Completed a 3 day trip to SoCal. I'm a Florida person so there was a comparison of everything in CaL vs FL.
First day we visited Universal Hollywood. Loved the backlot tour. Disappointed we visited on MLK day because the film lots were all shutdown. Still a great time. Wizarding World is basically the same as Orlando except it's still at phase 1 of Islands of Adventures. The park is smaller than Orlando but still a good time. Citywalk seemed like it offered more shopping and options. Park closes at 7 so you can't wait too late to get over there. Crowds were light
Day 2 we checked into Grand Californian the night before so it was roll out of bed into DCA. GC has it's own entrance to California Adventures so take advantage of that. We didn't know so we went all the way around to the normal entrance. Cars Radiator Springs was probably the highlight for me. Love the Cars ride. Pixar Pier offered lots of fun with the Incredicoaster. Soarin had long wait times all day including up until close, so we ended up missing it. The Avengers campus was a fun time. Guardians of the Galaxy took over tower of terror and turned the "scary" ride into a fun ride. I love the original, but this refresh was very fun. Spiderman WEB had long waits all day but dropped late in the day to a more reasonable 45 min wait. Park hours were 9-8 this time of year. This park has a whole different identity than any of the FL parks. Closest comparison would be Hollywood Studios, but with some California spins. Crowds were moderate
Day 3 was at Disneyland. Several ride closures like Haunted House, Nemo, Splash Mountain, and the Monorails, but still had time to do everything. Matterhorn waits were 70-90 min all day included at closing time so that was disappointing. Rise of the Resistance times dropped to 45-50 min late in the day. This was great because we looked at the day before but never saw anything under 70 min. Mostly in the 100 range. Space Mountain had a wait drop after lunch to 35 min, that we took advantage of. Otherwise it was in the 50-60 range all day. Small World was long waits all day but really emptied out after 7. Most rides were 20 and under after 6:00pm (minus the big ones). Crowds were moderate
Overall, I loved how Disneyland has much easier food options compared to Magic Kingdom. They don't have the fancier sit down experiences, but I hate those anyways. The whole idea of making reservations months earlier and then planning a schedule around getting a chicken dinner is silly. The outdoor seating terraces all around DLR, especially New Orleans Square, make for a more enjoyable and relaxing dining experience. I felt like the French market was similar to an EPCOT experience, but maybe better without the hassles. It also takes advantage of the more pleasant SoCal weather. Grand Californian lobby was very pretty. Overall, it was just a nice hotel though. Not a destination resort. But the short was great. Self park was right across the street in front of the Paradise Pier and Disneyland hotels. So not a long walk. Downtown Disney here is smaller than FL, but also right next to the park so you don't need to get in a car or bus to get there. The crowd walks thru DD to the parking lots so if you want to stop for food at night, leave early.
COVID info: Universal was masks on everywhere, even walking around outside. DLR was masks only indoors.
First day we visited Universal Hollywood. Loved the backlot tour. Disappointed we visited on MLK day because the film lots were all shutdown. Still a great time. Wizarding World is basically the same as Orlando except it's still at phase 1 of Islands of Adventures. The park is smaller than Orlando but still a good time. Citywalk seemed like it offered more shopping and options. Park closes at 7 so you can't wait too late to get over there. Crowds were light
Day 2 we checked into Grand Californian the night before so it was roll out of bed into DCA. GC has it's own entrance to California Adventures so take advantage of that. We didn't know so we went all the way around to the normal entrance. Cars Radiator Springs was probably the highlight for me. Love the Cars ride. Pixar Pier offered lots of fun with the Incredicoaster. Soarin had long wait times all day including up until close, so we ended up missing it. The Avengers campus was a fun time. Guardians of the Galaxy took over tower of terror and turned the "scary" ride into a fun ride. I love the original, but this refresh was very fun. Spiderman WEB had long waits all day but dropped late in the day to a more reasonable 45 min wait. Park hours were 9-8 this time of year. This park has a whole different identity than any of the FL parks. Closest comparison would be Hollywood Studios, but with some California spins. Crowds were moderate
Day 3 was at Disneyland. Several ride closures like Haunted House, Nemo, Splash Mountain, and the Monorails, but still had time to do everything. Matterhorn waits were 70-90 min all day included at closing time so that was disappointing. Rise of the Resistance times dropped to 45-50 min late in the day. This was great because we looked at the day before but never saw anything under 70 min. Mostly in the 100 range. Space Mountain had a wait drop after lunch to 35 min, that we took advantage of. Otherwise it was in the 50-60 range all day. Small World was long waits all day but really emptied out after 7. Most rides were 20 and under after 6:00pm (minus the big ones). Crowds were moderate
Overall, I loved how Disneyland has much easier food options compared to Magic Kingdom. They don't have the fancier sit down experiences, but I hate those anyways. The whole idea of making reservations months earlier and then planning a schedule around getting a chicken dinner is silly. The outdoor seating terraces all around DLR, especially New Orleans Square, make for a more enjoyable and relaxing dining experience. I felt like the French market was similar to an EPCOT experience, but maybe better without the hassles. It also takes advantage of the more pleasant SoCal weather. Grand Californian lobby was very pretty. Overall, it was just a nice hotel though. Not a destination resort. But the short was great. Self park was right across the street in front of the Paradise Pier and Disneyland hotels. So not a long walk. Downtown Disney here is smaller than FL, but also right next to the park so you don't need to get in a car or bus to get there. The crowd walks thru DD to the parking lots so if you want to stop for food at night, leave early.
COVID info: Universal was masks on everywhere, even walking around outside. DLR was masks only indoors.
