Disney West Coast 2017

[tbaptista]

Hi all,

So we are heading to Disney West in April 2017 and have all sorts of questions. We are renting a home with another family about 5 minutes from the park and need some guidance.

While I consider myself well versed in regards to WDW I literally know nothing about DL.

1) Do they use magic bands
2) Is there FP+
3) Is a 3 day hopper enough to see both parks (us and the other family do RD to Close every day when we visit WDW)

That's it for now but I am sure questions will arise. Lol

Thanks in advance.

 

[westie55]

1) There are no magic bands.

2) No FP+ but some rides in each park have the old paper FP. Get in line for Radiator Springs Racers early. The line for FP gets long at park opening and stays long until all the FP are gone around 11am. It seemed to me that fewer rides in DL have FP than I was used to in WDW. For example, Midway Mania has no FP!
3) A 3 day hopper should allow you to do most if not all of both parks, especially if you stay from opening to closing. I was there for 2 days with a baby (so I moved a bit slower) and mid-day breaks at the hotel and still got a lot done.

 

[figment_jii]

While I consider myself well versed in regards to WDW I literally know nothing about DL.

I highly recommend taking a look at HydroGuy's A DLR Guide for WDW Vets. It's a good starting point and will help you identify the similarities and differences between the two resorts.

Just a note, but when you title said "Disney West" my first thought was that you were asking about Disney Spring's West Side (old name for part of DTD in Florida).

1) Do they use magic bands
2) Is there FP+

At this point, DLR does not use Magic Bands or FP+. While it seems unlike that the system as implemented in WDW will make a direct transfer to DLR, it seems likely that some elements may eventually make it to DLR. So I would ask this question again closer to the time of your trip to get the most recent information.

3) Is a 3 day hopper enough to see both parks (us and the other family do RD to Close every day when we visit WDW)

That really depends on what you mean by "see both parks" and when specifically in April you are going. I think three-days is enough to get a lot of things done in both parks, but you probably won't be able to do everything, see everything, and meet every character. It also really depends on when you're going because there may be seasonal activities, higher/lower crowds, longer/shorter hours, etc. that will impact your schedule.

 

[tbaptista]

Thanks! So happy to here it's FP 1.0 lol. I am better at the old FP paper system than the FP+ system. In terms of 2 parks I meant DL and DCA. We plan on hitting the rides, shopping, night time shows and sight seeing. Our families are not interested in character meet & greets or parades. Although the light parade is the exception. Also, big thanks for the link to the Guide, super awesome.

 

[figment_jii]

So, a few other caveats and things to note...

In terms of the "see both parks" I mean, how in-depth do you want to experience both parks. By eliminating the character meet & greets, that will help save a lot of time, but there are still the shows (e.g. Royal Theater, Mickey & the Magical Map) and street performances (e.g., Dapper Dans, Five & Dime, Newsboys) to consider. I think three days is enough to get a good sense of the parks, but it's probably not enough time to do all of the rides and see all of the shows. So, I would still do some prioritizing beforehand, so you can see the things you want the most.

In terms of the nighttime shows, it's worth noting that prior to the start of the 60th Anniversary Celebration, fireworks were only presented on weekends (Fri to Sun) outside of the peak seasons. It's not known if they'll go back to the weekend only schedule after the 60th Celebration official ends or not. Also, it's not quite known when the Spring Break season (usually considered peak season, with nightly fireworks) will start/end in 2017. WoC is usually presented nightly. We don't yet know what Paint the Night's schedule will be after the 60th Celebration ends, either. Just some things to keep in mind because Easter is in mid-April in 2017, so the schedule in early April may be very different from the schedule in late-April.

In terms of FPs, at this point, DLR is still using the "Legacy" FP system. You can also check the official Disneyland App, which will give you the current return time. Unlike WDW, there is no official grace period (either early or late), so plan on returning during the time window printed on the ticket.

Once you've obtained a FP, you can collect your next FP two hours later or when the FP window opens, whichever comes first. Let's say it's 9:00 am and you obtained a FP with a return time of 10:15 am to 11:15 am. You'll be able to get your next FP at 10:15 am (when the time window for the most recent FP opens). On the other hand, let's say it's 9:00 am and you obtain a FP with a return time of 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm. You'll be able to get your next FP at 11:00 am (two hours after you pulled your most recent FP). (Caveat: You cannot hold two FPs for the same attraction, so if you already have a FP for an attraction, but it's time window has not yet opened, you cannot get another FP for that attraction even if you're eligible to get more FPs.) A few other notes:

• There are a handful of "disconnect" FPs. You can obtain these FPs and they do not limit/impact your ability to get another FP immediately. The only "disconnected" attraction FP is for Buzz Lightyear. Likewise, WoC FP is also a "disconnected" FP. In other words, you could go get a WoC FP and then immediately go get a RSR FP. F!, when it was being presented also used the FP system, but it is likely dark for the rest of 2016.
• The two parks are "disconnected" from each other. Meaning you can collect a FP in DL and then immediately hop over to DCA and collect a FP there. For example, if you are in DL and pull a FP for Space Mtn, you can immediately go over to DCA (assuming you have park hopper tickets) and get a FP for RSR.
• Once a park ticket has been used to enter a park, you can obtain FPs in either park. So let's say your party all enters DL in the morning. You can then have one person (aka "the runner") hop over to DCA to get FPs in that park. (It's worth noting, I've only ever done this with park hopper tickets, so I don't know if works if someone had a one-park-per-day ticket). This is one of the biggest differences from WDW when it was still using the Legacy FP system.
• There aren't a huge number of attractions at DLR that use the FP system. Mostly they are the thrill rides and a few of the more popular non-thrill rides. Disneyland.com has a list of the attractions that currently use the FP system: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/#/fastpass/

 

[tbaptista]

We figure 3 days should do it for us. When we visit WDW we do 4.5 days for the 4 parks (MK, Epcot, HS & AK). We always use touring plans and are able to do everything we plan, thats even during Easter Break. Hoping to use touring plans at DL as well. Love the app as it plans the day for you but lets you go at your own pace and change things on the fly. It amazes me how much you can get done from open to close. We plan on visiting Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Figure push ourselves for 3 days and relax the other 4. lol

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I think you're good with three days on the things that you want to do. If the fireworks are going nightly, then tailor your trip to try and do that the first night. One of the things that is different about the Disneyland fireworks is that the direction/velocity of the wind determines whether they will go on. If the wind/velocity pushes them out over the neighborhoods they will be canceled. I don't think WDW runs into this issue, but Disneyland does. It doesn't happen often, but depending on the year and winds it may, so it's better to plan to see them the first night so if they're canceled you have another opportunity. Disneyland gives a really good show. Also, the nighttime Paint the Night parade is outstanding.

 

[taniahappy]

No to all 3