do not want a let down-should i go to DL

[goofyme]

went to DL 20 years ago for a day(my band played there) and enjoyed it...for years though have been to WDW and really do not want to go there the week before Easter(our spring break) and be disappointed by the crowds...

we are highly considering going to DL/DCA and staying at the DL hotel....from what i remember and the pictures i've seen, i (and wife) wonder if we are going to feel that Disney spirit you get when you are at WDW....it's just so urban....do you get lost in it though??

from your highly regarded experiences in this same scenario, what did you think?? if we go to L.A. , we also plan to do the universal, sea world, San Deigo Zoo thing...

thanks for your input

 

[JohnTBap]

DL is different than WDW. Even though it is in an urban setting, I think that they do a good job of setting it apart from reality. I love DL and hope to go back someday. I don't think that you will be disappointed.

 

[disneychrista]

Go to Disneyland, it is the original and IMO better then the MK and DCA is worth a day, Soarin' & Screamin' are great. The animation building is much better then at MGM. And Aladdin is suppose to be top notch.

 

[Planogirl]

We went to Disneyland last year and I was definitely pleasantly surprised. The original park is wonderful and the Disney hotels are very nice especially the Grand Californian. Everything in the area is very close to the parks but it didn't bother me at all.

One bit of advice, don't save the San Diego Zoo for the last part of your trip if you can avoid it. We saved it for our last full day and we were all too tired to do this huge place justice. DS and I had gone to Sea World the day before and we were particularly tired. San Diego sure is a great place by the way.

 

[TIGGERSMOM]

GO!

We had never done DL. Being from east coast we always went to WDW. We did 8 days with DL as our base and loved every minute. DCA was great.

The atmosphere of the original was wonderful. It is truly different than WDW. We fell inlove with the DL versions of HM, PoC and Space Mt. - so much better in DL. DCA was fantastci - hardly any crowds and we went in July. Soarin" was UNBELIEVABLE!!
And we did Screamin about 20 times.

So go you will love it!

 

[Grog]

You won't be dissapointed. Park hopping takes on a whole new meaning as you can go from DCA to DL in about a minute. Plus DTD is between the two parks. Plus, DL has many rides that MK doesn't offer such as Indiana Jones, Matterhorn, Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin, Alice in Wonderland, just to name a few. POTC, HM and IASM are all better at DL. Go over to Disneyland.com to check out a map of the resort and descriptions of the rides, etc. Also, for me, DL has a more magical feel since it is the original. One word of caution...the castle is smaller and this tends to dissapoint some WDW vets. Just keep in mind that Walt designed it like that on purpose because he didn't want it to overshadow the rest of the park.

 

[Jeff in BigD]

Most people that have only been to WDW usually come back with the opinion that DL blows MK away.

Since the majority of the crowd is going to be local, your best bet is only doing week days.

 

[WDWHound]

The Magic Kingdom in WDW is wonderful, but Disneyland has a magic that they were never able to completely recreate in Florida. Disneyland was the only park that Walt ever worked on personally and it shows. You can almost feel his presence in the place, even after all these years.

Be sure to ride Pirates. Its the last attraction Walt worked on (he died just before it opened). The difference between the original version in Disneyland and the smaller copy in WDW (built years later) will amaze you. The Disneyland version is just amazing, even more so after the restoration it went through a few years ago.

As for the urban environment, don't worry about it. Once you are inside the berm, the rest of the world just drops away.

DCA is a good park, just not as good as other Disney parks. Its better than your average Six Flags, but not quite up to Disney standards in my opinion. The 2 exceptions are the animation building (the Beast's library there is some of the best work the imagineers have ever done) and Soarin over California. By all means, spend a day in DCA. You will have fun there, but it pales in comparison to Walt's little park located right next door.

 

[JohnTBap]

OOPS! Forgot about Indy! (Sorry Jeff) Indy is AMAZING.

You're going to have such a great time!!! Take me with you, PLEASE!

 

[Kama89]

The Magic Kingdom in WDW is wonderful, but Disneyland has a magic that they were never able to completely recreate in Florida. Disneyland was the only park that Walt ever worked on personally and it shows. You can almost feel his presence in the place, even after all these years.

AMEN!! MK is very nice, but just can't compare... DL truly does have a magic that MK does not have. Where the urban setting is concerned.... it truly does disappear once you enter the gates!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I was there twice a few years ago and it is wonderful. DL truly has Walt written all over it. And DCA is great in its own right also. You will enjoy and as Hound said, once beyond the berm, you are in Dream land.

 

[maleficent1959]

Originally posted by Kama89
Where the urban setting is concerned.... it truly does disappear once you enter the gates!

That's because of zoning that prohibits tall buildings. Walt didn't want guests to see the outside world. When Anaheim started to grow, they got restrictive zoning passed.

 

[Bunchkin]

Our first family Disney trip was to DL and then to WDW a few years later.

We loved DL!!! It is a wonderful place to experience. Pirates of the Caribbean is the best there.
I hope we can return some day!!

And make sure to go to Sea World!!! Lots of fun!!
And have you thought of going to Lego Land in Carlsbad??