DL newbie A few quick ???s

[amlpt]

My husband has to go on a surprise business trip TOMORROW. Great news is I get to tag along and visit DL for the first time . I am a WDW veteren, but I have a few ??s:

Do the same strategies apply as far as touring strategies?

How do the crowds compare to that of WDW this week since it is Easter week?

What is the weather like for a life long Alabama girl-shorts or not?

Any other tips???

Thanks for any help you can give

 

[hlbtimes2]

Cant help you with comparisons to WDW, but can offer some general info.

The weather is looking like mid 60's tomorrow, and a little overcast. Might be warm enough for shorts during the day, but you'll want pants and jacket in the evening.Once the sun goes down it wil be cold.

You'll want to get to the parks early. It is spring break and very busy. If you get to the park right at opening, and head to Fantasyland (if those rides interest you). Peter Pan and Dumbo lines get long early, and never really die down. If you get there fast, you can beat some of the rush. Use fast pass for the big rides. They are not firm on the return times (you can't use it before the return time, but you can use it anytime after, not just during the 1 hour window. I 've used them up to 12 hours late with out any trouble). Try to eat at off times to avoid lines. Shop mid day, not last thing at night. If you will have a park hopper, go to DCA mid day when DL is at its peak.

If you have a chance to watch the fireworks, I highly recomend taking the time to do it! They are wonderful. The best place is from the "hub" near the partners statue. The area fills up early.

 

[HydroGuy]

My husband has to go on a surprise business trip TOMORROW. Great news is I get to tag along and visit DL for the first time . I am a WDW veteren, but I have a few ??s:

Do the same strategies apply as far as touring strategies?

Yes.

I am a DL vet going on first WDW trip in May, and have been studying up WDW. Much of the advice you might get depends on how many days you are going to the parks. You can do a lot in two days, and just about everything in four days.

Here is common touring advice between DLR and WDW

1. Get to the parks early (30 minutes before gate opens)

2. If you want to do FantasyLand, do it first thing - especially Peter Pan and Dumbo

3. Don't do FastPass rides early in the morning when you can do these mid-day with FastPass. Do non-FP rides in the early morning.

Other advice:

DL rides to hit early morn or late at night because they are relatively popular and do not have FP or are slow loaders

Matterhorn
Jungle Cruise (No FP at DL)
Star Tours (No FP at DL)
Astro Orbiters - slow loader and lines gets really long - like WDW
Most of FantasyLand - all slow loaders

You should hit Haunted Mansion, POTC and Star Tours in the first 2-3 hours (POTC closed right now, FYI). Small World stays pretty short until noon or 1PM.

If you want to do ToonTown, do it right when it opens - an hour after DL gates open, except for Roger Rabbit which you can FP anytime.

Save rides like Tiki Room, HISTA, Mark Twain Riverboat, and Columbia Sailing Ship for the afternoon.

How do the crowds compare to that of WDW this week since it is Easter week?

Can't help you there, but I would expect them to be comparable.

What is the weather like for a life long Alabama girl-shorts or not?

It has been rainy lately - my folks live there - I used to. Usually April is nice and shorts are good during the day and sometimes at night. Be prepared for both warm and cool this month.

Any other tips???

Yes. Here they are.

1. If you are a WDW FastPass (FP) expert, then you will be ahead of the game. Even if you are, there are several FP tricks at DLR that do not exist at WDW. I have them all documented in the following link. If you are not a FP expert, that's all the more reason to read it. Print it up and read it on the airplane. Also print up the Darkbeer link I have at the top. Then you will know everything about DLR FP.

Getting the Most Out of FastPass During High Season

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=885132

2. If you get 3-day or more tickets, you will get one day of Early Entry (EE - which does not mean Expedition Everest at DLR!). These are usually on Mon/Tue/Thurs/Sat. Be sure to do your EE day if you can, and FantasyLand is the place to go during EE. If you stay at a DLR hotel you get EE every day it is offered, last I heard.

If you want to go to FantasyLand, either do it on a day you have EE, or on a non-EE day. If you go on an EE day, and you do not have EE, the lines will already be long before you make it thru the DL gate and you will wait in lines forever.

3. The concept of parkhopping is different at DLR than WDW. First, there are only two parks, obviously a big difference. But second, they are right next to each other - you can walk from the DL gate to the DCA gate in 1-2 minutes. So parkhopping is much easier at DLR and you should do it if you are staying 2 days or more.

4. If you have time, here are the shows and parades I would recommend in order of priority:

a. Remember Dreams Come True - Fireworks/Laser/Special Effects done Disney style and completely awesome. BE SURE TO SEE IT FROM THE HUB OR ON MAIN STREET CLOSE TO THE HUB. There are special effects on the castle and adjacent to the castle that you can only see if you can in fact see the castle and around it. You will need to get to the hub at least one hour early -but it is worth it

b. Fantasmic - most people say the DL version is better than WDW's, but you may want to skip this if you are short on time. If they have two shows that night go to the second one.

c. Aladdin (at DCA) - excellent show

d. Parade of Dreams (at DL)

e. Electrical Parade (at DCA) - only if you have lots of time

f. Block Party Bash (at DCA) - missed this one on last trip - it gets mixed reviews

5. As outlined in my link earlier, the most popular FP rides at DL right now are:

Space Mtn
Splash
Indy Jones
BLAB
Autopia
BTMRR has FPs available until late at night
Roger Rabbit

At DCA

Soarin over CA
California Screamin
Grizzley River Run
Tower of Terror
Mulholland Madness

So prioritize your FP collecting accordingly.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Weather in California is much like what we have here in Colorado. Meaning the days can be very warm but the nights can get chilly. Even on the warm days I have been in Disneyland in June and August, I needed a sweater that night. Also, Disneyland cannot handle the crowds as well as MK since it is older and has more narrow walkways. When its really crowded as I think it will be for your visit, it can get so congested you think you will never manage to get to where you are going! I would definitely see the Electrical Parade, I love it and think it is actually better than Spectro (and I love Spectro too). However, just know that is pretty much impossible to see the Electrical Parade and Remember on the same night. Just not enough time to exit DCA, and enter the gates of Disneyland and then get a spot for the fireworks. So if you have more than one night to see nighttime entertainment see it, but I would not advise skipping Remember to see it unless you have mulitiple nights. Make sure you see Remember it is incredible! If you see it on two nights, see it from the hub first and then back by Its a Small World another time. You miss the castle effects and Tinkerbelle's very long, very incredible, flight, however, they have some really incredible projections they do on the exterior of Its a Small World that are really worth seeing. And there is not nearly as many people back there. Totally see Aladdin, but it does not run on Monday and Tuesday so plan accordingly. If you love Pixar movies/characters see Block Party Bash. If not, don't because thats about all it is. My kids and husband loved it. I saw part of it and thought it was pretty cute too. Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams is really great, I think it rivals Share a Dream Come True and in some ways is better.

Disneyland is so pretty and charming. It is not as big and spread out as WDW obviously but the convenience of having both parks and DTD all right together can't be beat. Also, the park is so decked out for the 50th right now, you picked a great time to go. I hope you have a wonderful trip!

P.S. Click on the above link Hydroguy gave you and wrote, it is very explicit and as good as anything Tourguide Mike or UG could do. He should write his own book/guide IMHO!

 

[amlpt]

Thanks! I'm starting to get excited. I will be there for the entire week so I hope that I can see all the great things you pointed out. Most of the time I will be in the park alone. Also a new experience for me. I will miss my kids, but I'm looking forward to it!

 

[Hermosa11]

Thanks! I'm starting to get excited. I will be there for the entire week so I hope that I can see all the great things you pointed out. Most of the time I will be in the park alone. Also a new experience for me. I will miss my kids, but I'm looking forward to it!

all WEEK? dang...........yipee! I am so happy for you! I hope you have a blast!

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks! I'm starting to get excited. I will be there for the entire week so I hope that I can see all the great things you pointed out. Most of the time I will be in the park alone. Also a new experience for me. I will miss my kids, but I'm looking forward to it!

Oh, oh, oh. You need to know about the single rider lines.

I have never used one at DLR - so my list is incomplete.

The most important one is Splash Mtn. I believe Grizzley River Run has one too at DCA. Soarin over CA has one, but I often hear it does not speed things up very much. You should FP this one or go early morn.

 

[amlpt]

Oh yeah! Forgot about that single rider line. Only one I know about at WDW is at Test Track at EPCOT. That will help!

 

[amlpt]

Thanks to all of your tips. I had a great time!!!!

I ended up getting a three day park hopper pass and went early on each day. I spent most of the day in the parks and was able to see what I wanted pretty easily and my favorites more than once. The single rider line is the best

I loved both parks. Maybe one day I'll make it back to The Happiest Place on Earth