Hello! I haven’t been on my upcoming trip to WDW yet and I’m already thinking ahead to next year! I want to go to DL next year and wanted to know if any of the liners here know when the booking will begin for 2016? How many days are ideal for a visit to DL? Which on-site hotel would you suggest for a first time visit with a DS11? And lastly, which character meal / restaurants would you suggest? Thank you!
I’m waiting for the hotels to open up for 2016 too. I read on MouseSavers that they typically open up for the following year sometime in August.
From my experience, I would say that you could probably see much of DLR and DCA in three or four days. Of course, if you are able to stay longer you can take it all in at a more leisurely pace.
I can’t speak with any authority on your other two questions. Sorry.
We had most of 5 days at DLR at Spring break and that was probably too much. I would say 3 or 4 days and you can do most everything.
We stayed at GC and it was close to everything. I would like to try DLH but my DW says she doesn’t want to walk that far to the parks. It is a hike. I think it would really be a long hike from Paradise Pier.
You can see most of everything in three days, but I think 4-5 is ideal. Plus, you could spend one night going to an Angels game if they are in town or just hanging out at downtown disney and people watching. More time is also better because we had the rotten luck of having the last two shows of Aladdin cancelled on both of the days we went to DCA. A few extra days reduces the chances of missing a headliner.
As for hotels, you should also consider staying at an offsite, many of which are closer than the Disney hotels, except the Grand Californian. GC looks wonderful, and has the entrance to DCA, but it is pricey for small rooms. We stayed at the Park Vue Inn, which I thought was a great deal - fireworks view, bunk beds in room, free decent breakfast, and literally across the street. There were tons of hotels right on that strip.