Where do I start? WDW Vet needs advice for 1st DL trip!

[Mom2Stitch]

Hi All-
After 14 years of WDW only vacations we are going to make a change. For our 25th anniversary DH decided he wanted a cruise to Hawaii which of course leaves from Long Beach, CA. No way are we going to be that close to "the Motherland" and not make a visit. So we are tacking on a couple of days to be sure we get a day at each park there.

Our cruise dates are from 1/16/16-1/31/16 and we would put DL at the beginning of the trip. I think after all that time away from home if we were to put it at the end we would not really enjoy DL. I'm thinking we will fly in on Wed before cruise, spend Thurs at DL and Fri at California Adventure.

Keeping in mind that this is most likely the one and only time we will get to DL, can you help with these questions?

What can I expect for crowds?

I'm guessing hours will be shorter at the parks, what about attractions and shows? What can I look for to be down for refurb/rehab?

Should we stay at one of Disney's hotels? Should we go with a package? Do they have a dining plan?

What are the can't miss meals, snacks, restaurants?

Does DL have FP? Magic Bands?

How can I best use my time? I'm sure we need more than a day at each park, but it is all we can afford time and money wise.

I very much appreciate any and all help you can give. I can plan WDW in my sleep (at least I could before they Magic Banned it but that's another thread topic), this DL stuff is uncharted territory for me. Thanks in advance

 

[starjazz]

I'm sure someone will or already has posted the thread about DLR for WDW vets. If not, do a search. I'll do my best with your questions.

Hi All-
What can I expect for crowds?

This is one of lowest times of the year assuming you're going just before or just after your cruise.

I'm guessing hours will be shorter at the parks, what about attractions and shows? What can I look for to be down for refurb/rehab?

Correct. And with the 60th Anniversay in the summer, there will be lots of refurb. Right now World of Color show at DCA, Peter Pan, Soarin', Luigi's, Splash and Matterhorn are all scheduled to be down. Likely more will be added.

Should we stay at one of Disney's hotels? Should we go with a package? Do they have a dining plan?

For us, the Disney hotels are just way too expensive when there are hotels directly across the street (some even closer than the park hotels). There is a dining plan, but its not like WDW where its discounted. We usually skip it, bring a lot of our own food in since the hotel is so close, and just grab a few meals in the parks.

What are the can't miss meals, snacks, restaurants?

You'll hear lots of opinions here. Corn dogs, popcorn, churros, beignets, etc. are popular snacks. For sit down meals, people love the Blue Bayou in the Pirate's ride queue area - totally unique, and some love the Cafe Orleans in the same general area. Carthay Circle in DHS is popular too. There are great counter service restaurants every where, such as the Hungry Bear and Village Haus in DL and Flo's in DCA.

Does DL have FP? Magic Bands?

FP exists for a few rides, but no Magic Bands. Most necessary are Radiator Springs Racers FPs which you ought to get early in your day when you're in DHS, and the Anna & Elsa m&g if you're interested when in DL.

How can I best use my time? I'm sure we need more than a day at each park, but it is all we can afford time and money wise.

You know, one day at each park can be done and you won't miss much. Especially if you're not big on shows and/or parades. As with WDW, get there at RD and hit the big attractions early. At DL, most think Peter Pan is worth getting out of the way early as the line builds fast and its a slow loader. If you can skip that, head to one of the mountains or Indy. Indy is not my favorite ride in the parks, but its probably the most "amazing" thing there are all things considered, so don't miss it. Then, once you've started your day, just work your way around the park. You can use a wait time app to get a (very) approximate feel for lines and maybe make some slight adjustments to your route, but its not quite like WDW where its advantageous to literally trip plan your whole day. DLR is great cuz everything is so much closer, so you can adapt to the situation.

Enjoy your trip - we venture to both parks and love them both. DLR is absolutely wonderful and more than holds its own against WDW.

 

[figment_jii]

I highly recommend taking a look at HydroGuy's "DLR Guide for WDW Vets" thread. It'll provide a helpful grounding as you plan your DLR trip.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

What can I expect for crowds?

HydroGuy has another thread for that:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36509602

I'm guessing hours will be shorter at the parks, what about attractions and shows? What can I look for to be down for refurb/rehab?

It's tough to say for sure what will be down because DLR doesn't release their schedule this far in advance. starjazz has a good list, plus it's likely that IaSW will also be down in the latter half of January to remove the holiday overlay. HMH will go down in early January for a few weeks to remove the holiday overlay, so depending on when you go, that may or may not be up.

Yes, hours will be shorter and entertainment will be limited to weekends primarily. You can get a sense of the schedule from last few years on this thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2291124

Should we stay at one of Disney's hotels? Should we go with a package? Do they have a dining plan?

Some folks love the hotels, others feel that the proximity of cheaper hotels is a better choice. At WDW, I always stay on-site, but at DLR, I usually stay at one of the hotels on Harbor Blvd.

There is a dining plan, but it's nothing like the one at WDW. Most advice is to skip it because it's not really a good deal. It's basically vouchers that are only good a handful of venues. It's pretty restrictive and doesn't include any QS or snacks.

What are the can't miss meals, snacks, restaurants?

There will be a wide variety of answers to this one. DLR doesn't have the same number of dining options as WDW, but it does have some good ones. There is a food photo and dining review thread; start at the end and work backwards to see what are some of the offerings at the parks.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1253888&page=244

Does DL have FP? Magic Bands?

Yes, DLR still uses the "legacy" FP system (paper FP, that you get day of). DLR does not have MagicBands or FP+.

How can I best use my time? I'm sure we need more than a day at each park, but it is all we can afford time and money wise.

Get there at rope drop and plan to stay the whole day is my first thought. There is a lot to do, but the parks are fairly compact. I would proabably do DL first and then DCA. If you finish DCA early, then head back to DL (I genearlly find there is more to do at DL). With limited time, I would focus on the attractions that are unique to DLR.

 

[cdatkins]

I would allow 3 days in the parks. You may never make it there again, and I think you need a minimum of 3 days to see everything and enjoy the differences between WDW and DLR.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

Thank you all for your help, lots of links for research--almost feels like the good old days of researching WDW.

 

[GatorChris]

The best tip I can give you is to switch your days. Now I know the parks are next to each other and hopping is easy, but DL will only have fireworks on Friday of that week, and you don't want to miss that. You can catch World of Color (if it's not down for refurb yet) on Thursday. If it is down, then Fantasmic! will be playing nightly at DL. You'll want to grab a FP for F! or set up a F! Dining Package 60 days in advance. The dining package here is much different than the one at WDW. There, you just book a restaurant you normally would eat at and ask for the F! special pass. At DL, you'll actually have to spend more than you would for the meal in order to secure a spot.