WDW vet returns from DLR.......a review

[TinkBride]

Just back from DLR! As a WDW vet with a lot of experience with WDW, I tried really hard to visit DLR with a fresh set of eyes and be un-biased in my perception of the resort. I will start with our first day. We visited CA first, and based on the entrance, I was a little underwhelmed. Granted, this is a temporary issue and I was aware that there would be a lot of construction going on at the entrance, but……wow.

We arrived about 10:30 and the park was EMPTY. We walked onto Monsters, Inc. , then HTOT, then the new Little Mermaid ride. As a diehard LM fan, I was really excited about this attraction. It was totally adorable and I loved it. Monsters was good, but not much beyond that, if we had little ones in tow, I am sure it would have been more of a hit. HTOT was decent, but I think the WDW has a slight edge over the CA version.

After those three we headed to the Pier and started to get in line for Screamin’ FP, but a couple handed us ones before we were able to get our own. We walked right onto CS, and it was GREAT! Such a smooth roller coaster. Right after getting off, we got another FP for early afternoon. We then headed to TSMM. The wait was 40 mins, and we waited every bit of that 40 mins, if not longer. Carbon copy of the WDW version, but still cute and fun. (Not worth a 40 min. wait IMHO, but DH just HAD to ride it.) Next we grabbed lunch at the pizza place across from the swings. Food was typical park food, not inedible, but not fantastic. By this time, our FP for screamin were good, so we headed back and rode again.

After that we were off to GRR. Oddly enough we did not get very wet. Which was good, because we enjoyed the ride and didn’t get soaked. Although, I would not use our experience as a benchmark, because everyone else getting off the ride was drenched. We then headed to Soarin’ and enjoyed that. Same thing as WDW, but still a fave for us.

At this point, it was about 3:30 and we had dinner reservations for 7:20 at Ariel’s. And. We. Were. Done. So we headed to the GC to check out the resort. Beautiful resort and nice comfy chairs to hang out in. We sat there for about ½ hour and relaxed. The resort very much felt like Wilderness Lodge at WDW which was great, because it is one of our faves. We decided if we came back we would stay there.

We headed back to the park and just kinda hung around, took in Muppets 3D, and re-rode some of the rides. At 7:00 we went to Ariels to check in, and decided to have a drink at the Cove. And they had my Superfruit Maragrita I fell in love with on our trip to WDW last November, so I was one happy girl. Ate the seafood/meat app, the tri tip, and the WOC dessert, and was a little disappointed. (Mind you, I was getting a killer migraine, and not feeling great.) Hubby liked it, but was not in love. Got our WOC FP and headed to the ridiculousness that is the WOC waiting corral. C’mon Disney, you can’t get a better system in place? That was just plain madness, and had no organization to the way they were grouping people. WOC was magnificent, but I gotta say the process of being able to see it almost ruined an awesome show.

Day 2 – we arrived at DL around 11:30 AM…….eek. So much for being rope droppers. But, it did not matter one bit. It was a good day, and we hardly waited for anything. We literally accomplished everything we wanted in the 10 hours we were there. Couple of notes: Main Street USA was so amazingly above and beyond WDW main street. I think a lot of this had to do with the castle. With the castle being so much smaller, your eyes were drawn to more on Main Street, and less on the castle. So, I think I was able to immerse myself more in the Main Street experience. Something I never do at WDW.

The castle……….what a shocker. I was prepared for small, but WOW. But not a bad wow, just…wow. It seemed so quaint and charming, not at all lesser of a castle, just different. It took A LOT of getting used to to not see the castle from every land, but it was so nice at the same time. It made the land you were in feel like it’s own little world. The lands were so compact. Sometimes this was great (immersion, theming etc.) other times it was just a plain hassle (crowded walkways, etc.)

The standouts: Indiana Jones……..LOVE! Great ride. POTC. Holey moley the WDW version will just never compare. Hands down so much better than WDW.

HM and Splash……….*sigh* maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me and DH, but these rides seemed to move at a higher speed than the WDW versions. DH joked that Splash logs were really jet skis compared to WDW logs. I prefer the WDW HM and Splash over the DLR version, but I just chalk that up to personal preference. Winnie the Pooh……I kept waiting to bounce with Tigger……and was sad when I didn’t. But I like the loading area better at DLR. Fantasyland was basically neither here nor there for me in comparison to WDW. Except for the obvious. Mr. Toad. I have very specific memories from my first trip to WDW at 3 years old of this ride, and it was so nice to see Mr. Toad again. WDW really screwed that one up. IASW……..love the DLR version. With the Disney characters interspersed through the ride – so cute.

Space Mountain……..I know I am going to get criticized, flamed, and probably bashed for this one. I like WDW better. Call me crazy. Call me delusional. But, I was just not seeing how the DLR version was sooooo much better. Yeah there is music, but I was not a fan. I like how at WDW you can hear the screams in the dark from the other riders.

Tomorrowland – one question. WHY oh WHY would they move the rockets to the entrance of tomorrowland? It creates such madness at the entrance and it is just unnecessary.

Fireworks……DLR . So. Much. Better. Tinkerbell flies TWICE!? And AROUND the castle? And don’t even get me started on Dumbo. When I caught my first glimpse of Dumbo I burst into tears.

Our third day – we basically went back through and re-rode everything we wanted to catch again at both DL and CA.

All in all – the crowds were great, the longest we waited for anything was 40 minutes. We saw everything we were interested in seeing in 2.5 days (remember we have no kids)and that was nearly everything – even Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train and the Storybook Canal Boats. There were some ride breakdowns, but nothing that was not fixed promptly. (1-2 hours at most). It was typical for any park I have ever been to.

To sum up my obnoxious rambling……….DLR is a quality experience. Every Disney fan should go at least once. At the end of the day, I prefer WDW. But, I strongly believe that the park you grew up with, have your earliest memories of, etc. will always hold a dear place in your heart. I actually found myself preferring the experience of “commuting” from park to park. It felt a little weird to not have to get on a monorail or boat to get to MK (or DL). I prefer the distance between parks at WDW because I feel like you have a more unique experience of that park. Personal opinion.

DL was fantastic, it had the nostalgia and magic I knew it would. CA……..I really could have done without. While nice to visit for a first time, I probably would not concern myself with a repeat visit to CA. I learned that a return visit to DLR will always be coupled with another trip (being that we are from Indiana.). Whereas WDW is our ONLY destination when we plan a trip there.
DH said he was okay with never returning to DLR, but he is not as Disney-centric as I am. And he doesn’t get all excited about it being Walt’s park. He felt that WDW held more magic and he enjoyed it more.

DLR was beautiful and so charming. If you love Disney, and you love Walt, and everything that Walt hoped for in his park…….you must…….MUST……visit DLR in your lifetime. Regardless of what you prefer your “home” park to be, you owe it to yourself to see where it all began. And you may find that you are pleasantly surprised by the charm that DLR has. Something I don’t know if WDW will ever be able to capture.

 

[disneychic2]

I'm so glad you didn't come on here bashing DL! Thank you for your honest opinions on what you encountered. I'm glad that overall you enjoyed your visit. I was there when I was 15...a few years ago. But I would like to visit again soon. Thanks for the report!

 

[TinkBride]

I'm so glad you didn't come on here bashing DL! Thank you for your honest opinions on what you encountered. I'm glad that overall you enjoyed your visit. I was there when I was 15...a few years ago. But I would like to visit again soon. Thanks for the report!

I thought long and hard about my opinions, and really did not feel that there was anything to bash. A lot of my opinions came down to personal preference, and after thinking about it realizing that personal preference is probably tied to come kind of memory or emotion that someone else may not have had or experienced. I really don't understand the arguing and bashing that goes on regarding the 2 resorts. Both are unique in their own ways, and both have their flaws.

 

[aristocat65]

So glad you enjoyed your visit and your review was very honest. WDW and DLR are ARE 2 very different experiences. We love them both for different reasons.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Sounds like you had a wonderful time! Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[Hound 109]

I agree with DisneyChic2. A very balanced review from a WDW vet who loves WDW (& recognizes that DLR was Walt's park ).

Thanks for posting this TinkBride.


Since other WDW vets might read this (or refer to this), I will offer a few comments in the post below:

Just back from DLR! As a WDW vet with a lot of experience with WDW, I tried really hard to visit DLR with a fresh set of eyes and be un-biased in my perception of the resort. I will start with our first day. We visited CA first, and based on the entrance, I was a little underwhelmed.

My opinion is that a WDW vet (or anyone) should ALWAYS visit Walt's park first. If only for an hour. If plans take you to DCA that first day, it's only a 5 min. hop.

Granted, this is a temporary issue and I was aware that there would be a lot of construction going on at the entrance, but……wow.

Construction or no construction....Main Street (& collect a FP for later) first. (always first ).


We arrived about 10:30 and the park was EMPTY. We walked onto Monsters, Inc. , then HTOT, then the new Little Mermaid ride. As a diehard LM fan, I was really excited about this attraction. It was totally adorable and I loved it.

Good to know....looking forward to riding this.


Monsters was good, but not much beyond that, if we had little ones in tow, I am sure it would have been more of a hit.

I think it's a great little ride if you have kids....& i agree with your take.


HTOT was decent, but I think the WDW has a slight edge over the CA version.

I (& most everyone else) would agree.


After those three we headed to the Pier and started to get in line for Screamin’ FP, but a couple handed us ones before we were able to get our own. We walked right onto CS, and it was GREAT! Such a smooth roller coaster. Right after getting off, we got another FP for early afternoon.

Fun coaster. & if you wanted to geek on it further, you & hubby could have done single rider for multiple rides.


We then headed to TSMM. The wait was 40 mins, and we waited every bit of that 40 mins, if not longer. Carbon copy of the WDW version, but still cute and fun.

This is my take as well. & 35-40 min. seems to be the norm after 11am. (& thanks for not complaining about no FP....)


(Not worth a 40 min. wait IMHO, but DH just HAD to ride it.) Next we grabbed lunch at the pizza place across from the swings. Food was typical park food, not inedible, but not fantastic. By this time, our FP for screamin were good, so we headed back and rode again.

After that we were off to GRR. Oddly enough we did not get very wet.

That is VERY unusual. How do you like it compared with Kali? (i prefer Griz by a little bit).


Which was good, because we enjoyed the ride and didn’t get soaked. Although, I would not use our experience as a benchmark, because everyone else getting off the ride was drenched. We then headed to Soarin’ and enjoyed that. Same thing as WDW, but still a fave for us.

What was your standby wait at Soarin'? (most of us will FP Soarin')


At this point, it was about 3:30 and we had dinner reservations for 7:20 at Ariel’s. And. We. Were. Done.

See!!!!.....I told you you should start at DL. (did you not park hop on your visit??)


So we headed to the GC to check out the resort. Beautiful resort and nice comfy chairs to hang out in. We sat there for about ½ hour and relaxed. The resort very much felt like Wilderness Lodge at WDW which was great, because it is one of our faves. We decided if we came back we would stay there.

Agreed. great place to relax for an hour. I also would love to stay there sometime.


We headed back to the park and just kinda hung around, took in Muppets 3D, and re-rode some of the rides. At 7:00 we went to Ariels to check in, and decided to have a drink at the Cove. And they had my Superfruit Maragrita I fell in love with on our trip to WDW last November, so I was one happy girl. Ate the seafood/meat app, the tri tip, and the WOC dessert, and was a little disappointed. (Mind you, I was getting a killer migraine, and not feeling great.) Hubby liked it, but was not in love. Got our WOC FP and headed to the ridiculousness that is the WOC waiting corral. C’mon Disney, you can’t get a better system in place? That was just plain madness, and had no organization to the way they were grouping people. WOC was magnificent, but I gotta say the process of being able to see it almost ruined an awesome show.

Day 2 – we arrived at DL around 11:30 AM…….eek.

.....to other WDW vets visiting DLR....this is NOT the preferred arrival time. Be early & be productive.

Great that you still were able to tour effectively though.


So much for being rope droppers. But, it did not matter one bit. It was a good day, and we hardly waited for anything. We literally accomplished everything we wanted in the 10 hours we were there. Couple of notes: Main Street USA was so amazingly above and beyond WDW main street. I think a lot of this had to do with the castle. With the castle being so much smaller, your eyes were drawn to more on Main Street, and less on the castle. So, I think I was able to immerse myself more in the Main Street experience. Something I never do at WDW.

The castle……….what a shocker. I was prepared for small, but WOW. But not a bad wow, just…wow. It seemed so quaint and charming, not at all lesser of a castle, just different. It took A LOT of getting used to to not see the castle from every land, but it was so nice at the same time. It made the land you were in feel like it’s own little world. The lands were so compact. Sometimes this was great (immersion, theming etc.) other times it was just a plain hassle (crowded walkways, etc.)

Good take on the castle & the "compactness" of DL. (but us lovers of Walt's park like it. )


The standouts: Indiana Jones……..LOVE! Great ride. POTC. Holey moley the WDW version will just never compare. Hands down so much better than WDW.

HM and Splash……….*sigh* maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me and DH, but these rides seemed to move at a higher speed than the WDW versions. DH joked that Splash logs were really jet skis compared to WDW logs. I prefer the WDW HM and Splash over the DLR version, but I just chalk that up to personal preference. Winnie the Pooh……I kept waiting to bounce with Tigger……and was sad when I didn’t. But I like the loading area better at DLR. Fantasyland was basically neither here nor there for me in comparison to WDW. Except for the obvious. Mr. Toad. I have very specific memories from my first trip to WDW at 3 years old of this ride, and it was so nice to see Mr. Toad again. WDW really screwed that one up. IASW……..love the DLR version. With the Disney characters interspersed through the ride – so cute.

I agree on Toady & IASW. Did you ride Pinocchio? Alice? The Teacups? Roger Rabbit? (too bad the Matterhorn was down .)

I saw that you rode Storybookland....how did you like it?

Space Mountain……..I know I am going to get criticized, flamed, and probably bashed for this one. I like WDW better. Call me crazy. Call me delusional. But, I was just not seeing how the DLR version was sooooo much better. Yeah there is music, but I was not a fan. I like how at WDW you can hear the screams in the dark from the other riders.

Tomorrowland – one question. WHY oh WHY would they move the rockets to the entrance of tomorrowland? It creates such madness at the entrance and it is just unnecessary.

I agree. Astro Orbiter should be moved.


Fireworks……DLR . So. Much. Better. Tinkerbell flies TWICE!? And AROUND the castle? And don’t even get me started on Dumbo. When I caught my first glimpse of Dumbo I burst into tears.

Our third day – we basically went back through and re-rode everything we wanted to catch again at both DL and CA.

All in all – the crowds were great, the longest we waited for anything was 40 minutes.

Cool.


We saw everything we were interested in seeing in 2.5 days (remember we have no kids)and that was nearly everything – even Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train and the Storybook Canal Boats. There were some ride breakdowns, but nothing that was not fixed promptly. (1-2 hours at most). It was typical for any park I have ever been to.

Heimlich's cracks me up. Did you not park hop any of the 3 days??


To sum up my obnoxious rambling……….DLR is a quality experience. Every Disney fan should go at least once. At the end of the day, I prefer WDW. But, I strongly believe that the park you grew up with, have your earliest memories of, etc. will always hold a dear place in your heart. I actually found myself preferring the experience of “commuting” from park to park. It felt a little weird to not have to get on a monorail or boat to get to MK (or DL). I prefer the distance between parks at WDW because I feel like you have a more unique experience of that park. Personal opinion.

DL was fantastic, it had the nostalgia and magic I knew it would. CA……..I really could have done without. While nice to visit for a first time, I probably would not concern myself with a repeat visit to CA. I learned that a return visit to DLR will always be coupled with another trip (being that we are from Indiana.). Whereas WDW is our ONLY destination when we plan a trip there.
DH said he was okay with never returning to DLR, but he is not as Disney-centric as I am. And he doesn’t get all excited about it being Walt’s park. He felt that WDW held more magic and he enjoyed it more.

DLR was beautiful and so charming. If you love Disney, and you love Walt, and everything that Walt hoped for in his park…….you must…….MUST……visit DLR in your lifetime. Regardless of what you prefer your “home” park to be, you owe it to yourself to see where it all began. And you may find that you are pleasantly surprised by the charm that DLR has. Something I don’t know if WDW will ever be able to capture.

Great review. It's ok to prefer your home park. (we won't throw rocks at you ).

Where did you all stay?

Did you start any of the days at 8am in DL?

Thanks again.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks for your feedback. I will chalk up your preference for WDW's Space Mtn to the after effects of the migraine.

Anyhoo, yes I do believe it is documented somewhere that the logs at DL's Splash Mtn move quite a bit faster. Or put another way since Splash Mtn was built at DL first and then later at WDW they move slower at WDW.

Regarding WOC, believe it or not they just improved the queueing system in early August. What you saw was the improved system and not the disaster it was before that. Frankly it is still a challenge but is much better organized now. FWIW I just updated the OP in the WOC Superthread to reflect this.

You made a very astute observation about the DL castle and Main Street that I had sensed but never been able to put my finger on. I noticed this at MK last March. Their castle it too big. By this I mean it dominates Main Street at MK. This bothered me the whole time but as I said I never could quite figure it out. I think you are right that the smaller DL castle allows you to take in Main Street a little more. At MK it is harder to take in Main Street because of the castle. Not to knock MK's Cinderella castle. The Memories show they do at night on the castle there is much better than I expected. It is just the interaction of Main Street and the castle gives you a different feeling between the two parks.

You also nailed the DL Tomorrowland fiasco that is Astro Orbiters. The boneheads in charge of DL in the 90's decided this would be a good idea when they "reimagined" Tomorrowland. Not only did we lose the Rocket Jets over Tomorrowland but we inherited this ride that clutters DL's already narrow walkways.

FWIW there have been rumors that DL will fix this and get rid of Astro Orbiters and improve Tomorrowland. TL has improved a ton over the last six years. Space Mtn was redone. ST was redone. BLAB was added. And the Subs were re-opened. So TL is much, much, MUCH better than in 2004. But it still has room for improvement - including bringing back the People Mover or doing something with that overhead track.

Thanks!

 

[TinkBride]

Hound - to answer your questions......we stayed in freaking Norco....and it took us about 45 mins each way to get to the parks. Sore subject, and hubby finally agreed with me that is was a stupid decision. But.....it was free.....so what can i say? So......the answer to your other question is no, we never entered the parks before 10:00 AM. Crazy - I know. And I would NEVER recommend this. While it worked out for us, it would have been madness had the crowds been heavier, or if we had children with us. I think we just really lucked out.

GRR compared to Kali - I think GRR wins.

Standby at Soarin was only 20 mins, and that moved quicker than 20 mins. Maybe more like 15 mins.

We park hopped on our last day......I forgot to add during our "waiting" time on our first day we took in the Aladdin show. We got killer seats smack dab in the middle right on the aisle where the performers walk (elephant, etc.) Genie totally stole the show. Extremely good show. We lined up about 1/2 hour before the show.

We did manage to ride all of the Fantasyland rides, except for Matterhorn (obviously).......I am still a little bitter over that. We caught the canal boats RIGHT after the parade and we were on the first boat to leave the dock after the parade. It was really cute, and kind of amazing how they created those little villages to look exactly like the movies and stories.

HydroGuy - I knew I was not crazy regarding those Splash logs...... The castle observation hit me as soon as we walked into the park and I notice all the Main Street details and did not even glance at the castle until we got to the end of the street. And I actually said to my husband "wow, I don't think I ever spent that much time on WDW's main street......"

 

[TinkBride]

Sorry - one more thing - if I could do it over again, I would absolutely visit DL first. Escpecially as a WDW vet. I didn't feel like I was at a Disney park until the 2nd day when we went to DL.

 

[nemofans]

Hey, I see you're from McCordsville. I taught in Fortville at Mt. Vernon Elementary.

 

[mikeyas]

Great review! I feel like such a bonehead for asking, but can you tell me what dates you went? Thanks! Just wanted to correlate crowd levels with day of the week.

 

[aan1701]

Just wanted to say as a DL vet ( I go almost every week) but send about two weeks a year at WDW, I think the WDW Space Mountain has a much better track and thus I like it better. So no flames from me. I also agree with you about the Tower Of Terror, one million times better at WDW than here.

 

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

Great and balanced trip review--thanks!! I'm with Hydroguy in that I felt the WDW castle was too big and dominated Main Street. I also didn't like that you couldn't walk through it. There's just something so magical for me to walk through the castle and into Fantasyland, like going through the rabbit hole or wardrobe. Also, I'm used to the Matterhorn being the landmark you can see from every land (and the freeway!!).

Astro Orbiters on the ground at the entrance to TL is just ridiculous. Put them back up where they belong or get rid of them altogether!!!!!

Dumbo isn't in every show. I too teared up when he came flying out. Couldn't believe it. I've personally never seen anyone else besides Tink up on the line. What a fabulous surprise that was.

 

[Disco]

I like the GR ride a little better but I much prefer the queue at Kali. More foreign compared to the GRR theme. Too bad it's more about the ride so overall I prefer the DL version.
I also like the Space Mountain ride in DL a little better but I much prefer the coaster being completely in the dark at the MK. Add the superior queue in MK, dueling coaster design and higher capacity and I overall prefer the experience at the MK.
Splash is a wash either way. Fun going fast but also fun being on the ride longer.
IASW is a tie for me as well. Prefer the ride at MK but like the outside look at DL.
Much prefer HM at WDW. The mansion is just spookier and better looking to me. Being back in the corner by its self makes it more eerie too.
PoC is a clear win for DL. IJ just rocks. Tom Sawyer Island in DL is a lot better now too.
Much prefer the castle at MK. It is also more open and does a better job with keeping theming congruent between the lands.
Overall I prefer DL over MK just because it has more rides but also FL and TT are much better.
However I prefer going to WDW compare DLR. CA is coming along slowly but there is just so much more to do at the world and it has a complete on site feel.

 

[cyclenut]

Fantastic review. Thanks for sharing.

Hard to believe you came in from Norco! It is one thing if you are a local that live there, but to be a visitor to the parks and drive in from Norco ... wow.

I think much of your experience at DCA would be different absent the construction. That is a huge negative in my view. Huge. But is also appears that you may have hit some lighter crowds as a result. I've talked to a lot of local recently who are just avoiding that park until construction is complete. The entrance change was the last straw for many.

I think TL needs some work. HydroGuy correctly pointed out how much better it is now than in 2004 but I agree that the Astro Orbitor (or as we sometimes call it ... the Dumbo Rockets) is in a very stupid place, but it wasn't as bad when they moved it there as it is now. There really wasn't a popular attraction or line queue where Buzz is now and ST is currently quite popular. That makes this are particularly congested.

The RocketRods were a failed experimental use of the old PeopleMover track. Innoventions is also in need of some re-thinking. Captain EO also needs to be done. It seems like such a waste of space considering how crowded the rest of the park is. Few things there really represent "tomorrow" any longer. The robots they use in the Jelly Belly plant in Northern California are more "futuristic" than what you see in TL, and those are in use NOW.

Sorry for getting OT a bit.

Curious if you saw Fantasmic and how you thought that compared or if you had a chance to catch the Soundsational parade.

 

[soaringirl]

Great and balanced trip review--thanks!! I'm with Hydroguy in that I felt the WDW castle was too big and dominated Main Street. I also didn't like that you couldn't walk through it. There's just something so magical for me to walk through the castle and into Fantasyland, like going through the rabbit hole or wardrobe. Also, I'm used to the Matterhorn being the landmark you can see from every land (and the freeway!!).
.

Yes you can walk through the WDW castle! done it quite a few times now. Only when there's a show in front of it then it's not posible, but there is a small, nice, "secret" entrance at one side of the castle.. very neat.
And when it's turned into the Ice Castle.. then it's so magical you just don't want to tear your eyes from it... so beautiful.

 

[disneymom0104]

Great report! I am so excited to return to DLR next month. We went yearly when I was a young child (up to about the age of 12) and while there are bits and pieces I remember, I don't remember anything clearly. Most of my DL memories are of Tokyo Disneyland, which I visited many times in my teen years while living in Japan (my first Splash Mountain ride was in Tokyo- so I have never done the DLR version). When I visited WDW in 2007 for the first time as an adult (and with my own family) I was so disappointed with Fantasyland and especially the lack of the FL rides- Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Toad and Pinocchio. But- I fell in love with WDW, as did my family and we have taken 2 long trips there after our 2007 visit. My husband and family have never been to DL- and I am sure their "home" park is WDW. I still feel like my heart belongs to DLR and I am so excited to see it again- even though I really love WDW, too. I think we will all really love how close everything is. My biggest gripe with WDW is the time it takes to get from one place to another (especially if you are using the bus system).

Anyway- I am so sad that Pirate's and Blue Bayou will be closed for our trip- I have talked to my family about this ride for years and how the WDW version just doesn't compare. Hopefully that will mean another DLR visit in the future!

I also just vaguely remember the castle at DLR. Again, my clearest memories are of Tokyo Disneyland and the castle is very large there as well.

 

[KCmike]

Great review!!! Completely agree with almost all of it. As a WDW vet I have to say though that I do prefer Disneyland over WDW. I love DL's Fantasyland (so many rides and love the look of it all). One of my favorite places in DL is riding the teacups in the open air. If you go back you need to see Remember Dreams Come True Fireworks show. It completely blows away Magical which is their summertime show.

Okay I have to ask...
Did you see...
Billy Hill?
Fantasmic!?
Ride the Lilly Belle?
See the Aladdin Stage Show in DCA?
Do Autotopia?
See Walt's light in the window?
Big Bands in Carnation Plaza?

I love your comments on Main Street. I love all the different modes of transportation, the penny arcade, the cinema, and all of the nostalgia. Did you know that Steve Martin worked in the Magic Shop? John Lassetter worked as a Jungle Cruise skipper?

If you do go back you should couple your visit with a stay at Yosemite National Park or San Diego, or drive up the coast from LA to SF with stops in Monterey. California is just plain amazing.

 

[1disneynutt]

Did you happen to see the Aladdin show in DCA or Billy Hill & the Hillbillies in DL? They are two of my favorite things to do.

 

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

John Lassetter worked as a Jungle Cruise skipper?

And if you have a picture of him, you can enter to win a trip to the opening of Cars Land and a private Jungle Cruise trip with Lassetter himeself!
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/08/john-of-the-jungle-at-disneyland-park/