Tips for WDW die-hard planning first DL trip (please!)

[marchingstar]

due to some unforeseen circumstances, I've just had to cancel an upcoming WDW trip. Instead of getting too glum about it, I'm trying to focus on planning a new DL trip. I visited DL many times as a kid, but I haven't been in years, and I've never had to do the work of planning. I have some specific questions, but I'm also open to any tips you'd offer someone very familiar with planning WDW trips.

1. we haven't settled on dates, but we want to visit after the 60th anniversary launch. We can visit anytime after June 6th. My thoughts are to go sooner in the month, but I also gather that might mean low season (no shows/fireworks through the week). Is that true? Is there any way to know now, or is it better to just book for later in the month and accept higher crowds?
2. We're leaning towards staying at a disney hotel, although I know it's not the same as the disney bubble in WDW. You still get on-site benefits--what do you think about their value? Is it worth it to you?
3. How many days would you do DL for, ideally? 4? 5?
4. I know dining isn't the same as at WDW, but do you have tips for a first timer? How far in advance can I make reservations? I've heard about the fantasmic dining package at blue bayou (overlooking pirates), and carthay circle. Any other must-dos?
5. We're thinking of doing universal studios too, and maybe knotts berry farm. How close are they to each other/to DL? Is it easier to stay at a hotel near DL and commute, or to move to a closer hotel for that part of the trip? Could we reasonably see both parks with one day each?

Any other general tips would be greatly appreciated. Im still trying to figure this all out, and to get jazzed about the quick switch of vacation spots. Thanks in advance!

 

[Geemo]

Watch out for grad nites in May and June.

My minimum days for a trip is 4 but I prefer 5days. With the grandkids getting older, it's hard to find a time for a 5day trip. Mainly because I don't do weekends. I'll do a Saturday or a Sunday but not both. First choice is to begin a trip in the parks on Sunday. Second choice is to end the trip on a Saturday.

Knott's is about a $20 cab ride.
Universal is north of Hollywood. When we include going to Universal, we get a rental car. The drive in the morning is at least 1.5 hours give or take.
Due to the distance between Knott's and Universal I wouldn't recommend doing both in 1 day.

If you want to split stay, include Knott's while staying at DLR. Move north for Universal and stay in that area. You could also visit Hollywood and a few other locations of interest around there.

Check this link out for info.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/2015-calendar-of-events-school-breaks-and-dlr.3358090/


Geemo

 

[Nicolette11785]

Early June will have fireworks, fantasmic, etc nightly. There are grad nights though.

I also prefer 5 days in the parks. I usually do 5-7 days and go at least 3 times a year.

If money will be tight, maybe look into a hotel across the street instead. In my opinion, I would not stay onsite for the limited benefits but that is me. I am a bargain shopper. If money is not an issue, it would be a great experience that I hope to one day do.

Unless you are really wanting a specific dining time you do not have to make ADR right when they become available. I believe it is 60 days out that you can. I have made tons of reservations just days before going.

You can do Universal in 1 day and Knott's in another day.

I would read HydroGuy's tips for WDW Vets. I think it is in one of the stickies. Hope you have fun!

 

[Laz]

HydroGuy's tips thread is very good. I have always felt that even the busiest summer days at DLR are much easier to handle than at WDW. If you follow a typical WDW strategy (Rope Drop/Early Entry, afternoon break, back to parks in evening), you will find that a great deal can be accomplished at a relaxed pace.

 

[Canuck16]

We have never stayed on site at DLR as the benfits of staying on-site (baically only EE to DCA) doesn't warrant the additional cost.

In June the shows should be running during the week but DLR doesn't release their hours/schedule until 6 weeks out.

This is the same with making advanced ADR's.... I believe you can only make these roughly 6 weeks in advance.

We always get the maximum amount of park days which is 5 at DLR. I would suggest getting PH tickets as well since the 2 parks are so close together.

Knotts is quite close to DLR so a short cab ride gets you there. Universal is about 1.5 hour drive through LA traffic so if you are considering going to Universal you may want to move closer. Each of these parks only need one day each at most.

Good luck with the planning and have fun!!

 

[pmaurer74]

We are going to DLR for the first time as well and usually go to WDW. I agree with reading Hydroguy's thread. very information. Google grad nights. We are going June 6-13 and there will be 2 grad nights so I plan to go to the beach those days. We are staying for a week and using DLH as our home base. The rooms and the pool are appealing to my kids. If you plan to make use of the pools and stay in the rooms a lot then I feel DLH is worthwhile and you feel more "in the bubble" as we are used to. If you are a park commando and open and close the park then maybe saving money on a good neighbor hotel would work. You can make ADRs I think 60 days out according to the website... strange I know. Everything should be up and running by May 22 in time for the 60th Anniversary. When you go to checkout making your reservations, Disney has some tour add ons for other parks. It may be worth checking into. Also I think DTD has a place to rent cars too. We may be at DLH on the same dates!

 

[figment_jii]

I recommend checking out HydroGuy's DLR Guide for WDW Vets. It's very helpful and will give you a sense of the things are similar and different at DLR.

1. we haven't settled on dates, but we want to visit after the 60th anniversary launch. We can visit anytime after June 6th. My thoughts are to go sooner in the month, but I also gather that might mean low season (no shows/fireworks through the week). Is that true? Is there any way to know now, or is it better to just book for later in the month and accept higher crowds?

Traditionally DLR has started their summer-season on Memorial Day weekend. So there should be nightly fireworks, F!, and WoC by June. My guess is that as June progresses the crowds also increase, but none of June is going to be considered low season. Early June does have grad nights to contend with and there is usually a bump in crowds right before the AP blockouts go into effect.

4. I know dining isn't the same as at WDW, but do you have tips for a first timer? How far in advance can I make reservations? I've heard about the fantasmic dining package at blue bayou (overlooking pirates), and carthay circle. Any other must-dos?

Reservations open up 60-days in advance. There is no on-site benefit (e.g., 180+10), but that's mostly because Dinseyland dining reservations aren't as hard to get as WDW. There are lots of yummy places to dine in DLR. My favorites also include Big Thunder Ranch BBQ, Cafe Orleans, and Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen.

 

[HydroGuy]

Early June will have fireworks, fantasmic, etc nightly. There are grad nights though.

I also prefer 5 days in the parks. I usually do 5-7 days and go at least 3 times a year.

If money will be tight, maybe look into a hotel across the street instead. In my opinion, I would not stay onsite for the limited benefits but that is me. I am a bargain shopper. If money is not an issue, it would be a great experience that I hope to one day do.

Unless you are really wanting a specific dining time you do not have to make ADR right when they become available. I believe it is 60 days out that you can. I have made tons of reservations just days before going.

You can do Universal in 1 day and Knott's in another day.

I would read HydroGuy's tips for WDW Vets. I think it is in one of the stickies. Hope you have fun!

See "A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

 

[HydroGuy]

1. we haven't settled on dates, but we want to visit after the 60th anniversary launch. We can visit anytime after June 6th. My thoughts are to go sooner in the month, but I also gather that might mean low season (no shows/fireworks through the week). Is that true? Is there any way to know now, or is it better to just book for later in the month and accept higher crowds?

If it were me I would choose sometime on June 26 or after. June 29-July 3 would be awesome. It is after grad nights and after AP blockouts. But if you choose earlier in June it will be fine. Just be aware of some of the issues with June like grad nights.

2. We're leaning towards staying at a disney hotel, although I know it's not the same as the disney bubble in WDW. You still get on-site benefits--what do you think about their value? Is it worth it to you?

All I can say is there are many dual WDW/DLR vets who always stay onsite at WDW but happily stay offsite at DLR. I am one of them. You will not have your trip messed up by staying offsite but I would recommend if you do stay offsite you stay within easy walking distance. Do not make a classic WDW mistake and stay farther away and say "it is fine to take busses to DLR - we do it at WDW all the time". Anyone who does that gives up one of DLR's great advantages over WDW which are the easy walking distance hotels.

If you have budget to support a DLR hotel then go for it. It will not make or break your trip.

3. How many days would you do DL for, ideally? 4? 5?

Four minimum. Five is better. Four days at DLR will feel like a 7 day trip to WDW. Enough time to have a solid visit. Five DLR days will feel like 9-10 at WDW. Which is enough time to be very leisurely if you want.

4. I know dining isn't the same as at WDW, but do you have tips for a first timer? How far in advance can I make reservations? I've heard about the fantasmic dining package at blue bayou (overlooking pirates), and carthay circle. Any other must-dos?

See "What WDW Vets Need to Know About Dining at DLR" http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2914467

5. We're thinking of doing universal studios too, and maybe knotts berry farm. How close are they to each other/to DL? Is it easier to stay at a hotel near DL and commute, or to move to a closer hotel for that part of the trip? Could we reasonably see both parks with one day each?

I say stay near DLR and commute for a day trip.

 

[marchingstar]

Oh wow, thank you all so much for yours thoughts! Having to cancel the WDW trip really stung, but getting excited about a DLR trip really helps. I haven't been there since I was a kid, and I'm really excited to visit again.

I'll definitely look into hydroguys resources--they sound like exactly what I need to read. As well as all the other recommended threads. When I looked at the DLR section of the disboards yesterday, I had a difficult time finding things. It's great to know there are so many resources out there

I think right now I'm still leaning to towards early June, but I think my partner and I will talk it out and see where we land. Pmaurer74--we were looking at exactly the same dates as you originally! But I'll do some more reading about grad nights and see how they might affect our trip.

I think right now we're leaning towards staying in the DLR area for the whole trip, which for us means we might cut universal. The commute sounds longer than is worth it to me, especially because we've seen both HP lands in orlando. There isn't much unique to hollywood that were interested in, so it feels like more work than it's worth right now. But I remember Knotts being lots of fun, and with it so close to DLR I think it'll be an easy day trip. Plus, without a universal trip, we can definitely do 5 days at disney.

Still undecided about staying on or off site. It's really nice to hear that folks who only stay onsite at WDW enjoy offiste at DLR. but our accommodations budget is about what it was for 2 weeks at WDW, so we could afford a disney hotel, but we still haven't decided if it's "worth" it to us.

As much as I love making ADRs and planning things early, it feels really comforting to not feel like we're behing the 8 ball with 3 months to plan the trip. That we don't have to barter and beg for reservations or fast passes.

Okay, now I'm off to do some readings! Thanks again, all!

 

[pmaurer74]

I know what you mean. It feels weird not having all my ADRS and FP+ lined up! It actually feels relaxing in a way. there are tons of photos of DLR on TripAdvisor, that helped us make our decision. There are a lot of reviews as well. We have also considered staying 5 nights at DLR and 3 in San Diego but I do not think DH wants to drive if possible.

 

[marchingstar]

I know what you mean. It feels weird not having all my ADRS and FP+ lined up! It actually feels relaxing in a way. there are tons of photos of DLR on TripAdvisor, that helped us make our decision. There are a lot of reviews as well. We have also considered staying 5 nights at DLR and 3 in San Diego but I do not think DH wants to drive if possible.

We all but refuse to drive on vacation (unless it's a road trip)--it adds too much stress to a holiday for us. I think if we stay on site we're looking at PPH. DLH looks really beautiful, but it's pushing the budget a bit too. We're also considering a split stay with half our time onsite and half at a good neighbour hotel, but that doesn't feel very appealing for such a short trip (I think we're looking at about a week total).

I'm on the same page about ADRs and FP+. Both nervous that we can't do it in advance, and relieved that we can be a bit more relaxed with this planning. There are a few dining options that I've heard of that are high on my list, but I'm so glad to know I'm not going to have to beat people out at 4am my time to get a table! ha!

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

I think you are wise to skip Universal on this trip. The one in Florida is not even comparable to the one in Hollywood - Florida one feels like an actual theme park. The one in Hollywood is interesting, but there are not many attractions and by the middle of the day I am usually asking myself, "okay now what?" I do really enjoy the tram tour. Where Universal really can't be beat is the Halloween Horror Nights - the makeup/sets/acting are very realistic! Love it.

As for whether staying on-site is worth it, I think that depends very much on how you vacation. If you like to take a break from the parks in the middle of the day to go swimming/relax in the hotel room, then I could see staying on-site being worth it. It's important to note that even if you stay at PPH, you will be able to use the pools in the other hotels as well. Personally, I am at the parks at opening and I don't return to the hotel until park closing or close to it. I really just need a close bed to sleep in and a fridge/microwave for my quick breakfasts and dinners in the room. So for me, spending so much more to stay on-site is definitely not worth it.

 

[pmaurer74]

We all but refuse to drive on vacation (unless it's a road trip)--it adds too much stress to a holiday for us. I think if we stay on site we're looking at PPH. DLH looks really beautiful, but it's pushing the budget a bit too. We're also considering a split stay with half our time onsite and half at a good neighbour hotel, but that doesn't feel very appealing for such a short trip (I think we're looking at about a week total).

I'm on the same page about ADRs and FP+. Both nervous that we can't do it in advance, and relieved that we can be a bit more relaxed with this planning. There are a few dining options that I've heard of that are high on my list, but I'm so glad to know I'm not going to have to beat people out at 4am my time to get a table! ha!

I know what you mean. We wanted to stay at GCH because WL is our favorite at WDW but I could not justify the expense. DLR is making me nervous as well but I am hoping a discount comes out for early June!

 

[HydroGuy]

I know what you mean. We wanted to stay at GCH because WL is our favorite at WDW but I could not justify the expense. DLR is making me nervous as well but I am hoping a discount comes out for early June!

Typically the best you are going to find in peak season like June are throuhg Orbitz.