How to make the most of a day and a half...?

[Tylerdisneyfan]

Hello everyone! I am new to the boards and am a WDW vet going to Disneyland for the first time on Friday and saturday, September 28 and 29. I wont be getting to my nearby hotel until about 3:00 pm on Friday, so I'm wondering how to make the most of my day and a half. I purchase a ticket for Mickey's Halloween Party, which apparently allows me to enter the park at 4:00 which is perfect! However, the following day, I am not sure if I should visit California Adventure, or spend another day at Disneyland. I know I have the option of purchasing a park hopper, but I'd rather not spend the extra $ as I'm going on the California coast cruise immediately following DL, and am on a budget. So I know this is all relative, but what would you recommend? Half day at disneyland and full day at California Adventure, or a day and a half at Disneyland? We DO plan on staying at Disneyland from 4-close on Friday, and then staying at whatever park we choose the next day from about 11:00 am until close, if this helps you in your advice-giving! Thank-you!

 

[Cupcaker]

Welcome! The Halloween Party is so fun. I went last year for the first time. I think the best strategy would to go to Disneyland on Friday and if you feel you need more time, then purchase the park hopper for saturday. You pass guest services and ticket booths from one park to the other, so it would not be out of your way to upgrade to a park hopper. I always tend to spend more time in Disneyland over California adventure, but hey have many things to see and do in California Adventure that I think you should experience it. Some of the same rides/shows you can find in DCA in comparison to WDW is tower of terror, soarin over california, toy story mania, and its tough to be a bug. But DCA offers other amazing things like the new cars land, buena vista street, aladin the musical, and california screamin.

Sorry I cant give you a definitive plan. I would try to play it by ear. DLR is not as huge as WDW, so you might be able to accomplish lots of things on Friday at Disneyland.

 

[LittleToni]

So you actually have to go to DL the half day Friday since you have the Halloween Ticket or does it go all weekend? If the Halloween Party is on Saturday too and you don't have to go to DL on the Friday I would go DCA the half day, then DL the full day. For me DL is the reason I would go there in the first place

Have fun regardless

LT

 

[DLR29]

So you actually have to go to DL the half day Friday since you have the Halloween Ticket or does it go all weekend? If the Halloween Party is on Saturday too and you don't have to go to DL on the Friday I would go DCA the half day, then DL the full day. For me DL is the reason I would go there in the first place

Have fun regardless

LT

The Halloween Party is only on Tuesdays and Fridays...so this wouldn't work.

I would definitely do a park hopper on your Saturday. You will love the new Radiator Springs Racers, but it's very popular so you should use the Single Rider line (which has been averaging about 30-40 min).

I'd also be over at DCA for Screamin, Grizzly River Run, maybe the Aladdin show (it's amazing but takes up about an hour of your time), and just the atmosphere of the new Buena Vista Street. Also IMO DCA has better food options.

 

[LittleToni]

The Halloween Party is only on Tuesdays and Fridays...so this wouldn't work.

I would definitely do a park hopper on your Saturday. You will love the new Radiator Springs Racers, but it's very popular so you should use the Single Rider line (which has been averaging about 30-40 min).

I'd also be over at DCA for Screamin, Grizzly River Run, maybe the Aladdin show (it's amazing but takes up about an hour of your time), and just the atmosphere of the new Buena Vista Street. Also IMO DCA has better food options.

OK ty Yes, since you are set for your half day, I would definately look into a 1 day park hopper ticket. If your budget does not allow it, then I would go back into DL since you will not have seen or rode as much as you may have wanted too since it will be crowded Friday night. I would save DCA for another trip if you can't buy a park hopper

DL is why I go

LT

 

[Jkpark]

I agree with the PP and think you should decide Saturday morning. If you get to DL at 4 for the party and are more interested in rides and seeing the park – over characters and trick or treating – you should get a lot done. You can always fill up those candy bags as you exit the park  If it is very crowded and you don’t get a lot done – you may just want to go back and do DL Saturday. If you have gotten everything done – you can go to DCA – and if you are torn, you can decide then whether it is worth the $$ to upgrade to the hopper and upgrade if you want to. As mentioned by PP, park hopping and even stopping off to upgrade tickets, is so convenient and fast at DLR. I would also consider whether you have plans to get back to DLR anytime soon? If so – maybe leave DCA for the next trip. If not, you should probably not miss it

 

[Eeee-va]

At the Disneyland Resort, getting to the parks at opening is a HUGE advantage, maybe bigger than at WDW. Locals (and some vacationers of course) tend not to get to the parks right at opening, and a large proportion of the guests are locals. So if there is any way you can possibly get to your Saturday park of choice at opening, you will find manageable lines for those first 2 or 3 hours, as well as the opportunity to grab at least 2 sets of FPs, even if you were to get them for Radiator Springs Racers in DCA first off. (And currently, our FPs can be used after their window, no problem.) If the park opens at 8, you may be able to get more rides done in the first hour than you can from, say, 2-5 PM. And it's just magical to see the parks when they aren't full of people.

I'd personally choose DCA for myself, even if I'd never been to DL before, because you'd get to get a taste of both parks. (And that's all you can hope for on a 1.5 day trip, really.) If you plan carefully, you can see many of DL's highlights. I found when I visited WDW for 2 days, as much as I enjoyed the Magic Kingdom, I wish I'd spent more time in Epcot and Hollywood Studios. (Though DL has more rides than MK.)

But DCA has been getting busy because of Cars Land lately, so several of the top attractions will have long lines if you arrive at 11.

So if you really can't get in before 11 on Saturday, I'd see how crowd flow is in October...but as things stand now, I'd actually lean toward DL, just because it's been a bit slower than DCA lately, so getting in well after the park opens won't be as big a hindrance. Assuming it is running, you could see the second show of Fantasmic! without nearly as much trouble as it often takes to see World of Color. Or, winds permitting, they will likely show an amazing fireworks show on Saturday night, though you have to see it from near the hub to see the full effect.

Of course, if you adore Tim Burton, Alice in Wonderland dance parties, seaside amusement parks (my favorite!), theater (Aladdin, assuming it's running), and/or Cars, you might want to just do DCA anyway, even if it is crowded.