Solo in the park -- DL or DCA?

cindyland

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I'm going to be at the Disneyland Resort for a conference in June, and it includes an evening in one park. I will have just spent three days with the family at both parks, but it looks like they're heading home after our vacation (teenagers, jobs, blah-blah-blah).

I never done a night alone in a park, and it should be an interesting and memorable experience. I may meet some new friends at my conference, but I may not. So if you had a night alone in one park (free ticket only includes Disneyland or DCA), during the summer, which would you choose? By the way, not a fan of roller coasters.

Looking forward to getting your thoughts!
 
Not a fan of roller coasters means DL! Paint the Night parade, seeing the castle lit up, it's all just so magical to me! :)
 
DL! I love love love it at night, and even though it may be busier, I can think of more things to do. DCA doesn't quite have that awesome nighttime atmosphere for me... Have fun!
 
I would go w/ which park holds your favorite rides & nighttime entertainment. This is your chance to endulge in yourself w/o having to please anyone else's whims...this is YOUR night...kick up your heals and enjoy yourself.
 

Hmm...I prefer DL at night because I love PTN. But, the crowds at DCA are better and DCA has RSR at night, which is amazing, plus I think they have better dinner food choices. I guess I'd pick DL for the entertainment but DCA for the rides and food, so it depends on what's more important to you.
 
I agree DL has an awesome night mood. None at DCA. You could walk around all evening not doing one ride and I think you'd have a great time at DL.
 
I would personally go with DL for the simple reason that DCA typically closes earlier and I'd want as much time in the parks as I could get! But I, too, really enjoy PTN and find it's so much easier to get a good spot without camping out when you're solo. You may be planning to see it with your family, but I think it's worth enjoying again.

I'm not sure what day you're going or if there will be a second PTN parade, but if there are two, I'd probably enjoy a dinner (or snack) at the French Market/etc area while soaking up the atmosphere of RoA in the evening without the congestion of F!, maybe go on a couple of rides (Pirates, HM) then while the first showing of PTN is going, make my way through Fantasyland after the parade (which is so pretty at night!) to the Matterhorn. I know you say you're not a fan of roller coasters, but riding the Matterhorn at night makes it feel like a whole new experience, plus you could go in the single-rider line and perhaps not wait as long, and sometimes if you time right, you'll ride during the fireworks which makes it seem extra special. Then about twenty minutes before the second PTN, I'd grab a churro (or other fave snack) and find a spot along IASW to wait for the parade. By the time it ends, the park may be close to closing so then I'd hang out a little longer, maybe hopping on a few Fantasyland rides, before leisurely strolling out, taking my time to take nighttime photos, maybe do a bit of shopping.

If it's a weekday night when DL closes at 9pm or if there's only one PTN, I'd probably do a similar itinerary just modified to allow for the time to go catch the parade at IASW (maybe getting there more like a half-hour earlier than 15-20 minutes like you can do with the second parade) with, again, a favorite snack. I might skip the evening Fantasyland rides and instead scurry over to NOS in the last half hour to get on HM and Pirates (because they're my favorites and the lines are usually really short near closing).

I would also check the showtimes for that day to see if there would be any shows (such as Mickey and the Magical Map or the ones at the Royal Theatre) that would have a late enough performance and then add those in, just because I love those performances so much I'd be happy to skip the chance to ride something just to watch them again.

Overall, I think DL is a great place to soak up the atmosphere in the evening, provided you're avoiding the Main Street congestion leading up to/during/right after the parade and fireworks.

(On the other hand, DCA at night is fun, too, especially Radiator Springs! Plus it's fun to grab an [alcoholic] beverage and people watch. Either way, you can't really go wrong -- it's an extra night in Disney!)
 
Do you want a drink or two? If so, believe me that you can find things to do for a solo DCA trip.... but yeah, DL at night is just AMAZING.
 
I would personally go with DL for the simple reason that DCA typically closes earlier and I'd want as much time in the parks as I could get! But I, too, really enjoy PTN and find it's so much easier to get a good spot without camping out when you're solo. You may be planning to see it with your family, but I think it's worth enjoying again.

I'm not sure what day you're going or if there will be a second PTN parade, but if there are two, I'd probably enjoy a dinner (or snack) at the French Market/etc area while soaking up the atmosphere of RoA in the evening without the congestion of F!, maybe go on a couple of rides (Pirates, HM) then while the first showing of PTN is going, make my way through Fantasyland after the parade (which is so pretty at night!) to the Matterhorn. I know you say you're not a fan of roller coasters, but riding the Matterhorn at night makes it feel like a whole new experience, plus you could go in the single-rider line and perhaps not wait as long, and sometimes if you time right, you'll ride during the fireworks which makes it seem extra special. Then about twenty minutes before the second PTN, I'd grab a churro (or other fave snack) and find a spot along IASW to wait for the parade. By the time it ends, the park may be close to closing so then I'd hang out a little longer, maybe hopping on a few Fantasyland rides, before leisurely strolling out, taking my time to take nighttime photos, maybe do a bit of shopping.

If it's a weekday night when DL closes at 9pm or if there's only one PTN, I'd probably do a similar itinerary just modified to allow for the time to go catch the parade at IASW (maybe getting there more like a half-hour earlier than 15-20 minutes like you can do with the second parade) with, again, a favorite snack. I might skip the evening Fantasyland rides and instead scurry over to NOS in the last half hour to get on HM and Pirates (because they're my favorites and the lines are usually really short near closing).

I would also check the showtimes for that day to see if there would be any shows (such as Mickey and the Magical Map or the ones at the Royal Theatre) that would have a late enough performance and then add those in, just because I love those performances so much I'd be happy to skip the chance to ride something just to watch them again.

Overall, I think DL is a great place to soak up the atmosphere in the evening, provided you're avoiding the Main Street congestion leading up to/during/right after the parade and fireworks.

(On the other hand, DCA at night is fun, too, especially Radiator Springs! Plus it's fun to grab an [alcoholic] beverage and people watch. Either way, you can't really go wrong -- it's an extra night in Disney!)

I love all of this--this is the conversation I've been having with myself -- Thank you!
 
I would guess that the hours will be later at DL, so that would make my decision. DH would probably be most happy at CA alternating between the Karl Strauss beer truck on Paradise Pier and the single rider line for RSR and enjoying how great Carsland looks after dark. Do you have to decide in advance, or since you will have spent 3 days in the parks before the night by yourself, can you just pick then when you know what you would like to go back and see or do the most? I have spent some alone time in both parks when DD and DH gave up one night and once when they decided to go back to swim, and I loved it. Total freedom to do whatever I wanted without anyone else's opinion of what to do getting in the way! You can't go wrong with either park!
 
So more thoughts.

Yes, I may enjoy a cocktail at night after training. That had me thinking about DCA. We plan on having a dinner at Cathay's Circle over the weekend (celebrating 25th anniversary and...ummm...50th bday...eeekkkk), so I was thinking of trying the Cove Bar, maybe a trip on Tower of Terror and the Racers, and the Mickey Wheel of Death that my family won't ride. Then again, I plan on checking out Trader Sams one night -- have never been there!

OR catch the parade and fireworks at DL. Depending on what we do as a family the other nights. Now I'm thinking that may the plan to see the fireworks from a different spot.

We will definitely be in DCA at night one of the vaca nights -- Racers has become our favorite ride at night, partly because it's not crazy crowded at night. Getting around DL after a day in the parks gets on my husband's nerves with the bottlenecks caused by fireworks at the end of the day.

I'm so excited and thrilled to have this "issue." But I'm secretly hoping that my family stays, and we all enjoy the parks as a family one more night!
 
As much as I'd love to do Disneyland, I'd probably opt for having a drink or two at the Cove bar to close out the night with World of Colour. Single rider cars, roller coaster, and a few other things seems like a pretty cool solo night.

That being said, I'd also check the closing hours. Some nights DCA closes 2-3 hours earlier than DLR, that might make the decision easy.
 




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