First time and only one day.

[WDWRookie2009]

We are heading out to Phoenix next month to pick up my step daughter and thought about taking our son to Disneyland for his birthday (June 11). We would only be able to spend one day there and that only is making me not want to go. We had week long vacation planned but because of work obligations had to cancel.

We did our GAD and there are 2 adults and 3 kids (11, 9, 2). So I figured using the GAD for upgrade to one day park hopper it would be $90 for us. Does this sound correct?

Doing WDW Tour Guide Mike style we were able to do everything we wanted but not everything.. How does this compare to Disney Land? My kiddos are not big ride kids and would be content not ever getting on a roller coaster of any kind.. (Hated Goofy Barnstormer) So that I am thinking should cut back on a bunch of time?

I guess I am just looking for someone to tell me we can have a magical day even if it is only one day?? I am all ears for any tips, suggestions or just a "you can do it" !!

 

[specialks]

Just wondering if you realize that June 11 is going to be a mad house because they are finally launching the much anticipated World of Color show. I think (?) June 11 also is the launch of the summer Nightastic promo...

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

June 11 is the beginning of the Disneyland summer season with the new summer offerings and the debut of the World of Color. Expect big crowds. Be at the Disney ticket booths well before the 9 AM park opening to get your tickets and then to get in line for Disneyland. Start with Fantasyland before the crowds build. Despite the hype, you should still experience lower crowds that first hour or two than any other time of day. I expect the evening will be worst as locals get off work and come out to see the new offerings. I would recommend that you make a dining reservation somewhere so that you can avoid the long lines for food. Not wanting to do rollercoasters should free up time and opportunity for you. If you want to see any of the shows though, you will probably have to strategize and expect long waits camped out on a blanket. If you're not worried about evening shows, that could turn into a good time to ride more rides.

 

[PHXscuba]

With World of Color opening that day, I'd save my parkhopper-upgrade money and skip California Adventure if you only have one day. Much of what it sounds like your family would like in DCA is similar to attractions from WDW.

Disneyland proper has plenty to keep a family busy for a day -- a great big Fantasyland, Toontown activities, Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, character meet-and-greets, riding the Columbia, Mark Twain, the railroad, plus all of the non-rollercoaster rides like Pirates, Autopia, Buzz Lightyear Astroblasters, etc. I think I'd take the $90 and have a really nice lunch at Carnation cafe instead.

BTW, happy birthday to your son -- my eldest will turn 14 the same day!

PHXscuba

 

[Flitterific]

With World of Color opening that day, I'd save my parkhopper-upgrade money and skip California Adventure if you only have one day. Much of what it sounds like your family would like in DCA is similar to attractions from WDW.

Disneyland proper has plenty to keep a family busy for a day -- a great big Fantasyland, Toontown activities, Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, character meet-and-greets, riding the Columbia, Mark Twain, the railroad, plus all of the non-rollercoaster rides like Pirates, Autopia, Buzz Lightyear Astroblasters, etc. I think I'd take the $90 and have a really nice lunch at Carnation cafe instead.

BTW, happy birthday to your son -- my eldest will turn 14 the same day!

PHXscuba

I second this. DBF and I are not into rollercoasters and other "adult" rides and there are very few things we do actually do in DCA (we both love TSMM and Monsters Inc. is so cute!). But yea...I suggest you save the $90 and do a character meal instead (maybe Minnie & Friends since it's actually inside the park and they have the most characters...but Goofy's Kitchen in DLH is my favorite but also more expensive) or save your money for souvenirs and stuff.

Have fun!

 

[Gisele]

Edited

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

With World of Color opening that day, I'd save my parkhopper-upgrade money and skip California Adventure if you only have one day. Much of what it sounds like your family would like in DCA is similar to attractions from WDW.

Disneyland proper has plenty to keep a family busy for a day -- a great big Fantasyland, Toontown activities, Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, character meet-and-greets, riding the Columbia, Mark Twain, the railroad, plus all of the non-rollercoaster rides like Pirates, Autopia, Buzz Lightyear Astroblasters, etc. I think I'd take the $90 and have a really nice lunch at Carnation cafe instead.

BTW, happy birthday to your son -- my eldest will turn 14 the same day!

PHXscuba

I second this. DBF and I are not into rollercoasters and other "adult" rides and there are very few things we do actually do in DCA (we both love TSMM and Monsters Inc. is so cute!). But yea...I suggest you save the $90 and do a character meal instead (maybe Minnie & Friends since it's actually inside the park and they have the most characters...but Goofy's Kitchen in DLH is my favorite but also more expensive) or save your money for souvenirs and stuff.

Have fun!

3rd vote for not PH-ing. Any other day I would be all up for PH-ing but with WOC opening that day, I'd stick with the magic of Walt's park and leave it at that.

 

[WDWRookie2009]

Thank you everyone for all of your comments and happy birthday wishes!! I feel very welcomed over here and very confident in our decision to go for it!

Okay so even though my younger one loves Monsters Inc I think we will do as you say and skip the park hopper and just really enjoy Walt's park!

Some suggested character dinning and Carnation Cafe. We would like to have an early lunch ( 11 am or so) so would these places be good for that? Any other suggestions for good eats?

Thank you all again for your warm welcome and great advice!

Sarah !

 

[Gisele]

Edited

 

[AZ Navy Wife]

My husband and I do day trips quite a bit. (We live 2 hours away.) It's VERY important to plan ahead for this trip. As other previous posters have said, there's a couple of big shows opening around that time. You are going to get a lot of locals in addition to the normal visitors. I would suggest staying in Disneyland all day as well. DCA is big and a little spread out, and can eat up some touring time. With WOC expected to open that day, a madhouse may not even begin to describe it! Take a look online...check out the rides that are most important, and like WDW, hit those first thing in the morning. Get there for rope drop too. You can get 2-3 times as many rides done in that 1st hour than later in the day. Prioritize what you want to ride/see and get those done first! Sounds like sane advice, but you would be amazed at the number of people standing in the middle of the walkways trying to figure what they want to do next! Enjoy your trip! :

 

[rentayenta]

Just the title of this thread increased my anxiety. I think you could totally pull it off though!

I would park hop. Yes, DCA will be nuts but I would skip World of Color completely.

I am guessing by coaster that includes not only the obvious like Screamin' (think RnR but outside) but ToT, BTMRR, Space, Matterhorn, Indy (which is awesome), and maybe even Splash?

Having said that, I think you could hit the more mellow highlights at each park. For Disneyland that would include:

~ Peter Pan
~ Alice in Wonderland
~ Mr. Toad
~ Storybook Boats
~ IASW
~ JC
~ POTC
~ HM
~ Tiki Room
~ Buzz
~ Nemo Subs

At DCA that would include:

Soarin'
TSMM
Animation Building
Monsters Inc
GRR
Bug's Land


Arrive before opening, at least 30 minutes. For now DL's hours are 9-midnight and DCA's are 10-10. This is what I would do given the attractions listed above.

at first glance I would:

• arrive at the Disneyland gates no later than 8:15
• Peter Pan
• Alice
• Storybook Boats
• Toad
• IASW

Then I would go to DCA:

• run for Soarin' grab a FP
• run even faster to TSMM
• GRR
• Monsters Inc
• Animation if you have time

Then head back to Disneyland

• JC
• POTC
• HM
• Tiki
• Buzz
• Nemo

I would skip the subs until late late at night- they are big time suckers! You could add Star Tours etc if time warrants it.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Thank you everyone for all of your comments and happy birthday wishes!! I feel very welcomed over here and very confident in our decision to go for it!

Okay so even though my younger one loves Monsters Inc I think we will do as you say and skip the park hopper and just really enjoy Walt's park!

Some suggested character dinning and Carnation Cafe. We would like to have an early lunch ( 11 am or so) so would these places be good for that? Any other suggestions for good eats?

Thank you all again for your warm welcome and great advice!

Sarah !

If you are wanting to eat around 11 AM, then I would suggest you not worry about character dining. There aren't any options inside the park for that time of day. If you want an all-you-can-eat experience, many on these boards have reported positive experiences at the Celebration Round-Up and Barbecue. No characters but a bit of musical entertainment. Foods are bbq chicken and ribs, baked beans, coleslaw, and cornbread. The food has been reported as quite tasty. I haven't tried it yet but want to.

Carnation Cafe is a place my family and I have visited on several occasions. We all tend to enjoy it. If you're looking for lunch there, 11 AM may be slightly early. You will have to call Disney dining to check when they start serving lunch. Carnation Cafe serves meatloaf, pot pies, and a few types of sandwiches as well as a pretty tasty chef salad and their famous loaded baked potato soup. This is a nice outdoor lunch spot and is located right on Main Street.

You can (and should) make a priority seating reservation for either of the restaurants I just mentioned.

If you might prefer just going with counter service, 11 AM is probably a good time to eat before the full lunchtime crowds are lined up everywhere. Pizza Port in Tomorrowland has yummy pasta dishes and salads. Many people report enjoying Rancho del Zocalo in Frontierland, but we haven't been there in a few years since we didn't find it that exciting. French Market is a place my family still enjoys even though they changed the menu a year or two ago. The food is fine and the New Orleans atmosphere is fun, especially if musical performers happen to be out and about. Many will report enjoying Cafe Orleans (not counter service but located right next to French Market), and it has an interesting menu, but my family had one of our most disappointing (food, service, value) dining experiences EVER there, so we won't be going back.

 

[S. S. Columbia]

Some suggested character dinning and Carnation Cafe. We would like to have an early lunch ( 11 am or so) so would these places be good for that?

I'm pretty sure that Carnation Cafe starts serving lunch at 11:30am.

HTH

 

[S. S. Columbia]

IMO the most unique restaurant inside DL is the Blue Bayou. It’s located inside Pirates (PotC). It’s expensive (here’s a link to menus). If you decide to go, I would recommend making a reservation for the first seating (11:30am); arrive at 11:15 and ask for a waterside table. Most of the waterside tables are for a party of four, but I think two of the tables are for a party of six. (The Blue Bayou is indoors and air conditioned.)

I also like the Carnation Café. It’s a great location, and the food is pretty good. The Loaded Baked Potato Soup is heavy, but very good.

Since you only have one day (and I’m guessing that you won’t take an afternoon break), you might think about going to the Golden Horseshoe to see the Billy Hill and the Hillbillies show. You’ll want to arrive at the GH at least 30 minutes before showtime (40 minutes might be better). The Billy Hill show is fun, and the GH has really great air conditioning, so it’s a nice place to relax and cool off.

DL’s Tiki Room is much better than MK’s “Under New Management” version. And the Tiki Room is another good place to cool off in the middle of the day. If you want to buy Dole Whips, the Tiki Juice Bar has two lines (the shorter line is in the Tiki Room “pre-show” area, and the longer line forms in the Adventureland walkway).

Like other posters have mentioned, I think you should start your day in Fantasyland. I would arrive at the main entrance area at least 30 minutes early -- wait at the security tents (Guest Bag Check).

Even though you’re visiting on a non-Magic Morning day, the following threads will still be helpful for touring Fantasyland:

"Magic Morning Super Thread" by DLR29
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1675403

"Critique of MM" by Hound 109
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1392671

I hope you find time to see Abe Lincoln.

Try to take the DL Railroad between the Tomorrowland Station and Main Street Station, to see The Grand Canyon/Primeval World diorama.

Hope this helps.

 

[Gisele]

Edited

 

[Ride Junkie]

IMO the most unique restaurant inside DL is the Blue Bayou. It’s located inside Pirates (PotC). It’s expensive (here’s a link to menus). If you decide to go, I would recommend making a reservation for the first seating (11:30am); arrive at 11:15 and ask for a waterside table. Most of the waterside tables are for a party of four, but I think two of the tables are for a party of six. (The Blue Bayou is indoors and air conditioned.)

Agreed! This is a must-do for me each time I visit Disneyland. The atmosphere can't be beat, it's unlike any other restaurant.