[raftislander]

I have only been to WDW once and grew up in California so I have a lot more experience with DL. There is a charm to Fantasyland at DL that I found completely lacking at WDW. It is smaller and you feel like you are walking into a Bavarian village when you come through the castle. The broad concrete walkways in WDW do not convey the same feeling of being transported to another place. The DL/Fantasyland area is too small now for the size crowds that it has to handle - not to mention the strollers!- so hitting it early is good advice. You don't need to do Dumbo unless you have a young child demanding it. Peter Pan gets very long lines and, IMHO, is much better in DL than WDW. Do it first. Then go to Mr. Toad which no longer exists in WDW. Alice would be my next line. Even when lines are long everywhere else you can usually walk onto Snow White and Pinocchio. People seem to either love/hate the Storybook canal boats. I am a fan and I like to go at night. Hope that you get a grandmotherly cast member on your boat who gives the patter as if she is telling her grandchildren a bedtime story. THis was one of Walt's favorite rides and original to the park. So even if you think a boat ride through miniature gardens is not for you- do it for history's sake. (The Casey Jr train essentially covers the same area as the canal boats, so it is not necessary to do both. ) The Storybook Canal Boats close down during the parade and positioning yourself near the entrance to watch the parade allows you to walk on when the ride reopens. I also think that the landscaping around the teacups is beautiful at night and that the setting puts WDW's to shame. An advantage to not having a hurricane season and milder summer weather is that the Chinese lanterns can hang among trees rather than under a metal roof. Magical at night! There are two lines to the Matterhorn. From the turnstiles, one line will form to the Fantasyland side and the other will form along the Tommorowland side. The Tommorowland side is a slightly faster (better) ride. Enjoy Indiana Jones, but we acquired this attraction by giving up the heart of the Jungle Cruise ride. It is a shadow of its former self and missable. Do not miss POTC, the beginning through the bayou is MUCH better than in WDW. The ToT in DCA pales in comparison to the one in DHS. Do not, however, miss the Aladdin stage production in DCA. It is a mini- Broadway show that ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT BE MISSED and is not in WDW. Do you understand that I think that you should go see this? Grizzly Peak is essentially the same ride as Kali river rapids, but the themeing is so different that they dont really compare. Much of DCA is going to be changed, so remember that this may be your only/last chance to see some attractions that are on the chopping block.

Hope you trip is is full of delights and surprises...........