WDW veteran DLR newbie ?????

[esmerelda51]

I am thinking of going to DLR in May and I have several Questions...


If you stay on site, how do you get there from the Anaheim airport?

What would be you suggestion for a hotel? I am in my 60's,just recovering from cancer, can't walk too far without a quick sit-down, usually stay at the Poly so am a sort of Deluxe ady. On some of the maps it looks like some of the good neighbor hotels are closer to DL than the Disney hotels.

Do the Disney hotels have anything like Greyline tours for a day trip around town since I don't think I would like to go to Ca again.
(WDW owns my heart)

How would I get to Universal Studios?

 

[blackjackdelta]

You may want to read Hydroguy's post/tips in the stickys at the top of the forum, here is one to start. You will also find numerous posts on this topic in the search.

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

Jack

 

[ktlm]

Hi fellow WDW vet here. We've stayed at the Poly the last 2 trips, and the WL the trip before that. You say WDW "owns your heart", but you may find that it moves over and let's DL have a piece too! That is what we found. Now it seems we have started alternating trips because we love both so much. I think you will find that DL is a good place for you in your situation because everything is so close together and compact. The gates of the 2 parks face each other with just a short walk across concete in between the parks.

As a deluxe person who probably is used to being immersed in Disney , I would really suggest staying in one of the DLR hotels. That way you don't have to ever leave Disney property or even see Harbour Ave. We parked our car, and didn't see anything outside of Disney property for 4 days. The one that might be best for you is the Grand Californian. It is pretty much a scaled down version of the Wilderness Lodge. It is beautiful, but the reason I think it would be great for you is that there is an entrance into DCA from the hotel. You can get from your room to the inside of the park, in less distance than we could get from our room to the Monorail, bus stop, or TTC when we stayed at the Poly. We stayed at the DLH and loved it, but it involves walking through DTD to get to the park gates. It is a wonderful walk, and there certainly are plenty of places you can stop and sit, but you may decide it is too much for you. You can get the monorail not too far from the hotel, but the monorail drops you off inside the park in Tomorrowland, so you won't get that walk down Main Street towards the castle to start the day, if that is what you want.

We rented a car because we were going from there to San Diego, so I can't help you out much on the transportation issues. I know they don't have anything like the free Magical Express service you get at WDW, but I don't know what they do have. I think there are some bus services that you can pay for that will take you from the airport to DLR.

 

[HydroGuy]

I am thinking of going to DLR in May and I have several Questions...

So glad you asked this before booking anything. First, IMO May is the best off-season month to visit DLR.

However...

off-season at DLR works differently than WDW. Make sure you understand this. See "What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

Also, DLR is on the verge of opening some major new things in May and you may miss them. That would be the Little Mermaid ride and Star Tours 2. See MiceChat's

Disney California Adventure Project Tracker X
Disneyland Resort Project Tracker II

and New Al Lutz: Little Mermaid, DCA Construction, Esplanade Fountain?, AP Changes Coming

If you stay on site, how do you get there from the Anaheim airport?

See

"Airport Proximity to DLR and Ground Transportation Information" by 3TinksAndAnEeyore www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2318297

What would be you suggestion for a hotel? I am in my 60's,just recovering from cancer, can't walk too far without a quick sit-down, usually stay at the Poly so am a sort of Deluxe ady. On some of the maps it looks like some of the good neighbor hotels are closer to DL than the Disney hotels.

If you can afford it you will want to stay at the GCH. See

Grand Californian Super Thread Updated 10/28

Do the Disney hotels have anything like Greyline tours for a day trip around town since I don't think I would like to go to Ca again.

Yes, but I do not know much about that. You should check their website.

How would I get to Universal Studios?

See the USH website. There are shuttles from the DLR area to USH:

http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/visitor_info_transportation.html

 

[MYD714]

We stayed at the Park Vue Inn across the street from the DL entrance. We found that it was a quicker walk to the park than if we had stayed at any of the DL hotels. It wasn't as nice as a Disney hotel, but the proximity to the park couldn't be beat.

 

[disneyfan67]

You will find if you don't compare DL to WDW and appreciate DL for it's charm, history, and uniqueness, it will warm your heart. As a WDW vet of 9 trips and counting, it was a longtime, dream come true to visit Walt's original park. It has become my favorite park and I have no desire to go back to WDW for at least 3 years or so. DL however is a place I hopefully plan on visiting every year. I loved it that much.