I'm a WDW nut and I loved DL!!

[Deb & Bill]

We just returned from four nights at DL at Paradise Pier for the 1/2 marathon. We also were at DL in early June for four nights at Grand Californian. I love DL!!

POTC is so much better at DL than at WDW. Same with Haunted Mansion (course it was closed on this trip, boo hoo). And Aladdin was also shut down for casting (I love that show ). California Adventure is way fun. My guys love the rides at Paradise Pier area, especially California Screamin', the Orange Stinger and the Maliboomer. I like the Sun Wheel, but only the stationary cars. Fantasmic is fantastic. Only they need an arena like at Disney Studios at WDW. Peter Pan has it over Pocohontas big time.

DL itself has so many fun rides for the little kids. Our friends have a 4 yr old who was in heaven. She loved Toontown (another place way better at DL than WDW) and had great fun with all the characters.

There are a lot more dining places at WDW, but then again, you have four parks and two water parks to choose from. But the Minnie Breakfast at DL was loads of fun and good food, too. So many characters.

We loved Paradise Pier Hotel. Our room was on the 9th floor and looked out over California Adventure. We asked for a connecting room with our friends and we got it when we arrived at midnight. We thought that was very lucky.

I hope they build a DVC resort at DL, because we'll be sure to use some points there.

 

[Echo queen]

Loved reading your post, we will be trying on DL in December.

 

[spazzyjazzy]

I am so glad to finally read some positive reviews of Disneyland from a WDW vet. They are far few.
I love Disneyland!

 

[GailT]

It was so nice to read a positive review, I can't wait to go, you just gave me good thoughts before bed, I'm sure to have some good dreams, THANK YOU!

 

[mystic_path]

Thanks for the great review. I am so excited to be going in only 11 days from now, but to read such great reviews on how much someone loved it, makes it even that much more exciting. Thanks soooooooo much!

 

[pigletgirl]

I like DL just as much as WDW (although I've only been once to WDW)....when I go in Dec, we're staying at GC too. Glad you had a great time!

 

[dohgusgus]

I like DL just as much as WDW (although I've only been once to WDW)....when I go in Dec, we're staying at GC too. Glad you had a great time!

I must say, your family is large (according to your siggie) Thats cool!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Deb & Bill: So glad you love Disneyland and that you had a great trip! I am curious. How do the GCH and PP compare to any WDW Deluxe's you might have stayed at? Just curious, never done a WDW Deluxe except for BW but that was in the villas on points. Welcome home from your Disneyland adventure. And I hope they build a DVC resort at DL too. Although points at the three resorts aren't too bad right now.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'd compare Paradise Pier either to the Contemporary or the Polynesian. But the rooms were nicely done. We had two queen sized beds, a day bed, nice sized desk and dresser. The bathroom was all in one room-tub, toilet and single sink. We had a great view of California Adventure. The pool is located on the third floor outdoors and was a nice size. Deep, too. They had a rather long, twisting slide that ended in its own little pool. A nice sized kiddie pool and a small hot tub. There were two restaurants, but we ate in the one with the Lilo and Stitch breakfast for dinner and breakfast. The hotel store was good sized. It was a quick walk through DTD to get to both parks or you could walk to the GC and use their back entry into CA. My son loved their arcade. They also had a room where you could sit and watch older Disney cartoons. We stay there again in a minute. We had a great stay. The housekeepers were extra quick each day to get the rooms tidied up.

Grand Californian is very similar to Wilderness Lodge. We had a view of CA and the wedding garden. Saw a few weddings while we were there. The Storyteller Cafe is large. Kind of like Whispering Canyon Cafe. They had an excellent buffet or you could order from the menu. The pool is nice there and surrounded by a fence. It was so convenient to go directly to Cal Adv from the back entrance and to DTD.

Both hotels charge about $15 a day for valet parking or you can self park with the $10 a day resort fee. This includes a USA Today M-F, high speed internet, plus other stuff. Not many TV channels, they have a Disney resort channel, but no DVC channel (gasp!!). No Soap Net.

We met some outstanding CMs on this trip, especially Stephanie who drives one of the Main Street vehicles. My husband's running buddy (his family went with us, we got the connecting rooms) was recently diagnosed with cancer and he had done two sets of chemotherapy. He was really worried that he wouldn't be able to run the half marathon. He's a fireman and EMT by trade, so he's not working now since his immune system is way down. His dear wife is trying to get different fire departments around the country to send him greetings and she was hoping to get him backstage to the fire dept there. She talked to Stephanie and Stephanie tried to get him backstage to the fire dept. Unfortunately it didn't happen, so Stephanie arranged balloons, a stuffed Minnie, rice krispy treats, cold milk and confetti for their room. Brought tears to all of us and their 4 yr old daughter was just thrilled.

You have some real nice people in California.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Ahh, I've got tears now.

I'm glad you & your family and friends had such a good time. Disneyland is pretty special to us, so we're always happy when someone enjoys their time there.

 

[disneycutie84]

So glad you enjoyed DL as much as I do! I love seeing the park through the eyes of those who haven't experienced it. It reminds me of what is good and timeless about Disney.

 

[Martha7]

Glad you had such a great trip! I grew up near DL, then moved to Ft. Lauderdale 8 years ago, so we had many great trips to WDW. Now, I'm in Minneapolis, and I've solved the dilemna of where to go this way: We're spending Christmas vacation in So Cal this year, visiting my family, and hopefully getting to DL and DCA. Then, we're going to WDW for Spring Break! I'm guessing that I'll be glad to get away from the snow here in the Midwest!

 

[disney-super-mom]

Thanks for the great report. It sure sounds like a nice vacation, and I'll be keeping your fireman friend in my thoughts and prayers. Stephanie, the CM, sounds wonderful, and she definately spread a little Pixie dust! I love to hear trip reports with special moments like that!

My family will be visiting DL this October, but our next Disney vacation (sometime in 2007), we're going to make our first trip to WDW!!! Hopefully we'll be able to stay at a DVC resort - but I don't know which one. They all look wonderful! I like them all for different reasons. Quite honestly, we'll be happy no matter which DVC resort we're able to stay at. Of course my DH will be keeping me under tight wraps while we're there for fear that I'll sneak out and buy a membership (we almost bought one last winter). I mean c'mon, I would never do such a thing!

Anyway, I hope you get the opportunity to visit DL again sometime in the future, and when you do, I hope you have an even more magical time!

 

[DisneyWorld Delight]

I loved DL too!!! We do WDW annualy, but wanted to visit the "motherland", espically before the end of the celebration.

We went last week. Before we left, everyone kept telling us how disappointed we'd be. So we went with low expectations. It was awesome. I loved how it was so small and everything was close together. We only spent 2 days there and still didn't see everything. We took a tour, "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" which I highly recommend.

I am ready to go back right now. Right now!

The one thing I hated was the traffic. It was slow and thick. It drove me crazy, pun intended.

I wish we'd stayed at the GC. That is where my heart truly was, but it was $100 more dollars a night, vs PP. So, logic won out and at the end of a long day, or even at nap time, walking back, the money would have been well spent. **BUT** we were upgraded from a standard room at PP to a suite on the top floor. SO, that made it special, and I really can't complain.

 

[HydroGuy]

We went last week. Before we left, everyone kept telling us how disappointed we'd be. So we went with low expectations.

Sounds like you had a great trip. I think the biggest problem with expectations is people who love WDW and expect DLR to give them a similar experience, and vice versa. Yes, there are similarities. But if you do not get a good handle on the differences beforehand you may set yourself up for disappointment. And it is not differences like DL vs MK that are the issue. It is differences like hotels, food, size, parkhopping, locals vs. non-locals, how tickets work, how reservations work, etc. If you can get these mostly logistical things out of the way, the parks themselves will shine through.

 

[maconMouse]

I hope they build a DVC resort at DL, because we'll be sure to use some points there.

Wouldn't that be great if they did! I just joined DVC, and I brought this up with them. They told me it would be a very logical place for a resort, but obviously couldn't shed any further light on it happening in the near future. I found it very interesting to see the DVC booths up at Disneyland on my first trip there this past summer.

As a longtime WDW veteran, I too LOVED Disneyland. It made my love for Disney even stronger, and the level of magic there just overwhelmed me.

 

[SamIAm21]

I am a WDW Veteran too, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVED DISNEYLAND! I just found it to be so much more intimate and the rides were "the originals" that Walt built. There was a real Disney spirit there. I choked up in the Firestation and I thought Main Street overall was just so much more "turn of the century" and authentic looking. I can't wait to go back. I would love to stay at one of the Disney resorts next time, but I wouldn't have a problem staying on Harbor Blvd again either!

As long as I can get there!!