Disneyland Newbies!

[The_Jungle_Skipper]

Hello everyone!

I am a brand new member here, and I have a huge question to ask this community.

My family and I have been going to WDW for 5 years straight, and this year, we decided for once to change it up and go to Disneyland. Now, I've wanted to go to the Land for many years, and now that we are finally going, now I don't know what to do. This is a very different monster than WDW.

So, my question for you is, if we're going in September, how do we do Disneyland?

EDIT: I guess before I get answers, I should clarify what I know.
I know the obvious, two parks, three hotels, and a Downtown Disney.
I know most of the things about Disneyland, but not a lot about California Adventure.
So, minus good tips and info, there are five main questions I would please like answered:

1. How do we get from the airport to Disneyland?

2. What's our best resort bet (Middle class family of four with two adults, a 15 year old, and a five year old)?

3. How many days should we take to do it all?

4. I assume that the reservations work mainly the same as WDW, so what are some good restaurants for my family in terms of reservations (and non would be good to know too)?

5. What are some main differences we should come to expect between WDW and DL?

 

[BadPinkTink]

So, my question for you is, if we're going in September, how do we do Disneyland?

You havent given much info so I'm just gonna give some basics and see what questions lead on from there

1. Disneyland is in Anaheim, which is approx I hour drive from LAX airport, 90 minutes drive from Hollywood Walk of of Fame. Most people use a shuttle service, there are various companies.

2. Disneyland has 2 parks, located opposite each other on two sides of a plaza. Disneyland is north, California Adventures is south, Downtown Disney is west and the transportation hub is east. Park hopping is popular

3. Disneyland uses legacy fast pass, no magic bands or booking fastpass in advance online

4. There are only 3 onsite hotels, Disneyland Hotel, Grand California and Paradise Pier. There are a huge number of Good Neighbour hotels located in the area of Disneyland, many have just the same walking distance / time to the central plaza than the onsite hotels!

5. ADR can be done at 60 days out online but there is no where near the rush or demand of WDW

6. Disneyland has some major refurb work going on due to the construction of Star Wars Land. This mainly effects Frontierland , Rivers of America and the Disneyland Train

 

[craigkerstiens]

To follow on to a few specific ones:

3. We often make long weekend trips and feel like we can hit everything at a leisurely pace. Three days is often enough and with four you can really space it out. The fact that the parks are right there together you'll likely hit both of them every day if you want, it's nowhere near as bad as the coordination of park hoping at WDW.

4. As PP mentioned there's not nearly the demand, and you can make reservations 60 days out. The nicest restaurant they have is Napa Rose, so if fine dining is your preference then it's a must. Aside from that there's a number of options, one of our personal favorites which is still on the higher end but not as up there as Napa Rose is Carthay Circle. There's really no equivalent to it at WDW where as some others can be much more similar. As for quick service, Flo's is much better food than you'll find at most quick service at WDW so it's worth a try.

5. The world of color is a show that's quite different so it's worth making sure you get to it. Overall DL is akin to Magic Kingdom and while there's small differences they're largely similar. California Adventure is more a cross between HS and EPCOT, though that's a bit of a stretch. California adventure is really only similar to EPCOT in that is houses Soarin' and instead of countries has some strong California features.

As for more detail on differences, some rides are the exact same, some are slightly different. Haunted Mansion and Pirates are both different which is fun to compare, then there's others like Matterhorn which simply doesn't exist at WDW so planning for the different ones and ones that don't exist would be my recommendation.

 

[The_Jungle_Skipper]

1. Alright, Good to know there is some transportation from the airport to Disney
4. I was not aware that the neighbor hotels were that close!
6. With the knowledge of that, I'm a little bummed we'll miss Jungle Cruise.
Thanks for the quick response, After you posted I did clarify a little bit on what info I was exactly looking for.
Edit: thanks also craig. With the knowledge that even only three days is enough we'll pry make it four.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

HydroGuy's DLR Guide for WDW Vets is a must read.

As mentioned, off-site hotels are actually closer than on-site hotels in some cases, and should be seriously considered. The on-site hotels can be quite pricey and don't include the same level of perks you find being on-site at WDW. If you're going to stay off-site, focus on hotels on Harbor Blvd., across from the pedestrian crosswalk. These will be a 5 minute walk to the gates. Hotels along the west and south side of DLR will be a much longer walk. Also, you don't have to stick to "Good Neighbor" hotels shown on Disney's site, that is a mostly meaningless designation.

Counter service food is generally better at DLR. By "better" I mean there is typically more variety, not just burgers and fries. Personal favorites are gumbo at the Royal Street Veranda, pasta/salads at Redd Rockett's Pizza Port, chimichangas, Rancho del Zocalo, and fried chicken from Plaza Inn (huge portions, can easily be shared). In DCA I like the options at the wharf (teriyaki chicken bowl, burritos, soup in bread bowls) as well as at the Cozy Cones (e.g. chili cone queso).

Table service, I would recommend Blue Bayou, the restaurant inside Pirates of the Caribbean. I believe they are selling Paint the Nite dining packages that include a meal here, so that might be a nice option if you'd prefer not to stake out a spot way in advance for the parade. This parade is really awesome, by the way.

As for how many days, three would be the minimum. Multi-day tickets are only sold for up to 5 days. I would suggest buying 4 or 5 day parkhoppers. Hopping is very quick and easy and you can hold FPs for both parks, so it's nice to get a FP for, say, Radiator Springs Racers (RSR) and then hop to DLR and get one for Space Mountain. In fact, you don't need everyone to go along. Once tickets have been used to enter at least one of the parks, someone can grab them all and run over to the other park to get the FPs.

 

[BadPinkTink]

1. How do we get from the airport to Disneyland?

I use shared shuttle service www.supershuttle.com

2. What's our best resort bet (Middle class family of four with two adults, a 15 year old, and a five year old)?

I would check out the Good Neighbour Hotels here https://disneyland.disney.go.com/hotels/good-neighbor/ The only thing you really miss out on staying off site is the early opening, but honestly, if you get there for general opening time you will be fine.

I stay at Motel 6 Main Gate, as when I go I spend over 12 hours each day at the park and I just need a basic hotel

3. How many days should we take to do it all?

I have done 1 day and 2 day visits and had a great time. Most people will tell you around 4 or 5 days max. There is only 2 parks

4. I assume that the reservations work mainly the same as WDW, so what are some good restaurants for my family in terms of reservations (and non would be good to know too)?

Yes you make the ADR online here https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/#/reservations-accepted/ This is a list of the restaurants that you can do ADR for. My must do restaurant is Blue Lagoon. It just depends on why your budget is and the type of food you want to eat.

5. What are some main differences we should come to expect between WDW and DL?

Main differences are its smaller, just 2 parks. Legacy Fast Pass system and some rides have different variations. Also there are rides in Disneyland , like Snow White which are not in WDW

6. With the knowledge of that, I'm a little bummed we'll miss Jungle Cruise.

Jungle Cruise is not affected by the Frontierland refurb. Its on its own river behind Indiana Jones

 

[nikkislaght]

also there are 3 airports you can fly into .. LAX , transport shuttle would be your best bet..
Santa Ana and Long Beach are both approx. 13 miles from DLR and you can get taxi's (van taxis same price ) for a flat rate of approx. $45. for a group of 5, booster seat for the 5 yr old is needed.. both Long Beach and SNA are very very small and easy to get through with a group your size.. we fly down from WA and stay as far away from LAX as we can..

Hope you have a great trip.