First Time Disneyland Visitor

[Erzengel]

So I've been to Disney World multiple times over the past few years. Tickets, transportation, resorts, restaurants, fast passing, we're extremely efficient in.

I'm thinking of a trip to Disneyland and I'm unfamiliar with it. I know Disneyland is smaller, without as many resorts so I'd like to know the following:

How many days do you really need in Disneyland 2, 3 more?

What are the restaurants to eat at?

Does it pay to stay at a Disney Resort or just get a hotel with shuttle service?

Any other tips, so we aren't learning as we go would be much appreciated.

Thank you all in advance.

 

[figment_jii]

How many days do you really need in Disneyland 2, 3 more?

I think 3 days is enough to get a sense of the resort, but it's not enough time to do everything. I recommend five days (the longest ticket length available other than APs) if you really wanted to be able to do everything, including meeting characters and seeing the shows. While the resort is smaller than WDW, there is a lot crammed into the space. I recommend checking out HydroGuy's A DLR Guide for WDW Vets to get a sense of the similarities and differences between the two resorts.

What are the restaurants to eat at?

Disneyland has a fair number of restaurants, but not as many as WDW. Some of my family's favorites include Carnation Cafe, Cafe Orleans, River Belle Terrace, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, Storytellers, and Blue Bayou. You can see a listing of all of the TS locations on Disneyland.com:
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/#/reservations-accepted/

The Disneyland Dining Reviews with Photo thread is another good place to see photos of food that fellow Dis'ers have tried. I'd start at the end of the thread (most recent).
http://www.disboards.com/threads/my-disneyland-dining-reviews-with-pictures.1253888/page-209

Most of the table service restaurants do take advance reservations. Like WDW, there is a $10/person no show/late cancellation penalty. You can make reservations on the phone or online 60-days in advance (generally). Reservations at DLR are much easier to come by, so it's not as critical to be online right on the 60-day mark (the system rolls somewhere between midnight and about 6:00 am, but it doesn't seem consistent). If you do go online on the 60-day mark and something is showing as unavailable, it usually means it has not yet been loaded into the system (rather than being already fully booked).

Does it pay to stay at a Disney Resort or just get a hotel with shuttle service?

I usually stay at one of the motels on Harbor Blvd that are within walking distance of DLR. They're usually cheaper than the onsite options and being able to walk to and from the park is great.

 

[luulu1999]

I personally think 3 days would be a minimum, we always stay close by we love Park Vue Inn because it is right across the street and as much as I would love to stay at Disneyland Hotel I can't ever justify the cost! And figment gave you a great list of food places!

 

[Disneyluvr2]

You need to remember, just because Disneyland is smaller in size does not mean there is less to do. There are actually as many, if not more attractions at Disneyland's 2 parks, than all 4 parks at WDW. There's just less walking to get where you're going. This includes hotels too. There are many hotels right across the street, within walking distance, some even closer than the resort hotels, and no shuttles needed.

 

[Nevada Jen]

I think 3 days is fine if you stay on site and eat a character meal to see the characters but otherwise do not wait in line to see characters. If you are huge character people, off site and 4 or 5 days is going to be better for you. It is the characters that eat up time and you don't really get them with the EMH you get for staying on site. FYI, in my limited experience, the shuttles sound good in theory but never seem to work for us. If you are staying off site, I would go for something walkable.

 

[avalon451]

My favorite is 3 full days, with a half or 3/4 day on either end when you travel. This year we're getting there around 11 a.m. on a Tuesday, then 3 full days, then leaving about 4 p.m. on Saturday.

I got "one park per day" tickets to save $40 apiece this time, but now I'm kinda waffling. Might upgrade to parkhoppers when we get there. It's hard to decide which day to spend where, and just too tempting to hop across the Esplanade for shows, etc. or when one park gets too crowded!