Debating DL for next trip About This Page:

[scarlettsmom]

and frankly I'm terrified to go. I can easily make my way around WDW and Disney parks in Orlando but have no idea how to do DL. Is there really only 2 parks for DL? What do you do for 4-5 days? I don't do Universal. Do I need to rent a car or do they have DME? Is it like WDW and I'm just making it sound totally different? I assume the rides are different and it is someone elses castle correct?

[mcc0313]

You asked so many of my own questions...I am fine getting around Disney but I have my own fears of DL but I promised DD14 that our 2009 trip would be there...she wants to do a LA / Hollywood tour and I would have to fit in a few days for the DD7...

I know that I read that there is transportation and even if you stay at one of the smaller outside hotels (there is actually a package)...

Guess I will be doing a lot of questions and research for this as well....

Anything you find out pleaser pass along....

[jimmymac]

Yes, there are only 2 parks, and small ones at that. But it is a fabulous place to visit. Different than WDW, but very special in its own way. We stayed at the Grand californian, and it is expensive but worth it. They have a system similar to DME. The rides are very similar, and the castle is smaller. They're alike yet very different. We had a blast and we've been to WDW over 40 times between us. Definitely give it a try

[coffeechef]

It is most definately worth it. I did a solo and also took my 3 nephews this year. Transportation was to the parks/hotel was easier than I thought. Disneyland & California Adventure are next to each other less than 2 minutes apart. Both times I stayed off site across the street. Tropicana Hotel( 5minutes away) and Howard Johnsons ( 8 or 9 minutes away) thats walking. Disneyland has more rides in Fantasyland, a more intimate park, smaller Castle ( its Sleeping Beauty) It tooks me a bit to learn to navigate both parks as I am a WDW expert when it comes to knowing my way around. SO of course I though Disneyland would be just as easy, but I got mixed up few times. Love it there and in some ways even more than the World. Afterall Walt Disney himself walked those same footsteps, rode many of the attractions still there, Its rich in Walt's history & for me a child of the early 60's who grew up with his TV shows... being there is like seeing an old childhood friend again. Everything is close by to you. Staying on the Harbbour blvd side takes you out of the Disney theme,but is way cheaper than staying in one of the 3 Disney run hotels. But if you can swing it stay in one. Feel free to ask any questions or concerns , someone on these boards wil help.

[MelissaL]

If you can make your way around Walt Disney World, you'll do fine at Disneyland. Disneyland Park is more compact than the Magic Kingdom, and the "different" paths between attractions can be slightly disorienting, but the abundance of details and the knowledge it has Walt's personal touch more than makes up for any disorientation.

Disneyland Park and California Adventure are right across from each other, with Downtown Disney in between, so there's no need for internal buses and it's a cinch to park hop.

I'm not sure 4 or 5 days are strictly necessary just for the two parks -- in low season, 3 would probably be sufficient -- but there's plenty else to do in Southern California if you get bored.

Happy planning!
Melissa

[chezp]

I remember that fear only too well - it is daunting when you know your way around WDW so well. We went for four nights in April 2006 and we spent one day of that time taking a city tour of LA and visiting Santa Monica beach, but the rest of the time, we spent enjoying the two Disneyland parks. It was the end of spring break, so it was very busy and we didn't see and do everything there. I would say you need at least three days to do both parks justice, so I don't think you'll have a problem with the length of time you're there. Why not also look into a city tour of Los Angeles? We really enjoyed that and it was lovely to see the city. If you're not planning on leaving Disneyland, you probably won't need a car though, as everything there is within easy walking distance. with planning your trip!

[doombuggy]

I am not sure why you'd be terrified to go to Disney! I went for the first time in Ocotber 1998 (after going to WDW for many years) and LOVED it! And there was only 1 park at the time, but it made no difference. The set up is basically the same, but there are some rides there that we don't have here at WDW. Make sure you hit all of those!

For my vaction in 1998 & 1999, I opted to go to DL (I was still living in PA at the time, but going down to WDW every year) instead. In March 2000, I went to eh WDAC convention, and when I was walking around the Magic Kingdom, I kept getting confused/lost - since I had been to the original park in Anaheim for the past two visits. It was kind of funny....

When I went back in 2002, it was a few months after DCA opened. I love Calif Screamin'! For those 3 visits we stayed at either Paradise Pier (then called the Disneyland Pacific Hotel) or the Disneyland Hotel, but last year, we stayed at the Desert Inn & Suites. We had a car last year, but that was b/c we went to visit a friend in the Hollywood Hills and tour his work place (Warner Bros. Studios). Drving the freeway was ick, but it was no worse than here in Orlando. Drving in the hills to get to his house in a full size rental car (I drive a compact) was a bit scarey, but that was the worst of the trip. If you are staying in the Anaheim area, you don't need a car. I think you can even get a bus to Knottsberry Farm (I have never been there).

The first year I went we took a super shuttle from LAX. Trip 2 & 4 we flew in to SNA (John Wayne airport) and drove a rental. Trip #3 I drove from Las Vegas. I have not heard that they are doing the Magical Express over there, but would welcome that for the trip I am planning for February...

Go for it and have fun!

[scarlettsmom]

Doombuggy..... I'm a creature of habit. I'm a fan of familiar things and places. I don't like feeling like I don't know where I am or where to go. I KNOW that the DME takes me to WDW. LAX is a different story. I have never even rented a car before for anything. I'm very sheltered I guess. I just like the idea of going out there to see all the Walt stuff but I'm a chicken to the utmost degree. Give me the scariest dirtiest streets of Philadelphia to drive around but don't send me to DL and expect me not to get scared. Some thing is very backwards here......

[tndisneyfam]

Don't be afraid. DL is much easier to navigate, because you can actually walk from park to park. It's Disney so that wonderful Disney service will be there for you.

Buy the DL Passporter, it'll help you a lot! It helped me.

[snoozin]

Don't be scared of DL; although going to a new place can be daunting. I lived in SoCal till I turned 36 so went to DL many times. It's definitely worth going to. CA Adventure was not our favorite, but then again, we (and our kids) were born in raised in CA.

One cool thing about the castle at DL is that there's actually a story trail thru the castle -- up and down the stairs, across, etc (I presume there still is, anyway)... it's awesome! And they have the best corndogs on earth (well, close anyway) at the food cart at the end of main street.

It's definitely worth going to, IMHO.

[crystalloubear]

I was scared on our trip to DL just b/c it was so different. As long as you go into it with the mindset that it is the original and in now way WDW you'll be fine. My DH just kept saying at WDW they have this or that but to me just the fact that Walt was AT DL and all his magic originated there, made it special for me. I loved the history of it and seeing where all his planning began. I say if you can go to DL, do it.

We flew from Newark into San Diego and spent some time there and then in LA before DL. We flew home from SNA on Continental and it was great. I don't know which part of NJ you're in but SNA and Newark were super easy. My sister did USAir from Philly to LAX and was not happy at all.

[scarlettsmom]

I'm 30 minutes from PHL airport. I've only been to Newark airport once to drop my mom off and it took me 6 hours to get there and back with turnpike traffic. It is the only way for us though. She kept saying "but I saved $100 on my airfare" and my response was "I'm spending $200 on gas and taking 15 years off my life getting you there and back". Kinda funny ending..... She found out that her flight was cancelled after she got there and had to spend the $100+ she saved by leaving from Newark on a hotel room until her flight the next morning. God got her good! Making me drive in rush hour traffic to "East Jabipp". Parents are soooo annoying sometimes.

[discruisin4ever]

I am a die hard WDW fan, my DH was afraid I would be dissapointed with DL. Couldn't be further from the truth, everything is so easy to get around and it is rich with history. We stayed at Grand California, well worth it, so conveinent. I would say, 3 days is plenty. Thats how long we stayed and felt we saw it all, and that was on Spring Break. San Diego is only an hour or so away, we visited there afterward, although there is plent to do in the Orange County area. Been there, done that, going back someday, for sure. Go for it, you will have fun. Terri

[doombuggy]

ok, scarlettsmom, I think your worst part is the getting there. Once you are actually in Walt's Disneyland, you will feel right at home. It is very close to the Mk here in FL. Hence my confusion when I returned to FL in 2000.

Other posters have made some good points. You can walk across the court yard and get to DCA - and you only go thru the bag check ONCE (as long as you stay in that area - go to DTD and you have the bag check coming back in).

You cracked me up with the "dirty streets of Philadelphia" - yes, I know those streets well, being from there. yes, they can get scary, but trust me, I-4 is worse than any trip I ever had on 309 or the Schukill Expressway! (OK, I think I missed a couple of letters in that word...).

My recomendation to you is GO! I promise you will love the parks! When I went in 1999, we left from PHL and flew to SNA (John Wayne airport in the OC) via Houston (I want to say it was with Continental). We had a rental car which one of the 4 of us drove (she used to live in Santa Ana), but you can also take a shuttle. The John Wayne airport is small, and easily manageable.

I really think you would enjoy a trip, even if you only stayed on property. Think about it.

[Never Enough Mickeys]

5 days in DL and DCA is just about right! I always go in the value season when kids are in school, but still need 5 days to do the two parks. It's nice to be able to stroll the parks without doing mad dashes here and here. And because DL is more compact, you don't have those far walks getting to your next FastPass attraction.

Because DL and DCA is right across each other from the esplanade (what Disney calls the area between the park's entrances) you can go back and forth within the two parks all day long! You'll be surprised how close the parks are to each other--it's probably only 200 yards from the DL entrance to the DCA entrance. And because the bag check area is the entrace to the esplanade, you don't have do bag checks when going back and forth from DL to DCA!

In one day, I typically visit both parks at least twice. Because I like the food better in DCA, I'll go there for lunch and sometimes for dinner as well.

Downtown Disney is just outside of the esplanade, maybe 300 yards away from the entrances to the parks. EVERYTHING is in walking distance--there's no need to catch bus from park to park.