It's a whole New World... share your love

[MinnieForMe]

Hi:
I'm been active on the DIS boards for years but have never even peeked into this forum. Wow! Even the colors on my monitor are different. LOL!

I currently have a question on the budget board as to whether or not we should spend more to go to DisneyLand over Disney World. I would love to hear from those of you who are passionate about DL. Thanks for the invite over here to those who responded on the Budget Board. I can see lots of time spent here reading!

How is the last week of April attendance wise? It's fairly quiet at the World so we usually end up there.

I was thinking three days at DL/California Adventure, a day at Universal and then LegoLand. Is this reasonable?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Yay ~ you decided to check us out The last week of April, well it depends on when Easter is *let me go check* hmmmm 4/24 ~ best to wait till later in the week *as in the very end of April ~ what about early May?

 

[HydroGuy]

Hi:
I'm been active on the DIS boards for years but have never even peeked into this forum. Wow! Even the colors on my monitor are different. LOL!

I currently have a question on the budget board as to whether or not we should spend more to go to DisneyLand over Disney World. I would love to hear from those of you who are passionate about DL. Thanks for the invite over here to those who responded on the Budget Board. I can see lots of time spent here reading!

How is the last week of April attendance wise? It's fairly quiet at the World so we usually end up there.

I was thinking three days at DL/California Adventure, a day at Universal and then LegoLand. Is this reasonable?

Thanks for any advice.

First, be careful about trying too hard to miss crowds at DLR. DLR is not like WDW and off-season works differently. See "What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

Generally late April is lower crowds but with Easter coming so late next year it is uncertain what the crowds will be like. In general people are expecting larger crowds than normal.

As for choosing when to visit this may help: "Choosing When To Visit DLR: Summary of High and Low Season and When Each Happens " www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36509602

Three days at DLR is considered the minimum for a solid visit but four days is definitely better. With all the outstanding night time entertainment at DLR you need more days.

One day at USH is fine for most people. Whether Legoland is for you or not depends on kids really. We are not LL fans ourselves.

Finally, this may help get you going: "A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

 

[disneygirlmass]

I would hands down go to Disney World. Disneyland is the size of Magic Kingdom in Disney World. There is so much to do, it takes weeks to get everything in, that's why everyone has to go back!! With about 20 hotels, over 200 restaurants and bars, and 4 parks, you cannot go wrong with Disney World. If you want to get the full Disney experience that is the place to be.

 

[Tink91]

I would hands down go to Disney World. Disneyland is the size of Magic Kingdom in Disney World. There is so much to do, it takes weeks to get everything in, that's why everyone has to go back!! With about 20 hotels, over 200 restaurants and bars, and 4 parks, you cannot go wrong with Disney World. If you want to get the full Disney experience that is the place to be.

WDW may be bigger, but you should definitely go to DL at least once. If you have already been to WDW a few times I would highly recommend DL, maybe do some of the tours like A Walk in Walts Footsteps.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I would hands down go to Disney World. Disneyland is the size of Magic Kingdom in Disney World. There is so much to do, it takes weeks to get everything in, that's why everyone has to go back!! With about 20 hotels, over 200 restaurants and bars, and 4 parks, you cannot go wrong with Disney World. If you want to get the full Disney experience that is the place to be.

And it is a total knock off. Nothing that Walt touched or even participated in other than some planning. DLR has Walts touch and vision. Where his footsteps are. Just a couple of thoughts.

Jack

 

[skiingfast]

I wouldn't come to DLR, I'd come to see California. This is what would make a trip cost more. The days doing something else. DLR itself can be done much cheaper than WDW.

 

[HydroGuy]

I would hands down go to Disney World. Disneyland is the size of Magic Kingdom in Disney World. There is so much to do, it takes weeks to get everything in, that's why everyone has to go back!! With about 20 hotels, over 200 restaurants and bars, and 4 parks, you cannot go wrong with Disney World. If you want to get the full Disney experience that is the place to be.

Hmmm. Disneyland is not Disneyworld lite. And believe it or not Disneyworld does not exceed Disneyland if every area. In fact there are a number of areas where DLR exceed WDW. Here are some:

1. Weather - much more tolerable year round and especially in summer - much less rain and humidity

2. Entertainment - IMO the top four at DLR are significantly better than the WDW shows. World of Color, Fantasmic, Remember Dreams Come True and Aladdin stage show

3. Ride Concentration - WDW's four parks put together have only 10% more rides than the two parks at DLR

4. Proximity - you can do everything on foot at DLR. Yes WDW is bigger, but it also requires lots of time on buses and boats.

5. The Disneyland park is the top theme park in the world.

This is not to knock WDW but just to point out that while WDW offers a lot, DLR does too.

 

[jessica52877]

Being a WDW vet I'll say that you gotta do DL atleast once! It is a whole different world. This IS the park that Walt built. To me, it is the real thing. Come, take in all the sights and don't even worry about the rides. Yes, do them, but don't run from ride to ride. Check out the little details. Those are the best.

Our first trip we did 3 DLR days, 1 for the original park, 1 for CA and then 1 day we hopped back and forth. It was plenty. We did the same the next time but did add in Mickey's Trick or Treat. We are on visit 3 and it has done nothin but rain. I have no interest in either park in the rain.

We LOVE legoland. DS is 7 and HUGE lego fan. So that might have something to do with it. I am not a go to a park each day type of person, so you might want an off day to just relax and enjoy or see something else around town. We have enjoyed the beach, zoo and Hollywood on some of the trips. Along with Santa Monica Pier and then a visit with a family member in Malibu.

So, what I am saying is, yes, I would spend the $ atleast once. It is about $1500-2000 more for use to come to DLR vs WDW. It isn't something we do often, but have enjoyed in the past. I'll let you know Saturday if I enjoyed it this time or not. LOL!

BTW, just for a comparison we go to WDW about 3x a year usually or atleast twice. Once for a week always and either a long weekend or another week. If we don't do the parks we usually cruise DCL.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Hi:
We've spent about 16 weeks in DisneyWorld so I am excited to try Disneyland. Unfortunately, our week is fixed as the last week in April due to NH school vacation. However, we can put it off until next year when Easter falls earlier. Or, we can see other attractions in CA and end our week in Disneyland. My husband is still waivering. He loves his time in Disney World and was hoping to catch the new Harry Potter area in Universal/Orlando this year.

Only time will tell but I'm enjoying all the reading here. Thanks for the links for newbies to Disneyland. I think it'll be refreshing to go someplace that I don't feel comfortable directing people to rides and bathrooms. LOL!

One more question for DL pros. I can trade our timeshare for one that is a 20 minute walk to DL. Trading our timeshare makes our accommodations "free" ($169 for the week exchange fee). I could stay across the street at Ho Jo but I would prefer to cut costs in the accomodations area. Is it crazy to drive into DL? I'm handicap so parking is usually very close.

 

[nunzia]

And it is a total knock off. Nothing that Walt touched or even participated in other than some planning. DLR has Walts touch and vision. Where his footsteps are. Just a couple of thoughts.

Jack

Not to get in a DIS board flame fire..I once heard "Disneyworld is for tourists, Disneyland is for purists"..just saying.
Yes..you will find DLR tiny but it has, I believe, around 70% of the rides that WDW has in a nice compact bus free area. When we say Park Hop we mean it. It's right there and if you stay at the Grand you can ride Grizzly while looking at the hotel, get off soaking, run through the private hotel entrance right by the ride and be in your room and changed and back in the park before you know it. Our trip in May we rode GRR about 25 minutes before Aladdin was to start..which is located as far from GRR as you can be. WELL BIL got soaked (I warned him!) and he just HAD to change before going to Aladdin. Uh Huh..so off he hustled to the room at the Grand, changed and we hustled over to Aladdin and made it with a few minutes to spare.
I've been to WDW once..the kids never wanted to go back. I want to one day, but somehow keep planning DLR trips since I love it so much.
I would say you should certainly try it one time..compare the rides that are much better at DLR, Fantasmic which is much better at DLR, and hey we have World of Color so nana nana boo boo (sorry..it just seems like since DLR is FINALLY getting attention and praise it's such a relief after so many years in the shadows). No, DLR doesn't have as many specialty dining places but right outside the gates are plenty. It is just so EASY there and to me WDW is such a struggle.
Only you can try for yourself to decide, but I say if you can afford it and stay onsite by all means do so!
(Ps..I think I responded to your Legoland question..I'm the one who totally hated it)

 

[euclid2323]

We trade off DLR and WDW every other year and we love both!! Whenever I am at WDW I long for the ease of walking across the plaza to DCA and whenever I'm at DLR I long for Ak and the waterparks!! DLR is incredibly charming and the landscape is so different from MK at WDW. First, there is the Matterhorn which you can see for miles, then there is It's a Small World which is a must see! Whenever I'm at WDW it's always a let down to walk up to It's a Small World compared to DLR. Experiencing Finding Nemo in the subs is amazing compared to Epcots version, BTMRR is also better in my opinion, Fantasmic hands down is better, and if you have never been on Indy it is one of the best rides anywhere! When we went to WDW this last March we were a little disappointed at how long it took to get everywhere, whereas at DLR there is no waiting for another 20 min. because you just missed the last bus, boat, monorail etc... You can virtually walk everywhere. DD is at your fingertips as are outside restaurants if you don't want to spend a fortune! And as for staying off site at your timeshare we have done this as well and you can take the ART shuttle or drive, we've done both and it was no big deal. As far as Universal Studios is concerned, don't be expecting much! It is definitely not USF! We went the year before last and stayed for 45 min. It's a really different crowd and if you have kids under the age of 8 there are not alot of attractions. Have a blast! The weather will be perfect in April as well!

 

[kkmcan]

Welcome to the DL board! Glad you came over. DL boardies are pretty passionate about their park

Being in Az we are just a 7 hour drive over. Still I wish it was closer to 3 or 4 hours but I consider us lucky to be able to drive over several times a year.

My personal fave park is DL over WDW anytime but we've made 2 trips now to WDW and found it a new and different experience. We loved DHS and all the attractions that DL doesn't have. Our personal favorite ride at WDW is Test Track so we are very excited about the new Cars Land!

I think you will find a trip to DL would be a welcome and new experience like we had going to WDW. It's always nice to try new things while still being at Disney.

 

[vintageminnie]

I've been to both and I really prefer Disneyland for so many reasons... to me it's the real destination and WDW is somewhere you go once just to say you went. SO I would say YES to your question, you should definitely spend the money to go to DL.

I would think twice about Legoland though. My kids were not that excited with it, so unless you're taking an absolute Lego fanatic with you, I wouldn't reserve an entire day for it. I maybe wouldn't even go at all. I felt like it was overrated, and since you've been to Disney parks, you probably won't be that excited by it.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Nunzia:

You might just have me convinced to ditch the timeshare and stay at the Grand. I can't imagine jumping off a waterride and changing in my hotel room. I would LOVE it! My wheelchair looks like a pack mule because I carry everything we could possilby need in DisneyWorld for 12 hour stretches. Not to mention, three cameras (one DSLR/lens) is a bit much. I could change lens out as the day progresses.

Thank you all for sharing with me. I want to go!

 

[jetskigrl]

Welcome to the DL board. I'm a So Cal local and 9 year annual passholder to DLR (just for some background, LOL). But like you, we wanted to experience the other parks so we just spent 11 days at WDW at the beginning of August. It was an incredible trip and I am so glad that we did it. It absolutely was a trip of a lifetime for us.

But...we had many people asking why we would go all the way to FL when we have DLR right here. What we found though, was that it was a totally different experience.

I understand why people are so loyal to one or the other, but I do recommend that people try both. They are different, but comfortably similar, LOL. Many people told me before I left to make sure that I did not try to compare the two. But even so, I still found myself saying "ours is like this" or "I like how they did theirs better" (notice the ours vs. theirs, LOL). But overall, it was Disney...and it was wonderful to have experienced two of the resorts now.

For us, DLR is usually a day trip, with many special little tradtions and visits with familar cast members. WDW was a true vacation, due to the extended amount of time spent there. But even at the wonderful and huge place, I did miss the little things at DLR that make it special for us (such as the apartment over the firehouse with the light always burning in the window for Walt). We returned to DL a week after we got back from FL and headed straight for the Matterhorn. As we were pulling into the station after the ride, my DS says "ahhhh, it is good to be back." We all loved WDW, but DLR is home. But I think that appreciation for what we love at DLR was enhanced by our visit to WDW.

P.S. As for your time frame, I don't think it will be as crowded as a typical Spring Break time. Our school district has alwasy been tied to Easter (either the week before or the week after). But in 2011, we will be on break at the beginning of April rather than closer to Easter. I do hope you decide to give DLR a try. I'm sure you will love it (as I did WDW)!!

 

[Alinasan]

I'm not sure if it matters to your family but some things in Disneyworld are shut down for the Fantasyland expansion (which included Mickey and Minnie's houses and other things we wanted our young dd to see in toontown), so for us that was one more reason to go to Disneyland this year.

I'm hoping we can go to Disneyworld in 2013 after the expansion is done, but for now, I'm looking forward to seeing Disneyland as there are some unique things there to see.

 

[dizneedoll]

Hi! Welcome to the green and yellow colored boards! I'm am also a So-Cal local and proud AP holder for 6 years now. I've also been to WDW 5 times. I adore WDW and it has a lot to offer but I love DL too. Although both Disney, they are both different experiences and if you've never been to DL than I highly recommend that you do it at least once. I wish we could do WDW more often but for me, the costs are very high so I tend to stick to DL. Even though I'm local, I still treat it like a vacation and take several days and go stay in a hotel. I would really recommend that you choose something within walking distance. Parking at DLR is a major pain. I think it would be worth it to spend the money on accomodations and maybe cut back somewhere else to save money. There are a lot of decent places to stay on Harbor Blvd and several of them are actually closer in terms of walking to the entrance of the parks then DL's own hotels are. You mentioned HOJO. This is where we always stay and I love it. The rooms are spacious and come with a refridgerator and certain rooms have microwaves and the HOJO has the best beds anywhere . The GC is way overpriced for what it is and the rooms are not that great and on the small side I think. If you decide to stay on property, the Disneyland Hotel is the way to go. Although there is a lot of construction there right now and probably through next year so take that into consideration.
Regarding Legoland. I hate it. It's about the same price as a one day ticket to DL but it is not DL! The rides are either for toddlers or are thrill rides for older kids or adults. I don't like any of them. Here is where you can cut costs by not bothering with Legoland. I would recommend Knotts Berry Farm over this. Tickets are less expensive, they have better rides, Knotts Ghostown is a real treat, the famous chicken dinner restaurant is wonderful and it's only a 15 min drive from DL.

 

[pixiewings71]

Hi:
We've spent about 16 weeks in DisneyWorld so I am excited to try Disneyland. Unfortunately, our week is fixed as the last week in April due to NH school vacation. However, we can put it off until next year when Easter falls earlier. Or, we can see other attractions in CA and end our week in Disneyland. My husband is still waivering. He loves his time in Disney World and was hoping to catch the new Harry Potter area in Universal/Orlando this year.

Only time will tell but I'm enjoying all the reading here. Thanks for the links for newbies to Disneyland. I think it'll be refreshing to go someplace that I don't feel comfortable directing people to rides and bathrooms. LOL!

One more question for DL pros. I can trade our timeshare for one that is a 20 minute walk to DL. Trading our timeshare makes our accommodations "free" ($169 for the week exchange fee). I could stay across the street at Ho Jo but I would prefer to cut costs in the accomodations area. Is it crazy to drive into DL? I'm handicap so parking is usually very close.

what time share are you looking to trade for? There are a couple that are "close" to DLR but not across the street close. I'm very familiar with one as it's also our time share. It isn't too crazy to drive, but some mornings there are huge backups. We had Premium APs last year so we drove in a lot, we saved $$ by staying a bit farther away (our timeshare was one that we used as well) and driving in. We didn't love driving but we didn't hate it either. The plus is if you have a handicap plackard you will be directed to park on the bottom level, you will be very close to the trams and that will help a lot.

Nunzia:

You might just have me convinced to ditch the timeshare and stay at the Grand. I can't imagine jumping off a waterride and changing in my hotel room. I would LOVE it! My wheelchair looks like a pack mule because I carry everything we could possilby need in DisneyWorld for 12 hour stretches. Not to mention, three cameras (one DSLR/lens) is a bit much. I could change lens out as the day progresses.

Thank you all for sharing with me. I want to go!

I have to say, we stayed at the GCH once (that was all we could afford because we went so much) in November, we closed down the park (DL) and the last ride we did before leaving was Splash Mountain....we did Splash, got soaked, jumped on the train in NOS and rode it around the park to the main gates, exited and walked back to the GCH, still soaking wet, got back to the room and got warmed up and ready for bed. That was one of our BEST memories! We always wanted to stay at the GCH again so we could do GRR and then head back to change but we just couldn't afford it so we never did.

I will also suggest you look into changing your points for a stay at the Villa's at the Grand Californian, time share at the GCH.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Hi:
Thank you for all the great suggestions!

I'll definitely consider Knotts Berry Farm over LegoLand. Besides, Legoland is scheduled to open in Florida within the next two years so we can check it out there.

Our timeshare is traded through RCI. I believe we can now transfer into Disney villas for an extra cost. I'll look into it. The one that was currently available for trade was Dolphin Cove. It didn't look fantastic but good enough to sleep at and stated it was 20 minutes from DL. However, I am very much interested the other options suggested here.

Thank you all for taking the time to share your knowledge with me. I'm not use to being in the position of not knowing Disney. LOL!