Do you WDW veterans feel like I do.....

[DisOrBust]

It just so much easier to go to WDW that we might as well go there again! . I can do WDW on autopilot so why am i giving myself chest pain trying to figure out Disneyland!! It only 2 parks but it seems just more difficult to plan.

Where did you all start...maybe i need a decent book. I can't even figure out Early entry???

TIA!
Sue

 

[CamColt]

LOL, I feel your pain. When I first started researching DL I felt the same way. It was really overwhelming!!! But Ive spent the past 6 months reading this board and I got a Birnbaums DL guide. Ive been able to find a lot of info on the Dis site, and a few other places around. I really feel like I have a good grip on things now. Keep reading. Im sure you will get it too.

 

[swankybeth]

I understand too! WDW seems easier to figure out even though there's so much more there. I think because it's so familiar now. For DL we bought the Unofficial Guide and took Birnbaums out of the library. I come here for info and occasionally go to laughingplace.com too. We hate lines and crowds and that's a concern for us when we go to DL, but we'll just have to see how well we did with our planning!

 

[KyMattDisney]

I sometimes feel the same way.....even though WDW is much bigger since we have gone so many times and are now DVC members planning a trip there is easy for me. I also bought the Birnbaum book and use this board to give help and advice. I am sure once we all come back from DL we will be DL experts as well...good luck planning!!

 

[sters]

Add me to the list! I picked up both Birnbaum's and the Unofficial Guide to DL and so that really helped. Also, have been going to Micechat dot com, which has a more active Disneyland forum than here (but a much, much less active WDW forum). Not only does the early entry not make sense, neither does the so-called "preferred seating' for shows. Their FASTPASS system doesn't even make sense! Evidently, according to the unoffical guide, it makes absolutely no difference what the ending time is on the FASTPASS, you can go on the attraction at any time after the start time. So what people seem to do is go around collecting a few and then "cash" them in at the end of the day. I'm starting to get a handle on it, but it's hard to conceptualize it while WDW is so familiar.

 

[nordey]

I feel the EXACT opposite! Being a west-coaster all of my life and going to DL so many times I feel overwhelmed at the prospect of WDW. DH and I have talked about making the trip over the years but in the end I always want to go back where I'm comfortable - DL!

 

[darner]

We are so excited to have a fall DL trip planned... It is such a wonderful place -- the original can't begin to compare to the megalopolis that is WDW... (even though we are DVC owners and love WDW, it can be quite overwhelming)... We've found DL to be a relaxing alternative to WDW trips. One item of caution is to avoid weekends or be prepared for heavy local crowds.

With the additions of Calif Adventure and DTDisney it makes it such a contained resort area, all within easy walking distance, esp. if staying "on-property".

One suggestion is to try to fly into John Wayne/Santa Ana/Orange County Airport (airport code SNA) it's a smaller airport and only 15 min. from the parks.

Or even Long Beach (way small!!!) if you can catch a JetBlue flight there... that will ease some stress of LAX & traffic.

There's so much else to do in So.Calif. that you can add on a few days to see San Diego, Santa Monica, etc. Heck, we even drove from DL to San Francisco on one trip...

Birnbaum's a good choice... Also, for first timers I'd suggest the "Walk in Walt's Footsteps Tour" to get a good lay of the land for the MK.

You'll enjoy it and wonder why you didn't go sooner!!!

 

[DisOrBust]

Thanks all! I will have to get the unoffical guide . Its like being a newbie all over again,lol!! We a "trying" to go this August but honestly I am scared of crowds etc..we might just end up at WDW this summer and do DL another time. We'll see...

Huh?? Fast pass is good forever after a certain time arghhh........... how many can you hold then at one time/////

 

[HaleyB]

IS you don't need to plan nearly as much. We went 2 yess ago the Wednesday after July 4th. Thought we were in for it with crowds but it was the only day we could go. It wasn't crowded at all, not by WDW standards, anyhow. We had no problems at all getting FP's for everything. And things are so close together too, so you don't even need to consider transit time between the parks if you park hop. We would go to CA, get a FP, then walk to DL, get another FP... and so on. If you are spending 2 or more days there, relax and enjoy yourself. If you are trying to fit both parks in on one day, then you need a WDW style plan of attack, but really these parks are so much easier and crowded has an entirely different meaning, you will be happily surprised.

 

[twostp4fun]

Funny you should say that. We are planning our DL trip for May 2005. I was there many times as a kid and a teenager and then once in 2001 as an adult. I've been reading the boards, but it all seems natural and easy to me. We are also planning a trip to WDW in 2006. That one I've never been to and am completely overwhelmed. I feel like I need to start planning it now, even though I haven't even gone on the DL trip yet. I don't even know where to begin, or more importantly, when to begin. I guess it's all just what you're used to.

 

[lark]

I feel exactly the opposite.

When we go to WDW, we plan everything from the nuts to the screws. How to time the boat back from Hoop De Doo to see the fireworks while we're on the water; coordinating meals with parks; how to do early entry in one park but still get over to see the early fantasmic show at MGM; when to call the room controller -- in other words, we're not the laid back "just let our vacation happen" types.

We've been to WDW many times and I've always been a little down on the idea of Disneyland. I had been once a long long time ago, and basically just viewed it as two theme parks in the middle of a glorified parking lot. Accordingly, even though we live much closer to Disneyland, whenever we thought about going, we always decided if we're going to pack up and travel, we might as well just go to WDW. We finally relented last year. There wasn't near as much to plan, but there was not nearly as much need to. What we found was that we had every bit as much fun at Disneyland with about a third of the stress. It's just much more manageable and in a lot of ways a lot more quaint and enjoyable. There's nothing like WDW, don't get me wrong, but disneyland is great too, the planning is a snap, and in a lot of ways the differences between the two parks reflects the laid back v. high strung stereotypes of the two coasts on which they sit.

If you're the kind of person for whom the planning is half the fun and your enjoyment of the trip depends significantly on your ability to plan the heck out of it, then DL cannot compare to WDW, though.

 

[phyllis1966]

It just so much easier to go to WDW that we might as well go there again! . I can do WDW on autopilot so why am i giving myself chest pain trying to figure out Disneyland!! It only 2 parks but it seems just more difficult to plan.

Where did you all start...maybe i need a decent book. I can't even figure out Early entry???

I feel exactly the same! I bought the Unofficial Guide which has been very helpful. I highlighted important parts ( I know - I'm such a geek sometimes!) and I feel better about it. The UG gives lots of useful info., like the best time to hit attractions. So many of them said to hit them before 10:30 am (impossible!) which made me nervous at first. But if you look at their 2 day itinerary for families with young kids, it seems very doable if you have at least 3 days in total for DL and DCA. The itineraries will actually say something like "exit this ride then turn right and walk thru this area and ride this" so you won't be standing in the middle of a crowd with that park map with this look on your face ! I think it's definitely worth it to buy the UG. Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[jlmarr]

... What we found was that we had every bit as much fun at Disneyland with about a third of the stress. ...

If you're the kind of person for whom the planning is half the fun and your enjoyment of the trip depends significantly on your ability to plan the heck out of it, then DL cannot compare to WDW, though.

Both good points. Just go, be a little bit spontaneous, and enjoy!

For those who need a planning fix, might I suggest including a side trip to Vegas, or some other part of California, like Yosemite or San Francisco.

 

[cruzindon]

After going to DL 4 different times during the 80's we got into the WDW rut for the last 15 years. Last fall I returned to DL for the first time since 1988 and felt like I had come home.

The park is smaller, easier to navigate, the rides are much closer together, the weather not nearly as humid and the crowds much smaller.

I enjoy both parks, but prefer DL over WDW.

 

[grinningghost]

Don't worry! I just got back from my first DL trip and it was SOOOOOOO easy. DL and DCA are pretty much right on top of each other - it's like a one minute walk from one to the other.

DL is much more compact than MK. It's very easy to navigate. DCA is also pretty small and doesn't have a whole lot of attractions yet, so it's very easy too.

Have fun.

 

[Snurk71]

Once you go to DL a time or two, DL will seem so much less stressful and more like a vacation than WDW. DL is much simpler because there is less travel required and less activities to stuff in (less options to stress out about).

We were down on DL before we went the first time - smaller, not as much to do, etc. Then after we went, we look forward to the break that DL is vs. WDW.

Oh, we still go to WDW every year too. We just like/appreciate each for different reasons.

 

[karylrocks]

We a "trying" to go this August but honestly I am scared of crowds etc..we might just end up at WDW this summer and do DL another time. We'll see...

We are planning to go in August, too. From what I understand, the crowds start to die down toward the end of the month. Beginning Aug. 28th, the rates go down for the on-site hotels so I took that as a sign that maybe there won't be the "summer" crowds. We will be there Aug. 29th - Sep. 2. I have found that since I decided to go to DL this time, it has been a lot of fun planning since I haven't been there for awhile. It was almost getting boring planning trips to WDW.

I think you can get another fastpass 2 hours after you get your last one, and you can get a fastpass for DL and DCA without waiting, since they are not linked. Also, I understand that Star Tours and Roger Rabbit fastpass machines are not linked with others. I agree that this system is confusing, but it seems to work to our advantage. Just keep reading here and taking notes. You should go ahead with DL this year!!

 

[disneychrista]

Guess it is just what you are used to. We go to Disneyland at least once a year and there is very little planning that is done anymore.

Now WDW on the other hand would take a little more planning because we have only been once and it will be another year and half before we make it again.

 

[PamNC]

sort of. However, we're going to Disneyland for the first time on 5/16. We're not going to CA just for Disneyland, it's a business/pleasure trip. My husband is an opera singer and he has an audition with Opera Pacific. He missed the auditions in NY so they are giving him a house audition. Well, we decided that I would go along and we would stay 6 nights, visit the area...not just Disneyland. But, of course, we'll do Disneyland and CA Adventure being the Disney nuts that we are. We're very excited about it BUT...

it's really strange. This weekend my DH and I admitted to each other that we were kind of upset that we weren't going to Disney in FL as per usual...it's like our home base, our home away from home. It feels weird not going there. We visit other places, especially the Gulf Coast of Florida and the NC beaches. But going to CA Disney feels strange - I'm sure we'll have a blast though.

PamNC

 

[pjlla]

I've done a bit of "self-analysis' about why I feel so stressed (good stressed) about this trip to DL. One of the reasons (I think) is that this won't be a "regular" thing with us, like WDW is... we may not get to DL for another 10 years, if ever again (heck, I've waited 40 years to get there!), so I feel like we need to see as much as possible. Second reason... we are going during a very crowded time and I am stressed that the crowds will hamper our ability to see everything in 3 days. We usually visit WDW in January because we HATE crowds... not that we are phobic, but we just would rather not deal with them if avoidable. But I am trying to learn to relax about it. I cannot control the crowds so I have to find a way to deal with them... like arrive at the parks early and see as much as possible in the mornings! I think that this is why I am stressing more about a 3 day visit to two smaller parks (DL and DCA) versus an 8 day visit to MANY larger parks (WDW and SeaWorld) !...............P