I have always used the WDW version so I bought the DL version for our trip in August. I'm using that book and this site to plan for the trip so I'd appreciate it if you'd mention any of the obvious errors in the DL version so that I don't rely on them! Please?
This will be a little bit long, but here are some things that I've noticed:
Enchanted Tiki Room is
not better at MK; it's "far superior" at DL.
Magic Mornings are Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun. (
Not Monday.)
In early 2009, the FP machines for Grizzly River Run have been connected.
The UG doesn't mention that DL's and DCA's FP networks are not connected; so you can get a FP at one park, walk to the other park, and right away get another FP.
Update: Golden Dreams is now closed.
Update:
Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years is being refurbed -- it will hopefully return in late-Sept 2009.
Ugly Bug Ball (in DCA) is closed. (It closed in 2005 or 2006.)
The Height Requirement for Autopia is 54-inches. (
Not 52-inches.)
Mickey does not go to character meals.
Update: The Vineyard Room is closed.
Update: Burger Invasion (in DCA) is closed.
Update: Yamabuki (Japanese Restaurant) is closing.
JMHO: The Carnation Cafe does
not have "one of the best cups of coffee in the Kingdom."
Update: Starabilias Gallery, Department 56, Club Libby Lu, and Illuminations (in DTD) are closed.
Update: The Secret of the Stone Tiger stage show (in The Oasis) is closed. No word yet on when or if
Aladdin and Jasmine's Story Tale Adventures will be returning.
La Petite Patisserie is closed. (It closed in 2004)
The UG mentions Fort Wilderness a few times, but Fort Wilderness is not open to Guests.
Splash Mountain has Single Rider.
Rancho del Zocalo does
not serve ribs.
River Belle Terrace does
not serve roast chicken or pasta.
The UG recommends riding Dumbo, and
then Peter Pan. Geesh, every one knows: Peter Pan first... always first. (Then Dumbo.
)
Update: Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough opened in Nov 2008.
In April, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is opening in what was the "Once Upon A Time...The Disney Princess Shoppe" -- the UG said that it was opening in the castle.
The UG says that
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience is "exceptionally popular" and to see it before 11am; but HISTA is a "see anytime" attraction.
The UG says that Star Tours has an age requirement of 3-years, but from what I can tell it only has a height requirement of 40 inches.
Update: Parade of Dreams is now closed. The "Celebrate! A Street Party" non-parade parade stated on March 27, 2009.
DL does
not have any type of Easter parade.
Update:
Remember...Dreams Come True fireworks show will be closing in spring 2009. (Right now the DLR calendar only goes to early May, and RDCT is still on the calendar.
)
Update: Triton's Garden is closed, and was replaced with Pixie Hollow with Tinkerbell and friends.
The UG recommends riding Space Mtn and Buzz Lightyear during Magic Mornings, but both of those have FastPass, so it seems like a waste of early entry time. JMHO it would be better to use the Magic Morning early entry time for Fantasyland or maybe Finding Nemo.
If you are going to Finding Nemo at park opening, when you get to the central hub, don't enter Tomorrowland. The line for Finding Nemo goes toward the Matterhorn. Instead, walk toward the Matterhorn and follow the CM's directions.
For Main Street, the UG doesn't mention some of the shops and stores on Main Street.
The UG hardly mentions anything about snacks -- Dole Whips at the Tiki Juice Bar, cream cheese filled pretzels near IASW, etc.
For DCA, the UG says that on "especially busy days" the Golden Gateway area and Condor Flats area is open 30 minutes early, at 9:30am -- but DCA's gates open (for these areas)
every day -- not just "especially busy days." At 9:30 you can ride and/or get a FastPass for Soarin'.
In the Animation Building, the UG does not mention the
Toy Story Zeotrope.
In
Soarin', the floor does
not drop away.
Instead, the seats are raised ~40 feet.
Update: In the Golden Vine Winery, the short film
Seasons of the Vine is closed. Instead, it has the Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar DCA preview center.
Grizzly River Run has "Single Rider."
Update: The "giant Mickey head" was removed from
California Screamin'. Screamin' has Single Rider.
The Maliboomer is
not the tallest structure in the park -- ToT is taller.
Toy Story Midway Mania does
not have FastPass, but it does have Single Rider.
Update: the UG says that TSMM does not "get jammed until about 50 to 70 minutes after park opening." But TSMM gets very busy, very early. (To be fair, TSMM opened before this year's edition of the UG was published.)
Disney's Electrical Parade is seasonal. It's usually shown nightly during spring break and on weekends in the spring [and also the summer and the end of December], but this year it's getting a refurb and it's expected to open on Friday, June 12, 2009.
The UG doesn't have any photographs. FWIW, the first edition of
The Disneyland Encyclopedia by Chris Strodder has 300 photos and some very good drawings. The DL Encylopedia is a fun read, and it's an excellent source of good information. Highly recommended.
Sorry for being so long.
HTH
last fall. I read most of it on the plane! Helped me know which attractions I wanted to see most and gave me a starting point each day.
Really? We use the fast pass option at Hollywood Studios at WDW to ride it several times in a day.
