DL Newbie!!

[JennyLynn21]

I know. I'm silly. I don't feel it's OFFICIAL until I have the date set and it booked! .. Not even close to that yet!

 

[skiingfast]

I know. I'm silly. I don't feel it's OFFICIAL until I have the date set and it booked! .. Not even close to that yet!

Ok I can understand that.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

I know. I'm silly. I don't feel it's OFFICIAL until I have the date set and it booked! .. Not even close to that yet!

Well I'm excited for you! I wanna know how it all goes!

 

[jimsanfilippo]

I hope, for my own sake, that my first experience at DL was a huge anomaly and that when I go in a few days it will be a completely different experience. I will let you know when I get back on the 7th.

Well, we just returned from a week-long stay at the Grand Californian and 5 full days of Disneyland and California Adventure. As you know I mentioned in this thread some very ugly experiences we had last year on our first trip to DL and promised I would let everyone know how it went this time.

I can report that we had none of the bad experiences we had on our first trip. There was some pushing and shoving going on during the busy evenings but I guess we can attribute that to the extremely large crowds on a holiday weekend and the fact that the parks are considerably smaller than WDW parks are. The crowds for the fireworks were the worst I've ever been involved in.

This was the first time we stayed on site and we did love the fact that getting to the parks and Downtown Disney was so fast and easy from the Grand Californian and I would suggest to anyone that they stay there if they can. It is very nice and has a bit of the feel of the Wilderness Lodge at WDW, and you can't beat the location.

I still think WDW has a lot more to offer but not having all the transportation issues at DL was awesome. It makes me wonder about the wisdom of park hopping at WDW.

 

[HydroGuy]

Well, we just returned from a week-long stay at the Grand Californian and 5 full days of Disneyland and California Adventure. As you know I mentioned in this thread some very ugly experiences we had last year on our first trip to DL and promised I would let everyone know how it went this time.

I can report that we had none of the bad experiences we had on our first trip. There was some pushing and shoving going on during the busy evenings but I guess we can attribute that to the extremely large crowds on a holiday weekend and the fact that the parks are considerably smaller than WDW parks are. The crowds for the fireworks were the worst I've ever been involved in.

This was the first time we stayed on site and we did love the fact that getting to the parks and Downtown Disney was so fast and easy from the Grand Californian and I would suggest to anyone that they stay there if they can. It is very nice and has a bit of the feel of the Wilderness Lodge at WDW, and you can't beat the location.

I still think WDW has a lot more to offer but not having all the transportation issues at DL was awesome. It makes me wonder about the wisdom of park hopping at WDW.

Thanks for reporting back and I am glad your second DLR experience was better.

Personally I think parkhopping at WDW is a huge waste of time - aside from the fact that it creates serious issues with FP collecting.

The only way I can only see parkhopping at WDW to be potentially worthwhile is if:

1. Your group is not a group which uses FP - maybe because you skip headliners

or

2. Your biggest interest at WDW is dining and shows and you really do not do rides very much

or

3. You have lots of time and do not care about wasted time or wasted FP opportunities

or

4. There are some very specific things you want to do at different parks and that takes priority over everything else

I have yet to park hop once at WDW over three trips. I parkhop 95% of my days at DLR.

 

[jimsanfilippo]

Thanks for reporting back and I am glad your second DLR experience was better.

Personally I think parkhopping at WDW is a huge waste of time - aside from the fact that it creates serious issues with FP collecting.

The only way I can only see parkhopping at WDW to be potentially worthwhile is if:

1. Your group is not a group which uses FP - maybe because you skip headliners

or

2. Your biggest interest at WDW is dining and shows and you really do not do rides very much

or

3. You have lots of time and do not care about wasted time or wasted FP opportunities

or

4. There are some very specific things you want to do at different parks and that takes priority over everything else

I have yet to park hop once at WDW over three trips. I parkhop 95% of my days at DLR.

Well, we've been to WDW with a small child that needed a nap and wouldn't sleep in a stroller. Therefore we had to go back to the room and re-start after nap time anyway, so going to a different park the second half of the day wasn't that big of a deal. But hopping any other time is very time consuming, you're right.

We have hopped at WDW at non-nap times a bit too, but hopping at DL is so much easier it makes me wonder why we're doing it at WDW.

 

[MdmMim]

I am a WDW vet, having just completed my 80th trip. I went to DL once a few years ago...and it was wonderful! There is magic in the air that is not present at WDW--it's almost like I sensed Walt's presence in some way. It is truly magical to be in the park where he actually walked.

Next month, I have trip #2 for DL! I am taking my adult DD for her first experience there! And we are counting the days!

 

[HydroGuy]

Well, we've been to WDW with a small child that needed a nap and wouldn't sleep in a stroller. Therefore we had to go back to the room and re-start after nap time anyway, so going to a different park the second half of the day wasn't that big of a deal. But hopping any other time is very time consuming, you're right.

We have hopped at WDW at non-nap times a bit too, but hopping at DL is so much easier it makes me wonder why we're doing it at WDW.

If you hop to a different park at WDW then all the FPs you got in the morning cannot be used at the second park. And you will enter the second park late in the day with no FPs. Unless you do not ride FP rides, to me that is a huge, huge drawback to hopping at WDW. That is the biggest reason we do not do it.

At DLR you do not have that issue because it is so easy to hop back to the first park. Even if only for an hour to use your FPs.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

If you hop to a different park at WDW then all the FPs you got in the morning cannot be used at the second park. And you will enter the second park late in the day with no FPs. Unless you do not ride FP rides, to me that is a huge, huge drawback to hopping at WDW. That is the biggest reason we do not do it.

At DLR you do not have that issue because it is so easy to hop back to the first park. Even if only for an hour to use your FPs.

Yep ~ we took a mid day break almost every day when we visited WDW *10/09 - it was extremely hot and humid* we didn't hope once but most evenings returned to the park we had visited earlier in the day and used the FPs we'd collected prior to the mid day break.

 

[LaLaDisney]

I'm with HydroGuy. Park hopping at DLR is easy. I'm planning my and DH's second trip to WDW, and it'll be our kids first trip. We decided to forgo the park hopping option because we saved money and it will save us time. But any trip to Disney is a great trip, I say.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Jim, I'm glad it went better for you