A DLR Guide for WDW Vets

[HydroGuy]

We were there in the summer of 2001, so right after it opened. I rode Soarin' for the first time there and was blown away by it. There were some other cool aspects to DCA, but I just remember thinking how small it seemed. Space Mountain at DL seemed very dated to me at the time and I honestly can't remember riding Matterhorn, so we must have not done it. I definitely want to give it another chance.

FWIW, Space Mtn underwent a 2 and 1/2 year refurb in 2003-2005. It was greatly improved.

In 2001 DLR was suffering from a period of very poor leadership. DCA hit the wrong spot when it opened in 2001. I visited for the first time in 2003 and so much of it felt wrong even though there were some bright spots like Soarin Over CA.

The entire vibe of DCA has changed after essentially a four year long park refurb from 2008-2012. It is a much better park now.

DL has always been a crown jewel although it did experience some decline as well.

The ante has been upped at DLR in recent years. Disney as a company has gotten totally behind DLR and has invested a ton of money in smart ways. It has experienced some great leadership for the last decade.

 

[jenseib]

Space Mountain at DL is far more superior now at DL.

 

[Tardisblue]

As a complete aside - I couldn't remember which hotel we stayed at, so I jumped on Google maps and I'm 95% sure it was the Howard Johnson on Harbor Blvd.

 

[MomForFrozenAddicts]

Thank you!!!! This thread just made my planning so much easier.

 

[Taraven87]

Love this thread, thank you! I am a WDW and DLR vet (visited WDW first when I lived in FL; my parents moved us to Northern CA when I was about 8, and we started visiting DLR about every other year, then WDW when visiting family in FL on the off years) and love both dearly. It was fascinating to see the differences that I'd experienced and internalized but had never analyzed quantified in this way.

When I met my now-FI, loving Disney was a MUST! He hadn't been to either resort in 15+ years, and we went to DLR first, then WDW a year later. Had limited time at WDW, but he came away feeling like it compared unfavorably to DLR. I blame the heat and trying to tour on such a truncated schedule. I'm going to take him over to your WDW for DLR vets thread and see if I can convert him! We're going to Disneyland for 5 days directly after our wedding, then have an 11 day trip at WDW planned this October; I'm hoping a little more time there, a slightly cooler time of year, and the Epcot Food and Wine festival can convince him that BOTH parks are amazing in their own right. I know some people really just prefer one touring style over the other, but as different as I find the resorts, I love them both and would never want to have to choose between them.

 

[NewbieMouse]

Wow - does anyone know if there is a similar thread re: WDW for DLR vets? We are planning a trip to WDW next spring, and I'm kinda terrified!

 

[Taraven87]

Wow - does anyone know if there is a similar thread re: WDW for DLR vets? We are planning a trip to WDW next spring, and I'm kinda terrified!

HydroGuy is on it! http://www.disboards.com/threads/an-introduction-to-wdw-for-dlr-vets.1332683/#post-16541636

 

[NewbieMouse]

 

[Cats2]

Wow - does anyone know if there is a similar thread re: WDW for DLR vets? We are planning a trip to WDW next spring, and I'm kinda terrified!

I read through Hydroguy's guide, though I believe that he wrote that before the start of FP+ and MagicBands. As a DLR vet who just went for the first time to WDW last month, I'd highly recommend reading through http://**************.net/2014/09/28/2016-weeks-to-visit-walt-disney-world-ranked-in-order/ along with reading http://www.easywdw.com/category/cheat-sheets/ and the day by day analysis of which park to visit on each day http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/. The cheat sheets gives a good idea of a generic touring plan and FP+ priorities. Lucky for me, my 60d FP+ booking window was at 9pm (Pacific time) the night before the listed window date (so I assume it opens at midnight East Coast time). I avoided EMH even though we stayed onsite (unthinkable for my family to skip at DLR), and purchased nonhoppers tickets...way too much time/effort to park hop IMHO. I did have a subscription to Touring Plans, but in the end went with the plans from EasyWDW. Download the My Disney Experience app to your smartphone and or tablet. It will display all your reservations and FP+, and park maps & wait times.

I also read through several threads on the WDW side of the DIS, including the transportation boards, so that I could get a better grasp of how to get from point A to point B. Still, the unexpected can happen...on our Epcot day, all monorail lines were down in the AM due to a lightening strike the night before. We had walked from our resort to the Transportation Center, only to find we would need to take a bus rather than monorail. We still managed to survive without a rental car, but sorely missed the walkable distance the GCH is to the DLR parks.

All in all, my family was lucky because our kids Spring Break happened after the peak Spring Break season, so the crowds weren't there. Unfortunately we still had 90 deg weather with humidity. Yuck. And our resort's pool closed on afternoons when there had been lightning (things that just don't seem to come up in California!). We didn't even wear our assortment of Disney t-shirts, due to heat/humidity (opted for athletic moisture wicking shirts/shorts!)

Dining was the hardest thing for me, since I booked our trip with "only" 3 month lead time. I did manage to eat at most of the places I wanted to none the less. Scheduling Fastpasses in advance was odd to me, but the flip side was that it wasn't as critical to make it to rope drop for my family.

 

[NewbieMouse]

I read through Hydroguy's guide, though I believe that he wrote that before the start of FP+ and MagicBands. As a DLR vet who just went for the first time to WDW last month, I'd highly recommend reading through http://**************.net/2014/09/28/2016-weeks-to-visit-walt-disney-world-ranked-in-order/ along with reading http://www.easywdw.com/category/cheat-sheets/ and the day by day analysis of which park to visit on each day http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/. The cheat sheets gives a good idea of a generic touring plan and FP+ priorities. Lucky for me, my 60d FP+ booking window was at 9pm (Pacific time) the night before the listed window date (so I assume it opens at midnight East Coast time). I avoided EMH even though we stayed onsite (unthinkable for my family to skip at DLR), and purchased nonhoppers tickets...way too much time/effort to park hop IMHO. I did have a subscription to Touring Plans, but in the end went with the plans from EasyWDW. Download the My Disney Experience app to your smartphone and or tablet. It will display all your reservations and FP+, and park maps & wait times.

I also read through several threads on the WDW side of the DIS, including the transportation boards, so that I could get a better grasp of how to get from point A to point B. Still, the unexpected can happen...on our Epcot day, all monorail lines were down in the AM due to a lightening strike the night before. We had walked from our resort to the Transportation Center, only to find we would need to take a bus rather than monorail. We still managed to survive without a rental car, but sorely missed the walkable distance the GCH is to the DLR parks.

All in all, my family was lucky because our kids Spring Break happened after the peak Spring Break season, so the crowds weren't there. Unfortunately we still had 90 deg weather with humidity. Yuck. And our resort's pool closed on afternoons when there had been lightning (things that just don't seem to come up in California!). We didn't even wear our assortment of Disney t-shirts, due to heat/humidity (opted for athletic moisture wicking shirts/shorts!)

Dining was the hardest thing for me, since I booked our trip with "only" 3 month lead time. I did manage to eat at most of the places I wanted to none the less. Scheduling Fastpasses in advance was odd to me, but the flip side was that it wasn't as critical to make it to rope drop for my family.

Thank you so much for the tips - this is very useful. I am quite intimidated by the prospect of planning the WDW trip. Our main push to go to Orlando is for Harry Potter at Universal, but the WDW trip seems like a natural thing to add on as we love DLR. Our main interest of WDW is MK, DHS, and Epcot. We are also rope drop enthusiasts at DLR, so we may find we have a similar experience as you so I appreciate the heads up. I will read up on everything - the last time we were there was 1995 so I am sure much has changed!

 

[HydroGuy]

I read through Hydroguy's guide, though I believe that he wrote that before the start of FP+ and MagicBands. As a DLR vet who just went for the first time to WDW last month, I'd highly recommend reading through http://**************.net/2014/09/28/2016-weeks-to-visit-walt-disney-world-ranked-in-order/ along with reading http://www.easywdw.com/category/cheat-sheets/ and the day by day analysis of which park to visit on each day http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/. The cheat sheets gives a good idea of a generic touring plan and FP+ priorities. Lucky for me, my 60d FP+ booking window was at 9pm (Pacific time) the night before the listed window date (so I assume it opens at midnight East Coast time). I avoided EMH even though we stayed onsite (unthinkable for my family to skip at DLR), and purchased nonhoppers tickets...way too much time/effort to park hop IMHO. I did have a subscription to Touring Plans, but in the end went with the plans from EasyWDW. Download the My Disney Experience app to your smartphone and or tablet. It will display all your reservations and FP+, and park maps & wait times.

I also read through several threads on the WDW side of the DIS, including the transportation boards, so that I could get a better grasp of how to get from point A to point B. Still, the unexpected can happen...on our Epcot day, all monorail lines were down in the AM due to a lightening strike the night before. We had walked from our resort to the Transportation Center, only to find we would need to take a bus rather than monorail. We still managed to survive without a rental car, but sorely missed the walkable distance the GCH is to the DLR parks.

All in all, my family was lucky because our kids Spring Break happened after the peak Spring Break season, so the crowds weren't there. Unfortunately we still had 90 deg weather with humidity. Yuck. And our resort's pool closed on afternoons when there had been lightning (things that just don't seem to come up in California!). We didn't even wear our assortment of Disney t-shirts, due to heat/humidity (opted for athletic moisture wicking shirts/shorts!)

Dining was the hardest thing for me, since I booked our trip with "only" 3 month lead time. I did manage to eat at most of the places I wanted to none the less. Scheduling Fastpasses in advance was odd to me, but the flip side was that it wasn't as critical to make it to rope drop for my family.

My WDW guide is in desperate need of an an update. I have known that for a long time. I never seem to find time for that. We are at WDW now - just finished park touring yesterday - and maybe I have enough ammo to update the guide. I have done a much better job of keeping the DLR guide updated.

 

[NewbieMouse]

My WDW guide is in desperate need of an an update. I have known that for a long time. I never seem to find time for that. We are at WDW now - just finished park touring yesterday - and maybe I have enough ammo to update the guide. I have done a much better job of keeping the DLR guide updated.

It's an amazing start for me though - thank you!

 

[gilby]

Sub

 

[andrewilley]

Sub

Nautilus.

Your turn.

Andre

 

[NJlauren]

Loved this thread!!! This will really help me as I start planning for the spring!

 

[meryll83]

So useful!

Is everything in the initial 2 posts still pretty much accurate?

 

[HydroGuy]

So useful!

Is everything in the initial 2 posts still pretty much accurate?

Pretty much. Now for the 60th there are new fireworks and a night time parade. And Fantasmic now has FP. Otherwise not much has changed.

 

[filghtBOS]

This guide is wonderful. Exactly what I needed. As someone who has been to WDW 50+ times, but never been to Disneyland, this helped cure some of the anxiety. Thanks!

 

[HydroGuy]

This guide is wonderful. Exactly what I needed. As someone who has been to WDW 50+ times, but never been to Disneyland, this helped cure some of the anxiety. Thanks!

 

[HydroGuy]

So useful!

Is everything in the initial 2 posts still pretty much accurate?

I should add that I am avoiding updating this guide because of the new forum limits. I need to keep it updated at some point, but this new forum apparently has tighter limits on how long a post can be. So if I understand right as soon as I try and edit the OP (and post #2 - because the OP was too long for a single post with old forum) it will tell me the post is too long. So I will have to break it up. It will just be easier to make a whole new thread. Which I will probably have to do at some point.