fantasmic if you are in the area right against the railing. But the last time we saw it was in Jan 08, my birthday tradition to see all parades, fireworks and shows. At that time, if you didn't find a spot in front or on the steps, you were standing. If you have to stand, make your way to HM. You will be a little off center, but you get to see Peter Pan swing off the Mark Twain as it goes off stage.

If you really want to know if you HAVE to stand, go to the Disneyland DIS boards and there is always an AP who has seen it recently and will tell you the current scoop.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

We just got back from 3 nights at the PP. Once again, our room had a great view of DCA, including some backstage areas. It's kinda funny to see the characters backstage after they have just finished the parade.

Definitely see the fireworks. They were designed for the 50th anniversary and tell the history of Disneyland. You want a clear view of the Castle for all the light effects and to see the amazing flight of Tink. It is often cancelled due to winds that seem minor at ground level, so try to attend on your first night.

Enjoy the Aladdin show at DCA. Its an amazing production with an elephant, horses, camels and a flying carpet. Because there is little dialogue, just one song after another, we call it the Reader's Digest condensed version of what the production might be like on Broadway.

Take advantage of parking hopping. The parks are next to each other, making going back and forth a breeze compared to WDW. On Sunday, we entered the parks 6 times in one day, which we belive is our personal record. As a hotel guest, you can use the entrance to DCA from the Grand Californian Hotel. The lines for both bag check and park entrance are usally much shorter. Be prepared to show your charge slip to be allowe dto enter here. You can enter here, pick up a Soarin' fastpass and head to the exit and be in line for DL in less than 10 minutes!

If you are interested, the new Mark 7 monorail only runs in the mornings and evenings, when it is less than 85 degrees out.

Have a great trip -- Suzanne

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses.

If we're up early enough (which is possible with the EST adjustment) we'll cheer on the half-marathon runners.

Happily, we're spending a week in Oct. at our home resort SSR, so we won't feel pressured to do everything while we're at DL.

We're particularly interested in finding the many differences between WDW and DL. I'm curious to see how Tower of Terror differs from its WDW incarnation.

Best place to cheer is in the entry plaza and DTD. When they come back from Angels Stadium, they come down the road that enters the tram plaza and do the final haul all the away through DTD! We always get breakfast at Storytellers after we see the race start and then head over into DTD by Libby Lu to wait. I think the first runners come through around 9ish? The timing throws me off since I don't run.

Also to add to the list of don't miss... the StoryBook Canal Boats - one of Walt's pet projects! The Casey Jr. Circus Train is another fun way to see StoryBook Land, too!

 

[tidefan]

I've never been a big Fantasmic fan at WDW. Viewing it at DL it is easier to comprehend the show's genesis...how the creators made use of what they had available at DL. In a way it makes the Florida version even more disappointing knowing that they had a blank slate and the response was "eh, let's just copy Fantasmic but without that expensive pirate ship."

We're not huge Fantasmic fans either, but I do have an opinion after visiting DL this past July. Theatrically, the show is beautiful, but logistically, it is a nightmare. New Orleans square virtually bottlenecks for 4 hours every night as they work to put on the shows. I personally like WDW's stadium setup better for handling the crowds. It gets them somewhat out of the way of the main park.

I will agree that Space Mtn is waaaay better at DL. Pirates, well the ride is longer and has an extra drop, but I think that the queuing area at WDW is much better and the ride doesn't back up as much because of the separate loading and unloading areas. Indiana Jones was fun, maybe even moreso for the queue than the actual ride itself. Matterhorn is good, but rough. I loved the extra dark rides of Pinocchio, Alice, and, of course, Mr. Toad! All in all, DL's Fantasyland and ToonTown are much better executed than WDW's, though I would give WDW the edge in Frontierland and Tomorrowland.

We really like DCA as well. Don't miss the Electrical Parade. It sure brought back a lot of nostalgia. TOT as mentioned before is different. It is missing the middle sequence of the FLA ride, but it is still a lot of fun. TSMM is a don't miss as is the Aladdin show. One note on that, I would go for the Mezzanine or Balcony seating. We got in line early for the Orchestra and thought that we were doing good, but they let a huge section of AAA vacation package purchasers in before the regular line, so we ended up in the back with some restricted sight lines.

Have a great time. DL is a blast. We liked it so much that we are definitely considering a GCV add-on...