Disneyland/Disney World

I will tell you Bali, that as a life long Disney afficianado, my first trip to Disneyland, which surprisingly didn't come until recently, was almost like a life-changing experience. I know that it will be the same for you.

Joy grew up with DL as I grew up with WDW, and I was lucky to have her with me for my first couple trips to DL. But you won't need a DL veteran to maximize your experience because the two parks are quite manageable.

Joy says she wants to respond to this thread for you, and she will this evening as we're going out for a while now. She'll give you some great info, and of course you know how to reach her off these boards as well.

You will absolutely love your time at DLR. While in Disneyland Park, there is something special about knowing that you're in the only Disney theme park that Walt actually set foot in. As the Disney buff that I know you are, you'll appreciate the history and the magic that still exists there.

Disney's California Adventure, the other park at DLR, is often maligned, but unjustifiably so, in my opinion. It's a true Disney park through and through, and has seen some great changes over the last few years.

I'll let Joy take it from here.

By the way, moving closer to Disneyland is never a bad thing.

How does the transit compare to WDW?

Good question, Brad--I know there's a monorail in Disneyland...what does it connect?

The transportation system is not nearly as vast as that of WDW, but it doesn't need to be. Disneyland Resort consists of Disneyland Park, Disney's California Adventure, Downtown Disney and three hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Grand Californian, and Disney's Paradise Pier). All of these are within walking distance to one another.

The monorail has only two stops. Downtown Disney, and Tomorrowland in Disneyland Park. Unlike at WDW, the monorail doesn't connect two points that are not walkable, though it can save some steps at the end of a long day. The interesting thing to those of us that are used to WDW, is that at some points, the view from the monorail is that of a regular city street, complete with fast food joints, motels and residential neighborhoods! Think of how strange that would be to see from the WDW monorail.

Thanks, Imagineer! I guess that's something I could have googled, but it helps to hear from folks that have been.

I've often wondered how strange that would be to be in a park so surrounded by "reality." That's something that's blessedly missing from WDW.

Disneyland Resort is different from WDW in so many ways, I'm not even sure where to start.

I do love the proximity of the hotels to the parks. I love that if I want to take a nap at 3 p.m., I can leave the park, walk to my hotel and be asleep by 3:30. Everything is very manageable & you can walk to everything!

Also, park hopping is a breeze. The entry to DL and the entry to DCA are literally about 100 yards apart (and security is before both, so you don't have to go through security again when you parkhop). I remember when Andrew & I were planning our first trip, he couldn't understand why I didn't want to plan every second of our trip. He is so used to planning ahead on which park to go to. At DLR, you can kind of wing it. You always know that no matter what park or hotel your dinner reservation is at, you are only a few minutes away!

As far as how long to go, I recommend 4-5 days. I don't think I've ever spent more than 5 days at the parks, but if you want a longer trip, there are lots of fun things to do in L.A.!

For your first trip, I would say you have to do the Disneyland Hotel. The Grand Californian is nicer, but the DLH is just classic Disney! Paradise Pier is also decent, but DLH just holds that special place in my heart!

One of the most special things I've ever done is the Wine Cellar at the DLH. It's underneath Hook's Point at the DLH and kind of hidden, Andrew and I came across it on our first trip and now it is tradition. We love spending part of an evening trying wine and eating cheese and crackers!

As far as shows, the fireworks show at DL (Remember...Dreams Come True), is spectacular. It has a little bit of music from Wishes, but most of the music is from different attractions (PotC, Splash, etc.). It was designed for the 50th celebration, but luckily they are still running it. I love the projections on the castle and the Matterhorn. Fantasmic is also much better at DL. There is just something magic about the way it is done right in the middle of Frontierland and the speakers just kind of come out of the ground!

I could go on all night!

I really, really hope you plan a trip, you will love it! And of course, I'm here to answer all seventeen million questions you have if you do go!

DL--Is the scale a bit more like Universal Studios in Florida? I was amazed how quickly you could transfer between Universal Studios and IOA when I first went there--the entrances are right next to one another! That sounds like what you're describing.

Also, any specifics about DLH why it holds a place in your heart? What "category" (value, deluxe, moderate...) would it be equivalent to?

Thanks for your response! It's making me excited to consider planning a trip! Now I just have to convince DW...

Not sure if this is applicable, but since there's talk about the comparison between DL and WDW, I thought I should point this out.

In 2006, I did what I called a "Mini Grand Tour". I started out my vacation at Disneyland Resort, spent 3 days there, and then flew directly to WDW and continued with the rest of the week there. (The full GRAND tour would, of course, involve going to Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris). I wrote a trip report while it was going on, and you can read it here.

In my parting comments before leaving Disneyland (Msg. #12), I sorta made a comparison between DL and WDW, from the point of view of someone who has already fallen in love with WDW (I don't claim to be an unbiased observer).

I'm hoping to do another Mini Grand tour again in 2009.

Zz.

Wow ZapperZ, that's a really cool idea. Although since I'm nowhere near either park the airfare might be prohibitive. Also my annual pass helps control ticket costs, which would be another problem. You really just went to DL for the pins didn't you?

Also, I sure hope we get a trip report while you're there or when you get back!

Exactly like Universal in Florida (although automatically cooler cause it's Disney)!

The DLH is special to me for a few reasons. One is I always wanted to stay there as a kid (and a teenager), so it was basically something I looked forward to my whole life! Also, the first time my husband and I went to DLR we stayed there, so it will always remind me of our first Disney experience together! And there are just so many hidden little places to sit and relax. It's a small resort compared to the WDW resorts, but there are tons of little places out of the way!

I would say it is maybe a high end moderate. All of the DLR hotels are pricey (the only value you'll find are the off-site hotels, which are still walking distance, but you lose that magic), but despite the price, I don't think the rooms at the DLH are quite Deluxe quality. But there are some killer views from the rooms, including views of DL park, DCA, DtD and the Grand Californian.

You should plan a trip....everyone needs to go!

That is the reason this site is so great, it focuses on the things that couples can do together without kids. Those little romantic things are what can make a vacation!

DCA has also started doing a Food & Wine Fest like Epcot, it isn't very big yet, but Andrew & I did it last year and enjoyed the cooking demonstration we went to as well as the beer one. We even ran saw Guy Fieri from The Next Food Network Star/Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives a couple times, he was doing a cooking demonstration later in the day.

DCA is an awesome park for adults, it doesn't get the credit that it deserves, but we love the atmosphere.