What does a WDW vet need to know about DISNEYLAND?

[Fargoman2]

We have been to WDW multiple times but never to Disneyland. We will be in LA this summer for other purposes and, of course, we are wondering about "sampling" Disneyland. Other than the obvious size/parks difference, what should we know/expect at Disneyland that is similar/different? Do you need to see Cali Adventure, too? Can you do a 1 day thing or should we try to find 2 days and do both? What's worth it and what isn't?

My wife and I will only have our 15 year old son in tow for this trip.

Your thoughts needed...Thanks!

 

[mesaboy2]

We have been to WDW multiple times but never to Disneyland. We will be in LA this summer for other purposes and, of course, we are wondering about "sampling" Disneyland. Other than the obvious size/parks difference, what should we know/expect at Disneyland that is similar/different? Do you need to see Cali Adventure, too? Can you do a 1 day thing or should we try to find 2 days and do both? What's worth it and what isn't?

My wife and I will only have our 15 year old son in tow for this trip.

Your thoughts needed...Thanks!

See HydroGuy's excellent thread on the DLR forums: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

 

[figment_jii]

I would start by taking a look at HydroGuy's guide down on the Disneyland Board. It's specifically written for WDW vets going to DLR and has lots of good information.

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

I would also hop on down to the disneyland board and say "hi" and ask lots of questions down there. That board has a lot folks who know the ins and outs of Disneyland.

 

[Rebekkap]

1. You ABSOLUTELY need to see Cali Adventure because Cars Land is the best thing ever, and Radiator Springs Racers is amazing.

2. Disneyland doesn't need as much insane planning. You can book restaurants like a week in advance even in summer.

3. Don't bother going bagless, you still have to queue to get through the bag inspection line even without a bag!

4. Don't miss Indiana Jones

5. I've found getting there before rope drop doesn't save very much time. Getting there five minutes after does - there's no longer a queue to get into the park, and yet there are no more queues for the rides than if you were queuing at the back of the rope drop queue. My general practice on recent visits has been to ride something (TMM if in CA or Space Mountain in DL, if in DL fastpass Space so I can go again later) then head to the RSR fastpass queue in CA, and get a fastpass.

6. On site is not really worth the extra money, if you make sure the park you hit first in the morning is the one without the EMH you'll be fine.

7. Check out those Disneyland boards, heaps of great hints!

 

[Run princess]

What suprised me the most

1) Waiting in line just to get a fastpass

2) Real utensils and plates even at quick service

3) I knew the castle would be small but the walk out to critter country made me feel like the park was just as big as MK

4)Actually loved observing differences on rides that are duplicated.
DL has better Pirates, space mountain and It's a small world
MK has better Splash
Loved the subtle differences in Haunted Mansion but liked them equal.

And definetly check out Hydroguy's thread!

 

[figment_jii]

1) Waiting in line just to get a fastpass

I know there are lines for RSR and WOC FP, but I haven't really encountered much in the way of a line for other FPs. Were there any other rides where you had to wait in a line to get the FP?

2) Real utensils and plates even at quick service

Not all DLR QS locations have real plates and utensils, but many do. I can remember that Flo's, French Market, Plaza Inn all had real utensils. I think Rocket Redd's and Hungry Bear did not.

Loved the subtle differences in Haunted Mansion but liked them equal.

If you go from mid-September until just after New Year, the differences won't be very subtle. During that period, HM has the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay, so it's Haunted Mansion Holiday. Even during the rest of the year, there are some pretty big differences between the two rides:
-DLR doesn't have the interactive queue (boo hoo)
-DLR has a real elevator in the stretching room
-The first part of the ride is different (from exiting the stretching room until you reach the endless corridor). DLR's is shorter...and no library.

To the OP, I think you can easily spent two plus days at DLR, even if you're familiar with WDW. There are enough different rides/shows to keep you busy. As others have said, with the addition of Carsland to DCA, it makes it worth it to go to DCA. RSR is one of the best rides at Disney; it may have vehicles that look like the ones from Test Track, but the ride itself is much better (I really like RSR, Test Track is take-it-or-leave-it for me).

A couple of other thoughts that came to mind:

1) DLR doesn't use FP+ or Magic Bands. It's still "old school" paper FP that you pull that day. Thank goodness! They do enforce FP return times (just like WDW). As long as you've entered one park, you can get FP at either park.

2) DLR dining reservations can be made 60-days in advance. All ADRs require a credit card guarantee. ADRs at DLR aren't as critical as they are at WDW, but I still recommend making them if you have places you know you want to eat. If you want to eat at the Blue Bayou, then you need an ADR.

3) Park Hours are typically posted 45-days in advance and often times the EMH/MM and other details aren't added until about 4-weeks out. In other words, the calendar posted on the 45-day mark is often incomplete.

 

[ColoradoMickeyFan]

As a DL vet who has visited the World numerous times I can definitely give you some suggestions.

1)You really need at least 2 days, 3 days is ideal. You will not want to miss CA especially with Cars Land. CA is a completely different park than anything at DW. I think you would enjoy it.

2) Don't miss doing the rides that are duplicated at DL and MK. I truly believe most of the "originals" at DL are superior. Specifically Small World, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain and Pirates.

3) Don't miss the exclusive rides at DL like the Matterhorn, Indiana Jones, Alice in Wonderland.

4) You do not need to plan like you do at DW. Staying on property is not really worth the cost at DL. You do not get the benefits like you do at DW. Dining reservations are also not so crazy. For most places, these don't even need to be done more than a couple of weeks out. Know that the dining options are very limited but there are plenty of places to eat off property that are all within walking distance.

Enjoy all the differences. I truly believe both places are magical in their own way. I love them for different reasons.

 

[DizMagic]

One thing i havent seen mentioned that surprised me (a WDW vet) when I went years ago - the smog. I guess I realized when I was there that it was a little more "shady" but it wasn't until I received my pictures back (yes real pictures) that I realized just how smoggy it really was. For all of you DL vets - I do not mean this in a negative at all - just a difference.

 

[skier_pete]

Hydroguy is an excellent source as others have said. He hits the keys.

It's hard to really grasp how CLOSE the two parks are together until you actually get there. Traveling between the two is as easy as pie.

Also, if your time is limited recommend researching which rides to skip versus new experiences. A good one to skip - Soarin' is a great ride - but it is IDENTICAL to WDW, whereas many others are quite different. Tower of Terror is just standard drop - no randomization, and good for a pass - when we were there in June, they only had one of the three shafts running, and the waits were crazy long.

Key advice I haven't seen yet: Single Rider line! At WDW there are only three rides with with Single Rider line, so it doesn't get much use. At DL/DCA I think there are about 10-15 rides. If rides queues are long use it, especially if you don't have little kids. Find out what rides have single rider, and save your FastPasses for rides that don't.

For example, we rode RSR with early entry, but the wait was still 40 minutes. We rode THREE times in 35 minutes with no wait using single rider. Matterhorn had a 25 minute wait, single rider was < 5 minutes.

Radiator Springs Racers and World of Color alone make it worth the experience of going to Disneyland.

People will argue with how much time you need, but 3-4 days is plenty to see most of what there is to see.

 

[figment_jii]

Key advice I haven't seen yet: Single Rider line! At WDW there are only three rides with with Single Rider line, so it doesn't get much use. At DL/DCA I think there are about 10-15 rides.

I don't think there are ten to fifteen rides with a Single Rider lines. Disneyland.com only lists seven rides:
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/#/single-rider-line/

Additionally, the Matterhorn has an unpublished single rider line. It's not always available, but it's normally open.

 

[peyjax]

Although it will be near impossible not to compare and do a WDW vs DL when visiting in your head. Do your best not to! Try to approach it as another side of Disney, a new way to experience it. You do not go onto Disney Cruise Line and expect the same experience you do at Magic Kingdom. Same with DL The rides themselves are fun to compare a bit though. Overall it is a completely different experience including the type of visitors, food, castle,location, etc. If you love all things Disney and not just WDW you will have a blast!

 

[StayAwake]

Check out the thread- it is really helpful.

The distance between the parks and Downtown Disney is so small- we constantly had to keep reminding ourselves how close everything was. When we couldn't find something we felt like eating at DCA, it was easy to pop over to DTD and have tons of choices. Park hopping is an absolute must, IMO.

We love the Animation Academy at both Hollywood Studios and DCA, but I really love that DCA has a schedule published every day just outside of the Animation Building, so you can choose what character you want to draw, as opposed to getting the luck of the draw at HS.

Even with a FP for World of Color, you need to get there very early in the seating window for the first show if you want any hope of getting a decent view.

Once I stopped comparing DL and Magic Kingdom, I have really been able to love them for their differences.

 

[figment_jii]

I agree with the others about park hopping...it's very easy and sometimes it's actually the most efficient way to tour the parks. They are literal across the Esplanade from each other; the DL and DCA entrance gates are about 110 yards from each other (so one football field). For WDW folks, I describe it this way: think of DL as Epcot's FW, DCA as Epcot's WS (without the lagoon), and DTD as being just outside International Gateway. That's roughly the layout. You don't even have to go through bag check when you go between DCA and DL!

 

[skier_pete]

I don't think there are ten rides with a Single Rider lines. Disneyland.com only lists seven rides:
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/#/single-rider-line/

Additionally, the Matterhorn has an unpublished single rider line. It's not always available, but it's normally open.

Well, I know both Matterhorn had single rider, which is not listed on that website, so that brings it to EIGHT. I thought there was a few others, but I guess not. Still, they are worth taking advantage of.

 

[figment_jii]

Well, I know both Matterhorn had single rider, which is not listed on that website, so that brings it to EIGHT. I thought there was a few others, but I guess not. Still, they are worth taking advantage of.

Which others? You mention "both Matterhorn"; do you mean the two sides of the mountain? They now feed from the same line and split at the entrance to the little chateau. That's also where you get into the SRL. Sometimes the CM will let you pick which side you want, other times the CM will tell you which side to go to.

The Matterhorn Single Rider line, despite being unpublished, is mentioned pretty frequently down on the Disneyland board, but I haven't read about any others consistently. I use the Matterhorn SRL as much as possible, but it's worth noting that it can be pretty inconsistent. Two people in front of you can take 5 minutes or it can take 30 minutes, it just depends on the distribution of the parties in line. Because the cars seat 6, they use two groups of three, three groups of two, one group of four and a group of two, and they will try to find groups to fill the cars from the regular line first. In my experience, if the SRL reaches the turnstyle (just beyond where the CM will let you enter), they'll close the SRL until it thins out.

 

[crazyventures]

DL vet here! Some things not to miss: Indiana Jones, Cars Land, Pirates (much better in DL,) churros (easier to find in DL,) hand dipped corn dogs, and Trader Sam's at the Disneyland Hotel for small plates and delicious drinks.

If you're interested in tours, the "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" is great and takes you into Walt's apartment.

 

[AthenaBolina]

Oh man, I wish Indiana Jones was at WDW! That is one of my fave rides. It was closed when we went there fall of 2012. Hoping it's not down again when we visit in the future, prob in a year or two.

 

[KateDrake]

I think the biggest mistake WDW visitors make when coming to DLR is underestimating the amount of time they will need to experience everything. It is tempting to think that with 2 parks, you only need two days. But you have to remember that those two parks have MORE attractions than WDW has in four. So it is very difficult to see everything in just two days, particularly if you want to take in any shows or ride anything more than once. We always do AT LEAST 3 days at DLR, but prefer 4 or 5 if we can make it work. That gives us a chance to do just about all the attractions, plus take in special things like musical chairs with Alice and the Mad Hatter, etc.

Hydroguy's thread is awesome, make sure you check that out. Make sure you give yourself enough time, and just accept that DLR is a totally different vacation experience. Staying onsite is not so important, counter service food is so much better, and the duplicate rides are awesome! Oh, and don't miss World of Color! It's my favorite Disney show!

 

[skier_pete]

Which others? You mention "both Matterhorn"; do you mean the two sides of the mountain? They now feed from the same line and split at the entrance to the little chateau. That's also where you get into the SRL.

The "both" was a typo. I thought BTMRR had one, but deleted it when I realized it didn't. Missed deleting the "both".

My point being that at WDW there is only 1 SRL ride in any given park (MK has none). In DLR, DL has 3 and DCA has 5. Again, I mistakenly said 10-15 when it is in fact only 8, but it does not counteract that it is good advice.

 

[Rosanne]

We are WDW veterans and went to DL for the first time in 2010. We were in the parks with hoppers for 4 and 1/2 days. We LOVED DL. I wish I hadn't pre-purchased WDW tickets before the latest price increase and instead had used the $$ towards another trip to DL. I don't know when we'll use the WDW tickets at this point.

My girls are 7 and 13 now. At the time we went they were 4 and 9. There is something extra special about being in Walt's park. We could easily have spent a couple more days there but we did ride a few things more than once.