My first trip to Disneyland!

[packwingfn]

Hey Subsonic Radio!!

I haven't posted on here as much as I used too but I need your help. I really want to plan my first trip to California and visit Disneyland Resort for the very first time. I've been to Disney World 1000x times especially more since I work here now but I still want to visit the place that Walt actually walked around every day. I'm just not sure what the best time is. I really want to experience Disneyland in its truest format. I feel like if I go in the Fall, then Mansion will either be closed or redone as NBC which i've never seen anyway. I would love to go during my birthday which is May 7th so I was looking up flights from May 3rd to May 9th (Thursday to Wednesday) but I hate how Disneyland hours aren't posted that far in advance like Disney World so I don't know what to expect for park hours/entertainment. Do they always show World of Color every night? Thats a MUST see for me and even though I've seen Fantasmic at DHS, I would still love to see the Peter Pan scene on the Rivers of America.

Also I know usually during my birthday week is when they have Grad Nites, I know in florida they cancelled them but I believe in Disneyland, they are still having them, right? Would that usually happen in Disneyland around my birthday? How would that affec with crowds and shorter park hours? ANY help from any Disneyland friends would be VERY helpful.

[cy1229]

A THOUSAND times? WOW. Congrats on going to DLR, I'm really glad you posted this because I'd like to know some of these things about DLR, too. We've never been but it's one of those things that we feel like we should do at least once - and possibly, hopefully, maybe, a tour of Pixar Studios to boot.

[elizabethswann]

The Mansion closes sometime in September I believe to start the holiday overlay so it can be ready for Halloween. I do believe they show World of Color and Fantasmic every night (but I'm not 100% sure so I'll keep an eye out). If you want to see World of Color, you can either go to DCA early and get a fast pass for a color coded standing area or you can do what I did and stand right by The Little Mermaid ride and see it there. It depends on if you want to be up close and personal and get a better viewing of it so you're better off getting a fast pass so you can see which color area you'll be standing in.

The park really depends on how crowded it can get or not. From what I read up on Micechat, TouringPlans has a crowd list for both DLR/DCA and WDW so you can check out the crowd control. I had asked Mouseoholic to send me a copy of WDW's crowd numbers for the days I was there so you can see if he has something for DLR! They do still have Grad Nites but I think (from my own personal experience anyway) they tend to have them sometime in June. Mine was a few days prior to my own graduation so they might still do it around that time. Just google around for the dates and work accordingly!

If you want to go sometime close to the fall, you can at least get to experience Cars Land when it opens in June! Also, Matterhorn would open back up in June after their long refurb that's going on right now.

It might not be as crowded in May as it would be in April since people would no longer be on spring break so you might be able to be in a decent sized crowd if not barely anything. If you do figure out when you want to go, let me know! And maybe we can even get Sub to come out and see you since he was the one who helped encourage me to see you.

[Amy]

I would definitely go after Carsland opens. It has been so long in the making I would think you would want to see it all finished. And Haunted Mansion Holiday is really quite awesome, but I can understand if you would rather see the "regular" Haunted Mansion.

[mindflipper]

Actually, the two Fantasmics are totally different besides the Peter Pan scene. You'll want to see the WHOLE thing.

The Haunted Mansion closes usually during 2-3 weeks in September and is usually open by the first of October. It usually runs 13+ weeks through the first week of January. Like Amy, I agree it's "really quite awesome." I know some die-hard HM fans hate, so please....keep an open mind.

I have no info on WoC but check out some of the threads around here. There are Fast Passes given out for it but they do it much differently. Their literally tickets for seating.

One thing you will think about it is that it is smaller that WDW - and it is - but it's also much more compact than WDW as well. You don't have to walk as far as you do at WDW.

[Amy]

...One thing you will think about it is that it is smaller that WDW - and it is - but it's also much more compact than WDW as well. You don't have to walk as far as you do at WDW.

I was going to mention that as well. It is so small compared to WDW. You glance down at your map to check where you are heading, and when you look back up, you have arrived at your destination It's amazing!

[packwingfn]

That will be the thing that will throw me off. I have walked around the Magic Kingdom at Disney World a bunch of times and know every nook & cranny around the park so when I notice how close everything is in Disneyland will defnitely throw me off. I just noticed that Matterhorn would still be closed in May so maybe I'll have to postpone my trip till Fall so I can experience Matterhorn since it is exclusive to DLR and I guess that means I get to experience Cars Land too!! I guess if that means I'll have to see the NBC HM then so be it, I guess that means I'll just have to watch NBC in the summer then. I still need some more recommendations from y'all in the meantime before I book my flight!

[MmeLeota]

That was the one thing that really threw me off at MK...being so accustomed to DL, it was difficult for us to go from say BTMRR to IASW. At DL, there's a happy little walkway to go from Frontierland to Fantasyland in no time flat. HM and POTC are in the same land and practically next to each other. I'm sure it will be a welcome change to you.
With the fastpasses for WoC, make sure to head over to DCA in the morning shortly after opening and go to the Grizzly River Run fastpass machines. This is where they distribute the FPs for WoC. There are CMs to take your ticket(s) (be sure your whole group is together) and you will be given a FP(s) (that doesn't hinder your ability to get another FP for an attraction) with a color on it. Red, Yellow or Blue. If you do not have a FP, you will not be allowed in the main viewing area...there are other areas around the lagoon, but the view is not terrific. Yellow seems to be the best, followed by Blue then Red (IMHO). You will be instructed to meet up at a certain spot starting at a certain time...usually about an hour before showtime. Because the viewing area is first come, first served, there will be lots of folks lining up to get into the waiting areas.
Another way of experiencing WoC is by purchasing one of the meal packages. Either a picnic or a table meal at one of 2 restaurants. We have not done this so I am not sure how it all works. By purchasing a meal, you get a special FP for the show.
If two shows are offered (or three if a busier night...like during the Halloween Parties at DL), try to go to a later show as it won't be as crowded. Plus you won't have to get to DCA quite so early to get your FP. A sign outside the distribution area advises guests which show is currently being distributed.
Also, if you don't mind getting wet, it is so worth standing in the wet zone! (of course the rail is best!) The amount of spray at any given show depends on the wind...one show might be dry, while the next one might get soaked! One time it was so wet up front there were puddles that needed to be cleaned up before they let the next show's guests line up....and we ended up hardly getting wet during our show. It can be decieving about how wet you actually get though. The smallest breeze that might kick up in the middle of the show can turn it into a darn near water ride!

Haunted Mansion Holiday is well done in our opinions. I know there are purists who do not like it at all, and though I LOVE the original HM and hate to see changes to it...but this one is quite good....as long as they change it back after the season ends.
They really go all out decorating for the Halloween season at DL and they seem to add more and more each year...I'm not sure about DCA since they have been doing heavy construction for the past several years and have not been able to really decorate much for the holidays. But since the bulk of the construction will be done by the fall, perhaps they will decorate more. They used to do a cute little theme called Candy Corn Acres....a lot of the areas where the decorations went is all gone now, but I'm sure the folks at TDA have something up their sleeves.

Anyway, sorry for rambling on but I hope there's something in this jumble of a post that helps you out.
We were bummed that we didn't get to meet you packwingfn ...oh well, maybe next time!

[elizabethswann]

If you're staying on the property, definitely check out either the Disneyland Hotel (now that it's just about finished being renovated) or the Grand Californian Hotel. Both are within range of the monorail that will take you to Tomorrowland. Ours look more high tech than the ones at WDW but there are only three colors (with two mostly being put in use). GCH has real good restaurants there too though I'm more partial to Storyteller's Cafe with the great atmosphere and great menu (definitely do the buffet if you can. The corn chowder is WORTH IT!)

DLR is really tiny compared to MK but you might get quite a bit done in one day or two depending on exactly how much you'll want to see. Since it's your first time, I'd go for maybe two or three days so you can say that you've experienced everything from the original Enchanted Tiki Room to seeing Walt's apartment in Main Street USA, etc. There's a Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour that you can check out! There are also some other tours (one for first timers too!) that you can look into. http://disneyland.disney.go.com/tours/ I've never gone on any of them which is a surprise considering how many times I've been to DLR but I'm looking into trying the Walk in Walt's Footsteps eventually.

Restaurants, I've been to quite a few. If you want to experience it, make sure you get a reservation for the Blue Bayou. Cafe Orleans is also one of my favorites since I'm a sucker for the gumbo, pomme frites, the Monte Cristo sandwich or the Mardi Gras chicken sandwich. For quick service, I'd opt for the Hungry Bear, Redd Rockett's Pizza Port, Tomorrowland Terrace or Village Haus. The menus are far different from WDW but check them out here. http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/menus.htm#dl For quick service in DCA, my favorites are the Pacific Wharf Cafe (best broccoli and cheese soup ever), the Lucky Fortune Cookery, Corn Dog Castle (or do the red wagon corn dog place in DLR), or Taste Pilot's Grill.

Now, for the rides that go insane with wait times. Indiana Jones Adventure, Space Mountain, Star Tours and Peter Pan's Flight (no surprise) have the worst wait times. Since Star Tours is new to DLR, it can go over 70 minutes for wait so get there real early for a fast pass. I'm sure you probably have seen it at DHS but it's the same thing. Space Mountain is different from MK and now I can definitely tell the differences after my trip. That can also get a wait of about 45+ minutes but Indiana Jones is one of the most popular rides so go early for that one! Matterhorn's usually a real fast line even if it may seem like 30 minutes because the loading is real quick. It might be different with the renovation so I don't know for sure. Definitely get a chance to ride the Disneyland Railroad. Of course, you can't really say no to checking out our Pirates of the Caribbean too. In DCA, the rides I know that get crazy with the wait times is Soarin' Over California, California Screamin' (sometimes it can be a short wait or more than a half hour), Tower of Terror, Toy Story Midway Mania, and Mickey's Fun Wheel if you're going on the swinging gondolas. Once Cars Land will open, the wait times can change so who knows!

If you have an iPhone, I'd download the Mousewait app for California. They have wait times, restaurant menus, etc. that can make your trip a bit easier. They have one for Florida and I have that one but I mostly use the one for DLR. Also, definitely browse around AllEars.net since I used that all the time and have used it immensely for my WDW planning. It will help in the long run!

[Amy]

Is the Star Tours the same in DL as it is in WDW with the new scenes and 3D glasses?

The Walk in Walt's Footsteps really is a good tour. We took that during one visit and even convinced my bah-humbug-Disney brother to go with us. He enjoyed it as much as we did.

I'm curious, do you get any perks at DL for being a WDW member?

[elizabethswann]

It's pretty much the same, yes, just the exterior is different really.

[Soarin08]

Amy, WDW cast gets into Anaheim, Paris, and Hong Kong free. We also get the hotel discounts. I'm not sure about food and merch, but I'll look. Our CM IDs work wonders.

packwingfn, good luck planning! I've tried to see if you've been working when I'm at MK but no luck so far.

[packwingfn]

Yes I can use my main gate to get in free to the parks at Disneyland. As far as hotel goes, I have a friend who works for corporate hyatt and he said he can get us a free room at one of his hotels near Disneyland. Now that I know that Matterhorn is gonna be closed till June, I may postpone my trip til the fall now and I do LOVE halloween so I might as well experience all the neat halloween decorations they put up in the whole area and Yeah i won't see HM in his normal mode but at least it will be open if I go in October/November.

I will defnitely eat at the Blue Bayou. I get asked that a lot of times from guests if there is a restaurant inside Pirates. I'm like no sorry thats only in Disneyland

So October or November? When should I go?

[elizabethswann]

I'd say around October maybe within the first week or two into the month. It can get a little crazy with them getting prepared for the Halloween festivities but it's a lot of fun getting around the park with it all decorated. I know they do a special fireworks show for their little Halloween party but that's extra. I don't know if you can get discounts with that but look into it.

[Amy]

Amy, WDW cast gets into Anaheim, Paris, and Hong Kong free. We also get the hotel discounts. I'm not sure about food and merch, but I'll look. Our CM IDs work wonders.

packwingfn, good luck planning! I've tried to see if you've been working when I'm at MK but no luck so far.

So your ID doesn't work for TDL That's too bad. But that's a pretty good perk on getting into the other parks for free. Those tickets add up!

Yes I can use my main gate to get in free to the parks at Disneyland. As far as hotel goes, I have a friend who works for corporate hyatt and he said he can get us a free room at one of his hotels near Disneyland. Now that I know that Matterhorn is gonna be closed till June, I may postpone my trip til the fall now and I do LOVE halloween so I might as well experience all the neat halloween decorations they put up in the whole area and Yeah i won't see HM in his normal mode but at least it will be open if I go in October/November.
I will defnitely eat at the Blue Bayou. I get asked that a lot of times from guests if there is a restaurant inside Pirates. I'm like no sorry thats only in Disneyland
So October or November? When should I go?

I would do some checking and find out when the school's fall breaks are and sort of plan around that. I think the weather between October and November is pretty consistent out in Cali, unlike Florida I think you will love the HM all decked out for the Haunted Mansion Holiday!