Disneyland 2020 General Planning and New Info

[mickeymouseears]

Thanks!

[Bad Pink Tink]

Originally Posted by mikeclark007

We were booked into one called the Grand Legacy at the park which was right over the road from the plaza to both parks. Unfortunately that hotel was not available once I decided to book through a travel agent to create a package.

We planned on doing the earliest shuttle to the park and then heading back about 5/6ish. We’ve seen all the firework stuff at WDW a few times. On our third and final day in the parks we would have probably gone in a bit later and watched Fantasmic.

Notice I say “would” and “planned”. I seem to do that out of habit these days with little optimism for getting in at Disney.

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I realize that everyone is different but by leaving the parks around 5 or 6pm you will miss out on alot.

Its possible there will be no fireworks, Fantasmic or World of Color but if there is you are making the classic first timer mistake.

The fireworks and Fantasmic are not the same as you have seen in Walt Disney World. Fantasmic in particular is very different and has a different seating area.

World of Color is the nighttime show in California Adventures. Its unique to California and is a fountain / water show with animations, and special effects.

A lot of families take a break in the afternoon, go back to their hotel, have a nap etc and then come back around 5pm or 6pm.

First timers to Disneyland make the mistake of thinking that they can do Disneyland like they do Walt Disney World but the two parks are very different.

[mikeclark007]

Originally Posted by Bad Pink Tink

I realize that everyone is different but by leaving the parks around 5 or 6pm you will miss out on alot.

Its possible there will be no fireworks, Fantasmic or World of Color but if there is you are making the classic first timer mistake.

The fireworks and Fantasmic are not the same as you have seen in Walt Disney World. Fantasmic in particular is very different and has a different seating area.

World of Color is the nighttime show in California Adventures. Its unique to California and is a fountain / water show with animations, and special effects.

A lot of families take a break in the afternoon, go back to their hotel, have a nap etc and then come back around 5pm or 6pm.

First timers to Disneyland make the mistake of thinking that they can do Disneyland like they do Walt Disney World but the two parks are very different.

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It won’t be any hardship if those things are operating as normal and that we head back to the hotel and back to the park again - as we would at WDW.

Unfortunately Trailfinders did not have access to many hotels nearer to the parks and the price was the best I’d seen by a mile.

Wife is a bit wary of the long days but I told her the relaxing bit of the holiday will be the 5 nights in Universal Orlando from the 25th 😂

[Bad Pink Tink]

Originally Posted by mikeclark007

It won’t be any hardship if those things are operating as normal and that we head back to the hotel and back to the park again - as we would at WDW.

Unfortunately Trailfinders did not have access to many hotels nearer to the parks and the price was the best I’d seen by a mile.

Wife is a bit wary of the long days but I told her the relaxing bit of the holiday will be the 5 nights in Universal Orlando from the 25th 😂

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ah ok, but again thats another difference between Florida and California. Most people book the hotels direct , not a package through a travel agents, thats a Walt Disney World thing, not a California thing.

and again sorry to be a pain and its meant in the most nicest way, just trying to manage expectations, you really need to get out of the mindset oh well we do xyz in Walt Disney World, so we will do the same in Disneyland California. Its a very different park and way of doing things.

I'm going to make a new thread soon, tips and tricks for first timers to California, as I feel a lot of people are like you and I really just want everyone to make the most of the time they have and get to see as much as possible of what the park has to offer

[OutbackAddict]

Originally Posted by gigglywink

We have rescheduled from August to 24th October for a week! Seems we are all out there the same time! 🤣
Now we’re going in October, really interested to see what Halloween options there will be as we have done WDW over Halloween and it was amazing!

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Who are you flying with ?

[Vertigo]

Originally Posted by Bad Pink Tink

Having looked at that area on the map, the car park is Cast Member only, so you wont be allowed into it. You would be better off going down Walnut and going through Disneyland Hotel to get get to Downtown Disney.

And again, the distances are deceiving, I would expect about 20 to 30 minutes from Pepperwood to the security check at Downtown Disney and then its another 15 minutes at a fast walk through Downtown Disney to the park entrances in the Esplanade. I would allow about 1 hour from the time you close the apartment door to the time you actually join the line at a park entrance turnstile.

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Thanks for that, certainly take your point about “20 mins walk to Disney, does not actually mean you are at the gates” but that map I have says the parking lot we are over the road from is Pixar pals and that seems to me to be a new general public parking lot and not cast member.

It’s linked with the new bridge. What I can’t seem to work out is if we can get access to it without a car.

[mikeclark007]

Originally Posted by Bad Pink Tink

ah ok, but again thats another difference between Florida and California. Most people book the hotels direct , not a package through a travel agents, thats a Walt Disney World thing, not a California thing.

and again sorry to be a pain and its meant in the most nicest way, just trying to manage expectations, you really need to get out of the mindset oh well we do xyz in Walt Disney World, so we will do the same in Disneyland California. Its a very different park and way of doing things.

I'm going to make a new thread soon, tips and tricks for first timers to California, as I feel a lot of people are like you and I really just want everyone to make the most of the time they have and get to see as much as possible of what the park has to offer

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Sounds a bit like Disneyland Paris.

[Bad Pink Tink]

Originally Posted by mikeclark007

Sounds a bit like Disneyland Paris.

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Exactly, you got it Disneyland California is more like Disneyland Paris than Walt Disney World. The 2 parks, the ease of park hopping, the difference in restaurants and the way people dine, how people tour the parks , where people stay etc etc.

[Bad Pink Tink]

Originally Posted by Vertigo

Thanks for that, certainly take your point about “20 mins walk to Disney, does not actually mean you are at the gates” but that map I have says the parking lot we are over the road from is Pixar pals and that seems to me to be a new general public parking lot and not cast member.

It’s linked with the new bridge. What I can’t seem to work out is if we can get access to it without a car.

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ok I asked on another website about this and these are the replies

I'm assuming that the Pepperwood you're asking about is right off of Walnut St. If so, the easiest way to get to Downtown Disney would be to walk to Magic Way where they can head south on either the street that goes to the Disneyland Hotel then cut over, or walk about 100 yards further and turn south to get to Downtown Disney. No need to get to the parking structure.


No. Unless they want to hop on the trams they will find walking into the garages are pointless. Magic Way is the only pedestrian path, there is no way to get into the back of the garages from S Walnut.

[mikeclark007]

Originally Posted by Bad Pink Tink

Exactly, you got it Disneyland California is more like Disneyland Paris than Walt Disney World. The 2 parks, the ease of park hopping, the difference in restaurants and the way people dine, how people tour the parks , where people stay etc etc.

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Google maps is a bit sketchy but is the Hilton Anaheim any better location-wise? It comes up cheaper but the Hyatt OC has its own shuttle (payable) that goes every 30 minutes to / from the parks.

Trailfinders only have 2 hotels available within the vicinity of Disneyland.

Also - if we were to rule out Disneyland and move from our Anaheim base i don't suppose you could recommend a hotel within a similar distance form LAX that's well located for restaurants / bars and that has a nice pool that we could lounge around?

This is the link that gives us our options via Trailfinders trailfinders/hotels/usa/california