Convince a WDW-lover to try DLR!

[LegoMom3]

Ok folks, here's your mission, should you choose to accept!....

I am an east-coast native and long-time WDW fanatic. I am no sooner home from one trip than I'm on the computer and planning the next.

Now, being a family of 5, any trip is going to run us some $$ so we have never ventured to the west coast and Disneyland.

But.....now we live in central Texas. A road trip to southern CA isn't out of the realm of possibility! On a side note, I've always wanted to see that part of the country.

So as I'm poking around the DIS recently, thinking about our currently-planned trip to WDW in fall of 2010, suddenly the idea springs upon me - HEY!....we could try Disneyland this time!

Except that while I'm a walking trivia encyclopedia for all things WDW/Florida, I know exactly zilch when it comes to DLR in CA.

Where do I even begin?!....what lodging is nearby that is suitable for 5 people?...how many days should we plan to spend at DLR?....what other attractions in the area are must-see?

I appreciate anything you can offer that would help!

.

 

[HydroGuy]

Start here:

"A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

You need a minimum of three days and four is better.

There are lots of lodging options. See above link and this one:

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

There is a lot of construction going on at DCA and 2011 will be a better year than 2010 to experience DCA. But you will have a blast either way.

 

[DorkyDisneyMom]

The place to start is at the top of the forum with the FAQ's.

Hydroguy has a great thread of tips for WDW vets who visit DLR.

I have never been to WDW so that is all the help I can give you but at least it is a nice start.

 

[Hound 109]

After you've read Hydroguy's first two threads (his first thread is the essential starting point).....go ahead & read his other tip threads....all very much worth a read:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483


As one Central Texas to another, I can tell you that Walt's Park is different than WDW... but in many ways I far prefer it. I agree a minimum of 3 days & nights would be good....4 days would be better.

Know that it will be less humid than WDW, that the time zone difference works in your favor & that getting to the parks early is even more important at DLR than it is at WDW.

Also know that Dining isn't an important component to a DLR vacation (as it is at WDW) but there's ALOT of great dining options for foodies on a 4 day visit. & that Sleeping Beauty's Castle is really small....no....it's smaller than you would ever imagine....so don't go looking for it until you reach the HUB.

Have a great time considering a visit to Walt's Park.

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

As a WDW lover, I was so disappointed with DisneyLand. It is very different from WDW, but it does have so different attractions and a different "feel" from Disney World. I believe that if I had(like other posters said) stayed for a little longer, it might have grown on me... But, maybe you might really enjoy it, it's something you have to do once; it's the original! P.S- When we entered the park, my 7 yo daughter started crying "the castle's so tiny!"

 

[HydroGuy]

P.S- When we entered the park, my 7 yo daughter started crying "the castle's so tiny!"

A little perspective can help. I have heard similar stories about DLR folks going to WDW and saying "where in the heck is the Matterhorn?". The Matterhorn is the iconic center of DL to most DLR vets. I have heard of many families like mine. When I was a child as we drove closer and closer to DL it was a game to see who could spot the Matterhorn first from outside the park.

So yes, I can see a WDW vets disappointment with the small DL castle because they do not have the association of the venerable Matterhorn. They have never known that they should have been missing it at WDW because they don't have one!

 

[LegoMom3]

Thanks for all the links! I've got my reading cut out for me but totally looking forward to it. I'm anxious to get to know "Walt's park!"


Hound 109, have you driven over or do you fly?

.

 

[fairycat]

Also since you are talking fall, Halloween rocks at DLR with a lot of fun things WDW just doesn't have. And no humidity!!!

BTW I was so a where is the Matterhorn person at WDW.

 

[Hound 109]

Thanks for all the links! I've got my reading cut out for me but totally looking forward to it. I'm anxious to get to know "Walt's park!"


Hound 109, have you driven over or do you fly?

.

I fly....but it's usually only 2 of us & always on SW airlines.

But i've done the Texas - SoCal drive many times & although it's 20 hours non stop.....there are stops that everyone should do once in their lives. (Carlsbad Caverns, Santa Fe, Durango/Mesa Verde, the Grand Canyon etc.)....so driving is also an option.

But if flying....making a DLR/San Diego or LA or Central Coast trip is also a GREAT vacation option.


I also was a "nose against the car window" child of the 60s hoping to get the first glimpse of the Matterhorn.

& for me, the Castle is the right size....perfectly proportioned as an entrance to (a much more magical than WDW) Fantasyland. One enjoys it AFTER walking down Walt's Main St. I like the pretty little castle every bit as much as the McMansion in the Swamp.

One other thing you won't miss about Orlando (discussed in detail in HGs essential WDW vet link).....no stinkin' buses.....it's all right there (hotels, DTD, the two parks)...within walking distance. One uses their feet.

 

[cmwade77]

Disneyland is the original Disney theme park.....enough said.

Really, it's quite different, but plan on doing the whole So. Cal. thing, San Diego, Sea World, Knott's, Universal, Disneyland, etc.

We have tons to do, but Disney isn't near as immersive here as in Florida, but that can also be a good thing, you just have to come and see what I mean.

 

[Disney Dreams]

...P.S- When we entered the park, my 7 yo daughter started crying "the castle's so tiny!"

Which is funny because the only thing DH and I kept saying all day at the MK was, "Wow that castle is just really big!" (I suppose it's what you are used to that seems "normal.")

- Dreams

 

[daneenm]

A little perspective can help. I have heard similar stories about DLR folks going to WDW and saying "where in the heck is the Matterhorn?". The Matterhorn is the iconic center of DL to most DLR vets.

Amen! Exactly what I thought at Magic Kingdom! Something was missing. I must say I find DL much more enjoyable than MK at WDW. Admittedly, I am CA born and raised, but it feels much more charming in DL to me. Love WDW too, just don't love MK and much as DL.

 

[D. Crockett]

Disneyland is the original Disney theme park.....enough said.

Exactly.

I am a WDW veteran myself, and had grown up visiting the parks in Fla. Finally in 1993, we got to visit DL for the first time. There was something very magical about stepping into the gates of "the original". All the history behind the park, imagining where Walt himself once stood, or where Fess Parker rode a horse in Frontierland, or where all those classic Disneyland shows were filmed for Wonderful World of Disney. Seeing the original Disney theme park castle and getting to walk through it. It was a special day that I will never forget.

One of my first big impressions of DL was their version of POTC. I remember the boat ride going through all those different caves and scenes that we don't have at our version in Orlando. The bayou scene at the beginning with the banjo, and looking toward BB restaurant from the ride. That was the first attraction we went on at DL. And of course there's the Matterhorn, like one of the pp's mentioned. It was really special getting to ride that, considering the history behind it and how it was the first of its kind. Another big impression was how much more Fantasyland at DL has to offer in comparison to MK in Orlando. Alice in Wonderland, Toad, Pinocchio, Storybook Canal, Casey Jr...all those that are not in Fla.

There was a very special feel about the place that is hard to describe. I wouldn't trade that experience of visiting "Walt's Park" for anything, and plan to go back (soon).

And this is coming from a WDW die-hard. GO to DL! You will not regret it.

 

[CarolynK]

We have been DVC members at Boardwalk since 1999, with 20-something trips to WDW and "only" eight to DLR since 1999. I love DLR, there's a very special feel to Disneyland that you just don't get in Florida. As others have said much more eloquently than me - Disneyland is the park that started it all! WDW is very special to me, but Disneyland IS the Magic Kingdom.

We are eagerly anticipating our March trip to DLR, since we are staying at VGC. We have been waiting for this - our last trip to DLR was summer of 2007 - and a trip to Cali for us is long overdue

You owe it to yourself to visit DLR, I think it will forever change the way you see WDW!

 

[Sosai X]

I think my sig sums it up.

 

[queenie82]

for me, the Castle is the right size....perfectly proportioned as an entrance to (a much more magical than WDW) Fantasyland. One enjoys it AFTER walking down Walt's Main St. I like the pretty little castle every bit as much as the McMansion in the Swamp.

Oh dear...sorry that REALLY cracked me up.....
For me...there is nothing better than Cinderella's Castle (or the McMansion). And second place goes to Paris.
But I do understand why people love the original....and the Matterhorn is a ripper of a skyline partner.

Generally I am torn between WDW and DL. In a trip if I can get a cheaper airfare NOT doing a stopover in LA then I will happily go to WDW only.
BUT...I am still addicted to DCA.

I'm not sure if this is part of the information you are looking for but I am one of those nutcases who really really loves DCA and it is part of the draw of Anaheim. I love it in its original format (complete with Golden Dreams) but apparently there aren't enough us to sustain the park. The rollercoaster is the BEST outdoor coaster I have been on (and I have been on A LOT.)
But most of all the atmosphere is magical at DCA.

I think at least one visit is WELL worth doing at some point so you can decide for yourself. It is really something you have to experience for yourself to know how you will feel.
And if you love Pirates at WDW you will LOVE LOVE the one at Disneyland. There is nothing better than the original Pirates of the Caribbean.


Oh and remember...there is no big hat and no big golf ball either

 

[Disney Fool]

I'm another WDW addict. After all, those of us on the east coast find it easier to get to WDW than to DL. But, after 50+ trips to WDW, I finally made it to the West Coast two years ago. And what was the first thing I did? Disneyland!!! From the minute I walked through the gates, and looked at the beginning of Main Street, a giantic smile lit up my face, and I was hooked. Now, knowing the layout of the Magic Kingdom as well as I do, I marveled at how much was packed into such a smaller space. The details were amazing. At the MK in WDW, all the charm has been replaced by efficiency and space. The store on Main Street that sells kitchen ware in WDW no longer has the telephones on the wall that you can listen to, or if they are there, they don't work anymore. The pickle barrel with the checkers set --is it even there anymore? The same store, in DL, not only has the phones, and the potbellied stove, it encourages you to stay awhile and rest yourself, put your feet up, have a cup of coffee, get a refill, have a pastry. Main Street is still an event--not a pass-through to get to the castle, or the other areas of the park as in WDW. For my first visit, I remember putting my golden Mickey Ears on proudly, and standing in the street and just grinning. Suddenly, I heard people chanting: "Go, Mickey, Go, ...Go, Mickey, Go!" and I looked up at the Matterhorn and there was Mickey Mouse climbing the mountain and people on the street cheering him on. I finally made my way to Fantasyland, and was staggered to find that they still had Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. (I love that ride and missed it when they removed it from WDW) Not only that, there were several MORE attractions in that section than in WDW. Even Toontown was far better. Need I go on? I'm hooked. I've been back 3 times, and I'm planning another trip this summer. I was fortunate to see "Golden Dreams" and I loved it at DCA; was wowed by Aladdin show, and other unique things at DCA. I am anticipating the new WOC show opening soon. Maybe diehard WDW fans will truly appreciate all that DL has to offer. Walt's spirit lives on in a little patch of acreage off So. Harbor Blvd. that is known as Disneyland...

 

[LegoMom3]

I think my sig sums it up.

LOVE it!!...

I'm another WDW addict. After all, those of us on the east coast find it easier to get to WDW than to DL. But, after 50+ trips to WDW, I finally made it to the West Coast two years ago. And what was the first thing I did? Disneyland!!! From the minute I walked through the gates, and looked at the beginning of Main Street, a giantic smile lit up my face, and I was hooked. Now, knowing the layout of the Magic Kingdom as well as I do, I marveled at how much was packed into such a smaller space. The details were amazing. At the MK in WDW, all the charm has been replaced by efficiency and space. The store on Main Street that sells kitchen ware in WDW no longer has the telephones on the wall that you can listen to, or if they are there, they don't work anymore. The pickle barrel with the checkers set --is it even there anymore? The same store, in DL, not only has the phones, and the potbellied stove, it encourages you to stay awhile and rest yourself, put your feet up, have a cup of coffee, get a refill, have a pastry. Main Street is still an event--not a pass-through to get to the castle, or the other areas of the park as in WDW. For my first visit, I remember putting my golden Mickey Ears on proudly, and standing in the street and just grinning. Suddenly, I heard people chanting: "Go, Mickey, Go, ...Go, Mickey, Go!" and I looked up at the Matterhorn and there was Mickey Mouse climbing the mountain and people on the street cheering him on. I finally made my way to Fantasyland, and was staggered to find that they still had Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. (I love that ride and missed it when they removed it from WDW) Not only that, there were several MORE attractions in that section than in WDW. Even Toontown was far better. Need I go on? I'm hooked. I've been back 3 times, and I'm planning another trip this summer. I was fortunate to see "Golden Dreams" and I loved it at DCA; was wowed by Aladdin show, and other unique things at DCA. I am anticipating the new WOC show opening soon. Maybe diehard WDW fans will truly appreciate all that DL has to offer. Walt's spirit lives on in a little patch of acreage off So. Harbor Blvd. that is known as Disneyland...

(Disney Fool, I just have to comment that my DH grew up in Chelmsford!)

I SO miss those details in the WDW MK!! My first trip wasn't until '87 but it was still a different park then. I remember the penny arcade with actual old games....the "real" Main St. Cinema....etc.. Little things like the phones you mentioned - that's the stuff that really sets Disney apart and it's so sad to see it slowly fade away.

Well, I'm convinced! Now to work on DH (who thinks it's still really far away...).

.

 

[Disney Fool]

Small World After All!!!!!!! Chelmsford/Lowell. Wow! I remember the Joke shop on Main Street, and the Arcade. And I remember when the characters used to roam unattended by "keepers". As a well-known phrase from the movie "L'il Abner says, "Put 'em back, the way they was!"

 

[HydroGuy]

For me...there is nothing better than Cinderella's Castle (or the McMansion). And second place goes to Paris.
But I do understand why people love the original....and the Matterhorn is a ripper of a skyline partner.

I was blown away by the castle in Paris. It takes first place for me over MK. Plus they have that secret down there under the castle in Paris which is a lot of fun.