1 day in DL in July/August - help!

[MrsDuck]

DH & I are going to visit his parents in Las Vegas in late July through early August. They are planning on taking us to Disneyland for 1 night.

We've never been to Disneyland but are seasoned WDW vets.

This trip will be me, DH, his parents, DBIL, and DNiece (3).

Any recommendations on touring strategies for just one day in Disneyland? I know we won't get to do everything but I'd like to hit the highlights. I know it will also probably be very crowded and hot. Any tips or tricks are greatly appreciated.

 

[figment_jii]

If you are WDW Vets, then I would probably focus on the rides and experiences that are unique to DLR. For example, while I think TSMM is a lot of fun, it's nearly the same ride as the one at DHS, so I would probably skip it at DLR.

To help get a grounding in DLR, I would check out HydroGuy's DLR Guide for WDW Vet. There are a few things that are out of date, but it's a very helpful thread to give you a sense of the similiarties and differences between DLR and WDW.

Depending on when you are going, the D23 Expo is in mid-August. I have been tracking the dates of some events in the 2015 Calendar of School Breaks & Events. I don't have a lot of info for July or August yet, but if I hear about any major events, I'll add it to the calendar.

In terms of a touring plan, the first choice you have to make is whether you are going to get park hoppers or not. The two parks are about 110 yards apart (about half the length of Main Street), so it's pretty easy to park hop (easier than hopping between any of the WDW parks). That being said, with only one day, it does take time to park hop (walk from wherever you are in one park, exit, enter the other park, and get to your destination), so you want to make it as efficient as possible. For me, I would probably opt to start in one park (e.g., DCA), do the things I wanted there (e.g., Carsland) and then hop to DL for the rest of the day.

After deciding upon park hopping or not, I would make a list of the attractions and shows that I wanted to see the most and then post those here to see if folks can help you with planning a rough itinerary or sequence of activities.

 

[MrsDuck]

We are not doing hoppers.

Here's my list - everything that doesn't say definite means we'd like to do but could skip especially if it's the same as the WDW attraction.

Star Tours - maybe
Buzz Lightyear - maybe
Space Mountain
Finding Nemo - maybe
It's a Small World
Mr. Toad - DEFINITE.
Peter Pan
Pinocchio
Snow White
Storybook Canal boats
Dumbo
Alice in Wonderland
Matterhorn
Mad Tea
Big Thunder
Indiana Jones
Jungle Cruise
Haunted Mansion - DEFINITE
Splash - DEFINITE
All of Toontown houses (we miss our Toontown!)

I have no idea if this is far too much to even consider... advise, Great Disneyland gurus!! And again, thank you.

 

[Blue32]

We are not doing hoppers.

Here's my list - everything that doesn't say definite means we'd like to do but could skip especially if it's the same as the WDW attraction.

Star Tours - maybe
Buzz Lightyear - maybe
Space Mountain
Finding Nemo - maybe
It's a Small World
Mr. Toad - DEFINITE.
Peter Pan
Pinocchio
Snow White
Storybook Canal boats
Dumbo
Alice in Wonderland
Matterhorn
Mad Tea
Big Thunder
Indiana Jones
Jungle Cruise
Haunted Mansion - DEFINITE
Splash - DEFINITE
All of Toontown houses (we miss our Toontown!)

I have no idea if this is far too much to even consider... advise, Great Disneyland gurus!! And again, thank you.

One thing I would recommend if you are only going for one day is to go to DL when there is no MM/EE scheduled unless you have EE access because you are staying at a DLR hotel. These days are currently Sun., Mon., Wed., and Fri. And if I had the choice I would go on Wed. I would also consider dropping Nemo from your list and possibly Star Tours. The only reason to do Nemo would be for nostalgia IMO. Its just not worth the wait. You should be able to get everything else on your list done in a day if you get there before Rope Drop and start with Fantasyland(Pan). Also consider adding Roger Rabbit to your list! It's a great dark ride, one of the parks best IMO. Have a fun day trip!

 

[figment_jii]

I think you have an ambition list, especially if you're going in the summer when crowds are high (on the flip side, it usually means long operating hours as well). Some thoughts...

• Star Tours - I'd probably push this far down on the list because the ride itself is the same as at DHS and DHS has a better queue!
• Buzz Lightyear - I like the DLR version more than the MK version; the blaster are easier to handle and you can email your ride photo to yourself for free!
• Space Mountain - Similar, but different from MK (has FP - highly recommend getting a FP, if for no other reason than to skip the line that waits out in the hot sun!)
• Finding Nemo - Unique to DL, but a very slow loader so this can take up a lot of time
• It's a Small World - Similar, but I like the DL version better.
• Mr. Toad, Pinocchio, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland - All cute, but the line can be slow moving.
• Peter Pan - Probably the most popular ride in FL. It's undergoing a long refurbishment right now, so it'll be interesting to see what has changed
• Storybook Canal boats - Cute ride, but a slow loader
• Dumbo, Mad Tea Party - Pretty much the same ride as at MK, but with a 3 year old, this would probably be a pretty popular ride
• Matterhorn - No FP, but there is a SRL if you don't mind riding apart (you will be separated most likely)
• Big Thunder - Mirror image to MK's version, but with new effects at the end. Has FP (no SRL that I know of).
• Indiana Jones - Unique to DL and very good thrill ride. I highly recommend getting a FP for it (or using the SRL)
• Jungle Cruise - Cute, similar to MK, but with differences
• Haunted Mansion - I know you marked this one as definite and the line usually moves pretty fast, but it's worth noting that it's largely the same ride as MK, just shorter and without the interactive graveyard queue. I'm not saying to skip it (it's one of my favorites), but it's one of those rides that most folks feel is better at MK (whereas most folks think DL's version of Pirates is better).
• Splash - Consider getting a FP
• All of Toontown houses - Cute, can be long lines to meet the characters.

I'm not sure if it's delibrate, but you are missing a few attractions. The ones that come to mind are Pirates of the Caribbean, Casey Jr. Train, Autopia, Roger Rabbit and the train. Of these, I would consider adding Pirates to your list and maybe Casey Jr. because you have at three year old (the three year old I went to DL with loved Casey Jr. and Storybook Canal).

Looking through your list, you have a lot of rides in Tomorrowland (Buzz, Space, Star Tours) and a lot in Fantasyland, so if you have flexibility in your date, I would try to avoid going on DL's EMH/MM morning because those are the two lands that are open for EMH/MM, which means there will be lines/crowds by the time the park opens to the general public.

 

[Keels]

What is your touring style at WDW? If you go "commando" and like a structured timeline to make sure you can see everything, I would recommend RideMax to help you make a touring plan. It can pretty much structure your day out for you, including when to get FPs for rides you want to ride. I think it's like $15 for a 90-day subscription. It really helped me when I was planning my trip last summer - I didn't end up following the timeline explicitly, but I really knew where I needed to go at what time of day, etc.

 

[MrsDuck]

Thank you SO much!! I really appreciate your help!

Any thoughts of quick service restaurants?

 

[MrsDuck]

What is your touring style at WDW? If you go "commando" and like a structured timeline to make sure you can see everything, I would recommend RideMax to help you make a touring plan. It can pretty much structure your day out for you, including when to get FPs for rides you want to ride. I think it's like $15 for a 90-day subscription. It really helped me when I was planning my trip last summer - I didn't end up following the timeline explicitly, but I really knew where I needed to go at what time of day, etc.

We are commandos at WDW. Thanks for the tip!! I will definitely check it out.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

12 bucks for a year touring plans.com with mousesaver.com discount. I would use that and try and get to the park at rope drop. Get three or four big rides in before it gets to busy.

 

[figment_jii]

Any thoughts of quick service restaurants?

DL has a fair number of quick service locations in the park. My favorites are the French Market (NOS) and Plaza Inn (Main Street). Allears.net has some menus for DL, so you can at least get a sense of what kinds of foods are offered at each location.

 

[MrsDuck]

Thank you all very much!