Must sees at DL for a WDW veteran?

[rascalmom]

We are two weeks out from a trip to DL to celebrate my dd's 21st birthday. We will have 4 full days in the Southern California area, then off to Vegas. Right now, we are planning 3 days in the parks at DLR.

What are the "must see's", tips and secrets that I should know?

Should we plan on Fantasmic!? We have done it many times at WDW - is it pretty much the same show?

Alladdin? From what I understand, this is a stage show. What is the best way to get seats.....is there FastPass available?

Fireworks will be a must one evening - any recommended viewing spots and how long in advance should we scope out our spots?

Dining? We are planning dd's birthday dinner at Jazz Kitchen with extended family & friends. Any top spots that should not be missed?

Thanks! I am usually a mega-planner when it comes to WDW, but we decided to "wing" this trip. Now that it is only 2 weeks away, it is making me nervous!

 

[jolynda]

The Aladdin show is FABULOUS! Don't miss it! You can get preferred seating wiith packages. Otherwise, I think most seating is fine.

One of the HUGE differences between WDW and DL is that you CAN "wing it" at DL and have a blast! WDW requires tons of planning and coordination. DL is California all the way - you can play it by ear.

Fantasmic is great in both places - WDW and DL. But in DL, we have the Princess floats on the water, the Peter Pan scene on the ship, and the Steamboat at the end - we missed those touches at WDW. I think you should watch it at least once.

DL doesn't have the amazing dining variety that WDW does, but you can find good things to eat and fun places to frequent. We always hit the Plaza Inn for a chicken dinner at least once. We like to go to Goofy's Kitchen sometimes for great one-on-one with characters and a fun atmosphere. Dole whips (near Tiki Room) are lovely! We are addicted! There are plenty of restaurants in DTD and outside the park too, all within walking diistance.

Um... lessee... don't forget that fastpasses work any time from the first time shown on the return all the way to the end of the day - you don't have to adhere to the one hour time frame.

Rides... we don't have Philharmagic - wish we did! But we DO have a very funny Muppets show in DCA. Lines for Soarin in DCA are nowhere near the hell they are in Epcot. We don't have Rockin Rollercoaster but we DO have California Screamin' - also an awesome rollercoaster! Don't miss the new Toy Story Mania ride - its a lot of fun! Grizzly River Run is WAY better than the kilimanjaro ride in WDW.

In DL, be sure to check out the original Tiki room show (if you haven't seen iit before). The POTC ride has some FUN differences you will enjoy. The pirate island is a GREAT place to escape to when you need to decompress from the crowds - you feel like you are in another world.

Just relax and let the Disney spiriit work iits magic on you! You wiill have a great time!

 

[DizNee Luver]

I believe there's a sticky on the top of the forums that talk about the differences between DL & WDW....I'd definately advise looking that over!!

I always advise people to remember that Disneyland is much smaller than WDW & to not compare the two. They are different in many ways. We like our smaller, compact park. You can walk between the 2 parks & into DTD. You can walk from the 3 resort hotels or the hotel/motels on Harbor Blvd.

There are 5 character meals:
Goofy's Kitchen is a huge buffet...our fav!! (characters like Goofy, Max, Pluto, Alice, Mad Hatter, Princesses, Baloo, etc.)
Ariel's Grotto is order of menu for the Princess meal.
Storytellers at the GCH is a small buffet or menu with animal/jungle characters in attendance.
Lilo-n-Stitch is a buffet or menu with a tropical theme
Minnie & Friends is a buffet with classic characters. (like Minnie, Pooh, Eeyore, Fairy Godmother, Hook, etc.)

Hope that gets you started....have a great trip!!!!

 

[wdi2b]

take out a pen or pencil:

must hit rides:
in magic kingdom:
- space mountain (fastpass highly recommended)
- splash mountain
- thunder mountain
- matterhorn
- haunted mansion
- jungle cruise
- finding nemo submarine
- columbia/ mark twain

in california adventures:
- screamin' california (ask castmember for singlerider line pass)(trust me)
- soarin over california
- miday mania ( it's worth the wait)

must see attractions:
in magic kingdom:
- 50 first magical years movie
- full circuit of train ride
- tom sawyers island
- fantasmic (skip 9:00 show, use this time wen every1 is watching show to get rides in.) (wen first show is over the fireworks start.)(after every1 is cleared from their seat go to the center of the pathway rite next to water's edge, that is the best seat in the house.) bring a blanket to sit on. the next show will be at 10:30) enjoy.(firworks doesn't have a perfect spot, i personally like watching them from thunder mtn.)

in california adventures:
- aladdin show( no fast pass) ( arrive 30 minutes early and ask for matinee)
(2nd lvl, orchestra is bad.)
- the animation area( talk w/ crush, draw characters, put ur voice int to different films)
- blue cellar (check this out, it's sneek peeks at park attractions.)

tips: -get fireworks out of way on 1st day, then u can go on rides when every1 else is watching them.
- fantasmic is exciting over and over again.
- the kid rides rn't jus 4 kids.
- get park map, our castle is small
remember: this is walt's first park that he built... it's not as advance as WDW.


-have fun m8

 

[rascalmom]

Thanks!

Just curious - why is the Mark Twain/Columbia a must? We've done the one at WDW & it isn't that big a deal - just floats in a small circle. We will definitelly do the train - that is one of those indelible memories from my childhood when my family made the trip from OK to DL when I was 7. Dinosaurs!

Glad to hear it isn't too hard to get into Alladdin! I must have read something about a package deal - we won't have that, we're using our DVC points at GCH.

It has been 17 years since we were at DL, with our then 4 year old daughter. She doesn't remember it & for me, it blurrs with WDW. DD17 has never been. DH is very excited - he grew up very near DL & went all the time growing up. He is the one who has insisted "no planning" - he is just sure everything is just how he remembers it & he will be able to blaze the trail for us.

Still not sure about Fantasmic! - it is only showing one night while we are there, and the fireworks only twice. I'm hesitant to skip the FW on that first night to do Fantasmic & chance missing them due to weather the following night. I've seen the princess boats & showboat at WDW - maybe they don't do that part all the time? I do recall one time it being missing - I think there may have been some light rain that night.

We'll do parks for probably 3 days, with dinner in Newport Beach at a favorite old haunt the last night. The 4th day my girls want to save for shopping/beach, etc. We're not doing any other local attractions - DH has extended family in the area & we will try to spend some time with them if schedules can be worked out.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Since you are a WDW go-er, here's a few differences you will want to be aware of so you can decide what to (or not to) do:

Attractions you will not find at WDW:
- Indiana Jones
- Davey Crockett’s Canoes
- Tarzan’s Treehouse
- The Columbia
- Disneyland The First 50 Years
- Finding Nemo Subs
- Matterhorn
- StoryBook Land Canal Boats
- Alice in Wonderland
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
- Casey Jr. Circus Train
- Pinocchio
- Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin

Attractions that are different, many could argue which is better, you can decide for yourself. I have placed an * next to the ones that I think are better at DL and would suggest you don't miss:

its a small world*
Pirates of the Caribbean*
Jungle Cruise
Tiki Tiki Tiki Room*
Haunted Mansion
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder
Space Mountain*

Fantasmic! is very different at DL. 1st, it's outdoors. This is an impt factor for the next point. 2nd, people camp out for hours to save seats for this. Because it is outdoors, they can start reserving a spot as early as they want. You don't have to sit it out for 2 hour to get a good spot, but just know that many will. 3rd, there are elements that are in WDW's that are not in DL's and vice-versa. I personally like WDW's better, but I know many who like DL's better. Either way, don't miss it. It's a different experience at DL than WDW.

I like viewing the fireworks from Main Street. I enjoy standing in front of the Photo Supply shop, just a little bit before the hub, in the center of the street. Depending upon how crowded the park is, it can get very crowded, starting about 1-1.5 hour before hand.

Hope this helps. To others who know both parks as well, if I got anything above mixed up, feel welcome to correct me.

Enjoy your trip,
Dreams

 

[challer]

If you have to pin it to one attraction: Indiana Jones. Hands down one of the Imagineers' best work of late. Great from queue to exit.

Best for nostalgia: Mr. Toads Wild Ride. (RIP at WDW)

At DCA, just walking around the place is a different experience. Not only is it different from any thing at WDW, but it may be different next time you're there. Check out the Blue Sky Cellar. Condor Flats is my favorite "land" there. Paradise Pier gets a bad rap, but now it's covered in scaffolding.

 

[marsrunner]

Fantasmic! is very different at DL. 1st, it's outdoors. This is an impt factor for the next point.

Uh, Fantasmic! is outdoors in Florida, too. Unless you meant that at Disneyland it isn't performed in a dedicated ampitheater, but rather on Tom Sawyer's (Pirate's Lair on Tom Sayer's Island in Disneyland) and the Rivers of America.

You pretty much want to hit everything in both parks if you want to catch everything that is "different". There's really only one ride that is superior in Florida and that's the Tower of Terror. Other than that the rides are either pretty much equal but slightly different, exactly the same or better at Disneyland. I was surprised, too. The park is older and smaller, and yet most of the rides are better at Disneyland. Weird. The one that really confuses me is Pirates of the Caribbean. Why is it so much shorter in Florida? You'd think they would have had plenty of room to make it just as big or bigger.
Space Mountain is (along with PotC) tops my list for things to do that exist in Florida if you are a WDW vet. I'd never been until a couple of weeks ago and those two in particular blew me away by how much better they were in CA.

 

[CoolPool]

I think the thing you will be amazed about most is that you are done by day 2. You've ridden everything, many at least twice, and you are done. A lot of rides are packed into a small space...and then its like..where's the next park? And there isn't one...not that this bad. Only its different.

 

[S. S. Columbia]

Thanks!

Just curious - why is the Mark Twain/Columbia a must? We've done the one at WDW & it isn't that big a deal - just floats in a small circle. We will definitelly do the train - that is one of those indelible memories from my childhood when my family made the trip from OK to DL when I was 7. Dinosaurs!

Glad to hear it isn't too hard to get into Alladdin! I must have read something about a package deal - we won't have that, we're using our DVC points at GCH.

It has been 17 years since we were at DL, with our then 4 year old daughter. She doesn't remember it & for me, it blurrs with WDW. DD17 has never been. DH is very excited - he grew up very near DL & went all the time growing up. He is the one who has insisted "no planning" - he is just sure everything is just how he remembers it & he will be able to blaze the trail for us.

Still not sure about Fantasmic! - it is only showing one night while we are there, and the fireworks only twice. I'm hesitant to skip the FW on that first night to do Fantasmic & chance missing them due to weather the following night. I've seen the princess boats & showboat at WDW - maybe they don't do that part all the time? I do recall one time it being missing - I think there may have been some light rain that night.

We'll do parks for probably 3 days, with dinner in Newport Beach at a favorite old haunt the last night. The 4th day my girls want to save for shopping/beach, etc. We're not doing any other local attractions - DH has extended family in the area & we will try to spend some time with them if schedules can be worked out.

If you have three nights at DLR, then I think that you will have the fireworks on all three nights.

FWIW, in March the fireworks are being shown every night from Sunday, March 8, through Tuesday, March 31; and for your approximate dates, Fantasmic is being shown twice nightly on March 13/14/15 (Fri/Sat/Sun).

On March 13, 14, and 15: the fireworks are at 9:25pm and there are two Fantasmic shows (9:00 and 10:30pm). Just so you know , it's not unusual at DL to see the 9:25 fireworks and then see the 10:30 Fantasmic. Just like WDW, the second F! show is less crowded than the first.

I think that you should experience DL's Fantasmic!!

HTH

 

[Disneymama09]

YOu must do EVERYTHING.... lol

 

[Sherwin]

Should we plan on Fantasmic!? We have done it many times at WDW - is it pretty much the same show?

Fantasmic! is very different at DL. 1st, it's outdoors. This is an impt factor for the next point. 2nd, people camp out for hours to save seats for this. Because it is outdoors, they can start reserving a spot as early as they want. You don't have to sit it out for 2 hour to get a good spot, but just know that many will. 3rd, there are elements that are in WDW's that are not in DL's and vice-versa. I personally like WDW's better, but I know many who like DL's better. Either way, don't miss it. It's a different experience at DL than WDW.

I do want to clarify that WDW's F! is in an outdoor amphitheater, as marsrunner said, which was built specifically for the show. On the other hand, F! was configured to be set on the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer's Island (there was some work to make sure the space was appropriate for spectators). F! at DLR is 22 minutes long, while it is 25 minutes long at WDW. At HS, they include more recent films: Pocahontas, Lion King. At DL, it has mostly been unchanged from the 50s golden age films (ie, the live action of Pocahontas at HS replaces the Peter Pan fighting scene aboard the Columbia sailing ship at DL). Largely, the show structure is the same, but there are tweaks and differences. You are closer to the action at DL and can REALLY feel the heat when Maleficent burns up the lake.

 

[rascalmom]

Thanks everyone! This is all great information.

Our arrival date is very late on the 14th, so our first day in the parks will be on the 15th, which is DD's actual 21st birthday. So for that day, she get to pick the itinerary. Talked to her this morning & she really wants to make sure we see the fireworks, but it neutral on Fantasmic!

We are having dinner at DtD with extended family & friends, so it will depend on what time we are done with that on whether we can do both on that first night.

Pirates is a must, the whole family loves that ride at WDW. I think I know why it is smaller at WDW. It was an addition to the park a couple of years after WDW opened. When we went the first time, it was still being constructed. I would guess that the utilidors under the MK & the train track encompassing the park limited the size. Can't wait to see it again at DL!

We haven't been to WDW since Toy Story Mania opened, nor ever ridden Indy. Those are at the top of our list. Space Mountain too. DD will be glad to hear that Tower of Terrow isn't a "must do" - she doesn't really like that ride, but we usually cajole her into riding.

Can't wait!!!!