tinklvsu
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2014
- Messages
- 300
You will be fine!! Don't stress out! DL/CA involves much less planning then WDW. It is much more laid back as there are so many more local day visitors. You can just show up and explore and have a great time! I'm a fellow WDW vet, but we have developed a love for DL/CA and have been alternating trips the last few years. The best thing is that everything is close together so you can walk anywhere in about 10 minutes. It saves so much travel time from what you are used to at WDW. I would recommend hoppers for a short trip because unlike at WDW, at DL/CA hopping between parks is a 5 minute deal. The walk between parks is less than walking from some of the bus stops into the parks at WDW. Also, the gates aren't typically bad if you are not at the opening or another prime entry time. The bag check is on the sides of the plaza for both parks, so you do not have to go through bag check when hoping. We have actually made it from the back of one park to the back of the other in 10 minutes. Also CA usually closes a couple of hours earlier then DL, so you can maximize time by hopping over and catching that extra couple of hours at DL at night. CA used to open an hour or two later as well, but since Carsland has been around I think they most often open at the same time now.
Even though you have a short time, if you like Aladdin at all, taking time for the 40 minute Aladdin show is absolutely worth it! A few years back when they were going to end it but changed their mind, we actually switched our WDW trip to DL, just so DD could see it before it was gone. (DH and I saw it on a business trip before then).
Fantasmic is better than at WDW, BUT it is a big investment of time that you might not want to make when you only have 2 days. We love the Fantasmic dessert package, but even with that, you have to wait in line to pick the seats you want well before the show, so it is still a time suck.
We love World of Color. If you get a chance it is something to see. It is standing only, which is a bit of a pain. We like to do the dining package, and then we go right up to the rail in the wet zone. You will get wet-you can bring a poncho or just deal with it, but at least to me (being short) and DD (being shorter) the view is well worth it.
If you like shows, Mickey and the Magical Map is really good, and the little Rapunzel show is actually quite entertaining.
Absolutely follow the above advice for RSR. It is a great ride. It puts Test Track to shame. I think Indiana Jones is probably my favorite ride in any Disney park. It is the same vehicle and track type as Dinosaur at WDW, but nothing like it. I hate Dinosaur, and I LOVE Indiana Jones.
DL/CA has great CS options. We think they are much better than WDW. You can easily get by without TS if you don't want to spend the time on TS. I would go crazy with just CS at WDW for more than a day- especially at MK. We always do TS at DL/CA, but I would be absolutely fine without it.
Peter Pan is not fast pass like it is at WDW, and the line is consistently long. Hit that early in the morning. Some people like DL's Peter Pan better- we really prefer WDW's version.
DL will feel strangely familiar- like you are dreaming you are at MK, but things are just slightly off. You will have no problem navigating it, if you are familiar with MK.
Don't miss Pirates at DL, it is much better than WDW's version. We really like Small world better too. We also like doing the Non-WdW things like the Alice in Wonderland ride and Nemo subs- but I think those will both be on refurb when you are there. There are still things like the Storybook land Canal Boat ride, Mr. Toad, Pinnochio, and Snow White (WDW's was much better, but since it is now gone DL is all there is). Just FYI- unless you are sporty, the Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes are much better in theory than in practice-- they look fun, but you quickly realize it is work. We had a pretty funny ride on those, with everyone around us new to the canoes and hilariously complaining after about 4 minutes. The Monster's Inc. ride at CA is pretty cute. We didn't think we would like Luigi's Flying Tires much, but they are a whole lot more fun than they looked. We loved them. That is one to hit early because they don't take many people at a time. TSM is not a FP ride at CA, but the lines are never as long as they are at WDW either. You should try to hit that one early, because the line is pretty consistently 30 to 45 minutes- but at least they aren't consistently an hour or more like at WDW. Be sure and walk through Sleeping Beauty's castle, it is kind of fun to be able to walk up in the castle at DL and see the story- the entry door is a bit tucked away on the back side of the castle. Also, if you like meeting characters and seeing villians, keep an eye out around town square during the day. Unlike WDW, where you don't see villains out for meet and greets much- they pop up here and there frequently at DL. We have seen Cruella out in Town Square in the afternoon more than once. We have run into the Queen of Hearts there as well. We've also seen the evil queen from Snow white popping up here and there.
Have a great time! Be careful though- our DL/CA addiction started out with DH and I going out to CA for the weekend before a Monday business meeting, and we just happened to decide to spend a Sunday at DL/CA. That one day led to DD just having to see the Aladdin show before it was gone and a full trip being booked... and that trip led to a love of DL/CA and alternating coast trips!
Thank you so much! I hadn't even looked at what could be closed while we are there. Best to do that now, so I won't be disappointed! I am really mainly interested in trying to catch what WDW doesn't have. I did hear that Pirate's is favored at DL by many, so I'll definitely try to catch that one. We do skip things like character's and other random's like Jungle Cruise, Swiss Tree, Tiki Room (i cannot stand this-my husband thinks its funny and makes me go everytime), any rides like Aladdin or Dumbo. It's not that I don't like them all, it's just that we will be doing it all over again in September with my three year old
I did go on the DL website and check out the map of each park, I feel pretty good at DL. It is really laid out in the same way. Maybe I'm having such a hard time because I am use to having to plan everything so far out for WDW, lol.
I did check out quite a few of the dining options. They have a lot of quick service items I thought looked fabulous. I'm not too interested in spending time to sit down table service this go round. I do think it's funny though, seeing so much stuff centered around New Orleans. I don't live "too" far from there (we are actually flying out of there)...and I have never thought it to be a spot worth theme-ing over.It's usually nasty to me! ha-ha. I'm sure Disney's version of New Orleans will be so much better than the actual!
At first, I wasn't excited at all about this. That says a lot though, because I LOVE LOVE LOVE Disney. Maybe it was the anxiety of not knowing about it all, maybe it was the spur of the moment purchase (that I'm still getting over) or perhaps the sadness I get when thinking about leaving my little boy... either way it's slowly fading away, and I'm becoming a little more excited. Especially with all of yall's help! It's hard not too!



