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[TMWIlson7196]

Disneyland. We are thinking about going to Disneyland next year instead of WDW. Oh the thought. Anyway what can you tell me about Disneyland? I know it's 2 parks but that's all I know. Do they have on site hotels? Do they have transportation from the airport? Do they have a dining plan? Please tell me anything and everything about Disneyland. Any links would be great also. Is there a planning dvd I can order?

[MelissaL]

Check the Disneyland website for a link to a planning DVD -- I think it's a single DVD for WDW and Disneyland, with separate menu links for each, but if you haven't ordered a planning video lately you might want to get one.

Disneyland Resort is indeed two parks, Disneyland Park (which is similar to the Magic Kingdom at WDW) and Disney's California Adventure (which has some rides in common with various parks at WDW but others that are unique to DL). The parks are across a plaza from each other, literally a couple of minutes apart if that. Downtown Disney is a "street" (pedestrian-only) running off of the plaza. Along that street is Disney's Grand Californian Hotel (some rooms are actually above the stores, and there is an entrance into California Adventure from the grounds of the hotel). At the end of the street is the Disneyland Hotel, and Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel is around the corner (along a street running perpendicular to Downtown Disney, across from the Grand Californian). Those are the only three Disney-owned hotels. All three are equivalent to Deluxe resorts at WDW, with the Grand Californian the flagship (a cross between Wilderness Lodge and the Grand Floridian).

Very near the parks are numerous non-Disney properties at a variety of price points. Many are within walking distance of the parks (in some cases, closer than the Disney-owned hotels), and many run free shuttles throughout the day. It is not nearly as much of a disadvantage to stay offsite at Disneyland as it is at WDW.

The Orange County (John Wayne) airport is the closest to Disneyland, but Long Beach and Los Angeles are within 20 miles or so. There is no equivalent of Magical Express at Disneyland. There is a Disneyland Shuttle that runs exclusively to the resort area, but it is not free. There are also other shuttle services that may be less expensive but may involve stops at other hotels (the one I know is Super Shuttle, but there are others).

There is no equivalent to the Disney Dining Plan. In the past (and maybe still) Disneyland has sold Meal Vouchers that allow you to pay in advance, but these are not a good deal because if a meal costs less than the value of the voucher, which some do, you cannot get money back, and the vouchers are worth only what you've paid for them.

AllEarsNet.com has a section on Disneyland which includes attraction descriptions and menus. As with Disney World, there are also other websites providing information.

We have visited Disneyland several times, most recently this past June. It has a different feel than Disney World because it is more compact. My son and I did the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour of Disneyland Park, which pointed out many special touches we might otherwise have missed. California Adventure was a bit underwhelming (our favorite attractions were Soarin' and Toy Story Midway Mania, which are now at WDW as well) but the theming is great. California Adventure is undergoing an expansion that will add Cars Land, a new nighttime show, and a Little Mermaid ride. I'm not sure when it's expected to open, but you may want to research that (or see if someone around here knows) because it seems like the new additions will really add to the park.

Please let us know what else you want to know!

Happy planning,
Melissa

[TMWIlson7196]

Originally Posted by MelissaL

Check the Disneyland website for a link to a planning DVD -- I think it's a single DVD for WDW and Disneyland, with separate menu links for each, but if you haven't ordered a planning video lately you might want to get one.

Disneyland Resort is indeed two parks, Disneyland Park (which is similar to the Magic Kingdom at WDW) and Disney's California Adventure (which has some rides in common with various parks at WDW but others that are unique to DL). The parks are across a plaza from each other, literally a couple of minutes apart if that. Downtown Disney is a "street" (pedestrian-only) running off of the plaza. Along that street is Disney's Grand Californian Hotel (some rooms are actually above the stores, and there is an entrance into California Adventure from the grounds of the hotel). At the end of the street is the Disneyland Hotel, and Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel is around the corner (along a street running perpendicular to Downtown Disney, across from the Grand Californian). Those are the only three Disney-owned hotels. All three are equivalent to Deluxe resorts at WDW, with the Grand Californian the flagship (a cross between Wilderness Lodge and the Grand Floridian).

Very near the parks are numerous non-Disney properties at a variety of price points. Many are within walking distance of the parks (in some cases, closer than the Disney-owned hotels), and many run free shuttles throughout the day. It is not nearly as much of a disadvantage to stay offsite at Disneyland as it is at WDW.

The Orange County (John Wayne) airport is the closest to Disneyland, but Long Beach and Los Angeles are within 20 miles or so. There is no equivalent of Magical Express at Disneyland. There is a Disneyland Shuttle that runs exclusively to the resort area, but it is not free. There are also other shuttle services that may be less expensive but may involve stops at other hotels (the one I know is Super Shuttle, but there are others).

There is no equivalent to the Disney Dining Plan. In the past (and maybe still) Disneyland has sold Meal Vouchers that allow you to pay in advance, but these are not a good deal because if a meal costs less than the value of the voucher, which some do, you cannot get money back, and the vouchers are worth only what you've paid for them.

AllEarsNet.com has a section on Disneyland which includes attraction descriptions and menus. As with Disney World, there are also other websites providing information.

We have visited Disneyland several times, most recently this past June. It has a different feel than Disney World because it is more compact. My son and I did the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour of Disneyland Park, which pointed out many special touches we might otherwise have missed. California Adventure was a bit underwhelming (our favorite attractions were Soarin' and Toy Story Midway Mania, which are now at WDW as well) but the theming is great. California Adventure is undergoing an expansion that will add Cars Land, a new nighttime show, and a Little Mermaid ride. I'm not sure when it's expected to open, but you may want to research that (or see if someone around here knows) because it seems like the new additions will really add to the park.

Please let us know what else you want to know!

Happy planning,
Melissa

Thank you so much for the info. I didn't know any of it. I did check out the disneyland website and I got the dvd ordered. Anyone else have any info they want to share please do.

[DopeyGirl]

I agree that the dining vouchers are not a good deal. They are OK if you want a "convenience" of pre-paying for your meals, but you easily lose/waste money with them. They are only in certain increments, so, say you want to buy a bottle of water that costs $2.50 and you use a $5 voucher . . . you WILL lose the other $2.50 as you will not get any change with the voucher system. :

Also, it is VERY true about the hotels "off-property" . . . a lot of them are closer to the parks than the "on-property" hotels and most are a better deal. I have stayed in the DL Hotel as well as a few off-property and didn't feel any less "Disney magic" staying "across the street".

The new DL PassPorter book is in the works and should be out later this fall . . . definitely get one of those when it is released. Jennifer is working very hard on it and there is lots of new info about the parks and the ongoing retheming of California Adventure.

[TMWIlson7196]

How far from the airport is DL? We don't want to rent a car if we won't have to.

[DopeyGirl]

The John Wayne/Orange County airport is about 12.5 miles from DL . . . you can take a Disneyland Express bus or SuperShuttle from the airport to DL property and back.

The bus is something like $15 one way per person. SuperShuttle is something like $24 for the first person in your party and $9 for each person thereafter for the shared van service. This thread has LOTS of info on area transportation options.

DISNEYLAND AREA TRANSPORTATION INFO. --- updated 10/07

[cattayhi]

We are regulars at DL as it is closer to our home and just this month went to WDW for the first time. These are our thoughts from our perspective ...
We like DL for the fact that everything is closer - however there is not (as you can imagine) as much to do ...
We use the Disneyland Express and you do need to pay and arrange for that -- it does stop at some other properties along the way that are off site. With traffic it would normally take about 45 minutes to an hour to get to DL from LAX with stops in afternoon traffic. After experiencing the Magical Express at WDW I prefer ME. They are awesome (departure for our flight early in the morning was a breeze - with boarding passes printed up and quick service).
We have never purchased vouchers for meals and just pay there in the park if we want something but we would often eat off property as there are so many places to eat that are nearby!
You will love DL for the change of pace, and some of the rides are different (Peter Pan was one of them).
I also like the weather better in CA although not the smog (always takes me a couple of days for my eyes to adjust and stop tearing - but I am from Hawaii and it feels like our air is cleaner).
We have stayed at all three properties and prefer Disneyland Hotel or Grand CA for the convenience - it is a little further walk that our dd did not like ...
Off site there are properties that are literally across the street from the entrance - significantly cheaper too! We have stayed at Park Vue Inn - very simple accomadations but there is an IHop on their parking lot and the cross walk to DL is right off their parking lot as well.
Have fun planning!

[chezp]

You'll love Disneyland. Although it's much smaller than WDW, it does have Walt's touch everywhere. I'd definitely pre-order the Disneyland PassPorter that Jennifer and Dave are currently working on, that will be invaluable in your planning.

[dizprincesslauren]

Staying off-property is much easier here than at WDW. You can use the program 'google earth' to see exact maps of the hotels in proximity to the park. If your room has a fridge and you're not renting a car, albertsons.com does a grocery delivery service to that area. We used it on a previous trip and it worked like a charm. We also used Super Shuttle and found it conveniant. We always fly into SNA rather than LAX, but we like smaller airports and we're already coming from the west coast, so it isn't a price issue for us. SS does run to LAX.
As far as a comparison, DL has its own little charms. I think the original haunted mansion is way better here, and the Indiana Jones ride is awesome. The Matterhorn is fun, but if you're an adult, don't let them squeeze two adults into one car. I rode it with my husband (and I'm not a big girl) and it was incredibly uncomfortable. You can easily see all the sights in three days, but avoid the weekends if possible. We were there in the off season during the week and it felt like we had the place to ourselves. DL is a great place and you'll enjoy your stay here!

[Nicole626Stitch]

You'll love DL, just because like Chezp says, you can see and feel Walt everywhere. Before I went to WDW, I used to think that DL was better. Just because I practically grew up there and for the fact that it is THE original. After going to WDW, we fell in love. It is everything that DL isn't, so it should be a total different experience for you, in every aspect. Sure, some of the rides are the same, but they are not THE SAME.
GC is our favorite DL hotel out of the 3. You can access DCA from the hotel too!
The Ontario airport is another airport to consider, it may be a little further, but the convienence of the airport is an advantage. We always fly out of Ontario to WDW, just because it is easier. I'd say it is about a half hour from Anaheim with no traffic, if that.
Hope you have a blast! I can help with any other DL questions you may have. I may not be too savvy on the dining plan and transportation to the parks from the airport because I have never experienced them, but any other aspects about DL, please feel free to ask!

[Papa Mouse]

Hi Dorie. You asked for anything and everything on DLR. To save room in this post I am sending you this batch to seperate . Have fun.
Disneyland CA hotels motels inns lodging attractions things to do sightseeing

Disneyland CA tourist, photos, You Tube

[AGentlRose]

I love the compact size of Disneyland, it makes it easier for someone like me with mobility issues. I also love the sense of Walt's presence in Disneyland, like sitting at a table at the Riverbelle Terrace and knowing that Walt used to have breakfast there on Sundays. In my opinion, Fantasyland is more charming in Disneyland and then there are the rides you don't find in WDW, like the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Alice in Wonderland, Indiana Jones, Pinocchio and the rides that WDW has lost, such as Mr. Toad and the Submarines. Another plus, for us, if you go from October to December, the Haunted Mansion is decorated for the "Holidays" and although we haven't seen it yet, Space Mountain is also getting a Halloween overlay.

[shydonna1]

If DL is your only destination, then use the airport shuttle mentioned earlier in this thread. Many of the offsite hotels charge for parking, so renting a car would be a nuisance and a waste. The hotels on Harbour Blvd are close to the maingate (as mentioned, Park Vue, Desert Inn, Park Place, etc are actually closer than the DL and Paradise Pier hotels) and many offer a free continental breakfast which is enough to get you going each day. They are also close enough (5-10 min. walk) for you to head back to your room at mid-day for a nap or break from the parks.

[Dizziiney]

we always stay at the Best Western park Place. It is right at the end of the crosswalk. Wonderul staff. One thing that you can not miss is the billy Hill and the Hillbillies at the golden horseshoe. if you get there right after a show, you will be able to find a seat. You have to eat at least once in your life at the blue Bayou. tables are in the POTC, if you make late lunch reservations it is not as crowded and less expensive than dinner.

[EmilyJ]

We stayed at a hotel about 10 minutes from Disneyland. It is where I will ALWAYS stay. They have a free shuttle to take you to Disney. The BEST part is tehir free breakfast. It wasnt just cereal and waffles. It was panckaes, frenchtoast, custom omellets, fresh fruit, juice, milk, doughnuts, bacon, sausage, hasbrowns ect.

We would have a big breakfast and then have a very late counter service lunch and then a snack. It wasnt expensive at all to stay there. If you want the info, I can ask my husband the name in teh morning.