What to do first California Adventure or Disneyland?

[Catira]

Hi I will be in Disneyland this Memorial Day Weeken with my 6 yr. old son and my 10 yr.old girl. Which park should we do first? Is there anything that you feel we should not miss out on. We have been several times to WDW but this is our first trip to Disneyland.
Oaky, hope to hear from you soon...Liza

 

[yeartolate]

Make sure you get on Matterhorn first (if it is important to you). It is not fastpassed. During early entry I believe matterhorn is open, I would grab fastpasses for other things quickly. If you are lucky you will have short return times which means more possible fastpasses. In Fantasyland Peter Pan loads very slowly and can take forever to wait. I would make that a priority as well.

If you go to ToonTown at opening or early entry - go to Mickey's House first. You will get your special visit out of the way quickly with little muss and fuss.

At Ca adventure - park may actually open 30 minutes early. Head right for Soarin.If a kid has the nerve to get on SOarin -they seem to enjoy it. I must have been on that ride 50 times - I have yet to hear a screamer.
If Tower of Terror is in your future - after Soarin (assuming you enter the park before posted opening) get on TOT if there is no line. Otherwise get a fastpass.


Remember if you hold an expired fastpass, they will probably still let you on the ride (as long as it is the same day)

 

[Anewman]

first thing you should do is get a fast pass to splash Mountain and get in line for Indiana Jones. Or switch it around.

When Disneyland Gets unbearably crowded(it will) switch over to California Adventure, it should be a bit less crowded and get a fast pass to Soarin while you wait in line for the Grizzly rapids. or backwards.

Knock out a few more things at DCA and then head back over to Disneyland after dark, not just cuz it will be less crowded but because it will be a bit cooler and easier to tolerate the mass of humanity.

I would use the same or similar stratigy Sat-Monday.

 

[crazymomof 4]

If I were you I would spend most of my time Sat. at CA and Sun. at DL that way you avoid each parks busiest day. I don't know about Memorial Day it will be busy no matter what. Eat at the Blue Bayou if possible in Pirates. Don't miss the ELP at CA or Fatasmic at DL! I have never been to DW so I don't know what is duplicated there! Eat at captain mickey's at CA at night. It is very cool! If you haven't been on Soarin' over CA you need to do that! Of course all the Fantasyland rides are awesome and I heard that Peter Pan was better here! (Don't know for sure why!) You need to ride the train all the way around especially between Tommorrowland and Mainstreet to see the murals. Look for Walt's apartment above the Firehouse. Have a great time!

 

[All Aboard]

Here's my thoughts. And, they probably don't apply to most people planning trips. But, anyway...

I, too, will be making my first trip to DL next weekend. I have been to WDW somewhere around 150 times. I will be with my 7 year old daughter (who has been to WDW around 60 times). Our first park day will be Friday, and we will be visiting Disneyland. Disneyland is about 97% of the reason we are going.

I'm one of those people who believes in the importance of "firsts." When we first took our daughter to WDW when she was 1, I wanted her first theme park, and first attraction to be particulary special and have some meaning. So, clearly, The Magic Kingdom was the choice of first park. But, the choice of attraction required more thought. I wanted it to be an attraction that Walt had a great deal of influence on (even if it wasn't at his original park), one that was part of the common vernacular, one that was really age appropriate for a little kid, and one that would likely be around for quite some time - so that she could ride it over and over as she got older. The choice was "it's a small world."

So, as I approach our first ever trip to Disneyland, the importance of "firsts" is just as strong. My thought process is this - Again, I want our first Disneyland attraction to be one that had a great deal of influence from Walt (preferably opening during his lifetime) and one that has chiseled itself into our culture. Plus, I want it to be an attraction that (while possibly the same in name and concept) differs enough to make it unique from WDW.

With a great deal of thought, I've decided that Pirates of the Caribbean will be our first Disneyland attraction.

 

[Dobie]

What park to hit first depends on when you get there. . . (in my humble opinion)

We always fly in, and arrive between noon and 1. In that scenario, CA is better, because Disneyland is a crawling anthill between noon and 1 on a busy, warm, holiday weekend.

If you are arriving in an evening, and will be burning a park hopper for that evening, I would eat in DCA, coordinate parade times, see the DL fireworks. . .

If you are arriving in the evening and planning not to go to the parks that evening, then definately DL first thing in the morning, heading over to CA about 11:30 or so, then to the hotel for a nap/swim, then back for the DL parade/fireworks, or CA electric parade.

If you are arriving in the early (before nine) morning, see paragraph above.

You will have a blast. I am quite jealous.

 

[LuvTigger]

I always like to start my visit with DL first, just because I like to start my first day off walking down Main St. and looking at the Castle (which, btw, is smaller than WDW -- it shocks some people who visit WDW all the time, then go to DL!). I have no practical reason for starting at DL first, just sentimental! The way I look at it, most tickets are park hoppers, so we could always leave and go over to DCA if we wanted to.

In terms of "must" dos (that are somewhat different or unique compared to WDW attractions):

DL
Indiana Jones
Matterhorn
Space Mountain
Pirates
Blue Bayou (restaurant for lunch or dinner)

DCA
Soarin' Over CA
Aladdin Show
Main St. Electrical Parade
Grizzly River Rapids
CA Screamin'
Sun Wheel

 

[CalGal]

I'm like LuvTigger; I just can't wait to walk down Main Street. If I start my visit early in the morning, I definitiely start at DL and get in several rides and perhaps a few Fastpasses. I stay until it gets crowded before jumping over DCA. If I start my visit midday, I like to at least visit the Information Board at DL to check out queue times. I might just walk around a bit, perhaps pick up a Fastpass for later, and then hit DCA which is almost always less crowded. Remember, the parks are so close that it's really easy to go back and forth (assuming you have a park hopper ticket).

 

[msteddom]

When Disneyland Gets unbearably crowded(it will) switch over to California Adventure, it should be a bit less crowded and get a fast pass to Soarin while you wait in line for the Grizzly rapids. or backwards.

Knock out a few more things at DCA and then head back over to Disneyland after dark, not just cuz it will be less crowded but because it will be a bit cooler and easier to tolerate the mass of humanity.

I couldn't have said it better myself. This is the strategy we always use.


Melissa

 

[poohj80]

I like to at least visit the Information Board at DL to check out queue times.

Does DCA also have an Info Board? If so, where are they located in each park?

 

[DonnettaR]

So, as I approach our first ever trip to Disneyland, the importance of "firsts" is just as strong. My thought process is this - Again, I want our first Disneyland attraction to be one that had a great deal of influence from Walt (preferably opening during his lifetime) and one that has chiseled itself into our culture. Plus, I want it to be an attraction that (while possibly the same in name and concept) differs enough to make it unique from WDW.

With a great deal of thought, I've decided that Pirates of the Caribbean will be our first Disneyland attraction.

I thought sure you were going to say Jungle Cruise...now that it has jumping pirahna.

 

[CalGal]

Does DCA also have an Info Board? If so, where are they located in each park?

Both parks have information boards, but they do not operate during all park hours. They may be covered when the park is not busy, which means that they are much more likely to be operating at DL than DCA.

At DL, the board is located to the left of the central plaza as you exit Main St. near the entrance to Adventureland.

At DCA, I am less certain -- I believe it's located around Sunshine Plaza, but I can't be more precise.

 

[ramkam]

Think of DCA more like another "land." You are going to Disneyland. You should spend some time at DCA just like you would spend some time in Adventure Land.