calling DL pro's

[ebutte]

Please help me i feel pretty safe going to WDW have read countless books and have been on the Dis boards. So even our first trip to WDW 4\99, went really well. BUT we havent been to DL since 1995! And yes are going in May. Therearea fewthings i need to know.
1 you all know how we plan almost every meal at WDW with PS's do we need to do that now at DL.
2 Where is there good places to eat? We ate in this dark restaurant that the piarates of car. went through and at Goofies kitchen when we were therelast other than that it was off property or fast counter food. So any ideas?
3where should we stay? We alwaysstay at PO when we go to WDW. We love PO. Are the DL hotelor GC or Pier one worth the $? And which one is best?
4Do you all plan your day out like at WDW? ie. Front of line at opening race back to SM than Alien Encounter or what ever? Like in the Minny Mickey unoffical guide for WDW is there one for DL?
What days are betterto go?
Thanks for letting tap all your wisdom, its much appreicated. Can you tell were overplanners? Thanks, Lisa
PO 4\99
PO 5\00
PO 12\00
PO 12\01

 

[Rajah]

Let's see what I can do to help

1) If you want to eat over at the DL hotel or possibly at the new GC, you may want to try to make PS. I haven't ever done this at DL, but I think you can. If you want to eat in the park itself then you can't make any PS for anything until the day of *unless* you're staying at a Disney hotel in which case you can make PS for the Blue Bayou (that's the pirates restaurant) the day before. Hopefully others more familiar with the dining system at the DL hotel area and now at DD and DCA can help you out there.

2)You've already mentioned two of the three I can recommend: Blue Bayou (my favorite) and Goofy's Kitchen. You might also try Hook's Pointe over at the DL Hotel. I've only had dessert there, but the atmosphere was fun and it's had good reviews. For faster food, I got some pretty good pasta at Redd Rockett's Pizza Port in Tomorrowland. And our favorite breakfast in Disneyland itself is at the River Belle Terrace.

3) I've only stayed at a Disney-property hotel once, and that was at the DL Hotel itself. I had a convention rate of something like $150/night, and it was worth that. It's just a nice hotel, not really as fancy or quite as themed as anything at WDW, but I really liked all the memoribelia on the walls of the hotel and convention center area. Not having stayed at the Pacific (now called Paradise Pier) or at the Grand Californian, I can't give you any reviews there. I can say that we usually stay off property and we're about to stay for the second time at Best Western Park Place. I think this is an ideal location for us since it's immediately across the street from the walk-in entrance to the parks which is actually closer to the entrance than the Disney hotels are (with the now-possible exception of the GC) for much less money. We don't spend much time at all at the hotels, and aren't swimmers really, so it's fine for us. The Candy Cane Inn and Fairfield Inn also get high reviews and each are about a block's walk from the same walk-in entrance.

4) I tend to plan about like I do at WDW, yes. Which means not a whole lot for the park itself. For example, this weekend we're going to be there and our plan consists of dad and I get up early enough to try for dessert buffet tickets, DH and mom get up and join us about an hour later for early entry, see Fantasyland, be at Adventureland for rope drop, split up with one group getting PS at Blue Bayou while the other gets Fast Passes for Indy, meet up again for breakfast, do Indy. Then do whatever until Fantasmic, if it's not rained out. That's about as detailed as I tend to get on a park-specific trip

Yes there is an Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, though I'm not sure if there's a Mini- one.

If you have your pick of days, I'd go during the week. Saturday (unfortunately our only option this weekend) can get rather crowded. If you have to go on a weekend, Sundays in my experience tend to be less crowded.

Hope this helps

-Rajah

cdrtrisal@aol.com

(Links will return when I find a new place to host the sites)

 

[ebutte]

Thank you Rajah for your quick an very imformitive responce. I will look in the AAA book i have and look and see what rate i can get at that hotel. I know this might sound bad but i loveDisney hotels at WDW but from what i saw i would to sooner spend $ on more disney days. Although at WDW we will probably always stay at PO. One more ? what is the desert buffet tickets? Thanks again and heres lots of pixy dust your way for a great time this weekend.

PO 4\99
PO 5\00
PO 12\00
PO 12\01

 

[Rajah]

The dessert buffet is a very-limited seating area overlooking the Rivers of America where you can watch Fantasmic. Tickets are in the range of $40/person (I hope to know exactly how much this weekend). There are only around 22-25 seats per performance and you (as far as I know) can only get the tickets the day of. They start selling them when the park opens its doors, and usually sell out very fast. During busy times and when the park opens later in the day, you really have to be there at LEAST an hour before park opening to have a chance at the tickets, and then it's only a chance.

For those $40 you are placed in a chair on the balcony of the Disney Gallery one story above the heads of everyone else watching the show. You also an have all-you-can-eat off a small dessert buffet. Last May there were only about 3 or 4 items on the buffet, plus water, lemonade, teas, coffee, and the non-alcoholic (and really good) mint julep. It's IMHO the best way to experience Fantasmic if you can afford it and get it.

-Rajah

cdrtrisal@aol.com

(Links will return when I find a new place to host the sites)

 

[Tink33]

I have heard of people standing in line 3 hours before park opening who were unable to obtain tickets. If there are several people in line when you get there, just ask each person how many tickets they are purchasing.

 

[Judy from Boise]

It is a funny paradox, I would never consider staying off site at WDW, but have never stayed on site at DL.
Mostly it is a financial decision, as it makes the difference as whether we even make the trip. We have had good luck with the Harbor blvd motels, mainly because our expectations were in line with reality, and we just felt so lucky to be at DL in the first place.
we don't plan our day too much at DL, except to avoid saturdays, and take advantage of EE when we are able. We do FL during EE, then line up for the rope drop for Indy, and to make Blue Bayou ressies. Besides that we used FP for SM etc.

But hey...lets talk at the Boise meet ! I'll bring DL pix

What lies behind us
and what lies before us
are tiny matters
compared to what lies within us -Emerson