WDW veteran does DL for the first time. Help!

[nkereina]

Just starting my research, but would love guidance on my specific questions:

1. Considering a 5 day trip to DL in either late February, early March, or late April. Of these options, what would be the best choice in terms of crowds and weather?

2. Are dining reservations at DL as necessary as they are in WDW? If yes, when does the booking window open and is it imperative to book at the opening time?

3. I'm not interested in Photopass, so would Maxpass be worth it just to pre-book fast passes? Or do the paper fast pass returns have good availability?

4. Which rides, if any, should we rush to in order to pull FPs first thing? I remember doing this for rides like Soarin at WDW back in the day, because FPs would run out pretty quickly. Any rides that we should do this for at DL?

5. Which rides are best done at rope drop for shortest lines? Is rope drop important here like it is at WDW?

6. Is the Disneyland Express shuttle to and from LAX pretty reliable? I read some bad reviews, but the price is right and the convenience of booking it as part of our package is nice.

7. What's your favorite off-site hotel that is in walking distance and moderately priced? We're leaning towards Paradise Pier, but the off-site hotel prices are enticing.

8. What other advice would you give to someone who's used to the ways of WDW?

Thanks all!

 

[mom2rtk]

1) I don't keep up on the crowd patterns that time of year, but use this crowd calendar a lot:

https://www.isitpacked.com/disneyland-crowd-forecast-predictor-calendar/

2) ADRs aren't the challenge that they are at WDW. But still necessary at most locations. The one that books up quickest is Blue Bayou. The window is 60 days out, but nothing requires you book it the moment it opens.

3) Most think Maxpass is worth it just for FPs. Availability is the same for paper or MP, but MP does allow you to pick up dropped FPs. And it lets you pull again in 90 minutes instead of 2 hours. And from the other park. Or back at your resort (once you have purchased it for the day, which requires you have scanned your ticket at the turnstile).

4) High demand rides are RSR, GOTG and Indy. Nothing (yet) disappears in minutes, but on busy days those can go in hours I think.

5) Most do Peter Pan at rope drop. That's why we don't. At DCA, they are heading to RSR or GOTG.

6) I haven't used DL Express but have been fine with Super Shuttle. Not hard to use or book on its own. Just book it online then check in on your phone when you arrive.

7) Lots of different opinions on the offiste vs. onsite hotels. Paradise Pier doesn't appeal to me as much any more since you can't cut through the GCH to get to the parks any more.

8) Brace mentally for how small the castle is.

 

[nkereina]

Thank you so much @mom2rtk !

Paradise Pier doesn't appeal to me as much any more since you can't cut through the GCH to get to the parks any more.

I watched a YouTube video from February of this year that showed a long-ish walk from Paradise Pier to what looked almost like a back entrance, and they said it usually had short security lines. It this the "new" route, or the old one you're referring to?

 

[mom2rtk]

Thank you so much @mom2rtk !



I watched a YouTube video from February of this year that showed a long-ish walk from Paradise Pier to what looked almost like a back entrance, and they said it usually had short security lines. It this the "new" route, or the old one you're referring to?

As far as I am aware, the only way to get to the parks from PP now is to back track to the back side of DLH, next to Earl of Sandwich, then go through security there. Lines are shorter than the Harbor side security, but can still have decent lines depending on time of day.

That said, you can cut through GCH to go back to PP. You can enter through the dedicated entrance from DCA directly or through the side entrance next to Sephora in DTD.

 

[BrianL]

You need this thread:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/a-dlr-guide-for-wdw-vets.1162599/

Thanks to @HydroGuy - this is a very valuable resource for WDW regulars going to DLR.

 

[nkereina]

Yes @BrianL - I DO need that thread! Lol! Thanks for linking, and thanks @HydroGuy for the resource!

 

[BrianL]

Yes @BrianL - I DO need that thread! Lol! Thanks for linking, and thanks @HydroGuy for the resource!

@HydroGuy is like the @Robo of the Disneyland boards, so you can take the advice to the bank! I've gotten to where I get to DLR more regularly now, but I appreciated the help.

 

[Winnowill]

Adding to @mom2rtk's response, I'd add Space Mountain to high-demand rides that run out of FPs more quickly than some others, as well as the afore-mentioned RSR, GotG, and Indy. DL's Space Mountain is vastly superior to WDW's, BTW.

 

[Niltiac]

1. Just avoid spring break. Other than that I'm not sure about the specifics for that time of year.

2. They are necessary insofar as many restaurants will turn away walk-ups during moderately busy times, and if they don't turn you away you might be looking at a bit of a wait. So if you want to eat at a specific place and you will be disappointed if you can't, you should have a reservation. I've never been to WDW but I've heard the CS options at DLR are much better than at WDW, and personally we eat most of our meals at CS places, so in that respect you don't need dining reservations just to have access to decent food. The fastest ones to fill up are specialty dining options (show packages, afternoon tea, etc.) followed by Blue Bayou and Lamplight Lounge. You don't need to jump on the minute reservations open up, but for those specialty packages you should book in the first few days of the reservation window if you can. Everything else is pretty easy to get.

3. We use MaxPass and we don't really use the photo part of it. It's not that it gives you more availability. Technically it does because you are eligible to pick up other people's canceled FP, but by and large MaxPass and paper FP have the same availability. It makes it so you don't have to trek all the way over to the ride to pick up your FP, then trek all the way back to whatever you'll be doing in the meantime, and then trek back to the ride again to ride. With DLR's congested walkways moving around the park takes more time than you think it will, and sometimes you'll find all that walking back and forth to get FP took just as long as if you'd waited in the standby line. It also makes it so you don't have to wait as long between FP, and you can keep pulling FP while you're eating lunch, watching TV at your hotel, standing in line for something else, etc.

4. Nothing runs out immediately, but RSR, GotG, Space Mountain, and Indy do run out eventually.

5. A common strategy is to spend rope drop on rides that don't offer FP (most of Fantasyland). For those more interested in thrill rides, another strategy is to go to a big ride like Space Mountain or RSR before the line gets long. You can easily get FP for those rides later, but this way you will get to ride multiple times.

6. I don't have experience with the Disneyland Express.

7. Lots of good options are available off site. It really depends what your priorities are. If you want to stay in a proper hotel with decent amenities without paying on-site prices, take a look in the area of the convention center. It's still walking distance but not right across the street. If you like the idea of being so close to the hotel that you can go back on a whim to grab a jacket or take a nap, and you're ok with more of a motel, there are lots of good places right across the street from the entrance (much closer than Paradise Pier). I don't have specific recommendations because we have stopped staying walking distance for the most part.

 

[GatorChris]

1. Unlike WDW, this is the rainy part of the year in CA. That said, it doesn't rain like it rains in FL. However, there have been times when systems come in and stick around for days. Feb would be the least crowded, I believe.

2. You don't have to be on the phone or the internet at 6am at 60 days out. Nothing like WDW! I've gotten good Blue Bayou reservations 30 days out. And places like Carnation Café I've made ADRs within 5 days. Table Service just ain't what it is in WDW - not even close. If you book just a few TS for 5 days and fill the rest with CS, you'll be pretty happy. With CS like Pacific Wharf, Cucina Cucamonga, Plaza Inn (much better that the WDW version), and French Market, you have lots of good options.

3. I've not used MaxPass. DL is so small, I'm the runner to get the paper FPs. If you want to save money and burn some extra calories, this is the place to do it.

4. Radiator Springs Racers is the only ride that runs out of FP fast.

5. Again, RSR is where we head to first at Rope Drop. You can do it in under 15 minutes first thing. After that, it's 75+ the rest of the day. As for DL, don't do Peter Pan first thing. Unless you're an hour ahead of time at the gate, you'll wait at least 30 minutes. And that's primetime for everything else. If that's a ride you want to do, just do it anytime. No matter what, it'll be 45 minutes. >>>And a big tip for ropedrop: security can take up to 30 minutes when the park opens at 9am or 10am. If you don't account for that, you'll miss rope drop. And it WILL frustrate you no matter what. Every morning, it's a nightmare. A real magic killer. They just can't seem to get it right.

6. No idea. We drive down.

7. We usually do the Howard Johnson on Harbor Blvd. It's about a 10 minute walk to the gate, which is about the same at Paradise Pier. Like you, after my many WDW trips, I couldn't fathom staying in an off-site hotel. So we did Paradise Pier since it was the cheapest (but still not cheap). We really didn't care for it. It's basically a high-rise hotel with a Goofy statue in the lobby and a Donald picture in the room. You don't really get the bubble feeling at the DLR hotels that you do at the WDW resorts. It does have a good waterslide, and if you pay a boatload extra, you get a good view of DCA. But you can get a Superior Room at HoJo for about 60% the cost of a normal PP room, and you have a good view of DL park. We've done this quite a few times. Also of note, Park Place Inn, Camelot, and Candy Cane are decent with a short walk.

8. This will be the hardest part for a WDW vet: take it easy. DL is a different place with a different vibe. At WDW, it's plan plan plan. And then go go go when you get there. At DL, planning doesn't pay off as much. And you can go unscheduled all day at DL and feel fine about it. No fretting about "I'm in line now, will I miss my FP+/ADR window?!?!??" Just take it easy. >>> I know you won't because it's impossible to just click off. It took me three trips to DL before I could get to this point. But if you can pull it off, it'll be as relaxing as a cruise...once you get through the horrid security lines.

 

[nkereina]

Thank you all! So, so helpful!

I've been looking up hotels and have jotted down the Desert Palms Hotel & Suites and Best Western Stovall's Inn. They both are about the same price point (roughly $500 less than Paradise Pier), both include breakfast, and both seem to have nice pools. They're both under a mile walk to DL it appears, which is fine for us. I don't think I'd want to be any further than that. Any thoughts, good or bad, about either hotel?

 

[DnA2010]

Just starting my research, but would love guidance on my specific questions:

1. Considering a 5 day trip to DL in either late February, early March, or late April. Of these options, what would be the best choice in terms of crowds and weather?

I would just avoid spring break

2. Are dining reservations at DL as necessary as they are in WDW? If yes, when does the booking window open and is it imperative to book at the opening time?

Others have talked lots about this, so will leave this there

3. I'm not interested in Photopass, so would Maxpass be worth it just to pre-book fast passes? Or do the paper fast pass returns have good availability?

We used Maxpass on our May trip and loved it, who is in your party?

4. Which rides, if any, should we rush to in order to pull FPs first thing? I remember doing this for rides like Soarin at WDW back in the day, because FPs would run out pretty quickly. Any rides that we should do this for at DL?
Others have commented lots here too

5. Which rides are best done at rope drop for shortest lines? Is rope drop important here like it is at WDW?

6. Is the Disneyland Express shuttle to and from LAX pretty reliable? I read some bad reviews, but the price is right and the convenience of booking it as part of our package is nice.

We used it in May- no issues. We mainly used it so that we didn't have to haul car seats with us.

7. What's your favorite off-site hotel that is in walking distance and moderately priced? We're leaning towards Paradise Pier, but the off-site hotel prices are enticing.

We like to stay in the first block harbour-side. Most recent stay was at the Desert Inn and Suites- location can't be beat as it's right outside the gates, which was perfect for taking our 19 month olds back to nap. It was pretty meh, but the price was right and we could get a suite with 3 rooms which was handy, we could put one of the littles down in each room and then still have a TV room to hang out in.

8. What other advice would you give to someone who's used to the ways of WDW?

Slow down and enjoy the charm park hop, enjoy Walt's park

Thanks all!

 

[smartlabelprint]

Thank you all! So, so helpful!

I've been looking up hotels and have jotted down the Desert Palms Hotel & Suites and Best Western Stovall's Inn. They both are about the same price point (roughly $500 less than Paradise Pier), both include breakfast, and both seem to have nice pools. They're both under a mile walk to DL it appears, which is fine for us. I don't think I'd want to be any further than that. Any thoughts, good or bad, about either hotel?

No. These aren’t top picks.

Best western park place inn
Park vue inn
Tropicana
Camelot
Hojo

Higher price:
Courtyard Marriott theme park entrance
Springhill suites

With the fam we always stay at homewood suites

https://www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-dlr-area-hotel-for-you.3656512/

 

[nutshell]

Don’t let anyone talk you out of MaxPass. Every WDW vet I know comes away loving MaxPass and talking about how much better it is than FP+. Have fun!

 

[midnight star]

Do you like shows? Popular shows at DL are Frozen, Fantasmic, World of Color (it is down, but hopefully it will come back soon), Mickey and the Magical Map. Just check the schedule, during this time of the year they may only be running on the weekends. Fantasmic has meal packages that are popular, and can get you good seats.

 

[goooof1]

This is the most helpful thread about hotel options:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-dlr-area-hotel-for-you.3656512/#post-58655500

 

[nkosiek]

We just got back last week. We were there for Veteran's Weekend. LOVED IT!

I can't answer the first question, but to remind you that a lot of schools are closed the week before and/or after Easter, which is in April.

2. They would be for the packages and Blue Bayou. We missed out on BB, but were able to do a different Fantasmic package. I have to say, the CS places in California put Orlando to shame. We ate CS in both parks and they were more than solid.

3. If you value rides, get MP. Oh, get MP. Sure, it can make the cost more but oh wow, considering it was the first weekend of Christmas plus Veterans' Day weekend, we did awesome getting FPs due to MaxPass. I'd do it again in a second. Heck, we're planning for when our kids are big enough to do the 40" rides and we both said we would do MaxPass again in a heartbeat. Also, even if you don't "do" Photopass, having the ride photos you can download or one or two you may get taken is a nice side benefit.

4. This sorta depends on what you're interested in. We pulled RSR as well as Space because we wanted to ride those multiple times. There are some free decent 1 day plans out there that can really help with strategy.

5. Rope is always important, especially as so many are local. They tend to get there just a bit later, making that first hour really open on many rides. We did all the rides in Fantasyland that they don't have in WDW during the first hour. We skipped Peter Pan while out there over 4 days. It's a cute ride, but it wasn't a must-do for us.

6. We Ubered since it was just me and the wife. Can't help with the bus.

7. We stayed at the Tropicana and it was great. Motel, which 80% of the ones right there are, but the room was bright, clean, and had a fridge, microwave, and coffee pot. We normally stay at Bay Lake Tower, and I can say without a doubt that the Trop and those right there are closer to the promenade (entrance to both parks) than BLT is to Magic Kingdom.

8. It is a different feel out there and some of the "same" rides are different. I really liked it out there and am already planning a trip back in 2021 (when the youngest is big enough to do MOST of the rides). Off-site eateries/convenience stores didn't appear to be much more if any less expensive than the parks for a lot of stuff. I know I'm forgetting stuff but these were the quick off the top of my head 10 days later pieces of info.

 

[HydroGuy]

You need this thread:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/a-dlr-guide-for-wdw-vets.1162599/

Thanks to @HydroGuy - this is a very valuable resource for WDW regulars going to DLR.

Yes @BrianL - I DO need that thread! Lol! Thanks for linking, and thanks @HydroGuy for the resource!

@HydroGuy is like the @Robo of the Disneyland boards, so you can take the advice to the bank! I've gotten to where I get to DLR more regularly now, but I appreciated the help.

Wow, @HydroGuy is getting some love here. To be linked with @Robo is quite an honor!

 

[MacMama0930]

I would personally stick with Paradise Pier so you can utilize magic morning. We get so much done during that time.

Max Pass is far better than the FP system at WDW in my opinion. No need to pre book, it’s still done on the day of. It gives you not only the ability to book more FPs than paper (has a shorter wait time), but if you take afternoon breaks at the hotel you can book FPs from your room. Once you know the Max Pass system well, you’ll be in love.

Disneyland will likely feel small to you, but I beg you to look at it from a different perspective. It’s about the charm and the authenticity of it, the nostalgia. And the convenience. I didn’t care for how spread out WDW was.

I suggest March over Feb. Feb will likely see more refurbs than March. April has sprinkled spring breaks but I am still going the first week.

WOC is not to be missed. I’m sure it’ll be up and running by then. If you can, splurge for the dessert party. I’ve done it multiple times and it’s just fantastic.

If Paint the Night is back it’s also a must see.

 

[Blue32]

Wow, @HydroGuy is getting some love here. To be linked with @Robo is quite an honor!

He lives! Good to see you back on the boards...and braving the first summer of SWGE!