Possible Monday visit 1st time

[jabuller]

We will be in San Diego for several days but have Monday free and are thinking of taking our 7 and 9 year olds to Disneyland. We have done WDW several times and I’m not sure when we will be back on the West Coast. Will Columbus crowds be awful? I know the parks are so much closer than WDW, should be do a hopper or it is wasteful with just a one day trip? Any tips or advice for one day first time visitors?

 

[nutshell]

Crowds won’t be awful. Use MaxPass and hop! You’ll have an awesome time!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

This thread will help you have an idea of what to expect regarding similarities/differences between DLR and WDW: A DLR Guide for WDW Vets.
This weekend is not only a 3 day weekend for most people, but it is also the Gay Days convention (unofficial) at DLR (Crowd levels for Columbus weekend). So it will be very crowded. As long as you are prepared for this, you can still have lots of fun. Get to the parks at opening, have a good plan of what you want to accomplish (will you have park hoppers or focus on DL only? pros and cons to both), keep a positive attitude, and have fun!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I think it will be extremely crowded, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

If you can start preparing now, download the free Disneyland app and get familiar with it. Get used to navigating. Load a credit card so that you can purchase your tickets ahead -- save yourself precious time by avoiding the ticket booths and going straight to the gates. Purchase MP (digital FP), if you are planning on doing so. (Do a search here for MP threads to get up to speed -- DLR uses the legacy FP system -- no FP+ here! -- so FP/MP can be a big advantage to you, especially if your kids like FP rides and are tall enough for most/all of them.) Mobile ordering is on the app, too -- with a credit card already loaded (memorize the 3 digit security code to save even more time!), you can pre-order CS meals and skip those lines, too.