What to do at the Land that's different from the World

[BrianL]

What's DCA? If I can swing it, I will be back the next weekend so that I can have 2 Saturdays to see as much as possible. This will probably lead to me going back for sure in years to come lol!

DCA? Disney's California Adventure, a second entire theme park. The two are literally right next to each other, so you can walk between them. If you have a park hopper you can go back and forth at will.

DCA is the home of Soarin' (new version, remember) and Tower of Terror (slightly different from the WDW version), Cars Land, and a cool boardwalk area with a roller coaster (Cali Screamin') and Ferris Wheel. Also, on the water there you can see World of Color, which is an amazing show (but do not choose it over Paint the Night/Disneyland Forever).

 

[Oozma_Kappa]

Geeze, there aren't many options for on property hotels. I'm not used to staying off property. I think you get the whole Disney experience staying on property, even if you have the option of staying at someone's house. ;-).

 

[Oozma_Kappa]

DCA? Disney's California Adventure, a second entire theme park. The two are literally right next to each other, so you can walk between them. If you have a park hopper you can go back and forth at will.

DCA is the home of Soarin' (new version, remember) and Tower of Terror (slightly different from the WDW version), Cars Land, and a cool boardwalk area with a roller coaster (Cali Screamin') and Ferris Wheel. Also, on the water there you can see World of Color, which is an amazing show (but do not choose it over Paint the Night/Disneyland Forever).

Good info! I guess I thought the ferris wheel was somewhere like the boardwalk at WDW. Minus the scary clown pool hopefully. Glad to finally be getting out of the WDW bubble. I'm going to make Shangai Disney happen one day, because I MUST see that pirates ride they have!

 

[scrapquitler]

Thanks! You think Haunted Mansion would be worth it? It definitely looks different from the outside. Matterhorn...is that like space mountain? They don't have Space Mountain do they?

They do have Space Mountain, and it's got a Star Wars overlay!! You definitely should do it! It was my sons favorite thing at DL.

Look in the Disneyland forum for a thread called something like "Disney Land for WDW Veterans" I found it extremely helpful.

 

[BrianL]

Good info! I guess I thought the ferris wheel was somewhere like the boardwalk at WDW. Minus the scary clown pool hopefully. Glad to finally be getting out of the WDW bubble. I'm going to make Shangai Disney happen one day, because I MUST see that pirates ride they have!

I did Tokyo in April and it was AMAZING. They don't have that Pirates ride, but DisneySea has so much cool stuff. Shanghai definitely looks great!

 

[Oozma_Kappa]

They do have Space Mountain, and it's got a Star Wars overlay!! You definitely should do it! It was my sons favorite thing at DL.

Look in the Disneyland forum for a thread called something like "Disney Land for WDW Veterans" I found it extremely helpful.

Thank you! I will look for that one.

 

[snowybelle]

I just went to DL for the first time after having visited WDW many times. I. Fell. In. Love.

If you only have a day, my DO NOT MISS are:

Paint the Night
Disneyland Forever
Hyperspace Mountain (sooo much smoother than WDW) -- get a FP for this right away!
Indiana Jones
Matterhorn
Pirates
Alice in Wonderland (I don't know that this will be a popular answer, but I LOVED this dark ride... ALL the Fantasyland dark rides are awesome, really, and IMO they are better than their WDW counterparts)
Small World

In DCA:
Radiator Springs -- get a FP for this ASAP!
California Screamin'
World of Color (but, as a poster above said, if you can only do one night, it should be Paint the Night and Disneyland Forever fireworks over this.)

^^ There are so many more, truly, but what I've listed above are the things I CANNOT stop talking about.

If hours are such that you can see World of Color AND Paint the Night/Disneyland Forever, I found the World of Color Dessert Party to be totally worth it!!

 

[Oozma_Kappa]

I just went to DL for the first time after having visited WDW many times. I. Fell. In. Love.

If you only have a day, my DO NOT MISS are:

Paint the Night
Disneyland Forever
Hyperspace Mountain (sooo much smoother than WDW) -- get a FP for this right away!
Indiana Jones
Matterhorn
Pirates
Alice in Wonderland (I don't know that this will be a popular answer, but I LOVED this dark ride... ALL the Fantasyland dark rides are awesome, really, and IMO they are better than their WDW counterparts)
Small World

In DCA:
Radiator Springs -- get a FP for this ASAP!
California Screamin'
World of Color (but, as a poster above said, if you can only do one night, it should be Paint the Night and Disneyland Forever fireworks over this.)

^^ There are so many more, truly, but what I've listed above are the things I CANNOT stop talking about.

If hours are such that you can see World of Color AND Paint the Night/Disneyland Forever, I found the World of Color Dessert Party to be totally worth it!!

This narrows it down. Appreciate it!

 

[disneymom0104]

DL is great, my favorite park overall.

Don't worry about staying off site. Outside of Grand Californian, the off site hotels are a closer walk than the Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier. Of course those are more of the Disney bubble feel, but they are pricey. The good neighbor hotels are older but that is where the great majority of people stay. We have done both, but the on site hotels really are a splurge in comparison.

Pirates, Indiana Jones, Matterhorn, Alice in Wonderland (my favorite dark ride!- just love it!), Mr. Toad, Peter Pan has different effects, even It's A Small World with all the characters is worth seeing.

California Adventure is also a fantastic park- with little bits of DHS and AK. Cars Land is probably the best themed land of all right now!

 

[E-ticket Princess]

I just went to DL for the first time after having visited WDW many times. I. Fell. In. Love.

If you only have a day, my DO NOT MISS are:

Paint the Night
Disneyland Forever
Hyperspace Mountain (sooo much smoother than WDW) -- get a FP for this right away!
Indiana Jones
Matterhorn
Pirates
Alice in Wonderland (I don't know that this will be a popular answer, but I LOVED this dark ride... ALL the Fantasyland dark rides are awesome, really, and IMO they are better than their WDW counterparts)
Small World

In DCA:
Radiator Springs -- get a FP for this ASAP!
California Screamin'
World of Color (but, as a poster above said, if you can only do one night, it should be Paint the Night and Disneyland Forever fireworks over this.)

^^ There are so many more, truly, but what I've listed above are the things I CANNOT stop talking about.

If hours are such that you can see World of Color AND Paint the Night/Disneyland Forever, I found the World of Color Dessert Party to be totally worth it!!

Agree 100 percent. As a long time fan and having had the great luck to visit both with APs many times I can say that Snowy belle knows her stuff. SM is wonderful. So smooth and the sound system is great. Screamin' is an incredible ride. So beautifully engineered for a silky smooth fast ride. Alice is my all time fave dark ride and recently plussed with new visuals. If you're a HM fan there are enough differences to appreciate but go when the line is short. The HM que is much better at WDW's MK version. Buzz is better with the laser guns free from the vehicle with a cable rather than mounted to it like WDW. Matterhorn is rough and slow by comparison to modern coasters. I find it hard on my back. Do the dinner package for WOC with VIP viewing but not Ariel's Grotto. Its quality has plummeted lately. Carthay Circle is so much better and although a bit spendy I feel a better value overall compared to the dessert party. Storybook Canal boats are charming at night if there's time.
As for accommodations I highly recommend (believe it or not) Howard Johnson's. Its almost as close to walk to the parks as some of the on property hotels, much less expensive and much higher quality than the other off property accommodations. The landscaping is older and the most lush in the area. Some tower rooms have fireworks views but the back buildings are quieter.
Food! Don't miss the corn dogs at The Red Wagon in front of the Plaza on Main Street, best on the planet! The French Market next to HM is good too. You can by pass the line for Dole Whip by going into The Tiki Room pre show garden and ordering from the back counter. And take it into the show to eat too. IMHO Blue Bayou is way too over rated, overpriced and the quality has dropped lately. If you must see it go for coffee and dessert late night because it is beautiful.
Disneyland Park gets crowded fast as it is so small compared to WDW's MK. Stick to the rope drop. early lunch, long afternoon break, early dinner and late night touring formula and you'll have a much better time. Don't forget the new Frozen musical at DCA. Have fun. Let us all know what you thought of the differences.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

My recommendations for must do's because of the differences are:

SM
Pirates
Indiana Jones
Alice
Matterhorn
Storybook land Boats
Mr. Toad
Monorail (yes, it's also a ride - more than just a way from the TTC to the front of MK)
Sleeping Beauty Castle walk thru

Then the second layer with differences to compare or they aren't at WDW:
Tarzan's treehouse (if you like the treehouse, which I do. Although I prefer the Swiss Family version best)
IASW
Snow White
Casey Jr Circus Train - just 'cuz it's fun
HM
Nemo Submarines
Autopia - more "scenic" than WDW's.
Roger Rabbit
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln


DCA musts if you go there:
Radiator Springs Racers
Ca Screamin'
GRR
World of Color
Monster's Inc (cute)
I guess the "Fun" Wheel. I feel the reference to Death wheel is more appropriate though.
TSMM is always a must anywhere. And Soarin'
I haven't seen the new Frozen show at the Hyperion but I'd add that.

And eats:
Blue Bayou for a nicer sit down inside DL
Carnation Cafe
I'd normally say River Belle Terrace but it's not going to be quite the same view now with all the SWW work going on.
Corn Dog Castle is legendary - if you like corn dogs
Most QS are pretty good - my favorites are these days are Rancho del Zocalo and Pacific Warf Cafe at DCA
Favorite treat? Chili lime corn on the cob!
And I know I'm forgetting some.

 

[ConnecticutFlea]

About the fast passes...it's been a few years since I was there, but I ran back and forth between the two parks collecting up fast passes in both parks. If I remember correctly, when you get a FP in DL, there is a window of time before you can pull another FP in that park. But CA is a seperated park, so I would walk over there with my ticket and my husbands and pull two FPs in that park too. I hope that makes sense. It's hard to picture just how close the parks are to each other until you're there. It takes less time to walk from one to the other than it does to go from US to IOA in Orlando.

We stayed at Paradise Pier. The next trip we stayed off site at the Candy Cane Inn. I'm not sure of the exact distance, but both were within walking distance. The Candy Cane Inn had a shuttle which we didn't use. A free continental breakfast was included. The rooms were clean. The pool and hot tube was better than Paradise Pool. I would definitely go back, but there was a thread on here recently comparing the Candy Cane Inn to another off site hotel, and most preferred the other hotel. I'm sorry I can't remember the name.

 

[Oozma_Kappa]

Corn dogs...check! Since I gotta have Casey's corn dog nuggets every time at MK.

It sounds crazy that you can walk to the park from offsite hotels. I can't even imagine. Can't wait to see this place!

I will for sure be posting an update. Just saw on these boards you can buy an AP for both parks, but it doesn't seem like it would justify the cost, even including tables in wonderland. I wish I had that much vacation time from work to where I'd get my money's worth from $1500!

I initially found these boards from researching dvc, but there's a wealth of info here! Don't know why it took 7 years to finally do some real planning.

 

[Oozma_Kappa]

Omg, Candy Cane Inn and Corn Dog Castle? Yes and yes!

 

[Disney Lvr of Old]

Quick question not totally related to this thread: is WDW's treehouse still Swiss Family Robinson? I miss it being at DL. I recently made my 8yo watch it and he LOVED it. (Except for the icky falling in love with the girl parts) lol

 

[Oozma_Kappa]

Quick question not totally related to this thread: is WDW's treehouse still Swiss Family Robinson? I miss it being at DL. I recently made my 8yo watch it and he LOVED it. (Except for the icky falling in love with the girl parts) lol

Yes it is! My sister makes me go on it every single time, ugh. I think she does it now just cause I grumble, and she just wants the reaction. I do however love going to the island and walking over the rope bridge thing.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Omg, Candy Cane Inn and Corn Dog Castle? Yes and yes!

Or rather the Little Red Wagon at DL is actually legendary for corn dogs, but corn dog castle at DCA serves the same.

 

[kwdw]

I just did the work trip to Anaheim as a WDW vet heading to DL/DCA - here's my opinions:

1. Spend the money for PH - you really should go to DL and DCA.

2. Paint the Night Parade is worth it. We bought food and found a seat about 30 minutes before the parade not far from Small World. We were second row back. Most folks in front row stayed seated for the parade - so we had a great view. You'll recognize pieces of the music from MSEP.

3. Pirates is definitely different at DL - it's must do.

4. Indy is a must do. You can FP this.

5. HM - disappointing at DL. It looks different on the outside - so take a picture - but the stretching room effects are poor in comparison.

6. Nemo sub ride - since they don't have this at WDW - it's a must do, IMO.

7. Alice - very cute - but SLOW line. I'd recommend this at RD. There's nothing similar at WDW.

8. Fireworks - ok - so - this was a "okay, that was nice" experience for me. I don't think it was better or more special than the firework shows you can watch at WDW. We saw once on Main Street, once by Small World. We thought the projections on Small World were more impressive than the view of them on Main Street. I don't think these should be a priority for a WDW vet.

9. If there on a day it is playing - the Mickey and the Magical Map show. This was a very good show.

10. You HAVE to ride Small World here just because it's Walt's ride in Walt's park. The annoying in the sun outdoor queue is well, annoying, but the facade is spectacular compared to WDW. And while the ride feels the same - there are some special guests among the dolls here.

11. If you want a disappointing monorail ride - ride it - otherwise - skip it. I do not RECOMMEND this in the middle of the day as it is not air-conditioned.

AT DCA -

1. RSR. Really. If you travelling alone - just plan to ride single rider. Or get a FP if you want. While I do like the speed on the track at TT at Epcot - this is a really great ride. Well themed, adorable, and the racing part at the end is pretty cool.

2. The other rides in Cars Land - Tow Mater and the little cars that dance. Both are cute, lines not bad, and different than anything at WDW. This whole area is very well themed.

3. If you like coasters - California Screamin' We skipped this because never of us like to go upside down - but it is different than WDW. The boardwalk area was okay - but since I'm used to East Coast beach boardwalks - it seemed a bit "small" of an area.

4. Monster's ride - it was cute - typical Disney. Again - since WDW has Laugh Floor - and this is a ride - very different Monster's experience.

5. We saw the afternoon parade at DCA. It's cute - especially if you like Pixar characters - but the water cannons are annoying as all get out.

6. TSM - no FP's for this and when we walked by - line was 40 minutes one afternoon. It's the same as WDW. It's my favorite ride - so we rode this twice at RP one morning before heading to RSR single rider. But - it's identical except for the line queue (which is boring at DL).

7. I've seen WOC on a previous trip - and it was not a priority this time - so we didn't make plans to see it as we were short on time. We debated about doing the dessert party - and if I had been travelling alone - I probably would have paid for that. The huge standing crowd experience for this is not my thing. BUT - it was a very impressive show! Better than Illuminations, for example.

The whole experience is very, very different. Smaller castle, smaller parks, different type of crowd. It doesn't have the same feel, IMO, at all. You can tell they are both Disney parks - and it's impossible for a WDW vet to not compare the experiences. I had a great time - and it was fun to see the differences and experience the CA parks - but I'll be sticking to my obsession of WDW - and probably only mix in DL when work sends me that way.

 

[Oozma_Kappa]

I just did the work trip to Anaheim as a WDW vet heading to DL/DCA - here's my opinions:

1. Spend the money for PH - you really should go to DL and DCA.

2. Paint the Night Parade is worth it. We bought food and found a seat about 30 minutes before the parade not far from Small World. We were second row back. Most folks in front row stayed seated for the parade - so we had a great view. You'll recognize pieces of the music from MSEP.

3. Pirates is definitely different at DL - it's must do.

4. Indy is a must do. You can FP this.

5. HM - disappointing at DL. It looks different on the outside - so take a picture - but the stretching room effects are poor in comparison.

6. Nemo sub ride - since they don't have this at WDW - it's a must do, IMO.

7. Alice - very cute - but SLOW line. I'd recommend this at RD. There's nothing similar at WDW.

8. Fireworks - ok - so - this was a "okay, that was nice" experience for me. I don't think it was better or more special than the firework shows you can watch at WDW. We saw once on Main Street, once by Small World. We thought the projections on Small World were more impressive than the view of them on Main Street. I don't think these should be a priority for a WDW vet.

9. If there on a day it is playing - the Mickey and the Magical Map show. This was a very good show.

10. You HAVE to ride Small World here just because it's Walt's ride in Walt's park. The annoying in the sun outdoor queue is well, annoying, but the facade is spectacular compared to WDW. And while the ride feels the same - there are some special guests among the dolls here.

11. If you want a disappointing monorail ride - ride it - otherwise - skip it. I do not RECOMMEND this in the middle of the day as it is not air-conditioned.

AT DCA -

1. RSR. Really. If you travelling alone - just plan to ride single rider. Or get a FP if you want. While I do like the speed on the track at TT at Epcot - this is a really great ride. Well themed, adorable, and the racing part at the end is pretty cool.

2. The other rides in Cars Land - Tow Mater and the little cars that dance. Both are cute, lines not bad, and different than anything at WDW. This whole area is very well themed.

3. If you like coasters - California Screamin' We skipped this because never of us like to go upside down - but it is different than WDW. The boardwalk area was okay - but since I'm used to East Coast beach boardwalks - it seemed a bit "small" of an area.

4. Monster's ride - it was cute - typical Disney. Again - since WDW has Laugh Floor - and this is a ride - very different Monster's experience.

5. We saw the afternoon parade at DCA. It's cute - especially if you like Pixar characters - but the water cannons are annoying as all get out.

6. TSM - no FP's for this and when we walked by - line was 40 minutes one afternoon. It's the same as WDW. It's my favorite ride - so we rode this twice at RP one morning before heading to RSR single rider. But - it's identical except for the line queue (which is boring at DL).

7. I've seen WOC on a previous trip - and it was not a priority this time - so we didn't make plans to see it as we were short on time. We debated about doing the dessert party - and if I had been travelling alone - I probably would have paid for that. The huge standing crowd experience for this is not my thing. BUT - it was a very impressive show! Better than Illuminations, for example.

The whole experience is very, very different. Smaller castle, smaller parks, different type of crowd. It doesn't have the same feel, IMO, at all. You can tell they are both Disney parks - and it's impossible for a WDW vet to not compare the experiences. I had a great time - and it was fun to see the differences and experience the CA parks - but I'll be sticking to my obsession of WDW - and probably only mix in DL when work sends me that way.

Wow, great info here. Thanks! I'm there 2 weekends (flying home on a Sun instead of Fri ;-) so I'm hoping make it there both weekends. I hope I see everything everybody recommends! I will definitely always be a wdw'er since it's an 8 hr drive for me, but the fact that this is the original park is going to be really cool to see.

 

[starry_solo]

DLR: Haunted Mansion, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White's Scary Adventures, Pinocchio, Indiana Jones, Fantasmic, Paint the Night
DCA: Frozen Musical Spectacular, Radiator Springs Racers, Screamin', World of Color