First trip to Disney for kids! Is DLR the better fit?

[bananapepper]

I have three kids who will be 2, 5, and 8 when we try and go this March for their first trip to Disney! I have a few questions. We plan to go in the second week of March (around the 6th-12ish). Is that a good time to go? Will it be really crowded yet then?

The distance is pretty equal between DLR and WDW to us (30-minute flight difference) and after lots of reading and research, we are strongly leaning towards DLR because of the needed flexibility and more relaxed nature compared to WDW. We'd go to WDW once the baby was a little older in a couple of years. My only concern is reading that some people don't feel the "magic" like they do at WDW. Does DLR still feel magical? I've only been to WDW once a long time ago but it did feel very magical there. Never been to DLR.

I am also debating between a 4 day or 5-day park hopper ticket. Are 5 days going to be overload with 3 kids? Will I be able to see everything at a fairly relaxed pace with a 4-day pass? We will need to go back to the hotel for mid-day breaks so the 2-year-old can nap/decompress and the older two can swim or hang out. We are not a rope drop to park close type of family

Thank you so much!

 

[Becca1007]

I have three kids who will be 2, 5, and 8 when we try and go this March for their first trip to Disney! I have a few questions. We plan to go in the second week of March (around the 6th-12ish). Is that a good time to go? Will it be really crowded yet then?

The distance is pretty equal between DLR and WDW to us (30-minute flight difference) and after lots of reading and research, we are strongly leaning towards DLR because of the needed flexibility and more relaxed nature compared to WDW. My only concern is reading that some people don't feel the "magic" like they do at WDW. Does DLR still feel magical? I've only been to WDW once a long time ago but it did feel very magical there. Never been to DLR.

I am also debating between a 4 day or 5-day park hopper ticket. Are 5 days going to be overload with 3 kids? Will I be able to see everything at a fairly relaxed pace with a 4-day pass? We will need to go back to the hotel for mid-day breaks so the 2-year-old can nap/decompress and the older two can swim or hang out. We are not a rope drop to park close type of family

Thank you so much!

With that age range... I would do the 5 day pass. You are going to be spending a bit of downtime napping in the hotel and the 5th day will give you flexibility.

The thing about Disneyland that I like better for young kids is that it is much more compact which means they can walk and explore more. I think the other bonus is that you don't have to plan everything so far in advance. Obviously all theories about crowding and planning have been thrown out the window with Covid.

 

[Freya424]

I love both DL and WDW but they are a bit different. If I was voting for which one feels more magical I would probably vote DL. I like DL better for young kids because it’s less planning and less competitive with fp and dining than WDW. Everything is close together at DL and within walking distance. Highly recommend staying at the Grand Californian to make midday nap breaks even easier. I would go for more days so you can give yourself time to see everything while not overdoing it each day.

 

[mouschievous]

I've never been to WDW, but I think DL is plenty magical. My husband is extremely frugal and was completely against going - "it's just a theme park." We'd been there less than one full day and he was already talking about when we'd go again. That in and of itself is magical to me!

We did 3 days, no hopper, with 4 kids ages 6, 8, 10 and 11. It was definitely go-go-go, but the kids are used to that and did fine. If we could have done 4 or even 5 days it would have been much more leisurely, for sure. In your case, if you can do 5 days I would. The cost of that 5th day is negligible when you buy your pass (seriously, I've seen it where the 5 day pass is $2 more than the 4 day!) and it gives you options, even if the option is that you just want to use it for a couple of hours one evening.

All of that said, none of us have any idea what the parks will look like in March. Will they still be at reduced capacity, and if so how much? What will the hours be, will there be any parades or shows? Will park hopping be allowed? We just have no way of knowing at this point.

 

[Mike_M]

The debate as to which location is more magical is mostly around opinion and hotel preference, so I wouldn’t say that either DLR or WDW is less ‘Disney’ than the other. I grew up going to Disneyland and my kids grew up going to Disneyland. For us, the magic is inside the park itself and that is the same at either coast.

I don’t feel like anyone missed out on any magic as a result.


-Both DL & WDW have meet and greet with characters
-Both DL & WDW have dress up opportunities for the kids.
-Both DL & WDW have roughly the same amount of attractions as well.

The differences are going to be mostly in hotel options, walkability and how you plan your day.

-While there are Disney owned hotels to choose from, many guests simply stay at the more reasonably priced hotels on Harbor Blvd. A couple like the Tropicana I’d argue are a shorter walk than to the Disneyland Hotel. There is no wrong answer, it’s just about how important is it to have your hotel room officially disney themed or not and if the amenities included on site vs. off site are worth the extra cost. Personally, I prefer spending my money in the park than on the hotel, and the off site hotels have their own charm that fits in with the Disney theme in many cases.

-The more days you stay, the more relaxed your trip will be. When my kids were younger, 5 days was a requirement for us. That way, returning to the hotel for breaks or unexpected issues that caused us to have later starts to our day didn’t prevent us from seeing or doing what we wanted In the park. Now that my kids are older though, 3-4 days is very doable at a relaxed pace; especially with Maxpass.

-The walkable nature of DLR is one of its strongest advantages in my opinion. With park hoppers, you can easily spend your days at either park and it doesn’t take that long to get from the extreme edge of Disneyland to the extreme edge of Disney’s California Adventure. No need to plan on being locked into just one park per day because it’s a long bus ride from MK to DHS. At DL, if the kids want to do the meet and greet with Mickey at his house, then want to go to DCA and ride Toy Story Midway Mania next, it’s easily doable.

So in my opinion, and to sum it up, the magic is alive and well in DL.

 

[VandVsmama]

I have three kids who will be 2, 5, and 8 when we try and go this March for their first trip to Disney! I have a few questions. We plan to go in the second week of March (around the 6th-12ish). Is that a good time to go? Will it be really crowded yet then?

The distance is pretty equal between DLR and WDW to us (30-minute flight difference) and after lots of reading and research, we are strongly leaning towards DLR because of the needed flexibility and more relaxed nature compared to WDW. We'd go to WDW once the baby was a little older in a couple of years. My only concern is reading that some people don't feel the "magic" like they do at WDW. Does DLR still feel magical? I've only been to DW once a long time ago but it did feel very magical there. Never been to DLR.

I am also debating between a 4 day or 5-day park hopper ticket. Are 5 days going to be overload with 3 kids? Will I be able to see everything at a fairly relaxed pace with a 4-day pass? We will need to go back to the hotel for mid-day breaks so the 2-year-old can nap/decompress and the older two can swim or hang out. We are not a rope drop to park close type of family

Thank you so much!

Our family's spring break is often around that same time. It'll be busy, but not too bad. Spring break season gets busier at DL the closer you get to Easter.

A few years ago, our family did a week long trip to DL with 5-day park hopper tickets. It. Was. Wonderful. SO relaxing. NOT stressful. It was NOT overwhelming or an overload. Our routine was usually:

• rope drop or close to it
• go on rides all morning
• have lunch in the parks
• 1 or 2 rides after lunch
• LEAVE. WALK back to hotel. Rest, nap, swim for 3-4 hours.
• Then walk back to parks. Some rides before a Quick Service place for dinner.
• More rides, maybe fireworks, then leave and go to bed.

We did NOT do open to close. THE closest off site hotels are the Best Western Park Place Inn, the Park Vue Inn, and the Tropicana. BWPPI and Park Vue Inn both include free breakfast, which will keep your food costs down.

You can do the same routine with 4-day park hopper tickets and have a lovely time as well. Maybe after 2 park days in a row, take a day off and go to the Discovery Cube museum nearby in Orange County.

Just ignore anybody who tells you that 4 or 5 days is too much at DL. It's not. It turns your trip from frantic having to cram it all in into calmer and more relaxed.

 

[kikismom]

I've been that week a few times and it's hit or miss with crowds. Nothing crazy like Christmas week or the first week of April though.

Personally we always go for the 5th day, then we don't feel so bad going back to the hotel a lot for swimming or rests. I think it's usually less than $20 to get that 5th day, may be less than that.

Those are such fun ages for Disney! Hope your trip is magical!

 

[VandVsmama]

The character interactions at DL are more fluid, spontaneous, and organic than at WDW. At WDW, all of them have FPs, which is hard (although right now, there's no FPs at either DL or WDW because of COVID-19 and reduced park capacity...no idea what it'll be like in March 2021).

Toon Town is AWESOME for children. There are a lot of fun interactive things for children to do in Toon Town. It opens 1 hour after regular park opening. IF regular character meet & greets are underway again in March, if you want your kids to meet Mickey Mouse without waiting an hour, then be at the entrance to Toon Town 1 hour after regular park opening and then when the Toon Town gate opens, walk straight to Mickey's house. You'll get to meet him and take photos without a wait.

 

[mouschievous]

IF regular character meet & greets are underway again in March, if you want your kids to meet Mickey Mouse without waiting an hour, then be at the entrance to Toon Town 1 hour after regular park opening and then when the Toon Town gate opens, walk straight to Mickey's house. You'll get to meet him and take photos without a wait.

But if you don't wait, you don't get to watch the awesome Mickey cartoons! Seriously, I was almost sad to leave that room to get to go in and met Mickey. Almost

The fluid character meets are one of my favorite things. To be walking through a land and suddenly see a character is amazing. To see Alice and the Mad Hatter wandering around Fantasyland is so fun. Our very first Disney experience when we took the kids was walking down Main Street during Magic Morning and suddenly there was Pluto in front of the fire station. Those are some of my favorite photos The wonder on their faces was just...well, it was magical.

 

[VandVsmama]

Oh! I almost forgot. Alice and the Mad Hatter play musical chairs with kids at Coke Corner in the afternoon (ask for the time at Coke Refreshment Corner).

 

[bananapepper]

The character interactions at DL are more fluid, spontaneous, and organic than at WDW. At WDW, all of them have FPs, which is hard (although right now, there's no FPs at either DL or WDW because of COVID-19 and reduced park capacity...no idea what it'll be like in March 2021).

Toon Town is AWESOME for children. There are a lot of fun interactive things for children to do in Toon Town. It opens 1 hour after regular park opening. IF regular character meet & greets are underway again in March, if you want your kids to meet Mickey Mouse without waiting an hour, then be at the entrance to Toon Town 1 hour after regular park opening and then when the Toon Town gate opens, walk straight to Mickey's house. You'll get to meet him and take photos without a wait.

That's another big factor that is making me lean towards DL. My 5-year-old is still ALL about princesses but don't want to wait in line for hours for meet and greets.

 

[bearette]

With younger kids, DW is too much. DL is the better option for a trip. The extra days will allow you to explore the Disney hotels, they have movies, character greetings etc ( no pool if you aren't staying there). DL is always busy, especially evenings when locals like me show up with our APs. A lot of people recommend being early because of this, I wouldn't know because I haven't been there before 3pm in years. Spring break two weeks later will be nightmare, but you are before it gets super crazy. The last time I was there early was late March and I was ready to leave by 11am because it has 1hr lines for Pirates. (Pirates lines let's you know crowds. Walk on empty. 10 min low crowds.30 min average. 40 min busy and an hour... Go home (hotel) or do shows because I reach my people capacity.

Covid may change everything, but I'm hopping old rules will still apply by then.

 

[SammyStamper]

I have been to both twice: first time my son was 4, then DL at 6 and WDW at 7. I’ll take DL any day! We never do rope drop to closing. My son could care less about fireworks so I gave up. He loves the night parades/shows. We have always stayed at the Grand CA and take a nap after lunch. DL is more magical to me but maybe because I didn’t have to get up at 3:45 am to book FP and ADRs.

 

[D-Trick]

As it is the first trip for the kiddos, DLR is the way to go. Either will be magical, but the kids won't know what they're missing in FL. Save WDW for when they're older, as driving/walking/buses will be super stressful at their current ages.

 

[Karin1984]

When you read posts of people who don't think DL is magical, you really have to look into the why, as for some it's just a feeling, for the other the 'bubble' is of major importance.
You will find plenty of people who think WDW is not magical anymore as it's much more focused on getting the most out of your money, and not on a relaxing vacation.

If, for both resorts, you have an option for 5 park days. Then it's 2 parks for DL and 4 parks for WDW (not counting water parks). You know that with 4 parks in 5 days you will be rushing around to 'see it all'. With 2 parks you will be able to take a step back and enjoy yourself. You can do things you love more than once.

 

[sgerto]

Having taken our kids to WDW when they were 5 & 6 (see profile pic for my favorite pic from the trip), again when they were 9 & 10 for 7 days each time. The biggest take I can say this for them; the magic regarding their interactions with the characters had significantly diminished. We did a lot of character meet ups/dining and the kids didn't look at the characters as "real" when they were older. It didn't ruin the trip at all, just changed during our second trip how we had to approach things. The funniest interaction we had was at Turtle Talk with Crush on our first trip. My daughter got to ask a question and asked Crush what he eats. He explained to her what his diet was and Crush asked her what she liked to eat. You hear me on my camera say "fish" and then a few seconds later my daughter says "fish" which led to the whole crowd cracking up and Crush going bug eyed. Crush then swam to the back of the aquarium and said to the other fish swimming by "You dudes better watch out", swam back and said "And don't think I didn't hear you say fish, Dad!" and everyone lost it. Best part is that she was in the front of the room and I was in the very back so there was no possible way she could have heard me!! Transportation can be a challenge, especially with the little ones. We stayed at an All Star resort the first time and at the end of the night it took forever to get a bus with all the scooters getting priority over the little kids who just wanted to go to bed (which I do have a bit of an issue with). Depending where you would stay the monorail or skyliner may be options or the Minnie vans/Lyft if you want to pay. For the vast majority of the resorts you cannot simply walk back to where you're staying.

I LOVE DLR. We were there as a early graduation gift to our kids from HS a few years ago for four days and had a wonderful time. And during that trip I found I enjoyed our time more in DLR than WDW. When I go to places with an implied history (Graceland for example) I approach it with trying to envision what the place was like back then. At Graceland when we were in the Jungle Room I saw Elvis jamming with his band and recording some of his iconic songs, same for me and Walt in DL. My "Dad" moment was when my daughter and I met Captain America. She's in love with Chris Evans and Captain America. During our meeting he asked where we were from and we said Chicago. Cap said "Ah, the Windy City. It gets pretty cold there." and I replied "Not as cold as it was for you". My daughter and Cap BOTH shot me a look, it was hilarious. I got ambushed by Boba Fett while walking around Launch Bay and took some pics with him. And then the ultimate for me, meeting the Dark Lord while wearing my Sith baseball jersey with Vader on the nameplate and him telling me he appreciated my loyalty. Being a locals park it can be much less congested, especially early in the day. If you don't stay at a resort hotel most of the good neighbor hotels are very close. We are going back in September and staying at Candy Cane which is a 10 minute walk to the park entrance. The dining options aren't as varied and character dining is significantly diminished.

A quick comparison between WDW and DLR:
WDW positives: More character interactions, four unique parks to choose from (Epcot is awesome), two water parks, more dining options, Magic Express, themed resorts
WDW not so greats: Distance between parks and Disney Springs, distance to your resort, very crowded most of the year, costs more, waiting for buses can take a looooong time
WDW toss up: The dining plan. Takes the issue of price for eating at most restaurants out of your hands for the entire trip (plus a lot of snacks), but can be cost ineffective if you pick the wrong package or won't utilize what you eat.

DLR positives: Walt's park, easier and faster to get to the parks from your hotel/resort, the parks are literally a two minute walk from each other and five to Downtown Disney, unique attractions you won't find at WDW (Mr. Toad, Moments with Lincoln, Storybook canal), better versions of same ride (Small World, Pirates, Tiki Room, Soarin over California), much lower crowds most of the time, much higher chance of seeing characters just walking down the street with nobody trying to meet them (locals seem to be numb to it, lol), Mint Juleps and beignets!, World of Color
DLR not so greats: Not as many dining options/character dining, everything has a price for transportation, you have to pay for Fast Pass+, only two parks, outside of the Grand Floridian every hotel is a basic hotel set up
DLR toss up: Fast Pass+. If you can master the process you can maximize the opportunities you can get to ride the rides you want. But it's all contingent on when you get there. Want to ride Radiator Springs/ Rise of the Resistance? Be there at rope drop or your probably out of luck. I know Rise isn't Fast Pass but it does associate with it.

For me it would be a hard choice. But with the really little one and the mid-afternoon nap, DLR would be your best option. To get back to the hotel can take you 10-15 minutes instead of potentially a hour or more at WDW which would nearly cut your trip in half. Eat at Plaza Inn for breakfast with Minnie for sure. The biggest magic your kids will get is the meet and greets. Seeing the characters they know from movies, TV, books, etc. larger than life is just awesome to watch them light up when they come around. Have a Magical trip!

 

[StarWarsNerd24]

We have been to both the World and the Land 4 times each so we are by no means experts but I think we can add some insight.

I am also debating between a 4 day or 5-day park hopper ticket. Are 5 days going to be overload with 3 kids?

We fly from Canada and are typically there for 10 days (including flight days) so we usually get a 5 day park hopper and a 3 day single park ticket (we don't go often enough to get an annual pass and it is more expensive this way but it works for us). I am that "Disney nut" at work so I have lots of people come to ask me for advice on their Disney trips and what I always tell people is to go for the the 5 day Park hopper as it allows for a much more relaxed type of park experience, however you know your kids so go with the amount of park time you think they can handle.

My only concern is reading that some people don't feel the "magic" like they do at WDW. Does DLR still feel magical?

A Disney park is Magic no matter where you go. Really the only reason I think that some people feel more "Magic" at WDW is because WDW is the size of a small city and immerses you in totally in all things Disney. Yes DLR is surrounded closely by the outside world but IMHO once you step into DLR the magical feeling is instantly there and I think lots of folks on this board would also point out that part of that magic is that this IS Walt's park.

My 5-year-old is still ALL about princesses but don't want to wait in line for hours for meet and greets.

Just remember that co-vid 19 could very well still be a major factor (in March) on weather any meet and greets are going on.

Personally our family LOVES Disneyland and Disney World equally but for different reasons. The one thing that again I tend to tell people at work if they ask me where they should go with little ones is that I think the Size and Scope of Disney World can lead to an more overwhelming holiday experience. Our 1st trip to WDW was when my son was 7 and my daughter was 4 and while it was an amazing trip full of wonderful memories it was certainly not the most relaxing trip . I always advise DLR as a 1st trip but really you cant go wrong no matter where you end up going.

Enjoy the journey and have fun when you go.

 

[GenGen22]

Imo both resorts are magical. I've been to both WDW and DL. I think DL would be better as you are planning to take naps during the day and DL is much closer to hotels than WDW is. Most families stay at value resorts at WDW which is like an hour bus ride where here most hotels are a 15 minute walk from the park. If you can afford it GCH is the closest and most convenient imo but there are plenty others on Harbor Blvd within walking distance. I agree with others on the 5 day ph as it will give you more time to tour at a relaxed pace especially since your not rope drop people. Also I agree with the others that DL is a lot less walking than WDW as it is a smaller more compact park.

 

[gelatoni fan]

It's unclear how things will be in March due to virus related changes. But for a first trip with kids that age, I would recommend Disneyland over Disney World. Kids may get tired, complain, etc so the flexibility of Disneyland is important for handling situations like that. You don't have much flexibility with Disney World fastpasses. Things at Disneyland are also closer together which makes it easier for young kids who will not be used to walking that much.

If you must go back to the hotel to rest during the day, the Grand Californian will be the closest hotel and has a special entrance directly into California Adventure. If you want a more magical experience, the Disneyland Hotel will have better theming but is a bit further (it's not too far from the monorail which goes into Disneyland though).

I think you can spend 5 days in the parks, especially if you leave in the middle of the day to do other things. The price difference for tickets will come out to less than $100 for the 5th day for your entire family so the price difference is small relative to the cost of everything else.

 

[emerald3582]

That's another big factor that is making me lean towards DL. My 5-year-old is still ALL about princesses but don't want to wait in line for hours for meet and greets.

On our first two trips to DLR, we would do a character breakfast on the morning we departed. Goofy's Kitchen at DLH and Chip & Dale at GCH (although I don't think they have that anymore). It's a great way to meet a bunch of characters without having to wait in line. There's an all-princess one too, but I think it's pretty pricey. I'm thinking of doing the Minnie & Friends at Plaza Inn if it's available in October just for nostalgia's sake, the DDs are 15 & 16 now. And I think they let you in early if your reservation is before park opening so you don't miss much ride time. With all that being said, there's nothing like Toontown and being able to see where they all "live" while you wait in line to meet them.