New to DL, WDW expert

[bear_mom]

Dds (23 and 25) suggested going to DL next year instead of our normal WDW trip - we have gone every other year'ish since they were 4 and 6. It would be dds, older dd's boyfriend, dh, and I, going next March (2026) during younger dd's spring break.

A few questions:

1. We typically stay on site at WDW, is it necessary to DL? I see a lot of good neighbor hotels that seem as close as the DL resorts. Younger dd has medical condition and needs to go slower (she did qualify for DAS until they changed the rules), especially if it is hotter outside. Taking an afternoon break is key.
2. Is 3 days (with park hoppers) enough time?
3. Does it matter if you have a car or not?
4. Planning for WDW starts early - is the same extent of planning needed at DL? Are reservations still at 60 days? Does this matter if you are staying on-site?
5. Does DL follow the same timeline for releasing hotel reservations? Can only book (price) through the end of the year currently.
6. Does DL as good with food allergies as WDW?

 

[LKing]

I'll give you my thoughts.

1. You don't need to stay on site. Some Harbor Blvd hotels are closer to the park entrance than the Disneyland Hotel or Pixar Place. That said, if you want the luxury of a Disney hotel, you'll pay for it. What type of sleeping configuration do you need?

2. If you have a child that likes to take things slow, I would probably add an extra day.

3. What airport would you be flying into? If you are just going to Disneyland and not doing anything else in southern California, you don't need a car.

4. For Disneyland, you need to purchase tickets and make reservations to enter the park. I think you can do that as early as 180 days. It rarely fills up and, when it does, it is usually the day of. ADR are 60 days in advance at 6 am PST. LLMP rides can't be booked in advance. Everyone in your party must enter the parks in order to book your first LLMP ride. DLR has two LLSP rides - Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racer. ROTR does not have single rider. RSR in DCA does.

Disney hotel guests do not receive any benefit with respect to ADR or LLMP. The hotel can sometimes help people out with park reservations, but that is on an individual basis. Hotel guests receive 30 min Early Entry. EE alternates between the parks. Su, M,W,F is DCA and Tu, Th, Sa is DL. There are no special evening hours for hotel guests. If you are going over spring break, DCA will likely be open from 8 am - 10 pm and DL from 8 am - midnight.

5. I'm local so can't help you with the hotel piece. It sounds like maybe you want to stay in a Disney hotel. Is that correct?

6. I don't know about WDW, but every DL menu has an allergy attachment. Whenever you walk into a table service restaurant, they ask if anyone in your party has an allergy. I wouldn't rely on entering an allergy on the app but would make sure to tell the hostess, waitstaff and server.

For reference, this is the event calendar for 2025.

 

[irlandaise]

@bear_mom, what is your hotel budget? The Disney hotels are fun to stay in, but might be outside your price point. There's a good selection of motels (and some hotels) on Harbor Boulevard within easy walking distance of Disneyland. Some of them have an even shorter walk than the Disneyland and Pixar Place hotels!

 

[LAS2AMS]

@LKing gave great detail.

The Disneyland Resort Hotels often cost more than the Grand Floridian and Yacht/ Beach Clubs. And you’re getting far less resort for money. Expect sale pricing but don’t expect a bargain. Prices are typically significantly less during the week than on the weekend, and the best sale pricing generally requires a four night (or more) commitment.

Grand Californian is the only resort that will provide a WDW-like experience. Pixar Place and Disneyland Hotel were not built/ designed by Disney, although Disney has owed PP for 30 years and DLH for 35.

 

[Kit Jackson]

2. If you have a child that goes at a slower pace, I would see if it would be at all possible to add on more days to the trip, especially if regular afternoon breaks are going to be part of the trip.

3. If the only thing you are doing during the trip is Disneyland and not making it part of a larger California trip, then you do not need a car.

Something you didn't ask about but is worth mentioning are ParkHoppers. The Parks are so much closer at Disneyland. It is very easy to walk from one park to the other, so if ParkHoppers are in your budget, they are absolutely worth looking into.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I thought this might be helpful with your planning since you were a WDW Expert new to Disneyland.

As you plan, if you have more questions, please ask them here. The people on this board are absolutely fantastic. If anyone asks a question before they answer, it's because they need some more information in order to give you the best advice possible.

I have posted this before (quick repost). I hope it is helpful.

DL Exclusive Attractions:
Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (uses same ride system as DINOSAUR at AK)
Snow White's Enchanted Wish
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Mister Toad's Wild Ride
Casey Jr. Circus Train
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Alice in Wonderland
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin
Chip & Dale's Gadget Coaster
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
The Matterhorn (note this uses the same ride system as Space Mountain at MK)
Space Mountain (same theme but completely different ride)

DL Similar but not exactly the same:
Enchanted Tiki Room - longer show
Pirates of the Caribbean - longer with more show scenes
Haunted Mansion - even without the Nightmare overlay it is slightly different
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Big Thunder Mountain - some additional effects and scenery
Autopia - much longer than the Tomorrowland Speedway, but basically the same
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - removable laser blasters make it a little better

DL Exactly (or basically) the same:
Peter Pan's Flight - technically some minor differences
Dumbo
King Aruthur Carousel
Milennium Falcon: Smugglers Run - all of Galaxy's Edge is practically identical
Rise of the Resistance
Mad Tea Party
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway - The queue is very different and cool - may be new to you and is worth it if so.
Star Tours
Astro Orbitor - though at ground level

CA Exclusive Attractions:
Monsters Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue
Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout - based on Tower of Terror, though the DL version works a little differently
WEB Slingers
Radiator Springs Racers - this is like a massively bigger Test Track
Luigi's Rollicking Roadsters
Incredicoaster
Inside-Out Emotional Whirlwind
Silly Symphony Swings - though this is an off-the shelf "wave swinger" ride
Jumpin' Jellyfish
Golden Zephyr
Goofy's Sky School

CA Similar but not exactly the same:
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree - the same as Alien Swirling Saucers
Grizzly River Run - longer version of Kali River Rapids - definitely a wet ride!

CA Exactly (or basically) the same:
Mickey's Philharmagic! - smaller screen though
Turtle Talk with Crush
Ariel's Undersea Adventure - same as Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
Jessie's Critter Carousel
Soarin' - though note sometimes they run it with the original Sorain' over California, in which case it is a must do!

 

[Jawwdoc]

I have stayed both on-site and in the “good neighbor” hotels. GCH is the closest and most “bubble” like feel. DLH still feels like it is in the “bubble” IMHO but it is a longer walk to the Esplanade. PPH was a good value but the current pricing seems too high to me and it doesn’t have much of the “bubble” feel. The nicest, “close” hotel on Harbor is Marriott Courtyard but the prices are similar to DLH and the walk isn’t much closer. The more budget friendly motels directly across Harbor from the Esplanade are generally well maintained and safe with varying breakfast quality but the walk is shorter than everything other than the GCH. The new Westin is nice but the walk is not that great going into the parks but is somewhat shorter is you use the PPH exit from DCA.

 

[wendlle]

1. Hardly anyone stays onsite at DL, there are hundreds of hotels in walking distance

2. We usually do 3-5 days. You can do it in 3 yes if that is the time that you have.
3. I've never, ever had a car while in the USA at both DL or WDW so have never felt the need to have one.
4. 60 days for dining
5. not sure as I've never stayed onsite
6. I'm allergic to onion, they are very good when I ask them at DL

 

[NVDISFamily]

I'm more of a "west coast" Disney parks/resorts person but having now done a few trips to WDW (with 15 nights coming up soon here are my .02)

1 - If you can swing it into your budget there is nothing more magical than the "bubble" experience at the Grand Cal and the DLR parks. This will also make it crazy easy for mid-day naps. Disneyland hotel is okay, but the Grand Cal is amazing. Nothing at WDW comes close. Here is a thread I made in the DVC resorts thread that can help understand some of the distance comparisons (https://www.disboards.com/threads/walking-to-the-park-dvc-in-ca-vs-wdw.3962409/) With that said, there are some very good resorts such as the Courtyard or Howard Johnson. One thing to remember is be very careful when booking near Disneyland as sometimes there will be multiple hotels with very similar names.

2 - We like to go a little longer than 3 days but three days with park hoppers will be a great experience.

3 - Don't need a car but it does matter where you fly into for ease of getting to your hotel/DLR. LAX can be a chore but if you fly into John Wayne it's not too hard to uber/rideshare to DLR. It's also not going to cost you a lot to uber from one of the hotels to target or something if you want to pickup a few supplies for the trip.

4 - Yep same. There is no "bonus window" for holding a hotel reservation that I'm aware of. With that said, there are only a few reservations that are very competitive at DLR. I'd say Blue Bayou can be hard to get, followed by Carthay Circle and Lamplight Lounge. As long as you are somewhat flexible and book close to 60 days ahead most things are open and I don't find myself having to wake up at the crack of the AM 60 days out. DLR is a more locals park with people not making their once in a lifetime trip to unlike WDW where it's more of a destination park.

5 - yes it's strange that they don't release rooms early. You may want to look into renting from a DVC owner and they can book at 11 months out and the "value" if you want a 1BR is a bit better than getting a suite at the Grand Cal (but still very pricy).

6 - I would say better IMO. Lots of great food at DLR and the quick service and snacks are way better at DLR vs WDW. WDW shines at some of the sit down food (especially at the resorts).

 

[DizMe]

If you can swing it, I would recommend staying at GCH. This may be a one-and-done for you and I personally SO much prefer not having to cross a busy city road to get to and from the parks. I like not having the outside world interfere with my Disney experience. I love both DTD and DCA being right outside the hotel, with shops, restaurants, and activities accessible without leaving the resort. The amenities like pool, spa, restaurants, etc cannot be compared to the motels/hotels across the street. With a shorter stay, it's very nice to be right in the action and have early entry to boost your park time.

But you do pay a hefty price for that, of course. Otherwise, everyone would stay there

edited to add: I've stayed in most of the motels on Harbor because that's what we could afford when our kids were little. It's nice to be able to be so close with a lower rate, but to me it certainly doesn't feel like it's as fast or easy as going from GCH to the parks (especially DCA) and it's certainly less pleasant IMO. Harbor is fine, safe, and for the most part well maintained but you will be face to face with the realities of life like traffic, homelessness, etc.

 

[bear_mom]

Wow, thanks everyone for the quick replies!

To answer some questions asked:

Budget is relative at this point, no strict one we follow. If the hotel is worth it, spending $500-600 night is fine. If there is a less expensive option that is comparable, then that is great. For many years we stayed at Pop (value) resort. Recently we have been upgrading to Beach Club, renting DVC points, for the easy access to two parks.

Room configuration will likely be 2 rooms.

Looks like 4 days would be a better option for us, giving dd the time she needs. We have been to WDW enough that we know we won’t see it all, but have done most things by now.

I’m not as concerned with the Disney bubble at DL, it seems to be different than WDW in that respect - which is Walt’s intention, so it works . We have spent a fair amount of time traveling to bigger cities and both DD’s have lived in one, so traffic, homelessness, etc aren’t a deal breaker.

If rooms won’t be released for a bit, then I have lots of time to plan and learn more!

Is there something equivalent to Downtown Disney? Shopping, food, but no park ticket required.

 

[LKing]

Is there something equivalent to Downtown Disney? Shopping, food, but no park ticket required.

Downtown Disney (DTD) is Disneyland's version of Disney Springs. It is much smaller than Disney Springs (20 acres compared to 120 acres in Florida).

Everything is much closer at Disneyland. You might want to download the Disneyland app and start poking around on it.

On the image below, Disneyland is circled in yellow. Disney's California Adventure is circled in orange. DCA was originally Disneyland's parking lot. The Grand Californian Hotel is circled in teal, Disneyland Hotel in blue, Pixar Place in purple and the Harbor Blvd hotels in green. Downtown Disney is circled in red.

 

[bear_mom]

Downtown Disney (DTD) is Disneyland's version of Disney Springs. It is much smaller than Disney Springs (20 acres compared to 120 acres in Florida).

Everything is much closer at Disneyland. You might want to download the Disneyland app and start poking around on it.

On the image below, Disneyland is circled in yellow. Disney's California Adventure is circled in orange. DCA was originally Disneyland's parking lot. The Grand Californian Hotel is circled in teal, Disneyland Hotel in blue, Pixar Place in purple and the Harbor Blvd hotels in green. Downtown Disney is circled in red.

View attachment 949044

Thanks. I am trying to download the app, not sure if the App Store is down or what, but bin my phone and iPad say I’m not connected to the internet……

I will try again later.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Downtown Disneyland was initially modeled after the then new Westside Downtown Disney in WDW (the entire complex has since been unified and renamed Disney Springs).

It was mostly an entertainment zone designed to draw people to DLR. It had an AMC Movie Theater, House of Blues, ESPN Zone and Rainforest Cafe. Disney Quest and Virgin Megastore were slated to go into DTD as well, but Disney cancelled the former’s concept before it opened and Virgin Megastore went into the nearby Block at Orange.

Biggest problem was that DTD in Disneyland was adjacent to the parks, so people used the free parking to avoid the parking fee. Disney corrected this with time limits and validation being required, but the swelling population of DLR became another challenge.

The entertainment aspect was largely removed when they planned for a fourth hotel to be built on the sites (Disney let the venues out of their leases). Most moved to the nearby Gardenwalk.

Today, DTD is largely a collection of shops to support the DLR, as well as a handful of restaurants that are largely there to appeal toward onsite guests.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Budget is relative at this point, no strict one we follow. If the hotel is worth it, spending $500-600 night is fine. If there is a less expensive option that is comparable, then that is great. For many years we stayed at Pop (value) resort. Recently we have been upgrading to Beach Club, renting DVC points, for the easy access to two parks.

With taxes and fees, you’re looking at $600+ at Pixar Place, $700+ at Disneyland Hotel and $1,000+ at Grand Californian. Parking adds an additional cost. Sales can save 30 to 35% but often require a 4 or 5-night min stay. Keep in mind that these are the lowest rates, so for example many rooms at DLH will have a view of the surrounding apartment complexes.

Sometimes you can beat these rates but generally at the last minute. GCH has a DVC building, but it’s almost impossible to get into unless you’re buying off a GCH owner - and it won’t be cheap. DLH has a brand new DVC tower. Some availability transfers to DLH itself and is sold as standard rooms, so you can get a good deal on them. You’ll have more luck renting points on this tower, although the point per night is high.

 

[DizMe]

Oof, that does sting. I'm used to sharing the cost with my sister or going during a sale rate. I have a trip coming up this month, taking my daughter and am staying in a standard room at GCH, booked recently, for $649/night before taxes. I do have a MK and I normally book when there is some kind of promo, which is what this was, I believe.

So yeah, across the street can get you more room and be much easier on the pocketbook.

 

[bear_mom]

With taxes and fees, you’re looking at $600+ at Pixar Place, $700+ at Disneyland Hotel and $1,000+ at Grand Californian. Parking adds an additional cost. Sales can save 30 to 35% but often require a 4 or 5-night min stay. Keep in mind that these are the lowest rates, so for example many rooms at DLH will have a view of the surrounding apartment complexes.

Sometimes you can beat these rates but generally at the last minute. GCH has a DVC building, but it’s almost impossible to get into unless you’re buying off a GCH owner - and it won’t be cheap. DLH has a brand new DVC tower. Some availability transfers to DLH itself and is sold as standard rooms, so you can get a good deal on them. You’ll have more luck renting points on this tower, although the point per night is high.

Thanks for the information, that helps with some of the planning. Likely will look at other hotels, it doesn't seem like staying on site has the same benefits. Now to wait until rates are released for next year.

Another tips and suggestions are welcome - we typically do one sit down meal per day and have a mid day break - coffee and/or cocktails.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Oof, that does sting. I'm used to sharing the cost with my sister or going during a sale rate. I have a trip coming up this month, taking my daughter and am staying in a standard room at GCH, booked recently, for $649/night before taxes. I do have a MK and I normally book when there is some kind of promo, which is what this was, I believe.

So yeah, across the street can get you more room and be much easier on the pocketbook.

You definitely got a promo rate. How many nights are you staying? Does your daughter get CM discounts at the hotels? When my brother was in the WDW college program, he got us huge discounts - but that was a quarter century ago and I hear they no longer do that.

I saw a club level floor at GCH go for $750 over a weekend in January, but it was very last minute.

 

[irlandaise]

Another tips and suggestions are welcome - we typically do one sit down meal per day and have a mid day break - coffee and/or cocktails.

For first-time DL visitors, I heartily suggest having one sit-down meal at the Blue Bayou inside Pirates of the Caribbean.

 

[maleficent55]

dining is 60 days out for EACH day of your stay, you can’t book it all at once at the 60 day mark (whether staying on site or off), that’s a huge difference
This may have been mentioned already but just in case…