Help and advice for a WDW veteran, 1st time DL!

[kittycruize]

Hi Everyone,
We are considering a trip to DL this summer. We are major WDW fans, and have been there too many times to count! Can anyone give me advice about where to stay-either Grand Californian or Disneyland Resort? What resort would have the WDW magical feel more? We would really love to try DL, but am a little hesitant because, to be honest, we can't seem to get over feeling like maybe it would be a little less magical Can anyone who has been to both WDW and DL help me out? We would be going with my 2 adult children and their DH and kids who are all preschoolers (4 girls 1 boy). We really want to go to Walt's original park, but are so used to WDW we are worried it just won't feel like Disney! Oh and I have read Hydro Guys articles

Thanks in advance for any help on this!

 

[skiingfast]

The GCH has a more WDW feel. Similiar in styling to the WL it is more upscale like the GF.

The DLH has the most Disney feel. There is nothing like it at WDW.


I've been to WDW a bunch, and have never been let down at DLR. The only thing that has bother me is how little there is to do in the MK, because Disneyland Park has so much more.

 

[ktlm]

Fellow WDW vet here. DL/CA definitely feels like Disney! Be careful you may get hooked! We love DL/CA so much that we now find ourselves alternating trips between WDW and DL/CA. You've already read the guide so you know about the different rides, but there are several fun rides that can only be found at DL/CA, and the Aladdin show at CA is fantastic. The preschoolers will love the DL character meals. I highly recommend Goofy's Kitchen and Minnie's breakfast. They are so much better than any of the WDW character meals. We saw 11 characters at Minnie's on our last trip!

You can't go wrong with either GC or DLH.

GC is basically a scaled down version of WL. It is beautiful, and having an entrance directly into CA park from your hotel can't be beat.

That said, we prefer DLH. We have stayed at WL multiple times, and we like having a totally different experience at DL/CA than WDW. DLH definitely has a Disney resort feel, but it is different than any of the resorts at WDW. It used to be a completely classic Disney feel, but it recently went through a major renovation (they are finishing up the pool now), so I don't think I would call it completely "classic" any more as the rooms were modernized. The updated rooms are really nice. Every time we have stayed there, we have been lucky enough to run into Goofy either at check in, or a different time as we were going through the lobby. Also, Goofy's Kitchen is right there at the resort for a fun character meal.

What will amaze you is how close together everything is at DL. You can get everywhere so much faster. Don't let non-WDW people sway your decision by telling you the walk from DLH to the gates is farther than GC or feels like a long way. The walk from DLH to the gates of the parks doesn't feel like too much more than walking from where the buses drop you off to the gates of the WDW parks! It is nothing for a WDW vet! It is a nice leisurely stroll through Downtown Disney. Also, as far as the parks, you can walk from the back corner of DL to the opposite back corner of CA in about 10 minutes (we've done it). That closeness of everything is one of our favorite things about the DL/CA trips!

One thing you need to know is that Carsland at CA is going to be opening next summer. If you get there right after it opens, the parks might be a bit crazy. We got there the day after the new Star Tours and the Little Mermaid official opening this year and it really wasn't bad. Star Tours and the area right around it was crazy, but the rest of the park was fine. We also hit the park not too long after TSM opened a few years ago and it wasn't bad then either. Of course, Cars is a whole new "land", including a Cars themed "Test Track" type ride, so it might bring in bigger crowds than last summer's ride opening.

I think everyone who loves Disney and WDW, should give DL/CA a try at least once!

 

[aristocat65]

As another poster mentioned the GCH is a lot like the WL if you've ever stayed there, but more refined. It is an arts an crafts style rather than national park lodge. We have stayed at both and love both. For the little ones the closeness of GCH is a plus, but the renovated DLH is really something special. The rooms are really pretty and magical (and larger than GCH) and it is very "Disney" for the kids even with Character appearances in the Lobby!
Below are links to two really great threads on the hotels that might help you.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2802175 (GCH Master Thread)

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2802175 (DLH Master Thread)