Help Planning Itinerary

[irlandaise]

Thank you so much for all the responses. This is exactly what I needed. Since it seems like the majority recommend doing nothing on the day of arrival, is it possible to fit in a couple of hours to see the Pacific? We are not particular where to go just want to put our feet in the ocean if possible. We have the rental car until 8:00 PM returning near Candy Cane Inn.

It would be tight, but you could do it. Do a quick check-in at the CCI, then scoot down I-5 to CA-55 (as though you're going to John Wayne Airport) and follow it all the way out to Newport Beach. A lot of the waterfront in that area is on Newport Bay, but if you go to Newport Beach or Corona Del Mar State Park, you'll be officially on the Pacific Ocean. Sunset is about 6:00 p.m. so you won't have long. But it would be late afternoon on a Sunday, so traffic shouldn't be too bad.

 

[npyarbro]

It would be tight, but you could do it. Do a quick check-in at the CCI, then scoot down I-5 to CA-55 (as though you're going to John Wayne Airport) and follow it all the way out to Newport Beach. A lot of the waterfront in that area is on Newport Bay, but if you go to Newport Beach or Corona Del Mar State Park, you'll be officially on the Pacific Ocean. Sunset is about 6:00 p.m. so you won't have long. But it would be late afternoon on a Sunday, so traffic shouldn't be too bad.

@irlandaise thank you for the advice. We are now looking at trying to get to Anaheim a little earlier so we can get to the the water before sunset. We have seen many sunrises over the ocean but never a sunset. This has been added to the bucket list. Which is better for sunset Newport Beach or Corona Del Mar State Park?

 

[irlandaise]

@irlandaise thank you for the advice. We are now looking at trying to get to Anaheim a little earlier so we can get to the the water before sunset. We have seen many sunrises over the ocean but never a sunset. This has been added to the bucket list. Which is better for sunset Newport Beach or Corona Del Mar State Park?

I'll let the locals advise on where the best sunset viewing might be, but I just wanted to say that one time I was in New Jersey and got all turned around because the ocean was on the wrong side in relation to the sun.

 

[tiffjoy]

If I have 3 days, my basic plan is this, I am not sure how much OBB interferes with this plan:

1) One day at DL, limit yourself to 1 half the park (everything except FantasyLand, ToonTown, and TomorrowLand). Once you get all you want to do at that half of the park, you can do repeats or try and start hitting some of the FL or TL rides, or park hop if you wish.

2) One day at DL, do the rest of the DL park, and do repeats as you wish.

3) One day at DCA. Do what you wish, and park hop if you wish.

If you go to WDW and are used to the rides there:
Out of the rides that exist in WDW, you should definitely do the following:

Space Mountain, Pirates, Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion (since configured in holiday mode).

Note that Runaway Railway, the queue is much improved and fun to go through. The actual ride though is mostly the same.

You can probably skip (near identical experience, or not as good): Peter Pan, Small World, Under the Sea (DCA), Soarin (DCA), Philharmagic (DCA). Small World does have the "hidden" Disney characters during the ride, but it's not that much of a reason to go on it, unless you really enjoy the ride.

Maybe skip: Winnie the Pooh. Rise of Resistance, Millenium Falcon.

I have to disagree and say Small World at Disneyland is 1000x better than Disneyworld. I love the additional characters (so fun to spot your first couple rides), the outside loading, the beautiful exterior, and the inside with far more detail and doesn’t look so barren with super high ceilings. To me they are very different. While I could skip the WDW version on a trip and not miss it, I can’t skip the DLR version.

 

[irlandaise]

I have to disagree and say Small World at Disneyland is 1000x better than Disneyworld. I love the additional characters (so fun to spot your first couple rides), the outside loading, the beautiful exterior, and the inside with far more detail and doesn’t look so barren with super high ceilings. To me they are very different. While I could skip the WDW version on a trip and not miss it, I can’t skip the DLR version.

I don't know what the odds are that the Small World exterior Christmas lights will be up by the night of November 1st, but if they are, the OP's family definitely needs to at least walk by to see those!