WDW vets fall in love with DL

[khertz]

Thanks SO much for this post! We are WDW regulars taking our first trip to DL in just a little over 2 weeks. I'm getting so excited! This whole thread was great information for someone like me!

 

[mac_tlc]

I'll add a few observations. We are from CT, and were at DLR from 4/15 - 4/20, and 4/22 (went to San Diego in between). We are WDW vets, having been there over 60 times. This was our 7th trip to DLR.

Being DVC members, we were staying in the Villas at the Grand Californian, with a spectacular view of Paradise Pier. Saw WOC 6 times --- never from the park, all from our room with the music on channel 46 on the TV. Spectacular show that gets better with more viewings, especially the Pirates part !!! We did do Fantasmic, with the dessert seating at the 9:00PM show. It was great to have a seat, the desserts are plentiful and the beverages unlimited -- what more can you want. Comparing it to WDW is very difficult. The sight lines are better at WDW, but you feel so much closer at DL, and the dragon is much better!!!

We have always loved DL - it is Walt's park, the compactness is good because the rides are close together, but it does make it seem very crowded when it is crowded. I think a number of the rides that are in DL and WDW are better in DL --- Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Space Mountain. And they still have Mr. Toad! Those better in WDW are Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror. Most importantly -- DL has Indiana Jones , possibly the best Disney ride of all.

Probably the thing I noticed that was lacking at DLR is the dining options. Can't beat EPCOT and 20 hotels to have a ton of options. We ate at Naples Pizza at DD which is almost identical to Via Napoli in Epcot, although Via Napoli is better themed.

Can't wait for the expansion to be done at CA. The lack of the main entrance makes for a very "un-Disney" entrance and exit, not a big deal since we used the VGC entrance most times. We do love that the two parks and DD are so close -- no busses, boats or car --- saves a lot of time.

The local aspect of DLR does make for a slightly different "feel". On Sunday 4/23, ther were so many local people that it at times can lose the "vacation" feeling. So many local high school / elementary school groups on that day.... No issues with any of them (other than the screaming group at Space Mtn first thing in the AM), but you do have a much higher % of teen-aged people than at WDW.

But the biggest advantage of DLR is the weather --- I am so tired of sweating to death by 10AM in Florida. What a wonderful feeling to have no humidity. In fact, a couple nights it was quite chilly (imagine).

Overall, we had a spectacular time and will definitely return. DL has a special feel to us (and probably to many others) being as Walt was actually there. Too bad it's so far away..

mac_tlc

P.S. Thanks hydroguy for all of your tips, especially regarding Fantasmic.

 

[HydroGuy]

P.S. Thanks hydroguy for all of your tips, especially regarding Fantasmic.

 

[KCmike]

I'll add a few observations. We are from CT, and were at DLR from 4/15 - 4/20, and 4/22 (went to San Diego in between). We are WDW vets, having been there over 60 times. This was our 7th trip to DLR.

Being DVC members, we were staying in the Villas at the Grand Californian, with a spectacular view of Paradise Pier. Saw WOC 6 times --- never from the park, all from our room with the music on channel 46 on the TV. Spectacular show that gets better with more viewings, especially the Pirates part !!! We did do Fantasmic, with the dessert seating at the 9:00PM show. It was great to have a seat, the desserts are plentiful and the beverages unlimited -- what more can you want. Comparing it to WDW is very difficult. The sight lines are better at WDW, but you feel so much closer at DL, and the dragon is much better!!!

We have always loved DL - it is Walt's park, the compactness is good because the rides are close together, but it does make it seem very crowded when it is crowded. I think a number of the rides that are in DL and WDW are better in DL --- Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Space Mountain. And they still have Mr. Toad! Those better in WDW are Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror. Most importantly -- DL has Indiana Jones , possibly the best Disney ride of all.

Probably the thing I noticed that was lacking at DLR is the dining options. Can't beat EPCOT and 20 hotels to have a ton of options. We ate at Naples Pizza at DD which is almost identical to Via Napoli in Epcot, although Via Napoli is better themed.

Can't wait for the expansion to be done at CA. The lack of the main entrance makes for a very "un-Disney" entrance and exit, not a big deal since we used the VGC entrance most times. We do love that the two parks and DD are so close -- no busses, boats or car --- saves a lot of time.

The local aspect of DLR does make for a slightly different "feel". On Sunday 4/23, ther were so many local people that it at times can lose the "vacation" feeling. So many local high school / elementary school groups on that day.... No issues with any of them (other than the screaming group at Space Mtn first thing in the AM), but you do have a much higher % of teen-aged people than at WDW.

But the biggest advantage of DLR is the weather --- I am so tired of sweating to death by 10AM in Florida. What a wonderful feeling to have no humidity. In fact, a couple nights it was quite chilly (imagine).

Overall, we had a spectacular time and will definitely return. DL has a special feel to us (and probably to many others) being as Walt was actually there. Too bad it's so far away..

mac_tlc

P.S. Thanks hydroguy for all of your tips, especially regarding Fantasmic.

Great compact review! I have to agree with everything. Nothing beats walking down the original main street where Walt started it all. Can't believe you never saw WOC in person. Gonna have to do that sometime, right? And yes we love the weather in CA especially after a perfect sunny day to have that chill in the night and breaking out my Disneyland 1955 hoodie.

 

[mac_tlc]

Can't believe you never saw WOC in person. Gonna have to do that sometime, right? .

It's hard to beat watching it from the comfort of the room, and being in bed 2 minutes after its over. Here are a few pix of WOC from our room:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49727523@N03/6975575414/in/set-72157629918441103

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49727523@N03/6975558050/in/set-72157629918441103/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49727523@N03/7121636433/in/set-72157629918441103/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49727523@N03/7121650381/in/set-72157629918441103

mac_tlc

 

[Astylla]

I always enjoy reading these perspectives and reviews since I myself grew up in Florida where WDW/MGM Studios( or Hollywood Studios) and Epcot were a staple in my life. When I had my first trip to DL in 2009 - it was like a whole new experience for me. I grew up with stories from my late mother or riding the Matterhorn for one as it is exclusive to DL and being able to experience it first hand was very different from WDW. I actually really enjoy the more "close" feeling that DL offers as I feel like I can actually get more done in a shorter span of time. While I do think the Tomorrow land area needs somewhat of an overhaul because it can quickly become bottle-necked , it is one of my few cons.

In regards to cast members being less "friendly" , I for one have never experienced such - but maybe I was just lucky or too happy to be in DL to notice LOL. I know when my husband and I went for our honeymoon in 2010 and had our Just Married pins on , I don't think we passed one cast member that didn't greet us in some fashion. Even the year after when we went again all the cast members and characters went out of their way to interact with us , Again we could just be lucky

I do wish DL had a few more dining options inside the park itself - I do miss Epcot and am sad I was too young to appreciate it back in the late 80's early 90's.

I will admit I am VERY excited to see CarsLand open even if that mean standing in line for hours , as the last several times my DH and I have gone we have seen the construction move forward and seeing the finished product is going to be well worth it. I know alot of people have had lackluster experiences with DCA due to all the construction but I really hope people will give it another chance. We personally love it even with the barriers up.

I think bost the west coast and east coast have something special - and I do feel both have a unique perspective in ways. It is always interesting for me to go to DL and everything still feels "new" because it isn't exactly the same as when I grew up with WDW. I for one am appreciative of that

 

[HydroGuy]

It's hard to beat watching it from the comfort of the room, and being in bed 2 minutes after its over. Here are a few pix of WOC from our room:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49727523@N03/6975575414/in/set-72157629918441103

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49727523@N03/6975558050/in/set-72157629918441103/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49727523@N03/7121636433/in/set-72157629918441103/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49727523@N03/7121650381/in/set-72157629918441103

mac_tlc

FWIW, I remember watching an 11:15 showing of WOC in 2010 and being back in my room and in bed at the GCH in 5 minutes.

 

[jodical]

Had been to WDW every couple of years my whole life and loved it. Then went to DL and started going *every* year.. and that was from living on the east coast! I loved that you not only could get photos with characters but you could practically have playdates with them! It was unrushed and just... well, magical! My son was 4 the first time we took him to WDW and he couldn't understand why whenever we would try to line up to see characters they had to leave. I was rather disappointed myself because I love to watch him in those moments. Crowds were a lot less in DL also. Sept is a great time of year and if you go late enough - the Nightmare before CHristmas overlay at the Hauted Mansion is a must see! Can't beat the closeness of both parks and all accommodations, even if you stay "off property" - I've done both. I agree that all the parks have their own charms but for me, a *relaxing* Disney vacation will always be found on the left coast.

 

[kmrein]

Thanks for this great review and for sharing your experience. My DH and I are planning our first DLR trip after years of annual WDW trips. He was at DL once as a teen for a day and I have never been. We're mostly just trying to be open to things being different, but not "better" or "worse." It was good to read your impressions. Thanks again!

 

[DisneytheKid]

Thanks for your informative post. I hope to go to WDW some day and its always nice to see the WDW vets take.

Wow.
Still a little bleary after having taken a red-eye back home to Boston last night after a week in So Cal. We spent 4/17 through 4/20 at the Grand Californian and had an incredible time -- we definitely love DL/DCA and will return some day.

As WDW veterans, we share these personal observations -- observations, not facts, and based on this first visit. We stayed at the Grand Californian and highly recommend it.

We think everyone who deeply loves WDW, especially for all the little reasons (all the imagineering, all the special touches) should try to visit Walt's first park:

1. Even though you hear all the time how much smaller DL is, we found that the Magic Kingdom, although on a smaller plot of land, is SO jam-packed with many more attractions and details that the size is only a benefit. (We forgot our pedometers but we know we logged nowhere near our usual 10 to 15 miles per day that we do at WDW; SO much less walking, SO much less time *lost* to transportation between parks/hotel.)

2. Once in the park (either DL or DCA), you really don't have a sense of the world outside. Oh sure, you can get glimpses of outside hotels when you ride tall attractions, but it's minor and really does not take away from the magic. We surmise that the area around the parks has gone through a lot of updates/upgrades since Walt's day -- we definitely would not describe the area as *seedy,* even though that was the image we had in our minds.

3. We didn't realize that every attraction that has a version at WDW is actually different at DL. So Splash, BTMRR, Pirates, Winnie-the-Pooh, on and on -- EVERY attraction that's also at WDW has a unique version at DL; they used the same names and the same *general* format for the attractions, but differences are obvious and many. We came to the conclusion that most people probably prefer their home park's version of each attraction, and this could partly be why some WDW people don't *like* DL as much -- it's just that whole thing about being most comfortable with what's most familiar. We really enjoyed getting the different experiences, especially on the attractions that where there when Walt was there (yes, we do understand that updates have been made since, but you know what I mean!).

4. We had a funny, kind of dream-like state of experience being in the Magic Kingdom -- a place that's SO familiar and dear to our hearts at WDW, and that's just so similar but different at DL. Kind of like, "I know this place, but I don't know it." We enjoyed this feeling, and look forward to someday knowing DL as well as we know WDW.

5. Definitely subjective, but overall we found that the cast members at DL/DCA are certainly nice, but not as nice/friendly/accommodating as at WDW. I'm not complaining, and we had no "bad" experiences, but it was the little things -- no one ever wished us a *magical day,* of the many cast members that we passed during the course of a day (at our hotel, at the parks), it was rare for anyone to make contact with us or say "hello," and many seemed startled that WE said hello to them. And I'm not trying to claim that we've never encountered grumpy/unfriendly cast members in Orlando -- it was just noticeable to us that there was a difference. We wondered if it was a management style difference, or if it somehow had to do with another difference, which was that...

6. ...it was very clear that the crowds at DL are very highly local. Big difference in day-trippers vs. people there on vacation. We always have a sense in WDW of a very international crowd -- we've always met people from other countries and the overall feel of the crowd, as I said, is that of vacationers. So many, many more people at DL/DCA are locals who are there for the day and clearly go there all the time, so maybe that has something to do with the outlook/attitude of cast members -- less of a sense that you have a responsibility in making someone's vacation special?

7. Can't say enough about how fabulous it is to have everything SO close together! We rode the monorail for the fun of it, but we never had to use Disney "transportation." It was SO easy to walk everywhere, walks were short, and park-hopping (as well as getting back to the hotel) was wonderfully easy. A huge plus in our book!

8. We understand why DCA needed an overhaul -- it is lovely, but not a whole lot to it. However we were thrilled with what we could see of Cars Land (it is very visible from Mickey's Fun Wheel and at the Blue Sky Cellar deck) -- anyone headed there this summer is really in for a treat and we look forward to going back to see it some day. They totally nailed the main street in Radiator Springs, and we could see them testing the race car track and it looks awesome. We really enjoyed the overview and film offered at Blue Sky Cellar.

9. Counter Service food was uniformly decent, although we did miss the dining options of WDW. We had a top-5-in-a-lifetime experience at Napa Rose (I plan to post dining reviews/photos later this week), but were underwhelmed by Blue Bayou and Wine Country Trattoria (nothing terrible, but very rushed and not particularly good). We'd love to see them add more table service and better quality (choosing our restaurants at WDW is always a fun and big part of the trip for us). We usually do the dining plan at WDW and found that going plan-less (since it works so differently at DL) worked out great -- the freedom and flexibility may make us go without at WDW on our next trip.

10. Every detail, every view, everything at the DL Magic Kingdom is special. The gardens there are lush and they are real gardens filled with perennials and annuals (very different from the bedding plants at WDW's MK). As others have noted, the park feels/looks crowded at DL but many, many rides are walk-ons. No where near the number of Fast Pass attractions (we were really stunned that they didn't build in FP at Toy Story Mania in DCA). They absolutely let you use *expired* FPs (same day, but later window) and FPs are easy to get -- often, even though they were available, CMs were discouraging people from getting them because stand-by lines were so short (Soarin' was always a walk-on!).

Well, I'll leave it at that for now. Happy to answer any questions! BTW, going the week-plus after Easter worked great for us (Tuesday through Friday). Hotel wasn't full, crowds very manageable, and weather was heavenly (OK, one more thing: the lack of humidity in So Cal is gorgeous -- we had so much more energy because we weren't dealing with all the humidity!)