Seasoned WDW traveler going to DL for the 1st time!

[tayakaleb]

EEEEKKKKK!!!! It's finally happening, my 1st trip to Disney Land. The original, nostalgic Disney Land!!! However, I only have 1 day there! So, I need help. We have been to WDW MANY MANY times. I have always wanted to do a tour and this would be a great chance b/c we will NOT have the kids. BUT, it's 3 hours out of the time. So, is it worth the time out of the day?? Also, where do we eat?? We could do all 3 meals in the park! Also, is DCA worth seeing or will that take from time at Disney Land??? We are staying at the Hilton Anaheim so any info on the hotel would be great too! THANKS SO MUCH!

[Koutesu]

California Adventure will be a wait and see scenario. The park has construction walls everywhere as it's plussed up, so you might want to wait if you're only getting one day. Next year is the World of Color show's debut and then Little Mermaid in 2011 and Cars Land in 2012. The one big plus right now is the Electrical Parade. Check out attractions and stuff online and see if anything stands out. If that park can wait for now, then just focus on Disneyland.

[DisneyIPresume]

First off it's Disneyland and not Disney Land..

Ok. Now that's off my chest. If all you know is WDW, then naturally you are assuming that the DLR is going to be just as overwhelming. However in reality you will be shocked at how compact and close together everything is. Everything is within walking distance, and the farthest walk within the the resort will not take any more than 20 minutes or so.

If you are familiar with the MK at WDW you already have a big advantage. Just slow the pace down a bit because everything is so close together you don't really need to rush, since there is very little travel involved between attractions and parks.

[FFGirl15]

Hi there! Glad to hear you're visiting the happiest place on earth for the first time! If you love WDW, you'll LOVE Disneyland. One day there? Allow me to offer some pointers.

*DON'T TAKE THE TOUR!!!! Honestly, you're better off getting a free Disney Vacation Planning DVD, looking up park info on Google, and even watching videos of the park on Youtube because you'll be fully prepared and you'll know what you want to do.
*Have a goal to hit all of the thriller rides (especially those that you don't have at WDW) because a lot of the rides at DL are similar to those at MK.
*Make a secondary goal to hit as many rides that you don't have at WDW. Indiana Jones is a great example. It's a great ride and you won't see it back at WDW, so be sure to hit that. Matterhorn is also a great example. There are also some rides in Fantasyland that aren't at WDW.
*Fantasmic! I know that Disney's Hollywood Studios already has it, but trust me, the Disneyland version is MUCH BETTER! Plus, it just got a huge makeover in the past year. It has HD projections and we're getting a brand new 45-foot-tall audio-animatronic fire-breathing dragon really soon! (Let me know if you don't know what Fantasmic! is.)
*Fireworks. Depending on when you're going, you have a chance to see two fireworks shows. If you're going in the summer, you'll be able to see Magical. This spectacular celebrates the magic of classic Disney characters and features, for the first time in Disney park history, Dumbo flying over the castle. If you're going after the summer, then you'll get to experience the phenomenal Remember...Dreams Come True show. This show is a 17 minute tribute to the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. It's a MUST SEE! I'm not sure what fireworks are playing in 2010 yet, if that's when you plan on going, but more information will be released as we get closer to the new year.
*Places to eat? It truly depends on what your specialty is. Personally, one of my favorites is Blue Bayou over in New Orleans Square. It's pricey, but it's got great food and it's located inside of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, so you get to watch the boats pass by. If you're a fan of seafood, then Blue Bayou is really good. If you choose this, you'll want to make a reservation up to 60 days in advance and I recommend the restaurant for dinner because of how heavy the meals are (even though the Monte Cristo sandwich at lunch is FANTASTIC!). The Carnation Cafe on Main Street is also a good one too. It specializes in soups, salads, and sandwiches along with great desserts! I recommend it for all three meals. This brings me to breakfast in the park. Honestly, I'd rather grab a quick breakfast from Blue Ribbon Bakery on Main Street than have a sit-down at Carnation Cafe (or Plaza Inn if you want to do the Minnie & Friends character breakfast) because you can grab a quick bite and then get started right away on your big day. If you want a sit-down breakfast, by all means, go for it, I just don't recommend it especially if you have only one day and if you plan on a sit-down lunch or dinner.
*DCA worth the time? For now, no. If you had an extra one or two days, then it'd be worth seeing for about half a day, but Disney's Electrical Parade is always good, and they also have an Aladdin musical. Again, there's not much to see there. Too much construction is going on, but once the expansion gets closer to completion, definitely plan a multi-day Disneyland Resort vacation and take the time to see DCA. It's still a fun park, but it's just not worth your time right now.
*Anaheim Hilton is a great hotel to stay at. I stayed at it when I went back in March and I'm staying at it again when I go in August. It's across the street from Disneyland, so you don't have to drive and pay for parking.

Well, that's all I have for you right now. I'm new to MiceAge, but I'm a Disneyland expert, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

[disneyfann121]

Since you've been to WDW countless times, I would say focus on doing all the attractions that are not available at that resort -- and the versions that are substantially different and/or better.

With that in mind, here are your must sees (in no particular order): Indiana Jones Adventure, Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates, Mr. Toad, Alice in Wonderland, Pinnochio, Matterhorn, Space Mountain, Roger Rabbit (and the rest of Toon Town), It's a Small World, Finding Nemo, Disneyland Railroad, Mark Twain Riverboat, and Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthough. If you have a full day, I would get a park hopper and also see the Electric Parade and Aladdin at DCA, and ride California Screamin, Grizzly River Run, Tower of Terror (not as good as WDW's, but quite different), Mickey's Fun Wheel, and Monsters Inc.

That pretty much covers the attractions that are not very closely cloned at WDW, and the ones that are unique to DLR. If you focus on these, your trip to DLR won't be a case of deja vu. Have fun.

P.S.: Whatever you do, don't miss Indiana Jones!

[jlauer95]

*Fireworks. Depending on when you're going, you have a chance to see two fireworks shows. If you're going in the summer, you'll be able to see Magical. This spectacular celebrates the magic of classic Disney characters and features, for the first time in Disney park history, Dumbo flying over the castle. If you're going after the summer, then you'll get to experience the phenomenal Remember...Dreams Come True show. This show is a 17 minute tribute to the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. It's a MUST SEE!

I'm going to Disneyland for the first time in over 10 years (I've been to WDW many times since moving closer to there).

Can you give more info about the fireworks? I didn't know that there are two shows a night (we're going the end of July, first week in August for 3 days).

I had been planning on seeing the fireworks at 9:30 (I think that's the time). Which fireworks show is that - Magical?? I had planned on seeing the 2nd Fantasmic (right after that 9:30 fireworks). So, when is the 2nd fireworks show (When Dreams Come True) and is the hub the best place to see them?

So, can you give more info about the two fireworks shows? Which is which? And what time is each shown?

Thanks!

[flynnibus]

EEEEKKKKK!!!! It's finally happening, my 1st trip to Disney Land. The original, nostalgic Disney Land!!! However, I only have 1 day there! So, I need help. We have been to WDW MANY MANY times. I have always wanted to do a tour and this would be a great chance b/c we will NOT have the kids. BUT, it's 3 hours out of the time. So, is it worth the time out of the day?? Also, where do we eat?? We could do all 3 meals in the park! Also, is DCA worth seeing or will that take from time at Disney Land??? We are staying at the Hilton Anaheim so any info on the hotel would be great too! THANKS SO MUCH!

If you only have one day - you will have to make sacrifices.

1 - Plan on using the entire day (open till as long as you can go)
2 - Skip the tour
3 - Skip the dead duplicate rides (BTMRR, Honey I Shrunk..., Tea Cups, Dumbo, Carousel, Star Tours)
4 - De-emphasis some of the 'would be nice, but may take too much time' attractions... such as the canoes, or the riverboat.
5 - Forget about DCA - Save your money, it's not worth the distraction if you only have a single day. The only stuff you'd want to see over there anyway is Screamin' (basic roller coaster), Toy Story MM (which you may have done in DHS already), and Grizzy Rapids. The rest would be nice to explore and visit, but you don't have time.
6 - Get your FP for Space Mountain right away, and then head over to Indy. Waiting to do Indy later risks it being shutdown.
7 - Ride Space Mountain more then one time - it's worth it
8 - Consider skipping Peter Pan, it's differences are minor and would probably be your longest wait of the day (and not worth missing another ride on Space Mountain or Indy)
9 - Skip innovations - nice, but not for a single day trip
10 - Save your FNSV trip till late in the evening, lines are usually shorter then and if you miss it.. you didn't miss much
11 - Do NOT miss Fantasmic. Depending on the crowd levels, you may have to 'camp out' early along the river to get a good spot. You do want a good clear view of the water.
12 - You can do the first fireworks, and then as soon as they are finishing, bolt for Frontierland and then make your way to the river for Fantasmic. But be ready for crowd madness and potentially getting held up by Crowd Control ropes. This depends on the entertainment schedule for your day...

If you have to pick.. do Fantasmic over fireworks.

Food - plan on doing counter service. Make your pick based on your menu preferences... Pizza port, Hungry Bear, French Market, Rancho, etc). I wouldn't waste your time venturing to one of the hotels for food. Of course there is some food right outside the gate, and it's not that long of a walk.. but is quality food more important then your one day at DL??? Spend your time in the park - you'll enjoy it.

Fantasyland is so much more at DL.. as well as exploring through New Orleans Square.

The Hilton is fine - standard convention center hotel. It's about a 10min walk from there to DL's gate. Walk from the Hotel up Harbor, stop at the 7-11 on the corner and pickup drinks/snacks to take into the park (bring a small backpack). Walk up Harbor and go into DL from there.

Plan on being at the gate 30+ before Park opening so you can be up front and get the most of your day

[aimster]

First off it's Disneyland and not Disney Land..

LOL! Thank you. That was bugging me too.

Since you've been to WDW countless times, I would say focus on doing all the attractions that are not available at that resort -- and the versions that are substantially different and/or better.

This. But also don't miss their version of Pirates as it's way superior to WDW's version. Their version of Buzz Lightyear is better too from what I hear. And definitely don't miss their version of Fantasmic! as it's WAY better than WDW's could ever dream of being. Overall, you'll be amazed at how much they've packed into that little park.

I can't believe it's been 20 years since my last visit!

[aashee]

Can you give more info about the fireworks? I didn't know that there are two shows a night (we're going the end of July, first week in August for 3 days).

There is ONE Fireworks show and TWO Fantasmic Shows. Hope that helps.

[tayakaleb]

Thanks for all your replies!

[DisneyIPresume]

Also if you can you might also want to go on Storybookland and/or Casey Jr. If my memory serves me they don't have either of those at WDW. They aren't E-tickets at all, but they are definitely charming. And to me remind me of what the Disneyland of yesterday was all about.

[TheLoop]

10 - Save your FNSV trip till late in the evening, lines are usually shorter then and if you miss it.. you didn't miss much

Also it is a lot like "The Seas with Nemo and Friends" just in a sub

[Wendygirl]

Aren't Micechatters wonderful? When I did the reverse and went back to WDW in the Spring I got some amazing advice.

I think all of the above is excellent advice. I just want to add a couple of things.

• If you don't mind being seperated, use the single rider line to help speed things up. You can use this on Indiana Jones and Splash Mountain to name a couple.
• If you like entertainment, do not miss Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. One of the best shows around. Unfortunately due to recent budget cuts they have been cut from 7 to 5 days a week and are not performing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I know you have the Silver Horseshow in MK and it is dead compared to the Golden Horseshow. Also a nice place to eat and watch the show at the same time.
• If you go to DCA to see Aladdin, their days have also been shortened. Check the schedule to see if it is being performed on the day you are there.
• Another place to eat breakfast is the Tomorrowland Terrace. Good food, quick and you can sit down and then take off. For instance, go get your FP first thing at Space Mountain and then eat at TT.
• They say you can see the Magical fireworks from anywhere in the park. This is true, but if you really want to experience the awe of Dumbo flying (and hopefully he will - winds you know), then being in front of the Castle is the best. This will unfortunately take time away from doing rides and things. What you can do is take turns saving your spot while waiting.
• Pixie Hallow has a long wait. If you are into getting your photo with one of the fairies, it can be 40 minutes. But the Hallow is open at night (no characters though) and there is a wonderful little light show with neat music every 15 minutes. I would say if the park is open really late see the Fireworks, hightail it over to Fantasmic (and yes there is crowd control, just be patient) and then after that show wander over to Pixie Hallow and see the lights.

That's all I can come up with for now. Have a wonderful time when you come. When is that by the way; you never said.

[Homan]

Eat at Blue Bayou, make reservations early.

[flynnibus]

Also it is a lot like "The Seas with Nemo and Friends" just in a sub

Nah, they are very different. The only thing that really connects them is both 'finding nemo' and they both use similar tech in places. The ride experiences are very different. I'd say don't waste your time if you've seen 'The Seas with Nemo and Friends' if you only cared which is better, but some things you just gotta experience