Disneyland vacation Nov/Dec 2016

[KanataDad]

We've been on multiple Disney World and Disney Cruise vacations. We're doing our very first Disneyland California vacation this year and we've been reading up different sites that have tips about Disneyland - but very overwhelming. Wish there was a place that had a 1 to 2 page summary for each park.

We are planning to purchase 4 day tickets (not park hopper) as we want to do it at a leisurely pace - so hopefully 2 days at each park. Are there any threads that have tips and strategies about what rides to do earlier in the morning, what's the best way to take advantage of the FASTPASS ticket system, and best places to eat.

We're so excited for our very first Disneyland California vacation.

 

[gottalovepluto]

This is your best place to start: http://www.disboards.com/threads/a-dlr-guide-for-wdw-vets.1162599/

I'm sorry that you're feeling overwhelmed by planning a DL vacation! My thoughts on your plan & questions:

No park hopper? I would REALLY reconsider this. Park hopping is not stressful at DL (it's a 2 min leisurely, no security stroll between the two parks) and it provides a way to get away from crowds if they're too much in one park, hit up your favorites on the last day, dine wherever you want, watch nighttime entertainment on any evening you feel like.

The parks are so small. My favorite comparison: DL+DCA=Epcot future world + world showcase. Seriously. All of DL and DCA is like walking across Epcot.

Top dining experiences include Blue Bayou at DL, Carthay at DCA and Napa Rose at the Grand Californian Hotel. Reservations can be made 60 days out, availability is plentiful (unless you're talking New Years Eve, otherwise you don't have to stress about making that 60 day mark at all).

Checkout HydroGuy's thread and don't worry you've totally got this DL planning nailed. You've already done more planning than a lot of people. There's a lot less planning than at WDW but it's different in its own way so I can see how it can be overwhelming. Any questions you still have feel free to ask us!

 

[Elima2015]

I agree with the above! The WDW vets guide is great. I think (hope) you will find that you can do less planning for DL and have a wonderful time. I will add that I would prefer to do a 3 day park hopper over a 4 day single park. Just my opinion. We walked between the two parks a bunch. We never spent one day in a single park. We looked at wait times on the DL app and when one area seemed less crowded, we walked across the plaza. This also allowed us to hit some favorite rides across both parks a few times and still see the nightime entertainment we had planned for that day. There are some other very fun things to do in Southern CA for your non-park days. Happy planning!

 

[jammyjam25]

I would re-consider the park hoppers as well, especially considering when your trip is. If you're going the week of Thanksgiving or anywhere in the last two weeks of December, DL will be very busy and it might be nice to have the option to escape to DCA for lower crowds.

 

[smartlabelprint]

I'll vote parkhopper too.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Parkhoppers are actually very important. You can go into one park and get a fastpass then go to the other park to get another fastpass. That helps quite a bit. Plus, there are times when DL is so busy that you'll want to go to DCA for a couple hours just to get away from the crowds. The food selection is much better in DCA and they serve alcohol. DL tends to have more fried foods, saucy high calorie stuff. I guess it depends on what you like. DCA also closes earlier than DL, so if you have a parkhopper and you aren't ready to call it a day, you can hop over to DL for a while.

There are many threads with ride strategies. I think you can find them just by scrolling the first few pages here. There are new ones posted frequently, too. So, check back every day.

 

[KanataDad]

Wow - thanks for all the great info. I'll read up on that thread. We're going Nov 29 (after the Thanks Giving break).

 

[Flickor]

I just fast pass the rides that have long lines, nothing too complicated. Enjoy the 4 days and just relax...it'll be fun with or without hoppers or a million fast passes.

 

[Donalyn]

I was similarly overwhelmed planning our first trip as a family in 2010, when I can plan a WDW trip in my sleep. Here are my thoughts:

1. Hydroguy's stuff is great. Review that.
2. DL's layout is similar, but not exactly the same as Magic Kingdom. Things are in different places. Spend some time with a map before you get there (like on the DL app) to get orientated.
3. Have an open mind. DL and MK are not the same. Both are great, but your experience will be different. Be open to the wonder of DL. Don't compare it to MK all of the time. (For example, the Castle is smaller.) WDW is home to us, but we love DL too. It is okay to love them both.
4. Hoppers all the way. So easy to hop here compared to WDW.
5. Likely will not have fireworks every night - be prepared for that.
6. Good neighbor hotels are a great option. Most are very walk-able to the parks. (You might hear people talk about how far away HoJos is, for instance, but if you are used to WDW transportation and waiting for buses and walking so far just to the bus stop, the entire DLR and neighboring hotels are so compact.)
7. Old fastpass system is still in use at DL. I'm super excited about that for our upcoming trip. They are enforcing return times, but it is better than the scheduling of rides months in advance.
8. You can get almost any question answered here.
9. Have a great time.

 

[KanataDad]

So I'm reading the DLR guide for WDE vets and it says fireworks are only on weekends. Is that still true? Does anyone know if there are any special holiday season fireworks for the first week of December?

 

[smartlabelprint]

So I'm reading the DLR guide for WDE vets and it says fireworks are only on weekends. Is that still true? Does anyone know if there are any special holiday season fireworks for the first week of December?

I don't think there's news yet. But they are supposed to bring back paint the night in select nights during the holidays.

In the winter the fireworks are usually just on weekends.

 

[rentayenta]

I am in the parkhoppers-aren't-a-must-but-they-are-nice camp. Before we had APs we took many trips and didn't park hop. It can be done and even enjoyable if it's financially wiser to opt out of the hopper option.

We will be there at the same time.