DL ? for a WDW vet but DL newbie

[snickerboo]

My dh may have to go to California in the next month for business so, if the dates work out, we may just join him. We were then thinking maybe we should visit DL while there but that's no planning time and I know very little about DL compared to WDW.

If you've been to both, did you enjoy DL? Do you need touring plans as much as WDW? Is August going to be just a crazy time to go heatwise and crowdwise? Is there a crowd calendar like UG for DL anywhere? If you could one do one fo the two, would you do California Adventure or DL? Which one is the most different from WDW? Is there a good guide like Birnbaum's or Unofficial Guide? I have two kids, 9 & 6, if that makes a difference.

Sorry for so many questions. Maybe I'm too much of a planner for a last minute trip to DL. LOL We may go to San Diego to see the zoo and SW instead.

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Oh, that is so exciting!!! My trip to the DLR last year was so much fun. But when we lived in SoCal we used to go to Sea World & the San Diego Zoo & the Wild Animal Park alot, too.

As a Disney-holic I would choose DL over DCA or the other non Disney parks. Although DL is similar to the MK it is charming & nostalgic w/ enough differences to make it fun to compare.

My advice would be to look at the DL thread on the Dis, you will find so much info there & a friendly group, closest to the nice group on the Canadian boards, IMO.
I learned things on that board that I didn't know, even having had lived in CA.

ETA: YES on both counts as for the guidebooks,there are both Birnbaum & Unofficial Guides to DL.

Have fun planning!

 

[NancyK]

We've been to WDW about 25 times but last fall was our first trip to DL. We went on a whim and planned it out about 3 weeks in advance. Maybe it was the lack of planning/stressing but it was one of our best vacations ever! We only stayed 4 nights. We rented a car and stayed at Howard Johnsons which is only a 5 minute walk from the main gates. It was really a wonderful trip for me because it was different enough from WDW to be exciting yet similar enough to feel like we were "home". KWIM?
If you only have one day, definitely do DL and skip DCA. Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain are two of the rides that are waaay better at DL (and I'm definitely a WDW cheerleader ) Because we went in October, we missed out on Fantasmic etc, but I must say the fireworks were the best I've ever seen - even better than my previous favourite WISHES.
We are going on a non-Disney cruise for our next vacation, but I suspect that we'll be returning to DL California sometime in the next couple of years! I wouldn't worry about planning every minute detail - it was fun just "going with the flow" for a change. Happy Planning!

 

[aristocat65]

First of all check out hydroguy's thread for WDW vets going to DL:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

There is an Unofficial guide for DL and it is worth getting even just to familiarize yourself with what rides are in what park.

If you need acommodations while there, keep in mind that quality hotels/motels are pricier in the DLR area than in the WDW area.

We've been in August, and while it was hot, it was more bearable than Orlando in August because they don't have the humidity. It seems like a drier heat.

Avoid the weekends. DL is different than WDW in that they really push discount AP to locals and it is heavily attended by locals as a result. Looking around you, you will really feel that the majority of parkgoers are locals rather than tourists. DL does tend to feel crowded quickly, as the walkways, paths, etc are smaller, but follow your WDW rules and get there at rope drop and you should be fine. August will be less crowded than June, July.

DL is smaller and more compact than the Magic Kingdom, but has SO much more in it. If you have only a day just do DL park. We were DL vets before we ever went to WDW (on the west coast, DL is where everyone goes, not WDW), and when we first went to the Magic Kingdom at WDW we were asking: "Is that it??" While it is bigger it lacks the content of DL, fewer rides etc.

Space Mountain and Indiana Jones are not to be missed. And Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at the Golden Horseshoe. We didn't discover them until 3 years ago. They are LOL funny.

While we love WDW for that immersion feeling, (we stay on property) DL is special because Walt walked there (his apartment is still over the firehall) and it has so much history.

Have a great Trip

 

[drag n' fly]

As a pp said weekends are nuts try to do shopping and anything else on weekends. Depending on your dates the first 2 weeks are way better than the last 2 weeks of August. DCA is under refurb right now and the DLH is starting a major refurb next month beginning in the dreams tower.

Hop over to the wonderful DL board to get great info!


DL will always be my fav park

 

[michelle1]

As everyone has said..avoid weekends! I believe the kids there go back to school after Labour Day whereas in Florida it's more around the middle of August so there will be August crowds. DL feels crowded anyway because it's smaller and the walkways are narrower. The weather is so much better in California though...no humidity, hot and sunny in the day with cooler nights. If you can only do one park then definitely do DL but if you get a hopper there are some good things at CA also. Get fastpasses...you can save the fastpasses there, even if you don't use it for a ride you can use it later. They don't care about return times so we collected tons of fastpasses in the morning and saved them until later in the day. Another great thing about DL is that there is so much right around it that we could walk to our hotel (we stayed at Howard Johnsons) in the middle of the day for a quick swim and eat right outside of the park so we weren't stuck eating park food all of the time. There are definitely some better rides at DL but also some better ones at WDW....it's a matter of preference which park is the 'better' one but worth going either way! Have fun!

 

[Louiepipbgeeco]

Hi I have been to WDW numerous times. 2 years ago I went to California for the first time. Mainly because I had to try a new vacation destination other than Florida.(hubby recommend I expand our options) I chose Cali of course so I could still get my Disney fix. Have to say, I LOVED IT!! It is so nice. It is different in that it is smaller but there is still so much to see and do. Main difference was an offsite hotel you can actually Walk to the park from. The DTD was also right near. You can literally HOP/walk to the other parks in minutes. Vs. the bus rides etc at the world. My heart belongs to WDW for sentimental reasons, But I loved Cali too. I CANNOT WAIT TO GO BACK !! FYI- not really very far to drive to Newport Beach from there. YOu can actually take Harbour Blvd. (main road near DL) directly to the beach. I loved this beach. There is nice boat tour I will never forget. The guide shared and showed us stars homes, boats etc. Really quite interesting to see the places I had come to see on television and see that people actually live like that!! If you have time, I recommend taking the short drive to see some of the sites. HAVE FUN, YOU will LOVE IT