How many days for DLR

[NJlauren]

I am in the early stages of planning my trip (May 2016).

We will be doing other things in Southern California including San Diego and LA non Disney.

I said 3 DLR days to DH and his reaction suggested he was thinking less 2 or gasp maybe only 1. I am positive I can get him to agree to 2 days... 3 may be pushing it.

Am I going to leave totally disappointed if I do only 2 days? I do not need to do it all, but I haven't been to DL in 18 years and probably won't go back for a few more years so I would like to see and do a decent amount.

Would be me, DH and DD about 22 months at time of travel.

Is 2 days do able or should I push for 3?

 

[tanyaegangibson]

I'd push for three, especially because going with a toddler means taking breaks for naps, etc. I don't know if your husband is anything like my DH, but mine became way more open to staying longer when I scheduled in some "grown-up" breaks, like just sitting outside on Alfresco Terrace (from which you can watch the parade if you time it right) or the Cove Bar and having a glass of wine and nice appetizers while people watching. Hope you have an amazing time!

 

[S2kDriver]

The past two times I've been to DLR I've always gone for 3 days. Two for Disneyland and 1 for California Adventure. That's what I'd recommend for most people.

 

[figment_jii]

It also depends on when in May are you going to go? The beginning of May and after Memorial Day are generally different in terms of operating hours, crowd levels, etc. Overall, I agree that 3 days would be better (more relaxed pace, etc.), but you can probably hit the highlights in 2 days.

 

[NJlauren]

Sorry it would be mid May, before Memorial Day, maybe someplace around 15-20.

 

[figment_jii]

Some things to keep in mind...

• Weekday operating hours tend to be short(ish) prior to Memorial Day weekend (e.g., DL may be open from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm). Weekends tend to have longer hours (e.g., DL is open from 8:00 am to midnight).
• Some nighttime entertainment (e.g., fireworks, F!, Mad T Party) tend to only be presented on weekends (Fri to Sun). WoC has (historically) been presented nightly. We do not yet know the schedule for PtN.
• Crowds are usually pretty manageable during mid-May, except there is the Tinkerbell Half Marathon (I think it's May 5-8 in 2016, so you should miss that).
• There were some oddities this year due to getting ready for the 60th anniversary, you can look at the May calendars (2015, 2014, 2013) for the last few years to get a sense of what the hours were like in May around the time when you are planning on visiting.

 

[catycatcat4]

I'm going to be in cali for two weeks and i'm spending my last 3.5 days in DL.
half day first: probably relaxing from the first week and a half of the trip maybe checking out DTD and eating there.
First Full Day: CA adventure.
Second Full Day: DL park.
Third Day: My boyfriend flies back but me and my other friend will park hop and redo or faves/anything we missed.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I'm going to say try for at least 4, but 5 is better. That allows you time to see the shows- WOC, fireworks, F!, PTN. You will have time to take it slow or go back to the room for a nap if need be. 3 days was just right back when all they had was DL. And it still worked when DCA was just a so-so park. 2 days is better than nothing but you will be leaving wishing you could have seen (fill in the blank). We have APs but live 8 hours away so we go for 6 park days.
However, I know traveling with a toddler can be exhausting so you may want to just do 3 days this time knowing you will miss a lot. Then you can come back for more days when your child is older.

 

[NJlauren]

I'd push for three, especially because going with a toddler means taking breaks for naps, etc. I don't know if your husband is anything like my DH, but mine became way more open to staying longer when I scheduled in some "grown-up" breaks, like just sitting outside on Alfresco Terrace (from which you can watch the parade if you time it right) or the Cove Bar and having a glass of wine and nice appetizers while people watching. Hope you have an amazing time!

Thank you! I just don't know how we would fit in adult time without anyone else to watch DD.

The past two times I've been to DLR I've always gone for 3 days. Two for Disneyland and 1 for California Adventure. That's what I'd recommend for most people.

Thank you!

It also depends on when in May are you going to go? The beginning of May and after Memorial Day are generally different in terms of operating hours, crowd levels, etc. Overall, I agree that 3 days would be better (more relaxed pace, etc.), but you can probably hit the highlights in 2 days.

Thank you!

Some things to keep in mind...

• Weekday operating hours tend to be short(ish) prior to Memorial Day weekend (e.g., DL may be open from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm). Weekends tend to have longer hours (e.g., DL is open from 8:00 am to midnight).
• Some nighttime entertainment (e.g., fireworks, F!, Mad T Party) tend to only be presented on weekends (Fri to Sun). WoC has (historically) been presented nightly. We do not yet know the schedule for PtN.
• Crowds are usually pretty manageable during mid-May, except there is the Tinkerbell Half Marathon (I think it's May 5-8 in 2016, so you should miss that).
• There were some oddities this year due to getting ready for the 60th anniversary, you can look at the May calendars (2015, 2014, 2013) for the last few years to get a sense of what the hours were like in May around the time when you are planning on visiting.

Wow! This is really helpful! Thank you for putting so much time into this. These type of bullets will help me in making my decision and argument

I'm going to be in cali for two weeks and i'm spending my last 3.5 days in DL.
half day first: probably relaxing from the first week and a half of the trip maybe checking out DTD and eating there.
First Full Day: CA adventure.
Second Full Day: DL park.
Third Day: My boyfriend flies back but me and my other friend will park hop and redo or faves/anything we missed.

This is a great option but we only will have 7-9 days max.

I'm going to say try for at least 4, but 5 is better. That allows you time to see the shows- WOC, fireworks, F!, PTN. You will have time to take it slow or go back to the room for a nap if need be. 3 days was just right back when all they had was DL. And it still worked when DCA was just a so-so park. 2 days is better than nothing but you will be leaving wishing you could have seen (fill in the blank). We have APs but live 8 hours away so we go for 6 park days.
However, I know traveling with a toddler can be exhausting so you may want to just do 3 days this time knowing you will miss a lot. Then you can come back for more days when your child is older.

I am sure even if I went for 10 days I'd leave wanting more! Always something else I want to do! Everywhere!

 

[NJlauren]

Thank you! You have all been so helpful!
I know I'm early in the planning but want to get started! Love vacations!

I already know we won't can't do it all... Which I am ok with, plus it makes it easier to convince DH to go back!

A follow up if anyone is still with me, how is staying at a hotel near Disney (candy cane inn, Howard Johnson etc) and driving to other areas to do things?

Or is it better to stay near Disney for Disney days and then move?

 

[4Siamese]

Situations are always different for different families. We always go for 7 days total, 5 of which are park days (we never count arrival and departure days). For our situation 5 days is a must, it allows for a very relaxed approach to doing the parks.

Now that length of time is not for everyone. IMO 2 days is the very minimum when going to DLR. I always tell people that ask me for advice that 3 days is what you should shoot for when your not disney obsessed . 3 days allows for 1 full day in each park (with breaks if needed) and the 3rd to revisit favorites.

Personally i feel that people that only want 1 day (not saying your DH is anti Disney) are setting themselves up to affirming why they don't value disney.

 

[Kenshin21]

My family was in a similar situation this past April. My DD was 22 months as well and we didn't know what to expect. But she was so excited, seeing and meeting characters and riding all the fantasyland rides.

We stayed at the GCH and had EMH everyday which wasn't a real problem for us as our family was usually up by 630 anyways. We always took a break early afternoons back in the room and the quick trip back to the room for breaks and at the end of the night was really helpful for us. Having a stroller with several bags with us was not gonna happen for us. Had to take everything out and fold the stroller to fit.

We stayed for 2 nights and had 3 days in the parks. We've gone several times before our daughter and this trip I realized that's even 3 days is not enough with kids. We moved a lot slower and never realized how much time it takes to meet characters(never done this prior to going with our DD). I would suggest staying at a hotel close by within walking distance and staying as many days as you can when going with kids.

 

[NJlauren]

Situations are always different for different families. We always go for 7 days total, 5 of which are park days (we never count arrival and departure days). For our situation 5 days is a must, it allows for a very relaxed approach to doing the parks.

Now that length of time is not for everyone. IMO 2 days is the very minimum when going to DLR. I always tell people that ask me for advice that 3 days is what you should shoot for when your not disney obsessed . 3 days allows for 1 full day in each park (with breaks if needed) and the 3rd to revisit favorites.

Personally i feel that people that only want 1 day (not saying your DH is anti Disney) are setting themselves up to affirming why they don't value disney.

Thank you!

I hear you! We did do WDW this year and my DH likes to go other places aside from Disney so this is a compromise to hit up DLR for a few days during our trip.

I would ideally like to do a week just there but that isn't in the cards right now!

My family was in a similar situation this past April. My DD was 22 months as well and we didn't know what to expect. But she was so excited, seeing and meeting characters and riding all the fantasyland rides.

We stayed at the GCH and had EMH everyday which wasn't a real problem for us as our family was usually up by 630 anyways. We always took a break early afternoons back in the room and the quick trip back to the room for breaks and at the end of the night was really helpful for us. Having a stroller with several bags with us was not gonna happen for us. Had to take everything out and fold the stroller to fit.

We stayed for 2 nights and had 3 days in the parks. We've gone several times before our daughter and this trip I realized that's even 3 days is not enough with kids. We moved a lot slower and never realized how much time it takes to meet characters(never done this prior to going with our DD). I would suggest staying at a hotel close by within walking distance and staying as many days as you can when going with kids.

Thank you! I'm def debating the hotel too! We have done WDW way more often then DL so in a little worried about being unfamiliar with the parks.

I'm hoping DD likes the characters she seemed to be ok with them in WDW this year!

 

[PinkBudgie]

We just did 10 day parkhoppers (13 nights) at WDW (first time) and there I still things I want to go back and see! At DLR, we like to stay at Candy Cane Inn because of the easy walk to the parks. However, like I said we stay a week. If you only go for a few days, maybe DLH is in the cards for you. If not, check out the walking distance places. If you have a stroller it will be much easier than having to fold up the stroller to get on a bus or parking tram.

 

[TechGuy]

For DLR, I would say 3-5 days, as your budget allows. To me, the park cost is not biggest factor, its the hotel and food costs.

I like a 5 day trip to make it stress free. I know I can see everything in 5 days, regardless of crowds.

 

[Belleandtinker]

My vote is for 3 days. Our first time with our son when he was 7, we spent 3 days - 1 - CA and 2 - DL.

We are annual pass holders and still amazed at how much stuff we still haven't done yet.

 

[elaine amj]

Decide what this trip is...Disney with some Cali or Cali with some Disney?

For me, once I decided my trip was Disney with some Cali, it was much easier to figure out what else I could fit in. Isn't Day 3 at Disney cheaper? That's how Disney gets me. So much cheaper to add on days. Most other things I could do (tours etc) would cost much more than an extra Disney day.