Going back to Disneyland - Help!

[MrInfinity]

We haven't been here in 10 years, but are very possibly going to take a trip to Disneyland! I've hung out on these boards for all this time and learned everything and anything about Disney World, but DL seems so distant. I don't even know where to start.

Our most desired place to stay would be the GC (this may be a once-in-a-lifetime trip), so I've started reading that master thread...

How do you do bookings here? Say there is a restaurant we want to eat at, do you book those like Disney World? When we lived in California we'd go to DL a lot... and booking was just a matter of going to the podium first thing and putting your name down. I'm sure it's more complicated now...

Just to be clear... there are *no* magic bands here, right? So you get what... a card for your room key and old-style fastpass tickets?

Would you book this on your normal Disney World account, or is there any reason to open up a new account just for this? (like getting extra Magic Bands at DW)

Any quick tips on touring there? I see you get an EMH hour every day which looks good.
When you're staying here, can you go out the front door, over to the monorail station by Downtown Disney, and take that right into the MK during EMH, and enter that way? Or do you have to go thru the regular security checkpoint?

Other random thoughts...
Is there an easy way to get from the Fullerton Amtrak station?
Is there a shuttle to Carlsbad / LEGOLAND?

Are there any key times I'd need to know... like 180 days for ADRs and 60 days for FastPasses?

Totally lost, learning this all from scratch, and have to put it together fast...
Thank you!

 

[Girimama33]

No Magic Bands or FP+ at this point. You will just be pulling paper FP's the days you are touring the parks.
Dining can be booked by phone or online 60 days out.
You will have a ticket (in order to get FPs) and your room key. You will need to show both for EMH.
You can exit the GCH and head over to the Monorail station, but it will likely be quicker going to the main entrance (it is closer than the Monorail station). There is also security at the Monorail station as well. Magic Kingdom is in WDW, but the Monorail will take you to Disneyland. There is a separate entrance in the GCH that will take you into DCA.
You can take a taxi from the Amtrak station to the hotel.
You can check out grayline tours or starline tours for busses from Anaheim to LEGOLAND.
If price is not an issue for you, you can book through your DVA. If you are a Costco member, you can get some better incentives (character meals and gift cards) when you book through them. It is cheapest to book separately though.

Have fun planning!

 

[sherilaine]

Dining reservations open up 60 days prior - you can book online at the Disneyland site or you can call for reservations. Depending on when you are going you may be able to make dining reservations up to a few days or a day before, but for Character Meals or any dining option that provides access to preferred viewing for parade or world of color, reservations should be made well in advance.

There are no magic bands - the fast pass process has not been changed at DLR - and only certain rides have fast passes available. Most fast pass distribution is located near the ride. The one exception to this is the fast pass distribution for Radiator Springs Racers is located near A Bugs Life rather than near the ride itself. Returning to use the fast pass withing the time allocation printed on the fast pass is now being strictly enforced, you can't 'save them up' and use them later in the day as used to be the case. You can also only pull your next fast pass after the time on your current fast pass has been reached or two hours has passed. There are certain fast passes that are disconnected from the system, World of Color being one of them, but I think there may be more. Also, the fast pass systems in each park are disconnected, so you can pull a fast pass in DL and then go over and pull another one right away from DCA.

There is a tonne of information here so I am sure you will have no trouble planning a great trip.

 

[agamble]

When you're staying here, can you go out the front door, over to the monorail station by Downtown Disney, and take that right into the MK during EMH, and enter that way? Or do you have to go thru the regular security checkpoint?

If you're staying at the Grand there is no reason to do this. If you chose the Disneyland hotel you may want to. The monorail is at the far end of DTD near the Disneyland Hotel, but the Grand Hotel is connected to DCA. There is an entrance into DCA from the Grand, but people say it isn't convenient at opening. We have used it in and out when dining at the hotel.

 

[chickapin parterre]

why are you at the fullerton station ?

 

[MrInfinity]

why are you at the fullerton station ?

Cuz it's on the route we'd come in on. We could transfer at that St. and get down to the Anaheim St., but it's an extra transfer which is more a waste of time just for the 1 or 2 stops closer to DL...

 

[chickapin parterre]

since you are staying at the GCH, the price of uber or taxi wouldn't be a deterrent from traveling from Fullerton. for other folks visiting, fullerton is farther away then it looks on the map. Angel stadium to Disneyland by taxi is 15.00 to 20.00

 

[MrInfinity]

since you are staying at the GCH, the price of uber or taxi wouldn't be a deterrent from traveling from Fullerton. for other folks visiting, fullerton is farther away then it looks on the map. Angel stadium to Disneyland by taxi is 15.00 to 20.00

Well I checked out the Grayline tours (above) and for a family of 6 to get down to LEGOLAND it's pretty expensive. So as much as I wanted to avoid it, with the trip south and at least 2 taxi rides, it's going to be cheaper just to rent a car... Fullerton does look right next door on the map!

 

[Girimama33]

Well I checked out the Grayline tours (above) and for a family of 6 to get down to LEGOLAND it's pretty expensive. So as much as I wanted to avoid it, with the trip south and at least 2 taxi rides, it's going to be cheaper just to rent a car... Fullerton does look right next door on the map!

Fullerton is right next door to Anaheim. The distance from the Fullerton station is not much farther than the Anaheim station. It is a straight shot down Harbor.

 

[chickapin parterre]

EMH is great for DCA visits as those are for onsite folks only. Your EMH into Disneyland is to be shared with folks who have 3-day park hopper, so the Disneyland visit will be a bit more crowded as only two lands are open, so it crowds up in a hurry, but it does put you ahead of regular visitors into NOS and puts you in line for fast pass offering that start when the gates open

 

[MrInfinity]

EMH is great for DCA visits as those are for onsite folks only. Your EMH into Disneyland is to be shared with folks who have 3-day park hopper, so the Disneyland visit will be a bit more crowded as only two lands are open, so it crowds up in a hurry, but it does put you ahead of regular visitors into NOS and puts you in line for fast pass offering that start when the gates open

NOS... New Orleans Square? What's the incentive to go here first? Is it common to shoot for an Indiana Jones FP early, or what goes the quickest?

EMH is great for DCA visits as those are for onsite folks only. Your EMH into Disneyland is to be shared with folks who have 3-day park hopper, so the Disneyland visit will be a bit more crowded as only two lands are open, so it crowds up in a hurry, but it does put you ahead of regular visitors into NOS and puts you in line for fast pass offering that start when the gates open

So if you have 3 days to spend here... with hoppers... is it more useful to have 2 days of EMH to DL or DCA? (since they alternate)

 

[chickapin parterre]

if you are a RSR fan, then visit on the DCA EMH days, if you are a peter pan fan, the disneyland on the two days. EMH goes two days in a row on Sunday and MOnday. I Use NOS as a pinpoint because Indy, jungle , HM and splash are steps away from NOS. BTMRR is around the corner. Indy FP take awhile to disappear and you may be better off to FP BTMRR and then standby on Indy first thing

 

[chickapin parterre]

wiki travel says that Fullerton is the best station to navigate mass transsit, so if settled into disney, then yes, take mass transit to fullerton to go elsewhere. Wiki travel says that if coming into Disneyland by Amtrak, then Anahiem is the better choice of the two. This is very true if coming from the north, as there is a great chance of the train being late, which is what you really want to happen when traveling south by Amtrak, because the view on the ride is different then an on time train. And by late I mean midnight to any hour in the morning. That station is open until Amtrak arrives.

 

[figment_jii]

How do you do bookings here? Say there is a restaurant we want to eat at, do you book those like Disney World? When we lived in California we'd go to DL a lot... and booking was just a matter of going to the podium first thing and putting your name down. I'm sure it's more complicated now...

As others have mentioned, DLR dining reservations open up about 60-days in advance. They are not nearly as difficult to get as WDW dining reservations, so you don't need to worry about being online (or on the phones) when the system rolls. Usually you can find fairly prime dining reservations less than a week out, however, as mentioned, some things will fill up before then (character dining and dining packages are usually the first to book up). If you get online on the 60-day mark and you can't find a reservation, it most likely means they haven't loaded them into the system yet (opposed to being fully booked). There is no 180+length of stay at DLR, so you do have to make reservations one day at a time (if you go that route).

Any quick tips on touring there? I see you get an EMH hour every day which looks good.

Generally, DL has EMH/MM on Tue, Thu, and Sat, while DCA has EMH on Sun, Mon, Wed, and Fri. Only onsite guests have access to EMH, but individuals with eligible tickets have access to MM. DL's MM/EMH is limited to select attractions in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. DCA's EMH also has only select attractions, but they're spread out more in the parks.

One random tip: I would download the official Disneyland App. It has wait times, FP return times, character schedules, etc.

When you're staying here, can you go out the front door, over to the monorail station by Downtown Disney, and take that right into the MK during EMH, and enter that way? Or do you have to go thru the regular security checkpoint?

Um...if you're staying at the GCH it'll be much faster to go through the main entrance to get into DL. At WDW, the monorail is a mode of transportation, so it's designed to more a lot of people pretty quickly. At DLR, the monorail is mostly an attraction. It has fairly low capacity. I would not use it get into the parks unless you have extra time and want to ride the monorail for fun. Regardless of which method you use, you will have to go through security (there is a security station before the Esplanade/Main entrance, before the GCH entrance, and before you can get up onto the monorail station platform in DTD).

Are there any key times I'd need to know... like 180 days for ADRs and 60 days for FastPasses?

ADRs open at approximately 60-days, operating schedules are posted about 45-days/6-weeks in advance, and entertainment/refrubishment/etc information is usually not added/completed until much closer to the date (less than 30-days to go). There is no FP+ (at this point), so no need to worry about that.

Just to be clear... there are *no* magic bands here, right? So you get what... a card for your room key and old-style fastpass tickets?

In terms of FPs, at this point, DLR is still using the "Legacy" FP system. As others have mentioned, there are no Magic Bands or FP+ at DLR, so you cannot "reserve" your FPs in advance, but for the most part, the FP system at DLR is similar to the FP system that WDW was using before they went to FP+. You'll insert your ticket into the FP machine to get the FP; they do post the current return time so you'll know if it works for you or not before getting the FP. You can also check the official Disneyland App, which will give you the current return time. Unlike WDW, there is no official grace period (either early or late), so plan on returning during the time window printed on the ticket.

Once you've obtained a FP, you can collect your next FP two hours later or when the FP window opens, whichever comes first. Let's say it's 9:00 am and you obtained a FP with a return time of 10:15 am to 11:15 am. You'll be able to get your next FP at 10:15 am (when the time window for the most recent FP opens). On the other hand, let's say it's 9:00 am and you obtain a FP with a return time of 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm. You'll be able to get your next FP at 11:00 am (two hours after you pulled your most recent FP). (Caveat: You cannot hold two FPs for the same attraction, so if you already have a FP for an attraction, but it's time window has not yet opened, you cannot get another FP for that attraction even if you're eligible to get more FPs.) A few other notes:

• There are a handful of "disconnect" FPs. You can obtain these FPs and they do not limit/impact your ability to get another FP immediately. The only "disconnected" attraction FP is for Buzz Lightyear. WoC, Frozen at the Royal Theater (a show - may no longer be used), and the A&E M&G (may no longer be using this) are also "disconnected" FPs. In other words, you could go get a WoC FP and then immediately go get a RSR FP. F!, when it was being presented also used the FP system, but it is likely dark for the rest of 2016.
• The two parks are "disconnected" from each other. Meaning you can collect a FP in DL and then immediately hop over to DCA and collect a FP there. For example, if you are in DL and pull a FP for Space Mtn, you can immediately go over to DCA (assuming you have park hopper tickets) and get a FP for RSR.
• Once a park ticket has been used to enter a park, you can obtain FPs in either park. So let's say your party all enters DL in the morning. You can then have one person (aka "the runner") hop over to DCA to get FPs in that park. (It's worth noting, I've only ever done this with park hopper tickets, so I don't know if works if someone had a one-park-per-day ticket). This is one of the biggest differences from WDW when it was still using the Legacy FP system.
• There aren't a huge number of attractions at DLR that use the FP system. Mostly they are the thrill rides and a few of the more popular non-thrill rides. Disneyland.com has a list of the attractions that currently use the FP system: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/#/fastpass/

 

[MrInfinity]

Dining reservations open up 60 days prior - you can book online at the Disneyland site or you can call for reservations.

60 days, wow. So nothing like the 180 I'm used to... So is there any advantage given to resort guests, or does everyone have equal chances? The one thing we want to book is the Blue Bayou... Do these sell out like WDW places?

...lots of helpful info...

Thank you!! Digesting it all... Interesting, about the when your window opens or 2 hours, whichever comes first...

 

[Girimama33]

60 days, wow. So nothing like the 180 I'm used to... So is there any advantage given to resort guests, or does everyone have equal chances? The one thing we want to book is the Blue Bayou... Do these sell out like WDW places?


Thank you!! Digesting it all... Interesting, about the when your window opens or 2 hours, whichever comes first...

No advantage to resort guests, but if you book through WDTC, they may make reservations for you once they open. They are not hard to get where you have to be on the phone when your window opens like with WDW, but if you know you want to dine at BB, I would book that when your window opens. You will likely get your preferred day/time, even a few weeks after your window opens...but the sooner the better.

The FP will tell you the exact time you are able to pull another FP on the bottom of it...makes it a lot easier.

 

[sherilaine]

60 days, wow. So nothing like the 180 I'm used to... So is there any advantage given to resort guests, or does everyone have equal chances? The one thing we want to book is the Blue Bayou... Do these sell out like WDW places?


Thank you!! Digesting it all... Interesting, about the when your window opens or 2 hours, whichever comes first...

Dining reservations are separate from any hotel reservations. I do not believe there is any priority given to onsite guests in booking their dining reservations. I don't think there is any need to be anxious about booking though, if you book when your window opens, then you have a great selection to pick from. I honestly read these posts and question if I ever want to go to WDW with what seems to be a lot of stress tied to booking meals and the fast pass plus - I really enjoy how DLR is still quite laid back.

 

[MrInfinity]

Well, we did it! All booked. Decided to go back to Cali after all these years. We've got 3 days, which will be a Wed thru Fri, so 2 mornings of Early Entry at DCA and then one Early Magic hour at DL.

Man the GC is expensive! And it was about a wash to get 2 rooms vs 1 suite, so we went for the suite. About as much as a Florida trip but for 1/2 the time...

They have a voucher option for a character meal, so I added one of those, which I think we'll use at Ariel's Grotto. They also do a World of Color package here... is that worth it? This is a big thing that you can see from lots of places right? Like Illuminations? Looking around at reservations, it really does look like everything is easy to get even just a couple weeks out, so that's good. What else would you do if you got to take one trip to Disneyland? We'll probably go back to WDW many times, so things that are particularly unique to the west...

• There are a handful of "disconnect" FPs. You can obtain these FPs and they do not limit/impact your ability to get another FP immediately. The only "disconnected" attraction FP is for Buzz Lightyear. WoC, Frozen at the Royal Theater (a show - may no longer be used), and the A&E M&G (may no longer be using this) are also "disconnected" FPs. In other words, you could go get a WoC FP and then immediately go get a RSR FP. F!, when it was being presented also used the FP system, but it is likely dark for the rest of 2016.
• The two parks are "disconnected" from each other. Meaning you can collect a FP in DL and then immediately hop over to DCA and collect a FP there. For example, if you are in DL and pull a FP for Space Mtn, you can immediately go over to DCA (assuming you have park hopper tickets) and get a FP for RSR.
• Once a park ticket has been used to enter a park, you can obtain FPs in either park. So let's say your party all enters DL in the morning. You can then have one person (aka "the runner") hop over to DCA to get FPs in that park. (It's worth noting, I've only ever done this with park hopper tickets, so I don't know if works if someone had a one-park-per-day ticket). This is one of the biggest differences from WDW when it was still using the Legacy FP system.
• There aren't a huge number of attractions at DLR that use the FP system. Mostly they are the thrill rides and a few of the more popular non-thrill rides. Disneyland.com has a list of the attractions that currently use the FP system: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/#/fastpass/

This is really helpful, considering we'll likely hit both parks each day. Also Buzz being disconnected is really good!

 

[agamble]

WOC is not as easy to see as Illuminations. Technically you can see it from around the Pier, but the show is meant to be seen from near the Little Mermaid ride. There is a viewing area there. If you watch the show from elsewhere your view will not be great. Much of the show is projections on water screens that you can only see well from the actual viewing area. However, you don't need a dining reservation to see the show. Anyone can get a FP within the first several hours of park opening.

 

[chickapin parterre]

UNIQUE TO THE WEST
* exterior of walts apartment and the plumbing.
* two tone light bulb
*Small world not made at Disneyland
*main street flag pole
* three cents a pound lamp poles
* Little Red Wagon may be the last remaining corporate symbol visible of the what was once a corporate sponsored Main Street.
*Castle heraldry ship
*Alice in Wonderland bathrooms
* chunk of a stump of petrified wood in Frontierland
*fereal cats
*Sailing ship Columbia and its NOS gulf of Mexico counterpart
*telegraph message
* palm trees now the last remnant of the orange groves as the last house was removed weeks ago.