Suggestions please

[LukeJ]

Going in a few weeks for my finally "we'll go back someday" trip after nearly 60 years (OK I was 4 last time). I have 5 full days in the parks with park hopper. I have been to WDW many times being an east coaster, so have a very general idea what to expect. I plan to do most of the rides (middle ear issues preclude a few) and whatever shows are happening, but what are the less publicized things that I should try to do? Any especially good quick serve places to eat? Any favorite extra things can you recommend. I know a number of things are not happening just now, but I had airfare that had to be used by the end of this year.

Any suggestions will be welcomed. THANKS!

 

[dieumeye]

Animation Academy in DCA! Don’t skip it!

 

[twitch]

With 5 full days in the park and park hopper, you should have a great time! Even with heavy crowds and no FP/MP, I expect you can hit everything you want to do once, and many things you can do twice.

DL will feel very compact to you at first... and probably will feel very crowded. Depending on how many times you've been to MK, you may get turned around a few times. Get your bearings during daylight hours, because it can get tough to navigate when the evening crowds arrive and the sun goes down.

The quick service restaurants are (in my mind) always surprisingly good. Be prepared to mobile order about an hour out, and then to wait in line once you arrive. Bengal BBQ is good... Alien Pizza Planet is surprisingly good... and we've always enjoyed grabbing breakfast or lunch at the Jolly Holiday Cafe.

There should be some park atmosphere entertainment -- we saw both the Pearly Band and the Disneyland Band yesterday. You can check schedules and look for those.

Enjoy!

 

[cruisehopeful]

I don't think there are any shows right now. The Lincoln theater has a nice set up of Haunted Mansion stuff.

For food, it depends on what you like, but Rancho del Zocalo has some satisfying Mexican food and it's not mobile order, so pretty easy to go in and get it. By far the best quick service on property is The Craftsman at the Grand Californian. You can get in and out of the DCA park hotel entrance to pop over and eat something. If you like alcohol drinks/coffee/creme brulee, the lobby bar there, Hearthstone, is excellent. The food at the hotel is a lot better than anything I've ever had in the parks.

 

[brenda1966]

Things that we like at Disneyland that are different from WDW: Bengal BBQ for the chicken skewers. Spending time in New Orleans Square. A stroll through Mickey's Toon Town. Of course everything in DCA! Monster's Inc ride. Carsland during the day and at night (so pretty). Be prepared for how small the castle is. It makes me laugh every time, but I love it so. If the Castle walkthrough is open, do it!

 

[JJ2017]

Animation Academy in DCA! Don’t skip it!

Can you please explain the logistics of this? Do we just line up and wait like we would for a show? How long does the experience take? Thanks!

 

[dieumeye]

Can you please explain the logistics of this? Do we just line up and wait like we would for a show? How long does the experience take? Thanks!

In the animation building at DCA, there is a waiting area for the Animation Academy. There’s a session every 30 minutes, and each session takes about 15 minutes.

There’s a board outside the waiting area that lists which character will be drawn at each time throughout the day. So, 9:00am might be Mickey, 9:30am Pluto, 10:00am Goofy, etc. Those are just examples, so check the board for a character you would be interested in drawing.

Lineup about 15 minutes before the session you want to join. Maybe earlier if it’s a crowded day.

 

[vacay77]

I really liked eating the chicken wrap from Shawarma Palace which is basically a food cart in Avengers Campus . The Disneyland Railroad is often overlooked but it’s nice way to sit down and get a general layout of the park. Plus, they recently redid it. Definitely experience Cars Land at night, I’ll never get tired of it.

 

[DLgal]

Check out Great Moments with Mr.Lincoln on Main street. It's often forgotten and there are some cool things on display in the waiting area. Shows run constantly all day.

Best quick serve place is definitely Bengal BBQ. But, it takes forever even with mobile order. Plaza Inn is fantastic if you want a big meal.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Fried chicken has long been my default when I don't know what to eat. Plaza Inn at the corner of Main Street and Tomorrowland would be my recommendation and is big enough to share depending on how much you eat. I used to also get fried chicken at Flo's on the California Adventure side but probably prefer sandwiches at Pym's now if the line isn't crazy.

If you aren't rushed for time, Earl of Sandwich on the far side of Downtown Disney is my favorite place to eat on Disneyland property although it may not be so special since they also have a branch in WDW. The monorail between Downtown Disney and Tomorrowland can save you some walking if you decide to eat there.

As for attractions, don't assume that attractions that exist at WDW are the exact same as the versions from Disneyland. For example, Astro Blasters, Space Mountain and Winnie the Pooh have quite a few differences from their WDW counterparts. Disneyland's Main Street Vehicles includes a horse drawn trolley which does not exist in WDW. Philharmagic is different as well but WDW's version is better.

 

[Kit Jackson]

In the same building as Animation Academy is a history of animation with interactive elements called Sorcerer's Workshop-it was zoetropes if you're into that sort of thing. CarsLand is amazing day or night.

 

[Tinkaboo]

Pirates is SOOOOOO much better at Disneyland, it’s like a completely different ride. I won’t even go on it at Magic Kingdom unless really bored. And don’t forget Mr. Toad‘s Wild Ride, it’s an original!

 

[LukeJ]

Wow, great ideas, Thanks.
Definitely adding Animation Academy and Bengal BBQ to my list. Mr Lincoln was already on the list (thanks though), I saw him at the NY Worlds Fair when I was 6 or 7 along with Small World and am looking forward to seeing them both again. It's going to be fun comparing DL/DCA versions of "familiar" attractions to WDW versions. Also doing Carsland ar night was something I hadn't thought of.
I think this will be a very good trip!!

 

[sierrawine]

I hope you have a great time! I'm no expert, having been (as an adult) to WDW in 2018 with our girls (barely 3/almost 6) and then DL in 2019 w(7/4.5) and we're returning to DL next week (now 9.5/almost-7) because it's so laid-back and less stressful planning than WDW. We had a couple of days off school and this was so much easier to plan than WDW for a last-minute trip. We'll for sure go back to WDW (hopefully next year!) but we need more time to plan that! You'll be amazed/shocked/thrilled at how easy it is to get around, how "small" everything is (in a very good way!) and how simple it is to park-hop. We LOVED our trip in 2019 and are excited to return to an easier-to-plan and navigate venue. (Though with no Fast/Max-Pass, we shall see!)