Need help to help my family....

[DaniellePoppins]

Hello all

So here's my story.... I'm the person other people come to either in my family or at work when someone has a "Disney" question. But my expertise lies with Florida and Disney World. I was supposed to have visited Disneyland back in 2020, but well.....
So that brings me to now and this post.... I have some family that are going to visit California and Disneyland next March and have asked for my help with their planning. I understood how things worked back when I was supposed to go and had done lots of reading and research on the differences and if things hadn't changed, I would have been more than happy to share what I knew with them. But so much has changed and now I don't know as much and need a few guiding hands and some answers to questions from people who are "in the know" so I can pass along that info. The other issue is my plans for my trip that didn't happen were booked through Disney. It was a package for a good neighbor hotel and park tickets with hopper and MaxPass. They don't intend to stay on property and so I'm not sure what would be the right way to even buy tickets.

The traveling party are a group of two adults who have never visited Disneyland before, but they have been to Disney World. They want to visit the parks for two days and they are staying with a friend who lives nearby so they won't need a hotel. Below are the questions I have that:

1 - Where should they buy tickets from? Can anyone recommend a good discount ticket seller that is safe?

2 - Should they get park hopper and Genie+? (Would spending the extra money maximize their time enough to get enough done in both parks in two days?)

3 - I believe Disneyland has ILL purchases the same as Disney World, but is it only one ride per park? Which rides have the option?

4 - I know park reservations are required for Disneyland, but is the park hopping time of 2PM the same as it is in Disney World?

5 - What are must see things in Disneyland they should do that would make the experience better and something they can't do in Disney World? Any there differences they should be know before going?

Thanks so much in advance to anyone who can help!!!

 

[sophy1996]

1-Undercover Tourist, Getaway Today, and aRes Travel are all recommended on the boards.

2-Yes. The parks are close together (facing each other across a 100-yard esplanade) and park hopping and Genie+ will help them make the most of their two days.

3-ILL is Rise of the Resistance in DL and Radiator Springs in DCA. By next March, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway will be open and may be ILL.

4-park hopping starts at 1 pm at DLR

 

[sjmac42]

Disneyland just raised ticket and G+ prices. If they are quick, Getaway Today and Undercover Tourist may still have tickets at the old prices which would save them $40 to $50 per ticket. Its set to end Oct 20th or until sold out.

 

[katyringo]

1 - Where should they buy tickets from? Can anyone recommend a good discount ticket seller that is safe?

If they can buy now I would reccomend get away today because they have the old prices.

2 - Should they get park hopper and Genie+? (Would spending the extra money maximize their time enough to get enough done in both parks in two days?)

I used to say get a park hopper absolutely. But now I have changed my tune. The park hopping being at 1pm ruined it got us. We just did 5 days without a hopper and found it so much easier to navigate and focus on one park, especially with having kids.

3 - I believe Disneyland has ILL purchases the same as Disney World, but is it only one ride per park? Which rides have the option?

Radiator racers and Rise of the resistance. Rise will sell out for the day. It hit 25 per person during our trip.

4 - I know park reservations are required for Disneyland, but is the park hopping time of 2PM the same as it is in Disney World?

I think it's 1pm at Disneyland.

5 - What are must see things in Disneyland they should do that would make the experience better and something they can't do in Disney World? Any there differences they should be know before going?

I think it's best to treat it as it's own thing and just try to experience as much as possible. World of color is something I wouldn't miss.

 

[katyringo]

And yes to genie+

 

[twodogs]

Another major difference is that you can’t book a LL or buy an ILL$ until each person has scanned into the park that they reserved for the day. Once scanned into your first park, you can book a LL for either park (but the afternoon park’s ride’s LL time must be after 1pm, ie after park hopping time). If it is a busy time (October, other holidays), both ILL$ for RSR and ROTR will sell out; they need to keep an eye on the rolling times offered for the ILL$ on the app and buy when the time they want comes up. You can’t choose your ILL$ time like at WDW.

For the ILL$, you can buy a max of 2 rides each day, only buying each ride once per day (you can’t buy ROTR twice in one day, for example). Until last week, there were 3 ILL$s so you had to pick your two for the day and ride the other standby. Now that there are only 2, it is easy. However, as OP said, once MMRR opens, it is expected to be another ILL$, and you will probably still be limited to only 2 ILL$ per day.

As for park hoppers, I would definitely recommend them if they can afford it. That way on day 2, they can go back to any favorites in either park. Also nighttime entertainment (fireworks, for example) are only on weekends at certain times of year, so hoppers may allow them to see several of the nighttime entertainment options between the two parks (or try for one again if fireworks get cancelled for wind on their first night-DLR is surrounded by houses so they cancel them at times).

Another major tip that can’t be overemphasized if they go at a busy time is to Mobile Order. It works the same as WDW’s system. Order ahead at busy times as the ordering windows get pushed out by an hour or more at times. QS is so much better at DLR than at WDW, so they may not want to use their small amount of time for TS meals.

There are rides at DLR that are either completely unique to DLR or are very different at DLR than at WDW. Someone on here has a comprehensive list, but off the top of my head, don’t miss ones are RSR, HMH (the holiday version, if they are there at that time), IASW Holiday, Space (much smoother version at DLR which also has side by side seating), Matterhorn, Indy, BTMRR (longer and better at DLR), Buzz (much better guns than WDW), POTC (much longer and more detailed than the WDW version), Incredicoaster. I know there are some in Fantasyland but that is not a prime area for me, so I will let others chime in!

 

[mouschievous]

o1 - Where should they buy tickets from? Can anyone recommend a good discount ticket seller that is safe?
I always check Get Away Today and Undercover Tourist. Sometimes Costco has them at a discount, if they're members. As someone else mentioned, I would try to buy now because the price just wen up and GAT and UT may still have the old prices available for a few more days.

2 - Should they get park hopper and Genie+? (Would spending the extra money maximize their time enough to get enough done in both parks in two days?) For us, the hoppers were hugely beneficial, but we didn't find that we needed Genie+ in July. That may or may not be true for them in March. It also depends on touring style - we are rope droppers who close the parks with a midday break, so we maximize our early morning and late night time to save money. We also did a lot of Single Rider, which as two adults your family may want to do as well. We love hoppers because sometimes things get too crowded in one park, or a park has lots of rides down so we go to the other. It also allows you to get meals in either park, see nighttime entertainment in either park, and just generally keeps things flexible, which I like.


3 - I believe Disneyland has ILL purchases the same as Disney World, but is it only one ride per park? Which rides have the option?

4 - I know park reservations are required for Disneyland, but is the park hopping time of 2PM the same as it is in Disney World?
1 pm

5 - What are must see things in Disneyland they should do that would make the experience better and something they can't do in Disney World? Any there differences they should be know before going?

• Pirates is 10x better in DL (and much longer!)
• Radiator Springs Racers is a must do, for sure. It's one of the rides I missed when we were in WDW
• The Matterhorn is a classic, and not offered at WDW
• Many of the Fantasyland rides are unique to DL, and were either opening day or early years attractions, which makes them great in my mind
• The Sleeping Beauty Castle walk through is really beautiful
• Indiana Jones is one of my favorite rides, though it does break down a lot so I always recommend rope drop
• Incredicoaster is unique to DL, if they like roller coasters like that
• Grizzly River Run is far superior to Kali River Rapids

On the flip side, some things are basically the same...

• Splash Mountain and Space Mountain are both really similar between the 2
• Jungle Cruise is similar, and I might even say that the WDW version is better!
• Little Mermaid is identical
• Dumbo is the same ride
• Star Tours is the same ride
• Soarin' is the same
• Toy Story Midway Mania is the same ride, but the queue in WDW is 10000x better
• Peter Pan is identical, but the queue in WDW is 10000x better
• Small World is the same, I think, though the building at DL is way prettier
• Haunted Mansion looks totally different on the outside, but is very similar inside. However, I believe there are characters in DL that aren't in WDW (hat box ghost maybe?)

 

[DaniellePoppins]

Thank you everyone for all the thoughtful and helpful replies. I will write this all down for them and pass it along.

 

[Kit Jackson]

If they have been to Galaxy's Edge in WDW, they can skip it in Disneyland. It's a carbon copy clone. CarsLand is amazing and unique to Disneyland. The theming is fantastic, and the area is gorgeous at night. Radiator Springs Racers is an amazing ride. Pirates is a longer/different ride.

On Main Street, I think it's called Disney Gallery, has concept art and a map/model of the park on opening day. It's cool if they are interested in Disney history. My next suggestion is kind of nerdy, but it also takes less than five minutes. Stand in the hub near the partners statue with the paths leading to the different lands and think about the fact that this was what Walt Disney envisioned, designed, turned into a reality that he lived to see, and that people are still visiting.

Another big difference between WDW and Disneyland is that Disneyland is much smaller and more compact. It is much easier to get from one place to another by walking. Also, Genie+ includes PhotoPass at Disneyland, which is a major difference from WDW.

 

[BrianL]

o1 - Where should they buy tickets from? Can anyone recommend a good discount ticket seller that is safe?
I always check Get Away Today and Undercover Tourist. Sometimes Costco has them at a discount, if they're members. As someone else mentioned, I would try to buy now because the price just wen up and GAT and UT may still have the old prices available for a few more days.

2 - Should they get park hopper and Genie+? (Would spending the extra money maximize their time enough to get enough done in both parks in two days?) For us, the hoppers were hugely beneficial, but we didn't find that we needed Genie+ in July. That may or may not be true for them in March. It also depends on touring style - we are rope droppers who close the parks with a midday break, so we maximize our early morning and late night time to save money. We also did a lot of Single Rider, which as two adults your family may want to do as well. We love hoppers because sometimes things get too crowded in one park, or a park has lots of rides down so we go to the other. It also allows you to get meals in either park, see nighttime entertainment in either park, and just generally keeps things flexible, which I like.


3 - I believe Disneyland has ILL purchases the same as Disney World, but is it only one ride per park? Which rides have the option?

4 - I know park reservations are required for Disneyland, but is the park hopping time of 2PM the same as it is in Disney World?
1 pm

5 - What are must see things in Disneyland they should do that would make the experience better and something they can't do in Disney World? Any there differences they should be know before going?

• Pirates is 10x better in DL (and much longer!)
• Radiator Springs Racers is a must do, for sure. It's one of the rides I missed when we were in WDW
• The Matterhorn is a classic, and not offered at WDW
• Many of the Fantasyland rides are unique to DL, and were either opening day or early years attractions, which makes them great in my mind
• The Sleeping Beauty Castle walk through is really beautiful
• Indiana Jones is one of my favorite rides, though it does break down a lot so I always recommend rope drop
• Incredicoaster is unique to DL, if they like roller coasters like that
• Grizzly River Run is far superior to Kali River Rapids

On the flip side, some things are basically the same...

• Splash Mountain and Space Mountain are both really similar between the 2
• Jungle Cruise is similar, and I might even say that the WDW version is better!
• Little Mermaid is identical
• Dumbo is the same ride
• Star Tours is the same ride
• Soarin' is the same
• Toy Story Midway Mania is the same ride, but the queue in WDW is 10000x better
• Peter Pan is identical, but the queue in WDW is 10000x better
• Small World is the same, I think, though the building at DL is way prettier
• Haunted Mansion looks totally different on the outside, but is very similar inside. However, I believe there are characters in DL that aren't in WDW (hat box ghost maybe?)

I wanted to add a little context to your recommentations:

• Pirates is 10x better in DL (and much longer!) - YES TO THIS!
• Radiator Springs Racers is a must do, for sure. It's one of the rides I missed when we were in WDW - It is similar to Test Track but much longer and more scenic.
• The Matterhorn is a classic, and not offered at WDW - Matterhorn is very similar to Space Mountain at MK ride-wise - they use the same engineering.
• Many of the Fantasyland rides are unique to DL, and were either opening day or early years attractions, which makes them great in my mind - All can't miss though Peter Pan is pretty similar. They still ahve Mister Toad!
• The Sleeping Beauty Castle walk through is really beautiful - Agreed.
• Indiana Jones is one of my favorite rides, though it does break down a lot so I always recommend rope drop - This is very similar to DINOSAUR at AK just with a better theme.
• Incredicoaster is unique to DL, if they like roller coasters like that -This is probably the most intense coaster Disney has at any park.
• Grizzly River Run is far superior to Kali River Rapids - It is much longer than Kali. It's a soaker too, but you actually dry off faster in the arid SoCal air than you do in humid Florida.

On the flip side, some things are basically the same...

• Splash Mountain and Space Mountain are both really similar between the 2 - Actually, Space Mountain at DL is quite different and seats side-by-side. MK's SM is more like The Matterhorn.
• Jungle Cruise is similar, and I might even say that the WDW version is better! -Yes, they shortened the DL version and there is no temple tunnel.
• Little Mermaid is identical - Yes it is.
• Dumbo is the same ride - Though only one spinner at DL.
• Star Tours is the same ride - True, but with only 4 simulators so the line can be longer/move slower.
• Soarin' is the same - Yes - two theaters instead of three though. It's a better quque though!
• Toy Story Midway Mania is the same ride, but the queue in WDW is 10000x better - Yes, outdoor queue at CA.
• Peter Pan is identical, but the queue in WDW is 10000x better - They are not 100% identical, but very close. The line at DL moves even slower because cars stop to load.
• Small World is the same, I think, though the building at DL is way prettier - Absolutely! The actual ride might be a little better at MK, but the building is awesome in DL, plus they have some Disney characters incorporated into the ride.
• Haunted Mansion looks totally different on the outside, but is very similar inside. However, I believe there are characters in DL that aren't in WDW (hat box ghost maybe?) - They are very similar, though not the same. Some scenes at DL are on the much longer hallway after the stretching room, like the busts that follow yout motion and changing portraits. Hatbox is currently exclusive to DL (and he's SO COOL) but it was announced that the MK version is getting him soon.

Sorry - I just love to compare and contrast the various iterations of rides in the parks - it's so interesting to me!

 

[mouschievous]

I wanted to add a little context to your recommentations:

• Pirates is 10x better in DL (and much longer!) - YES TO THIS!
• Radiator Springs Racers is a must do, for sure. It's one of the rides I missed when we were in WDW - It is similar to Test Track but much longer and more scenic
• The Matterhorn is a classic, and not offered at WDW - Matterhorn is very similar to Space Mountain at MK ride-wise - they use the same engineering.
• Many of the Fantasyland rides are unique to DL, and were either opening day or early years attractions, which makes them great in my mind - All can't miss though Peter Pan is pretty similar. THey still ahve Mister Toad!
• The Sleeping Beauty Castle walk through is really beautiful - Agreed.
• Indiana Jones is one of my favorite rides, though it does break down a lot so I always recommend rope drop - This is very similar to DINOSAUR at AK just with a better theme
• Incredicoaster is unique to DL, if they like roller coasters like that -This is probably the most intense coaster Disney has at any park
• Grizzly River Run is far superior to Kali River Rapids - It is much longer than Kali. It's a soaker too, but you actually dry off faster in the arid SoCal air than you do in humid Florida

On the flip side, some things are basically the same...

• Splash Mountain and Space Mountain are both really similar between the 2 - Actually, Space Mountain at DL is quite different and seats side-by-side. MK's SM is more like The Matterhorn.
• Jungle Cruise is similar, and I might even say that the WDW version is better! -Yes, they shortened the DL version and there is no temple tunnel.
• Little Mermaid is identical - Yes it is
• Dumbo is the same ride - Though only one spinner at DL.
• Star Tours is the same ride - True, but with only 4 simulators so the line can be longer/move slower.
• Soarin' is the same - Yes - two theaters instead of three though. It's a better quque though!
• Toy Story Midway Mania is the same ride, but the queue in WDW is 10000x better - Yes, outdoor queue at CA.
• Peter Pan is identical, but the queue in WDW is 10000x better - They are not 100% identical, but very close. The line at DL moves even slower because cars stop to load.
• Small World is the same, I think, though the building at DL is way prettier - Absolutely! The actual ride might be a little better at MK, but the building is awesome in DL, plus they have some Disney characters incorporated into the ride.
• Haunted Mansion looks totally different on the outside, but is very similar inside. However, I believe there are characters in DL that aren't in WDW (hat box ghost maybe?) - They are very similar, though not the same. Some scenes at DL are on the much longer hallway after the stretching room, like the busts that follow yout motion and changing portraits. Hatbox is currently exclusive to DL (and he's SO COOL) but it was announced that the MK version is getting him soon.

Sorry - I just love to compare and contrast the various iterations of rides in the parks - it's so interesting to me!

Don't be sorry - I also love to compare, and prioritizing is important! We did WDW in January for the first time, and DL in July. We definitely skipped a bunch of stuff at DL because we'd done it so much at WDW, which allowed us to focus on things unique to DL. The rides that are the same but different are so interesting to me, especially when you look into the reasoning for the differences.

 

[BrianL]

Don't be sorry - I also love to compare, and prioritizing is important! We did WDW in January for the first time, and DL in July. We definitely skipped a bunch of stuff at DL because we'd done it so much at WDW, which allowed us to focus on things unique to DL. The rides that are the same but different are so interesting to me, especially when you look into the reasoning for the differences.

Yeah, after they built the Matterhorn, they wanted a coaster for WDW, but the space was in Tomorrowland. They basically repurposed the same technology for an enclosed and space themed ride. It was so popular though that Disneyland wanted one, but they couldn't just clone the Matterhorn since it was already right there. They also needed a smaller footprint overall, so they created a completely different design. While the ride is actually better at DL, I still like the MK version because the building is just more impressive with the Star Tunnel queue and the big open area before loading. I really geek out on that stuff, especially re-purposed ride systems, like Indy/Dino and Test Track/RSR.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Gonna disagree on JC. I like the DL version much better. The original in DL is shorter, yes, but the skippers motor down at each scene so you can hear the jokes better - timing is just better too. The DL queue is also far better and the line itself moves quickly and is rarely over 30 minutes. We RD JC in WDW because the line is ridiculously long and boring.

DL Autopia is FAR better than the WDW Speedway. It loops around what used to be two separate ride tracks so it is much longer and more interesting.

Don't get me wrong, I would chain myself to the building if they ever decided to change ToT in WDW, but the GotG overlay works really well in the DCA version.

Save yourself some money and pack a lunch. There is a picnic area in the esplanade under the monorail beam between the parks. It's inside security now and also very convenient to a bathroom (used to have to exit security and the bathroom was inside security). Pack a lunch and leave it in a nearby locker. It's nice to have a little quiet during the day there too - it's usually vacant.

 

[BrianL]

Gonna disagree on JC. I like the DL version much better. The original in DL is shorter, yes, but the skippers motor down at each scene so you can hear the jokes better - timing is just better too. The DL queue is also far better and the line itself moves quickly and is rarely over 30 minutes. We RD JC in WDW because the line is ridiculously long and boring.

DL Autopia is FAR better than the WDW Speedway. It loops around what used to be two separate ride tracks so it is much longer and more interesting.

Save yourself some money and pack a lunch. There is a picnic area in the esplanade under the monorail beam between the parks. It's inside security now and also very convenient to a bathroom (used to have to exit security and the bathroom was inside security). Pack a lunch and leave it in a nearby locker. It's nice to have a little quiet during the day there too - it's usually vacant.

I can say that with JC the Skipper makes all the difference. I've had good and bad though at both parks. I'm just really biased because I love the temple scene - of course they shortened the DL version to build Indy, and I'd take that any day! The queues are about the same to me really - they spruced them both recently with more connections ot the S.E.A.

Autopia is by far better than the very truncated Tomorrowland Speedway!

 

[Whistlebee]

#1- have them buy park hoppers with GENIE+ from Undercover Tourist or Get Away Today TODAY. Seriously, if at all possible, have them buy tix TODAY. Today May be the last day to get them at the old prices!
#2- Disneyland Daily for strategy help.

 

[DaniellePoppins]

Thank you everyone for all the help!!! It will make things much easier for me to give them a breakdown of things they should do/know with all this info. I was able to get them over to Undercover Tourist in time to snag the lower ticket prices in time thankfully. And I'll be visiting them next week so I can explain the ILL stuff as well. I really appreciate everyone taking time to answer. This is such a great community for sharing info.