DL as "magical" as WDW?

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I don't have an issue with them opening a third gate, necessarily, I just don't think they need to attempt to duplicate WDW at DLR. DLR is a unique experience right now, and I think it should remain so. I don't need to see Epcot or AK at DLR If they do a 3rd gate, I hope it's something where they can incorporate Marvel (something WDW can't do).

My first thought when I read about a third gate as that Marvel should go there. Little boys would love that (and girls would, as well, but it would be something not all about the princesses that would appeal to boys) and they could do family and thrill rides.

Now, I'm seeing a lot about Earl of Sandwich from mom2rtk; however, how about we add in a Wolfgang Puck Express to the Disneyland DTD. I know that it's good to have different things at each park, but Wolfgang Puck Express is fantastic enough to span to coasts, no?

 

[Suvadoo]

And my feet LOVE that about it.

Plus, I can make a dining reservation anywhere on the property and not be committed to being in a certain park for the day. I do think the size of WDW is very impressive. But I get frustrated with the inefficiency of getting from point A to point B.

This is what I love, too. WDW has become a logistical challenge. When I'm thinking about my favorite attractions, at WDW they're all over the place: Soarin' Epcot, Star Tours DHS...
At DLR, the attractions are in 2 parks and I can ride all of my favorites in 1 day with a park hopper. How great is that?

 

[mom2rtk]

My first thought when I read about a third gate as that Marvel should go there. Little boys would love that (and girls would, as well, but it would be something not all about the princesses that would appeal to boys) and they could do family and thrill rides.

Now, I'm seeing a lot about Earl of Sandwich from mom2rtk; however, how about we add in a Wolfgang Puck Express to the Disneyland DTD. I know that it's good to have different things at each park, but Wolfgang Puck Express is fantastic enough to span to coasts, no?

We really need to add WPE to our list to try next time we are at WDW. But I do like your idea of adding it to DTD at DLR!

This is what I love, too. WDW has become a logistical challenge. When I'm thinking about my favorite attractions, at WDW they're all over the place: Soarin' Epcot, Star Tours DHS...
At DLR, the attractions are in 2 parks and I can ride all of my favorites in 1 day with a park hopper. How great is that?

Not to mention that you don't have to pick just one top tier attraction to have a FP for each day!

 

[princessmocha]

That is so funny because after I hit submit, I actually thought that!

I do miss the people mover and we rode it several times while at WDW. I think it is actually better than the one we lost at DL -- it seems to have more "pep".

Not to date myself, but I also miss the skyway.

I miss the Skyway too!!! So are you trying to say we are old! I haven't been back since I graduated from high school, but I am taking the family for their first visit in just over a week. We can't wait. I am pretty sure I am going to be saying and this used to be here and this used to be there! I'm just hoping they love it as much as I did and they keep an open mind that it isn't going to be just like our WDW vacations!

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

And my feet LOVE that about it.

Plus, I can make a dining reservation anywhere on the property and not be committed to being in a certain park for the day. I do think the size of WDW is very impressive. But I get frustrated with the inefficiency of getting from point A to point B.

My husband and I went to Disneyland for the first time last October. We arrived on a Friday. Due to the time change, we were up at 3:00am CST and arrived at Disneyland around 11:00 Pacific. We were starving, so we grabbed some food and then we just went to the hotel and slept. We had tickets for the Halloween party that night so we went to that. The next morning, we went to DCA. We headed back to Disneyland on Sunday and discovered that we had done everything we wanted to do at Disneyland except for Indy. On Monday, we had a half day at DCA and it was excellent because we had already done just about everything we wanted to do there, as well. It's so much easier to get everything done at Disneyland in a shorter amount of time. Plus, you can take a midday break and still get everything done because you will only spend 10-20 minutes walking to and from your hotel rather than planning on an extra hour. Disneyland's size is excellent for helping you get everything done and not being exhausted at the end of the day.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I miss the Skyway too!!! So are you trying to say we are old! I haven't been back since I graduated from high school, but I am taking the family for their first visit in just over a week. We can't wait. I am pretty sure I am going to be saying and this used to be here and this used to be there! I'm just hoping they love it as much as I did and they keep an open mind that it isn't going to be just like our WDW vacations!

Count yourself lucky. My husband and I loved Disneyland so much that we are taking our daughter back in 2016. We have tried to convince my parents, who both LOVE Disney Word, that they need to visit Disneyland. My dad has never been, but my mom lived in California back when my grandfather was stationed there in the 60's. She visited Disneyland then and now says that she has no desire to go back because she remembers what it was like and prefers WDW. For the life of me I cannot get her to understand it is such a different park than it was back in the 60's. She says that she knows it is different but that she prefers WDW. I haven't been able to get her to explain how she can prefer WDW to something she has never actually experienced.

 

[MillauFr]

I agree the most umagical thing about DL is you are not inside the hugeDisney bubble the whole time if not staying onsite. The real world is right outside the gates.

I always thought Orange County California is one giant bubble. Definitely not the real world.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

Also agree that DL is pretty magical especially if you are staying at the DL hotel or Grand Californian. Our first two trips we stayed at the DL Hotel and never even realized what was on the other side of the park entrances. Walking through DTD each day/night to get back to the hotel was great!

The last trip we took, we got a good deal at a "good neighbor" hotel. It was seriously shocking to walk up and down the street on the other side and see the real world staring us back in the face.

When we go back, I don't think that we'd stay anywhere but a DL resort hotel. We want to stay in that bubble (and love the DTD walk). However, the DL hotels are crazy expensive! It's like staying deluxe at WDW!!

 

[jade1]

I didn't say bigger was better. I said I didn't necessarily have a problem with it. That's a far cry from saying bigger is better. A 3rd gate doesn't automatically equal better.

I was honest about what I said. I love DLR as it is. I love that it is *different* from WDW. They could not do anything to expand the resort, and I'd still love going there.

Again-if you can now honestly say you would stop (or start) DL from adding a Marvel park (if it were up to you) then again-I have no problem with that.

Keep in mind-you don't have to visit the 3rd gate, or stay at any new resorts.

We like DL a lot as it is as well, just a couple days was more than enough. That's why we prefer they would add on, Marvel/Epcot/AK anything-just not nearly enough for a 10 to 12 day stay which is our winter escape from work.

Same would go for US/IOA.

And yes-we would like to select from more resort styles than what they have.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Pretty clear as mud as to which way you prefer IMO.

The way you're coming across is as though it's a black and white issue. That bigger=better, and smaller = not. It's not black and white for me.

Would you prefer they add a 3rd gate (in your case a Marvel park) or not?

I don't care if they add a 3rd gate or not. I love DLR just the way it is, and as I said would continue to visit it whether they add another gate or not.

Adding a 3rd park doesn't automatically make DLR better. It would/will depend on the quality of the park. One would hope they wouldn't make the mistakes they did with DCA a second time around.

Until said 3rd gate is built, there's no way to say whether it would add to the DLR experience (for me) or not, because *for me* bigger doesn't equal better.

Again-if you can now honestly say you would stop (or start) DL from adding a Marvel park (if it were up to you) then again-I have no problem with that.

All of my posts have specifically said I'd stop them from building as many resorts as WDW. I don't think it's necessary at DLR, but then I don't have a problem staying across the street at the Tropicana for $100/night and being at DLR's turnstiles in 5 minutes. I *like* that about DLR. We don't spend a lot of time at our hotel when we're at Disney, so expansive resorts aren't a priority for us. Even on this last trip, at Yacht Club, it was hard to find time to go to StormAlong Bay. I really enjoyed it, but when I only have 5 days at WDW, and 4 park days, I'm not going to miss out on park time for swimming (especially w/o kids). One of the things I dislike at WDW is that to have that short of a travel time from hotel room to park entrance it is 2-3x (or more) more expensive than that. And even many of the deluxe resorts aren't a 5 min walk to park gates.

Keep in mind-you don't have to visit the 3rd gate, or stay at any new resorts.

I'm well aware of that. But if Disney builds new resorts, they're going to build them close to the property. Which, as I stated above, is one of the things I like most about DLR - quick travel time to turnstiles w/o the WDW price-tag. So yes, I would stop them from adding more resorts, because more resorts would pretty much guarantee that those hotel options would disappear.

We like DL a lot as it is as well, just a couple days was more than enough. That's why we prefer they would add on, Marvel/Epcot/AK anything-just not nearly enough for a 10 to 12 day stay which is our winter escape from work.

Again, our POVs come down to vacationing differently. Even in WDW, I wouldn't be at WDW for 10-12 days without doing anything else in the area (universal, sea world, cape canaveral, etc). So, to me, having 3-4 days at DLR and then exploring other areas of California isn't any different.

My main point was that DLR is magical just as it is. It may be smaller than WDW, but smaller does not equal less magic. Adding a 3rd gate may add to the experience, it may not - but DLR is awesome just as it is.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I would also like to point out that your original premise was would you stop Disney from adding Epcot and AK and 27 resorts.

If you can honestly say you would stop Disney (if you had the power) from adding EPCOT and AK (and the 27 resorts) at DL-then I have no problem with your argument.

My answer to that is, yes, I would. Without hesitation.

DLR doesn't need to be a carbon copy of WDW. And my original answer did specify that part of the reason why was because I felt DLR should be kept unique to DLR.

Adding a different, unique to DLR, 3rd gate is a completely different premise than making it a carbon copy of WDW.

 

[lvdis]

I vote yes!!! Especially if you get to go at Christmas time! I really want to go there during the Christmas season sometime. They have the Haunted Mansion holiday overlay and It's A Small World holiday. Cars Land is fantastic during normal times and looks like it would be especially beautiful with all the decorations.

My family and I have been twice to DLR (in the summer) and countless times to WDW. We love them both, of course, but DLR has some really nice qualities about it. My husband says he actually prefers it.

I love that everything is so close that you can walk between the parks and Downtown Disney so easily. The offsite hotels are as close if not closer in some instances than the Disney hotels. Last trip we stayed at the Annabella and enjoyed walking the "back" path (along Disneyland Dr) and sometimes cutting through the Grand Californian on our way to and from the parks.

I'm not sure how it is at Christmas compared to summer, but we found the lines are more manageable because there are more attractions in each park and not just one or two headliners.

I say go for it! I sure would!