DL differences a WDW regular really must know

snickerboo

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Mar 17, 2006
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Okay, I've been to WDW several times, read the DL guides, read the DL articles here and I have a few questions...

Food in the parks: can you take stuff in? I thought I read here that they were more sticky than at DL. At WDW we've brought in a little soft-sided cooler with lots of food in it. Then I read in Fodors or Birnbaums that you can bring in snacks. For those in the know, what's the general rule of thumb here? Can we bring in water bottles?

Fantasmic: do you need to reserve seats? I've read about people reserving seats. Can you really see it well somewhere with unreserved seats? If so, where's a good spot?

Parking: We are going to drive to the park in the a.m. rather than staying nearby. We're using dh's hotel points to stay for free and there weren't great options in walking distance. I know at WDW, the parking opened about an hour before the park but I read that DL parking opens closer to park open time. Is this true? When does it open? We'll only be staying about 6 miles away.

Park opening: is there any kind of special park opening at DL? We're used to the Welcome Show at MK at WDW. Is there something similar at DL?

Is DTD worth a visit? We've never been to DTD in Orlando. Do you pay to park at DTD?

I think I know the major differences. Are there any more subtle differences that I might not catch from a guidebook but really should know?

Thanks!!!!!:)
 
Can't answer all of your questions but here goes.

Yes you can bring in food and drinks just no glass bottles.

DTD is so close to the parks. You can walk between DTD, DL and CA in a matter of minutes. DTD does have separate parking and I believe it's free as long as you're there for XX amount of time and after that they charge (not sure on the fee).

Yes you can reserve seats for Fantasmic (30 days out). No you don't have to do this in order to see the show but a lot people start staking out their seating area upwards of 3 hours before the show to see it.

I'm sure the rest of your questions will be answered by other board members (lots of knowledge on this board).

steph
 
As a WDW vet, when you walk up Main Street for the first time you might think that pink thing at the end of the street is some sort of scale model of a castle on display. Nope. It's the whole thing. :)
 
As a WDW vet, when you walk up Main Street for the first time you might think that pink thing at the end of the street is some sort of scale model of a castle on display. Nope. It's the whole thing. :)
We can do without the snarky comments please.
 

As a WDW vet, when you walk up Main Street for the first time you might think that pink thing at the end of the street is some sort of scale model of a castle on display. Nope. It's the whole thing. :)

So the plan would be to look to the right of it, and be in awe of the big snowy mountain (that I hear houses an abominable snowman). :)

We can do without the snarky comments please.

Aw I think alvernon was kinda joking. Then again, many people who have gone to WDW first DO indeed have rather negative thoughts about Sleeping Beauty Castle, so it's good to make sure they KNOW it's not as big.




Required reading!
 
We can do without the snarky comments please.

That reminds me of another thing: There is a surprisingly high number of Disneyland fans who have a zero tolerance policy about suggesting that some elements of Walt's original park compare unfavorably to WDW. You might be standing right next to one when in the park, so speak quietly if you choose to note that the castle is smaller, the walkways are narrower, the food is blander, or that the local teens ruin the Haunted Mansion for out-of-town visitors.
 
That reminds me of another thing: There is a surprisingly high number of Disneyland fans who have a zero tolerance policy about suggesting that some elements of Walt's original park compare unfavorably to WDW. You might be standing right next to one when in the park, so speak quietly if you choose to note that the castle is smaller, the walkways are narrower, the food is blander, or that the local teens ruin the Haunted Mansion for out-of-town visitors.
Hmmm. Good thing those "high number of fans" do not frequent this forum very often. You will have better luck finding them at places like MiceChat. :cool2:
 
Thanks to those with helpful hints. I have read about the castle but still kind of excited to see it, not to mention my dd is thrilled about the prospect of a pink castle, smaller or not. And, yeah, looking forward to The Matterhorn!:thumbsup2
 
Hmmm. Good thing those "high number of fans" do not frequent this forum very often. You will have better luck finding them at places like MiceChat. :cool2:

True that! Pretty much all threads there fall into two categories:

1. "Nothing Disney does is ever good enough!"

2. "How dare you bad mouth our beloved Disneyland!"

Lots of things at DLR are better than WDW (Space Mountain! Indy! Tiki Room! Pirates!) but if you search the many WDW vs. DLR threads on this board, you'll find plenty of better things and worse things so you can adjust your expectations accordingly.
 
Since you've never been to DTD at WDW It's hard to make distinctions to you, but I really liked the DTD at DL. It's like a outdoor mall. I would say it's worth a visit, especially since its within walking distance. Think of the letter T. DL is to the right, DCA is to the left, and DTD is the stem. Yes, it's that close. You can literally bounce back and forth between the parks and DTD. At the very end of DTD, you'll find Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, the multiplex theatre, and the original Disneyland Hotel. And, by the way, I was thoroughly charmed by the pink castle when I first saw it. Yes, it's not the huge Cinderella castle at WDW, but it has some serious charm--including the drawbridge and the evil stepmother peeking out the window in the back. Way cool. (don't forget to rub the golden apple) I sincerely hope you enjoy your first visit to DL. I was won over and totally charmed by it--all of it.
 
I have been to WDW and DL this year (it was a blessed year! :wizard:) and aside from the castles (I love the Sleeping Beauty, my girlfriend loved the Cinderella) I would also mention to take a moment and enjoy the difference in the gardens.

As someone who loves flora and fauna, I think that Disneyland gardners have it down pat. The topiary are real bushes that took decades to craft. The trees are more diverse and fully grown, the flowers are of greater diversity, you get the sense that care has gone into every angle and point of view a person may have. I have a 5 year old and when I would kneel next to her for a kiss and look up at something she saw, I realized that even the undersides of hanging baskets are decorative and beautiful!:lovestruc

As for Magic Kingdom, I didn't really care that it was bigger, but I felt that the fantasyland was not as crafted. For me, it felt more like a moving carnival than a fairyland. I like looking at the pagentry outside of Its a Small World at DL and the village feel outside Pinochio and Peter Pan.

So keep your eyes open for more that hidden micky heads, and you'll really enjoy "California" along the way.
 
Jeeze, just because our castle is smaller, doesn't mean its less magical or worse than WDW's. :mad:
 
I think this thread got off track and has failed in helping the OP answer their questions.

Can anyone else help the OP with their questions???


steph
 
Park opening: is there any kind of special park opening at DL? We're used to the Welcome Show at MK at WDW. Is there something similar at DL?

DL does not have any type of Welcome Show when it opens.

They usually select a family to help with the 'count down' to open DL. It isn't a show, and it isn't special.

For a first visit to DL, I recommend:

Enchanted Tiki Room (Under Walt Disney's Management) -- it's much better than WDW's Iago version

The Blue Bayou is the restaurant that's inside Pirates (PotC). It's a bit pricey, but it's a unique DL experience.

Inside the Sleeping Beauty Castle is the Sleeping Beauty Walkthrough. It re-opened last year and is nicely done.

The Billy Hill Show in the Golden Horseshoe.

Next to the castle, DL has the Snow White Grotto.

In New Orleans Square, DL has the Court of Angels. (You can google: Disneyland Court of Angels.)

Hope this helps. :earsboy:
 
Okay, I've been to WDW several times, read the DL guides, read the DL articles here and I have a few questions...

Food in the parks: can you take stuff in? I thought I read here that they were more sticky than at DL. At WDW we've brought in a little soft-sided cooler with lots of food in it. Then I read in Fodors or Birnbaums that you can bring in snacks. For those in the know, what's the general rule of thumb here? Can we bring in water bottles?

Fantasmic: do you need to reserve seats? I've read about people reserving seats. Can you really see it well somewhere with unreserved seats? If so, where's a good spot?

Parking: We are going to drive to the park in the a.m. rather than staying nearby. We're using dh's hotel points to stay for free and there weren't great options in walking distance. I know at WDW, the parking opened about an hour before the park but I read that DL parking opens closer to park open time. Is this true? When does it open? We'll only be staying about 6 miles away.

Park opening: is there any kind of special park opening at DL? We're used to the Welcome Show at MK at WDW. Is there something similar at DL?

Is DTD worth a visit? We've never been to DTD in Orlando. Do you pay to park at DTD?

I think I know the major differences. Are there any more subtle differences that I might not catch from a guidebook but really should know?

Thanks!!!!!:)

The DTD at DLR isn't as humongous as WDW's.

At DLR, DTD is a very short walk from DL and DCA.

Here's a wiki-map link:

http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=33.8091055&lon=-117.918942&z=17&l=0&m=b

:earsboy:
 
My favorite things about DL that you don't get at WDW are Alice in Wonderland ride and the seasonal Davy Crockett canoes.

And if you have kids over 4 then please take the opportunity to let them run around Bear Country in DCA; lots of opportunities to let your little adventurers decompress. The Pirate's Island/Tom Sawyer offers similar inside DL. These are low key, low stress, unstructured experiences which we crave after a few hours of strict regimentation doing all the "must-see" big-line rides.
 
Food in the parks: can you take stuff in? I thought I read here that they were more sticky than at DL. At WDW we've brought in a little soft-sided cooler with lots of food in it. Then I read in Fodors or Birnbaums that you can bring in snacks. For those in the know, what's the general rule of thumb here? Can we bring in water bottles?
Seems to me that WDW and DLR are pretty similar here. They are pretty liberal in letting you bring in snacks. No glass bottles I would expect. Small coolers generally OK.

Fantasmic: do you need to reserve seats? I've read about people reserving seats. Can you really see it well somewhere with unreserved seats? If so, where's a good spot?
Need to reserve seats? No. We have never done it and see F! on every trip. Worth it to reserve seats? Depends if $60 per person is steep to you. The reserved area is relatively small and only for maybe 50 people so most of the viewing area is non-reserved.

Here is info on reserved seating:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland-california/disneyland-fantasmic.htm

The seating down near the water is sitting only. This is sitting on concrete. It is the best free option for someone with small children who may not be able to see otherwise. Further back it is standing only.

If there are two showings of F! on a night it will be at 9PM and 10:30PM and the later one is easier to get seating without a long wait. Usually 45 minutes early should work to get a spot near the water in the sitting area. You may need to get there an hour early now since F! has been more popular this year because of all the refurb work.

If you want to see the first show or there is only one show you need to get there at least 2 hours early. Take a blanket or towels to sit on and mark your spot.

Parking: We are going to drive to the park in the a.m. rather than staying nearby. We're using dh's hotel points to stay for free and there weren't great options in walking distance. I know at WDW, the parking opened about an hour before the park but I read that DL parking opens closer to park open time. Is this true? When does it open? We'll only be staying about 6 miles away.
Things change but I believe the current policy is that parking opens 30 minutes before Magic Mornings (that means 90 minutes before regular park opening) on days with Magic Mornings (Sun/Tue/Th/Sat) and 60 minutes early on days with no Magic Morning.

But note that if you arrive at the "wrong" time you may get stuck in a long line of cars trying to park. If you want to be there by rope drop try to get to the parking structure at least 45 minutes before rope drop. 60 minutes is better.

I think I know the major differences. Are there any more subtle differences that I might not catch from a guidebook but really should know?
DLR caters more to SoCal locals and thus has more lumpy attendance day to day than WDW. In general DLR is more busy on weekends and holidays so that weekdays usually offer lower crowds.

DLR of course has food options but in general offers less than WDW. Further, one of course has to eat but in general the mindset of a DLR visitor has much less focus on food than a WDW visitor. WDW visitors are more into character dining and themed dining. Most DLR visitors are local day trippers and hence food is not considered to be "part of the experience" like it is at WDW.

Learn about Magic Mornings and how to get the most out of them. They differ from EMH at WDW. See "Magic Morning (Early Entry) Super Thread" by DLR29 www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1675403

Learn why parkhopping at DLR is a different animal than at WDW. See "Why I ParkHop at DLR" by Hound 109 www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1491961

Learn idiosyncracies of the FP system. See "Getting the Most Out of FastPass During High Season" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=885132

If considering an off-season visit learn how it differs from a WDW off-season visit. See "What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

HTH :goodvibes
 
As a WDW vet, when you walk up Main Street for the first time you might think that pink thing at the end of the street is some sort of scale model of a castle on display. Nope. It's the whole thing. :)


If you look at the castle compared to the Matterhorn it makes sense. You can't have the castle loom over a huge mountain. It's all about scale. We all know our housing dollars don't go as far in Ca as in Florida. Maybe that's all princess: could afford!!
 
We are DL converts.

East-coasters, I convinced my new husband 2 years ago to give DL a try. He always thought it would be simply too small to capture his interest.

What he found....which I already knew.....there is a very special magic at DL. It was the first.....Walt walked there.

The convenience of being able to walk - EVERYWHERE is wonderful.

Don't compare.....look at the charms and ..... enjoy the ride. You may find you have fallen in love with DL as we did.

We are forgoing the traditional post Thanksgiving week at WDW for a trip to DL...and cannot wait.
 


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