Help me plan my first Disneyland trip

[frozonefan]

I am a Disney World veteran, but I've never had the opportunity to go to Disneyland. As luck would have it, I have a conference in the Anaheim area in April and I will have one whole day free. I've got to go to Disney, right? So I need help planning the day. Is it possible to see both parks in one day (park hours for the day in question are 9:00 am to 12:00 am)? What is the best plan to be able to see the most? What should I not miss (for a 30 year old guy who will be without his wife and kids)? Is there a decent price hotel around, that doesn't have to be Disney necessarily, that offers free parking, free shuttles? Is there a good hotel near Disney that has a full service spa? Do the parks ever open earlier than promoted (like Disney World)? Thanks for all your help in advance and feel free to throw in any other suggestions I should be aware of.

 

[ron808]

Parkwise: head towards the hottest rides- the rollercoasters- space mountain, thunder mountain & splass mountain. Be there as soon as it opens. Go to one coaster ride, after which get a fast pass to your third coaster ride & then que for your second ride. Matterhorn is a cool ride but it doesn't offer fast pass (My young hips hurted a bit after riding this! as I'm the only one there. Imagine mebunking in with my twice as big friends. I'd get crushed).

After the hot rides, go for the easy ones & buy snacks as you wait in line.

Park hours vary by season & crowd level. So check with the DL calendar.

Most hotels/ inns/ motels offer free parking & they have shuttles for a minimum cost.

Parking at the park costs 10$ more cost effective than riding a shuttle, IMO.

Parks do open as stated (0900hr) but you have to have an Early entry pass to get there 1 hour ahead (being offered for DLH guests, 3 day park pass).

You can conquer those two parks in a day granted you know what you want. Lounge later as you only have a day.

Many friends told me that CA is a waste of money but that's them. I see their point as it is small & it doesn't have much fun to offer as DL itself. CA has more thrill rides than DL.

ENJOY!

 

[thelionqueen]

Well, I consider myself a DL veteran as I have gone every year since I can remember (except last year went to WDW twice). Here is my advice, I'm sure you'll get lots of it, you can "weed out" what you think is helpful to you. Here goes.

1) There is a full service spa @ the Grand Californian. Really great!
2) Accomodations. This is where I have the strongest view. Do NOT stay off
Disney property. I have stayed off site 4 times (most of those times in
the 90's) and the experience was NOTHING like staying @ a Disney hotel.

3) For a "single" guy you could find nice/price friendly accomodations at the
Paradise Pier. It is perfect for you for 1 night. They have nice dining and
is right across the street from the Grand Californian.

4) If you're dead set staying off property, I would only recommend the Best
Western Park Place Inn. VERY close to maingate and decent (as compared
to the other "less than desirable" rooms on Harbor.

5) If you stay onsite they do have an early entry, but it is usually only for
1 or 2 different lands. Almost always Fantasyland, sometimes
Tomorrowland.

6) Great dining options @ DTD. Lots of great choices priced reasonably.

7) As far as parks...that's a toughie. I LOVE DL & DCA but if I only had 1 day
I would probably spend 80% of it @ DL and 20% @ DCA.
Since you've never been to DL, you're in for a REAL treat! It is SO much
better than MK IMHO, you will want to take as much in as you can.
Definitely do things they don't have @ MK....Matterhorn, Alice in Wndrland
Casey Jr, Storybook Whale, POTC (WAY better than MK) the original
(and best) Haunted Mansion.

8) Must do's @ DCA...California Screamin', Ferris Wheel, Monster's Inc.,
Grizzly River Run. You can probably fit all these rides in in about 4 hrs
or so if you really move.

That's my advice, take what you think applies and discard what you don't. I can honestly say that staying onsite @ DL is supremely important and taking in all of the Original Disneyland park will make the best use and enjoyment of your time.

Have a great trip!!!

 

[DisneyDotty]

Lucky, lucky you! We too are WDW vets and just went to DLR in December for the 1st time. Prepare to be amazed! We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, and while I would normally highly recommend it, it might not be worth the expense for just one night. There are lots of hotels that are actually closer to the gates than the DLH--check the Disneyland(California) site here for more info. If you choose wisely, you won't even need to worry about a shuttle to/from the parks/hotel. Everything is so close there--much better than WDW!
Doing both parks in one day might be pushing it, but since you're on your own, and if you go during a week day/non spring-break time, you might just be able to see the best of both.
Definitely hit as many attractions as possible--in DL, don't miss Pirates (if it's open--check rehab schedule on that), Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones, Small World (for comparison sake, if nothing else), Matterhorn, and Space Mountain for sure--much better than WDW's! Also take some time in Fantasyland--lots more rides there than in WDW. And don't miss the fireworks show at DL. If you have time for a sit-down lunch, check out Blue Bayou (get a PS).
In CA, Grizzly Rapids was fun, as was the new Monster's ride, Soarin' (of course), Tower of Terror, and the Aladdin show was quite good. CA also has the Electrical Parade (brings back memories).
Sorry I rambled on--if you do a search of WDW vs. DL, you'll find lots more information.
Be sure to just take in the magic of Walt's first park--ohh, did I mention the movie about Walt that is showing in the Opera House (I think that's the building--on your right as you enter the park past the train station)--ride the train, too. All are not-to-be-missed!
Have a great trip!

 

[frozonefan]

Bumping for more help...

 

[Blackunicorn]

What more help are you looking for?

The two parks are literally next door to each other, so you can easily walk from one to the other in a matter of a few minutes. Many off-site hotels are within walking distance. (I prefer the Disney hotels.) For prices, Paradise Pier will be the least expensive, DLH the next, and Grand Californian the most expensive. For fine dining, the Napa Rose at Grand Californian comes highly recommended. Depending on when spring break is, both parks have a higher chances of being crowded, though CA is never as crowded as DL.

I haven't been to WDW in nearly 16 years, but I would definitely do Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean--it's different from the WDW version, Indiana Jones, the Jungle Cruise (simply because I can't live without it), Space Mountain--also different, the 50th anniversary movie playing in the opera house, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, the Matterhorn, Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin, and It's a Small World--different, I think, but I'm not sure. Splash Mountain is also different from WDW, but from what I hear, it's not as good so you might not even care to bother. They have the Buzz Lightyear ride now, but I don't know if it's different or the same. The Snow White show--I've forgotten the name--is good, but if you're short on time, I'd skip it. I LOVE Blue Bayou, the food is okay but the ambience can't be beat. Make your PS early and request a waterside seat, and the sourdough rolls are wonderful. The treehouse is Tarzan themed, so you might want to take a look, but it's not really that different than it was before.

Just like at WDW, you'll want to go straight for the more popular rides first before the lines get long. PotC loads fast, so it's pretty easy to get on.

At CA, I would not miss Grizzly River Rapids, but you will get soaked. I've heard that it's much better than the Kali River ride. From what I hear, Soarin' is much the same in both parks. Tower of Terror is different, I highly recommend trying it out. There's a new Monster's Inc. ride that I would try. The Sun Wheel is very cool, but slow-loading. I would check out the Animation Studio, but I saw one in a map of MGM, so you might have already seen everything inside that, I just don't know. The Aladdin show was cool, but just not that exciting for me. The daytime parade is good, but I'd skip it--if they have the Electrical Parade going on, definitely see it, it's a classic. I highly recommend eating at the Wine Country Trattoria, excellent food and great service. Don't bother with Flik's Fun Fair, it's all kiddie rides and only interesting if you like looking at the wonderful props Disney makes. If you have time, I highly recommend the Tortilla factory tour--not too long, interesting, and nummy fresh tortillas at the end. The bread tour is right across the way from it, and also interesting, but skippable.

Awww, now I'm feeling DL homesick. Is there anyplace at WDW to get those wonderful sourdough rolls?

 

[Pir8girl]

If you only have one day I would do www.ridemax.com Ride max is a computer program that lets you pick the rides you want to go on and then runs a time schedule for you. It also includes CA.
The first year I used it we went on 17 rides and had lunch at the Blue Bayou. We were at the gates at 8:30. The park opened at 9 a.m. We were done and headed to the DLH at 3 p.m.!

I am not affiliated with them in anyway. I am a DL veteran growing up about 12 miles away and know that there are days when DL is empty and days when it is jampacked. I know all the shortcuts and still there were days I was spending all my time waiting. You don't want to spend your only day standing in line.
Have fun!