Longtime DW, 1st Time DL in January

[eplcreel]

After about 10 trips to DW over the years my DD is wanting to make a trip to DL. I have 3 days carved out in January and want to make sure we get as much Disney Fun out of this trip as possible. I checked the boards and found one post that talks about the difference in the rides from DW to DL but what about meals and shows? Any special tips I should know about where to go at rope drop, etc? Any real advantage for staying at one of the onsite DL hotels?

If there's another post that gives these tips please let me know and I'll happily read that one and folks can delete this thread.

 

[LKing]

There are long threads for each hotel where you can read more of the pros and cons. Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian Hotel, Pixar Place Hotel There are a lot of people who complain about the lack of benefits from staying in a DLR hotel, yet continue to stay there. Some of the benefits include: staying in "the bubble" - although it is much less of a bubble than at WDW. Exclusive entrances into the theme parks for DLR hotel guests and 30 min early entry (DL - Tu, Th, Sat and DCA - M,W,F, Sun). Not everything is open for EE. You can find the current list here: Early Admission Options

We don't know what shows will occur in January. Personally, I'm assuming that they will add theming for Disneyland's 70th, but nothing has been announced.

Parades - Disneyland usually has two parades. The first is around 3 pm. It starts near Small World and ends at Main Street. The second is around 6 pm and goes in the opposite direction - starting at Main Street and ending near Small World. I haven't heard of any DCA parades for January yet. The Lunar New Year celebration usually begins at the end of January.

Fantasmic (DL) - The first show is at 9 pm and the second is at 10:30 pm. Note that it is currently weekends only. Fantasmic takes place on Tom Sawyer's Island and the Rivers of America. Viewing is from Frontierland & New Orleans Square. There is no amphitheater type seating like at WDW. The majority of the viewing is either sitting on the ground (reserved dining packages) or standing (standby). Fantasmic dining packages are offered at Blue Bayou, River Belle Terrace and Rancho del Zocalo. They are a separate Fantasmic Dining Package listing on the Disneyland App. As of this posting, you cannot book a regular reservation at one of the restaurants and request to have a Fantasmic dining package. There is a very long Fantasmic thread with pictures of menus, food and comments about seating.

Fireworks (DL) - Occur (weather permitting) at 9:30 pm. Projections that accompany the fireworks occur even if there are no fireworks. The best viewing is in front of the castle, but people start gathering very early (hours) for that. Main Street is another popular viewing space. Projections are also on Small World and on the water at Rivers of America. If you have a dining package for the first Fantasmic show, you can stay in your seat and watch the fireworks from there (Fantasmic ends at 9:27 and fireworks begin at 9:30). Viewing from Star Wars Galaxy Edge is Fire of the Rising Moons. I'm local and have photos of fireworks from just about every location. If you are curious about the views, let me know and I will share some pictures.

World of Color (DCA) - The first show is at 9 pm and the second is at 10:15 pm. Note: DCA closes at 10 pm so you will be ushered straight out of the park after the 2nd show. There is a very popular WOC dessert package as well as dining packages at both Storytellers (GCH) and Wine Country Trattoria (DCA). For the dining packages, you only need a reservation at the restaurant. Once you are seated, you are given the option of a regular menu or a WOC dining package menu. Dining package viewing is standing only. There is a good thread about WOC dessert package table numbers with views.

Heading off to work. I'll edit and add more hyperlinks later.

 

[OlliePop27]

There are long threads for each hotel where you can read more of the pros and cons. Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian Hotel, Pixar Place Hotel There are a lot of people who complain about the lack of benefits from staying in a DLR hotel, yet continue to stay there. Some of the benefits include: staying in "the bubble" - although it is much less of a bubble than at WDW. Exclusive entrances into the theme parks for DLR hotel guests and 30 min early entry (DL - Tu, Th, Sat and DCA - M,W,F, Sun). Not everything is open for EE. You can find the current list here: Early Admission Options

We don't know what shows will occur in January. Personally, I'm assuming that they will add theming for Disneyland's 70th, but nothing has been announced.

Parades - Disneyland usually has two parades. The first is around 3 pm. It starts near Small World and ends at Main Street. The second is around 6 pm and goes in the opposite direction - starting at Main Street and ending near Small World. I haven't heard of any DCA parades for January yet. The Lunar New Year celebration usually begins at the end of January.

Fantasmic (DL) - The first show is at 9 pm and the second is at 10:30 pm. Note that it is currently weekends only. Fantasmic takes place on Tom Sawyer's Island and the Rivers of America. Viewing is from Frontierland & New Orleans Square. There is no amphitheater type seating like at WDW. The majority of the viewing is either sitting on the ground (reserved dining packages) or standing (standby). Fantasmic dining packages are offered at Blue Bayou, River Belle Terrace and Rancho del Zocalo. They are a separate Fantasmic Dining Package listing on the Disneyland App. As of this posting, you cannot book a regular reservation at one of the restaurants and request to have a Fantasmic dining package. There is a very long Fantasmic thread with pictures of menus, food and comments about seating.

Fireworks (DL) - Occur (weather permitting) at 9:30 pm. Projections that accompany the fireworks occur even if there are no fireworks. The best viewing is in front of the castle, but people start gathering very early (hours) for that. Main Street is another popular viewing space. Projections are also on Small World and on the water at Rivers of America. If you have a dining package for the first Fantasmic show, you can stay in your seat and watch the fireworks from there (Fantasmic ends at 9:27 and fireworks begin at 9:30). Viewing from Star Wars Galaxy Edge is Fire of the Rising Moons. I'm local and have photos of fireworks from just about every location. If you are curious about the views, let me know and I will share some pictures.

World of Color (DCA) - The first show is at 9 pm and the second is at 10:15 pm. Note: DCA closes at 10 pm so you will be ushered straight out of the park after the 2nd show. There is a very popular WOC dessert package as well as dining packages at both Storytellers (GCH) and Wine Country Trattoria (DCA). For the dining packages, you only need a reservation at the restaurant. Once you are seated, you are given the option of a regular menu or a WOC dining package menu. Dining package viewing is standing only. There is a good thread about WOC dessert package table numbers with views.

Heading off to work. I'll edit and add more hyperlinks later.

Excellent and insightful post from one of the most knowledgeable people on these boards.

I'll try to find links to some of the previous threads about this. A couple of notes about January. Expect several things to be closed. Grizzly River Run will be closed. Either Small World or Haunted Mansion will be closed to remove their holiday overlays. At least one other major attraction and 1-2 smaller attractions are also likely to be closed in January post-holidays.

During January, expect fireworks to only be showing on weekends, Fri-Sun. They get cancelled frequently due to wind, so try to see them your first available night. It will be one of the in-between fireworks shows most likely.

Fantasmic is often completely shutdown in January for maintenance. It's possible it's not showing at all while you're there. World of Color will likely be showing every night.

As for weather, it is possible for it to rain during January and it's also possible it doesn't rain at all and it's in the 70's. When it rains at DL, it is fairly impactful because so much is outside. Certain rides will shutdown in the rain, including:

Alice in Wonderland
Mad Tea Party
Radiator Springs Racers

and many others, depending on how hard it is raining. Lightning is rare. Many rides have lines outside, even if the ride itself is inside. There are also several rides that load their vehicles outside, even if the ride is inside. Small World is like this and Winnie the Pooh.

As for crowds, I encourage you to look at the single day one-park per day pricing calendar (even if you are buying multi day tickets). The days with the lowest prices (under $150, especially the $104 days) will be packed wall to wall people - even if it's weekdays. The second thing to look at is the passholder block out calendar. There aren't many block outs in January, but try to find a date when the two lowest passes are blocked. Be cautious about the $104 priced days - there's many of them in January and expect it to be swamped. Weekends, in general, are less crowded nowadays, especially Saturdays when 2-3 of the lower passes are blocked and single day ticket prices are higher.

I've been in January before, even when it rained, and I thought it was great. I know you'll have a great experience!

 

[eplcreel]

Great information, I'll try to check out some of those other threads. I always assume that the parks are going to be busy, that way I'm never disappointed. But it's hard to predict crowds these days, because all the crowd predictors are all over the place.

January is really the only time we have on our calendar so I'm just going to have to make it work. Sadly I've become used to Disney shutting down rides, just gives us a reason to schedule another trip later

I think we are paying about $130 per ticket before any Park Hopper or LL add ons. Not the cheapest but definitely not the most expensive either.

Are there any must eat places at DL like there are at DW? We typically snack all day and then have one (get off your feet and rest ) dinner around 4pm so that we can take advantage of smaller wait times while other are eating later dinners.

 

[Mle8308]

Try the churro toffee! It's delicious!

 

[BrianL]

One note I will share is that generally counter service at DLR is better than it is at WDW. Like your basic stuff, burgers, hot dogs, etc. are all pretty good and there are unique offerings too. There are not as many options for table service though, and I think WDW is generally better in that regard, even if you only count the "good" places (I mean, Epcot, right?). Churros are much better at DLR and are kind of their "thing" if that makes any sense. Definitely try one, even if you have found wdw churros lacking.

 

[OlliePop27]

Great information, I'll try to check out some of those other threads. I always assume that the parks are going to be busy, that way I'm never disappointed. But it's hard to predict crowds these days, because all the crowd predictors are all over the place.

January is really the only time we have on our calendar so I'm just going to have to make it work. Sadly I've become used to Disney shutting down rides, just gives us a reason to schedule another trip later

I think we are paying about $130 per ticket before any Park Hopper or LL add ons. Not the cheapest but definitely not the most expensive either.

Are there any must eat places at DL like there are at DW? We typically snack all day and then have one (get off your feet and rest ) dinner around 4pm so that we can take advantage of smaller wait times while other are eating later dinners.

The single day ticket prices don't impact you with multiday tickets - those ticket prices are the same regardless of when you visit. Since so many locals visit DL, they buy one day tickets. The ticket prices are dynamic and vary day by day throughout the year. There are many Mon-Thurs throughout the year when the tickets are less expensive and the crowds are much heavier because of this. There is a bizarre dynamic where weekdays are often more crowded than weekends because of the single day ticket pricing variable.

 

[Tinkaboo]

Mickey beignets at the Mint Julep!

 

[Flashfacts]

As someone who is a long time WDW passholder who only started going to DL too a few years ago, I want to mention the impact the castle being a lot smaller at DL has on the fireworks. The castle at DL is significantly shorter and that means that seeing projections can be a lot harder at locations in that would be fine in WDW. If seeing the projections is important to you, I'd suggest checking the boards for great locations. I still haven't figured it out myself so can't offer advice xD

 

[LKing]

The castle at Disneyland is Sleeping Beauty's castle. WDW has Cinderella's castle.

For sit down restaurants, the general consensus on this forum is:
Blue Bayou (DL) - Great ambiance, especially if you ask and receive a waterfront table. Good to great food. Food quality at this restaurant is a bit inconsistent. For most, the ambiance overrides the quality of food.
Carthay Circle (DCA) - Food quality is great. More of a old Hollywood formal dining experience, yet the majority of guests are in shorts and t shirts.
Lamplight Lounge (DCA)- Pixar themed restaurant. Food is hit and miss. Some love it. Others report it as the worst they've had. I think most like this restaurants for the drinks.
Napa Rose (GCH) - Considered the top restaurant in the resort. A little dressier than park attire. The majority of times I've gone, I've received excellent service and food. However, it only takes one time to sour someone on the experience and that happened to us. It took a good year before we returned and, when we did, it was excellent. Dining can be a very long experience so reserve after you are done with the parks.

Other sit down options in Disneyland include Cafe Orleans, River Belle Terrace, Carnation Cafe, Plaza Inn. Most of DCA is counter service. As was mentioned above, there is a lot of variety and it is quite good. Sit down is available at Carthay Circle Lounge and Wine Country Trattoria.

In the hotels, Trader Sams (DLH) is very popular for drinks. Craftsman Bar & Grill & Hearthstone Lounge (GCH) are both nice. Craftsman is outdoor dining poolside so not a good choice if the weather is poor. Hearthstone is indoors. Pixar Place has Great Maple which is a privately owned restaurant with three locations in southern California. For character meals, Storytellers (GCH) offers a character breakfast and Goofy's Kitchen (DLH) offers character meals all day (I think).

Downtown Disney has some new restaurants. Din Tai Fung recently opened. It is very popular with multiple locations on the west coast. Paseo and Centrico are related. Personally, I love Paseo. I've heard mixed reviews about Centrico. It defintely depends on your taste in food and your price point.

Edit to add: There is a long thread with photos of food from various restaurants. You might start on page 245. https://www.disboards.com/threads/my-disneyland-dining-reviews-with-pictures.1253888/page-245

You didn't mention how many people in your party or their ages.

 

[BK2014]

We live in FL, just outside WDW. and have our first DL trip planned in November. Thanks for starting this thread - tagging along to absorb all the helpful information.

 

[fly girl]

Onsite resorts is a very subjective topic. I am not going to lie, personally I feel the perks for the hotels really do not make up for it in price. And with that said, do we stay at one when we are at Disney Land? Yes. Yes we do. Are we insane? Quite possibly. It is way overpriced, but we allocate for it as part of our Disney experience. Granted, we get a good military discount. But if you decide you are going to splurge, I recommend the one that you can enter DCA in - Disney's Grand Californian. And, if you really want to blow some cash, their club level is great. You can pop in an out all the time due to the proximity to the parks. When our daughter was very little we utilized club level at WDW, now with full park days I cannot see splurging at WDW because your resort hotel is so far away. But at Grand Californian we will splurge on occasion. Again, it is subjective. Many people say it isn't worth it and I can't say I disagree. But for us, we love the ease and that Disney bubble. But you would be just fine in a good neighbor hotel.

One note I will share is that generally counter service at DLR is better than it is at WDW. Like your basic stuff, burgers, hot dogs, etc. are all pretty good and there are unique offerings too. There are not as many options for table service though, and I think WDW is generally better in that regard, even if you only count the "good" places (I mean, Epcot, right?). Churros are much better at DLR and are kind of their "thing" if that makes any sense. Definitely try one, even if you have found wdw churros lacking.

This, 100%!

I have found since Covid I actually prefer the counter service over the table service at DLR. The food quality at the table service is finally coming back but I have learned I like the CS better. However, for a first timer I would suggest Blue Bayou. Ask for that table on the water and wait a few extra minutes. It is an experience.

Counter service we love: tomato soup and grilled cheese at Jolly Holiday, and Bengal Barbecue.

And 1000x's yes to the churros at DLR. Make sure they are hot and fresh. Wait for them to slide down the belt. Don't get one that is already packaged. Worth the wait. Try a plain one then go wild with all the different flavors at various carts. You will be sad that the WDW churros are pathetic variant of the ones at DLR.

 

[alleighboo]

East coaster and WDW vet. We went to DL for the first time in October 2022 as our "once in a lifetime" Disneyland trip. Headed back for our 4th DL trip in October and haven't been back to WDW since.

We did 3 days to start, next trip we did 4, and the last trip we did 5. I think 4 was our sweet spot (4 park days with an "off-day" in the middle) and that's what I just booked again for Christmas 2025. 3 days is plenty of time to get through both parks and do basically every thing you want.

I think rope drop is a must-do if you don't mind getting up on vacation! It's insane how much you can get done in those first few hours. We took my step-daughter for the first time in June. She goes to WDW much more often than we do and she just kept whispering "Disney World could never" as we hopped on ride after ride that were basically walk-ons. With DL being much more of a locals' park, the crowds don't start trickling in until closer to late morning/lunch time.

100% agree with quick service being amazing at DL. First trip I had a reservation a day and this next trip I just have Lamplight Lounge. It's my top sit down restaurant but I'm team Blue Bayou at least once for the experience (and I think the food is good too) and I love Breakfast with Minnie at Plaza Inn. Bengal BBQ is always my favorite and we must get clam chowder at Harbour Galley (my husband got it twice last trip).

We stayed at Paradise Pier (now Pixar Place) our first trip while it was being remodeled. It was good, the entrance to DCA is great, and the early entry was a nice perk. I have to agree the perks are not worth the price but we stayed at The Villas at the Disneyland Hotel last trip and...I've been spoiled. I think hotel choice depends on your park-style. My bff and I stayed off property at The Anaheim Hotel and will be again in October and it's perfect for us because we are rope drop to park close people. We just need a place to sleep and shower. My husband is a...roll into the parks when we wake up and take long pool breaks...type of Disney person. I don't mind going to rope drop alone and catching up with him later. We are now Disney property people when he's going! I will say...I don't think staying off-property ruins any of my "Disney bubble" personally. Many off the off-property hotels are actually a shorter walk than the Disney hotels.

Hope some of this helps! Disneyland is the best!!

 

[irlandaise]

Blue Bayou (DL) - Great ambiance, especially if you ask and receive a waterfront table. Good to great food. Food quality at this restaurant is a bit in consistent. For most, the ambiance overrides the quality of food.

eplcreel, in case your research hasn't gotten into restaurants very much yet, you may not know that the Blue Bayou is inside Pirates of the Caribbean. You'll see boats go by as people begin the ride and have the feeling of the nighttime bayou. I definitely recommend it to first-time DL visitors as a unique experience.

For quick service food, Bengal Barbecue is my favorite.

 

[EricaatthePark]

Just adding on to your comment!

I think rope drop is a must-do if you don't mind getting up on vacation! It's insane how much you can get done in those first few hours.

Also, when you come from a time zone "east" of California, it is MUCH easier to wake up in time for rope drop!
We come from Denver and trying to wake up for RD at WDW is the WORST! But in CA, it is SUPER easy!

we must get clam chowder at Harbour Galley (my husband got it twice last trip).

Also, we love the new version at Aunt Cass's cafe in San Fransokyo at DCA. It has Miso in it so it has this extra yummy umami thing going on! Try it out if you want something just a little different... or try them both and discover which is your favorite!

long pool breaks...type of Disney person.

If you are pool breaks person, this is really the main reason to do a Disneyland On-Site Hotel because they blow the other pools out of the WATER! (maybe not the Pixar Place hotel, but the decor and stuff around it is really cute!) GCH pool is the most relaxing place. The chairs are so amazing and cushy! And the food is the same as what is served at the Craftsman Bar! The charcuterie pizza is SO GOOD. And top tier drinks, too. The Disneyland hotel is really fun with the monorail slides! And also the food and drinks are from Tangaroa Terrace and those tropical beverages make my shoulders shimmy! The pools at the surrounding hotels are really just rectangular holes on the street, in a parking lot.

 

[Tinkaboo]

Just want to add a word about the weather in January…LAYERS. It may be perfectly fine during the dday but when that marine layer moves in at night, it feels freezing. I even wear a light down coat (from Costco $29) under my spirit jersey when I’m there at Christmas. That humidity cuts to the bone…and find a cute hat to take as well!

 

[LKing]

We're local and there are some evenings when I wear a sweatshirt, a heavy coat and a beanie, yet walk past visitors in shorts and t-shirts. Our cold weather must feel tropical to those visiting from the snow.

Remember that you will likely buy souvenirs. I would plan on purchasing a spirit jersey or sweatshirt. What is usually missing in the Disneyland stores is anything rain related. They sell cheap plastic ponchos, but those don't do much. Recently, they released some character rain jackets (example). I'm not sure if they will still be around when our rainy season hits. Pack a travel umbrella and an extra pair of shoes. There is nothing worse than walking around in wet shoes.

There are lockers in both parks as well as in DTD. When we stay for an evening show, we often put a blanket and our jackets in a locker.

 

[Tinkaboo]

Also, please know that there will be ride closures for HM and IASW and that fireworks and Fantasmic are usually limited to weekends only in January. Forewarned so you won’t be disappointed when schedule finally comes out.

 

[eplcreel]

Thank you to everyone that has responded! So much great information and honestly so many things I would have had zero clue about. I've always been warned about the size of the castle so unless its the size of a thimble I think I'm prepared at this point

I think someone ask ages and how many of us are going. This go around it's just the 3 of us and all of us are 21+ and we are rope droppers and last out the of park group. If I'm dropping the money to go then I'm going to suck every last ounce of Disney magic of every trip. It's exhausting but always worth it.

As far as the fireworks go. How easily can they be seen from outside of the park? I think we are only going to be there on a Sunday during the weekend so if it's only a weekend show then we just may be out of luck. That's ok though as we typically take advantage of folks watching fireworks to sneak in a few extra rides.

 

[LKing]

we are rope droppers and last out the of park group. If I'm dropping the money to go then I'm going to suck every last ounce of Disney magic of every trip. It's exhausting but always worth it.

As was mentioned above, crowds in Disneyland have a different flow than at WDW. Local MK holders rarely arrive at rope drop. Instead, they meander in around 10-11. Because of that, the first few hours in the morning are light and are a great time to take in several rides. Many rope drop to park closing guests take a few hours off midday to rest and recuperate. Because is January and the weather is an unknown, you should probably plan on returning to your hotel for at least a short break. If nothing else, to change clothes or grab a jacket.

As far as the fireworks go. How easily can they be seen from outside of the park?

While you can view them from some hotels and the Mickey and Friends parking structure, in my opinion, it isn't great. My suggestion would be to get a dining package for the first Fantasmic show and watch them from your Fantasmic seats. Another option would be to watch from SWGE (no projections and different music). If you are a rope drop to closing group, take your break earlier in the day spend your evenings inside the parks.