RoyalJay
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2014
- Messages
- 127
We just got back from Disneyland, 7/28-8/1, and had a great time! I spent hours on this board learning things that I used on this trip. Im a WDW vet of 7 times, and was also at Disneyland once, just before Cars Land opened. After being converted to Magic Bands and FP+ for 2 WDW trips (I know this is opening a different can of worms, but Im in the camp that loves both!), I needed a refresher on regular FP and the ins and outs of DLR.
Thanks to HydroGuy for all of his incredibly informative posts. To take so much time to help others maximize their vacation is really cool. Coincidentally, from reading his posts, I think he and I were there at the same time.
In addition to his and other posts, I really found the observations from recent trip posts incredibly valuable and helpful. In order to pay that forward, I wanted to offer a bunch of observations from our trip that I hope will be useful for those going in the future. Sorry for the length, trying to capture everything I remember.
1. The Grand Californian Hotel: Loved it. The architecture, ambience, pools, and cast members there were all great. I know its expensive, but for us it was totally worth it. The proximity to the parks was unbelievable. I cant tell you how many times I would leave the family in the hotel to run out and grab a FP for Soarin, or GRR, or RSR. Huge advantage.
2. Grand Californian room: We had the Deluxe Partial View. I looked long and hard here and elsewhere and didnt find much on what exactly this is, but heres what we had: We were on the 5th floor just over World of Disney and looking towards Disneyland, approximately the back of Adventureland. The first night we realized that we had a perfect view of the DL fireworks. You can tune in the music on your TV, which was great. We had 2 adults and three kids. There was a queen bed and bunk beds, and then the bottom bunk had another bed that pulled out from underneath. It worked great for our family, me, DW, DS11, DD6 and DD6. I saw people complain that the rooms were dark, I didnt get that at all. I loved the décor.
3. Grand Californian secret exit: This took me a day to find, but once I did we abused it. You can only exit from it, not enter it, but it lets you out right by the La Brea Bakery, so youre really close to the main gate. Our room was just down the hall from the staircase entrance (between x448 and x450), so it was perfect for us. Apparently you have to be on floors 3 to 5 to use it. There are signs that say its an emergency exit only, but trust me, no alarms sound when you open the door (at least when I did it!).
4. Grand Californian cabana and pools: We did a cabana rental one afternoon, and really enjoyed it. Its a nice space to camp, with lots of shade, two couches, a refrigerator, a TV, and a place to plug in your iPod and play music. You have a personal attendant that will also bring you food and drinks, and you get a free plate of fruit. It cost us I think $149, and was well worth it in my opinion. The other days we also hit the pools but just scrounged for regular seats. They were fine too, as long as you can get some. Lots of people coming in mid-afternoon had trouble getting them. Overall, the pools are fine, although the slide is a little short and not all that great.
5. DCA Early Entry. Our first full day was Monday, a DCA EE day. We arrived just before 7 am, and got in the line at the far right. Just before opening, it split into two lines, so we really got through quickly. I was anticipating using the wide right technique for RSR, but you really dont have to at EE, unless we were just too far back to make it work. In any event, we were on RSR by 7:15, and that included the walk all the way back there. After RSR, we did Luigis Flying Tires. I would skip this, especially during EE. OK, but a waste of time at that point. The family then went to TSMM, and I waited to get RSR FPs at regular park opening. As others have noted, this was really weird, because a huge crowd of people are waiting just up the street for regular park opening, but youre standing around with about 40-50 people and get to go in first. There was some minor jockeying for position, but I didnt really care and let people go first, then got in and got one for 9:15-10:15 just after 8.
6. DL Early Entry. This was a total bust. It was mostly our fault, because we didnt get there until 7:15, but by the time we got to FL, all of the rides already had 20-30 minute waits. We did Alice and Matterhorn, and that was it. 3 years ago we did EE (granted, it was March), and went ride to ride in FL and did them all. This time, not so much. In fact, despite all of the advice on here to the contrary, in my humble opinion I would probably skip DL EE, especially in the summer. I would use that for a DCA regular entry morning. As a DLR hotel guest, I would definitely do the DCA EE, theres not the same crowd of people there. For the Wednesday DCA EE, we still did the EE but then went to DL at regular park opening. You can do RSR and TSMM in 45 minutes then make it to the DL main gate. The crowd at 8 am on Wednesday was WAY less than the crowd at 8 am on Tuesday. This would be similar to Joshs suggestions on easywdw, he always says to avoid the park with EMH. I had read that it was different at the DLR, but Im not convinced, at least as it related to DL.
7. Rides. To echo others, DLR does have a few better versions of rides than WDW. I would put POTC, BTMRR, and IASW in that category for sure. IJA is a much better version of Dinosaur, although the boulder didnt work for us, and my DD6 and DS6 hated it. GRR is really similar to Kali River Rapids, I didnt really think one was better than the other, I like them both but you will get wet. I didnt like Splash near as much, mostly because the seat hurts your back I thought. I wasnt a fan of Matterhorn, way too bumpy. This isnt a groundbreaking statement, but I thought RSR was one of the best Disney rides there is. Cars Land overall was great, and RSR was the cherry on top. Were big Cars fans, so that helps. I did find it amusing that Soarin and TSMM, two of the most crowded rides in WDW, were always fairly easy to get on. At most 30-40 minutes, but we did each many times. I have to agree that its probably cause there just arent a ton of other options at Epcot and DHS, but we felt lucky that we got to do those two high demand rides so many times when we usually just get to do them once at WDW. Pooh is another one that is a long wait at MK but was always a walk on at DL.
8. Ride breakdowns. I had heard a lot about this, and didnt really have many problems. GRR broke down for us once at the end of the day, but they gave us a universal FP (good for anything but RSR, of course). Roger Rabbit broke down once but that didnt really bother us.
9. World of Color Dining Package. We did Wine Country Trattoria, and sat out on the rail. Our reservation was at 5, so the parade came by a few minutes later and we had a great view. Just ask for a rail seat, it's a great trick. Other than that though, the food was mediocre, and there isnt a ton of choices for kids. It would have been worth the price because of the WOC reserved spot, but This was another letdown. We did it on a Wednesday, and it was completely overcrowded. DW and I had to hold DS6 and DD6 for the duration of the show, which at their age aint easy. DD11 was stuck behind a couple of adults and was completely crushed that he couldnt really see. Frankly, if I pay that much, I think I should be guaranteed a good view. For instance
10. Fantasmic Dessert Package. Now this was totally worth it. You get a chair to sit in and a great view of both F! and the fireworks. The dessert tray was just so so but everyone loved the novelty of it, and the endless beverages were great too. I showed up at about 7:30 to get my spot, and the nice CM made sure I picked a great one. We were second and third row but no one had any problems seeing, and could stand if they needed to. I have to agree with those that say this show is much better than WDW as well. I thought it was fantastic. The dessert set up was so much more preferable to WOC too. I cant even really comment much on the WOC show itself because I was so frustrated by the arrangement.
11. Dining. We did way more counter service than we would at WDW. While I think overall that the CS options at DLR are superior, to me I still prefer a sit down at a fun restaurant. Thats a personal choice obviously. I also love to plan out the reservations way in advance, another topic on which I know folks are divided. In any event, the one major letdown (other than WCT) was Blue Bayou. I was really looking forward to this, but alas we were seated with a Bathroom View Table, and if youre stuck back there you might as well be out at a CS spot instead. I was a big fan of Trader Sams, cant wait to see that at the Poly.
12. Studio Disney 365 and Ridemakerz. My DD6 did this, and loved it. She got the Anna version, and it was definitely worth the expense. DS11 and DS6 did Ridemakerz at the same time, which was a cool time. Great fun for the boys, and everyone in the store claps once they finish their cars.
Overall I really enjoyed my time in DTD, and was there way more than I ever have been at WDW. Then again, its much more of a part of the overall DLR experience as opposed to WDW where its quite separate and you dont ever need to go there.
13. Southern California. We did the first two days of our trip at Lake Arrowhead, just over an hour from Anaheim. Its way up in the mountains and is a great little town. Theres a Marriott resort there and tons of charm. Highly recommended. For the last two days we did Marina del Rey and Venice Beach. I guess Im not a beach person because that really didnt thrill me. Then again, maybe I was coming off my Disney high
14. Car rental. I rented separate cars for the first two days and the last days. We were completely in the bubble while in DLR. I used Alamo, and the rental office is located just around the corner from the AMC in DTD. It was completely convenient and the Alamo folks were great. In case you havent read this elsewhere, if returning a car all you need to do is park in the lot behind the theater, and mark down the number of the stall, then take the keys to the office. It was really very easy.
15. Overall thoughts. We truly had a great time overall, especially while in the Disney bubble. For our DLR trip 3 years ago we stayed at the Residence Inn down Harbor, and will never stay offsite again. The Grand Californian definitely made it a great experience. The compactness of the DLR definitely makes it feel more crowded, even if it isn't, especially around Adventureland, which is our favorite at MK. Overall, I would say that we definitely still prefer WDW. What can I say? I prefer the lagoon and the Boardwalk, and my favorite places are the World Showcase at Epcot and Africa and Asia in the AK. Cars Land comes close to those in my book, and it will definitely get me to come back to the DLR, but only after a few in-between return trips to WDW.
Thanks for reading and sorry again for the length. I hope it helps someone as others reports helped me in planning my trip. Feel free to ask any questions, if you dont mind another novel for a response
Thanks to HydroGuy for all of his incredibly informative posts. To take so much time to help others maximize their vacation is really cool. Coincidentally, from reading his posts, I think he and I were there at the same time.
In addition to his and other posts, I really found the observations from recent trip posts incredibly valuable and helpful. In order to pay that forward, I wanted to offer a bunch of observations from our trip that I hope will be useful for those going in the future. Sorry for the length, trying to capture everything I remember.
1. The Grand Californian Hotel: Loved it. The architecture, ambience, pools, and cast members there were all great. I know its expensive, but for us it was totally worth it. The proximity to the parks was unbelievable. I cant tell you how many times I would leave the family in the hotel to run out and grab a FP for Soarin, or GRR, or RSR. Huge advantage.
2. Grand Californian room: We had the Deluxe Partial View. I looked long and hard here and elsewhere and didnt find much on what exactly this is, but heres what we had: We were on the 5th floor just over World of Disney and looking towards Disneyland, approximately the back of Adventureland. The first night we realized that we had a perfect view of the DL fireworks. You can tune in the music on your TV, which was great. We had 2 adults and three kids. There was a queen bed and bunk beds, and then the bottom bunk had another bed that pulled out from underneath. It worked great for our family, me, DW, DS11, DD6 and DD6. I saw people complain that the rooms were dark, I didnt get that at all. I loved the décor.
3. Grand Californian secret exit: This took me a day to find, but once I did we abused it. You can only exit from it, not enter it, but it lets you out right by the La Brea Bakery, so youre really close to the main gate. Our room was just down the hall from the staircase entrance (between x448 and x450), so it was perfect for us. Apparently you have to be on floors 3 to 5 to use it. There are signs that say its an emergency exit only, but trust me, no alarms sound when you open the door (at least when I did it!).
4. Grand Californian cabana and pools: We did a cabana rental one afternoon, and really enjoyed it. Its a nice space to camp, with lots of shade, two couches, a refrigerator, a TV, and a place to plug in your iPod and play music. You have a personal attendant that will also bring you food and drinks, and you get a free plate of fruit. It cost us I think $149, and was well worth it in my opinion. The other days we also hit the pools but just scrounged for regular seats. They were fine too, as long as you can get some. Lots of people coming in mid-afternoon had trouble getting them. Overall, the pools are fine, although the slide is a little short and not all that great.
5. DCA Early Entry. Our first full day was Monday, a DCA EE day. We arrived just before 7 am, and got in the line at the far right. Just before opening, it split into two lines, so we really got through quickly. I was anticipating using the wide right technique for RSR, but you really dont have to at EE, unless we were just too far back to make it work. In any event, we were on RSR by 7:15, and that included the walk all the way back there. After RSR, we did Luigis Flying Tires. I would skip this, especially during EE. OK, but a waste of time at that point. The family then went to TSMM, and I waited to get RSR FPs at regular park opening. As others have noted, this was really weird, because a huge crowd of people are waiting just up the street for regular park opening, but youre standing around with about 40-50 people and get to go in first. There was some minor jockeying for position, but I didnt really care and let people go first, then got in and got one for 9:15-10:15 just after 8.
6. DL Early Entry. This was a total bust. It was mostly our fault, because we didnt get there until 7:15, but by the time we got to FL, all of the rides already had 20-30 minute waits. We did Alice and Matterhorn, and that was it. 3 years ago we did EE (granted, it was March), and went ride to ride in FL and did them all. This time, not so much. In fact, despite all of the advice on here to the contrary, in my humble opinion I would probably skip DL EE, especially in the summer. I would use that for a DCA regular entry morning. As a DLR hotel guest, I would definitely do the DCA EE, theres not the same crowd of people there. For the Wednesday DCA EE, we still did the EE but then went to DL at regular park opening. You can do RSR and TSMM in 45 minutes then make it to the DL main gate. The crowd at 8 am on Wednesday was WAY less than the crowd at 8 am on Tuesday. This would be similar to Joshs suggestions on easywdw, he always says to avoid the park with EMH. I had read that it was different at the DLR, but Im not convinced, at least as it related to DL.
7. Rides. To echo others, DLR does have a few better versions of rides than WDW. I would put POTC, BTMRR, and IASW in that category for sure. IJA is a much better version of Dinosaur, although the boulder didnt work for us, and my DD6 and DS6 hated it. GRR is really similar to Kali River Rapids, I didnt really think one was better than the other, I like them both but you will get wet. I didnt like Splash near as much, mostly because the seat hurts your back I thought. I wasnt a fan of Matterhorn, way too bumpy. This isnt a groundbreaking statement, but I thought RSR was one of the best Disney rides there is. Cars Land overall was great, and RSR was the cherry on top. Were big Cars fans, so that helps. I did find it amusing that Soarin and TSMM, two of the most crowded rides in WDW, were always fairly easy to get on. At most 30-40 minutes, but we did each many times. I have to agree that its probably cause there just arent a ton of other options at Epcot and DHS, but we felt lucky that we got to do those two high demand rides so many times when we usually just get to do them once at WDW. Pooh is another one that is a long wait at MK but was always a walk on at DL.
8. Ride breakdowns. I had heard a lot about this, and didnt really have many problems. GRR broke down for us once at the end of the day, but they gave us a universal FP (good for anything but RSR, of course). Roger Rabbit broke down once but that didnt really bother us.
9. World of Color Dining Package. We did Wine Country Trattoria, and sat out on the rail. Our reservation was at 5, so the parade came by a few minutes later and we had a great view. Just ask for a rail seat, it's a great trick. Other than that though, the food was mediocre, and there isnt a ton of choices for kids. It would have been worth the price because of the WOC reserved spot, but This was another letdown. We did it on a Wednesday, and it was completely overcrowded. DW and I had to hold DS6 and DD6 for the duration of the show, which at their age aint easy. DD11 was stuck behind a couple of adults and was completely crushed that he couldnt really see. Frankly, if I pay that much, I think I should be guaranteed a good view. For instance
10. Fantasmic Dessert Package. Now this was totally worth it. You get a chair to sit in and a great view of both F! and the fireworks. The dessert tray was just so so but everyone loved the novelty of it, and the endless beverages were great too. I showed up at about 7:30 to get my spot, and the nice CM made sure I picked a great one. We were second and third row but no one had any problems seeing, and could stand if they needed to. I have to agree with those that say this show is much better than WDW as well. I thought it was fantastic. The dessert set up was so much more preferable to WOC too. I cant even really comment much on the WOC show itself because I was so frustrated by the arrangement.
11. Dining. We did way more counter service than we would at WDW. While I think overall that the CS options at DLR are superior, to me I still prefer a sit down at a fun restaurant. Thats a personal choice obviously. I also love to plan out the reservations way in advance, another topic on which I know folks are divided. In any event, the one major letdown (other than WCT) was Blue Bayou. I was really looking forward to this, but alas we were seated with a Bathroom View Table, and if youre stuck back there you might as well be out at a CS spot instead. I was a big fan of Trader Sams, cant wait to see that at the Poly.
12. Studio Disney 365 and Ridemakerz. My DD6 did this, and loved it. She got the Anna version, and it was definitely worth the expense. DS11 and DS6 did Ridemakerz at the same time, which was a cool time. Great fun for the boys, and everyone in the store claps once they finish their cars.
Overall I really enjoyed my time in DTD, and was there way more than I ever have been at WDW. Then again, its much more of a part of the overall DLR experience as opposed to WDW where its quite separate and you dont ever need to go there.13. Southern California. We did the first two days of our trip at Lake Arrowhead, just over an hour from Anaheim. Its way up in the mountains and is a great little town. Theres a Marriott resort there and tons of charm. Highly recommended. For the last two days we did Marina del Rey and Venice Beach. I guess Im not a beach person because that really didnt thrill me. Then again, maybe I was coming off my Disney high
14. Car rental. I rented separate cars for the first two days and the last days. We were completely in the bubble while in DLR. I used Alamo, and the rental office is located just around the corner from the AMC in DTD. It was completely convenient and the Alamo folks were great. In case you havent read this elsewhere, if returning a car all you need to do is park in the lot behind the theater, and mark down the number of the stall, then take the keys to the office. It was really very easy.
15. Overall thoughts. We truly had a great time overall, especially while in the Disney bubble. For our DLR trip 3 years ago we stayed at the Residence Inn down Harbor, and will never stay offsite again. The Grand Californian definitely made it a great experience. The compactness of the DLR definitely makes it feel more crowded, even if it isn't, especially around Adventureland, which is our favorite at MK. Overall, I would say that we definitely still prefer WDW. What can I say? I prefer the lagoon and the Boardwalk, and my favorite places are the World Showcase at Epcot and Africa and Asia in the AK. Cars Land comes close to those in my book, and it will definitely get me to come back to the DLR, but only after a few in-between return trips to WDW
. Thanks for reading and sorry again for the length. I hope it helps someone as others reports helped me in planning my trip. Feel free to ask any questions, if you dont mind another novel for a response
! We either stay on property or we stay home, we love being in the Bubble. Congratulations again!
