First Trip...My Impressions

[tup1830]

Hello All,

As many seem to be on this board, I am a dw "vet"?!?...or regular that just took a first trip to DL. The trip was a short 2.5 days in Disneyland and it was great. Here are a few observations:

1. People don't go commando (not the commando from the cottonelle commercial). As in, I rarely saw people trying to stick to a plan to get to everything done...getting from one place to another in a rush.
2. Family's don't all wear matching tshirts. I saw one family do it...and they stuck out...must have been a disney world family..haha.
3. Because of number 1, people were wearing super fashionable shoes. Things that i would only wear when dressing up, people were wearing while touring disneyland. I didn't see one person with crocs on...which to me meant people took their time to get around.
4. Park hopping is SOOO easy. Loved it, like really its super awesome. It was a quicker walk and entry between parks than i can get from the gates of magic kingdom to the furthest bus stop.
5. The food options were wider and tastier. This may have been my perspective, but just thought so.
6. People LOVE churros. Forget the popcorn cart, the churros were everywhere. Freshly toasted in front of you.
7. The carts had mini meals on them, like chimichangas...not just snacks. Its almost like going to nyc and grabbing a dog for lunch while on the run...you can do that in Disneyland.
8. The games/exhibits in the main street shops are all real and old. I had a half hours worth of entertainment for like 8 cents...yes CENTS. They were all real old but perfectly functioning machines and were awesome. My dad loved seeing things that he played with as a kid. DW, unfortunately, doesn't have these and they don't work
9. The castle, while beautiful, was anti climatic. Sorry, it just didn't do it for me.
10. The wait times on the boards is tiny...like you really have to have eagle eyes or be real close just to see the wait time. Make them bigger!!!
11. While the line may seem long from the outside, the wait times are pretty good. The lines move quicker than they appear
12. The monorail...eh. can't take a stroller on with a sleeping baby...had to collapse it. I guess thats what made my impression a little tainted.
13. This may sound immature, but i loved the stamped hands...forget magic bands, i want a stamp!
14. The rides that are in both parks, seemed better themed and maintained in Disneyland compared to DW.
15. DL still has 3 or 4 different vehicles that go up and down main street that you can ride on. Why on earth can't DW have them? Even california adventure has a really nice looking tram that goes to parts of the park. For the size of the parks in DW, you'd think they'd have these types of "people moving" things.
16. For handicap/wheelchair, DL seems to have it down better. While they don't have to worry about buses, the trams and trains have special cars for those in a wheelchair and a special ramp that loads people on and off in the same time it takes to get regular people on and off. Saves time.
17. Carsland is super cool. loved every bit of it.
18. They had multiple ice cream shops in the park
19. I noticed a lot less people checking their phones in DL...this may have to do with MM+, but i really did notice a lot of families just sitting and talking rather than trying to look up reservation times, fast pass times, etc. Dunno, just a vibe that came off that way.

 

[mom2rtk]

Glad you had a great time! We love Disneyland and have sort of abandoned WDW in favor if it lately. It's all great..... but we also think the castle is puny. Charming..... but puny. We still love the parks though.

 

[3Gsandme]

Thanks for the review! Dh and I are going in June and I'm hoping to take the kids out in a year or two.

 

[chicagoshannon]

We're going with my parents in December. I'm happy to hear about the penny arcade. My dad will love that. He used to take us into the one in Disney World when we were kids.

 

[figment_jii]

Glad to hear that you had a good time!

2. Family's don't all wear matching tshirts. I saw one family do it...and they stuck out...must have been a disney world family..haha.

This one might have to do with when you went...I've seen multiple groups wearing matching shirts in the parks before. It seems more common during peak periods (e.g., summer) than in the quieter times of the year. I saw the most during Memorial Day weekend and a lot fewer during the March and September trips last year. So if you went back in the summer, you see a lot more matching t-shirt families. I've also seen a lot of families/groups wearing t-shirts announcing what they're celebrating (e.g., birthdays, weddings, etc.).

15. DL still has 3 or 4 different vehicles that go up and down main street that you can ride on. Why on earth can't DW have them? Even california adventure has a really nice looking tram that goes to parts of the park. For the size of the parks in DW, you'd think they'd have these types of "people moving" things.

The Magic Kingdom used to have several Main Street vehicles like DL. I did notice that they stopped running fairly early in the day and didn't tend to come back out - I was guessing it had to do with weather conditions for the horses and then getting off the parade route. They're still listed on the Disney World website, so they should still be around, but perhaps on a really limited schedule.

 

[GatorChris]

3. Because of number 1, people were wearing super fashionable shoes. Things that i would only wear when dressing up, people were wearing while touring disneyland. I didn't see one person with crocs on...which to me meant people took their time to get around.
4. Park hopping is SOOO easy. Loved it, like really its super awesome. It was a quicker walk and entry between parks than i can get from the gates of magic kingdom to the furthest bus stop.
5. The food options were wider and tastier. This may have been my perspective, but just thought so.
9. The castle, while beautiful, was anti climatic. Sorry, it just didn't do it for me.

3. Not just the fact that people don't rush, but even as being the FP "runner", I don't wear out because the size of the parks are so much smaller than they are at WDW.
4. Yes!!! I had some friends for Atlanta come out for a day and they were amazed at the fact that the distance between gates was less than a gate walk at MK or AK or even Epcot. Not to mention cutting out the wait for the bus, the bus ride, and then walking into the next park. I'll admit, I love this feature.
5. Huh? The one thing I miss about WDW is the amazing variety of food - especially Table Service.
9. THIS....is what makes me miss WDW. I miss the "grandness" feeling. Makes it easier to feel the Disney Bubble when it's sooooo big. But then you have to sacrifice #4.

 

[SMD]

They took a lot of stuff out of the penny arcade during the last remodel. And even before that there were machines where the second candy counter is near the back door. I'll have to pay more attention to what is still in there.

 

[Indiana Scott]

Thanks for you impressions.
I found the part about DLR having better food very interesting. I always gave the nod to WDW because of World Showcase's huge variety.
Either way, The parks have sure improved their quality and selection (with some exceptions) of food available. We especially like the more healthy choices now available.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

Regarding food, I've found DLR to have better CS options and WDW to have better TS options.

 

[Tricia's mom]

Loved your post !!! Thank you so much for your insight.... We leave in 12 days !!!

 

[jenjersnap]

I mostly agree with you but we saw tons of matching shirts this past week. Lots of families; love seeing those multi-generational groups with their shirts. <3. St. Patrick's Day was especially fun for matching themes.

I don't care if the castle is puny, it is so much prettier and better detailed than Cinderella's (like all things in the MK vs DL contest...MK has the scale but DL has the charm)

DLR QS is much better than WDW's, in our opinions. Used to think TS was better at WDW but it is sliding downhill fast. Our meal at Blue Bayou was just as good, if not better, in quality than anything we experienced on a signature-heavy DxDDP trip we had to WDW in November.

MK does have the double decker bus cruising Main Street but I loved the variety of vehicles at DL.

 

[Shelly S]

I agree the QS is so much better at Disneyland with lots of different choices. In fact we rarely feel the need to do TS. And even then usually only reserve a day in advance. Also love all the outside seating at the QS. It's too hot and humid at DW usually to enjoy eating outside.

 

[jkolkemo]

I think the shoes have to do with the locals that go to the park as if it was a fashion parade or something. If you are a hard core tourist you are wearing sensible shoes, or you will kill your feet. I can never get over the it being super hot in the summer and they are decked out in black and jackets, hair perfect, and high heels. Not this Pacific Northwest girl. Good walking shoes and tank tops with shorts. It's not a fashion day it's a play day.

 

[Butterfly123]

Thanks for posting! I always enjoy reading people's perceptions of the parks.

The castle is small, but when I see it I'm reminded of the castle pictures with Walt in them, and it seems to be just the right size!

I agree the food is good...so much better than it was when we started bringing the kids in the early 2000's.

 

[Gisele]

What in the heck does the Q stand for? Lol
No.....really. If it's for counter, then what's up with the Q.
Oh wait.....just in thought.....quick.....lmao

 

[tup1830]

I guess i should've said that i'm a vegetarian so that may skew my eating choices?!? Even though i agree that DW has a lot more restaurants, i think the food quality has gone progressively in the negative direction lately...so my DL experience may be better because its new to me?!? (diminishing returns)

19. I forgot to add. We did the minnie breakfast...and its a totally different experience. First, you pay when you go in and another stamp...which i never understood. Second, we were seated outside, so everything was self serve, ie you have to get your own drinks also. They had bottled milk to take...convenient! The characters were a mishmosh, but it wasn't a bad thing. We had tigger, pooh, capt hook, max, fairy god mother, minnie and dale. Maybe because character breakfasts aren't super popular, not sure, but it was fairly quiet and so the interaction was superb.

 

[MaleficentRN]

I think the shoes have to do with the locals that go to the park as if it was a fashion parade or something. If you are a hard core tourist you are wearing sensible shoes, or you will kill your feet. I can never get over the it being super hot in the summer and they are decked out in black and jackets, hair perfect, and high heels. Not this Pacific Northwest girl. Good walking shoes and tank tops with shorts. It's not a fashion day it's a play day.

Remember the Modern Family where they went to Disneyland and Gloria wore the killer pumps and had to buy slippers because her feet hurt so much?

 

[beachdreamr1229]

Glad to see you had a good time!

As a side note, I always figured we use our phones less at DLR because coverage is terrible around the parks. But, maybe that's just my service provider.