Disneyland

Disneyland vs. Disney World - Which one is right for me?

Disneyland is located in Anaheim, CA.  There are several airports to fly into, the closest being Santa Ana Orange County/John Wayne, and the largest being LAX.  There is transportation offered from both of these airports that will get you to the resort, either SuperShuttle (carseats are required by law in CA!) or the Disneyland Resort Express.  Depending on the number of people in your party, SuperShuttle may be the most economical way to go, however, it is always so much fun to take the big Disney coach bus to start your vacation!!  At last review, the pricing for the DRE was as follows:

Los Angeles Airport (LAX)
Round Trip Fares
Adult: $48.00 *Child: $36.00
One Way Fares
Adult: $30.00 *Child: $22.00

John Wayne Airport (SNA)
Round Trip Fares
Adult: $35.00 *Child: $26.00
One Way Fares
Adult: $20.00 *Child: $15.00

*1 free child per paying adult (11 yrs and under)

Disneyland has 3 hotels on site and several neighboring properties that they work with, called Good Neighbor Hotels, that you can book packages through.  This is a slightly different model than WDW, which has 26 properties right on site to choose from, in different categories, ranging from value to deluxe.

Disneyland has 2 theme parks to visit - Disneyland and California Adventure.  These will be described in further detail below (rides, characters, etc.).  Both parks are within walking distance of each other and because of this reason many people opt to add the Park Hopper option to their multi-day tickets, especially when there are special events at one of the parks.

WDW has 4 theme parks to visit - Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot.  Nothing is within walking distance, but don't worry!  There are several modes of transportation to move you from one place to the next.  These are all included as part of staying onsite at a Disney property and are a very convenient way to get from one park to the next.  WDW also has 2 waterparks - Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.

In my opinion, Disneyland is more toddler friendly (think younger kids, ages 3 and under).  You get a flavor of the classic Magic Kingdom type rides, as well as some that are not in FL, but overall the parks are smaller and have a different feel to them.  We really enjoyed our trip with my daughter at age 3 and she had a blast during her first Disney trip.  We are going again this August with my daughter who will be age 7 and my son who will be age 2 to experience it all over again!



California Adventure

California Adventure Park is on the same grounds as Disneyland and includes 7 exciting lands that bring to life Disney and Pixar stories and characters through amazing attractions, entertainment and dining!  The best part, IMO, is Cars land!!!  You feel like you have just stepped into the movie set of Cars!







Disneyland

What can I say... The Happiest Place on Earth :)  Opened in 1955, Walt Disney’s original theme park is divided into 8 themed lands—Main Street, U.S.A., Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Mickey's Toontown, Frontierland, Critter Country, New Orleans Square and Adventureland, which include several rides, shows, and character meet and greet opportunities!!  Don't forget the fireworks show at night!





FastPasses (New updates! - now Digital!)

That's right - Digital FastPasses are here!  What does this mean?  Keep reading :)

Disneyland’s digital FastPass system will work very much like the FastPass system did before. If you are used to the system at WDW, keep reading, because this is COMPLETELY different.  You cannot schedule these in advance on the My Disney Experience app, in fact, you schedule them in real time when you are at the park that day!  Here's how it works: you will need to have everyone's park tickets before approaching the FastPass kiosk (assign 1 person as your "runner"). Once at the FastPass kiosk, you will insert each park ticket. Old Fastpass system- the kiosk would return your park ticket along with a FastPass ticket, which you would use when boarding the ride at the time printed on your ticket.  Digital Fastpass (the new system) - the kiosk will now print out a reminder printout ONLY (no ticket!). While the printout looks almost exactly like the old FastPass ticket, it cannot be used to enter the FastPass line. Instead, the FastPass ticket is now digitally attached to your park ticket.

At the assigned time of your Fastpass, return to the FastPass line at the attraction within your return window.  Once there, scan your park ticket at the scanner and proceed to the ride boarding area.  If you are familiar with the WDW Fastpass system, the scanning process is the same, except you are scanning (at this time) your park ticket vs. a magic band (same Mickey light up scanning equipment).

A few things to remember:  You have a grace period of 5 minutes before your FP window and 15 minutes after.  That's it!  Plan accordingly.

At the bottom of your FP reminder, it will have a time that you can pull another FP.  Sometimes this is the same time as your FP (i.e. early in the morning), sometimes it is a later time (i.e. later in the day) but no matter what, it is never more than a 2 hour window.

If you have a child under 3 who does not require a park ticket, they cannot pull a Fastpass.

Fastpasses are free with your ticket and are only good for the day of issue.

Fastpasses do run out!  Start early in the day and pull Fastpasses whenever possible.

Here are the attractions and shows at both parks that you can pull Fastpasses at:

Disneyland

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• Haunted Mansion
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Star Tours – The Adventure Continues

California Adventure

• California Scream’
• Goofy’s Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT!
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Toy Story Midway Mania

Shows/Entertainment

Currently, you can get a FastPass for the World of Color show in Disney California Adventure and Fantasmic! at Disneyland (beginning July 17, 2017).  Occasionally, FastPass tickets are offered for Frozen - Live at the Hyperion.  It is likely that entertainment FastPasses will remain paper indefinitely since they do not have the machines for guests to scan into for each performance, therefore, you are able to pull a paper FastPass ticket for a show and still use Disneyland's Digital FastPass System for attractions.

**Updated as of 7-19-17 MaxPass is live at Disneyland.  MaxPass costs $10 per ticket per day and includes unlimited Photopass downloads for that day, as well as the ability to make mobile FastPass selections using the Disneyland mobile app.
I have heard that it is working well but you need a way to charge your phone because this will definitely drain your battery!

Resorts - Disney vs. Good Neighbor Hotels

There are 3 Disney properties on site - Disney's Grand Californian and Spa, Disneyland Hotel, and Paradise Pier.  Because of the layout of Disneyland, there are many Good Neighbor Hotels that are within walking distance (less than 1/2 mile) from the parks that are a great option and value as well!

Disney's Grand Californian and Spa is all about elegance and its world-class spa.  There is a private entrance to California Adventure park right from the hotel.  This hotel is also home to the famous Napa Rose restaurant, which is some of the best dining that can be had at the Disneyland Resort.  You can also have breakfast with Chip N' Dale and friends at Storyteller's Cafe.

Disneyland Hotel is all about Disneyland, past and present.  With themed pools and waterslides, to the monorail stop, to being steps away from the park itself, this is a true testament to the Disney value and culture found at Disneyland.  This hotel is located right outside of Downtown Disney and includes character meals with Goofy at Goofy's Kitchen.

Paradise Pier Hotel is mirrored after the California beach boardwalks and includes seaside decor.  They have rooftop pools with waterslides, and a spectacular fireworks view from the 3rd floor!  You can also dine with Mickey & Friends at Disney's PCH Grill, located here.

Finally, there are 47 Good Neighbor hotels, all located within 1 mile or less of the Disneyland Resort.  These range from economy rating to a superior rating classification.  There are also suites for larger families. These all have various specials that are offered throughout the year, such as complimentary breakfasts, etc.

Dining

Dining is definitely different than at WDW.  There really is not a dining plan option.  There are the same type of restaurant categories - quick service, casual table service, signature, and character dining, and reservations (where available) are recommended 60 days in advance.

Some of the best rated restaurants are as follows:

Disneyland: (QS - $) Hungry Bear Restaurant, (QS - $) Rancho de Zocalo Restaurante, (QS - $) Bengel Barbecue, (Table - $$$) Blue Bayou

California Adventure: (QS - $) Flo's V8 Cafe, (QS - $) Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop, (QS - $) Pacific Wharf Cafe, (Table - $$$) Carthay Circle Restaurant

Character Meals: Plaza Inn (Minnie & Me Breakfast), Ariel's Grotto (Princess meal!)


Money savings tips and tricks

One of my favorite tips??  Buy your souvenirs in advance of travel!  Shop at those clearance events at the Disney store!  Shop online!  Buy a little throughout the year and put it away for your trip.  You will have fun bringing everything back out prior to packing and seeing what goodies you have in your Disney stash for the kiddos!

Another tip: use giftcards!  Especially if you have a Target red card or belong to Sam's Club.  Those stores offer a 5% discount on everything - including Disney gift cards!  I don't know about you, but I like saving money on my Disney fund!  Remember, gift cards can be used for any part of your trip payment, as well as on your vacation at the parks!  They are accepted anywhere - food, stores, Disney hotels, etc. and help when budgeting your travel funds.