Two days at Disneyland Resort after 7 years...questions!

[maxiv]

Hey guys,

I'll give you some background info first.
I am from Germany, I used to be a cast member at EPCOT in 2007.
So, I know my way around WDW somewhat well, but I haven't been since 2012 - so I haven't seen all the new exciting stuff and new ways of booking things.

I've been to Disneyland once in 2009, so I'm somewhat familiar with the much smaller scale of the resort.

It has come up that I might be able to spend a weekend in late September in Disneyland.
My plan would be to fly over from Germany arriving Friday afternoon and stay until Sunday evening before I need to fly to San Francisco.

So here are a few questions:

1) What planning measures would you recommend me to take beforehand?
2) Where should I buy tickets to save the most money?
3) I am not against spending a bit of money, since it is special trip to me - but paying $500 extra for two nights just to stay at a Disney hotel seems a bit much for me. So, right now I'm looking at the Desert in. What do you think?
4) Will I be able to enter Galaxy's Edge?
5) Am I right that there are no Fastpasses for Galaxy's Edge? Stand-by everything?
6) How do dining reservations work currently?

I'm sure there'll be more questions, but I'm looking forward to your input and further disccussion!

All the best,
Max

 

[theluckyrabbit]

1) Start with this classic thread: A DLR Guide for WDW Vets. Lots of great information there! That thread is pre-SWGE, but should still be very helpful.
2) Look at Mousesavers.com for discounts on tickets from legitimate, authorized third party vendors. Also look at Last Minute Travel Club (LMT Club) for the lowest discounts on multi-day tickets right now -- don't pay for a membership -- just use Google to search for a free code. I assume you'll be wanting 3 day tickets (part of Friday, Saturday, Sunday)? 3+ day tickets get a MM at DL (FL & TL only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays -- so you would get your MM on Saturday). Park hoppers will get you the most advantage if you'll be using MaxPass ("Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" by @Skyegirl1999 - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/).
3) For hotel info: "Choosing the Right DLR Area Hotel for You" www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-hotel-for-you.3656512/
DI&S gets overall good reviews here -- not fancy, basic, great location.
4) If you get to the parks early -- think rope drop -- I assume you will be able to enter GE, since the reservation period will be long over by September. But no one knows yet how general entry and the virtual queue system will work since they haven't been tested yet. Keep reading this forum for the latest news and updates on this.
5) Correct. Currently MFSR is standby only -- no FP.
6) TS and Dining Package reservations usually open 60 days out -- sometimes a little later than that.

 

[nkereina]

We just completed our first trip two weeks ago.

1) What planning measures would you recommend me to take beforehand?

Coming from being a WDW vet, I struggled most with understanding which rides should be priority in the morning, which FPs were priority, what order I should do rides in to avoid long standby waits. What helped a lot with this is following Disneyland Daily's touring plans. After the first day or two in the parks, I pretty much got the hang of things and understand which attractions were the biggest priorities for us.

2) Where should I buy tickets to save the most money?

We bought ours from Undercover Tourist. They are discounted, though I'm not sure if they're the cheapest out there.

3) I am not against spending a bit of money, since it is special trip to me - but paying $500 extra for two nights just to stay at a Disney hotel seems a bit much for me. So, right now I'm looking at the Desert in. What do you think?

We also had a hard time justifying the cost of an on-site hotel. We didn't find the perks on-site were as significant as WDW's on-site perks. We stayed across the street at the Tropicana and have no regrets. The price was great and the resort was sufficient.

We did visit all three on-site resorts while there. The only one that seemed worthwhile to us was the Grand Californian, but I'm still not sure we'd spend the money. We really enjoyed the beauty and theme of the resort, and the entry gate to DCA was convenient. The walkway to DTD was also nice, but once we found that entry to have a pretty long security line back-up. Disneyland Hotel was very pretty, but the walk seemed just as long as our walk from Tropicana, so we found it to have a lesser value to us. Paradise Pier we didn't care for at all - seemed like your average hotel, long-ish walk, nothing special about it. If I hadn't known before entering, I wouldn't have guessed it was a Disney hotel.

6) How do dining reservations work currently?

I made my dining reservations around 40 days out and tweaked some about 30 days out. I had no issue getting what I wanted, but not sure how its going now with Galaxy's Edge being open.

 

[Lin82]

If you are concerned about what to prioritize, what gets really busy quickly etc. I always reccomend to get the Disneyland app a week or two before you get there and keep an eye on the wait times it shows.