Just starting to research and plan...

[tzuhouse]

We spent 11 magical days at WDW last December and I'm now beginning to plan our next vacation, which will encompass the Grand Canyon, several National Parks and, of course, Disneyland. I can hardly wait.

One thing I've discovered is that you cannot purchase passes for Disneyland/DCA and then use them at any time in the future. I was going to go ahead and purchase tickets now, in case the price was going up in January, but since we won't be there until 3/08, they said I cannot purchase them until August 07. Bummer!

At WDW, one son was chosen for The Lion King, another was Temporary Ruler of the Realm. They got to wake up Tink in Tinkerbelle's Treasures and we had breakfast at the castle. We did a Wishes Cruise and we did the Family Magic Tour. We had breakfast at the Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's and Donald's Breakfastosaurus.

I guess I'm trying to start a list of thing that are EXTRA that could be done at DL, so I can begin deciding what we'll do. We'll only be there about 3 days, unfortunately. Maybe 4, but no more than that. My boys will be almost 9 and 7, so looking for what will interest them at that age. Is there a character breakfast for boys. Are there tours of the kingdom, ect. I guess Disneyland is just Disneyland. Not Magic Kingdom or anything like that.

Thanks for listening. Anxious to begin and wish there was a Tour Guide Mike for DL. He was awesome for WDW.

Mary

 

[Captjackson]

Sounds fun.
There are alot of other folks here with more DLR knowledge than me. I think however, I can say that 3 days at DLR will give you enough time to see most of the things you'd want to.
Although not exactly the same, Disneyland is the Anaheim version of the Magic Kingdom at WDW. California Adventure is smaller but still has it charms.
DLR overall is alot smaller than WDW. As long you're not expecting the all encompassing resort that is WDW, you will enjoy DLR.

 

[iceskatejen]

One thing you can do is ask if you can go up into the Pilot's house on the Mark Twain. Your kids would get to blow the whistle, ring the bell and turn the wheel. Also, see if you can get a tender ride on the train (that's 2 at a time, while the Mark Twain can accomodate all of you at once). On the tender ride, you get to ride right up with the engineer and fireman. They're pretty friendly people and willing to answer questions about trains and DL.

 

[tzuhouse]

Thanks! I'll make a note of those! I'm a little afraid I'm going to be disappointed after having such a fantastic time at WDW, but this trip is more than just Disney. We will be flying into Phoenix and going to the Grand Canyon, Giant Sequoia NP, Yosemite, San Francisco, and down highway 1 for whale watching and such, then on to Anaheim and then to San Diego and back to Phoenix to fly home. I think it's going to be about 17 days.

Mary

 

[hlbtimes2]

I would probably ask this question again a little closer. Its really hard to know what they will be offering in 18 months.

 

[HydroGuy]

Hi Mary:

I have compiled a ton of advice on DLR in this recent thread: "A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599. Not quite TGM (which I used heavily on our recent WDW trip) but lots of observations.

 

[Rella Bella]

Hi Mary!

That sounds like an awesome vacation!!

I highly recommend Hydroguys thread about DLR! It helped us a lot with our recent trip. You'll also find the folks on this board very helpful!

One fun thing I heard about is reserve seats to watch Fantasmic from a balconey in New Orleans Square, it's also a dessert buffet -- which the boys would enjoy. I don't know how far ahead you can reserve but I know the seats go fast. Maybe someone else can help with specifics.

At Disneyland you get one early entry with a three day ticket -- even if you're staying off site! I highly recommend it. We were there peak season and the park felt empty! We aren't usually early risers but we were very glad we got up early. There are also more perks for AAA members who stay at one of the 3 Disney Hotels... I'm talking about unlimited Fast Passes and more early entries, so check that out.

The other thing I'd recommend is ready some DL trip reports while you're beginning to plan. You'll get lots of good ideas and info. You could start with mine if you want

Happy planning, Rella

 

[mad hatter fan]

Oops, mis-read your dates so I deleated my advice. Have a great trip!

 

[Amy&Dan]

I highly recommend Hydroguys thread about DLR! It helped us a lot with our recent trip. You'll also find the folks on this board very helpful!

One fun thing I heard about is reserve seats to watch Fantasmic from a balconey in New Orleans Square, it's also a dessert buffet -- which the boys would enjoy. I don't know how far ahead you can reserve but I know the seats go fast. Maybe someone else can help with specifics.

The Fantasmic Dessert Buffet is wonderful. You make reservations 30 days out. However its quite expensive (over $50 per person, no kids discount)! You have to call first thing exactly 30 days out. I agree with another poster about it being somewhat hard to predict what DL will have in the way of shows, entertainment and character meals. Right now I would suggest Goofy's and or the Lilo and Stitch breakfast for boys as far as meals. Just know that there will be plenty to do with enough similarities to WDW to make you feel like you are returning to a favorite place, yet with enough differences to make you feel like its all new. Definitely read Hydroguy's thread and keep checking with this board for more tips and reports. Planning is half the fun!