DL newbie: few questions

[Sophie_2003]

Hello,

I have been to WDW four times and I have a few very basic DL questions:

1) how many days would you need to get your fill of both parks? Would 3 days be enough?

2) We are into Princesses. I think there is also a Toontown, but what is the best princess dining and does it book up 6 months in advance as well?

3) We usually stay at a moderate Disney hotel (Port orleans Riverside); any hotel suggestions? There are a lot fewer hotels listed a Disney properties...

4) How close is Disneyland (by car) to the beaches?

5) What is the best guidebook? I have the UG for WDW and I like it a lot

6) Is there a crowd website or a good place to find historical attendance figures?

trying to convince DH to hop over the left coast...I need some arguments.


Thanks in advance!

 

[bumbershoot]

Lots of good info in this compilation, especially the bit for those who know WDW: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483


I just spent 6.5 days at DL/DCA in September, 5 day in December, and I'm rallying hard for a me-only weekend in January, possible ladies only trip in April (it's happening, but my inclusion is the possible part), and a trip for DS's birthday in May. And we have until mid-September until our APs expire...

So 3 days to get a fill of the parks makes me tear up just a bit, thinking about it.


Princess dining is at Ariel's in DCA. They only make "priority seatings" 60 days out, so no, nothing fills up 6 months out.

Before our first trips I read UG, Birnbaum, and I think another guidebook I found at the library.


Can't answer the rest!

 

[Hound 109]

Hello,

I have been to WDW four times and I have a few very basic DL questions:

1) how many days would you need to get your fill of both parks? Would 3 days be enough?

I WOULD DO 3 NIGHTS / 4 DAYS. (over 2 nights/3 days) BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU COME.

2) We are into Princesses. I think there is also a Toontown, but what is the best princess dining and does it book up 6 months in advance as well?

I'LL LET OTHERS ANSWER.

3) We usually stay at a moderate Disney hotel (Port orleans Riverside); any hotel suggestions? There are a lot fewer hotels listed a Disney properties...

I'D CONSIDER THE DLH OR THE PARADISE PIER. (for disney immersion) BUT OTHERS HAVE SPOKEN HIGHLY OF THE CANDY CANE INN, WHICH RESEMBLES POR (as far as lots of landscaping etc. Doesn't have river running through it though .

4) How close is Disneyland (by car) to the beaches?

CLOSEST ONES ARE 20-30 MIN. SEVERAL TO CHOOSE FROM.

5) What is the best guidebook? I have the UG for WDW and I like it a lot

READ ALL OF THE TIP THREADS AT THE TOP OF THE DL BOARD. ESPECIALLY THE ONE BUMBERSHOOT RECOMMENDS. I THINK YOU'LL GET MORE ACCURATE INFO HERE THAN FROM A GENERIC BOOK.

6) Is there a crowd website or a good place to find historical attendance figures?

AGAIN, POST THE DATES YOU'RE CONSIDERING HERE. YOU'LL GET GOOD INFO. (But also remember you can avoid some of the crowds by arriving early - touring DL & collecting FPs early....much different than WDW.

trying to convince DH to hop over the left coast...I need some arguments.

WHAT FLOATS HIS BOAT?

- BETTER BEACHES THAN FL.
- BETTER WEATHER THAN FL.
- SAN DIEGO HAS THE BEST ZOO IN THE WORLD & LEGOLAND (& SEAWORLD)
- LA (nuff said)
- MALIBU / SANTA MONICA / LAGUNA.....ALL WORTH A LOOK.


Thanks in advance!

Lots of newbie inquiries in the past week. Read thru the past couple pages of posts (which has alot of great responses from Dis'ers here) & read all of HydroGuy's & MaryJo's posts. I bet you'll post back again with specific questions.....we'll get DH on board.

Have fun planning a visit to Walt's Park.

.

 

[DisneyDotty]

I couldn't answer all your questions, but PP have given some good suggestions. Hope this helps...

Hello,

I have been to WDW four times and I have a few very basic DL questions:

1) how many days would you need to get your fill of both parks? Would 3 days be enough?

We've been twice--first for 6 park days, and second for 4. Five days will give you a chance to relax and soak in the ambiance. We did a "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" kind of tour our first night and it was an excellent intro to the place.

2) We are into Princesses. I think there is also a Toontown, but what is the best princess dining and does it book up 6 months in advance as well?

Can't help you here. We are Princess'ed out. I do recommend Goofy's Kitchen for character dining, though. Best Disney character dining (includes WDW) we've been to.

3) We usually stay at a moderate Disney hotel (Port orleans Riverside); any hotel suggestions? There are a lot fewer hotels listed a Disney properties...

We love Disney properties. First time we stayed in DLH--great room with view of DTD. Also like its: proximity to the monorail stop; pool; pixie dust on walls in room; and leisurely walk through DTD to the parks
Second time we stayed in GC. Can't be beat for location and amenities. It'll by my choice for any future DL trips.

4) How close is Disneyland (by car) to the beaches?

5) What is the best guidebook? I have the UG for WDW and I like it a lot

I'm another UG fan. Better than Birnbaum. Honestly, you'll find the best info here on the DIS.

6) Is there a crowd website or a good place to find historical attendance figures?

trying to convince DH to hop over the left coast...I need some arguments.

Goodness--the geography/weather of California sold us! It is truly beautiful. Different from Florida in many good ways. We spent three days in San Diego after our DL trip this year--beautiful.
I think any true Disney fan has to make at least one trip to the motherland sometime in her life. WDW is an awesome vacation destination, but DL is so historic--it's where Walt walked. I get teary eyed every time I step onto Main Street there. Go. You will love it.


Thanks in advance!

 

[DLR29]

I can help you for the firs 3.

1) Depends on when you're going. 3 days is plenty when going in off season and moderate crowded seasons. Even during summer 3 days is pretty good (if you go from opening to closing). However if you will be going in high seasons (holiday weekends, spring break, 4th of July) 4+ days would be best. If you are going in the week between Christmas and New Years, 5 days minimum!

2) If they are into princesses, they will love the Princess Fantasy Faire, located in the back of Fantasyland. It's a place just for meeting princesses. Also, I believe (though not sure) that there is only one Princess meal in Ariel's Grotto in DCA. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner is offered.

3) All 3 onsite hotels are comparable to the deluxe resorts at WDW. There are no moderate or value onsite hotels at DLR. However, there are dozens of offsite hotels within walking distance of the parks that are MUCH cheaper than the onsite hotels; however they lack the Disney themes.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

That's funny, I just posted a thread on the guide books. I also liked the UG best, though Birnbaums was full of photos, as well as information on each restaurant and shop. (This info was not in my 2006 UG, though I'm told the restaurant info was added for 2007.)

I got a lot of great info from the DIS, but I like to bring the guide book with us to use for reference while we're there. Also, I noticed the 2008 Birnbaums book has coupons, though I'm not sure what businesses they are for; if they are ones we'd use, it might be worth the purchase price.

Q1: How many days? ~ I think this is a highly personal question, depending on who is going, their ages, and touring style. We tend to go slow and unstructured, since DH doesn't want to feel rushed and two little kids in tow. We do take mid-day nap most days. The kids want to revisit their favorite rides daily, and I do try to schedule in a show or meal for each day. To compensate, we plan a longer stay (7 - 8 days) at less-busy times. As experienced DW guests, you may want to go at a faster pace and cover more ground quickly, hit more rides and less characters/shows, and so forth. A lot of DL guests think 3 - 4 days to see both parks is a good amount of time, spending 1 day at DCA and the rest at DL.
Q2: Princesses ~ We have 2 young boys, so princesses are not high on the list of must-sees. The Princess Meal @ DCA seems to get mixed reviews; for some folks it's all about meeting the princesses anyway, even if the food or service wasn't great on that day; other folks just rave about the food and service, so I think maybe it's been hit and miss. If your girls would love it, I say get a PS and go! (PSes can be made 60 days ahead.)
Q3: Hotels ~ We have stayed at the DLH the 2 times we've gone. We love the Disney theming, and the great pool area. But lots of people love the hotels that are within walking distance. The two most popular seem to be the HoJo and the Candy Cane Inn, though several others are mentioned frequently as well.
Q6: Attendance history info: The only one I'm aware of is http://www.scottware.com.au/theme/feature/atend.htm
There's some debate as to how current the information is, however.

 

[Sophie_2003]

Thanks for all the input. I have also started reading Hydroguy's stickies. I am California Dreamin' now. I like the 60-day thing for reservations...the 180 days at WDW is so insane...entire book chapters devoted to "how-to" call for a meal, just blows my mind!

I will make a New Year's resolution to get to DLR this year!

Happy New Year everyone.

 

[ter-moo]

Hello,

I have been to WDW four times and I have a few very basic DL questions:

1) how many days would you need to get your fill of both parks? Would 3 days be enough?

It really depends on WHEN you go. During slow times, 3 days is enough--we've done 3 1/2 - 4 when it's more crowded.

2) We are into Princesses. I think there is also a Toontown, but what is the best princess dining and does it book up 6 months in advance as well?

Besides the dining that's already been mentioned, there's also a Princess Party area at DL over near the entrance to Toontown. You may want to check that out.

3) We usually stay at a moderate Disney hotel (Port orleans Riverside); any hotel suggestions? There are a lot fewer hotels listed a Disney properties...

It's vastly different here than WDW. The hotels are not destinations in the same way, and many of the closest ones are just basic motels. The Candy Cane Inn is, in my opinion, one of the nicer options. It would be comparable to POFQ, but no real grounds to speak of.
www.candycaneinn.net

The only Disney hotel with any real grounds is the DL Hotel. They have a center courtyard area with swimming pool and waterfalls, etc. The Grand Californian is similar inside to Wilderness Lodge, but has very little in the way of grounds. It's the closest hotel to the parks, being INSIDE California Adventure.

There are maps listed in stickies at the top of this board. I'd suggest looking at them to see how things are laid out, pick a few hotel options, and then come back for advice. We'll have LOTS I'm sure!!!

4) How close is Disneyland (by car) to the beaches?

I believe it's about 15-20 minutes from several Orange County beaches like Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, depending on traffic.

5) What is the best guidebook? I have the UG for WDW and I like it a lot

I ALWAYS use UG for DL, too. It's the best for park touring plans, and ride advice, etc.

6) Is there a crowd website or a good place to find historical attendance figures?

Not sure about this one...They have some stuff in the UG, though.

trying to convince DH to hop over the left coast...I need some arguments.


Thanks in advance!

Have a great time planning!!!!