WDW veteran looking for Disneyland help

[kpd6901]

Hi everybody and anybody!
I love the Disboards, as they have been so helpful in our past and current trips to Walt Disney World! However, we have never been to Disneyland and I need some help. I have to travel from Pennsylvania to Anaheim for about a week in late June 2019. We are currently in the planning and booking stages for the details of our Thanksgiving WDW trip, which we are keeping secret from our kids for as long as we can - hopefully, they won't figure it out until we get to the terminal and gate with Orlando plastered on the information board! Since Disney is taking our Christmas funds, we figure we might as well say that our family Christmas present is a June trip to Disneyland. I know that Disneyland is quite small in comparison to all of everything in Orlando, and we would probably only be there for 2-3 days before my business begins on Monday... probably have my family fly back at that point. But, when I try to price quote a trip, it seems that 2019 packages are not available yet, although they are for WDW.

Some questions:

1) Are the perks of staying "on site" worth it at DL? At WDW, the vastness of the property makes the transportation, the availability to take advantage of rest days at other resorts, and the choice of extra magic hours in the morning or evening at different parks all very appealing. If we are only staying in that area for a few days, is there an appreciable cost difference in staying off site that outweighs any potential benefit of being on site?

2) We are closing in on 12,500 points through Disney Movie Rewards and plan on claiming and booking the Walt Disney Studios Lot tour in Burbank (less than 2000 to go!). And since the tour is on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, if we can claim it by January, we should have plenty of time to work with the Disney staff for scheduling while we are already out there. Is there a thread anywhere specifically about this tour to help is, or anyone with experience with it?

3) From a financial and stress standpoint, my understanding and expectation is that park and hotel stay and meals will be expensive (I mean, it's Disney, and the picture in the dictionary under "expensive" is a particular mouse ) But, I expect it to be significantly less than Orlando simply because it's a much shorter trip, 3 days vs 10-12. Am I correct in that assumption?

4) For WDW, the 180 day mark is vital for the popular ADR reservations. Is it the same at DL? Do they will up incredibly quickly like many in FL? I may not have my exact dates for my business trip until February, so that would already be within 180 days. Thoughts?

Thank you all!

 

[BadPinkTink]

1) Are the perks of staying "on site" worth it at DL? At WDW, the vastness of the property makes the transportation, the availability to take advantage of rest days at other resorts, and the choice of extra magic hours in the morning or evening at different parks all very appealing. If we are only staying in that area for a few days, is there an appreciable cost difference in staying off site that outweighs any potential benefit of being on site?

There are only 3 onsite hotels and generally speaking most people stay off site. Get out Google Maps and study the area. Disney property is located around a central plaza / esplanade. The onsite hotels and downtown Disney are located on the west side of the square, Disneyland Main Park is on the north side, Harbour Boulevard is on the east side side and California Adventures is on the south side. The motels and Howard Johnsons Hotel on Harbour Boulevard are the go to places for most Dis people. The Harbour Boulevard motels have a shorter walking distance to the park entry turnstiles than the onsite hotels.

When you stay onsite you get access to the early openings, alternative days between the Main Park and California Adventures. Generally speaking the early opening is not that big a perk. For example, this past week I stayed off site at Motel 6, and was in the park about 15 minutes after general opening each day. Pirates was a walk on and Peter Pan 20 minutes. Disneyland California is a locals park, so the crowds only build from lunch time onwards. As a result the 3 hours after opening you can get so much done as the parks are at their lowest capacity.

The same way in the evening. Right now at the end of June, the main park is open to midnight with California Adventures open until 10pm. The main night time entertainment, Fantasmic, World of Colour, the fireworks are from 9pm. They take a huge amount of people away from the rides. And then the park clears out afterwards. For example last night I managed Star Tours 2 times in a row standby between 8.50 pm and 9.30pm, I could have gone through again but I went on Buzz as it was 10 minutes standby

4) For WDW, the 180 day mark is vital for the popular ADR reservations. Is it the same at DL? Do they will up incredibly quickly like many in FL? I may not have my exact dates for my business trip until February, so that would already be within 180 days. Thoughts?

ADR open at 60 days in advance. Its not as stressful as WDW, you dont have to be online in the middle of the night. I booked my Blue Bayou Fantasmic Dining package at 50 days, then a week later at around the 40 day I booked lunch at Storytellers

 

[theluckyrabbit]

This thread has lots of good information: A DLR Guide for WDW Vets.
Take a look at this thread, too: https://www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-dlr-area-hotel-for-you.3656512/.
This link can help you with DLR menus and ballpark budgeting (round up!): http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/dining/menus.cfm.
As the pp said, dining reservations are much more relaxed at DLR. Very few things require reservations at the 60 day mark. If you know for certain that you want to dine at a particular TS location (e.g. Blue Bayou in DL) or that you want certain dining packages (e.g. F! Dining Packages), then go ahead and book them early. But you can do this online or by phone, and you don't have to wait by the phone in the middle of the night. Some things do book quickly, like certain holiday meals or the Afternoon Tea at Steakhouse 55, so do book early for those.

 

[kpd6901]

Thank you so much for helping to direct me!!

 

[Jokiho]

WDW vet here. There are so many options staying at WDW. No so much at DLR. For our 3 night stay, we paid as much as one night at the Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian. I think the themes are better at WDW for resorts because WDW built them from scratch whereas at two of the hotels they were built beforehand and then refurbished. The Californian looks great, but I believe it's similar to the Wilderness hotel (haven't stayed at Wilderness hotel but I've been there).

Badpinktink is correct- this really is a local's park though that will change once Star Wars land opens. So the mornings are amazing. You can see so much. We only spent two days there and rode everything we wanted to ride two or three times. Pixar Pier was not open though, but we could have fit that in if it were. One thing- Because it's a locals park, we returned to our hotel to freshen up for dinner in the evening at Carthay Circle. When we returned we had a huge line to get back in- the locals had gotten off work and were coming to the park. Usually at WDW the line in the evening is not that bad, if at all.

We made a reservation about 1 month out. The only restaurant we couldn't book was Blue bayou for a Fantasmic meal. Riverbelle Terrace had availability though.

 

[chickapin parterre]

do you know what is happening june 2019?

 

[BadPinkTink]

do you know what is happening june 2019?

OH MY GOSH, just realised when the OP is planning to go, yikes.

@kpd6901 you might want to rethink your dates OR plan plan plan and book everything super early. June 2019 is going to be extremely crowded as the new Star Wars Land, Galaxys Edge is opening.

 

[kpd6901]

OH MY GOSH, just realised when the OP is planning to go, yikes.

@kpd6901 you might want to rethink your dates OR plan plan plan and book everything super early. June 2019 is going to be extremely crowded as the new Star Wars Land, Galaxys Edge is opening.

A couple of things.

1) Cannot rethink the dates. They will be etched in stone. My business trip will be either one of the last two weeks of June. No questions asked.

2) Crowd sizes are not a concern.

3) We actually have several big-time Star Wars fans in our family, and this will be a fantastic experience as an intro to our planned later WDW trip a few years later where we hope to do the Black Spire hotel also (probably 2020 or 2021).

Thanks for the concern! Actually, we would be upset if it opens later than our trip.

 

[kpd6901]

OH MY GOSH, just realised when the OP is planning to go, yikes.

@kpd6901 you might want to rethink your dates OR plan plan plan and book everything super early. June 2019 is going to be extremely crowded as the new Star Wars Land, Galaxys Edge is opening.

So, that all being said. We are used to WDW planning, its time consuming nature and intensity. Given the advice that was already provided with estimated time frames for ADR'S and FP, about how much does Galaxy's Edge change this? Do I go all WDW planning mode? How should I anticipate this to affect lodging arrangements? I assume since packages are typically built differently at DLR than WDW, I should book my hotel first? About how far in advance?

 

[chickapin parterre]

no one knows, folks here have discussed all kind of situations that will appear for SWGE. Best to keep tabs on your source of information. Our number one concerns for folks arriving at SWGE is how much are you willing to spend for a very limited experience.....anywhere at the Disneyland resort. Unfortunately , if you follow thru with your plans and SWGE is out of control..you will not be visiting the Disneyland that we here have come to love......your visit will be like Times Square on New Years EVe.

 

[VandVsmama]

Some things to consider when planning your DL trip:

1. The Disney Studio tours don’t occur very often. They’re not available to the general public and when they are available (like to D23 members), they fill up really fast. So don’t have your heart set on that actually happening. Consider it icing on the cake. If it works out, that’s awesome!

2. An alternate trip to consider is the Bob Gurr bus tour. He’s 1 of the original Disney imagineers. He’s amazing. He does this bus tour through the LA area on the 3rd Sunday of every month. It starts in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The tour includes lunch. If you are into Walt Disney, then you should totally consider going on this tour. Go to http://www.waltland.com/ for more information. Bob is like 1 of the last living original Imagineers who worked with Walt Disney. He’s an encyclopedia of stories. I haven’t gone on the tour, but they did a DIS Unplugged podcast about it a couple of years ago. I’m hoping to arrange a trip out to southern CA some time in this next year just so I can go on this tour.

3. Star Wars Land will be opening June 2019. But Disney hasn’t announced WHAT dates in June yet. If you’re going later in June, then your chances of being there for SWL opening are better.

4. Your chances of getting in early to SWL will be much higher if you’re staying on site. I wouldn’t be surprised if they do EMH at DL every day of the week for the first couple of weeks or for the first month that SWL is open. For that reason alone, I would stay on site.

5. Otherwise, save your money and stay across the street at a hotel/motel on Harbor Blvd.

6. Disneyland resort hotels don’t open their reservations 499 days ahead of time like WDW does. I don’t remember how many months ahead of time it is, though.

7. As you might or might not be aware, DL does not have a dining plan. You don’t need one anyway. DL trips don’t often circle around food and ADRs like WDW can.

8. DL ADRs open up 60 days before hand. If the ADR you want to make is for a dining package (like Fantasmic or World of Color), then expect the DL app or the website or the dining phone # CMs to not be able to book that dining package ADR until 6 weeks before hand. That is because the park hours and entertainment schedule isn’t released until 6 weeks beforehand. Not to worry, though. You don’t have to be on the phone at 7 am Pacific time in order to snag that ADR like you would for a WDW ADR.

9. Meals – A lot of people just set aside the $$ for meals. A good way to do this would be to put the $$ on Disney gift cards. I use allears.net in order to figure out our food budget while in the parks. They have all of the menus and prices for all of the DL restaurants.

10. Quick Service – the food at QS restaurants is a lot better than at WDW in my opinion (we were just at WDW last week!). Much more varied food options and a lot more healthy options that actually taste good.

11. Most WDW people think erroneously that 2 days at DL is enough because it’s so much smaller. But there’s actually the same, if not slightly more, attractions at DCA & DL combined than at all 4 WDW parks. So don’t sell yourself short and only spend 2 days there. If you can do 4, I say do 4, especially if you’ll be there for Star Wars Land opening. Last summer, we spent 5 days at DL and we still didn’t do everything.

12. There’s no Magical Express that will pick you up from any airport. You have to arrange for transportation yourself.

13. Our family has found it helpful to plan on doing just 1 table service restaurant per day at DL. My exception to this would be if you’re doing a character breakfast and a dinenr dining package on the same day.

14. I think that the best character meal is Minnie’s at the Plaza Inn. We do this on almost every DL trip now. In June, it’s great because regular park opening will likely be 8 am. If you’re staying on site, then EMH on Tues, Thurs or Sat at DL will be 7-8 am. So eat a quick grab & go breakfast in your room, then be there for rope drop at 7. Go on rides until 10 am. Then have breakfast with Minnie & her friends for an hour. It’s wonderful. Just about the time that you feel that you need a rest, you sit down, eat, and 6-7 characters come to your table.

15. EMH @ DCA is on Sun, Mon, Wed, and Friday. Except I really do think that they’ll have EMH @ DL every day of the week when Star Wars Land opens.

16. Do yourself a favor and buy the Max Pass with your tickets for everyone in your travel group. There’s a really helpful article about how it works on Disneyland Daily’s website and there are posts here on the Disneyland board that explain it, too. But I like the Disneyland Daily explanation because it includes pictures and goes through the step by step process of how to do it. If you didn’t buy it when you purchase your tickets, then you have to purchase it after you’ve scanned your tickets each day once you’ve entered the park.

 

[GenGen22]

I agree with the others planning isn't as intense at DL as it is at WDW unless it's a new restaurant opening or a new dinner show opening then and pretty much only then do you have to jump on the reservation. And there is no dining plan as there aren't any themed restaurants besides Blue Bayou which the pirates ride goes through the restaurant.

For a hotel most people stay off site as there are so many hotels in walking distance and for much less cost. I like to use getawaytoday.com as they have a lot of free nights or free breakfast deals.

For transportation I recommend supershuttle. Others like uber or Lyft.

Near by airports recommended are SNA or LGB. I like LGB as its a pretty small airport. LAX isn't usually recommended due to the LA traffic. So, I usually avoid LAX.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Given that your time frame is set for next June, I would start looking at hotels now to get a good idea of what you want, then book as soon as you find something that works. Make sure that there is a no penalty early cancellation policy. Keep checking for better rates and deals as your dates get closer. You can always rebook at a better rate if there is no penalty for cancelling an earlier reservation. As for dining reservations and dining packages, since June 2019 will most probably/definitely be a very busy time, be ready to book what you want at or near the 60 day mark. The more organized you can be for your trip (and that isn't even really near the same level as WDW organized), the easier time you'll have at DLR if SWGE is open during your visit.

 

[kpd6901]

1. The Disney Studio tours don’t occur very often. They’re not available to the general public and when they are available (like to D23 members), they fill up really fast. So don’t have your heart set on that actually happening. Consider it icing on the cake. If it works out, that’s awesome!

2. An alternate trip to consider is the Bob Gurr bus tour. He’s 1 of the original Disney imagineers. He’s amazing. He does this bus tour through the LA area on the 3rd Sunday of every month. It starts in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The tour includes lunch. If you are into Walt Disney, then you should totally consider going on this tour. Go to http://www.waltland.com/ for more information. Bob is like 1 of the last living original Imagineers who worked with Walt Disney. He’s an encyclopedia of stories. I haven’t gone on the tour, but they did a DIS Unplugged podcast about it a couple of years ago. I’m hoping to arrange a trip out to southern CA some time in this next year just so I can go on this tour.

This is the rewards tour from Disney Movie Rewards. I had called them a couple of months ago and they had advised that as soon as I reach the threshold to go ahead and redeem it and to give myself several months leeway, really to redeem it by January for the late June trip. Information on the website says this:
Tour available M-W-F during regular business hours; allow approx. 3 hours.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

[kpd6901]

Thank you all soooo much!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We've done the Studio Tour with D23. If this is the same tour (and I imagine it would be or, at least, be similar), there is quite a bit of walking involved. If anyone in your group has mobility issues, make sure to bring that up when you book your tour. Also, wear a hat or bring some form of sun protection. There isn't much shade as you go from building to building over the lot. Wear comfortable shoes. And enjoy the tour!

 

[kpd6901]

Another question. Just making sure I see this right. At WDW, you tack on the Memory Maker to your package for all the photos, videos and magic shots. I see that is included with the MaxPass. From what I can tell, whereas MM is a flat fee that covers your whole stay and scanned to your magic bands, at DLR the MaxPass gets you all the photos. At 5 tickets x $10 each x 3/4 days = about the same as MM anyway. But no magic bands. Logistically, do you get a paper ticket from each photographer and then have to keep track of them all? Do you have a photo pass card to present to the photographer?

I looked at the City pass, and based on how much time I can get off work in addition to the business trip, I think we are just looking at 3-4 days at DLR plus one day for the Burbank tour (half day) and a couple of things in LA (half day) that the kids might enjoy. We have a LegoLand a few hours away in Philadelphia, and we won't be able to go to San Diego. Would it be better to just get our tax thru Disney or still get the City pass for the 3-day PH with 1 morning and add a day if needed?

 

[DizneyMommy]

WDW vet here. There are so many options staying at WDW. No so much at DLR. For our 3 night stay, we paid as much as one night at the Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian. I think the themes are better at WDW for resorts because WDW built them from scratch whereas at two of the hotels they were built beforehand and then refurbished. The Californian looks great, but I believe it's similar to the Wilderness hotel (haven't stayed at Wilderness hotel but I've been there).

Badpinktink is correct- this really is a local's park though that will change once Star Wars land opens. So the mornings are amazing. You can see so much. We only spent two days there and rode everything we wanted to ride two or three times. Pixar Pier was not open though, but we could have fit that in if it were. One thing- Because it's a locals park, we returned to our hotel to freshen up for dinner in the evening at Carthay Circle. When we returned we had a huge line to get back in- the locals had gotten off work and were coming to the park. Usually at WDW the line in the evening is not that bad, if at all.

We made a reservation about 1 month out. The only restaurant we couldn't book was Blue bayou for a Fantasmic meal. Riverbelle Terrace had availability though.

That’s not all locals, a lot of that is people who took an afternoon break at their hotel, just like you did ;-) It is so easy to do if you stay on Harbor, very short walk, so lots of people do that.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Another question. Just making sure I see this right. At WDW, you tack on the Memory Maker to your package for all the photos, videos and magic shots. I see that is included with the MaxPass. From what I can tell, whereas MM is a flat fee that covers your whole stay and scanned to your magic bands, at DLR the MaxPass gets you all the photos. At 5 tickets x $10 each x 3/4 days = about the same as MM anyway. But no magic bands. Logistically, do you get a paper ticket from each photographer and then have to keep track of them all? Do you have a photo pass card to present to the photographer?

I looked at the City pass, and based on how much time I can get off work in addition to the business trip, I think we are just looking at 3-4 days at DLR plus one day for the Burbank tour (half day) and a couple of things in LA (half day) that the kids might enjoy. We have a LegoLand a few hours away in Philadelphia, and we won't be able to go to San Diego. Would it be better to just get our tax thru Disney or still get the City pass for the 3-day PH with 1 morning and add a day if needed?

The PhotoPass does come with MaxPass, but you don’t need to buy it for every person just for photos. If you don’t need MP one day because it is not as crowded or you are going to do paper Fp’s then just buy it for one person.

You can take the plastic photopass cards and add them to you account, or just pull up the barcode in the app and the photographer can scan that. That’s what we do. Some people like to screenshot that barcode and make it their screensaver too, for quick access.

 

[smartlabelprint]

You have the photographer scan your app after the photo to save them on photo pass.

We always stay off site. But there may be star wars perks to staying on site.

You need 3 day parkhoppers minimum. We buy tickets through last minute travel club.

We don’t buy a package. Book direct with the hotel.