Dl questions

[disneyobessed]

My husband and I may be looking into going to DL next year as DVC guests to try out the Villas at Grand California Resort. I just have few questions that may seem stupid but I do not know anything about Disneyland and this is the best place to get answers.

1. Does the airport (is it LAX?) offer any transportation to the resorts?
2. Are the parks walking distance to the Grand Californian?
3. Is there any type of meal plans.

Thank you in advance !!!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

My husband and I may be looking into going to DL next year as DVC guests to try out the Villas at Grand California Resort. I just have few questions that may seem stupid but I do not know anything about Disneyland and this is the best place to get answers.

1. Does the airport (is it LAX?) offer any transportation to the resorts?

Yes, but unlike WDW, the transportation is not included in your package. I recommend comparing prices between Orange County (SNA), Long Beach, and Los Angeles Int'l (LAX) to see what gives you the best deal. SNA is the closest, then Long Beach, then LAX. A popular shuttle van is SuperShuttle, or Disneyland Resort Express, which is a bus with Disney all over it.

2. Are the parks walking distance to the Grand Californian?

Definitely. In fact, there is a private entrance to California Adventure park right from the Grand Californian, and there is another entrance that opens to Downtown Disney, and you can walk to both Disneyland and California Adventure from there, entering both parks through their main gates.

3. Is there any type of meal plans.

Yes there is, when you get a package, however, the savings is negligible. The dining plan really is a way for people to budget their meal times ahead of time.

 

[mechurchlady]

The airports do not offer ground transportation. There are limo, towncar, private shuttles, shared shuttle rides, and the Disney Express available from private companies.

GCH has an entrance on the east side right into DCA. It is about a 1.5 to 2 block walk from your room to the front of the parks depending on where you are staying in the hotel. It is the closest hotel on site.

There is a meal plan that I heard about but it is cheaper in the long run and easier to use cash and credit for meals.

 

[disneyobessed]

Is the Disneyland Resort Express available at all the airports mentioned..?

Thank you so much for your help.

1. More question. What attractions are at DL that are not in Disneyworld?

 

[nunzia]

Is the Disneyland Resort Express available at all the airports mentioned..?

Thank you so much for your help.

1. More question. What attractions are at DL that are not in Disneyworld?

Let's see...Matterhorn, Mr Toad....next??

You will be amazed at how close the parks are to the Grand and how easy it is to get around..be careful, you may not want to go back to WDW

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Is the Disneyland Resort Express available at all the airports mentioned..?

Thank you so much for your help.

1. More question. What attractions are at DL that are not in Disneyworld?

From what I've seen here on the boards, the DL Resort Express can't be booked online for the Long Beach airport, however, if you book through the Walt Disney Travel Company, or a company that books through the WDTC, you can get the DL Resort Express for the LB airport.

I recommend checking out the stickies at the top of this board to see the attractions that are different at DL. Be sure to check out Hydroguys tips - he has put together an extensive list, and it is very helpful, especially to WDW vets visiting DL for the first time.

 

[disneyobessed]

Let's see...Matterhorn, Mr Toad....next??

You will be amazed at how close the parks are to the Grand and how easy it is to get around..be careful, you may not want to go back to WDW

I dont know about that.. my kids love Animal Kingdom!!!! My son wants to go see the Dodgers though... we are huge Red Sox fans so we follow Manny a little bit and going to Dodger Stadium would be great!

 

[bumbershoot]

You will be amazed at how close the parks are to the Grand

Now see, I don't know about that...DCA is close, and if you could just walk in through walls it's close to DL...but you can't walk in through walls (so pesky of them!).

So if you're already in DCA, or want to go to DCA, it's close.

But if you are involving DL, and I'll just talk about getting back to the hotel...you walk out of DL, cross the esplanade, and either go into DCA, walk all the way past soarin, up the hill and around nearing Grizzly, THEN go into DCA and walk the pathways until you're at last in the lobby...or you go out security and almost halfway through DTD until you reach the GCH gates (just past Sephora on your left), walk the pathways, enter the building, walk the hallway, at last enter the lobby.

To me, I could be at hojo at the same time someone else (when we left the same spot at the same time) reaches the lobby, let alone their room, at GCH.

Not saying it's not close...it's just...with DL and GCH, it's not really much closer than the hotels on Harbor.

 

[AmericanItGirl]

I dont know about that.. my kids love Animal Kingdom!!!! My son wants to go see the Dodgers though... we are huge Red Sox fans so we follow Manny a little bit and going to Dodger Stadium would be great!

If you go to Dodger Stadium, be sure to schedule plenty of time around the game for getting to and from the stadium, since it's on the north end of LA.

If your kids love animals, take them to the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

The obvious difference between MK and DL is NOS. Be sure to check out POTC while you're there, because ours is better, hands down, imo.

 

[avalon451]

Since nobody's mentioned it yet, there is lots of great info and tips on Hydroguy's Tips compilation, a sticky thread at the top of this forum: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483

In it are several threads devoted to DL for the WDW vet: differences, strategies, etc. It's really helpful!

Hope you have a great time visiting Walt's park!

 

[disneyobessed]

what is DOS? oh man all this new disney lingo..

 

[Quilter007]

In my opinion, WDW doesn't have Space Mountain. Yeah, they've got something that looks like Space Mountain, but it isn't Space Mountain! When we got off the fake Space Mountain in FL, my kids asked if it was broken! Personally, I wondered why they bothered with the height requirment or seat belts on the FL ride.

Also, everything on Main Street in FL is backwards!

Small World is too small in FL.

When we wen't to FL the first time, it was like being in an alternate universe -- like someone had tampered with the space-time continueum. I would think that things will seem very close together and a bit crowded to you. We couldn't believe how many attractions in FL looked the way DL did in the 70's/80's. So just because they have the same attraction @ WDW that is @ DL, doesn't mean they are actually the same.

Most of DCA isn't anywhere in FL. If you've got small kids, the Redwood Trail in DCA is a great place for a break -- the kids can run/jump/climb to their hearts content and there are plenty of shady spots for parents to sit & hang out.

Katrina

 

[avalon451]

what is DOS? oh man all this new disney lingo..

Were you referring to NOS, in AmericanItGirl's post? She said that a big difference between Magic Kingdom and Disneyland is New Orleans Square. Very cool theming in that area of the park. PotC is located there, Pirates of the Caribbean (my fave! )

In that tips thread by Hydroguy, you'll find a listing of all commonly used abbreviations. (yeah, I can't decipher those initials that all WDW'ers use to say what resort hotel they stayed at!)

 

[Hound 109]

Since nobody's mentioned it yet, there is lots of great info and tips on Hydroguy's Tips compilation, a sticky thread at the top of this forum:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483

In it are several threads devoted to DL for the WDW vet: differences, strategies, etc. It's really helpful!

Hope you have a great time visiting Walt's park!

I'll second Avalon's recommendation of reviewing Hydroguy's compilation of Tip Threads.

Several of them are essential reading for the WDW vet. (or any first time visitor).