Disneyland first timers

[live4christp1]

So excited to be going to Disney and SoCal in October for our first trip. We've done WDW lots of times. Anyone got great tips and/or advice to share?

We are flying in early on Sunday to SNA and going to rent a car and drive up to Hollywood for a bit then check in at hotel. We are staying right across the street in a good neighbor hotel.

Have three day park hoppers for Mon, Tues & Wed. I see the Halloween party will be going on Mon & Wed, what time will we have to exit DL? I guess we will probably hit CA on Monday and do a full day there, then a full day at DL on Tuesday so we can see the night shows at each park and the a split day on Wednesday.

Tips on best way to get good seating or viewing for the night time shows?

What can we expect weather wise?

We will check out Thursday AM and drive to Huntington Beach and then down the coast into San Diego to spend the remainder of the day and Friday. Head home on Saturday.

So excited and nervous at the same time.

 

[SuperRob]

So excited to be going to Disney and SoCal in October for our first trip. We've done WDW lots of times. Anyone got great tips and/or advice to share?

We are flying in early on Sunday to SNA and going to rent a car and drive up to Hollywood for a bit then check in at hotel. We are staying right across the street in a good neighbor hotel.

Have three day park hoppers for Mon, Tues & Wed. I see the Halloween party will be going on Mon & Wed, what time will we have to exit DL? I guess we will probably hit CA on Monday and do a full day there, then a full day at DL on Tuesday so we can see the night shows at each park and the a split day on Wednesday.

Tips on best way to get good seating or viewing for the night time shows?

What can we expect weather wise?

We will check out Thursday AM and drive to Huntington Beach and then down the coast into San Diego to spend the remainder of the day and Friday. Head home on Saturday.

So excited and nervous at the same time.

There really isn't any "seating" for DL/DCA shows unless you pay for a package. You'll be sitting on the ground or standing. Dinner packages for World of Color still only give you standing areas for the show, but from preferred viewing angles. Carthay Circle's viewing area is pretty great. If you have issues standing for a while (or sitting on the ground while you wait), You may find the World of Color Dessert Party worth the money, because you get a chair, but you will be further back and slightly elevated. Fantasmic is down, so no dessert party for that. Paint the Night is down, so no reserved viewing for that or the fireworks. Wouldn't be surprised if they announce a dessert party for Fireworks to capture some revenue, but nothing announced yet.

Weather is almost always temperate in October, but I'm not a meteorologist. Consult a forecast before you go.

 

[smartlabelprint]

We parkhop all of our days. Don't limit yourself to one park.

I wish I knew about my favorite restaurants when we were there. French market, plaza inn, Boardwalk pizza & pasta, Bengal BBQ, and the veggie sandwich at award wieners.

Look at the menus at all ears.

 

[jammyjam25]

You will have to be out of Disneyland by 6pm on the Monday & Wednesday. Halloween Party guests are allowed in at 3:00pm (3 hours before party begins) and those three overlap hours can be quite busy.

The only nighttime show going on while you're there will be World of Color in DCA. You can get a fast pass for a general seating area or you can book a WoC dining or dessert package. The dining packages get you into "premium" viewing areas but you still have to stand. The dessert packages you get a table and chairs.

Weather can be hit or miss in October. Last year I went the first week of October at it was in the 90's all week. I've also heard it can be cool(er) and cloudy in October. You'll just have to keep an eye on weather.com or other sites in the days prior to your trip and pack accordingly.

 

[DizneeRailFan62]

Congrats on the West Coast trip! You'll find DLR much more compact than WDW. I remember the first time I was at WDW in 1972 during the tram ride in from the Donald Duck parking area. The Tram cast member quoted that the entire Disneyland park with its parking lot could fit into just the WDW parking lot! Some find it cramped, and while high attendance may make it seem crowded, I urge you take a few moments to linger in the town square on Main Street and marvel at the fact the those trees you see behind City Hall , the Fire Station (and Walt's apartment above it) are part of the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland! The civil engineering of the place is genius...to pack so much into so little space and yet have it seem so spacious. Many WDW vets are disappointed in Sleeping Beauty Castle, but I urge you to take the time to go through the Sleeping Beauty Walk Through...it's pretty cool even if there is no restaurant inside. I find the park cosy and comfortable, and hope you enjoy your visit and have a magical time.

 

[Becca1007]

So excited to be going to Disney and SoCal in October for our first trip. We've done WDW lots of times. Anyone got great tips and/or advice to share?

We are flying in early on Sunday to SNA and going to rent a car and drive up to Hollywood for a bit then check in at hotel. We are staying right across the street in a good neighbor hotel.

Have three day park hoppers for Mon, Tues & Wed. I see the Halloween party will be going on Mon & Wed, what time will we have to exit DL? I guess we will probably hit CA on Monday and do a full day there, then a full day at DL on Tuesday so we can see the night shows at each park and the a split day on Wednesday.

Tips on best way to get good seating or viewing for the night time shows?

What can we expect weather wise?

We will check out Thursday AM and drive to Huntington Beach and then down the coast into San Diego to spend the remainder of the day and Friday. Head home on Saturday.

So excited and nervous at the same time.

If you don't have them already, I would recommend upgrading to park hopper tickets. As a WDW pro you may be thinking about the time it takes to park hop. However in DL, you can go from the back of one park to the turnstiles of the other park in about 15 min (adult walking pace). On the days that have a Halloween party, I would start in DL at rope drop and do that until the park starts to get crowded around 1. The crowds will only get more unbearable after that time as people start using their party tickets to come in in the afternoon.

Depending on your pace/stamina, 1pm is a good time to take a break back at the hotel. If you want to just power through the day, then just hop on over to DCA and grab a fast pass for one of the big rides (RSR, Soarin, ToT etc), then head to the animation academy to sit down and learn to draw a character or to grab lunch at the Pacific Wharf area.

Depending on weather there can be cancellations of WOC or fireworks, so we always plan to attempt to see those on the first day at the park. Doing a dining option for WOC is great and depending on your budget I recommend Carthay Circle and if that is not within the budget Wine Country Trattoria is great too.

Weather wise, October is often cool/cold in the am and warm in the middle of the day. Pack layer-able options.

On Sunday, if you want to feel like your Disney vacation is really starting many people book a character dining option. I prefer to go to Catal or Jazz Kitchen, because the food is better but if character dining is your thing, that is a great time to do it without eating into your short park time.

 

[live4christp1]

Thank you all!!

The fast pass system at DL is like the old system at WDW before magic bands, correct?

What rides are "must FP rides".....like Soaring and TSM at WDW?

 

[Becca1007]

TSMM does NOT have fast pass at DCA. Head there first thing after rope drop for the shortest lines, otherwise be prepared to wait 45-90 minutes.

FP is paper based. How many people are traveling with you? If a big group have one person hold on to everyone's tickets and "run" for FP throughout the day. I almost never wait in a standby queue if there is a FP option available. It does require a little more walking back and forth within the park but it is well worth the effort. We also take the approach that we ride everything together once and then we are always willing to do the single rider lines when available to maximize the number of times we can ride everything.

You can get a new FP after your FP window opens or 2 hours from the time you got the last fast pass. The time you can get the next one will be printed on the bottom of your paper FP. Also check which FP machines are disconnected from the system. Most recently RSR, Buzz, Frozen show and World of Color were the ones disconnected. So if you have a FP for these you can immediately get another one for something else.

 

[The Lucky Bug]

When we were just there for 4th of July RSR was now connected.

 

[live4christp1]

TSMM does NOT have fast pass at DCA. Head there first thing after rope drop for the shortest lines, otherwise be prepared to wait 45-90 minutes.

FP is paper based. How many people are traveling with you? If a big group have one person hold on to everyone's tickets and "run" for FP throughout the day. I almost never wait in a standby queue if there is a FP option available. It does require a little more walking back and forth within the park but it is well worth the effort. We also take the approach that we ride everything together once and then we are always willing to do the single rider lines when available to maximize the number of times we can ride everything.

You can get a new FP after your FP window opens or 2 hours from the time you got the last fast pass. The time you can get the next one will be printed on the bottom of your paper FP. Also check which FP machines are disconnected from the system. Most recently RSR, Buzz, Frozen show and World of Color were the ones disconnected. So if you have a FP for these you can immediately get another one for something else.

Thank you! I was always the runner at WDW so I guess I need to study the DL and DCA maps some . There are four of us. We are open to close park goers, kids are 13 & 19.

 

[LaVon]

First trip in 20 days.. We are so excited and can't wait to surprise our children.. What is TSMM... And does anyone have advice for Jedi training? My 6 year old would LOVE that!!

 

[Donalyn]

Tip - make sure that you study the layout of Disneyland - it is a little different from MK which can take some time to get used to. For example, Haunted Mansion is in a different place, as is BTRR.

Hopping is a breeze at DLR. Loved it when we were there last. And I'm also excited to use the old FP system again (even with enforced return times). Still so much better than FP+ for those who understand it.

Have a great time!

 

[allsaintsatx]

Congrats on first DL trip!!!

I second (or third? Or fourth? ) getting park hoppers. Way more compact than WDW.

If you want to spend extra money, the World of Color dessert party looks fun. Great viewing area (we stood right behind them and were super jealous), seats and tables and fancy desserts. It's pricey at 79 a person, but if you're there for your first trip and you might not come back for a long time it may justify the price.

As far as rope drop, we try to hit the rides that have no FP first, and FP for rides later. Nemo, Matterhorn, IASW, all of Fantasyland don't use fast passes.

Also, Adventureland is fairly manageable early. You can usually walk on Pirates and sometimes Jungle Cruise which is good because they are also FPless. And our Winnie the Pooh's wait time is laughable compared to WDW! If the wait at Winnie is more than 10 min we usually wait till later!!

We usually get a FP for Indy first thing if we're hitting that side of the park first, walk around to see what has a short line afterwards, hit Indy and get a FP for the next ride (usually BTMRR or HM). Some may suggest getting HM first, but in my experience sometimes you can luck out and have a minimal wait at HM Holiday early in the day. It's swamped at night though!! But, Indy is always busy. Always a 45 min wait, it seems!

Have fun!! You will absolutely love it!!!

 

[LaVon]

I guess i'll download some maps.. I'll have to study in private since this is a huge surprise for the kiddos

Congrats on first DL trip!!!

I second (or third? Or fourth? ) getting park hoppers. Way more compact than WDW.

If you want to spend extra money, the World of Color dessert party looks fun. Great viewing area (we stood right behind them and were super jealous), seats and tables and fancy desserts. It's pricey at 79 a person, but if you're there for your first trip and you might not come back for a long time it may justify the price.

As far as rope drop, we try to hit the rides that have no FP first, and FP for rides later. Nemo, Matterhorn, IASW, all of Fantasyland don't use fast passes.

Also, Adventureland is fairly manageable early. You can usually walk on Pirates and sometimes Jungle Cruise which is good because they are also FPless. And our Winnie the Pooh's wait time is laughable compared to WDW! If the wait at Winnie is more than 10 min we usually wait till later!!

We usually get a FP for Indy first thing if we're hitting that side of the park first, walk around to see what has a short line afterwards, hit Indy and get a FP for the next ride (usually BTMRR or HM). Some may suggest getting HM first, but in my experience sometimes you can luck out and have a minimal wait at HM Holiday early in the day. It's swamped at night though!! But, Indy is always busy. Always a 45 min wait, it seems!

Have fun!! You will absolutely love it!!!

whats BTMRR?

 

[Claireywalsh]

I guess i'll download some maps.. I'll have to study in private since this is a huge surprise for the kiddos

whats BTMRR?

I think it's big thunder mountain railroad?? And tsmm is toy story midway mania??
We should have a quiz page of all abbreviations, some leave you scratching your head for a bit then when you get it, it's like, damn I knew that!!!

 

[Nevada Jen]

Download the Disneyland app. It will give you wait times abs when you click on a ride it will tell you fast pass return times. Very helpful in the park. And good to watch the week before your trip to get an idea of when fast passes run out.

 

[Elima2015]

I find the Disneyland App to be very helpful! It has a map for studying, publishes wait times, current fast pass return times, character locations, entertainment schedule, restaurant menus. Definitely worth having handy.

Also, I'm not a WDW vet, but even so I found this write-up to be informative, though some info is outdated: http://www.disboards.com/threads/a-dlr-guide-for-wdw-vets.1162599/

Another vote to not limit yourself to one park per day. Hopping is SUPER easy. Hang around this board for more tips. Have fun!

 

[allsaintsatx]

Ha! Sorry! So used to not typing the whole thing out! Yes, BTMRR is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, TSMM is Toy Story Midway Mania, HM is Haunted Mansion, Indy is Indiana Jones Adventure.

Hint: if you're trying to hide the trip from your kids and you're using something like your calendar or Notes on your computer, these abbreviations help to "hide" what you're doing! They might know what "Disneyland" is but they will have no clue what "DLR" means!!

Also, definitely download the Disneyland app for your cell phone like Nevada Jen said! Great interactive maps, wait times, fast pass return times, restaurants, characters, restrooms, the whole nine yards! We've been to DLR (riiiiight?) a zillion times and we still use the app constantly.

 

[GatorChris]

First of all, love your name. I "get it".

A non-DL tip: If you're going to Hollywood, be sure to check out the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. If you're walking around and seeing the sights, it's across the street from Madame Tussaud's and near the Chinese Mann Theater. When you walk into the lobby, you'll get to see the inspiration of the Tower of Terror. The architecture and style is exactly the same! And you can even order a sandwich and eat it there in the lobby if you're so inclined.

As for DL, if you only have a few days, make sure you're getting there when the park opens to maximize your time in there. If you go to Pirates first and then hit Indy and that area, you'll get a lot done quickly.