haven't been for awhile...

[carlymcqueen]

my family is a group of huuuge wdw nerds, but we've only been to disneyland once in 2012 when we weren't as big of fans as we are now. we're going on a three-day trip for my graduation and I would love some recommendations on good rides, attractions, and restaurants in either park! thank you!

 

[BrianL]

Here are my suggestions:

Do not miss: Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, Mickey and the Magical Map, Radiator Springs Racers, Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout, Frozen Live at the Hyperion, and Pirates of the Caribbean if it is done with refurb as it is much better than MK version.

Definitely check out: Haunted Mansion, which has some differences including the very cool Hatbox Ghost, Mister Toad's Wild Ride and other Fantasyland dark rides that are no longer at WDW, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Space Mountain, which is also very different than the Florida version, Incredicoaster if it is open by then.

Attractions that are very similar to their WDW counterparts: Peter Pan's Flight (slightly shorter, rearranged scenes), Jungle Cruise (shorter, no temple), It's a Small World (outdoor loading and Disney characters interspersed with he dolls), Splash Mountain (single file seating and different scenes), Big Thunder Mountain (projection mapping in the final cave is a nice upgrade), Pirates of the Caribbean (two drops, more scenes, overall longer and better), Haunted Mansion (slightly shorter, rearranged scenes, Hatbox Ghost).

Attractions that are exactly the same: Star Tours, Toy Story Mania, Soarin' Around the World, It's Tough to be a Bug, Under the Sea.

Eat at: Pacific Wharf Bakery where they make the sourdough bread, Cafe Orleans, Corn Dog from Little Red Wagon (DL) or Corndog Castle (CA).

I hope that helps a bit. You should definitely read @HydroGuy's tips for WDW vets visiting DLR. That can be found here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/an-introduction-to-wdw-for-dlr-vets.1332683/#post-16541636 This is the most helpful thing on the boards for someone in your situation/

Have a great time!

 

[carlymcqueen]

Thank you so much! I'll definitely make sure to check out a lot of these!

 

[MrJT]

Corn Dog from Little Red Wagon (DL) or Corndog Castle (CA)

I had the corn dog at Stage Door Café. Is that any different?

 

[BrianL]

I had the corn dog at Stage Door Café. Is that any different?

I don't know. Probably not. Some people like the Little Red Wagon because it was there on opening day and the spirit and flavor of all corn dogs past are imbued into every hand-dipped masterpiece.

Corn Dog castle does have the spicy sausage corn dog, and I think that is only available there, so it's a little different than the basic one.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

These threads will give you lots of good, updated info:

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

"Choosing the Right DLR Area Hotel for You" www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-hotel-for-you.3656512/

List of changes since summer 2014 (NB There have been some more recent changes since the last post in this thread. Do a search for Max Pass -- that is worth looking into.)

If these threads bring up any questions, ask away!

I had the corn dog at Stage Door Café. Is that any different?

We prefer the corn dogs at The Little Red Wagon -- they just taste better, crisper. They come with chips, but you can ask for them without.
At Stage Door Cafe, we thought the corn dogs were greasier, not as crisp. They come with fries.
Spicy corn dogs are great -- only found at Corn Dog Castle in DCA.

 

[BrianL]

We prefer the corn dogs at The Little Red Wagon -- they just taste better, crisper. They come with chips, but you can ask for them without.
At Stage Door Cafe, we thought the corn dogs were greasier, not as crisp. They come with fries.
Spicy corn dogs are great -- only found at Corn Dog Castle in DCA.

Right, and they are probably even the same recipe, but Little Red Wagon has the history. It's like that old cast iron skillet your grandmother used - It just makes it better!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

By your signature, it appears you'll be staying on site, right? What are your trip dates? You'll get early entry into one park or the other each day, so take advantage of that! Pixar Pier will open on June 23rd. Pixar Fest will be in full swing in both parks by summer -- new fireworks in DL, Pixar Play Parade in DL, and Paint the Night Parade (so worth seeing!) in DCA. Have you looked into doing any dining packages for shows? There are packages for Fantasmic! (redone last year), WOC (have you seen it yet?), Pixar Play Parade, and Paint the Night. It's definitely worth doing a FP dining package for F! and WOC (the dessert party for this is super fun) since the free FP viewing for both shows is rather uneven, at best.

 

[carlymcqueen]

By your signature, it appears you'll be staying on site, right? What are your trip dates? You'll get early entry into one park or the other each day, so take advantage of that! Pixar Pier will open on June 23rd. Pixar Fest will be in full swing in both parks by summer -- new fireworks in DL, Pixar Play Parade in DL, and Paint the Night Parade (so worth seeing!) in DCA. Have you looked into doing any dining packages for shows? There are packages for Fantasmic! (redone last year), WOC (have you seen it yet?), Pixar Play Parade, and Paint the Night. It's definitely worth doing a FP dining package for F! and WOC (the dessert party for this is super fun) since the free FP viewing for both shows is rather uneven, at best.

We're going the weekend of July 4th. We're staying at Paradise Pier. I'm definitely excited about Pixar Fest!! I don't think we've looked into any packages, but it seems like that might be a good idea!!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

For July 4th week, FP Dining Packages for shows will be a very good idea! (Although, they are a fun idea any time of the year!) Keep reading this forum for reviews about parade viewing in both parks, especially regarding PTN in DCA, after April 13th -- packages may just be a super nice luxury, not a necessity -- we won't know until the parades debut. But definitely look into packages for F! and WOC -- they can make a very big difference in your viewing experience during crowded times since the viewing areas for both shows aren't well designed.

 

[azdisneylover]

We're going the weekend of July 4th. We're staying at Paradise Pier. I'm definitely excited about Pixar Fest!! I don't think we've looked into any packages, but it seems like that might be a good idea!!

If you have booked already through Disneyland, you might want to check out Costco and book through them because you get the same price, but, you get a few perks along with it.