First Disneyland Trip September 12-16

KatePossible

Your basic average girl
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Hi!

My husband and I are going to Disneyland/California Adventure from September 12th-16th (Tuesday through Saturday). We are staying at Paradise Pier so we will have access to one magic morning and I bought the park hopper.

I have been to Disney World 35 + times throughout my life, but this is my first time at Disneyland! I know there is a whole different strategy to Disneyland vs. Disney World or at least I think there is. We will be checking in around dinner time on the 12th and then will have 3 full days for the parks, but I bought 4 days worth of tickets just in case we wanted to go in a park on the night of the 12th or the morning of the 16th.

I have some specific questions, but if any Disneyland pros want to chime in with their most helpful tip that would be great!

Here are my questions:

1. How do we best take advantage of the Magic Morning? Should I use it on Thursday or Saturday?

2. Any restaurants or food that we HAVE to try that are specific to Disneyland?

3. Where can I get a mickey pancake with a face?

4. Any recommended reservations? I usually do not make reservations at Disney World because it takes time away from riding attractions, but I am open to making a dining reservation!

5. Are the parks within walking distance from our hotel?

6. How does the monorail system work?

7. Would MaxPass be worth to get for one day?

8. Are there any guidebooks or websites/articles that are helpful with planning a trip at Disneyland?

Those are the main questions that have been floating around my head. I am sure I will think of a million more questions before it is time for our trip. Thanks for all the help!
 
Hi!

My husband and I are going to Disneyland/California Adventure from September 12th-16th (Tuesday through Saturday). We are staying at Paradise Pier so we will have access to one magic morning and I bought the park hopper.
Actually, staying on-site, you have access to Extra Magic Hours every day. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at DL, and Wednesday and Friday at DCA for your stay.

1. How do we best take advantage of the Magic Morning? Should I use it on Thursday or Saturday?
Use it every day! It's a great perk, especially for DCA.

5. Are the parks within walking distance from our hotel?
Yes

6. How does the monorail system work?
The DL monorail is much more than a transportation system like it is at WDW. It's actually a ride. See if you can get the car in the very front or very back! Note, though - it's not air-conditioned, and it may be warm out, in which case they won't let you into either of those compartments.

8. Are there any guidebooks or websites/articles that are helpful with planning a trip at Disneyland?
I love the Unofficial Guide, myself. It's way better than the Official Birnbaum guide.
 
2. Any restaurants or food that we HAVE to try that are specific to Disneyland?
There are a lot of foods/snacks that are unique to DLR (or at least aren't offered at WDW). Some of my favorites include the Mickey beignets at the Mint Julep bar and the Mickey raspberry rose macaron at Jolly Holiday. The Monte Cristo is another popular TS entree.

3. Where can I get a mickey pancake with a face?
I think it's still being offered for breakfast at Rancho del Zocalo.

4. Any recommended reservations? I usually do not make reservations at Disney World because it takes time away from riding attractions, but I am open to making a dining reservation!
Some of my favorite TS locations include Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans, Carnation Cafe, and River Belle Terrace in DL. Over in DCA, I really like the lounges (Cove Bar and Alfresco Terrace). In DTD and the resorts, I really like Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen and Storytellers. Dining reservations open 60-days in advance, one day at at time. While I still highly recommend making reservations in advance, they're not as hard to get as they are at WDW. You can often find prime reservation close to the day of your trip.

5. Are the parks within walking distance from our hotel?
Yes; it's less than a half a mile from the PPH lobby to DL's main gate (about the same distance from the Boardwalk to Epcot's International Gateway, if you're familiar with that walk).

6. How does the monorail system work?
It goes from the Tomorrowland station to the Downtown Disney station and then back. Normally they make/request everyone disembark at the Tomorrowland station. It's a fun ride, but not generally considered the most efficient option for getting into the parks.

7. Would MaxPass be worth to get for one day?
I'd wait a few more days/weeks until the first reports come in on how the system is working. At this point, it's not clear how useful/advantageous the system will be. We should know a lot more by the end of next week (I'd give them a week or two to work out the kinks).

8. Are there any guidebooks or websites/articles that are helpful with planning a trip at Disneyland?
I'd just ask questions here; things move so fast that by the time a book is published, it's information is often out of date. Personally, I like books that have lots of pictures and just information. I'm not a huge fan of books that have a lot of personal opinion in them because what one person likes, you might not like and vice-a-versa.

Note that at this point, the rumors indicate that HalloweenTime is slated to start on Friday, September 15th. This would mean that there will be fairly high crowds in the parks that weekend (Fri-Sun). Also, it probably means that Space (they've announced this closure) and Haunted Mansion will be closed in the days leading up to the 15th. I'd keep an eye on the HalloweenTime information to see if any of the other rumors, including overlay closures, may impact whether you want an extra day at the start or end of your trip.
 
Other posters have given you great advice, so I am going to offer some unsolicited advice. Be prepared to walk...a lot. Since everything is so close, you walk everywhere! Make sure that you have comfortable shoes too. When I went last year, I went in my Mickey Mouse Vans. They looked great. But after 3 days, I hated them!
 


Actually, staying on-site, you have access to Extra Magic Hours every day. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at DL, and Wednesday and Friday at DCA for your stay.

That is something that I did not realize! I think I completely misunderstood the early entry options. To clarify, is a "Magic Morning" for people who have a three or more day ticket who are not staying on property and they can pick one day to enter a park early? And then if you are staying on property you have the "Extra Magic Hours" which you can use every day for the park designated on that day?

That makes staying on property an even bigger perk than I thought!
 
That is something that I did not realize! I think I completely misunderstood the early entry options. To clarify, is a "Magic Morning" for people who have a three or more day ticket who are not staying on property and they can pick one day to enter a park early? And then if you are staying on property you have the "Extra Magic Hours" which you can use every day for the park designated on that day?
For the most part, yes. Magic Mornings, which only happens in Disneyland, is available to guests with eligible three-day or longer tickets (one Magic Morning per ticket). Extra Magic Hours, happens in both DL and DCA, and is available to on-site guests regardless of ticket length (but you must still have a valid ticket to enter the park). As mentioned, Magic Morning/EMH for DL is usually on Tue, Thu, and Sat, while EMH for DCA is usually on Sun, Mon, Wed, and Fri.
 
I have a question regarding Halloween time at Disneyland and DCA. It looks like their Halloween celebration starts on September 15th. We will be in the parks September 12-15. I was wondering if there was anything we should not miss on our one day there that is a part of the Halloween celebration (special decorations, treats, etc.) I'm very excited to get to experience the Nightmare Before Christmas version of Haunted Mansion since that is something that Disney World does not do!
 


That is one of our two favorite times of year to be in the parks. Crowds are generally lighter than avg. and closures are at a minimum because attendance will be picking up soon.
You're going to have a great trip!!
 
I have a question regarding Halloween time at Disneyland and DCA. It looks like their Halloween celebration starts on September 15th. We will be in the parks September 12-15. I was wondering if there was anything we should not miss on our one day there that is a part of the Halloween celebration (special decorations, treats, etc.) I'm very excited to get to experience the Nightmare Before Christmas version of Haunted Mansion since that is something that Disney World does not do!
Ghost Galaxy and Haunted Mansion Holiday!!! Also Dia de los Meurtos in Frontierland, and supposedly Carsland is getting an overlay too.
 
In DL, Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain usually have a Halloween-themed overlay, which are both worth seeing. There are also usually some specialty treats and food offerings (keep an eye on the Parks Blog; they usually have a posting about the special foods sometime in early September). There should also be the Día de los Muertos display in Frontierland. This is the first year when there should also be a pretty substantial offering over in Carsland.
 
Other posters have given you great advice, so I am going to offer some unsolicited advice. Be prepared to walk...a lot. Since everything is so close, you walk everywhere! Make sure that you have comfortable shoes too. When I went last year, I went in my Mickey Mouse Vans. They looked great. But after 3 days, I hated them!
We bring at least 2 pairs of shoes. We switch mid day.
 
I would reserve a place at blue bayou. Request water side table. Then get there early and request again.

I haven't eaten at carthay circle. There is a free tour. We started to take it but DH didnt want to. I'll try again on my own.

You should try the fried chicken at plaza inn. I'm vegetarian but everyone else likes it. :)

I really like French market and as mentioned the beignets at the attached mint julep bar.

A great snack is the skewers at Bengal BBQ.

Our fave in DCA is Boardwalk pizza & pasta. But it's not a must do if you have a full meal schedule.

I also really like the vegetarian "sandwich" at award wieners.
 
I'll second the fried chicken at Plaza Inn and the skewers at Bengal BBQ! Love them both (especially the asparagus and bacon skewer!)
At DCA, we love Flo's Drive Inn. the sandwiches are good and the view of Radiator Springs Racers is pretty cool

Regarding the monorail: It only goes from Downtown Disney to Tomorrowland (inside Disneyland) and back - and you must have a valid park ticket. That said, last week we were able to hop on the monorail in Tomorrowland at lunchtime and grab a sandwich at Earl of Sandwich, quick potty break (behind the lego store), shop in the lego store, grab a coffee at Starbucks, and head back on the monorail to Tomorrowland in under 90 minutes with our 2 kids (6 and 10).

We weren't able to check it out this trip, but I've heard you can get Dole Whip with rum in the Disneyland hotel.

We didn't get MaxPass this trip, and I'm glad we didn't. We could barely get the Disney Wi-Fi connection to work the entire day and couldn't use the Disneyland app for wait times. In my opinion, there are fewer rides that offer fast pass (i.e. Peter Pan and Nemo don't have fast passes), so it wasn't worth it for us anyhow. If you want to ride Radiator Springs Racers - get over there asap in the morning for your fast passes - distribution is near Tough to Be a Bug. The Fantasmic! and World of Color fast passes aren't connect to the others, so you can get those early in the day as well and still pick up a ride fast pass.
 
I have a question regarding Halloween time at Disneyland and DCA. It looks like their Halloween celebration starts on September 15th. We will be in the parks September 12-15. I was wondering if there was anything we should not miss on our one day there that is a part of the Halloween celebration (special decorations, treats, etc.) I'm very excited to get to experience the Nightmare Before Christmas version of Haunted Mansion since that is something that Disney World does not do!

Looks like the Haunted Mansion & Space Mountain overlays opens your last day. You might want to get Maxpass your last day so you aren't fighting to get fastpasses for those attractions.
 
We'll be there the same time. Enjoy!
We're excited for the Haunted Mansion overlay on the 15th which is our last day as well. Also, Cars Land looks to have some fun Halloween theming coming!
 
I'm visiting in about six weeks, and I'm thrilled to get Maxpass every day. No more running around the park pulling FPs from machines! Several people have reported riding over 30 rides with it, and fastpassing about half of those. I would definitely get it on the day Space Mountain reopens and get FPs for first thing during EMH. If it's true that HM is also reopening that day, you can FP that immediately afterwards. Your only option for watching Fantasmic (which you MUST see), is on Friday, so try to get FPs through dining if you can. The seating is much better than the regular FPs. Make sure you do World of Color one of the nights, as well as Frozen during the day. WOC is the one thing for which I'm willing to wait a long time. I get there 90 minutes early and head straight for the railing, down as far as I can go. The show sucks if you aren't against a railing because everyone is standing and you can't see over people's heads. It makes all the difference in the world to be against a railing. Use those early hours every single day. You can get three times as much done in your first hour as you can later. Arrive 30 minutes before EMH opening and hit Peter Pan first. It's the one ride in the whole park that fills up immediately and never lets up in wait times. I haven't waited longer than 20 minutes on a ride for years, but it's only because I ride Peter Pan first! (And I'm one of the first 20 people to get on it.)

My top food items: turkey leg from a cart, soup in a bread bowl (the bread bowls in DCA are waaayyyy better -if you've never had true San Francisco sourdough, this is it - but my favorite soup is steak gumbo, which is only at Royal Street Veranda in DL, so I eat clam chowder in DCA and gumbo in DL), anything from Bengal BBQ, corn dog from the Little Red Cart, appetizers and red wine flight at Alfresco Tasting Terrace, steak or chicken skewers with tzatziki at Paradise Garden Grill (healthy, delicious, and no line! - We always get that before getting in line for WOC). If you want a quick salad, the selections at Red Rocket's Pizza Port are good. We always get a lunch reservation at Cafe Orleans and split the pomme frites, get a bowl of gumbo, and split the Mickey beignets. The Monte Cristo is amazing as well, but you'd probably get sick if you got that plus the pomme frites or the beignets, lol. We also like to split a Boysen apple freeze while watching a show at Storytelling at Royal theatre. We are looking forward to watching Mickey and the Magical Map; somehow, we've never seen it! Also new for us this trip: lobster nachos and a Mickey's Fun Wheel at the Cove Bar. Can't wait for that!

I think people often skip the Animation Building. It's one of my favorite things to do. Make sure you do Turtle Talk with Crush. I went to the one in Disney World and it was packed and miserable. The one at DCA feels more intimate, and you can easily sit on the floor and ask Crush a question as an adult, especially since you're going when crowds are low.

Don't bother with a guidebook. Dig around here. Read Disney blogs. You can get a subscription to Touring plans for less than $10, and they have a lot of fun info. I don't use Touring Plans itineraries, but they're fun to look through to pick up tips. Your best bet is downloading the Disney app and looking at wait times of rides throughout the day over the next few weeks. It will help you to make decisions on what to ride first. For example, Pirates and Small World are high capacity rides that take a lot of time, so it makes no sense to ride them in the first couple of hours. I usually ride them in my third hour. When the line hits the 15 minute mark, that's when I hit them. Other than Peter Pan and Alice, many of the rides in Fantasy Land have extremely variable wait times. I don't bother with Snow White or Pinocchio during EMH because I know they will eventually have a 10 minute wait time later in the day. Don't stand in a 30 minute standby line if the ride has fastpass. Ever. Most people are saying that their longest wait times have been for the railroad since it recently reopened. Don't wait too long to ride it if you plan to do it. I would ride it before noon. You don't have to ride the whole thing, but the part between Tomorrowland and Main Street has historically been the most interesting (pun intended)! I am excited to ride the whole track though because they've changed it in other parts of the park since I've been there. Use single rider! We've used single rider on Splash and Indy when the wait time is over an hour, and we've gotten on in less than 10 minutes. However, don't use it on Soarin. The wait is much longer. Use FP for that.

Did I mention that you need to use your EMH every day? You are better off getting up really early, hitting the parks hard, and heading back to your hotel after lunch for an hour or two when the parks start getting busy. You will seriously get so much done in the first three hours of the morning. Do not sleep in! We usually get seven or eight rides done during EMH at Disneyland. We love Buzz Lightyear so we usually ride it three times after hitting Peter Pan, Alice, and Space Mountain. Personally, I never ride standby for RSR in DCA because I think it wastes too much time. I always head straight to Toy Story Mania and ride it two or three times, then I ride California Screaming, then I get a RSR fastpass. However, with Maxpass, I can get that fp right when I walk in the park.

Enjoy your trip! :)
 
We will be there the 13-16, and I'm planning on trying maxpass Thursday and Friday at least. I can't wait! This is my second DL visit, also a WDW vet. I LOVE Haunted Mansion Holiday, and I'm so glad it opens in time for us.

Also, I'm not sure how you feel about shows, but I really enjoyed Mickey and the Magical Map on my first trip. There's nothing like it at WDW, so I seek out those unique attractions. But I think it only shows Friday-Sunday, so that's just something to be aware of when planning.
 
Make sure to watch World of Color you will love it! Also the Frozen musical in DCA is really cool. For breakfast we really like Carnation Cafe. Not too much of a wait if you make an ADR. I also highly suggest Stortytellers cafe the salted caramel french toast is Amazing!! For dinner I agree with the others on Blue Bayou and for a QS meal Plaza Inn is really good. Another website I utilize for info on DL is mousesavers.com.
 
We go to DL and DW about equally we like them both for different reasons.
At DL: Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted mansion are superior at DL IMO.
We loved Fantasmic in 2015 will be seeing the new one on Saturday, we liked DL version so much more then DW.
Food: DL- Cafe Orleans Pommes Frites, Churros seem better at DL for some reason, the corn dogs at the little red wagon. If you like Character meals the Plaza inn had great food and you meet many characters.
CA- Carthay Circle for lunch or dinner, Pacific Wharf Cafe authentic San Francisco Sour dough. and a cocktail at the Cove Bar.
At CA-Carsland is Amazing you need to go at night as well, the ride is similar to test track at Epcot but sooooooooooo much better.
Have a great time! :)
 

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