Tips For First Trip?

[stew0610]

We have been long-time Walt Disney World vacationers, but this will be our first trip to Disneyland in February. We are going for three days and staying off-site.

Any advice/tips/tricks for someone who is used to Disney World but new to Disneyland?

 

[ShadowCross]

Just because the area is smaller doesn't mean you don't still need the best shoes. I'm sure you're a pro at good park shoes since WDW is huge and there's so much walking involved. DL is tiny by comparison. It packs a lot of punch in that small size and good shoes are just as important there. Also, get a fastpass for Radiator Springs Racers. If you're using the maxpass so you have it on your phone that's the best but if you don't, you need to go first thing the day you want to ride it to get a fastpass because they will run out and the lines are long and slow. It's a great ride, definitely worth it. Not having magic bands, using maxpass is the closest thing for DL.

 

[Chronic Daydreamer]

I'm a regular to both parks, 8am opens at Disneyland are even more worthwhile than getting up early for WDW, the first 1.5-2 hours of park open on an 8am open is the best time for almost anything rides, characters, pictures or just taking a walk.

 

[VandVsmama]

You should read this thread which has advice on DL for WDW veterans. It's full of excellent advice.

 

[VandVsmama]

Some general thoughts & advice in no particular order:

• Rope drop is worth it at DL. Most of the park visitors are locals and on a weekend, they usually won't get there until 11 am - 12 pm.
• If you have 3 day tickets, you can get in early on a Tues, Thurs, or Sat to DL park only. Use it. You'll be able to go on rides in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Casey Jr Circus Train and Storybook Land Canal Boats are not open during EMH/Magic Morning though. We often have been able to get on 5-6 rides in Fantasyland during EMH/MM at DL if we are in line at the DL main gate about 20 min before the start of EMH/MM.
• Max Pass is totally worth the $15/day per person. It is far superior to FP+.
• But if Max Pass is not in your budget, not to worry. Regular FP works really great, too.
• To meet Mickey with hardly any wait, be at the entrance to Toon Town 1 hour after REGULAR park opening time. That's when Toon Town opens. Walk straight to Mickey's house. Then explore the rest of Toon Town, probably go on Roger Rabbit right after meeting Mickey because you'll probably be able to walk right on.
• If the cost of park hopper tickets is in your budget, it's worthwhile to consider it because the 2 parks are so close to each other. This is something that's hard to comprehend if you've only been to WDW before and you haven't been to DL. The distance from 1 entrance to the other is, like, maybe a football field's length. It's super close.
• When you get a FP, it'll tell you what time you can get another FP. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you. Then just repeat that process the rest of the day.
• From what I've heard, Fantasmic at DL is a way better experience than at WDW. You can get a place to sit down on the ground if you get a dining package. There's no stadium seating like at WDW.
• DL & WDW are like different flavors of ice cream...both wonderful & tasty & satisfying. Just in a different way. Don't expect it to be exactly like WDW. It won't be. Don't expect a "Disney bubble" if you're staying off site.
• Don't stress out when you learn that you can't make ADRs 6 months ahead of time. At DL, you can only make them 60 days ahead of time and that's ok. 60 days ahead of time is PLENTY of time.
• TS restaurants are not as big a deal or as big of an event at DL compared to WDW. The quick service food options at DL are much better.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

From the sticky threads at the top of the first page:
* DLR Info/Links - Maps, Hotels, DISer Reviews, Hydroguy's tips, NEWBIE INFO here!
From that sticky thread:
A DLR Guide for WDW Vets -- a must read for you!
HydroGuy Tips Compilation -- check this out! So much helpful info!
From that link:
"Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" by @Skyegirl1999 - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/ -- read through this and ask any MP/FP questions there -- almost all WDW vets love MP as soon as they start using it!

 

[WonkaKid]

I'm a regular to both parks, 8am opens at Disneyland are even more worthwhile than getting up early for WDW, the first 1.5-2 hours of park open on an 8am open is the best time for almost anything rides, characters, pictures or just taking a walk.

Agree 100%. I rope-drop DL about 40 times a year (nearly every Sunday) and it is absolutely worth it. My friend calls the following few hours “Golden time.” And he’s right.

Enjoy! Feel free to shoot me a direct message if you’d like me to send you some park maps. I’m home in Chicago for a few more days but will be back at the park on Sunday (woo hoo!).

 

[TravelE]

We just finished our first Disneyland trip in December after visiting WDW for years.

Here our our key tips:
1. Rope Drop: For an 8:00 am opening, be at bag check by 7:00 am. Line up at an empty turn style even if other lines have formed. At 7:30 am, they opened the metal gates and scanned our tickets holding us before the turn style. This allowed us to start making fast passes right away. A few minute later they let you through the turn style and into the parks. There are ropes at the entrances to all of the lands that are up until official park opening.
2. Max Pass: It's so worth not having to cross the park to pick up fast passes. We opted out of Park Hoppers and put that money towards the Max Pass fee. I bought our tickets from Last Minute Travel and saved some $$$. The Max Pass comes with free photo pass downloads too. When you go to redeem your Max Pass, there are several scan points at each ride entrance. Feel free to walk up to the next empty one to scan your phone.
3. Try all the rides: We were very pleased that all of the rides felt new and unique compared to the WDW ones. I think only Mickey's Philharmagic was the same.
4. Crowds: The walkways seem narrower at Disneyland and most queues are outside, so it can seem very crowded at times. Also families seemed to walk four or five across in groups. Plus no one walks in a straight line! Have patience and be willing to walk single file to get past some of the more crowded spots.
5. Monorail: You can ask to sit in the very front or back! It's so cool considering WDW has not done this for a few years. The monorail does a loop through Disneyland, DCA, and Downtown Disney. There is a stop at Downtown Disney if you want to grab a bite to eat.
6. Drawing Class: DCA has a drawing class every 30 minutes or so in a large auditorium. It's easy to get into and we participated twice. We miss this from WDW.
7. Uber/Lyft: You don't really need a rental car as some hotel parking fees are high. We used Uber/Lyft to ride to and from the park. There is a car drop off right at the walkway to security. It was very easy.
8. DCA: This park seemed to have a few less rides than Disneyland. We were able to rope drop it and be done early afternoon. We did go back again to re-ride our favorites which included Guardian of Galaxy Mission Breakout, Incredicoaster, and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. Our second day was an EMH on 12/24 but it was not a problem as only hotel guests can partake and there are not enough of them to make a big impact. If you do go on a EMH morning, line up at a far right open turn style. They will start converting the EMH gates to regular opening and you can easily move to the first spot in line.

We loved it and I hope you have a great trip!

 

[stew0610]

Just because the area is smaller doesn't mean you don't still need the best shoes. I'm sure you're a pro at good park shoes since WDW is huge and there's so much walking involved. DL is tiny by comparison. It packs a lot of punch in that small size and good shoes are just as important there. Also, get a fastpass for Radiator Springs Racers. If you're using the maxpass so you have it on your phone that's the best but if you don't, you need to go first thing the day you want to ride it to get a fastpass because they will run out and the lines are long and slow. It's a great ride, definitely worth it. Not having magic bands, using maxpass is the closest thing for DL.

Thank you! We got MaxPass. Seems like it will be well worth it.

 

[stew0610]

We just finished our first Disneyland trip in December after visiting WDW for years.

Here our our key tips:
1. Rope Drop: For an 8:00 am opening, be at bag check by 7:00 am. Line up at an empty turn style even if other lines have formed. At 7:30 am, they opened the metal gates and scanned our tickets holding us before the turn style. This allowed us to start making fast passes right away. A few minute later they let you through the turn style and into the parks. There are ropes at the entrances to all of the lands that are up until official park opening.
2. Max Pass: It's so worth not having to cross the park to pick up fast passes. We opted out of Park Hoppers and put that money towards the Max Pass fee. I bought our tickets from Last Minute Travel and saved some $$$. The Max Pass comes with free photo pass downloads too. When you go to redeem your Max Pass, there are several scan points at each ride entrance. Feel free to walk up to the next empty one to scan your phone.
3. Try all the rides: We were very pleased that all of the rides felt new and unique compared to the WDW ones. I think only Mickey's Philharmagic was the same.
4. Crowds: The walkways seem narrower at Disneyland and most queues are outside, so it can seem very crowded at times. Also families seemed to walk four or five across in groups. Plus no one walks in a straight line! Have patience and be willing to walk single file to get past some of the more crowded spots.
5. Monorail: You can ask to sit in the very front or back! It's so cool considering WDW has not done this for a few years. The monorail does a loop through Disneyland, DCA, and Downtown Disney. There is a stop at Downtown Disney if you want to grab a bite to eat.
6. Drawing Class: DCA has a drawing class every 30 minutes or so in a large auditorium. It's easy to get into and we participated twice. We miss this from WDW.
7. Uber/Lyft: You don't really need a rental car as some hotel parking fees are high. We used Uber/Lyft to ride to and from the park. There is a car drop off right at the walkway to security. It was very easy.
8. DCA: This park seemed to have a few less rides than Disneyland. We were able to rope drop it and be done early afternoon. We did go back again to re-ride our favorites which included Guardian of Galaxy Mission Breakout, Incredicoaster, and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. Our second day was an EMH on 12/24 but it was not a problem as only hotel guests can partake and there are not enough of them to make a big impact. If you do go on a EMH morning, line up at a far right open turn style. They will start converting the EMH gates to regular opening and you can easily move to the first spot in line.

We loved it and I hope you have a great trip!

Thank you! I appreciate all the advice!

 

[stew0610]

I'm a regular to both parks, 8am opens at Disneyland are even more worthwhile than getting up early for WDW, the first 1.5-2 hours of park open on an 8am open is the best time for almost anything rides, characters, pictures or just taking a walk.

Thank you!

 

[CableKC]

1 ) If you can make Dining Reservations at the Sit down restaurants at this time, it's a good way to take a break for the Quick Dining Service restaurants that you will likely have throughout the day. Blue Bayou ( the most expensive and most popular Full Services restaurant at Disneyland park itself ) is likely already out of dining reservations 1 month out. But you can probably get dining reservations at other Restaurants at lunch or early dinner.

2 ) Download the Disneyland App and sign up for a Disney account to use the Mobile Ordering feature. It saves A LOT OF TIME when ordering food. Just plan it out so that you place an order when you are about to board your next ride and then walk over to pick it up when ready.

3 ) If you can afford it, pay for the Disney MAX PASS option for your ticket. Having the option to get a fast pass via your phone will ( again ) save A LOT OF TIME when trying to going on a popular ride. Also, you will have the option to download all of the pictures that the Disney Photographers take for you at the park.

4 ) For the World of Color night time show at Disney California, be sure to get a FastPass to get access to the area where you can get a good view of the show. It's not required to view the show ( cuz you can see it pretty much anywhere ). But given that this is your first time seeing the show, it's worth it. I think the FastPass ticket machines is over by the Grizzly Rapids ride on the right side when entering the park. When you walk by, just pick one up in the morning or early afternoon.

5 ) For the Fireworks at Disneyland itself, you will see that people start to camp out and site EVERYWHERE on Main street to the Castle up to 90 minutes before to get a great seat. You can do that yourself if you want. But I find that if you just head to the center of Disneyland between the Castle and Main Street about 30 to 45 minutes beforehand, you can make your way through the crowd and find a decent spot to see the fireworks show. It will get crowded, but once you find a spot to sit on the floor....just have someone in your group get some popcorn, churros and cotton candy and just rest a little before the show.

6 ) Fastpass for the Star Wars ride ( I assume ), Space Mountain and Radiator Springs are all given out by Mid to late morning. I have seen instances where the Fastpass Radiator Springs was all gone for the entire day 90 minutes to 2 hours after rope drop. If you are able to, have someone head over to get one as soon as you enter the park in the morning. If you can't get one, it doesn't mean that you can't go on those rides. Just be aware that the wait lines for these specific rides can easily be 90 minutes to 2 hours ( which easily eats up a good portion of your day at the park ) at peak times.

7 ) Get FastPass for the really popular rides if you can and wait in line with Stand By for everything else. I usually plan it out where I get the FastPass for the more popular rides ( like what I mention above ) and then wait in line for Standby for the nearby rides. Given that Fastpass wait times can easily be 2 hours out, I have enough time to go to other rides while waiting.

8 ) Another thing to note is that you can't get a new Fastpass until the start time of the current FastPass that you just got. For example; if it's 12pm now and you get a FastPass for 2pm at the Matterhorn, this means that the earliest that you can get a NEW FastPass for another ride is after 2pm. Between that time, you can simply do Stand-By entry to rides, but you can't get another FastPass to another ride during that time. Also, keep in mind that you have up to an hour to get use the FastPass. This means that if you can't make it to the Matterhorn at 2pm....but at 2:55pm...then they will let you on. Most of the time, the Cast Members checking the FastPass aren't sticklers for time. If you arrive 15 minutes before the start time of the window for your FastPass, they will ask you to wait. But if it's 5 minutes before? they will probably let you in. Same thing about after the window.

I am sure there are others, but these are the only tips I can think of off the top of my head that would be helpful for a First Timer.

Hope this helps!

 

[BritneyBelle]

We just finished our first Disneyland trip in December after visiting WDW for years.

Here our our key tips:
1. Rope Drop: For an 8:00 am opening, be at bag check by 7:00 am. Line up at an empty turn style even if other lines have formed. At 7:30 am, they opened the metal gates and scanned our tickets holding us before the turn style. This allowed us to start making fast passes right away. A few minute later they let you through the turn style and into the parks. There are ropes at the entrances to all of the lands that are up until official park opening.
2. Max Pass: It's so worth not having to cross the park to pick up fast passes. We opted out of Park Hoppers and put that money towards the Max Pass fee. I bought our tickets from Last Minute Travel and saved some $$$. The Max Pass comes with free photo pass downloads too. When you go to redeem your Max Pass, there are several scan points at each ride entrance. Feel free to walk up to the next empty one to scan your phone.
3. Try all the rides: We were very pleased that all of the rides felt new and unique compared to the WDW ones. I think only Mickey's Philharmagic was the same.
4. Crowds: The walkways seem narrower at Disneyland and most queues are outside, so it can seem very crowded at times. Also families seemed to walk four or five across in groups. Plus no one walks in a straight line! Have patience and be willing to walk single file to get past some of the more crowded spots.
5. Monorail: You can ask to sit in the very front or back! It's so cool considering WDW has not done this for a few years. The monorail does a loop through Disneyland, DCA, and Downtown Disney. There is a stop at Downtown Disney if you want to grab a bite to eat.
6. Drawing Class: DCA has a drawing class every 30 minutes or so in a large auditorium. It's easy to get into and we participated twice. We miss this from WDW.
7. Uber/Lyft: You don't really need a rental car as some hotel parking fees are high. We used Uber/Lyft to ride to and from the park. There is a car drop off right at the walkway to security. It was very easy.
8. DCA: This park seemed to have a few less rides than Disneyland. We were able to rope drop it and be done early afternoon. We did go back again to re-ride our favorites which included Guardian of Galaxy Mission Breakout, Incredicoaster, and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. Our second day was an EMH on 12/24 but it was not a problem as only hotel guests can partake and there are not enough of them to make a big impact. If you do go on a EMH morning, line up at a far right open turn style. They will start converting the EMH gates to regular opening and you can easily move to the first spot in line.

We loved it and I hope you have a great trip!

I second everything here but would like to add another fun experience. If you ask really nicely (and are lucky) two people can ride on the timber box seat on the train. It’s such a cool experience if you get to do it.

 

[TarotFox]

7

1 ) If you can make Dining Reservations at the Sit down restaurants at this time, it's a good way to take a break for the Quick Dining Service restaurants that you will likely have throughout the day. Blue Bayou ( the most expensive and most popular Full Services restaurant at Disneyland park itself ) is likely already out of dining reservations 1 month out. But you can probably get dining reservations at other Restaurants at lunch or early dinner.

2 ) Download the Disneyland App and sign up for a Disney account to use the Mobile Ordering feature. It saves A LOT OF TIME when ordering food. Just plan it out so that you place an order when you are about to board your next ride and then walk over to pick it up when ready.

3 ) If you can afford it, pay for the Disney MAX PASS option for your ticket. Having the option to get a fast pass via your phone will ( again ) save A LOT OF TIME when trying to going on a popular ride. Also, you will have the option to download all of the pictures that the Disney Photographers take for you at the park.

4 ) For the World of Color night time show at Disney California, be sure to get a FastPass to get access to the area where you can get a good view of the show. It's not required to view the show ( cuz you can see it pretty much anywhere ). But given that this is your first time seeing the show, it's worth it. I think the FastPass ticket machines is over by the Grizzly Rapids ride on the right side when entering the park. When you walk by, just pick one up in the morning or early afternoon.

5 ) For the Fireworks at Disneyland itself, you will see that people start to camp out and site EVERYWHERE on Main street to the Castle up to 90 minutes before to get a great seat. You can do that yourself if you want. But I find that if you just head to the center of Disneyland between the Castle and Main Street about 30 to 45 minutes beforehand, you can make your way through the crowd and find a decent spot to see the fireworks show. It will get crowded, but once you find a spot to sit on the floor....just have someone in your group get some popcorn, churros and cotton candy and just rest a little before the show.

6 ) Fastpass for the Star Wars ride ( I assume ), Space Mountain and Radiator Springs are all given out by Mid to late morning. I have seen instances where the Fastpass Radiator Springs was all gone for the entire day 90 minutes to 2 hours after rope drop. If you are able to, have someone head over to get one as soon as you enter the park in the morning. If you can't get one, it doesn't mean that you can't go on those rides. Just be aware that the wait lines for these specific rides can easily be 90 minutes to 2 hours ( which easily eats up a good portion of your day at the park ) at peak times.

7 ) Get FastPass for the really popular rides if you can and wait in line with Stand By for everything else. I usually plan it out where I get the FastPass for the more popular rides ( like what I mention above ) and then wait in line for Standby for the nearby rides. Given that Fastpass wait times can easily be 2 hours out, I have enough time to go to other rides while waiting.

8 ) Another thing to note is that you can't get a new Fastpass until the start time of the current FastPass that you just got. For example; if it's 12pm now and you get a FastPass for 2pm at the Matterhorn, this means that the earliest that you can get a NEW FastPass for another ride is after 2pm. Between that time, you can simply do Stand-By entry to rides, but you can't get another FastPass to another ride during that time. Also, keep in mind that you have up to an hour to get use the FastPass. This means that if you can't make it to the Matterhorn at 2pm....but at 2:55pm...then they will let you on. Most of the time, the Cast Members checking the FastPass aren't sticklers for time. If you arrive 15 minutes before the start time of the window for your FastPass, they will ask you to wait. But if it's 5 minutes before? they will probably let you in. Same thing about after the window.

I am sure there are others, but these are the only tips I can think of off the top of my head that would be helpful for a First Timer.

Hope this helps!

You can get another FP either when the window is up, the pass is used, or 90 minutes have passed. In your example, you could have gotten a pass at 1:30pm.

 

[TikiRob]

If using Maxpass do you get to select a time (say for later in the day) or is it random for the next available? If it is random and at 9:00am we pull a RSR for 3:00pm, is it possible to get FPs for prior to 3:00pm after the 90 minute window passes?

 

[Where's Wall-E]

If using Maxpass do you get to select a time (say for later in the day) or is it random for the next available? If it is random and at 9:00am we pull a RSR for 3:00pm, is it possible to get FPs for prior to 3:00pm after the 90 minute window passes?

No. It's not like FP+ at WDW where you choose times. The times are provided to you, and it is "next available", even if it's quite later in the day. You can check the app though to see if anyone has cancelled a FP, which pops that person's time back up - this is a way some can get in sooner than the "next available" time provided. You have to be eligible to get a new FP before it will let you do that though.

 

[ahhhshmatthew]

Excited for you and jealous! DL is my wife and I's home Disney park. Some top of mind thoughts (and I'm sure echoes of others):

1. Yes, as everyone says, get MaxPass. There is absolutely no reason not to, even with the added cost. It is easy to use and light years better than traipsing around the parks to obtain paper versions.
2. I tell all of my WDW friends who come to visit: enjoy it for what it is, which is, the original and Walt's baby. It's not as large or over-the-top as WDW, but you're literally vacationing at a piece of history (with regard to Disneyland Park). It is as, if not more, impressive when you consider when it was built and how technologically advanced we are now.
3. During weekdays especially, I recommend getting the most out of your morning. These are locals parks and people tend to come after school and work.
4. Ride everything, even things you "know already" already from WDW. They're different! I love comparing queues, ride scenes, etc.
5. Restaurants I love: Alfresco Tasting Terrace, Award Wieners, Blue Bayou, Carthay Circle, Catal, Flo's V8 Cafe, Hearthstone Lounge, Lamplight Lounge, Napa Rose, Red Rose Taverne, Steakhouse 55, Storytellers Cafe and Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar
6. If you see one show, make it World of Color. I can also recommend the dessert party for this, if for no other reason, the seating. The desserts and drinks are good, but your view cannot be beat.

Have fun!

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

If using Maxpass do you get to select a time (say for later in the day) or is it random for the next available? If it is random and at 9:00am we pull a RSR for 3:00pm, is it possible to get FPs for prior to 3:00pm after the 90 minute window passes?

As already mentioned, you do not get to select a certain time - they are just next available. So when you first enter the park in the morning, you will notice that all FP times are going to be pretty early in the morning. As the day goes on, the FP return times will get later, eventually running out before the park closes (some much earlier than others of course).

To answer your second question, if it's 9 a.m. and you pull a FP for a 3 p.m. return time, you will need to wait 90 minutes before getting another FP. However, that next FP does not have to be for after 3 p.m. - it may be for any return time. For example, you could get a RSR FP for 3 p.m., then 90 minutes later (at 10:30 a.m.) secure an Indiana Jones FP for 11:00 a.m. Once 11 a.m. comes, you can then get another FP, rather than having to wait 90 minutes, because you have hit the return window for your next FP. This is what makes it such a great system: you can get a FP for something later in the day, but in the meantime keep racking up FPs for rides with much sooner return windows. This way you could end up using many many FPs in one day.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

For all Maxpass questions: Read the superthread and ask any questions there -- you'll get great help from our resident MP experts! Maxpass/Fastpass Superthread: an overview and some strategy