Trying to plan

[zoemurr]

our first family trip to DL.

We wanted to go for 2 or 3 days. (Is 2 days enough? We've been to DW 3x and don't really need to do stuff we do there.)

Anyway, we really want to go on 2 weekdays. Do you think there would be a huge difference between Th/F Aug 26/27 and S/Su Aug 28/29?

We also wanted to go to Legoland but the only days we can really go they close at 6pm. Will this work or should we really try to get there on an 8pm closing day?

Thanks!

 

[LisainCalifornia]

If it is at all possible, I would go on the weekdays, and avoid the weekend at all costs. You are really competing with the locals for those weekend days, and the parks can get so full. It is hard to get on your rides when you go on a Saturday or Sunday.

We often go for a 2 day trip. I think it is a nice little block of time, and with disneyland and CA being right across from each other, you can run back and forth and park hop all you want.

I am not sure about the closing time at Legoland. It is a much smaller park with a lot less to see than at Disneyland, so I don't think it would make that much difference for that day to stay till 8:00

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

We have done Legoland easily in one day staying only 10 AM - 5 PM. We were waiting outside the gates before park opening so we could get a good start on the day. This was before the water park was added. We also did not visit the aquarium. If you are not planning on attending these additional cost attractions, then I would say you should have no trouble getting enough out of Legoland on a 6 PM closing day. Our strategy is usually to head to the rides at the back of the park first since most people seem to head to the closest rides first. We find that rides load very slowly at Legoland; they just aren't nearly as efficient as Disney. Our family enjoys Legoland though for what it is, and we feel that the park has its own charm. We would not choose to do it at the end of a Disney trip though since it might seem a bit of a let-down after all the Disney fun.

My personal preference for Disneyland would be to have three days in the park rather than two so as not to feel rushed and to be able to take in all the shows. There will still be summer crowds during your planned visit since many schools will not yet be in session and Disney is planning to be open maximum hours. If you stick with 2 days and stay off-site, go with the weekdays since on Friday at least you will be on even footing with everyone with respect to morning entry. If you buy 2 day tickets and stay on-site, you might want to consider the weekend so you can take advantage of Magic Mornings on both days.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Usually the weekdays would be the better option....but looking at the So Cal AP blockout dates....... both the SoCal AP & SoCal Select AP are blocked on Sat. the 28th. The Select is also blocked the 27 & 29th.

With most of the summer blocked out.....I believe that is the first week they start opening the dates back up. So that makes your dilemma even harder.....Sorry not much help!! But at least it gives you something to think about when deciding! Good luck!

 

[Eeee-va]

Besides not doing rides that are cloned at WDW, what are your priorities? If your priority is nighttime entertainment (particularly World of Color which we'll assume is running, and Fantasmic!), you may be slightly better off including Saturday, 8/28, because there will probably be a lot of annual passholders who had been blocked wanting to see those. At least a couple APs are blocked on Saturday, so that may help quite a bit.

But if your main priorities are daytime attractions, then Thursday and Friday MIGHT be slightly better, because the parks really get busy in the afternoon and even the evening, as people stop by after work.

If it were me, I think I'd try Thursday and Saturday (or if you can do 3 days, Thursday - Saturday). If you need to do consecutive days, then I'd just decide based on nighttime entertainment.

(Oh, and of course you probably know, a lot of rides are similar in both parks, but not the same--like Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain (two that you probably don't want to miss, IMO). If you haven't already, I'd find a good guide as to which rides are better in which park and use it to help plan what you must do.)

Getting there before opening will be key to doing as many attractions as possible.

Have a great time!

 

[zoemurr]

I think we have it figured that we are going W/Th 8/25 and 8/26. We might go back the next week on Tue.

Guess I have to look into "World of Color". Is it like Fantasmic in DW where sometimes there is a huge wait? It is playing 3x those nights. Would it be super hard to get into one of the first two?

This is very last minute and obviously I have a lot of research to do.

Thanks!

 

[Eeee-va]

I think we have it figured that we are going W/Th 8/25 and 8/26. We might go back the next week on Tue.

Guess I have to look into "World of Color". Is it like Fantasmic in DW where sometimes there is a huge wait? It is playing 3x those nights. Would it be super hard to get into one of the first two?

This is very last minute and obviously I have a lot of research to do.

Thanks!

You actually NEED FPs for World of Color (unless you don't mind missing the projections and watch it from the back). There will be a wait to get your Fastpasses unless you buy a picnic "meal"/snack. (In theory you can also buy a pricey dining plan to get a "Preferred" FP for the show, but they're not accepting reservations for those dates right now.)

It is always be a long wait to get in and wait for the show if you want a good place to watch, unless your whole party is at least 5'9 or so. It's kind of a challenge to view but it's a good show. I'd say that the second show is less crowded than the first, and the third is definitely less crowded than the second.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2443719 has a lot of info...it's probably more or less accurate, except there should be 3 shows a night running (like you noticed).

There are also some rumors the show won't be running on your dates at all but I'd take them as rumors until we hear it from someone besides Disney Dining, who doesn't have the best info.

 

[Hound 109]

our first family trip to DL.

We wanted to go for 2 or 3 days. (Is 2 days enough? We've been to DW 3x and don't really need to do stuff we do there.)

Anyway, we really want to go on 2 weekdays. Do you think there would be a huge difference between Th/F Aug 26/27 and S/Su Aug 28/29?

....

Thanks!

As others have said, 3 days is better than 2 & it gets you MM (which would be great to use your first day since you're from the east coast).

Here's the starting point. Read this twice:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599


Then read the rest of Hydroguy's tip threads :

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483


& many of Mary Jo's links offer great info.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1072276


Have a great time planning a visit to Walt's Park.

 

[pixiewings71]

2 days is NOT enough....get a 3 day PH, you'll get MM that way.

 

[azdisneylover]

I would suggest going for 3 days. I didn't see the ages of your children, and I do not know if they require rests, or naps during the day. California reaches it hottests days end of August and in September, so going for 3 days, you can get up early and be there when the gates open, ride rides, park hop, then go to your room to nap, or swim in the pool, then nap. You will then be ready to head out for more fun! This way, even though it may be warm, they will be more shade by all the buildings, etc instead of the middle of the day.
The Alladin play is something many on the boards rave about and shouldn't be missed.
I would highly suggest to do the MM and ride the rides in Fantasyland first because those lines will grow throughout the day.
Also, take your time to see all the details that are there. It is truly amazing. Walt and his imagineers filled every nook and cranny in Disneyland with little gems to feed the eyes with a glorious feast!

 

[zoemurr]

my kids are 9/11 and used to all day DW in August so we should be ok. We have done DW the last 3 years (and we are going in Jan) so our priorities are for what's different in DL.

We are from NY so this is not a Disney vacation.. it's a Cali vaca where we are squeezing in Disney for a few days 'cause the kids are upset we aren't going to FL. DH is "moused" out.

 

[Desert Dwellers]

I think the prime age for Legoland is five. We took our kids there several times when they were little, but by nine or ten, they had no interest in it. Maybe they would be happier with Universal Studios or Knott's.

 

[JaxsonsMom]

Re: Legoland, I think someone said it above, it is very easy to do Legoland in a short day. I am local to Legoland and go on Sundays and do about 85% of the park in about 4 hours. It isn't that big and usually not that crowded.

 

[Lissame]

We just went to Legoland a couple of weeks ago. My kids are 10 and 11 (my son is an 11 year old Lego fanatic). I'd say, if your children are huge Lego fans, they might enjoy some of the rides. There are a couple--like Knight's Tournament--that require you to be older/taller. But you will easily be able to do the park in a short day, because there are many of the smaller "kiddie" type rides that you'll likely skip.

I'd second the recommendation to head to the back of the park first to do the dragon coaster and the Techniq car ride, as well as the Knight's tournament and Aqua Raiders. Those (along with the pirate ship water cannon ride) have the biggest appeal to older kids and the lines get quite long later in the day.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I think older kids can enjoy Legoland. Just depends on what the kids are like. My boys are almost 9 and almost 11. They've been to Legoland 5 or 6 times since they were 2 and 4; the last trip was last summer and they still enjoyed it very much. They are the kind of kids though who will spend an hour walking around Miniland scrutinizing every detail. They want to take pictures of or get their pictures taken with all the different big Lego models. They also went to the Mindstorms class and loved that. We bypass the really kiddie rides, but my boys still get a kick out of driving their own car on the Lego racetrack and riding the "thrill" rides that the park has to offer. They like the different family type rides too, especially the stuff that involves kid and grown-up power like the fire engines and the Skycoaster. If your kids are big Lego fans, there's enough to do for a day trip. We can usually do all we want from 10-4 or 10-5.