WDW Vet in Disneyland

[cuchu2005]

Hi. I'm from Argentina. This is my first post in the DL Forum. I've been reading it a lot, especially one of the sticky posts with all the tips, maps and comparisons.

We've been lots of times to WDW, and obviously we move like fish in water there.

Now, we'll be taking a vacation on Hawaii, and we'll stop 3 days in LA on our way back to Buenos Aires.

We want to go to the parks. DW has been there long ago, and I have never been.

We are planners. We know it will be busy (going on Feb 24th and 25th, just after President's day).

Can we do both parks in 2 days? We have not discussed much yet, but I think we should head for attractions exclusive to CA, and only do one or two existant at WDW (HM, Splash, Space, Pirates). Ok, those are four.

I need to know the touring pattern, especially the hopping part. At WDW we don't add the hopper option, as we consider it troublesome to be moving from park to park.

I know that at WDW you hit rope drop, go to Fantasyland first, go to attractions not offering FP and run for Fast Passes at every open window available, use them later.

What are the attractions we should head to first?

Do World of Color and Fantasmic need a special plan? In DHS you have the F! Package to have reserved seats, or you have to stand in line like 60 mins previous to show.

I'm suscribed to Touring Plans.

We have two DDs (2 and 6), so swapping is on the list.

Thank you very much in advance.

Mx

 

[sonnyjane]

You say you'll be stopping over in LA for three days. Is that 3 full days? If so, I'd really recommend getting a 3-day park hopper ticket instead of a 2 day. 2 days can feel a bit rushed.

Also, there was a recent thread on this, but don't limit yourself to just the rides that are exclusive to Disneyland/California Adventure. Most of them have their own special differences. Soarin' is exactly the same, so you might not have to worry about that one, but other than that, most are worth checking out at both places.

The other benefit of having a 3-day park hopper is that you'll get one Magic Morning entry (entrance to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland an hour before the park opens to the general public). This is a great time to do Fantasyland.

As far as a touring strategy, the parks are literally across from each other - it takes about 90 seconds to walk from gate to gate, so don't be afraid to hop! DCA opens a bit later than DL, so most people start at DL, collect fastpasses and ride some rides, then head to DCA after a few hours to continue hitting rides and collecting FP's there. Then you can take a break to the hotel or continue hopping back and forth between the two using FP's and collecting more throughout the day.

Yes, F! and WOC require planning. To view WOC from the designated viewing area, you will need a fastpass. These can be acquired for free at the Grizzly River Rapids machines. There are a few other viewing options available as well. It's a bit confusing, so check out this superthread if you haven't already: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2542717

Fantasmic! has the dessert seating which is $59 per person, but other than that, the rest of the viewing is open and people can pick out a spot well in advance to ensure they get a good spot, especially on weekends. Diehards will set down a blanket and wait on the steps for a couple of hours if it's a busy day!

 

[jdb in AZ]

If you check out the 5th sticky note in this forum, HydroGuy has a whole lotta info about Disneyland for WDW vets.

 

[HydroGuy]

If you check out the 5th sticky note in this forum, HydroGuy has a whole lotta info about Disneyland for WDW vets.

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

 

[scarlet_ibis]

We are WDW who just got back from DL and loved it. We spent 3 park days and I wish I had had more time. I, too, wanted to hit the DL exclusives, but was WOWed by many of the attractions that are, in name, the same as WDW.

Haunted Holiday Mansion was exquisite, as was Small World. It was neat done up for the holidays and there were two separate light shows on the facade, but even without the holiday decor, they have incorporated Disney theming into the ride where appropriate. (See if you can spot the character dolls!) Toontown still exists and is an entire city. It was candy for the eyes. The story in the Winnie the Pooh ride was a little different at the end.

Some things we noticed: DL and CA don't make good use of the Fast Pass option. It wasn't terribly crowded when we were there and we weren't running to get FP all the time. Toy Story Mania doesn't even have FP. Very few rides did.

The main gates are about 100 yards apart. If you're staying at one of the DL resorts (not sure what's available if you're staying elsewhere), you can get into CA through the Grand Californian. There's also a monorail stop near the DL resort in DTD that will take you to Tomorrowland next to the Nemo subs and Autopia. There was never any line to get in there, although monorail service was spotty when we were there. (They kept breaking down.)

Fantasmic was a ZOO. It's done in the lagoon around Tom Sawyer Island, so the walkway gets roped off and it's just crowded. We didn't see the show, but it was madness just trying to enjoy the park when people were staking claim to their spots 2+ hours before the show.

I HATED World of Color. There are no seats. Standing room only. I am 5'4" and I have a back problem. I spent 30+ minutes looking at the middle of the back of the giant standing in front of me, with a 30+ lb toddler on my shoulders, and we had a Fastpass. DH did some research and feels we should get a WOC Dining Package if we want to try that again.

Just went back and read that you have a 2 and 6 year old. My kids are 8,6, and 2, so we did some swapping as well. Actually, mostly just fastpassing with no need to baby swap. You'll find that some attractions have a single rider line, which helps when you have non-riders in your party.

 

[Hound 109]

Tack on an extra day & do four days. (& if you can't tack on a fourth day, I agree that you should do a 3 day hopper....even if it is only 2.5 days). Lots of reasons why a 3 day hopper (for a 2.5 day visit) is better than a 2 day hopper.

I agree that you should read HG's thread linked above & below....in fact, read it twice.

Here is some other good basic info for the first time DLR visitor that I've posted before:

If you are a WDW veteran, then here is your primer.....a must read!!:

HydroGuy's "DLR for the WDW veteran tip thread". http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

Also, lots of good info for the WDW vet in Mary Jo's tip thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=802084


Regarding touring DLR....the two most important things to remember is to:

- Get to the parks BEFORE opening &
- Know how to use FP at DLR.


30 minutes early is typically when security opens (so getting in THIS line 5-15 minutes prior to security opening is best). Being one of the first 8-10 families at Security will get you up front (probably first thru third family) in line at the DL turnstile. Being very near the front of the turnstiles is important (to me) so that:

- If it's an MM day, I'm first on Peter Pan...if i'm first on PP then the rest of MM flows easily. & even if i'm not doing PP, i would want to be first on Matterhorn...or SM (or whatever) during MM.

"Critique of MM/EE" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1392671


- Even on a non MM day, I want to be one of the first few the turnstiles so i can get to the ST, SM (or Indy) FP machine first (to start the FP collection clock). Then we'll hop on our first ride a minute or two later & begin the important first 90-120 min. of the day at DLR.

Get to the Security Tent 35-45 min. prior to general admission (or MM) opening.....in other words... get there 5-15 min before SECURITY opens so you can be one of the first thru the turnstiles.



KNOW THESE FP THREADS:

"Getting the Most Out of FastPass During High Season" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=885132

"FastPass for Dummies and Smarties - A Photographic Explanation" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1186052

"Which Fast Pass First?" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1107718

"Strategies For Using DL and DCA Opening Time Differences to Collect More Fastpasses"
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1553197


"Why I Park Hop" http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1491961


If you have kiddos ages 4-11, then Jedi Training is a must:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1478699

Have a great time at Walt's park.