First trip to Disneyland and first trip with Genie+ looking for tip and suggestions.

[SPJoeG]

My wife and I are taking our twins (12yo boy and girl) to Disneyland for the first time at the end of June. I have been to DL once over 30 years ago, for everyone else it will be there first time. We have done 2 big trips to WDW and 3 smaller trips to UOR. Here is what we have booked:

• 2 Nights at the Disneyland hotel
• 3 days single park tickets with reservations at DL/CA/DL and genie+
• Reservations at Oga's, WOC dessert party, Lamplight lounge, and Chef Goofy's character dinner
• Lightsaber and Droid experiences booked

I'm looking for your best tips and suggestions for a family who has been WDW in the fast pass era, but is new to both DL and Genie plus.

 

[CodeGoddess]

Did the past 20 trips to WDW fastpass style, and just last month did our first Genie+ at WDW. We are headed to DLR in October for Oogie Boogie Bash as first timers so I have been researching like crazy.

Big difference that we encountered between FP and G+ is that you can stack the passes but not in the same way. With FP you prebooked three up front and could book more when they were used along with selecting the timeframe. With G+ you can grab your first one at DLR as soon as you scan in so if you are there before open for rope drop you can grab your first one. You do not get to select the times as they slowly release them for the next available. Every couple hours you will see more open up. Honestly they system worked for us way better than fast passes ever did.

As you are reading about G+ on different sites there is some mixed up information being shared. At DLR your first pass can be made when you scan into the park. So if your open time is at 8am but you rope drop and are in the park before 8 you can book your first LL (lightening lane) through G+. Some of the sites I read had DLR mixed up with WDW where your first one is booked at 7am if you are staying on property no matter if you are at the park or not.

Stacking. The key here is to grab that first LL for early afternoon when lines are longest and keep stacking for the afternoon. You can book one every two hours from your last booking so set an alarm. Hit fantasy land early (as they don't' have LL) and get those done while lines are short.

Here is the last months average times for DLR from Thrill Data website to give you a bit of reference on which LL rides go quickest (this will change depending on what time of year you go):



Now with all that said, times don't seem to go as fast as they do at WDW. So stacking may not be the optimal strategy depending on time of year. My plan is to watch these charts over a couple weeks before we go looking at how the are trending. Then I will create a list on which ones go fastest and make those my LL priorities.

 

[mdmost]

I love Disneyland Daily and recommend it to all first timers. Casey does a great job of taking you through how to plan for a day at Disneyland or California Adventure with both young and big kids. Take a look at her posts on here. We used her strategies back in the Maxpass era and they were fantastic.

https://disneylanddaily.com/how-to-start-your-day-at-the-disneyland-resort/

I would also recommend trying out Touringplans.com. You can build a sample day and run it through their system. It will evaluate your plan and tell you how feasible it is. Granted, it does not take into account Genie+ yet but it can help you get a realistic idea if you're biting off too much. You can also build in your breaks and dining reservations into the plan. I like to use it to see if my past experiences are going to work for our June trip.

 

[Kit Jackson]

Things I love in Disneyland that you will not find in WDW (in no particular order):
1. CarsLand (The theming is beyond amazing, and Radiator Springs Racers is fantastic. If you can, try to ride it in daytime and nighttime because it is a difference experience after dark.)
2. Pirates of the Caribbean (it is a different ride than its WDW counterpart. It is not a carbon copy clone of the WDW version).
3. Disneyland Gallery (this is if you are interested in Disney history. They have concept art and a map/model of the park on opening day)
4. Stand near the partners statue in the hub. See the paths to other lands eminating from the center. Take a minute to realize this was Walt's vision. He imagined it, supervised the construction, and it still stands today, and you are standing where he probably once stood. (this is if you are interested in Disney history).

 

[xipotec]

Ina

Things I love in Disneyland that you will not find in WDW (in no particular order):
1. CarsLand (The theming is beyond amazing, and Radiator Springs Racers is fantastic. If you can, try to ride it in daytime and nighttime because it is a difference experience after dark.)
2. Pirates of the Caribbean (it is a different ride than its WDW counterpart. It is not a carbon copy clone of the WDW version).
3. Disneyland Gallery (this is if you are interested in Disney history. They have concept art and a map/model of the park on opening day)
4. Stand near the partners statue in the hub. See the paths to other lands eminating from the center. Take a minute to realize this was Walt's vision. He imagined it, supervised the construction, and it still stands today, and you are standing where he probably once stood. (this is if you are interested in Disney history).

I am doing a self guided walk with Walt tour…..and I am not afraid to say, I might get a little emotional being in his park finally.

After growing up with Walts magic , from The Magical world of Disney all the way to Disney + and everything in between. ….