So I want to know... [Disneyland questions]

[disneyland bound]

Everything about DisneyLand. My family, Me, Dh, DD13 and DD15 are WDW vets and are looking to try out DisneyLand next summer. Here are a few of my questions...

How many days would be suitable to enjoy Disneyland? We were looking at about 5, would that be enough time to visit both parks and the DTD area?

We like the Grand Californian and the Disneyland Hotel. Which one is better?

Tell me about the Dining Plan, is it different compared to WDW dining plan? How does it work?

Any other tips and advice would be great. Feel free to post pictures.

TIA,
Disneyland Bound

[Andrew]

Start here: www.mouseplanet.com/disneyland

Then, I suggest asking here on MousePad, but it's probably better to use separate threads for unrelated questions (e.g. restaurants, attractions, hotels).

[Malcon10t]

Everything about DisneyLand. My family, Me, Dh, DD13 and DD15 are WDW vets and are looking to try out DisneyLand next summer. Here are a few of my questions...

How many days would be suitable to enjoy Disneyland? We were looking at about 5, would that be enough time to visit both parks and the DTD area?

We like the Grand Californian and the Disneyland Hotel. Which one is better?

Tell me about the Dining Plan, is it different compared to WDW dining plan? How does it work?

Any other tips and advice would be great. Feel free to post pictures.

TIA,
Disneyland Bound

5 days would probably do it. which hotel? Depends on your taste. DLH is THE original. The Grand C is newer. Personally, we prefer Residence Inn or Carousel. The dining plan is not worth it. You pay $200 and get $200 in coupons, but if you take a $5 coupon to the churro stand and get 1 churro, you lose $2 as they don't give change. So, ya need to fork over another $1 to get 2.

[Drince88]

Grand Californian is very similar to Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge, but with a real Arts & Crafts flair to it.

BUT, staying on site is not the same at DL as at WDW. I will NOT stay offsite at WDW, but my last few DL trips have been at the Howard Johnson's. It's across the street, and down from the main entrance, but if the fence wasn't there, you'd be right across the street from DL. The whole area is a lot more compact. The distance from the DL gate to the DCA gate is closer than the distance from the resort bus drop off at AK to the AK gate.

There was a recent thread from another WDW regular going on her first trip to DL (she went last weekend), that might have some additional hints for you.

[DizneyMommy]

5 Days is plenty if you are going during a lesser crowded time of year

Grand CA hotel - upscale feel, rustic, beautiful hotel, very subtle Disney hints - no characters in your face
DL Hotel - fun, characters everywhere, great pool for kids, appeal maybe more towards the younger crowd (yeah, yeah - I know there are plenty of adults that prefer it - I'm just giving my opinion)

So it depends - personally, I'd go GCA with a group like yours, unless your teens still love Mickey. Stayed in both, I prefer GCA when it's just me and my husband, or DLH when we bring the 3 year old (which is rare - we live 20 minutes away, we just stay for a mini-vaca and to play in their cool pool)

[Jim Dear and Darling]

Personally, I don't think the dining plan at Disneyland is a good deal at all. Disney World's dining plan is a much better value.

I like the Disneyland Hotel a little better than GCH. GCH is gorgeous, but DLH has more of a "Disney" feel to me.

If you're just going to do Disneyland and California Adventure, I think that 5 days is perfect. If you add in Universal or Knotts Berry Farm or something, then definitely, I would add another day.

My best tip: Go the last week in August or the very first week of September. THE BEST time of year to go, IMO...

[Bytebear]

Don't do the dining plan, but do get reservations for the Blue Bayou.
Stay in an offsite hotel and save some bucks, unless you are made of money, and then it's the Grand Californian.
5 days is enough. Disneyland, Downtown Disney and California Adventure are literally a walk across the plaza from each other, so no need to plan when and where to go, like you do at WDW. Same with off site hotels. So you can almost consider DCA another set of lands as opposed to another park.

You can easily do both parks in 3 days really. In fact, if you have never been to Southern California, I would plan a day exploring the beach communities. Laguna, Newport, Huntington. I might even pop down to San Diego for the zoo, Sea World, Balboa Park, Mission Beach, USS Midway, and about a zillion other things to do.

Local Beaches are about 30 minutes from Disneyland, and San Diego is about 1.5-2 hours depending on traffic.

[adriennek]

Stay in an offsite hotel and save some bucks, unless you are made of money, and then it's the Grand Californian.

My first thought was "Well, if I had money to burn, given the choice, I'd stay at the GCH over DLH" but the GCH rooms aren't all that big so even if you have money to burn, I'm not sure how happy I'd be crammed into one with four people for five days if I was paying that much money for a hotel. But there are lots of people who think the money is worth staying on property so there's obviously people out there who think it IS worth it.

As Cathy said (and she's been to both places,) California is a very different Disney experience all together when it comes to the on and off-property debate. There are some really fine places just as far from the main gate if not closer than many on-property rooms and the quality difference just isn't there for many of us in our experiences.

And from what I understand, the concierge experience at WDW is no where near what we get at DLR - DLR over books concierge and the quality for the price just isn't there.

Adrienne

[mamajana4]

look at the vacation planning/"travel agent" on this site, they have some good deals!! Don't do the dining plan but DO make reservations at the restaurants in DD and the parks it will make the waits a lot shorter!! Have fun!!