What to expect?

[MinnieVanMom]

I just found out today that we are going to DL June 28-July 2nd while DH attends conference. We are staying at the disneyland hotel. What can expect from the hotel? What should I ask for to see the fireworks from the room? How is the dining at hotel? Are there good places to eat close by?

What can expect for crowds, weather, hours, etc.

Do they extra magic hours like WDW? How is the transportation? I guess monorail but I am not sure. I don't mind a walk either.

What is not to be missed? We are getting conference price tickets and it was very reasonable to DS and I to go into the parks while DH is in meetings. Has anyone used a GAC at disneyland. I have heard it is not the same as WDW? I have read not to wear a lanyard? How different is it?

So many questions, so little time.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

You'll love staying at the DLH!!

You can find the answers to your questions just by reading through some of these posts or using the search function.

Have a great trip! It looks like you'll be at the Beach Club later this year -- love it there, too!

 

[Disney Dreams]

I just found out today that we are going to DL June 28-July 2nd while DH attends conference. We are staying at the disneyland hotel. What can expect from the hotel? What should I ask for to see the fireworks from the room? How is the dining at hotel? Are there good places to eat close by?

What can expect for crowds, weather, hours, etc.

Do they extra magic hours like WDW? How is the transportation? I guess monorail but I am not sure. I don't mind a walk either.

What is not to be missed? We are getting conference price tickets and it was very reasonable to DS and I to go into the parks while DH is in meetings. Has anyone used a GAC at disneyland. I have heard it is not the same as WDW? I have read not to wear a lanyard? How different is it?

So many questions, so little time.

The hotel is nice. I will let those who have stayed there address your more specific questions about it.

Crowds will be pretty strong during that time. You are mid-summer, right before 4th of July.

There are not EMH like WDW, but there are Magic Mornings. You can get into the park early (like morning EMH) since you are staying on property.

You can walk to the park VERY easily.

I don't know how GACs work at WDW, but they do have them at DLR. You will want to go to City Hall on your first day and tell them your situation (why you need it) and they will set you up accordingly.

I don't know why you would not wear a lanyard. Are you a pin trader? I wear my lanyard all the time.

Yay for coming to Disneyland,
Dreams

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Thanks so much for the kind words. I am really hesitant as I have read not so nice things about DL. I want it to be magical as our all the trips to WDW. I know it is smaller and not a destination but a place to go for the locals. We have a SN child and just don't need the rude remarks and stares. But we are use to both of them.

Is pin trading common at DL? We encourage DS to trade and have fun too! We plan to follow our WDW plan of rope drop, early lunch and then back to the resort for pool and nap. Return for evening shows and rides.
Will that also work well at DL?

I want to feel safe and enjoy the magic. I will look around the site for more information.

We could have picked Orlando for the conference in late July but I said I would rather go to DL since we are going to WDW in Sept. We want to see the original Disney.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Yes we love WDW but it DH gets to go for free so we are tagging along. I am just so hesitant as I have read that it is not like WDW at all and that people are ...well...not on vacation.

You CANNOT compare DLR to WDW.

Compare the Magic Kingdom to Disneyland.
Compare DtD to DtD.
And then you have California Adventure that compares to nothing at WDW.

There is nothing to be hesitant about. Disneyland is magical, wonderful, beautiful, fun, exciting, and terrific.

Are people on vacation? Sure. Are there also people who live locally who come to the park to enjoy (like me)? Sure. Do 99.9% of them share an enjoyment for Disney? You bet!

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Oh thank you again. I am feeling better already! We love Disney, pin trading, dressing up, the rides the magic. It means so much to DS and for us to see him smile.

Thank you so much for the good words of encouragement.

 

[bumbershoot]

Well, I just realized that you're the same person with the stroller questions. You've got to put your hotel in your ticker! It helps us answer you.

I don't know who's giving you advice about DLR, but you should shush them in the future. We live in WA, so definitely not local, and we go on vacation there! There are Australians, New Zealanders, Europeans...people from all over the country who visit. It's NOT just locals. And FYI, my cousins are locals to WDW and go to WDW often! My one cousin and her now-husband courted for a year with WDW trips. Locals are everywhere at every park.

People do pin trading all the time. Hubby enjoys it, and tends to gravitate towards the CMs working in stores. Ask if they have a trading lanyard; not all of them do, but many that do keep them behind the counter instead of around their necks. I don't go near the people standing or sitting at tables with big pin trading books, because they seem to have profit-reasons for trading...they also glare at you if you look at their books but aren't wearing a lanyard (because it got too heavy with the camera around your neck and you put the lanyard in your purse). the ones I've encountered at least.

Stop at City Hall to deal with the GAC.

People are people...some are going to look extra at someone who looks or acts in a way that they didn't expect... I don't think that DLR visitors will give extra-rude looks than WDW visitors.

You'll get Magic Morning each morning it's offered during your stay. It's generally offered on the T and S days, so Sat Sun Tues and Thurs. If you're getting into town very very early on a MM day, you can check in and take advantage of the MM...again, you'd have to be there very early. If your day of check out is an MM day, you get to take advantage of it. MM gets you into DL one hour early on those days, and Fantasyland is open, along with parts of Tomorrowland (Nemo, mainly, and Buzz I believe). The other lands are not open for it.

If you want to start each morning in Tomorrowland, you can take the monorail in. Though on MM days that might not be the most helpful, as the monorail sometimes doesn't leave until opening time, which gets you in after the walkers. If you are ending the days in Tomorrowland, it's simple to get the monorail back. But if you aren't going to be in Tomorrowland each time, you'll have to figure out if walking there to get the monorail makes more sense than just walking out and through DTD to get to the hotel.


Check out the Disneyland section of the info-dis (wdwinfo.com) as well as allears.net...in my opinion allears is better than the dis for menus (wdwinfo is missing many items and menus). That will show you the various restaurants around DLH. If you guys swim, DLH has a pirate-themed pool. We cannot wait to try that out.

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Thank you, I will go and change the ticker. I am a WDW pro but am so lost right now from trying to figure out DL. Go figure?

We are use to the looks and stares. We must use the GAC to just give our DS a chance to experience the park the way a NT would. But because he is ASD people stare when things go wrong and stare when we use the GAC because we know not to even try to make him wait in line. It just won't happen so we already know this and don't even try.

I will follow your suggestions and I am going to print out the post! Yes, I am asking tons of questions as I just found out we are going. We could have gone to WDW in late July but we picked DL because we have never been.

So far, I know about the GAC, fantasmic seating and mornings. Thanks friends

 

[jenjersnap]

OP, I will defer to the true DLR experts here because we've only gone once (been to WDW tons), but I just wanted to add that, planning our first trip, I read similar negative things about DLR and I was hesitant. Well, I was proven thoroughly wrong! The quaint vibe at DL is amazing. Comparing MK to DL is no contest, the level of detail at DL will knock your socks off. It wasn't dirty, it didn't seem plunked in an urban landscape (it is, but you don't feel it inside the gates), people, CMs and visitors, weren't more brusque. My DH, not a huge Disney fan though he kindly indulges me, asked to go to DLR again this year. He feels ... not overwhelmed there. I hope you love it too.

We've gotten GACs for my middle DS at WDW but we opted not to get one at DL last year (he has a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy which results in super low energy and bouts of tachycardia, looks fine on the outside but when he doesn't self regulate his activity level he acts out in tantrums. Stressful, I know) because he did well with the compactness of the parks (riding in stroller, of course). I know this has nothing to do with your reason for needing a GAC, but I do think acquiring one is pretty much the same as WDW.

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Thanks Jen,

I was worried about our Maclaren getting stolen but I guess they are a dime a dozen at DL and mostly as safe as anything can be. It is bright green and easy to find. I am going to put a few things that show it to be ours just in case someone mistakes it for theirs. DS must be in the stroller even though he is older. It provides a safe place for him where the noise, people and general stimulation are cut off by the stroller. He just does so much better and is happier.

I have gotten the info on the SN seating and on the EE hours. I think we are mostly ready. I am still so nervous. Yes all the stories about gangs, rude people, dirty parks. I don't know why they seem to show up the most

It is Disney, the original and it is going to be magical. I am so lucky to be able to be going while still waiting for our big fall trip to WDW.

 

[mechurchlady]

The media and even boards can focus on the bad things even if it is a freak incident or something not even in Disney's control and the same goes with all public venues. Disney has lots of security which you would never see at a local fair or mall but we hear about theft and criminals but that is one in 100,000 visits maybe or even a million. We hear about park deaths but not about the millions of same trips on the same ride.

Most times you will have your mcclaren with you and when you do not have it with you then it will be out where people will see it. I have never had anything stolen from my scooter or from me in parks. Sometimes a person will see something and take it like a pretty scarf or toy and sometimes thieves will steal but security is ever vigilant and keep track of guests.

You are a WDW pro and will do fine at DLR.

 

[TamiV]

Seems like most of your questions have been answered, but I wanted to comment on the fireworks view from the room. We are staying at the DLH in a standard room, I had read you could see them from some rooms, so I called and asked for a fireworks view standard room. The CM said she'd note that in my reservation and that it should not be a problem! Easy peasy!

Have a great trip!

 

[HydroGuy]

You want info? We got info!

If you have not found it yet, this thread gets lots of mileage around here:

"A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

Also, for your visit in the summer here is some more specific info:

"Getting The Most Out of a Summer Visit To DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1345319

You asked about EMHs and others have discussed the DLR rough equivalent which are called Magic Mornings. Here is some detailed info on MM:

"Magic Morning (Early Entry) Super Thread" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1675403

I would agree with others not to get too worried about being disappointed with DLR. Embrace the differences, soak in the magic, keep an open mind and you will have a great time. DLR has 100% of the magic as WDW. It just takes less days to experience it.

 

[Hound 109]

After reading the tip threads that HydroGuy suggests.....then read all the rest of his tip threads.

HydroGuy DLR Tips Compilation: www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483



I'm a 4 time WDW vet who now very much prefers his visits to DLR (over WDW)...for alot of reasons.

Have a great time planning a visit to Walt's Park.