Never been to DL

[footballmouse]

So I'm tossing around the idea of going to Disney Land in a couple of years. Tell me all about it, especially if you've been to Disney World (we've been there plenty of time). My kids are 18 thru 25 so it would be them, me and their girlfriends.
- Can you get thru the park in one day
- Are all the parks connected
- How much different is it from DW
- What is the best airport to fly into (coming from Ohio)
- What about hotels? Would VRBO be a better option
Thanks for your help.

 

[brockash]

So I'm tossing around the idea of going to Disney Land in a couple of years. Tell me all about it, especially if you've been to Disney World (we've been there plenty of time). My kids are 18 thru 25 so it would be them, me and their girlfriends.
- Can you get thru the park in one day
- Are all the parks connected
- How much different is it from DW
- What is the best airport to fly into (coming from Ohio)
- What about hotels? Would VRBO be a better option
Thanks for your help.

Been to both many many times. The first thing I have to say, and I know many on here don't share my opinion, but I would feel like I was misleading if I didn't explain that it's a very different feel than WDW. There are pros and cons, but it is not the same and for us while we always have fun, we also always leave wishing for WDW...and we don't have that feeling for DL when we're at WDW.

As far as hotels; there's 3 Disney hotels (only 2 will keep you in the "bubble" - though the bubble is not the same and very small compared to WDW.) They are pricedlike deluxe resorts. If that's not what you're looking for than I'd def. stay on Harbor Blvd. right across the street (Best Wester Suites, Tropicana, Camelot etc.) They are at least half the price, most times even cheaper than that, nice enough hotels and very convenient. Literally a 5-10 min. walk to the gates. There are also some regular restaurants there with more regular prices.

The pros : so much smaller and much more walkable... you can park hop multiple times as a day asthe 2 parks are literally yards from each other. They also have some unique rides not at WDW. The attractions at the parks are very close together. In my opinion counter service food options are better.

cons: CMs are used to dealing with locals and to us seem more like regular theme park employees rather than Disney. If you're staying on Harbor, you def. feel the real world as soon as you leave Disney property. Transportation to your hotel from airport is not as convenient nor cheap compared to WDW.

Better airport is SNA....much closer/smaller easier to get through but it'll probably be easier to find flights to lax.

 

[DLgal]

So I'm tossing around the idea of going to Disney Land in a couple of years. Tell me all about it, especially if you've been to Disney World (we've been there plenty of time). My kids are 18 thru 25 so it would be them, me and their girlfriends.
- Can you get thru the park in one day
- Are all the parks connected
- How much different is it from DW
- What is the best airport to fly into (coming from Ohio)
- What about hotels? Would VRBO be a better option
Thanks for your help.

Oh boy. First of all DEFINITELY make the trip! Disneyland is SO different than WDW. I visit WDW annually, and even got married there, but I have lived very close to DL for 16 years and it has my heart.

You need, at minimum, 3 days as a first time visitor. I would recommend no less than 5, personally. You cannot, in any way, get through Disneyland park in one day. It has SO many attractions (about 55). Disney California Adventure is easier to do in a day, but you would miss out on a lot of the more unique things, like bars/lounges, the Animation Academy, Blue Sky Cellar, live music, etc.

It is VERY different than WDW. For starters, there is no My Disney Experience and FP+ nonsense. We have this magical thing called Maxpass and it will make all your fastpass dreams come true. Similarly, you can't made ADRs 180 days out, just 60. In fact, they are not even always needed, as you can walk up to almost every restaurant and be seated if you are willing to wait a bit. On that note, food is better at DL, in my opinion, especially counter service. CS food is next level at Disnsyland with so many unique options that would only be available at TS locations at WDW. We have all kinds of cuisine here, and it's almost all amazing.

Everything is kinda connected. Disneyland and DCA are across from each other, separated by less than 100 yards. Downtown Disney is just outside the esplanade (area between parks). You can exit either park and walk to DTD in about a minute. The Grand Californian hotel is located midway down Downtown Disney (it's like a narrow, long shopping and dining district) and that hotel is connected to DCA. It has a private entrance into DCA. The Disneyland hotel and Paradise Pier are located beyond the end of DtD, and across the street from the Grand Californian.

The best airport is SNA (John Wayne Orange County). It is about 20 minutes away from theresort, has onsite car rentals, and is efficient, modern, and kind of small. It's my favorite airport in the area.

VRBO isnt really the best option. Many cities in Orange County have laws banning residential vacation rentals. Anaheim allows it, but there are only 200 permitted properties in the city. It can be a sketchy city also, with some very unsavory areas, so I would not recommend that. There are plenty of hotels surrounding the parks, many within easy walking distance. Pick any hotel on Harbor Blvd between Ball Street and Katella Avenue, if you want to be able to walk. There are all price points there. But, for the full experience, I recommend either the Grand Californian or the Disneyland Hotel.

For the record, I used to like WDW better. Lately, though, WDW has taken a nosedive in terms of how enjoyable the experience is. Disneyland is tops for me at this point. It's just SO much less stressful and there is a charm there that is simply missing altogether at WDW.

 

[HydroGuy]

OP you will want to read my DLR for WDW Vets thread here on DIS. You can find it in my signature line links or in the sticky thread links at the top of the forum with my tips.

I am at DLR at this moment and can’t get answers to everything from my phone very easily. I see you have some good long responses from others though.

 

[footballmouse]

Been to both many many times. The first thing I have to say, and I know many on here don't share my opinion, but I would feel like I was misleading if I didn't explain that it's a very different feel than WDW. There are pros and cons, but it is not the same and for us while we always have fun, we also always leave wishing for WDW...and we don't have that feeling for DL when we're at WDW.

As far as hotels; there's 3 Disney hotels (only 2 will keep you in the "bubble" - though the bubble is not the same and very small compared to WDW.) They are pricedlike deluxe resorts. If that's not what you're looking for than I'd def. stay on Harbor Blvd. right across the street (Best Wester Suites, Tropicana, Camelot etc.) They are at least half the price, most times even cheaper than that, nice enough hotels and very convenient. Literally a 5-10 min. walk to the gates. There are also some regular restaurants there with more regular prices.

The pros : so much smaller and much more walkable... you can park hop multiple times as a day asthe 2 parks are literally yards from each other. They also have some unique rides not at WDW. The attractions at the parks are very close together. In my opinion counter service food options are better.

cons: CMs are used to dealing with locals and to us seem more like regular theme park employees rather than Disney. If you're staying on Harbor, you def. feel the real world as soon as you leave Disney property. Transportation to your hotel from airport is not as convenient nor cheap compared to WDW.

Better airport is SNA....much closer/smaller easier to get through but it'll probably be easier to find flights to lax.

Thanks so much, this is exactly the type of info I was looking for!

 

[footballmouse]

Oh boy. First of all DEFINITELY make the trip! Disneyland is SO different than WDW. I visit WDW annually, and even got married there, but I have lived very close to DL for 16 years and it has my heart.

You need, at minimum, 3 days as a first time visitor. I would recommend no less than 5, personally. You cannot, in any way, get through Disneyland park in one day. It has SO many attractions (about 55). Disney California Adventure is easier to do in a day, but you would miss out on a lot of the more unique things, like bars/lounges, the Animation Academy, Blue Sky Cellar, live music, etc.

It is VERY different than WDW. For starters, there is no My Disney Experience and FP+ nonsense. We have this magical thing called Maxpass and it will make all your fastpass dreams come true. Similarly, you can't made ADRs 180 days out, just 60. In fact, they are not even always needed, as you can walk up to almost every restaurant and be seated if you are willing to wait a bit. On that note, food is better at DL, in my opinion, especially counter service. CS food is next level at Disnsyland with so many unique options that would only be available at TS locations at WDW. We have all kinds of cuisine here, and it's almost all amazing.

Everything is kinda connected. Disneyland and DCA are across from each other, separated by less than 100 yards. Downtown Disney is just outside the esplanade (area between parks). You can exit either park and walk to DTD in about a minute. The Grand Californian hotel is located midway down Downtown Disney (it's like a narrow, long shopping and dining district) and that hotel is connected to DCA. It has a private entrance into DCA. The Disneyland hotel and Paradise Pier are located beyond the end of DtD, and across the street from the Grand Californian.

The best airport is SNA (John Wayne Orange County). It is about 20 minutes away from theresort, has onsite car rentals, and is efficient, modern, and kind of small. It's my favorite airport in the area.

VRBO isnt really the best option. Many cities in Orange County have laws banning residential vacation rentals. Anaheim allows it, but there are only 200 permitted properties in the city. It can be a sketchy city also, with some very unsavory areas, so I would not recommend that. There are plenty of hotels surrounding the parks, many within easy walking distance. Pick any hotel on Harbor Blvd between Ball Street and Katella Avenue, if you want to be able to walk. There are all price points there. But, for the full experience, I recommend either the Grand Californian or the Disneyland Hotel.

For the record, I used to like WDW better. Lately, though, WDW has taken a nosedive in terms of how enjoyable the experience is. Disneyland is tops for me at this point. It's just SO much less stressful and there is a charm there that is simply missing altogether at WDW.

Thanks so much, very helpful. Is there a better time of the year to go to DL in your opinion? Looking for low crowds.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks so much, very helpful. Is there a better time of the year to go to DL in your opinion? Looking for low crowds.

Go to my compilation tips in my signature. It tells all the pros and cons of seasons. DLR has done a great job (for them) of evening out crowds. So most folks would say there aren’t any slow seasons anymore.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Threads with good information for you (many of which have already been mentioned in the above posts):
* DLR Info/Links - Maps, Hotels, DISer Reviews, Hydroguy's tips, NEWBIE INFO here! -- from the sticky threads at the top of the first page -- TONS of great information here!
From that sticky:
HydroGuy Tips Compilation -- so many helpful threads here!
A DLR Guide for WDW Vets -- absolute must reading for you!
"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/ -- very helpful info here -- ask any questions! As mentioned above, VRBO is not the best option for DLR (and there are still VRBOs that are operating illegally around Anaheim) -- if at all possible, you want to be walking distance to the parks -- at DLR, it's all about location, location, location! What you invest in location/hotel, you will save in sanity, peace of mind, physical wear and tear, major convenience, commute/parking time and money, etc.
"Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" by @Skyegirl1999 - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/ -- most WDW vets love MP once they use it -- read up on it here and ask all your questions in this thread!
"Airport Proximity to DLR and Ground Transportation Information" by @3TinksAndAnEeyore www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2318297 -- very helpful info here -- closest airports to DLR are SNA (John Wayne) and LGB (Long Beach).

Happy trip planning!

 

[WonkaKid]

Three things:
1. Are the parks different? Yes.
2. Is one better than the other? Matter of opinion, of course, but not really worth arguing.
3. If you’ve been to DW, should you go to Disneyland? Yes. Absolutely.

 

[StormyCA]

-Can you get thru the park in one day

Well, yes you certainly could. But it'd depend on crowds and you certainly wouldn't be able to do everything. So if you're thinking about 2 day tickets, just realize you won't get the full experience. I'd say 3 days minimum but even that will be a push if you want to 'stop and smell the roses'. Best to do 4 days.


- Are all the parks connected
You only have to walk across the Esplanade. No 'transit' needed like at WDW

- How much different is it from DW
MK is 'the same, but different'. The other 3 parks at WDW have their own atmosphere, as does DCA. For example, there's nothing to really compare between Epcot and DCA but they both have Soarin'.

- What is the best airport to fly into (coming from Ohio)
SNA (John Wayne Airport in Orange County. Next best would be LGB in Long Beach


- What about hotels? Would VRBO be a better option
The onsite hotels are best if it's in the budget. Otherwise there are options to fit all budgets within walking distance or a short Uber ride. There was a 'thing' about short term rentals in Anaheim a while back. They were going to completely ban them, but I heard an unconfirmed rumor that that idea has been canned. So just do your research carefully. Caveat Emptor and all that.

 

[HydroGuy]

Three things:
1. Are the parks different? Yes.
2. Is one better than the other? Matter of opinion, of course, but not really worth arguing.
3. If you’ve been to DW, should you go to Disneyland? Yes. Absolutely.

OK, back to my computer now and sitting down...

I agree with @WonkaKid. I have four kids (now in their 20's). The Disney parks are like kids. Different? Yes. Similar? Sure, in some ways. One better than another? Depends on what you mean by better or the specific context of "better".

IMO DL park is the best theme park in the world. The original and still the best. WDW is a better overall resort and set up more for vacationers on long trips.

In what ways is DLR "better" than WDW?

1. Weather - especially in the summer. It is mid-August and yesterday Anaheim never hit 80 degrees. Delightful. Only time of the year I prefer Orlando weather for park visits is March, April and early May. Much less rain at DLR. None in the summer.

2. Shows - let's just face it - DLR has better shows. Best overall show? World of Color at DCA. Fantasmic? Started at DL and just plain better at DL - except for the seating. Stage shows? Frozen at DCA. For many years DL had better fireworks show but MK finally got HEA and is equal or better than DL for fireworks.

3. Ride concentation - DLR has about as many rides in two parks as WDW has in all four put together - much less time wasted in transport and walking. The Disney bubble is less at DLR? Sure. But it takes lots of time to navigate that Disney bubble at WDW. At DLR you spend that time inside a park rather than on a bus or boat or monorail, or LOL waiting for a bus or boat or monorail.

4. Longer park hours - DLR stays open longer for most parts of the year - more time to play

5. Planning - barely needed at DLR. You CAN wing it and be fine, but a little planning will help. But not the military style that WDW often requires for FP+ and dining. And don't forget... Choosing. Your. Park. 60 days. In advance.

 

[mouschievous]

- Can you get thru the park in one day
---Yes, you can do one park in a day. It's not ideal, and sacrifices will be made, but it can be done. That said, I wouldn't personally want to. 3 days, on the other hand, is perfect. But if all you have is one day, then one day it is! Just make sure you know what your "can't miss" attractions are so you prioritize those.

- Are all the parks connected
---DLR has 2 parks and they are "connected" by a small esplanade. Check out this youtube vide, it shows just how close the two really are. When the video starts, you are looking at the entrance to Disneyland. At about the 20 second mark, it pans to show the California adventure entrance

- What is the best airport to fly into (coming from Ohio)
---Depends on what you mean by best. Closest? John Wayne/SNA. Cheapest? Probably LAX. Even with ground transportation costs from LAX to our rental house, flying into LAX was much cheaper for us. It's not the best airport in the world - it was poorly planned - but we've never had an issue with it and all that money saved translates into more dole whips

- What about hotels? Would VRBO be a better option
---As others have mentioned, there are 3 Disney hotels. These are generally very expensive and not necessarily closer to the parks than the off-property hotels. In fact, the hotels on Harbor right across from DLR are closer than both Paradise Pier and the Disneyland Hotel. Grand Californian is the most expensive but also has an entrance into DCA from the hotel.

As far as VRBO, I know a lot of people warn against it and some have had bad experiences. We used one in Nov 2018 that was recommended by friends who stayed there in July 2017 and for our family of 10 (6 adults and 4 kids) it was perfect. The walk was long - when our friends stayed there, they were able to cut through the M&F parking garage from the street, whereas that was blocked off when we arrived and we had to walk all the way around, making it a much longer walk than it was for our friends. That was really the only downside for us though. The positives were that we saved so much money over staying in a hotel. We love each other, but there is no way the 10 of us could have stayed in any kind of suite together - we'd have killed each other. Having a 4 bedroom house with 3 bathrooms gave us the space to spread out and have our alone time as needed. Having a full kitchen also saved us money. We paid about $1500 for 4 nights in the house, which comes out to $150 per person for the trip. There' no way we could have done that and each had our own space in a hotel. I would absolutely advise caution when checking out VRBO options - make sure they have the proper city licenses, use google maps to check the distance, etc.

 

[DLgal]

@HydroGuy It does, in fact, rain in the summer in Anaheim. In fact, just a couple weeks ago, it rained for several hours in the morning. It's pretty rare, but when we get some of the monsoonal moisture from the nearby deserts, afternoon pop up storms CAN and have happened, thunder and lightning included. The summer of 2015 had numerous instances of afternoon pop up storms. We had just moved back to Orange County from Virginia and we joked about how the east coast weather followed us here.

The rest of your post is spot on. Enjoy the rest of your visit!

 

[DLgal]

Thanks so much, very helpful. Is there a better time of the year to go to DL in your opinion? Looking for low crowds.

Yeah, July. LOL. But seriously, it is the least crowded month due to all the Annual Pass blackouts. Disneyland has over a million annual passholders and the majority of them are blocked out over summer. As mentioned, our weather in summer is very mild (usually low 80s, very little humidity, rain is rare). In fact, early July was actually borderline "too chilly" to swim. We were at the Grand Californian July 4-7 and on our last day, we sat around the pool waiting for the sun to come out because it was overcast and cool...only about 70 degrees. It did finally warm up when the sun came out. July has peak park hours: Disneyland is open 8am-midnight every day, DCA 8am-10pm. There aren't any after hours paid events like at WDW, and it honestly feels like the old e ticket nights once the fireworks are over at DL around 9:45 and until the park closes at midnight. You can ride almost anything as a walk on or with VERY short waits. It's awesome. Lots of visitors are locals and need to drive home, so the park practically empties out after the fireworks every night. Speaking of, in the summer, fireworks are nightly. During the school year, they are only on weekends. The entertainment calendar is running full, so summer is when you get the best variety of shows. Outside ofsummer, I like the holiday time. First week of December is perfect. Or, come in spring around the first week of May. They will have the Food & Wine festival at DCA and it's generally a low crowd time due to the school year wrapping up and parents not taking kids out of school to visit.

 

[HydroGuy]

@HydroGuy It does, in fact, rain in the summer in Anaheim. In fact, just a couple weeks ago, it rained for several hours in the morning. It's pretty rare, but when we get some of the monsoonal moisture from the nearby deserts, afternoon pop up storms CAN and have happened, thunder and lightning included. The summer of 2015 had numerous instances of afternoon pop up storms. We had just moved back to Orange County from Virginia and we joked about how the east coast weather followed us here.

The rest of your post is spot on. Enjoy the rest of your visit!

Hey there is a song that says it doesn't rain! But I know you are right of course. I lived in SoCal for 28 years. Just very rare in the summer.

Put it this way. I NEVER bring rain ponchos to DLR for May-August. I ALWAYS bring rain ponchos to WDW any time of year LOL.

 

[superdeluxe]

So I'm tossing around the idea of going to Disney Land in a couple of years. Tell me all about it, especially if you've been to Disney World (we've been there plenty of time). My kids are 18 thru 25 so it would be them, me and their girlfriends.

- Can you get thru the park in one day

You could if you were moving non stop, but we liked to take mid day pool breaks at our hotel.

- Are all the parks connected

Yes, you can walk from the entrance of CA to DL In like 30 seconds

- How much different is it from DW

Can’t answer this as I have never been.

- What is the best airport to fly into (coming from Ohio)

John Wayne Airport (SNA), closer, cheaper to get transportation and faster.

- What about hotels? Would VRBO be a better option
Thanks for your help.

I’d try to stay at a hotel on Harbor Blvd. the best western, tropicana, Fairfield etc are all 7-9 minutes walk. Easy to leave the park midday for rest/food when it’s the busiest, crowds drop significantly as it gets later as most of the Disney pass local folks start to head home

 

[footballmouse]

Yeah, July. LOL. But seriously, it is the least crowded month due to all the Annual Pass blackouts. Disneyland has over a million annual passholders and the majority of them are blocked out over summer. As mentioned, our weather in summer is very mild (usually low 80s, very little humidity, rain is rare). In fact, early July was actually borderline "too chilly" to swim. We were at the Grand Californian July 4-7 and on our last day, we sat around the pool waiting for the sun to come out because it was overcast and cool...only about 70 degrees. It did finally warm up when the sun came out. July has peak park hours: Disneyland is open 8am-midnight every day, DCA 8am-10pm. There aren't any after hours paid events like at WDW, and it honestly feels like the old e ticket nights once the fireworks are over at DL around 9:45 and until the park closes at midnight. You can ride almost anything as a walk on or with VERY short waits. It's awesome. Lots of visitors are locals and need to drive home, so the park practically empties out after the fireworks every night. Speaking of, in the summer, fireworks are nightly. During the school year, they are only on weekends. The entertainment calendar is running full, so summer is when you get the best variety of shows. Outside ofsummer, I like the holiday time. First week of December is perfect. Or, come in spring around the first week of May. They will have the Food & Wine festival at DCA and it's generally a low crowd time due to the school year wrapping up and parents not taking kids out of school to visit.

So different than WDW. I would never consider WDW in the summer due to the weather and the crowds. We usually go in September or early May. Thanks for the info.

 

[skyblue17]

@HydroGuy It does, in fact, rain in the summer in Anaheim. In fact, just a couple weeks ago, it rained for several hours in the morning. It's pretty rare, but when we get some of the monsoonal moisture from the nearby deserts, afternoon pop up storms CAN and have happened, thunder and lightning included. The summer of 2015 had numerous instances of afternoon pop up storms. We had just moved back to Orange County from Virginia and we joked about how the east coast weather followed us here.

The rest of your post is spot on. Enjoy the rest of your visit!

Yes! It rained for a couple hours on our Disneyland day a few weeks ago. I was flabbergasted as to why NO ONE was riding Grizzly. We walked on and were able to stay on because, I guess, no one wanted to ride the water ride in the rain?!

Anyway, I disagree that you NEED more than one day. You can easily see and experience both parks in one, you would just need to prioritize and likely won't see and do all there is. I've only been to Disneyland for one day at a time (five times now) and while there are things I haven't done or seen, I always get to experience something new and hit my favorites. Crowds and whether or not you like shows does matter here, too, and more than one day would definitely allow you to enjoy the parks more. We realized after our last commando day that we'd like to do two days next time simply so we can take our time a little more and even take a break to refresh.

The DLR versions of some WDW rides are also different and/or better! Pirates and Space are much better than their Florida counterparts, in my opinion. Other will likely chime in with other comparisons!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... Is there a better time of the year to go to DL in your opinion? Looking for low crowds.

Agree with DLgal's post above recommending July. At DLR, the mindset is not about predicting low crowd times. That just isn't possible to do with any kind of consistency. Crowd calendars don't work at DLR (Most accurate crowd calendars?). There are low crowd days/times, of course, but you cannot predict them far in advance with any kind of certainty. And if there is a low crowd time, Disney will offer some kind of promo or special celebration to bring in the local crowds and local passholders. The best thing to do is to pick the best time that works for your family, come back here to double check that nothing insane will be happening at the same time, then do your best planning for your trip. And the July/high season/peak time philosophy works at DLR because you want to visit when DLR is prepared for crowds. That's when you'll get longer hours, more staffing, rides running at full capacity, fewer/no refurbs, more entertainment, nighttime entertainment every night (not just weekends), etc. When DLR is prepared to handle crowds, things run very smoothly. During low/non-peak season, even lower crowds can make the parks feel more crowded because of shorter hours, less staffing, rides running at lower capacity (making for longer lines), CS with longer lines (less staffing), less entertainment, etc.

 

[footballmouse]

Agree with DLgal's post above recommending July. At DLR, the mindset is not about predicting low crowd times. That just isn't possible to do with any kind of consistency. Crowd calendars don't work at DLR (Most accurate crowd calendars?). There are low crowd days/times, of course, but you cannot predict them far in advance with any kind of certainty. And if there is a low crowd time, Disney will offer some kind of promo or special celebration to bring in the local crowds and local passholders. The best thing to do is to pick the best time that works for your family, come back here to double check that nothing insane will be happening at the same time, then do your best planning for your trip. And the July/high season/peak time philosophy works at DLR because you want to visit when DLR is prepared for crowds. That's when you'll get longer hours, more staffing, rides running at full capacity, fewer/no refurbs, more entertainment, nighttime entertainment every night (not just weekends), etc. When DLR is prepared to handle crowds, things run very smoothly. During low/non-peak season, even lower crowds can make the parks feel more crowded because of shorter hours, less staffing, rides running at lower capacity (making for longer lines), CS with longer lines (less staffing), less entertainment, etc.

Great advice! Thanks