land vs world planning differences

[bob515]

I’ve been an annual pass holder at WDW for several years and been to the parks countless times. I’m planning on taking a trip out to Disneyland, 2 adults, sometime next year (2021). I haven’t been to the California parks since 2004.

What differences do I need to be aware of while planning, e.g. differences in how you get fastpass etc.

Also, any tips or tricks to the California parks would be appreciated.

 

[fly girl]

I’ve been an annual pass holder at WDW for several years and been to the parks countless times. I’m planning on taking a trip out to Disneyland, 2 adults, sometime next year (2021). I haven’t been to the California parks since 2004.

What differences do I need to be aware of while planning, e.g. differences in how you get fastpass etc.

Also, any tips or tricks to the California parks would be appreciated.

First, this should be moved to the Disneyland Forum for maximum help.

DLR is much more relaxed. You won't have to stress about ADR's, FP+, it is very refreshing. Cali is on a chill "its all cool, bro" vibe. SO NICE!!

Naturally, I do suggest booking your must-do ADR's at least 30 days out. No need to worry about FP before. It is old style FP, or you can pay extra for Max Pass which you book FP's through the app on your phone, and imho it is worth the price. Not having to sprint back and forth to the FP booths, it is great especially when you can hop between the parks with ease.

Two biggies I always share: 1. GET A CHURRO. They aren't the same at WDW, just get one. And make sure it is fresh and hot. You'll be glad you did. 2. If you can swing the price, WOC Dessert Package is awesome! It is my favorite show of any Disney park and as a short person not having to struggle with a 6'4" dude in front of me is worth every single penny.

I will also add their QS options are by far better than WDW. A lot more options, including healthier ones too.

 

[bob515]

I’ve been an annual pass holder at WDW for several years and been to the parks countless times. I’m planning on taking a trip out to Disneyland, 2 adults, sometime next year (2021). I haven’t been to the California parks since 2004.

What differences do I need to be aware of while planning, e.g. differences in how you get fastpass etc.

Also, any tips or tricks to the California parks would be appreciated.

 

[craigkerstiens]

Fastpasses are day of you don't book them ahead of time. Maxpass is highly recommended which allows you to get your fastpasses on your phone as you use them or your new window opens.

Park hopping is much easier as the entrances to the parks are at the same spot. Downtown disney is also located right there, so you can plan to do things are each park a bit more easily than you would at WDW.

 

[GrandBob]

Everything you want to know, and more, is in Hydroguy's amazing DLR Guide for WDW Vets

 

[Mike_M]

In a normal year, I’d give the normal advice:
DL requires less planning, is more walkable and the bubble is a very different kind of bubble.

However, with the Covid-19 pandemic, I honestly have no idea what to expect the rest of this year and maybe even into next year and beyond. There may be new restrictions around total number of guests allowed in the park, or changes to queues that may use virtual queuing on more than just Rise of the Resistance.

I’d say, waiting until after the Park reopens to start figuring out plans would be prudent. At least for the short term.

 

[midnight star]

Planning is much more laidback at DL. Dining reservations begin at 60 days in advance. And even then Disney can be slow at loading dining reservations and packages to the site. The only competitive dining package is the Afternoon Tea at DLH. Those fill up right at 60 days.

There are more rides between the 2 parks than Disney world’s 4 parks. The good thing with that is lines are as scary (they can be long depending on when you go though). The downside is that you will feel just how crammed the walkways can be.

Fastpasses are day of. Nothing is preplanned. Due to this, the earlier you arrive to the park, you tend to have the best luck with fastpass selections.

In general, I feel like the overall pace of DL is a lot slower than WDW.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

See the sticky threads at the top of the first page: * DLR Info/Links - Maps, Hotels, DISer Reviews, Hydroguy's tips, NEWBIE INFO here!
From there, see:
A DLR Guide for WDW Vets
HydroGuy Tips Compilation -- from here:
"Comparing DLR's MaxPass to WDW's FastPass+" - https://www.disboards.com/threads/comparing-dlrs-maxpass-to-wdws-fastpass.3726294/
"Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" by @Skyegirl1999 - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/
"Choosing When To Visit DLR: Summary of High and Low Season and When Each Happens" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36509602
"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862
"Choosing the Right DLR Area Hotel for You" www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-hotel-for-you.3656512/
"Airport Proximity to DLR and Ground Transportation Information" by @3TinksAndAnEeyorewww.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2318297
2020 Calendar of Events & School Breaks and DLR

Cruise through these, then come back with specific questions!

 

[StarWarsNerd24]

IMHO any Hydroguy post is well worth the read, he is very knowledgeable and puts forth the information in a well thought out and make sense manner.

As has been already mentioned the more laid back atmosphere at DLR is a most refreshing difference compared to WDW. Ease of getting around between the 2 parks( walking 3 mins through the Esplanade) not having to plan out your fast passes months in advance and the ease of getting dining rezzies make for a great time (not that we don't have a great time at WDW because we do love it there as well). I would further reinforce the making any must have dining rezzies at the 60 day mark. For us they are Blue Bayou and Napa rose but only to get the exact day and time we want.

 

[Adventures_abrod]

One thing is so do not skip out on rides because you have been on them at WDW. Some rides are identical but there are some that are different!

 

[montreid]

One thing is so do not skip out on rides because you have been on them at WDW. Some rides are identical but there are some that are different!

+1 . This was actually the most fun about going to WDW as we are DL APs. The compare/contrast was a lot of fun to go over with the family. Don't skip the 'duplicates'.

--Also plan to stay nearby along Harbor or DLR hotels. The reason is you'll get tired and the park really empties out in the evening after the firworks and can punch through a lot of rides with combo FP and standby lines are short. If no kids -- save fantasyland to that time -- really short lines!

 

[only hope]

Agree on the duplicate rides- for the most part. I think TSM and Little Mermaid are exactly the same, except for the queues, and so really aren't worth the time. Soarin' is usually the same too except for the queue; sometimes they run the original film. Pirates is much better at DL. If you love the Nightmare Before Christmas be sure to go to DLR when the overlay is in place at the Haunted Mansion during the Halloween-Christmas season. That was by far my favorite experience of the whole trip, other than the whole "I'm where Walt walked and this place has a lot of history" vibe. Which, by the way, is another thing for Disney fans with a lot of Disney knowledge- it was really cool to be at the first park, one that was 60 years old when I went, to go on those original attractions that are left, to eat at restaurants that have been around for generations...I mean, MK is getting up there now too, but in my opinion it will never have the charm and history that Disneyland has. I already knew tons about Walt and things he had worked on, but I made sure to read up even more on the history of Disneyland before we went. That influenced where we ate and really increased our enjoyment of the park.

 

[Adventures_abrod]

Agree on the duplicate rides- for the most part. I think TSM and Little Mermaid are exactly the same, except for the queues, and so really aren't worth the time. Soarin' is usually the same too except for the queue; sometimes they run the original film. Pirates is much better at DL. If you love the Nightmare Before Christmas be sure to go to DLR when the overlay is in place at the Haunted Mansion during the Halloween-Christmas season. That was by far my favorite experience of the whole trip, other than the whole "I'm where Walt walked and this place has a lot of history" vibe. Which, by the way, is another thing for Disney fans with a lot of Disney knowledge- it was really cool to be at the first park, one that was 60 years old when I went, to go on those original attractions that are left, to eat at restaurants that have been around for generations...I mean, MK is getting up there now too, but in my opinion it will never have the charm and history that Disneyland has. I already knew tons about Walt and things he had worked on, but I made sure to read up even more on the history of Disneyland before we went. That influenced where we ate and really increased our enjoyment of the park.

Agreed.

Little Mermaid is the same, and WDW queue is amazing in comparison. Also I believe DL's pirates is much better as well. Sometimes I am the minority with this, but I prefer the Space Mountain at DL over WDW.

I love everything you said about the history of the parks. Some people expect what you get at WDW and it's not the same. I love both DL and WDW but both for different reasons.

 

[StormyCA]

Planning? You don't need no stinkin' planning! At least not compared to WDW.

One of the things I did for our WDW trips was to make a list of ALL the WDW rides and then categorized them: 1-Only at WDW, 2-Different at WDW, 3-Same in both places. I then prioritized them within category and focused on the 1st two, adding in category 3 when I could. You could do the same in reverse. It worked really well.

Pay for MaxPass. It's completely worth it for the time saving value of not having to walk to a ride to pull a FP then walk to another ride to stand in line. Pay for it a day at a time if you feel better, I pull the trigger and just add it to my hopper.

This may sound silly, but try to get your 'mental map' of WDW's MK out of your head. I can't tell you the number of times I automatically turned 'the wrong way' because "at DL, you turn left (or right) to get to XXX area/ride from here".

Above all, enjoy being in "Walt's Park". Take a minute to sit on Main Street and drink in the fact that he walked that same street you are now walking. And don't forget to wave at the lamp in the window.

 

[Indiana Scott]

We dont plan anything other than some of the sit-down restaraunts we'll be eating at. At some of them, you just have to have a RSVP.
Otherwise, planning would take all the fun out of it for us.

 

[Lumpy1106]

With the exceptions of Splash Mountain in MK and Philharmagic in DCA, all of the duplicate rides/attractions are better in DL than WDW, or at least different enough that you'll want to see them. VGC is amazing, but I think only on par with the WDW Deluxe resorts if you could put them side-by-side - can't beat the walk-in, separate entrance to DCA though - I'll give you that. Dining is MUCH better in WDW - so much so that leaving the property to walk to outside food is a really viable option. You might also seriously consider packing a lunch and leaving it in your car or the lockers in the picnic area (under the monorail beam in the esplanade between parks)- totally doable and a HUGE cost savings!

For us, we prefer WDW, even though we live 20 mins from DL. We really value the "bubble" of WDW. That's really the biggest difference. At DL you can hear the sirens and traffic, and the crowd is primarily locals who come A LOT, and often don't stay all day. In fact, when we were AP'ers, our most common "day" was Friday night after work. We'd grab dinner outside the park then stay till close. That's really common. You may not think that's a big deal, but I'd compare it to going to college and living in a college town vs. living at home with your parents and commuting to college - HUGE difference in the experience!

 

[tasha99]

Honestly, we don't plan that much. If we go to Blue Bayou, that reservation needs to be made 2 months in advance (if you're picky about times). For everything else, we have a wing it attitude. Some of the restaurants have table seating at the bar (eg. Jazz Kitchen---even when there's a line, we can usually walk in to a hightop bar table that seats up to 3. We stay onsite at Grand California and feel like we're in the bubble as much as at Disney World. Used to stay at Hojo's before we had DVC and it was much less of a bubble.

Main thing is, some things will be better at WDW, and some at DL. Just go with it and be glad there's both.

First, this should be moved to the Disneyland Forum for maximum help.

DLR is much more relaxed. You won't have to stress about ADR's, FP+, it is very refreshing. Cali is on a chill "its all cool, bro" vibe. SO NICE!!

Naturally, I do suggest booking your must-do ADR's at least 30 days out. No need to worry about FP before. It is old style FP, or you can pay extra for Max Pass which you book FP's through the app on your phone, and imho it is worth the price. Not having to sprint back and forth to the FP booths, it is great especially when you can hop between the parks with ease.

Two biggies I always share: 1. GET A CHURRO. They aren't the same at WDW, just get one. And make sure it is fresh and hot. You'll be glad you did. 2. If you can swing the price, WOC Dessert Package is awesome! It is my favorite show of any Disney park and as a short person not having to struggle with a 6'4" dude in front of me is worth every single penny.

I will also add their QS options are by far better than WDW. A lot more options, including healthier ones too.

Good to know! I had a bad one at WDW years ago, and never tried another.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

One other great feature of Maxpass is that once you enter either park, you can continue to book FPs throughout the day for both parks, even if you’re not in either park. On our last day in June 2019, we spent the morning at DL, ate lunch, then headed back to DLH for a long break. While the kids (and wife) were snoozing, I was booking FPs for DCA for the evening. Just had to wait 90 minutes between each FP selection. By the time we ate dinner and headed into DCA, we had FPs for GotG, Soarin, TSM, RSR, Incredicoaster, and the WOC FP viewing area. Then we closed DL with a few rides, including Autopia during the fireworks. We’ve never had a day like that at WDW, although we still love it for other reasons.