Tricky First Timer question with lots of issues.

[thedonduck]

Hey y'all! We are Orlando locals and head to WDW pretty much weekly. We have the opportunity to go with my DH to San Diego for a conference this coming August. I really really really want to take the kids with and head to DL since we will be all the way there already. So here comes my lists of issues. And I am looking for tips and suggestions for what we should do.

1. most likely we will only have 1 day available to head to the DL due to the schedule of the conference.
2. the most likely day for going is our arrival day. We land at 11am or so and I know we will miss a good chunk of the day to visit due to traveling from San Diego up to DL
3. We have to head back to San Diego that night (it doesn't matter if we have to leave at midnight, just that we won't be staying in the parks overnight.
4. My kids are little, but should do fine with the staying up late as they will sleep on the plane/car rides
5. We are complete first timers to California, let alone Disneyland.

So what are your thoughts. What would your touring plan be if you were us? Any suggestions of for sure things to do? What to skip? (My almost 6 year old LOVES every ride at WDW, my 4 year old is give or take depending on what she determines is scary that day, and my 2 year old loves all rides she is big enough for-if that helps for suggestions.) Would you do PHs or just stick with DL?

Where should we eat for dinner if I were to make an ADR? Or should we skip ADRs and just do a quick service to not waste time?

I have no idea if/when we will be back to go again. I just want to take advantage of us already being there and to show the kids (who are obsessed with all things Walt) the original park.

 

[ashley0139]

Hey y'all! We are Orlando locals and head to WDW pretty much weekly. We have the opportunity to go with my DH to San Diego for a conference this coming August. I really really really want to take the kids with and head to DL since we will be all the way there already. So here comes my lists of issues. And I am looking for tips and suggestions for what we should do.

1. most likely we will only have 1 day available to head to the DL due to the schedule of the conference.
2. the most likely day for going is our arrival day. We land at 11am or so and I know we will miss a good chunk of the day to visit due to traveling from San Diego up to DL
3. We have to head back to San Diego that night (it doesn't matter if we have to leave at midnight, just that we won't be staying in the parks overnight.
4. My kids are little, but should do fine with the staying up late as they will sleep on the plane/car rides
5. We are complete first timers to California, let alone Disneyland.

So what are your thoughts. What would your touring plan be if you were us? Any suggestions of for sure things to do? What to skip? (My almost 6 year old LOVES every ride at WDW, my 4 year old is give or take depending on what she determines is scary that day, and my 2 year old loves all rides she is big enough for-if that helps for suggestions.) Would you do PHs or just stick with DL?

Where should we eat for dinner if I were to make an ADR? Or should we skip ADRs and just do a quick service to not waste time?

I have no idea if/when we will be back to go again. I just want to take advantage of us already being there and to show the kids (who are obsessed with all things Walt) the original park.

Okay, so if you don't land until 11am, barring delays, you could probably be at Disneyland by 2-3pm with deplaning, waiting for bags (if any) and getting a rental car. This will also depend on what day of the week you are going and traffic. That's not a lot of time. You should prioritize things at Disneyland that are not at WDW, or that are significantly different. Matterhorn, submarines, Mr Toads, Snow White, Pirates is quite a bit different, Indiana Jones, etc. Definitely just stick to DL with that much time. You won't get everything done there that you want to.

 

[azdisneylover]

I suggest you arrive a day prior to the conference, taking a red eye flight, and then take that day to do Disneyland and California Adventure, get a hotel room across the street, get up first thing, spend the day again in the parks to see and do what you have missed, then drive down to San Diego for the conference.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I would skip TS meals and hit the quick service--you won't have much time in the parks as it is. It is a 2 hour drive from SD to Anaheim, depending on traffic, then you have to park and catch the tram from the remote parking lot. I suggest trying to get the Paint the Night Oasis Grab and Go dining package. This will give you a roped off area to watch the parade near Small World. You can then stay there to see the fireworks (but they sometimes get canceled due to wind conditions-unlike WDW). If you stay at this location you will not see the fireworks over the castle as you are off to the side with trees blocking the castle, but DLand does project the show onto the Small World Facade and the fireworks are high in the sky so you do see those, just not the castle as well.

I suggest you concentrate on rides that you do not have at WDW; Matterhorn, Alice in Wonderland, Storybook Canal boats, Casey Junior train, Pinocchio, and Mr. Toad's Wild ride.

You will not be able to get FP for Radiator Springs Racers or the new Frozen musical show at DCA. These are gone before noon, sorry.

The best way to see Peter Pan is to wait until after the fireworks. Dland closes parts of Fantasyland during the show and then reopens after they clean up. If you position yourself right, you can avoid a 40 minute wait.

As the only adult, you are going to have to skip all rides that your youngest is too short for. The 6 and 4 year old cannot ride by themselves.

 

[thedonduck]

I would skip TS meals and hit the quick service--you won't have much time in the parks as it is. It is a 2 hour drive from SD to Anaheim, depending on traffic, then you have to park and catch the tram from the remote parking lot. I suggest trying to get the Paint the Night Oasis Grab and Go dining package. This will give you a roped off area to watch the parade near Small World. You can then stay there to see the fireworks (but they sometimes get canceled due to wind conditions-unlike WDW). If you stay at this location you will not see the fireworks over the castle as you are off to the side with trees blocking the castle, but DLand does project the show onto the Small World Facade and the fireworks are high in the sky so you do see those, just not the castle as well.

I suggest you concentrate on rides that you do not have at WDW; Matterhorn, Alice in Wonderland, Storybook Canal boats, Casey Junior train, Pinocchio, and Mr. Toad's Wild ride.

You will not be able to get FP for Radiator Springs Racers or the new Frozen musical show at DCA. These are gone before noon, sorry.

The best way to see Peter Pan is to wait until after the fireworks. Dland closes parts of Fantasyland during the show and then reopens after they clean up. If you position yourself right, you can avoid a 40 minute wait.

As the only adult, you are going to have to skip all rides that your youngest is too short for. The 6 and 4 year old cannot ride by themselves.

Dh will be with me and the kids. So I am not concerned there. But thanks for the ride ideas. It is helpful to know what is worth skipping and what isn't since all rides aren't the same.

 

[pinkprincess30]

Ooh! That will be very tight. I would suggest NOT park hopping, seeing as your main goal is Walt's original park and your time will be so limited. I would focus on attractions you can't see at WDW. With the ages of your kids, I might suggest a dinner option like Plaza Inn where you can sit and eat, not feeling rushed but not have the wait of a full table service. For nostalgia's sake I would say head straight to Fantasyland but lines will likely be long with your arrival time.

 

[Sagginit]

I know adults that have done DL in one day and with children that young you may be ruling out an entire group of rides so you should get a fair amount done. I would skip PH and just stay in DL. DCA I found was better for adult rides and as others said FP there for many things will be gone by 2 or 3pm. That being said my first day at DL we arrived at 2:30 and got a lot done. I would take advantage of coming in when others are wrapping up lunch by going straight into Fantasyland and working your way around. This is also prime nap time for those that did RD or got there early. Fantasyland and the children's rides were surprisingly busy at night. A lot of locals will come in during the evening hours so grab fastpasses to use then for whatever is left. You may want to do two loops as the park is so small. Grab FP and do rides with lower than normal wait times during the day and skip rides that never seem to have a huge wait. Later in the day when the park gets busier do a second loop using FP and those rides that never seem to have a wait time.

I would hit up a QS place for food, I found the QS to be better here than in WDW. A lot of people bring in food or eat outside so I also never found the same crush of crowds that you see in WDW at QS places. I loved Paint the Night and the fireworks (although when I was there they were canceled 2 out of 4 nights) so the dinner package may be a good way to guarantee your tired kids have a place to sit during the parade.

There is an App and I highly recommend you download this, it lets you check wait times as you go. I used this the week before I went to get an idea about which rides tended to be the most popular and if I noticed any trends (yes dorky I know but I have 30-45 minutes of time to kill while commuting). Before you go I would take a look at all the rides and decide which are your priorities and which you can live without.

These would be my picks for rides based on the children's ages, :

• Disneyland Monorail or
• Disneyland Railroad
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
• "It's a Small World"
• Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Pinocchio's Daring Journey
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Alice in Wonderland
• Jungle Cruise
• Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
• Haunted Mansion
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Most everything in Toontown

 

[thedonduck]

I know adults that have done DL in one day and with children that young you may be ruling out an entire group of rides so you should get a fair amount done. I would skip PH and just stay in DL. DCA I found was better for adult rides and as others said FP there for many things will be gone by 2 or 3pm. That being said my first day at DL we arrived at 2:30 and got a lot done. I would take advantage of coming in when others are wrapping up lunch by going straight into Fantasyland and working your way around. This is also prime nap time for those that did RD or got there early. Fantasyland and the children's rides were surprisingly busy at night. A lot of locals will come in during the evening hours so grab fastpasses to use then for whatever is left. You may want to do two loops as the park is so small. Grab FP and do rides with lower than normal wait times during the day and skip rides that never seem to have a huge wait. Later in the day when the park gets busier do a second loop using FP and those rides that never seem to have a wait time.

I would hit up a QS place for food, I found the QS to be better here than in WDW. A lot of people bring in food or eat outside so I also never found the same crush of crowds that you see in WDW at QS places. I loved Paint the Night and the fireworks (although when I was there they were canceled 2 out of 4 nights) so the dinner package may be a good way to guarantee your tired kids have a place to sit during the parade.

There is an App and I highly recommend you download this, it lets you check wait times as you go. I used this the week before I went to get an idea about which rides tended to be the most popular and if I noticed any trends (yes dorky I know but I have 30-45 minutes of time to kill while commuting). Before you go I would take a look at all the rides and decide which are your priorities and which you can live without.

These would be my picks for rides based on the children's ages, :

• Disneyland Monorail or
• Disneyland Railroad
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
• "It's a Small World"
• Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Pinocchio's Daring Journey
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Alice in Wonderland
• Jungle Cruise
• Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
• Haunted Mansion
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Most everything in Toontown

Thank you thank you thank you! This is exactly the info I am looking for!! My oldest LOVES the thrill rides so I know Space Mountain and Big Thunder will be on his list of wants. But we will have to just see what we can within our limited time.

 

[anonymousegirl]

Dh will be with me and the kids. So I am not concerned there. But thanks for the ride ideas. It is helpful to know what is worth skipping and what isn't since all rides aren't the same.

Good to know you will both be there. FYI, Pirates, and Space Mountain are hugely better here at Dland versus WDW. Also, in Small world, they have added characters to the various countries. Look for Alice in England, Cinderella (in her rags dress) in France, Pinocchio in Italy (Jiminy Cricket is tough to find!), Mulan in China, Woody and Jessie in America, and Lilo and Stitch in South Pacific.

 

[anonymousegirl]

FYI Disneyland Railroad is current closed. Not sure if it will be reopened by August.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Honestly if you can only do arrival day I would skip it all together.

You don't land in SD until 11am. After luggage & rental car acquisition, you'd hit Disneyland at 2pm? (I haven't driven from SD airport to DL before.) Now, if you're going at the beginning of August (or a weekend day) it's a full operating schedule & DL closes at midnight. Y'all could do a lot between 2pm-midnight. However, come later August last year weekdays closed at 11pm, then 10pm, & finally 9pm by Mon Aug 31. Park hours come at the approx 6 week mark. These are last August's hours: http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/park-hours.cfm?month=8&year=2015
If you decide to go for it, I really encourage you to check out the hours before buying your tickets so you know what to expect. Heck, I wouldn't risk buying tickets ahead of time at all. What if the flight is delayed? Cancelled? A traffic accident blocks up the freeway? I'm being such a Debbie downer here but those things do happen, and tickets for the whole family for 1 day at DL is an investment in itself.

Now, if you could get a full day and hit DL at opening I'd say go for it with the plan you're formulating here. You can see a lot in a full day, and the first couple hours are always the best for getting a lot done. If I were to pick 1 TS: Blue Bayou (a nice break for lunch if you end up doing a full day). CS: Plaza Inn or French Market.

 

[jammyjam25]

Since you're planning on attending on your arrival day is it at all possible you can fly into one of the airports near DL instead of flying into San Diego?

 

[Nevada Jen]

I think that's a lot of effort for very little time in the park, not to mention the crowd levels are at their worst at that time of day. I think it's a set up for a bad experience. I would do legoland instead. That said, if you really want to go, I would get park hoppers. Carsland at night is truly amazing. You may be able to get fast passes for rsr still. Only a minimal chance though. Any chance you can fly into Anaheim arriving earlier and then drive to San Diego at the end of the night? Then fly out of san diego? Or take the kids alone one of the days your hubby is in the conference? That would allow you a significantly better experience.

 

[bumbershoot]

I do a lot of crazy things but I wouldn't do that.

That drive is madness.

To not hop means missing bugs land and IMO that's the BEST for littles. Most of fantasyland is actually rather scary. In bugs land as long as you skip "tough to be a bug" it's awesome.

If you can change flights to come in to SNA then I'd consider it. Otherwise I wouldn't.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

This thread will give you a good overview of the similarities and differences between WDW and DLR: A DLR Guide for WDW Vets. Having a better idea of what you'll be dealing with will help you make better plans. As others have suggested, if it is at all possible to add a day or two to your trip for DLR, that would make your visit much more enjoyable. I would worry that your visit might be a disappointing tour of "look at all the things we don't have time to do." The PTN parade and the DF fireworks are worth seeing, but getting a good viewing spot will eat up a chunk of your precious time.

 

[grnflash]

OP - what is your travel date and day of the week? This make a big difference since park hours drop in August. Last year DL hours were till 12 midnight daily until the 24th - then they dropped to 10pm during the week. Also driving mid-day during the week is much easier than on the weekend so that will also make a big difference as to how doable your plan is.

 

[jlwhitney]

No not worth it. You also have to remember the 3hr time change. Come midnight it will be 3am east coast time. Kids are going to be tired wrecks with all the travel and then a long hot day in the parks.

Is there anyway you can take the kids during the week while your DH attends the conference? or fly in earlier or stay after?

 

[MrJT]

FYI Disneyland Railroad is current closed. Not sure if it will be reopened by August.

I thought that wasn't supposed to reopen until some time next year.

 

[CateinPhoenix]

If you do go, I would definitely get a PH. Carsland is not be missed!

 

[anonymousegirl]

I thought that wasn't supposed to reopen until some time next year.

Could be. That is why I said I wasn't sure