My first trip to Disneyland!

[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.

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!

TDL isn't owned by Disney, if you recall. The Disney name is licensed by the Oriental Land Company, who run the park.

[mindflipper]

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!

TDL isn't owned by Disney, if you recall. The Disney name is licensed by the Oriental Land Company, who run the park.

TDL is a franchise contract with the OLC (like a McDonald's franchise...)

[Amy]

TDL isn't owned by Disney, if you recall. The Disney name is licensed by the Oriental Land Company, who run the park.

TDL is a franchise contract with the OLC (like a McDonald's franchise...)

I wish they would do a little franchising here in the states! We can start with them building another TDL's Winnie the Pooh and TDS's Aquatopia and Journey to the Center of the Earth

[mindflipper]

That has nothing to do with franchising but with management. TDO here in Florida, as MadEye will tell you, are skinflints. WDW has been around longer than TDL, and yet TDL is on their third electrical parade and WDW has had only two (sorry, but the current electrical parade to me is still the same as MSEP but with a revised soundtrack). That's because TDL management was willing to spend the money to keep things newer. They've even spent money on the current electrical parade to replace floats and do a "holiday" version. The only time WDW updates an attraction is if DL in CA updates the attraction.

[theBIGyowski]

As a person who has been to WDW a good bit...but DLR only once...I can tell you that you will thoroughly enjoy it. It really is awesome walking around the same park that Walt did.

The weirdest part, though, was the feeling you get walking around the Disneyland park, feeling like you are in some kind of strange dream. You recognize where you are, because the general layout is the same, and some attractions are the same, but it is different enough to really throw you off. You will be underwhelmed by Sleeping Beauty Castle. It's no one's fault...you're just used to seeing the much larger Cinderella's Castle. It is nice that all of the attractions are packed into a smaller space, because it keeps you from wearing yourself out walking from place to place.

I would just say enjoy all the things that are so different. Also make sure you take lots of pictures and share them.

[packwingfn]

I will defnitely be underwhelmed by Sleeping Beauty Castle. I've seen friends photos of Main St and it looks the same ALMOST except smaller and the castle much smaller lol BUT walt used to walk down these streets will make me feel good inside.

[Amy]

I will defnitely be underwhelmed by Sleeping Beauty Castle. I've seen friends photos of Main St and it looks the same ALMOST except smaller and the castle much smaller lol BUT walt used to walk down these streets will make me feel good inside.

That really is one of the highlights of going to DL. Just knowing the amount of time Walt spent in the park is a great feeling

[elizabethswann]

Everything's a bit smaller than WDW but it's the feeling of knowing Walt walked up and down the streets would make it much better. There are some stores that are different in Main Street, the Emporium is way smaller compared to WDW's but things are being renovated right now throughout Main Street. Hopefully they'll be done by the time you come out.

[Soarin08]

I will defnitely be underwhelmed by Sleeping Beauty Castle. I've seen friends photos of Main St and it looks the same ALMOST except smaller and the castle much smaller lol BUT walt used to walk down these streets will make me feel good inside.

I personally find their castle to be horridly ugly (no offense, DL lovers) and I think that is the only thing that will disappoint me when I ever make it out there.

[packwingfn]

So far I have thought of dates: Tuesday September 25th to Sunday September 30th. What does everyone think of those dates? I've decided I'm fine with seeing the halloween haunted mansion and all the halloween decorations.

[theBIGyowski]

I think you will be fine not seeing the "normal" Haunted Mansion. IMO...the one at MK is better than the DL version anyway. So, you'll probably enjoy the NBC version as it will truly be something different. Nice thing about Southern California is that you should have amazing weather while you're there.

[MmeLeota]

Typically the HMH opens the first weekend of October, but I believe last year it opened the last week of September so you might be ok with those dates. I looked on the DL website to see if there was any info and as usual, it's not much help.

[elizabethswann]

It's usually around late September that it opens as HMH. Google around for dates that they usually open the ride back up as HMH then see if you can work accordingly to it.

[packwingfn]

It looks like Mansion opens September 15th last year so I'm going with my gut instinct that it will open close to that date this year too. BTW I'm currently training at the WDW Mansion

[MmeLeota]

It's usually around late September that it opens as HMH. Google around for dates that they usually open the ride back up as HMH then see if you can work accordingly to it.

I forgot they opened it so early last year...I remember it always being the first weekend in October.

It looks like Mansion opens September 15th last year so I'm going with my gut instinct that it will open close to that date this year too. BTW I'm currently training at the WDW Mansion

Congratulations on training at the Mansion!!!!! Hopefully on our next trip we'll get to meet you.