Only 2 days in Disneyland

[Liz Z]

Hi

This will be our first time in Disneyland, we're WDW vets. So since we'll be in Disneyland on a Saturday and Sunday. I know it will be packed LOL

What park should we do first to catch all parades and night time fireworks? And what restaurants have the dining packages to get special viewing seats?


Thank you for your help

Liz.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

When are you going? The entertainment offerings vary depending on the timing of your visit.

 

[Liz Z]

When are you going? The entertainment offerings vary depending on the timing of your visit.

Hi We're going to be there August 17.18.19 leaving the morning of the 20th So late Friday nite to Early Monday.

Staying at the Disneyland Resort.


Thank you
Liz

 

[Geemo]

Hi We're going to be there August 17.18.19 leaving the morning of the 20th So late Friday nite to Early Monday.

Staying at the Disneyland Resort.


Thank you
Liz

This thread monitors a variety of things that may impact the parks.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/2018-calendar-of-events-school-breaks-and-dlr.3635162/

Your August dates look real good!
The lower level AP's are blocked. That will help with park volumes.

Are you staying in one of the three Disney hotels? If you are, watch for a possible promotion to be announced the first to middle of July. There are limited rooms in the promos and they do go fast.

If one does come out you can call and ask for a rate adjustment.

Disney hotel guests have the perk of an hour early into the parks each day.
The general schedule is DL - Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. While DCA is Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
When checking-in ask for the schedule. Occasionally Both parks will have early entry on the same days.

If you are staying at DLH or PPH.... FYI the new hotel construction at the west end of DTD is to begin sometime this summer.
It shouldn't impact a hotel stay but DTD view will be different.

Geemo

 

[Liz Z]

This thread monitors a variety of things that may impact the parks.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/2018-calendar-of-events-school-breaks-and-dlr.3635162/

Your August dates look real good!
The lower level AP's are blocked. That will help with park volumes.

Are you staying in one of the three Disney hotels? If you are, watch for a possible promotion to be announced the first to middle of July. There are limited rooms in the promos and they do go fast.

If one does come out you can call and ask for a rate adjustment.

Disney hotel guests have the perk of an hour early into the parks each day.
The general schedule is DL - Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. While DCA is Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
When checking-in ask for the schedule. Occasionally Both parks will have early entry on the same days.

If you are staying at DLH or PPH.... FYI the new hotel construction at the west end of DTD is to begin sometime this summer.
It shouldn't impact a hotel stay but DTD view will be different.




Oh wow!!! thank you so so much. Yes we are staying at the DLH.

i will def look at the link you provided.
what i found with some research is that Carthay Circle has a dining pkg for the parade and Sonoma Terrace has a dessert party pkg..i'm assuming that woukd be for World of Color. Since we're there for such a little time we want to do it up.

What im wondering is if some of the events only happen on certain days. I thought i read that somewhere that maybe it was one of the fireworks was only on such and such a day.

Thank You again
Liz

 

[smartlabelprint]

Weekends usually have a full entertainment schedule.

I’d get the woc dessert party. Tried it last night and it was so nice to sit down!!!

 

[smartlabelprint]

Wdw to dlr info thread. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

 

[Abbey1]

A little info about the dessert party/dining package options:

If you are wanting great seats for WOC (in fact the only way to actually get a seat), I’d definitely do the dessert party. We have done this twice and really felt like it’s worth every penny. Definitely make sure to see Paint the Night during your DCA day. It is amazing. By far my favorite nighttime show.

For PTN, you should be able to find a good viewing spot without staking out a spot *too* far in advance, whereas you’d have to dedicate more time to get a good view of WOC, IMO.

As a WDW vet, I don’t know if you want to do a fantasmic dining package. I’ve never seen the WDW version but the consensus is the Disneyland version is much better. If you are planning on watching it, they have dining packages at Blue Bayou and River Belle Terrace for this show. Personally, I’d go with a Blue Bayou just for the chance to eat in PotC. Such a fun experience.

They do have a lounge “experience”/ fireworks viewing at Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge also. I don’t have much info on that though, as it doesn’t appeal to me and the view doesn’t seem that great.

 

[gottalovepluto]

...I’d get the woc dessert party. Tried it last night and it was so nice to sit down!!!

The BEST way to see WOC!!

 

[HydroGuy]

I suggest you think you real hard if you want to spend both nights of your two nights on shows/fireworks. I would suggest you keep one evening free to experience the parks at night. Your call and you can use your WDW experience to guide you on whether dedicating all or fewer evenings to shows.

Most folks around here have a preference for Fantasmic! as the best night time show (I am not in that group BTW). Most would also agree that F! is much better at DLR than at WDW (I am in that group). Finally, most would also suggest that for a WDW vet, World of Color is a better option because WDW has nothing like it. So if you have to make a choice between the two WOC would be the choice for most.

If you want to see WOC (and I think you should) then do yourself a favor and read up beforehand. See "World of Color Superthread" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=37986447. WOC is an awesome show but is all to often a huge frustration because of its poor viewing area. Bottom line is if you are not willing to take the time to learn how to see it, then don't bother as it will likely be a waste of precious time. Yes, if you are OK with spending the $80 pp for the Dessert Party you can largely skip having to learn the nitty gritty about WOC viewing. Even so, there are still goods and bads the Dessert Party viewing too.

Along these lines, no one has mentioned the parade at DCA. Paint the Night was at DL for its 60th anniversary in 2015 and it is a parade unlike any other. PTN is coming to DCA in April and I am confident in saying you will not want to miss it.

No one knows yet how WOC and PTN will work when showing on the same night (the DCA parade route runs right next to the WOC viewing area). We won't know this until late May/early June when it is rumored WOC will come back from a short break and PTN will be well established by then.

 

[cruisehopeful]

If you can add Friday night, I suggest doing that. Even if you only have 3-4 hours, it's worth it. Line rides are very short after 10pm. You can get more done in the last couple park hours than you can in several hours during the daylight.

 

[Liz Z]

Thanks everyone for all your advice.

I think the dessert party for WOC will be the way to go. And hopefully there will be a pkg for PTN. Oh wait i think Cathay Circle has a pkg for the parade. Just have to make sure once the schedules come out.

Cuz we'll be splurging on that too LOL Still looking into the evening events in DL.

Is there a special fireworks done around the Castle? And are there VIP seating areas or some dining pkgs available for special viewing?

I guess we'll know more once the schedules come out for both parks. Any idea when that might happen?

Liz

 

[Liz Z]

If you can add Friday night, I suggest doing that. Even if you only have 3-4 hours, it's worth it. Line rides are very short after 10pm. You can get more done in the last couple park hours than you can in several hours during the daylight.

Hi~~What park do you suggest? We're driving up from San Diego so not sure when we'll arrive Friday nite. Actually we're driving cross country from CT So we might not make it in time

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks everyone for all your advice.

I think the dessert party for WOC will be the way to go. And hopefully there will be a pkg for PTN. Oh wait i think Cathay Circle has a pkg for the parade. Just have to make sure once the schedules come out.

Cuz we'll be splurging on that too LOL Still looking into the evening events in DL.

Is there a special fireworks done around the Castle? And are there VIP seating areas or some dining pkgs available for special viewing?

I guess we'll know more once the schedules come out for both parks. Any idea when that might happen?

Liz

DL is going through a fireworks turnover at the moment. A new Pixar-themed show is coming soon. I do not recall a special fireworks area or dining package. Be careful with that as fireworks at DL are cancelled much more often than at WDW. They have wind restrictions imposed by the city to avoid fallout on neighborhoods. I for one would not want to pay extra for something as uncertain as that.

The other major shows like WOC and Fantasmic do not have the same issues and on the rare occasions they get cancelled, it is likely about the same regularity as at WDW - not that often.

For the record I managed to avoid having a DL fireworks show cancelled on my personally for many years - until last summer. But others have experienced it many times. Very frustrating to wait for an hour or more, and then have the show get cancelled.

 

[HydroGuy]

Hi~~What park do you suggest? We're driving up from San Diego so not sure when we'll arrive Friday nite. Actually we're driving cross country from CT So we might not make it in time

I do not share the same opinion as the PP on Friday night. You have EMH. It will be at 7AM Saturday morning at DL. Go to bed. Sleep. Get up at an ungodly hours and get yourself over to DL by 6:30AM (6:40 at the latest) and use your EMH.

 

[Liz Z]

Thank you Hydroguy. Hopefully there wont be too many issues with wind in late August. But we usually go with the flo. Just excited to be able to get to the west coast.

Thanx again for your help and suggestions

Liz

 

[cruisehopeful]

Hi~~What park do you suggest? We're driving up from San Diego so not sure when we'll arrive Friday nite. Actually we're driving cross country from CT So we might not make it in time

Disneyland closes later than California Adventure, so I'd plan for that if I was arriving late. If you are going to be exhausted, I wouldn't try this but it isn't unusual for me to close the parks and still make early entry the next day. When I am staying on property, I prefer that and taking a break in the busy afternoon when it is shoulder to shoulder people in the parks. If I am staying further away, I don't have early entry anyway, so it isn't a loss to miss the morning if I've closed the parks the night before.

 

[HydroGuy]

Disneyland closes later than California Adventure, so I'd plan for that if I was arriving late. If you are going to be exhausted, I wouldn't try this but it isn't unusual for me to close the parks and still make early entry the next day. When I am staying on property, I prefer that and taking a break in the busy afternoon when it is shoulder to shoulder people in the parks. If I am staying further away, I don't have early entry anyway, so it isn't a loss to miss the morning if I've closed the parks the night before.

I am a high energy person and if I am alone or with another high energy person, your strategy works for me.

I have four kids (grown up now) and I have traveled with them as young children and then teenagers. For me I found that when getting back to our room (whether onsite or off), it takes time to unwind and get to sleep. Getting up early for a 7AM EMH never happened after a late night. To make a 7AM EMH work for us, we had to have a quiet and relaxing evening the night before - and get to bed a earlier with lights out and everyone getting to sleep by 9PM - or 10PM at the very latest.

It depends on the people and whether they are early risers and how old kids are and how flexible everyone is.