From DL to DCA?

[LauraAnn630]

How do you get from DL to DCA? Do you walk or take the monrail?
How far is it?

 

[BethID]

Maybe 50-100 yards. It is a 2 minute walk from one gate to the other. That is one of my favorite things about DL and DCA. No busing. It makes it so easy to parkhop!

 

[Hound 109]

Closer than the POR food court was to my POR room. (Carrying 3 breakfasts & 2 cups of coffee.)

I'd guess 100 yards.

 

[fairycat]

Trust me when you get there you won't miss it!

Its a super easy walk. The monorail also as a note does not stop in DCA but from DL it does take you to the end of DTD. Which is also a quick walk from the two parks.

 

[LauraAnn630]

That does make hoppin' easier!

One year we were at the very back of the All Star Music! We joked about being tired of walking by the time we got to the bus stop!

How do you get to Downtown Disney? How late do the stores stay open in June?

Well I cant get spoiled by DL! The flight is way more expensive for us. It way cheaper to get to WDW. We have 4 passes each to WDW now but decided to go without the kids to Vegas and couldnt resist DL being so close!

 

[Hound 109]

Walk out the DL front gate, hang a right & 50 yards later you enter DTD. (Which you walk thru to get to the 3 DLR hotel properties).

It's really pretty cool how close everything is.

 

[Mrs. Bee]

Visual Aide...

Go here for this map and another one...but much bigger/easier to see...

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/disneyland/disneyland-map.htm

And a satellite view because I love it. *Thanks google maps!

 

[DLR29]

^I love that map and was just about to post it. For WDW vets, that map is perfect to get them understanding about the proximity of everything. Transportation is sooooo much more convenient at DLR (mainly because it's all walking, no waiting for buses or monorails or boats)

 

[sandymandr]

That map is awesome and really helpful, thanks to the poster!

 

[sandymandr]

Oh, btw, where is security? Is it between the two parks? Or before you go into either park? I read that you don't have to go through security again, just show your handstamp and/or ticket, so would there be a separate line for those who have already been to DL going into DCA? Or is it all outside? And come to think of it, if I leave and go back to Carousel and come back in afternoon, do I have to go back through security? I would kind of hope so! TIA!

 

[Husker Mickey]

Security is before you get to the park entrances. Once you go through, you don't have to go through again, unless you leave the parks. There is a security check point entering from the east - hotels/motels on Harbor and on entering from the west - DTD area. Yes, if you leave you have to go back through security. They look through your purse/backpack/camera case. . . (BTW - love the hop, skip, jump from DL to DCA!)

 

[S. S. Columbia]

Oh, btw, where is security? Is it between the two parks? Or before you go into either park? I read that you don't have to go through security again, just show your handstamp and/or ticket, so would there be a separate line for those who have already been to DL going into DCA? Or is it all outside? And come to think of it, if I leave and go back to Carousel and come back in afternoon, do I have to go back through security? I would kind of hope so! TIA!

When you exit DL to enter DCA, you just walk across the Esplanade, and you do not have to go through security again. And vice versa. It's easy!

Security is located on the east side of the Esplanade and the west side of the Esplanade. When you walk to the parks, from the Carousel, you will need to go through the "east side" security. Once you pass security, you can enter DL or DCA without having to go through security again.

The "west side" security is in between the Esplanade and Downtown Disney. If you are in DTD, then you will need to go through the "west side" security to enter the Esplanade.

The location of the Carousel is great. Your walk from the Carousel to DL (or DCA) is only 5 to 7 minutes. It's really convenient.

HTH

 

[LauraAnn630]

Thanks for all the information!

This is going to be way easier than the World!!

A few times we had to take a bus to MGM then take a boat or something like that... to get to a restaurant...lol It was fun and the sights were nice. Very time consuming tho.

Sometimes a map can be deceiving. Like WDW, it makes you think its closer than it is. When actually WDW is bigger than San Fransico!

That will not be the case in DL/DCA/DTD. I only have two days to cram in all I can. I am working on a touring plan with options.

Now if DL will put out all of Junes schedule. I know I have time but I love to plan.

Thanks everyone!

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks for all the information!

This is going to be way easier than the World!!

A few times we had to take a bus to MGM then take a boat or something like that... to get to a restaurant...lol It was fun and the sights were nice. Very time consuming tho.

Sometimes a map can be deceiving. Like WDW, it makes you think its closer than it is. When actually WDW is bigger than San Fransico!

That will not be the case in DL/DCA/DTD. I only have two days to cram in all I can. I am working on a touring plan with options.

Now if DL will put out all of Junes schedule. I know I have time but I love to plan.

Thanks everyone!

Hi LauraAnne:

If you will take the time to look through the link below it will answer many of the questions you are coming up with, many questions you did not know you had, and also put you into a position to ask even better questions in the future. How's that for an advertisement? Best of all, it has a money back guarantee (i.e., its free )

"A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

 

[Hound 109]

I recommend all DLR newbies (But especially WDW Vets) to look at ALL of Hydroguy's tip threads (in his signature above).

They have saved my family hours of touring per visit. A few hours of studying those tips (along with park maps) will allow you to hit the ground running.

(instead of being a newbie "walk & stop, dawdler" )

 

[jlmarr]

Here's another map - from Wikimapia - centered on the "Esplanade" between the two park entrances:

http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=33.809079&lon=-117.918947&z=18&l=0&m=h&v=2

 

[Mrs. Bee]

Here's another map - from Wikimapia - centered on the "Esplanade" between the two park entrances:

http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=33.809079&lon=-117.918947&z=18&l=0&m=h&v=2

that map is fabulous! thanks for sharing!!

 

[HydroGuy]

It seems to be a trend to try and show visually how close DL and DCA are. So here is another perspective...

This shot was taken while standing at the DL gate looking away from DL before the park opened. We were in the front of the line so my back was literally at the DL gate.

Running prominently across the middle of the picture is the monorail track. Below the track at the left you can see the Golden Gate bridge whose future is bleak with the work coming to DCA. You can also see the FOR letters at the lower left which are part of the CALIFORNIA letters in front of DCA whose future also is bleak. The DCA entrance gates are between the CALIFORNIA letters and the Golden gate bridge. FWIW, when the rework is done on the DCA entrance, the DCA gates will be at the location where the CALIFORNIA letters are now.

 

[LauraAnn630]

Great maps! Thanks for posting them.

Hydroguy - Im reading your thread tonight. Thanks for taking the time to put all of the important information together!

 

[Mrs. Bee]

It seems to be a trend to try and show visually how close DL and DCA are. So here is another perspective...

This shot was taken while standing at the DL gate looking away from DL before the park opened. We were in the front of the line so my back was literally at the DL gate.

Running prominently across the middle of the picture is the monorail track. Below the track at the left you can see the Golden Gate bridge whose future is bleak with the work coming to DCA. You can also see the FOR letters at the lower left which are part of the CALIFORNIA letters in front of DCA whose future also is bleak. The DCA entrance gates are between the CALIFORNIA letters and the Golden gate bridge. FWIW, when the rework is done on the DCA entrance, the DCA gates will be at the location where the CALIFORNIA letters are now.

wow...was that the most crowded day ever or something?