First Time Trip to Disneyland

[sophy1996]

Thanks for the pictures! So, they don't have a standing firework show that potentially remains the same for multiple years (like HEA, or before that, Enchantment at Magic Kingdom)?

No, DLR changes through the year. This summer was Pixar, then the Halloween show will start, then the holidays. The standby when there isn’t a special show is called Mickey’s Mix Magic.

 

[twodogs]

With kids your ages, I would go for proximity and choose GCH if possible. We love that you can walk straight into DCA from two entrances in/just to the side of the resort. There is also an entrance to DTD which takes you to the DL gates in about a 3 minute brisk walk. Some say the rooms are smaller and darker at the GCH compared to the DLH. I haven’t found that, but again, I like the craftsman style of GCH. Some rooms we have had at DLH have been a good size and some are really small and dated (to me). You will have fans of all 3 onsite resorts here! All get the same EE benefits (30 minutes early, park alternates).

 

[DizMe]

I know you mentioned not being interested in fine dining, but you should seriously consider Blue Bayou. It's inside the Pirate ride and is so unique! You feel like you're dining on an outdoor patio on the bayou.

 

[BlueGreen5]

The DLH just opened a DVC area, which is basically brand new.

That's what I was referring to when I said "refurbished." I must have mistakenly thought it was part of a bigger refurbishment of the entire hotel.

 

[BlueGreen5]

With kids your ages, I would go for proximity and choose GCH if possible. We love that you can walk straight into DCA from two entrances in/just to the side of the resort. There is also an entrance to DTD which takes you to the DL gates in about a 3 minute brisk walk. Some say the rooms are smaller and darker at the GCH compared to the DLH. I haven’t found that, but again, I like the craftsman style of GCH. Some rooms we have had at DLH have been a good size and some are really small and dated (to me). You will have fans of all 3 onsite resorts here! All get the same EE benefits (30 minutes early, park alternates).

We're DVC members, using our resale points, so there was only one option. But, I'm happy to hear it's the same option you recommended!

 

[BlueGreen5]

I know you mentioned not being interested in fine dining, but you should seriously consider Blue Bayou. It's inside the Pirate ride and is so unique! You feel like you're dining on an outdoor patio on the bayou.

Thanks! We're not allergic to fine dining, it's just not even close to top-of-list for us because our kids would still prefer a corndog to a steak 10 times out of 10. I'll look into that, it sounds neat!

 

[twodogs]

We're DVC members, using our resale points, so there was only one option. But, I'm happy to hear it's the same option you recommended!

You will be very happy with your choice! Especially if a kiddo (or adult!) gets tired and wants to head back to the room. There is an entrance/exit into DCA that is right outside of the GCH DVC wing (by the grills) that dumps you into the park near Goofy’s Sky School. It typically has the shortest line of any entrance at any time of day (even EE), so we use it heavily when we are there (this is different from the GCH DCA entrance that enters near GRR). It is also great at the end of the night to get back to the room.

Yes, only the DVC part of DLH is new. The hotel rooms were not renovated recently.

I think you are going to fall in love with DLR and GCH! We live in Texas so we go to both WDW and DLR, but we really love DLR for the closeness of the parks to one another (glad to hear you are getting hoppers, as they are essential for us at DLR (we usually skip them at WDW since it burns so much time to hop there)). I love taking an Uber from SNA and not stepping foot into any other mode of transportation until the Uber back to SNA! Have a great trip!

 

[twodogs]

Thanks! We're not allergic to fine dining, it's just not even close to top-of-list for us because our kids would still prefer a corndog to a steak 10 times out of 10. I'll look into that, it sounds neat!

We love BB also, but didn’t really start going there until our girls were teens. Now they want to sit for a bit and relax midday, so BB fits the bill! And POTC was younger DD’s fave ride for a long time, so she really likes eating “inside” the ride! If you do book BB, try to book the 11am lunch time (first booking of the day) so that you are pretty much guaranteed a waterside table for the best view of the ride boats floating by you. They do have a BB Fantasmic package, so this might be a way to get the nice viewing area for Fantasmic and eat at BB with one meal. We did this in the summer, and it worked well since we wanted to eat there and we wanted the viewing area (stayed there for fireworks also; nice but I do like the view of the castle better-but I am unwilling to wait hours on Main Street for that view!). There is a thread on BB Fantasmic packages. Make sure to know what you are booking, as they go in an instant at 6am, and it is a different thing to book that just booking BB (that will only get you the meal but not the viewing package).

 

[Kit Jackson]

CarsLand is amazing. CarsLand at night is especially wonderful. Get the Lightning Lane Multi Pass, especially because it includes PhotoPass if you are into character or ride photos.

Park Hopper tickets are fantastic because the parks are so close together. You can walk from one to the other in a few minutes.

 

[OlliePop27]

What rides there have the surprisingly high wait times? Obviously, the more thrilling rides are going to have higher wait times. But, like at Magic Kingdom, you can count on the fact that Small World, Jungle Cruise, and Peter Pan - which, I get it, they're classics, but definitely not anyone's definition of thrilling or incredible rides - often have wait times of 90+ minutes, while something like BTMRR rarely tops an hour. Meanwhile, other classics like Dumbo and Haunted Mansion can be practically "walk on" during some points of the day.

I don't think there's many that are "surprising" to have long waits. The ones you think will have long lines usually do (Rise, Indy, Matterhorn, Space, etc.).

Peter Pan has a long line both because it is popular and because it is incredibly slow loading and low capacity. The same is true for Alice - best to do first thing in the morning because it loads very slowly. Storybook Land can load slowly if they only have one boat at a time. Luigi's can also be a slow loader. Guardians has been moving slower than normal recently because one of the elevator shafts has been offline (hopefully that's fixed by March). Finding Nemo subs are also very slow loading because of the stairs in/out.

 

[DizMe]

Thanks! We're not allergic to fine dining, it's just not even close to top-of-list for us because our kids would still prefer a corndog to a steak 10 times out of 10. I'll look into that, it sounds neat!

My girls were pretty good eaters, but we didn't take them to fancy restaurants very often. BB isn't "fancy" in the usual sense, it's just very unique and the prices are relatively high.

However, we easily dined there without spending a fortune. DH would get a regular entree and the 3 girls and I would all split a Monte Cristo. Now my girls are all adults and the MC is smaller but I still share it with my sister when we go and we always have half of it left over (which we take with us).

I like splitting meals because I'm not a big eater and I hate to waste food. It's also a cost savings

BUT I've heard others on the board say that BB allows you to bring in outside food for your kids, which is great!

 

[Tinkaboo]

You will definitely want to get a dining package for Fantasmic so that you can sit up close. It is so intimate…nothing like Florida! You have to sit on the ground, though, if that’s a problem. It just makes the show come alive!

 

[irlandaise]

Maybe this is the most basic question, and sorry for asking it, but is DLR the newly refurbished hotel?

"DLR" is "Disneyland Resort"--i.e., the whole complex. "DLH" is the Disneyland Hotel.

We're staying at the Grand Californian. Are we not eligible for EE?

You sure are! Guests of all three Disney hotels are eligible.

 

[Chili327]

You’ll love LGB…quick Uber ride and easy to get in and out of.

LGB is the best in my opinion, it’s about 5min further than SNA, but so much easier to deal with and so much nicer than SNA… it just feels like I’m on vacation when I land instead of “still getting there”.

be aware that the “seating area” is the sidewalk by the side of Rivers of America. (Unless you book River Belle premium, then you sit on the RB patio.).

And sit on the ground, if that hasn’t been clear.

you mentioned not being interested in fine dining, but you should seriously consider Blue Bayou. It's inside the Pirate ride and is so unique!

It’s a must for DLR, not sure if it’s better to ride Pirates before you go, but it might build some excitement.!

"DLR" is "Disneyland Resort"--i.e., the whole complex. "DLH" is the Disneyland Hotel.

And VDH is the new DVC tower at the DLH.

 

[BlueGreen5]

THANK YOU ALL! I feel so much more prepared for this trip!

Another Florida-veteran/California-newb question:

Is there anything like TouringPlans' Room Finder for VGC?

If possible, we'd like a balcony that connects between the living room and bedroom that isn't separated by a real or temporary partition.

We're BWV (Florida) junkies. If you've ever stayed at BWV, you know how big of a difference there can be between a 1BR P/G view and a 1BR P/G view (yes, I wrote that exactly as I meant it). Some of the same class of rooms only have one half balcony, some of them two half balconies, some of them full length balconies that are separated by a partition, some of them have un-separated full-length balconies, and some of them have like enclosed balconies with an opening to look out. And then obviously the ground floor has patios.

If we can get really lucky, we'd like to be looking at something other than a parking lot/street/mechanicals/CM work area too -- but other than that, we don't care about the location of our room. For instance, we don't care if we can or cannot see WOC from our room - we'll be in the park when we want to see it. But, if we're sitting out on the balcony for an early morning cup of coffee, it would be nice to be looking at something pleasant. It doesn't matter if its a park, the pool, or some trees.

Is there any place we can we go to look at room views (like TouringPlans for FL) so that we can attempt to make a room request through DVC MS?

 

[BlueGreen5]

And VDH is the new DVC tower at the DLH.

It took WAY too long for me to get that, but eventually I got there.

In Florida, the "resorts" are the hotel/villa properties - "Riveria Resort", "Caribbean Beach Resort", etc. So, when I kept reading "Disneyland Resort," I was thinking it's only one of the hotels. I haven't been this out of my element with something Disney-related in a couple of decades, lol. It's certainly humbling!

 

[daneenm]

I hope you love DLR as much as we do! I have a couple of comments that I have not seen so far...

• Even though you have great access from GCH (our favorite!), please note that if you want to make the most of your EE, you need to get into the security line much earlier than you think. I typically leave the room between 6:30 and 6:45 (when EE is 7:30a) and the line is already significant by that time.

• I love Fantasmic! at DL, but would only do it with a seat option (in the old days there was a dessert package with chair seating). Might I also suggest the WoC Dessert Package. We love this show and this set up. Director chairs at tables, dessert box and a beautiful view of the show.

 

[LKing]

It took WAY too long for me to get that, but eventually I got there.

In Florida, the "resorts" are the hotel/villa properties - "Riveria Resort", "Caribbean Beach Resort", etc. So, when I kept reading "Disneyland Resort," I was thinking it's only one of the hotels. I haven't been this out of my element with something Disney-related in a couple of decades, lol. It's certainly humbling!

In my experience, it is much easier to plan a trip to the CA parks using the DisBoards than it is to plan a WDW trip. Disneyland is one forum where you can ask questions about attractions, accommodations, restaurants, tips, budgeting, transportation, etc. For WDW, you have to go to a separate forum for each topic.

Regarding Disneyland Resort, almost all California merchandise is labeled as Disneyland Resort.

examples:

 

[Chili327]

typically leave the room between 6:30 and 6:45 (when EE is 7:30a) and the line is already significant by that time.

I can not even imagine trying to do that, on vacation. lol
Is it really that much different if you walk up at 7:30? I mean how much more do you get done by waiting :30 min in line?

 

[OlliePop27]

I can not even imagine trying to do that, on vacation. lol
Is it really that much different if you walk up at 7:30? I mean how much more do you get done by waiting :30 min in line?

If you don't go down until 7:30, you will miss all of early entry.

I get to security at 7:15 when staying offsite and not doing early entry (8:00 am open). The time investment is well worth it IMO. I get on tons of rides quickly with no wait. I agree from personal experience that arriving at GCH security at 6:30 for 7:30 EE is the right time.

People not wanting to get up early on vacation is precisely why that early morning time is so valuable for people willing to do it.

It's certainly a valid opinion to not want to wake up early on vacation. I believe it's worth it - going to Disneyland in my opinion is not a sleep in and relax in bed type of trip. I'll go to the beach or somewhere else for that.