Have I picked a good time?

[HeatherBelle614]

I've been reading all of the (great) threads over here about DLR. I've been to WDW 20+ times, but this will be our first trip to DLR. I understand that their off-season is completely different than WDW, and want to make sure that we are there for extended hours with a full show schedule.

So I really have two questions:

~ Can anyone link me to the June 2010 calendar? I haven't been able to find anything. I know you can research old WDW calendars, so I'm hoping that is true with DLR, too.

~ We are looking to book June 20 - June 25, 2011. We plan on doing at least 4 days in the parks, and possibly some on our check-in/check-out days depending on flight times. Will they be running the nightly shows and everything full force by then?

TIA!

 

[vpalmer]

We are also WDW vets who made our first trip to DLR this June. Actually, we went at almost the exact time you are considering! We stayed five nights, June 22-27 and had five day hoppers. We went into DL for a couple of hours after dinner on our first night and then had four full days but we took a good break back at the DLH each day.

I thought the time was great. I'm not sure if the AP calendar is up yet, but definitely pick days when at least the lower level AP's are blocked. We went into DL the first night and that was the only day during which no AP's were blocked. The crowds were insane.

The crowds were heavy, but tolerable Wed-Fri and Saturday (even Premium APs were blocked, I think) was heaven. There were very few crowds that morning.

One of the big differences I don't remember reading in Hydroguys tips (read those, if you haven't yet) is that crowns build a bit differently at DLR. Crowds are the biggest at night, by far. At WDW most visitors are tourists and many of the crowds are absorbed by restaurants. At DLR, the parks are more mobbed at night than when we would leave for our break about 1:00. The parks are also a lot more empty first thing in the morning. Magic Morning (EE at WDW) will be at 7 am that time of year. Do it!

Also, take a light coat for the mornings and evenings. We used them everyday and they were much less bulky than taking multiple sweatshirts.

 

[HeatherBelle614]

We are also WDW vets who made our first trip to DLR this June. Actually, we went at almost the exact time you are considering! We stayed five nights, June 22-27 and had five day hoppers. We went into DL for a couple of hours after dinner on our first night and then had four full days but we took a good break back at the DLH each day.

I thought the time was great. I'm not sure if the AP calendar is up yet, but definitely pick days when at least the lower level AP's are blocked. We went into DL the first night and that was the only day during which no AP's were blocked. The crowds were insane.

The crowds were heavy, but tolerable Wed-Fri and Saturday (even Premium APs were blocked, I think) was heaven. There were very few crowds that morning.

One of the big differences I don't remember reading in Hydroguys tips (read those, if you haven't yet) is that crowns build a bit differently at DLR. Crowds are the biggest at night, by far. At WDW most visitors are tourists and many of the crowds are absorbed by restaurants. At DLR, the parks are more mobbed at night than when we would leave for our break about 1:00. The parks are also a lot more empty first thing in the morning. Magic Morning (EE at WDW) will be at 7 am that time of year. Do it!

Also, take a light coat for the mornings and evenings. We used them everyday and they were much less bulky than taking multiple sweatshirts.

Thanks for all of the great information!!

Do you feel like you were able to get most of the two parks covered with that schedule/amount of days?

Also, did you do any PS? If so, how does that work? Do we just call (I believe I read it was 60 or 90 days, I don't remember which) and just make a PS? Do you have to provide your resort confirmation number to do that?

It looks like Tuesday of that week is the only date that APs are not blacked out, so we should be good for the last 3 park days.

Thank you, again!

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Here's the AP block out page for the S CA with less blockouts, if they are blocked the more blocked out S CA pass is *+ more days for that one* you'd probably be OK 6/22-6/25 are blocked but you're 1st two days wouldn't be.

Here's the other S CA AP blockout page ~ they're blocked the whole week.

 

[HydroGuy]

~ Can anyone link me to the June 2010 calendar? I haven't been able to find anything. I know you can research old WDW calendars, so I'm hoping that is true with DLR, too.

"Historical DLR Park Hours, Entertainment and Refurbs" - www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2291124

~ We are looking to book June 20 - June 25, 2011. We plan on doing at least 4 days in the parks, and possibly some on our check-in/check-out days depending on flight times. Will they be running the nightly shows and everything full force by then?

Yes, you will be into high season by late June with full entertainment and rides. But you will likely be tangling with SoCal AP holders. See "Understanding AP Blockouts and Impact on Crowds" http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2365983

This June (last month) Disney tinkered with the AP schedule more than in past years and staggered the blockouts. We should have next year's blockout schedule by the end of the year.

Also be aware of grad nights - "The Scoop on Grad Nights at DLR in May and June" - www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2298400

And finally some more summer advice - "Getting The Most Out of a Summer Visit To DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1345319

Have a magical trip!

 

[HydroGuy]

One of the big differences I don't remember reading in Hydroguys tips (read those, if you haven't yet) is that crowns build a bit differently at DLR. Crowds are the biggest at night, by far. At WDW most visitors are tourists and many of the crowds are absorbed by restaurants. At DLR, the parks are more mobbed at night than when we would leave for our break about 1:00. The parks are also a lot more empty first thing in the morning. Magic Morning (EE at WDW) will be at 7 am that time of year. Do it!

I think your experience may have more specific to the days you were there and the start of World of Color. I have found DLR's crowd buildup and dropoff similar to WDW's with the exception that DL has longer park hours (opens earlier and closes later) - which means it is easier to get the lighter crowds in the first and last two hours of the day.

Fantasmic being held inside DL and the fireworks really draws the night time crowds into concentrated areas and makes DL feel really packed. And in the past DCA was fairly uncrowded at night but now World of Color has obviously changed that. I think the evening shows makes the parks feel more crowded than they really are. If you use evening time to do other things like rides you will find the crowds really drop off. And finally, the DL park is only 75% of the size of MK while handling almost as many visitors. So it will feel more full.

 

[HydroGuy]

Do you feel like you were able to get most of the two parks covered with that schedule/amount of days?

Yes you will be fine.

Also, did you do any PS? If so, how does that work? Do we just call (I believe I read it was 60 or 90 days, I don't remember which) and just make a PS? Do you have to provide your resort confirmation number to do that?

Amazingly, no. All you do is give your name. You do not even get a confirmation number back. Yes, you can call 60 days in advance and if you do that you will be far ahead of everyone else. See "From DLR to WDW and Back Again: My Challenge With WDW Dining Philosophy at DLR" - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2449979

 

[vpalmer]

Thanks for all of the great information!!

Do you feel like you were able to get most of the two parks covered with that schedule/amount of days?

Also, did you do any PS? If so, how does that work? Do we just call (I believe I read it was 60 or 90 days, I don't remember which) and just make a PS? Do you have to provide your resort confirmation number to do that?

It looks like Tuesday of that week is the only date that APs are not blacked out, so we should be good for the last 3 park days.

Thank you, again!

Glad I could help! We saw pretty much everything we wanted to in that time frame and we did many things twice.

We did PS pretty much for every meal. We tend to prefer sit down meals as it feels less hectic and more like vacation. It was kind of odd because I am used to WDW where you have to pre-pay for some meals and you get confirmation for everything and it's much simpler at DLR. You call 60 days in advance. You have to call on the exact day unlike WDW where you can make all your reservations when your reservation window first opens. After doing that one day, I decided just to wait until my entire trip was open for reservations. Nothing fills up immediately, so even on day four of our reservation window being open I was still able to get the exact times and days I wanted. They only take your name and phone number for the4 reservations.

Let me know if you think of anything else!

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Ok, here's another silly question instead of posting a new thread...

How does the monorail work? Are all three resorts on the line? If not, which one(s)?

Thanks, again!!

 

[LisainCalifornia]

The monorail station is located in Downtown Disney, and all three resorts are within walking distance. Paradise Pier is the furthest from it, but all 3 resorts use this same monorail. The important part to remember is that you don't even really need the monorail to get there--you are so close to the parks. One quick walk down the downtown Disney walkway (no cars allowed here) and you are in DL Park. We typically stay in the Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian, and only take the monorail when we feel like it. Sometimes it is not worth the wait. Especially if you are staying in the Grand--because the entrance to the parks is right there (and California Adventure is connected to the hotel in the back) so there is no reason to do it--unless you just want to have the experience. It is more useful for Disneyland Hotel people, I think.

One bonus in taking the monorail is that it takes you past the entrance and lets you off near Finding Nemo. This puts you almost near the center of the park, so you don't have to walk through opening gates and the crowds of mainstreet to get to a particular ride.

So to make it simple, monorail has two stops, back and forth. One stop is Downtown Disney, and the next stop is the middle of Disneyland Park--near Finding Nemo.

Here is more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disneyland_Monorail_System

I remember staying at the Disneyland Hotel as a child and riding the monorail from the hotel! Now that was a bonus!

 

[HydroGuy]

As a bit of clarification on the Monorail, it serves a different role at DLR. At WDW the Monorail is transportation. At DLR it is a ride.

As Lisa said it drops you off inside DL's Tomorrowland as opposed to the front gate like at MK or Epcot. Because it is a unique ride in that it stops outside the park (in DTD), you have to use park admission tickets to board because there are only two stops - DTD and Tomorrowland.

When I was growing up we would ride the Monorail out to the DL Hotel (this was before there was a DTD) and then just stay on and go back to Tomorrowland - because it is a ride. But if you are staying at one of the Disney hotels it serves a dual purpose of also being transportation - something along the lines of the DL Railroad - which is a ride that also serves as in-park transportation around the DL perimeter.

FWIW, the Monorail is more helpful to the DLH and PPH guests than GCH guests because those hotels are past the DTD station. For GCH guests the Monorail station is past the hotel. So they have to backtrack. Even though the Monorail goes right through the GCH hotel it does not stop there. Kind of weird. But that is what it does.

 

[vpalmer]

Ok, here's another silly question instead of posting a new thread...

How does the monorail work? Are all three resorts on the line? If not, which one(s)?

Thanks, again!!

You got a basic primer on how that monorail works, but I just wanted to add that we did stay at the DLH and liked having the monorail as an option especially at off peak times. There was always a short line going back to the hotel around 1:00 pm when we were going back to the hotel and in the early evening when we were heading back to the parks.

We only used it one morning because we were running late that morning and got to the monorail station right when the park opened. The monorail doesn't open until the park does, so if you want to be one of the first in the park, walking is quicker.