Oct 3-6 I’m planning my first visit to DL and DCA with an old friend. Thinking one day in each park and some pool time. We’re planning to stay at the Westin Anaheim, overlooking DCA. We’ll get LLMP both days. I’m very familiar with WDW and interested in classic rides that are not at WDW, like the canal boats, sailing ship Columbia, 20k Leagues (remember that one from WDW when I was little!), IJ. Also Pirates, HM. Not sure what to ride in DCA so im flexible and happy to just soak in the atmosphere. Interested in fireworks and parades; shows not so much. Not planning to rope drop. We’re fine with mostly QS dining/snacking, though I’m wondering if the restaurant in Pirates is worthwhile. Is it as loud?
How would you optimize this plan:
Sat Oct 3 - land at LAX afternoon, check into hotel, pool time, Downtown Disney dinner
Sun Oct 4 - DL all day
Mon Oct 5 - DCA all day with afternoon break at the pool
Tues Oct 6 - check out, afternoon flight out of LAX
I’m sensitive to loud restaurants, and I consider Blue Bayou to be one of the quietest in DL. The food is pricey, but the atmosphere makes it worthwhile. Since it sounds like you prefer a relaxed pace, I’d say you would probably like it. You’ll need to set your alarm for 60 days ahead, and be on line and poised to book at the stroke of 6 a.m. PST. If you manage to book on the stroke, you will probably be assigned a table next to the water, which is extra nice. If you can’t book for 2, then try booking for 3, which should be doable.
Sailing Ship Columbia is often not operating, and instead mostly sits at the dock. I’m not sure, but you might be able to walk onto it to explore it. Maybe you’ll get lucky and it will be operating.
Re 20 Leagues: Are you referring to Finding Nemo? I recommend doing that in the morning or late evening, as the lines for it are long much of the day, with no entertainment.
We both like roller coasters and thrill rides but I prefer the newer, smoother coasters. I loved Tower of Terror so I do want to try the Guardians version.
I like Marvel stuff well enough to check it out. How does it compare to the Marvel area at Universal IofA?
By shows I meant stage shows. They are not a priority.
Of the rides that you list you are interested in, only IJ and HM have LL. I’m not familiar with the differences between DL and WDW, but if you aren’t interested in the repeats from WDW and you’re not sure what you’re interested in at DCA, you might be better off getting Park Hoppers and foregoing LLMP. Hopefully others who can compare the duplicate rides can advise on which are better at DLR so you can decide whether LLMP is worth it for you. I usually get bored with DCA after a few hours in the morning, but it is really cool in the evening during the Fall overlay. You may want to hop into DL on your DCA day, and then hop back. I’ve heard WDW folks comment that our Fantasyland rides are better than WDW’s. You may be surprised at how much you will love DL. It’s cozy and quaint.
I love Casey Jr! I especially love sitting in the caboose. During the day, the landscaping is a site to see from it. It’s also gorgeous at night, when the villages are lit. If you don’t have it or the Canal Boats at WDW, I recommend doing both, but do the Canal Boats at night. It’s so peaceful and magical.
Night and day! It is far superior and a ton of fun. The music and walk around characters give the space a ton of energy.
Incredicoaster is a lot of fun as is Gaurdians. Webslingers is super cute and fun. Radiator Springs Racers is a very special ride. Grizzly River Run is my all time favorite raft ride, but you might get soaked You will have a great time at DCA.
World of Color is different than anything they have at WDW, so worth it on your DCA day. You should be able to ride everything there no problem.
If you want to do a lot in Fantasyland, I do recommend rope dropping that day if you can. You can do so much in the first two hours, and with none of those rides having LL, they get longer as the day goes on.
There will be an Oogie Boogie Bash at DCA on 10/4 so DL will get busier after 6 pm. If I’m at DL on the night DCA closes early I make dining reservations at DL so I’m guaranteed a place to sit & eat.
@daw623 thanks for the insider tip. I didn’t know the dates of the parties. Would you recommend doing DCA on a party day instead of DL? I’ll ask my friend if she wants to do the party. Are shops and dining mostly closed during Oogie Boogie Bash? Are most of the DCA rides open during the party?
I would. Advantage: very light crowds until 3 p.m. mix-in. Disadvantage: Your day is shorter, with no night time in the park. If you choose DCA on the party day, best to get a hopper unless ending your day early is fine with you.
If you are doing the party, then starting at DCA makes sense. Without park hoppers I would stick with DL. The rides are open during the party & generally have shorter waits. Stores are open as are some of the quick service restaurants. Most table service restaurants close by 6, I think. The parties are fun. Love the interactive treat lines with various villains.
I would say that rope-dropping is very valuable here. Maybe do that and then an afternoon break? But there are no LL’s for these rides. Talking about Mr. Toad, Pinnochio, Snow White, Alice, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Casey Jr., and the Nemo Sub. If you’re not trying for Peter Pan, you can easily get everything else in FL done early.
Avenger’s Campus is not even in the same league as UOR! So much more modern and immersive. If you love the old comic books, I can see liking UOR better. But if you’re a fan of the movies, DCA is superior. With LLMP you should be able to ride everything in DCA without an issue.
Also, even though a lot of the rides are also in WDW, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth doing at DL. Often the DL version is superior (in my opinion). Pirates, Space, IASW are all much better at DL!
Alright! It’s back on the plans. I think I’ll do Caseys on the day we will RD FL and save the canal boats for a another night. I think I will have an open evening at DL with not specific plans on the TP.
