How many here have been to Disneyland?

[grinningghost]

Seems most people on the CB have been to WDW, but how many have been to DL?

I'm planning my first DL trip (at age 40) and just wonder how far in the minority I am.

And if you've been, did you like it? And if you haven't been, would you like to?

 

[MrsJackSparrow]

*raises hand*
Haven't been to DL since 1991, and went 5 times as a kid, starting in 1976 with last trip as a kid in 1984.

DL is MUCH SMALLER than WDW. Some rides are unique to DL, such as the Alice in Wonderland dark ride. Very cool and would love to see something like this at WDW. Small World has a beautiful clock facade outside at DL and on the hour, the dolls come out like on a giant cuckoo clock. Tomorrowland has been mercilessly butchered from it's state when I was a kid, so that is sad, and then there's the whole 20K thing, also quite sad. Have not been to DCA, so I can't comment.

So to answer your question, yes, definitely I'd go. It's Disney.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

My parents took me to DL when I was 2. I remember fondly looking at the slides (remember sitting in your living room-my grandparent's- and laying on the floor watching slides?) but of course didn't remember anything.

When DH and I went to LA for a vacation, we hopped on over the DL for a day. We went sort of late in the morning, and it closed early, but we saw everything we wanted. Of course the park was empty, but I am guessing it is a lot smaller that the MK..

Am I right? I don't really know that for sure.

It was fun, nostalgic. They do have the Matterhorn, which is really cool.

Have a great time at DisneyLand. I would love to go there again as part of a California trip.

 

[ToriLammy]

Funny you should post this now. Yesterday DS (19) and I were driving around and talking about memories teens have of their childhood. While he knows he went to Disneyland, he really doesn't remember much about it. I told him that was okay because his first trip to Disney was really all about me I was 30, up until that point in my life I had always wanted to go to Disneyland but never had. We moved from Pease AFB NH to Nellis AFB NV in Nov 90 and 4 months later we were at Disneyland (the military salute tickets because of Desert Storm helped but I would have found a way no matter what). I grew up watching the Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday and visiting Disneyland was always a dream. While we lived in Vegas we went to Disneyland 4 times Didn't get to WDW until 1999 (almost 40).

I loved it and would like to go back someday.

 

[RedxPanda]

i grew up south of DL! i went there like once a year usually, until my grandparents moved back to Cape Canaveral, then it was WDW every summer

DisneyLand park is the original MK, so most things are the same. and i heard they are finally getting the Buzzlightyear ride, now i really want to go back!

a few things are different, IMO pirates is better b/c its longer...it has more drops as well, i personally think space mountain is nicer...its a more smooth ride compared to the MK. if ur lucky indiana jones won't be broken down...actually head to adventureland and get on that first! that way you'll probably have a better chance of getting on. last trip (2 summers ago) i made the mistake of getting a FP for it and trying to go back and half way up the line it broke down , i think we did get on it later though...kept checking back.
oh and its a small world...the outside is WOW to look at! very neat.

so overall i <3 disneyland!

wow i wrote a lot...kinda went crazy!

 

[holycow]

I adore DL!

I still remember being a kid in St. Louis watching Wide World of Disney (or whatever the title was in the 70's) thinking...I'll never get to go there! Little did I know that we would move to Orange Co. and would have the opportunity to go. It is still one of my fav. places...now we live in Fl. and frequent the world quite a bit ...but I still have a soft spot in my heart for DL.


I love DL space mountain! There's a chocolate chip cookie floating around up there!


Have fun!!!!!!!!!

(it is smaller though and the weather is great...so you don't get all hot and sweaty and have to worry about a deluge of rain or your feet getting too tired out! lol)

 

[Meriweather]

Me! Just last week.
It was wonderful!
Everything is so convenient.
It is uniqiue.......lots of rides are better than the ones at MK.
I will be going again in Nov. (and went last Nov).
First trip was in 1957!
Do go.......it was so fun!
(I went with some other DISers this time and we had a ball!)

 

[p-nut]

Have been to Disneyland twice in the past year. You will enjoy it It is a little different from WDW. I think a couple of rides are better

 

[ElizK]

I was there in Feb. '83 when I was 15.

I'd be going again, because of a GREAT deal offered to travel industry employees, but my DH doesn't want to go. The stick-in-the-mud.

 

[Dan Murphy]

A few times, a solo while I was out there in '68, a family trip in '92 and two solos in '01, dovetailed on to business trips. So 4 times, and always nice.

 

[TinkBoo&ElliesMum]

We went in November of '99 for DS' 3rd birthday. It was my first trip, we had an awesome time! DS loved Toontown!

I'm hoping to go down there for my 30th birthday in '07!

 

[liznboys]

I've never been to DL. I certainly would love to go there someday, and all the other Disney's as well! (You should make a poll out of this, to see how many have been to the Disney's besides WDW! )

 

[Missy1961]

I was there in 1995. I liked DL, but didn't like the area around it very much.

POTC is better there. Of course, we were there pre CA, so I don't know anything about that.

We didn't have a great time there. Our one bad experience in a Disney park happened there--my 4 yr old nephew lost his baseball cap and some older kid took it. And then he wouldn't admit he had it--even though we saw him with it! Left us with a bad taste in our mouths.

I don't know if I'd go back. I live in NY, so that's a cross county flight, and I don't really like to fly.

 

[NMAmy]

I've been to DL many times. It was the first park DD ever went to and the Main Street Electrical Parade has a special place in my heart--I just remember her little 5 yo face watching in such awe.

I think PoC is better there because you get to go through the swamp and see the Blue Bayeau restaurant with all the fireflies around. And the outside of IASW is spectacular especially at Christmas time. The monorail swings right through the park. The Alice ride, Mr. Toad, Indiana Jones, the little boats in Fantasyland. And the hotel is so close to the park. Aww...I need to go back. How am I going to explain this to DH when I just got WDW AP's?

It's great. As long as you don't go expecting WDW. It's not as big but in my opinion, DL is much better than the MK.

 

[mtblujeans]

I have not been there since the 1970's. I lived in Pasadena when I was in high school. I knew the Disneyland (public) grounds like the back of my hand then. I always figured I should have gotten summer jobs there ~ I was there all the time anyway!!

 

[Aimeedyan]

I HAVE! But only once... about 4 years ago, I think? I really enjoyed it! We went once California Adventure opened, and loved both parks! VERY diff from WDW, but fun nonetheless!

HAVE A GREAT TIME!

 

[grinningghost]

Well so far only one bad experience. I guess that's a good thing. I always felt that until I saw the original Disneyland, I didn't really do Disney.

I'm very curious to see the different attractions there. Is the surrounding area around DL really that bad? Slums? Or is it just "touristy"?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Originally posted by grinningghost
....Or is it just "touristy"?

I recall, 'tacky'.

 

[Amy]

As a matter of fact, we just got back from Disneyland 2 weeks ago. We enjoyed it, but WDW is much better, more things to do. That said, the compact size of Disneyland and Calif. Adventure is also an advantage - nothing like a little stroll from your hotel to the parks, just walk across the entrance plaza to go from one park to the other.

We really enjoyed the Indiana Jones ride, much better than Dinosaur. The Matterhorn was fun, too, and you can't beat Soarin' Over California!And we got to see the Electrical Parade again - that's got to be my favorite parade!

We didn't see much of the area around Disney, just the hotels. Typical touristy.

You'll have fun!

 

[Kay7979]

The first time I went to DL was about 15-20 years ago. Gee I feel old to say that! I was on a bus tour of California, Nevada, and Arizona with an international group that included lots of people from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc. I had a great time at DL even though we only had about 6 hours there. I went again for a couple days about 8 years ago, not exactly sure what year it was, but I got to try the new Indiana Jones ride: LOVED it! It was nice to have the leisure to go back through the whole park at a relaxed pace. I would like to go again in a couple years. It's a long way from NY!