First Trip to Disneyland - How To Start Planning

[jhaig]

My family and I are Disney veterans, having been to WDW in Orlando several times. We are familiar with everything regarding touring plans, Fastpasses, etc. But next year we want to give Disneyland a try. I don't really even know where to begin planning a trip to a place I don't know that much about. I have lots of questions, but a guide book can only do so much.

1) Will 3 days be enough time to see everything?
2) Should I plan on staying on property (we would like to be close to the parks)
3) Dining options seems pretty sparse compared to WDW. If I had to pick 3 places to eat, where would they be? And does dining work the same as it does at WDW (table service, counter service)?
4) Anything resembling Magical Express? How far is DL from LAX?

That's just for starters. Any guidance you Disneyland experts can give me would be appreciated.

 

[sonnyjane]

I implore you to read this - A DLR Guide for WDW Vets: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

It's long, but if you're really interested in the best way to plan your DLR trip, this is the best place to start. If you read the whole thing (just the first main posts - you don't have to read every reply) and then still have specific questions, come back and we will be happy to answer!

 

[teacups]

My family and I are Disney veterans, having been to WDW in Orlando several times. We are familiar with everything regarding touring plans, Fastpasses, etc. But next year we want to give Disneyland a try. I don't really even know where to begin planning a trip to a place I don't know that much about. I have lots of questions, but a guide book can only do so much.

1) Will 3 days be enough time to see everything?
2) Should I plan on staying on property (we would like to be close to the parks)
3) Dining options seems pretty sparse compared to WDW. If I had to pick 3 places to eat, where would they be? And does dining work the same as it does at WDW (table service, counter service)?
4) Anything resembling Magical Express? How far is DL from LAX?

That's just for starters. Any guidance you Disneyland experts can give me would be appreciated.

3 days could be enough. If its a weekend it will be super busy (Fridays too) so expect more time in line those days. Personally, we do Mon - Thursday and sometimes leave Fri night.
Dining: My choices are Blue Bayou, Rain Forest Cafe (the kids love it) and either French Market or, oh dear, I cant think of the name. Someone help: On the corner, you take a tray and get fried chicken. (Yummy!)
LAX you'll spend about 45 minutes once you hit the freeway, depending on traffic. Could be much longer. We prefer John Wayne. 10 minutes tops.
Not sure about magical express, but there are shuttles.
We have stayed on site ONCE and never again because the offsite hotels are SO MUCH closer and cheaper. Who spends time in the room anyway?

Hope Ive helped. There are PLENTY on here who know TONS mroe than I do.
And ask away- plenty will help.

 

[sonnyjane]

oh dear, I cant think of the name. Someone help: On the corner, you take a tray and get fried chicken. (Yummy!)

Plaza Inn. And it's definitely one of my recommendations for top 3 counter service restaurants. Awesome value for the amount of food you get, and it's actually tasty too

 

[jhaig]

I implore you to read this - A DLR Guide for WDW Vets: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

It's long, but if you're really interested in the best way to plan your DLR trip, this is the best place to start. If you read the whole thing (just the first main posts - you don't have to read every reply) and then still have specific questions, come back and we will be happy to answer!

Yikes! This should keep me busy for a while... thanks!

 

[coaches24]

3 days is the minimum IMO. You likely won't get every thing done but you should be able to get all your important must see/do things done without an issue. I always leave after 3 days going "dang we didn't do this, or we didn't do that" but it's always stuff I don't make plans to see. I just figure I will hit it up at some point when lookin to fill time between planned things.

There is a slew of hotels near the park that are much cheaper than the ones on site. I googled hotels near Disneyland and found a great map of all the hotels in the area around DL. From there it was just a matter of researching each to find the one that suited my needs/ wants the best.
http://printfreemaps.com/maps/freedisneylandareamap.pdf

As for places to eat my favorite was the big thunder ranch BBQ. All you can eat table serviced meal. Food was very good IMO and was the only place I felt you could possibly get your money's worth (of your really hungry when you go there of course). I think it was close to 25 a person but of course thats for all you can eat BBQ.

 

[Geemo]

You have plenty of time to figure things out.
People here will give you links to info or even answer your questions.

You ask about 3days.... I say NO, three days will NOT be enough to do everything.

We usually go for 5 days and there are times we still don't have time for everything. If you do get a low crowd visit and get everything done then you can do a few thing again. You might want to day trip around the LA area. Hollywood, the beach, down to San Diego

NY to SoCal is a long jaunt. If at all possible go for a 5 day HopperPass. I'm sure you'll be glad you did.

We like to stay on property for the few perks it gives you. The Disney Resort Hotels are spendy. The Good Neighbor Hotels vary in quality and cost. Many are just as close as the Resort Hotels are. Read some of the threads on hotel questions and it will give you an idea of what fits with your style and budget.

I hope you enjoy the west coast on your visit.

 

[sophies*mom]

I'm sure you'll read it in that thread, but the dining plan at DL is a joke. NOT worth it, no savings or anything. Don't bother with it.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

WDW Vet here! We just got back from our first DL trip, so I learned A LOT!

In a nutshell...

* Monday -Thursday were the best for crowds

* Dining was no where near as important as WDW. Don't bother with the vouchers.

* Our 3 faves were: Goofy's Brunch, Blue Bayou, Naples

* We booked SuperShuttle from SNA (which I recommend over LAX), but I think next time I would just take a cab.

* We stayed at Paradise Pier and Grand Californian Villas.... I know they say you don't have to... but I'm oddly loyal to Disney and like to be in the magic. Both places were great!

Have a great trip!

 

[KCmike]

WDW Vet here! We just got back from our first DL trip, so I learned A LOT!

In a nutshell...

* Monday -Thursday were the best for crowds

* Dining was no where near as important as WDW. Don't bother with the vouchers.

* Our 3 faves were: Goofy's Brunch, Blue Bayou, Naples

* We booked SuperShuttle from SNA (which I recommend over LAX), but I think next time I would just take a cab.

* We stayed at Paradise Pier and Grand Californian Villas.... I know they say you don't have to... but I'm oddly loyal to Disney and like to be in the magic. Both places were great!

Have a great trip!

What did you think of Disneyland?

 

[KCmike]

My family and I are Disney veterans, having been to WDW in Orlando several times. We are familiar with everything regarding touring plans, Fastpasses, etc. But next year we want to give Disneyland a try. I don't really even know where to begin planning a trip to a place I don't know that much about. I have lots of questions, but a guide book can only do so much.

1) Will 3 days be enough time to see everything?
2) Should I plan on staying on property (we would like to be close to the parks)
3) Dining options seems pretty sparse compared to WDW. If I had to pick 3 places to eat, where would they be? And does dining work the same as it does at WDW (table service, counter service)?
4) Anything resembling Magical Express? How far is DL from LAX?

That's just for starters. Any guidance you Disneyland experts can give me would be appreciated.

When are you thinking about going? Spring? Summer? Etc.

1. If you go during the summer or busier season then I would recommend at least 4 days. If you go in the off season then three would be the least. Know that during the off season the fireworks, fantasmic!, and other things only show on the weekends.

2. Yes stay on property. Many will say to save money and its a shorter walk from some hotels outside the property but it just isn't the same as staying onsite. I would rather stay on property, walk thru downtown disney vs. walking down a busy harbor blvd.
We like to stay onsite for the better hotel experience, better all around Disney experience, and those awesome chaisse lounge chairs that are poolside.

3. Meal plan is very different. You can find good restaurants in DL but don't do the meal plan. Three places to eat for me would be for counter service Plaza Inn, Hungry Bear, and Taste Pilot's (DCA). Sit Down would be Napa Rose, Blue Bayou, and Steakhouse 55 in DLH.

4. There is a Disneyland Express but its not owned by Disney. Think a motorcoach. LAX is a good 30-40 minutes away and maybe more depending on traffic. We've taken Supershuttle twice and had a good experience. We've also rented a car which we preferred because you can visit the beach, San Diego, and extend your vacation the to many wonderful places in CAlifornia. We visited Monterey, San Francisco, San Diego (only 90 min away) and my all time favorite Yosemite National Park which I consider heaven on earth.

You can always get the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland or Birnbaums at your local library as well. If you want to see the many photos of Disneyland stop by our site on the Community side of these boards here : http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2659644

Have fun! Keep asking questions. I was once a WDW vet and thought it was the end all be all to vacations and then I found Disneyland and California. I'm hooked. Disneyland is now my home park.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

What did you think of Disneyland?

We had a great time! For the rides that have the same at WDW, we would always ask each other what we thought... most we liked better at DL, and some we liked better at WDW... but so much fun!! It was so great to try new experiences with the low crowds of the off season! Not being tied to week long food reservations was kind of nice too!

Fantasmic! was under refurb, as was the Matterhorn, it was too chilly to swim, and we could see so much of Carsland that looked amazing! They also canceled Fireworks for both of the scheduled days during our trip Soooooo under much consideration---we're going back in October!!!! We're going to stay at the DLH which is the only one on property we haven't tried!!

 

[skier_pete]

We are going for our first time 3 days this summer. I can't comment whether it is "enough" but that's what we have (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday in our case, couldn't completely avoid the weekend. I could've done 4 days, but decided that 3 should enough. We are mostly concerned with hitting the "different" rides, so things like Soarin' and Star Tours we have no problem missing out on. The plan is to try and hit everything once.

From what I've seen, if you can afford the Disney hotels, great, but if you don't want to spend the money they're are very nice hotels that are within 5 minute walking distance of the park gates. The two we were going between based on DISer recomendations was the HoJo Anaheim and the Tropicana. Both were around $130 a night at peak summertime. The Disney hotels ran from $300 for Paradise Pier, $400 for DLH and $500 a night for GCH, way outside our price range. The difference between the Tropicana and DLH pays for our park tickets.

If you can fly into SNA (John Wayne - Orange County) it is much closer. From LAX there are many shuttles. I found Supershuttle a good service, and if you have an entertainment book there is an additional discount in there. I believe it is $10 each way from SNA and $16 each way from LAX per person. This is assuming you are not renting a car. We are flying into SNA and out of LAX, so will get to experience both.

Can't recommend dining yet. We are cheaping out and doing mostly counter service, except I plan on a WoC package to get the reserved seating.

 

[azdisneylover]

My family and I are Disney veterans, having been to WDW in Orlando several times. We are familiar with everything regarding touring plans, Fastpasses, etc. But next year we want to give Disneyland a try. I don't really even know where to begin planning a trip to a place I don't know that much about. I have lots of questions, but a guide book can only do so much.

1) Will 3 days be enough time to see everything?
2) Should I plan on staying on property (we would like to be close to the parks)
3) Dining options seems pretty sparse compared to WDW. If I had to pick 3 places to eat, where would they be? And does dining work the same as it does at WDW (table service, counter service)?
4) Anything resembling Magical Express? How far is DL from LAX?

That's just for starters. Any guidance you Disneyland experts can give me would be appreciated.

Welcome to the Disneyland boards! For me, 3 days is not enough, but I was born and raised in Southern California, now living in AZ. The pace through the park is more laid back, check things out, why rush, stop and smell the roses, just enjoying every little detail with all your senses, instead of hurry to the next ride (we do that when we are at Six Flags Magic Mountain).
Alot would depend on how many are going, what time of year, the ages, what likes/dislikes etc. If you have the money to stay onsite, I would, but, there are many decent places that are close to walk to and from. If you let us know that, we can give you our opinions on the parks.
Dining is different in CA. There are many places to eat in Downtown Disney, in the Garden Walk, up and down Harbor Blvd and in the Disneyland Parks themselves. It would depend on what type of food you are interested, do you want sit down dinners, etc? For my family, we prefer to grab counter service most of the time. The weather in California is wonderful, so are the people.
There are many ways to cut the cost of the trip down and have a great time too.

 

[jhaig]

Welcome to the Disneyland boards! For me, 3 days is not enough, but I was born and raised in Southern California, now living in AZ. The pace through the park is more laid back, check things out, why rush, stop and smell the roses, just enjoying every little detail with all your senses, instead of hurry to the next ride (we do that when we are at Six Flags Magic Mountain).
Alot would depend on how many are going, what time of year, the ages, what likes/dislikes etc. If you have the money to stay onsite, I would, but, there are many decent places that are close to walk to and from. If you let us know that, we can give you our opinions on the parks.
Dining is different in CA. There are many places to eat in Downtown Disney, in the Garden Walk, up and down Harbor Blvd and in the Disneyland Parks themselves. It would depend on what type of food you are interested, do you want sit down dinners, etc? For my family, we prefer to grab counter service most of the time. The weather in California is wonderful, so are the people.
There are many ways to cut the cost of the trip down and have a great time too.

We probably plan on going late Aug / early Sept, 2 adults and daughter (13yr old). We love the rides and don't really care too much about parades or shows, except we definitely want to see World of Color. Interesting how dining doesn't seem to be as important. At WDW, we do the deluxe dining because there are so many options to choose from.

This will probably be a 10-12 day trip, so DL was only gonna be part of it. We also want to see Sequoia, San Diego Zoo, Hollywood, etc (never been to CA - can you tell?) The shuttle from LAX seems fine, but can I rent a car anywhere near DL or do I need to do it at the airport?

 

[jhaig]

I'm sure you'll read it in that thread, but the dining plan at DL is a joke. NOT worth it, no savings or anything. Don't bother with it.

Will we save paying out of pocket? Only interested in Blue Bayou and Napa Rose for sit-downs.

 

[sonnyjane]

Will we save paying out of pocket? Only interested in Blue Bayou and Napa Rose for sit-downs.

For all intents and purposes, forget you even know the phrase "dining plan" while at Disneyland, it's that pointless. Simply pay out of pocket for your meals, or if for some reason you like to pre-pay, just get a Disney gift card.

 

[sophies*mom]

Will we save paying out of pocket? Only interested in Blue Bayou and Napa Rose for sit-downs.

You won't save anything because it's dollar for dollar. And let's say you have a voucher that is more than the cost of your meal, they won't give you any change. So, you could lose a little bit of money there.

I agree that you should just pay everything OOP or get a gift card to designate for food.

 

[jhaig]

Well, it took me a while, but I've gone through that awesome thread comparing WDW and DL. It almost seems like it would be easier to plan a trip to DL since you don't really worry about dining so much. But my next batch of questions are a little more specific:

1) DUMB FLYING QUESTION - having never flown to the west coast, do the flight times (ie: 7hrs from Philly to LAX) take into acccount the difference in the time zones? (please say yes)

2) The good neighbor hotels within walking distance - do you have to cross any busy streets to get to the DL gate? And which ones are the most highly recommended? We plan on seeing other stuff in southern CA, like Hollywood, Sequoia Natl Park, etc.

3) How does the Matterhorn compare to BTM?

4) Does Grizzly River Run put Kali River Rapids to shame?

5) I'm trying to convince my 12 year old daughter that DL will be just as good as WDW. She's been to Orlando 4 times and is worried that she won't have as good of a time. I tell her that it will be a whole new Disney experience, without having to cram onto busses and monorails. Hard to believe, but how can I get her to look forward more to this trip?

6) Is mid-May a good time to visit?

 

[BeckWhy]

First and foremost I want to say HI to jhaig & skier_pete! I'm down the road from both of you guys!


But I'd like to say that I'm planning my first trip to Disneyland for this fall. So my trip hasn't taken place yet, so I can't really tell you much. But this is what I can say:
First I decided to spend two days at each park. Now these lovely people from these boards told me to park hop, which is something I never do in WDW, so I'm going to do it while in DL and see how that turns out.
Second I decided where I wanted to stay. Then changed my mind after talking to these guys.
Third, when I wanted to go.
Forth where to eat.

Now I'm waiting for Cars Land to open and then I'll book my trip based on that. Cars Land is the only reason I'm going (well if Cars Land didn't open, I really wouldn't have even thought twice about going to Disneyland).

I'm not sure where you are flying out of, since you are in Corning, but watch JetBlue & SouthWest. Out of Buffalo they tend to be the cheapest, plus you don't have to pay to check a bag. Also a lot of people are suggesting flying into different airports, well I found it to be considerably cheaper to fly to LAX than any of the others (of course I haven't booked anything yet, just priced out, so that can change).

Initially I only planned on every visiting Disneyland once. But after reading the stories that people here have told, I have a feeling I'll be making more trips. I've also seen pics of Disneyland around Christmas time, and I think I really want to go then too.