Days needed for DL?

[LoDivaLoca]

Hi, I'm a WDW veteran, and I wondering....IF I were to go to DL (DB & I are talking about possibly doing a Jan trip). How many days would I need to see everything at DL? I know when I went to WDW, I was there 8 days one trip & thought I could have spent another week easily to do & see everything I wanted. However, I understand that DL is smaller. How many days would be ideal? 4? 5?

And as a side note...I see many of these GN hotels say they're 'one block away' from DL. How true is that??

Thanks for the help!

 

[PryncessChrysty]

I would say that 4 days is PLENTY to see DLR, 5 if you wanted to take a day and visit another city or something.

One whole day/night for DL
One afternoon/night for DCA
One day for DTD and checking out the hotels (I'm sure you know there are only 3 and they are all within walking distance of each other.)
Then a fourth day for relaxing, shopping and doing a double take of the things that you enjoyed on the days prior.

DLR is very small, granted I have yet to experience WDW in it's capacity (the last time I was there was when I was 8, 18 years ago and it was just for a day at the parks - then it was only MK and Epcot). But I am a DLR vet and know that it doesn't take very long to check it all out!

Most of the GN hotels are very close. Many are literally across the street from DL or DCA, just a few steps further from the parks than the Disney hotels. Although, the GN's don't have access straight through DTD like the Disney hotels, but most, if not all of the GN hotels have shuttles that take you right to DLR.

I hope you have a great time on your trip!!

 

[iceskatejen]

I think for 1st timers, we all generally agree to a 3-day minimum--2 days for DL and one for DCA. DTD can easily be checked out in the space of a couple hours as it's not nearly as large as the one at WDW. Of course that's not really allowing for much in the way of down time or allowing for weather issues (in Jan it might rain and it can get chilly).

 

[BlueBayou]

I think 4 days would be more than enough time to see/ride everything you want to. Just follow the get there early/use fastpass advice.

That said, I could live at the park, so after 4-days I am very sad to leave and it does not seem like four days is enough. However, in 3-days I have done everything I wanted to do. I am just greedy and want to keep the magic alive and keep going.

I always get the feeling of "but I don't want that to be the last time I ride pirates." I have to keep reminding myself that Disneyland is not going away. I can always come back.

Sher

 

[ibouncetoo]

I think three days are adequate, but four days is better. When we did a four day trip, we scheduled the "Walk in Walt's Footsteps Tour" for one morning and it was very worthwhile. I assume you'll be having park hoppers, so you can start out each morning at DL and spend some of the afternoon at DCA.

Some of the GN hotels are actually closer to park entrance than Paradise Pier and the Disneyland Hotel.....couple are right across the street from the plaza entrance. I'd recommend the Disney hotels if your budget allows, however....just so you can stay 'in the magic'.

A couple of good DTD restaurants I'd recommend are the Jazz Kitchen and Catal. Favorite Disney restaurant is Storytellers in the Grand Califonian (also hotel of choice). Goofy's Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel will feel very much like Chef Mickeys. Favorite restaurants in the parks: the Trotteria (sp?) in CA and in DL it's all counter service and buffetts except for the Blue Bayou, which will require a PS

 

[Judy from Boise]

If you do go in January, keep in mind that all of the holiday stuff is up and running usually unitl the 5th. For the last 2 years my DD and i have arrived on the 2nd and stayed through the 5th, and enjoyed the holiday parade,fireworks,Mansion and Small world overlays. After the 5th, i think both of these rides go down to remove the holiday stuff.

 

[lark]

Depends on what you like to do. If you're talking about taking 8 days at WDW just for the parks, then it sounds like you do things leisurely. If the 8 days at WDW was to shop at DTD, go to all the clubs at PI, hang out on the boardwalk, visit resort restaurants, and check out all 4 parks, then I'd say you're actually a very fast tourer, and 3 days at DL resort should be fine.

Just to give you a sense, I find the MK pretty much easy to do entirely in a day. DL park, by comparison, is simply not doable in a day, particularly if you want to see Fantasmic from a decent spot. It's more compact, or at least seems so, but it just seems to take longer. This is particularly true if you have toddler age kids, or otherwise enjoy Fantasyland rides, because Fantasyland is more extensive at DL, and many of those rides are slow loaders.

Sounds like it's adults only, though, in which case I've just posted a long-winded way of saying I agree with everyone else. You could do it in 3 without much trouble, you'd probably enjoy it a little more in 4 if you like to go leisurely, and you'd probably have to enjoy doing stuff more than once (and might actually start to get bored) if you stayed for 5.