Planning a Bucketlist DL Trip

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

Pete gave me the bug to go to DL also so my wallet feels your pain! Really looking forward to it.

I bought the Unofficial Guide DL and am enjoying it but it is a fraction of the size that the UG WDW is.

I should definitely check that guide out...I read a really cool book on WDW called "The Hidden Magic of WDW" if you want something really cool to read! But I know, Pete really made me want to go. Everyone talks about how cool it is and "different from WDW" but in a good way.

 

[Disney Rose]

Definitely get hoppers. It's so handy to be able to spend the day in one park and hop to the other for the night entertainment. Or go for the early morning in one and hop once the other opens.

I also agree with pp that DCA is not a half day park. We spent lots of time there because we loved Aladdin (now Frozen) and Soarin and TSMM. That was half a day right there (on a crowded day with re-rides for the kids). Plus parades and WoC. And then another half day playing on the paradise pier rides... And we haven't got to RSR and ToT yet. A half day park? You'd have to rush and miss a lot.

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

I'm a WDW vet, went to DLR for a week in May. Got a 5 day park hopper, rope dropped every day, stayed 'til close to closing every day and still didn't see/do it all. There's a lot packed into a small space at Disneyland. I'm a fan of hoppers at WDW, but I can understand why some decide not to park hop there. I cannot imagine NOT park hopping at DLR. The parks are so incredibly close. I think we hopped all 5 days. Cars Land was wonderful, but there's a lot more to DCA than Cars Land. I don't think it's a half day park. I could quite happily spend all day and/or multiple days there. Great theming and I like almost all of the rides/attractions. I would recommend looking into offsite hotels for DLR. You can get a lot more for your money staying offsite and there are a lot of good off site options within walking distance of the parks. If you stay south of Katella, on Harbor, you can also make use of the buses from the Toy Story parking lot to get to the parks.

Thanks for the tips! From watching POV walking tours of DCA, I couldn't have imagined how it was a half day park myself... It seems large with a lot to check out. I personally like to take my time instead of rushing from ride to ride. What hotels do you like offsite that aren't SUPER cheap, but cheaper than onsite? I did watch the DIS Unplugged 7n7 when they did DL but it's still nice to hear from others too.

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

Definitely get hoppers. It's so handy to be able to spend the day in one park and hop to the other for the night entertainment. Or go for the early morning in one and hop once the other opens.

I also agree with pp that DCA is not a half day park. We spent lots of time there because we loved Aladdin (now Frozen) and Soarin and TSMM. That was half a day right there (on a crowded day with re-rides for the kids). Plus parades and WoC. And then another half day playing on the paradise pier rides... And we haven't got to RSR and ToT yet. A half day park? You'd have to rush and miss a lot.

I really wonder why whoever I talked to said that, it might've been in a Youtube video I saw on how to save money. I definitely do not want to rush!

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

Transportation between parks is too much of a time loss for me to want to hop at WDW. It's a non-issue at DLR.

Whenever I stayed at WDW, we alway had a car with us, so transportation wasn't as annoying as for onsite/without a car, but I can definitely see how much easier it is at DL...

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

Agreed.

2nd mistake is wanting to spend time in DL because they love MK. Honestly, it's discombobulating to go from DL to MK or back, because they are very similariISH, but then you are totally lost! NOW instead of Liberty Square, etc. Weird! The other three parks at WDW are more gentle on my brain than MK is, because of that confusion that you don't think would be there.



Are those people describing their interests?

It's never been even just a one day park for us, not even before the changes. Actually, we loved it more BEFORE the changes. But if people aren't interested in xyz, then they won't want to spend all day there.



Well see, you don't feel the need to hop at WDW, showing that it's not necessary there at all. Only reason people are serious about hopping at WDW is when they have EMH but don't want to spend all day there after a few hours.

At DL, however, it's almost like one big park, with a big empty space in between, that it's almost silly to NOT hop on any given day.

You're right, they're very similar but not at all at the same time...Which I think will make it a lot of fun! To see the similarities and all the differences at the same time. Granted, i've only been to WDW 3 times, so I'm not this giant pro like many people are!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Park hoppers are a must for our family. We find ourselves hoping every day- especially since we love eating in DL but we love drinking in DCA!

There is a plethora of walking distance motels & hotels near Disneyland. If you still want to stay onsite you might find DLH more affordable if you're able to catch it when it's on sale. Discounts of 15%-25% off rooms (depending on the room type) are run periodically for stays Sun nights thru Thurs nights (but not over Christmas, Thanksgiving or summer, and sometimes random weeks are blacked out so read the fine print on the offer). The discounts "stack" with some 3rd party discounts. For instance, the trip before last we got the Grand on Disneyland's sale for 20% off (I think) and then stacked that with a 15% off Orbitz coupon. Only downside we found to 3rd party booking was paying all the hotel costs at time of booking.

 

[Angrose]

When are you going? I may have missed that info in the above posts. I saw that you mentioned really wanting to see PTN and DL Forever fireworks. Unfortunately, the 60th celebration will be ending on Sep 5th and it doesn't look like DL Forever will be shown during Halloweentime at all. It's not known at this time if DL Forever will come back during the Christmas season or if they will only show Christmas fireworks. Also, it's not known if PTN will continue after Sep 5th. It was curiously left out of the press release detailing the events during the Halloween season. Anyway, I just wanted to point that out to you so you're not caught off guard if they are not being shown while you're there.

Regarding hotels, any of the hotels on Harbor Blvd, on the same block as DLR, are good bets. However, most of them are MOTELS, not hotels, which can also be surprising. I have stayed at Tropicana, which is almost right across the street from the DLR entrance, and it was perfectly fine, but nothing fancy. A good rate for that place would be around $150-$160. You may also want to check out www.disneytouristblog.com. There are some really good Disneyland planning guides and the hotel review page is especially helpful: http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disneyland-anaheim-hotels-reviews-rankings/
If you can afford to stay onsite DO IT, you won't regret it! I personally love the DLH, and @gottalovepluto has given you some good tips for finding discounts. You could also do a split stay, say two nights offsite and three onsite to save a little money.

Good luck and happy planning!

 

[gatorlisa]

Thanks for the tips! From watching POV walking tours of DCA, I couldn't have imagined how it was a half day park myself... It seems large with a lot to check out. I personally like to take my time instead of rushing from ride to ride. What hotels do you like offsite that aren't SUPER cheap, but cheaper than onsite? I did watch the DIS Unplugged 7n7 when they did DL but it's still nice to hear from others too.

I stayed at the Homewood Suites Anaheim Convention Center on Harbor, which is literally right next door to the Toy Story parking lot. Used the buses from there every day to save myself a mile there and back walking. There's a continuous stream of buses both from the lot to the parks and from the parks back to the lot, so I spent very little time waiting on a bus, even at park closing. At the time I stayed there, I got an awesome rate (about $112 a night for a one bedroom 2 queen suite). The hotel is very new...opened in November last year. Most of their rooms are studios and suites with small kitchens. They also have free breakfast every day and a free light dinner on week nights. You can sign up for the free Hilton HHonors rewards program and often get special rates (Homewood Suites is a Hilton brand). They also offer AAA rates if you are a member of that. I also stayed at the Courtyard down by the Convention Center once a few years ago and it was fine, but no free breakfast. I've only been to DLR resort twice, so those are the only two I have experience with.

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

When are you going? I may have missed that info in the above posts. I saw that you mentioned really wanting to see PTN and DL Forever fireworks. Unfortunately, the 60th celebration will be ending on Sep 5th and it doesn't look like DL Forever will be shown during Halloweentime at all. It's not known at this time if DL Forever will come back during the Christmas season or if they will only show Christmas fireworks. Also, it's not known if PTN will continue after Sep 5th. It was curiously left out of the press release detailing the events during the Halloween season. Anyway, I just wanted to point that out to you so you're not caught off guard if they are not being shown while you're there.

Regarding hotels, any of the hotels on Harbor Blvd, on the same block as DLR, are good bets. However, most of them are MOTELS, not hotels, which can also be surprising. I have stayed at Tropicana, which is almost right across the street from the DLR entrance, and it was perfectly fine, but nothing fancy. A good rate for that place would be around $150-$160. You may also want to check out www.disneytouristblog.com. There are some really good Disneyland planning guides and the hotel review page is especially helpful: http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disneyland-anaheim-hotels-reviews-rankings/
If you can afford to stay onsite DO IT, you won't regret it! I personally love the DLH, and @gottalovepluto has given you some good tips for finding discounts. You could also do a split stay, say two nights offsite and three onsite to save a little money.

Good luck and happy planning!

Thank you so much! I didn't say when I am going because I actually have no clue...I think this trip will take long for me to plan, so I wanted to start early. I need to start saving up because I think if I go, I want to GO if you know what I mean. Maybe splurge a little. I would really like to stay at the DLH. I don't have an objection to staying off site, I would rather just stay somewhere nicer offsite if I do. But I think I would regret not staying onsite because my past 2 trips to WDW I didn't and that extra magic was just missing! I will definitely see if PTN and the fireworks are still going when I go. I absolutely love the Electrical Parade at WDW, so I would love to see PTN. Thank you so much again for the tips!

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

I stayed at the Homewood Suites Anaheim Convention Center on Harbor, which is literally right next door to the Toy Story parking lot. Used the buses from there every day to save myself a mile there and back walking. There's a continuous stream of buses both from the lot to the parks and from the parks back to the lot, so I spent very little time waiting on a bus, even at park closing. At the time I stayed there, I got an awesome rate (about $112 a night for a one bedroom 2 queen suite). The hotel is very new...opened in November last year. Most of their rooms are studios and suites with small kitchens. They also have free breakfast every day and a free light dinner on week nights. You can sign up for the free Hilton HHonors rewards program and often get special rates (Homewood Suites is a Hilton brand). They also offer AAA rates if you are a member of that. I also stayed at the Courtyard down by the Convention Center once a few years ago and it was fine, but no free breakfast. I've only been to DLR resort twice, so those are the only two I have experience with.

It's hard to beat $112 for a room like that with free breakfast and if transportation wasn't a hastle, that's something to keep in mind. Did it have a washer/dryer?

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

Park hoppers are a must for our family. We find ourselves hoping every day- especially since we love eating in DL but we love drinking in DCA!

There is a plethora of walking distance motels & hotels near Disneyland. If you still want to stay onsite you might find DLH more affordable if you're able to catch it when it's on sale. Discounts of 15%-25% off rooms (depending on the room type) are run periodically for stays Sun nights thru Thurs nights (but not over Christmas, Thanksgiving or summer, and sometimes random weeks are blacked out so read the fine print on the offer). The discounts "stack" with some 3rd party discounts. For instance, the trip before last we got the Grand on Disneyland's sale for 20% off (I think) and then stacked that with a 15% off Orbitz coupon. Only downside we found to 3rd party booking was paying all the hotel costs at time of booking.

Those are great discounts and I am planning on going offseason (considering Christmas/Thanksgiving, etc.) maybe January or February. I would really like to stay at DLH if I could, the rooms look very nice and I don't travel often...maybe treat myself!

 

[Grumpy247365]

I just wanted to jump on here and thank everybody who posted. I'm also planning a trip out to DL and am looking for any "inside" info I can find. Looks like I am getting park hoppers.

 

[gatorlisa]

It's hard to beat $112 for a room like that with free breakfast and if transportation wasn't a hastle, that's something to keep in mind. Did it have a washer/dryer?

Not in the room, but they do have coin laundry facilities on site for guest use and laundry services available.

 

[Keels]

I don't know if it was mentioned before, but if you have Park Hoppers you can hold FPs (old-school paper ones) in both parks at the same time. Definitely convenient.

Personally, I spend more of my time in DCA because I prefer the dining and attractions there more than at DL. Also, I feel like the layout lends itself to be more open so even if the park is crowded that day, it doesn't feel as tight. When DL itself is crowded ... it FEELS crowded and almost claustrophobic.

My thoughts:
* Radiator Springs Racers is EVERYTHING. Better than Test Track. Better than ... well, anything that Disney has ever done domestically. It has a single-rider line, so ride it as many times as you can.
* "Hyper" Space Mountain - WAY better than Space at WDW ... it has a soundtrack like Rock n Roller Coaster, but the ride is more aggressive and a lot smoother.
* If you're remotely a foodie, or into a unique dining experience - book the Chef's Counter at Napa Rose. I've done it twice and it's been worth EVERY. PENNY. It'll run you about $100 per person, $150 if you want custom wine pairings. The chef comes out to greet you, ask you your likes and dislikes, and then will custom create a menu just for you. It's amazing.
* My favorite meal is brunch, and my FAVORITE brunch is Steakhouse 55 in the DLH. So good!
* If you want to stay on property but don't like the price for GC or DLH - give Paradise Pier a long, hard look! I stayed there in May with girlfriends for Tink Half Weekend and fell in love. It's a quick cross of the street to GC and you can use the back entrance into DCA. It also still gives you all the same on-property perks at upwards of $150 less a night. We could see Mickey's Fun Wheel and California Screamin' from our room every night and it was amazing.
* People will stake out spots for Paint the Night EARLY. Like, 4 p.m. And they will stay there, or at least leave their stuff sitting places to hold their spot until they're ready to park on the curb.

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

Not in the room, but they do have coin laundry facilities on site for guest use and laundry services available.

Thanks!

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

I just wanted to jump on here and thank everybody who posted. I'm also planning a trip out to DL and am looking for any "inside" info I can find. Looks like I am getting park hoppers.

I wanted to too! This was my first thread and I was genuinly surprised people responded so quickly, so happy I joined the boards. Enjoy your trip!

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

I don't know if it was mentioned before, but if you have Park Hoppers you can hold FPs (old-school paper ones) in both parks at the same time. Definitely convenient.

My thoughts:
* Radiator Springs Racers is EVERYTHING. Better than Test Track. Better than ... well, anything that Disney has ever done domestically. It has a single-rider line, so ride it as many times as you can.
* "Hyper" Space Mountain - WAY better than Space at WDW ... it has a soundtrack like Rock n Roller Coaster, but the ride is more aggressive and a lot smoother.
* If you're remotely a foodie, or into a unique dining experience - book the Chef's Counter at Napa Rose. I've done it twice and it's been worth EVERY. PENNY. It'll run you about $100 per person, $150 if you want custom wine pairings. The chef comes out to greet you, ask you your likes and dislikes, and then will custom create a menu just for you. It's amazing.
* My favorite meal is brunch, and my FAVORITE brunch is Steakhouse 55 in the DLH. So good!
* If you want to stay on property but don't like the price for GC or DLH - give Paradise Pier a long, hard look! I stayed there in May with girlfriends for Tink Half Weekend and fell in love. It's a quick cross of the street to GC and you can use the back entrance into DCA. It also still gives you all the same on-property perks at upwards of $150 less a night. We could see Mickey's Fun Wheel and California Screamin' from our room every night and it was amazing.
* People will stake out spots for Paint the Night EARLY. Like, 4 p.m. And they will stay there, or at least leave their stuff sitting places to hold their spot until they're ready to park on the curb.
* Familiarize yourself with what rides offer FP and what do not - they're not everywhere like WDW. Also, make sure you know what rides offer Single Rider and which don't - they don't really advertise Single Rider on signs like WDW does.

Thanks! I am a HUGE foodie and food will be a huge part of my trip...I want to eat my way through the DLR. I definitely want to try Napa Rose, Steakhouse 55, Carthay Circle and everything in the parks... Everything just looks and sounds so good.

 

[Keels]

Thanks! I am a HUGE foodie and food will be a huge part of my trip...I want to eat my way through the DLR. I definitely want to try Napa Rose, Steakhouse 55, Carthay Circle and everything in the parks... Everything just looks and sounds so good.

My least favorite restaurant (now two strikes and it's out) is Blue Bayou. The theming is cool, but ... it's too expensive for food that's just meh. I'd rather do a second meal at Carthay.

Wine County Trattoria is another hit with our group - especially at lunch, since most of the seating is outside in a winery-themed setting. Amazing place to sit for a meal and enjoy the lovely California weather!

 

[Keels]

Couple more thoughts:

* I would rope drop Disneyland and try to knock out all the "originals" in Fantasyland first - Alice, Mr. Toad, Snow White, Pinocchio and Storybook Canals. Like the dark rides at MK, those are slow-loaders and the lines can stack up quickly on a busy day. After that, I would take a look at what Adventureland and Tomorrowland have to offer and decide next - Indiana Jones is great in Adventureland, and the Nemo Subs still has a slight resemblance to the old 20,000 Leagues ride. Big Thunder Mountain at DL also has added effects that WDW doesn't have.
* Don't count on fireworks - even if they're scheduled. On my three trips, now totaling 16 days, fireworks only went off on six of those days they were scheduled.
* If you're a Disney Fan - DO NOT skip World of Color. And probably bring some tissues with you.