Staying on site and FP/Dining Reservations

[dcassetta]

Will be coming to Disneyland this summer, first visit in many years. Planning to stay at one of the Disney resorts, but haven't quite finalized that yet. Wondering if there's a benefit to staying on site as far as making dining or FP reservations. That can be an advantage at Disney World.

Besides early entry to DCA, are their other benefits to staying on-site. Thanks!

 

[figment_jii]

At this point, there are really no standard on-site perks related to FP or dining reservation for DLR. DLR is still using the legacy FP system. You can use the official Disneyland App to check current return times, but you can't make FP 'reservation'. In terms of dining, reservations are generally released 60-days in advance, one day at a time. There is no "+10" benefit, but making dining reservations for DLR is very easy compared to WDW.

 

[VandVsmama]

Will be coming to Disneyland this summer, first visit in many years. Planning to stay at one of the Disney resorts, but haven't quite finalized that yet. Wondering if there's a benefit to staying on site as far as making dining or FP reservations. That can be an advantage at Disney World.

Besides early entry to DCA, are their other benefits to staying on-site. Thanks!

There are no FP reservations at Disneyland. Disneyland still uses paper FP and you can't reserve them ahead of time. You have to go in person to the FP distribution locations outside each ride that has FP and insert your ticket in order to get your FP. And if you lose the paper FP, then that's it. Disneyland doesn't have Magic Bands either at this time.

1 of the nice things about going to DL is that you don't have to make dining reservations 6 months ahead of time. It's just 60 days beforehand. And even then, you don't have to be on the phone at midnight exactly 60 days before.

Perks to staying on site at DL:

1. EMH - since there are only 3 'on site' hotels at DL Resort, the total # of 'on site' guests is much lower compared to WDW, especially on DCA EMH days. This makes EMH totally worth your while. EMH @ DL is on Tues, Thurs, & Sat. EMH @ DCA is on the other days of the week. EMH is only for the hour before regular park opening. There are no after hours EMH @ DL. However, off-site guests who purchase 3-5 tickets get 1 Magic Morning entry (and MM is @ DL only).
2. Room service! Eating Mickey waffles for breakfast in bed. How awesome is that?
3. The pools - although the pool @ PPH is the least appealing of all 3.
4. Each hotel has an on site character meal, so that can be a convenient & fun way to either start or end your trip on the day of your arrival or the morning of your departure.
5. Stuff you buy in gift shops @ the parks can be delivered to your room.
6. You can charge a lot of stuff to your room, so that can be convenient...or dangerous for your bank account, depending on how you handle it.

 

[dcassetta]

Thank you both for the advice. I don't mind getting paper FPs, but this made me think of a follow up question. Are there FPs for parades, fireworks, or World of Color. Will Fantasmic still be closed this summer?

 

[avalon451]

There are only FPs for WOC. There are dining packages for preferred seating for the Paint the Night parade (Blue Bayou or Aladdin's Oasis), and dining packages for preferred viewing for WoC at Wine Country Trattoria, Ariel's Grotto (dinner only, not character dining) and Carthay Circle. There is also a new dessert party served in a seated area for WoC.

Fantasmic is closed through Spring of 2107.

 

[robin2588]

You can also charge your meals and purchases to your room card. Also you can have a CM make reservations for you if you wanted(providing the place you want is available).

Key to the Magic and Package Express
Use your Key to the Magic card to easily charge meals and merchandise right to your room—and have your Resort purchases delivered directly to your hotel with our Merchandise Delivery service.

 

[dcassetta]

Fantasmic is closed through Spring of 2107

2107? That's quite a rehab!

 

[figment_jii]

2107? That's quite a rehab!

The Rivers of America attractions (Tom Sawyers Island, Columbia, Mark Twain, and Canoes) and show (Fantasmic!), along with the Railroad, are closed due to prep work for Star Wars land. They've installed coffer dams so that the front side of the River is still filled with water, but the back portion of the River is dry. So the closure of Fantasmic! isn't because F! itself necessarily needed a rehab (although, I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't doing some work on the show at the same time), but because the area is undergoing massive changes for Star Wars Land.

 

[avalon451]

Touringplans lists the ROA attractions, along with Fantasmic, with a tentative reopen date of 4/2/2107.

 

[figment_jii]

There have also been rumors of a re-opening date in July of 2017. Disney has been keeping quiet, other than saying the closures will last for more than a year.