Critique My Trip Plan

[FSU Girl]

I was wondering if someone could critique my plan for my upcoming trip in February. It’s a surprise trip to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday and will be both of ours first time to the park. We are WDW vets, living in Florida and have annual passes.


What I’ve come up with so far:

Hotel: I’m think Disneyland Hotel, going to book this in a couple weeks after a few more paychecks come in. I’ve heard this hotel has a lot of Disney charm. I’m leaning towards a standard view because I plan to be in the park the majority of the day and the hotel will just be to sleep at.

When: February 19th (Monday and President’s Day) – February 21st (Wednesday)

Tickets: Three day park hoppers

Monday – We will be flying in from Vegas where we will have spent the weekend celebrating my Boyfriend’s actual birthday with his friends. Our flight lands at 2:10pm at John Wayne Airport so I figure by 3pm we will be at the hotel ready to check into the room.

• For dinner I’m thinking Blue Bayou. Since it’s a holiday I think the parks will be open later and it looks like in the past Fantasmic has shown even though it normally doesn’t during the week.
• Is Fantasmic something not to be missed? Or very similar to the WDW version and we can skip it? I was thinking the lines might be shorter during the show and we could do that instead. We like shows though so if it’s something really great we’ll go there.
• I’m on the fence about using the MaxPass on this day because we will be getting into the park halfway through the day. Since it’ll be a holiday will the park be packed and we should invest in the MaxPass so we can get fastpasses? I’m planning to use it for my other two park days.
• For this day I want to focus on all the rides Disneyland has that Disneyworld doesn’t. I think California Adventure will close before the other park so I’ll go there first.

Tuesday – Our only full day at the parks. I want to wake up early for rope drop. Where’s a good place to get a quick breakfast? Should we grab something at the hotel or in the park? My boyfriend can get grumpy without food so feeding him first thing is a must. My plan is to stay in the park from open until close without going back to the hotel to rest. The weather should be cool so I don’t think that’ll be a problem we’ve done that at WDW before.

• I was thinking of a sit-down lunch instead of dinner. Would Cafe Orleans be too similar to Blue Bayou? I really like the menu of Wine Country Trattoria, but it has some terrible reviews so I’m a little scared.
• If I did decide to do dinner instead would Steakhouse 55 be a good option? I don’t like how it’ll take away a lot of park time to go back to the hotel and eat, especially since it looks like the parks will be closed around 8pm.
• I want to do a dessert party for WOC, which is why I’m leaning towards lunch.
• Plan to park hop and get in as many rides as possible.

Wednesday – Our last day. We have a flight at 9:15pm at LAX so my plan is to leave the hotel around 5pm? I know it’ll be around rush hour in LA so I want to give plenty of time to make it to our flight. Does this time sound good, or is this too early?

• For transportation to the airport I’m on the fence between using Uber or the Disneyland Resort Express bus. If I decide day of I want to take the bus could I buy tickets then? Or do they need to be bought in advance? I like the idea of the bus except having to stick to their schedule and having lots of additional stops along the way.
• I want to do the character breakfast at the Plaza since I read it has like 12 characters that you can meet, which is way more than any I’ve been to. I noticed that they have lunch and dinner, but it doesn’t look like characters go to those. If I make a late breakfast will I miss out on characters leaving before they get to me?
• The plan for this day is to try and get on anything we hadn’t gotten on yet and re-ride favorites.

Is there anything I’m missing that I should do? Is there anything I’m planning to do that I shouldn’t? I was going to wait closer to my 60 days to post this, but I’m just so excited I couldn’t wait.

 

[Davin_Felth]

Hotel: I’m think Disneyland Hotel, going to book this in a couple weeks after a few more paychecks come in. I’ve heard this hotel has a lot of Disney charm. I’m leaning towards a standard view because I plan to be in the park the majority of the day and the hotel will just be to sleep at.

I know in your other thread, you were pretty set on DLH. But, when you talk about the hotel just being a place to sleep at, I wonder if you shouldn't consider one of the hotels on Harbor to save some money. You'll only get early entry 2 of the days you're there, and with a 3 day ticket you'd get one of those anyways.

When: February 19th (Monday and President’s Day) – February 21st (Wednesday)

Tickets: Three day park hoppers

Monday – We will be flying in from Vegas where we will have spent the weekend celebrating my Boyfriend’s actual birthday with his friends. Our flight lands at 2:10pm at John Wayne Airport so I figure by 3pm we will be at the hotel ready to check into the room.

• For dinner I’m thinking Blue Bayou. Since it’s a holiday I think the parks will be open later and it looks like in the past Fantasmic has shown even though it normally doesn’t during the week.
• Is Fantasmic something not to be missed? Or very similar to the WDW version and we can skip it? I was thinking the lines might be shorter during the show and we could do that instead. We like shows though so if it’s something really great we’ll go there.
• I’m on the fence about using the MaxPass on this day because we will be getting into the park halfway through the day. Since it’ll be a holiday will the park be packed and we should invest in the MaxPass so we can get fastpasses? I’m planning to use it for my other two park days.
• For this day I want to focus on all the rides Disneyland has that Disneyworld doesn’t. I think California Adventure will close before the other park so I’ll go there first.

I think it's more likely that you'll be at the hotel closer to 3:30, but this is also depending on if you're doing checked baggage or carry ons, also the transportation you use matters.

I'm not sure if Fantasmic will be shown, it's too far out to say for sure. I'm pretty sure the DL version has been considered superior to the WDW version, despite not having an amphitheater to watch it in. Plus, the DL version has just been updated, so it's probably worth seeing even if you'd seen the WDW one plenty of times.

I wouldn't use MaxPass on your first day. You're going to be getting into the park on the late side, so just get the paper fast passes like normal that day. Unless you're planning on doing any PhotoPass your first day, then it might be worth getting.

Tuesday – Our only full day at the parks. I want to wake up early for rope drop. Where’s a good place to get a quick breakfast? Should we grab something at the hotel or in the park? My boyfriend can get grumpy without food so feeding him first thing is a must. My plan is to stay in the park from open until close without going back to the hotel to rest. The weather should be cool so I don’t think that’ll be a problem we’ve done that at WDW before.

• I was thinking of a sit-down lunch instead of dinner. Would Cafe Orleans be too similar to Blue Bayou? I really like the menu of Wine Country Trattoria, but it has some terrible reviews so I’m a little scared.
• If I did decide to do dinner instead would Steakhouse 55 be a good option? I don’t like how it’ll take away a lot of park time to go back to the hotel and eat, especially since it looks like the parks will be closed around 8pm.
• I want to do a dessert party for WOC, which is why I’m leaning towards lunch.
• Plan to park hop and get in as many rides as possible.

I'm not sure what to suggest for breakfast. We usually have groceries delivered to our hotel room for the start of our trip and have cereal in the morning. The only breakfast spots I know are on Harbor. I don't like wasting park time on breakfast (other than a character breakfast at Plaza Inn).

As for Cafe Orleans, it's all about personal taste. You'll have to look at the menus. I can't speak about Steakhouse 55, I've never eaten there.

Park hopping with MaxPass should do well for you.

Wednesday – Our last day. We have a flight at 9:15pm at LAX so my plan is to leave the hotel around 5pm? I know it’ll be around rush hour in LA so I want to give plenty of time to make it to our flight. Does this time sound good, or is this too early?

• For transportation to the airport I’m on the fence between using Uber or the Disneyland Resort Express bus. If I decide day of I want to take the bus could I buy tickets then? Or do they need to be bought in advance? I like the idea of the bus except having to stick to their schedule and having lots of additional stops along the way.
• I want to do the character breakfast at the Plaza since I read it has like 12 characters that you can meet, which is way more than any I’ve been to. I noticed that they have lunch and dinner, but it doesn’t look like characters go to those. If I make a late breakfast will I miss out on characters leaving before they get to me?
• The plan for this day is to try and get on anything we hadn’t gotten on yet and re-ride favorites.

You probably could leave the hotel closer to 6pm. You only need to be to the airport 2 hours before you flight, and that still gives you over an hour travel time.

You don't have to buy DRE tickets in advance, you can purchase them on the bus. You will want to look at their schedules and decide which time you want to catch though. Also, you'll want to call them the day ahead of time, just to make sure they stop at your location at the time you want.

The character breakfast at the Plaza Inn is great, I recommend it (you'll need reserverations). The lunch and dinner there are not character meals, nor do they do reservations for those meals. The fried chicken there is great though, I'm looking forward to eating there again later this week.

Your plans look pretty good.

 

[FSU Girl]

I know in your other thread, you were pretty set on DLH. But, when you talk about the hotel just being a place to sleep at, I wonder if you shouldn't consider one of the hotels on Harbor to save some money. You'll only get early entry 2 of the days you're there, and with a 3 day ticket you'd get one of those anyways.

I think it's more likely that you'll be at the hotel closer to 3:30, but this is also depending on if you're doing checked baggage or carry ons, also the transportation you use matters.

I'm not sure if Fantasmic will be shown, it's too far out to say for sure. I'm pretty sure the DL version has been considered superior to the WDW version, despite not having an amphitheater to watch it in. Plus, the DL version has just been updated, so it's probably worth seeing even if you'd seen the WDW one plenty of times.

I wouldn't use MaxPass on your first day. You're going to be getting into the park on the late side, so just get the paper fast passes like normal that day. Unless you're planning on doing any PhotoPass your first day, then it might be worth getting.

I'm not sure what to suggest for breakfast. We usually have groceries delivered to our hotel room for the start of our trip and have cereal in the morning. The only breakfast spots I know are on Harbor. I don't like wasting park time on breakfast (other than a character breakfast at Plaza Inn).

As for Cafe Orleans, it's all about personal taste. You'll have to look at the menus. I can't speak about Steakhouse 55, I've never eaten there.

Park hopping with MaxPass should do well for you.

You probably could leave the hotel closer to 6pm. You only need to be to the airport 2 hours before you flight, and that still gives you over an hour travel time.

You don't have to buy DRE tickets in advance, you can purchase them on the bus. You will want to look at their schedules and decide which time you want to catch though. Also, you'll want to call them the day ahead of time, just to make sure they stop at your location at the time you want.

The character breakfast at the Plaza Inn is great, I recommend it (you'll need reserverations). The lunch and dinner there are not character meals, nor do they do reservations for those meals. The fried chicken there is great though, I'm looking forward to eating there again later this week.

Your plans look pretty good.

Thank you! I was thinking the DLH just because it'll possibly be our only time going to this park and I thought a Disney hotel would be nice to experience. Since the parks will be closing early for off season we'll be able to relax at the hotel at night before sleep so not entirely a place to just sleep. I'll do a little more research on hotels before I book anywhere.

Does Disneyland not have quick service for breakfast? Or Starbucks? A quick coffee and breakfast sandwich to eat on the go is all we really need.

If they do show Fantasmic should I do the dinner package at Blue Bayou? Is there anywhere that has special seating like the WOC dessert party? I'm just speculating it'll show because it's showing on Labor Day Monday and it showed last year on President's Day. It's hard planning when dates aren't released far in advance, I've gotten spoiled lol.

Thank you for all your suggestions

 

[Davin_Felth]

Does Disneyland not have quick service for breakfast? Or Starbucks? A quick coffee and breakfast sandwich to eat on the go is all we really need.

If they do show Fantasmic should I do the dinner package at Blue Bayou? Is there anywhere that has special seating like the WOC dessert party? I'm just speculating it'll show because it's showing on Labor Day Monday and it showed last year on President's Day. It's hard planning when dates aren't released far in advance, I've gotten spoiled lol.

There's Starbucks in DTD, so you'd be able to stop there on the way to the park from the DLH. There are places that do breakfast inside of the parks as well. The only one I remember doing recently was River Belle Terrace, for their Mickey Mouse pancakes, but the breakfasts got moved to Rancho del Zocalo. But, like I mentioned before, I prefer to eat breakfast prior to getting into the parks. Those early hours are too valuable for short ride lines.

 

[HydroGuy]

Monday – We will be flying in from Vegas where we will have spent the weekend celebrating my Boyfriend’s actual birthday with his friends. Our flight lands at 2:10pm at John Wayne Airport so I figure by 3pm we will be at the hotel ready to check into the room.

• For dinner I’m thinking Blue Bayou. Since it’s a holiday I think the parks will be open later and it looks like in the past Fantasmic has shown even though it normally doesn’t during the week.
• Is Fantasmic something not to be missed? Or very similar to the WDW version and we can skip it? I was thinking the lines might be shorter during the show and we could do that instead. We like shows though so if it’s something really great we’ll go there.
• I’m on the fence about using the MaxPass on this day because we will be getting into the park halfway through the day. Since it’ll be a holiday will the park be packed and we should invest in the MaxPass so we can get fastpasses? I’m planning to use it for my other two park days.
• For this day I want to focus on all the rides Disneyland has that Disneyworld doesn’t. I think California Adventure will close before the other park so I’ll go there first.

Here is my opinion on Fantasmic. You will have two nights at DLR. Fantasmic is definitely worth it at DLR and better than the WDW version. However, I would prioritize WOC because there is nothing like it at WDW. If you are OK with spending a good chunk of time on both evenings waiting for shows, then see Fantasmic on Monday. Otherwise, I would say see WOC on Tuesday night and this night enjoy DL.

If possible, ride POTC before dining at BB. If you can't, plan to ride it after on the same day. The POTC and BB experience will be better when connected together.

I would probably skip MaxPass, especially since you are planning a chunk of time at BB.

Tuesday – Our only full day at the parks. I want to wake up early for rope drop. Where’s a good place to get a quick breakfast? Should we grab something at the hotel or in the park? My boyfriend can get grumpy without food so feeding him first thing is a must. My plan is to stay in the park from open until close without going back to the hotel to rest. The weather should be cool so I don’t think that’ll be a problem we’ve done that at WDW before.

• I was thinking of a sit-down lunch instead of dinner. Would Cafe Orleans be too similar to Blue Bayou? I really like the menu of Wine Country Trattoria, but it has some terrible reviews so I’m a little scared.
• If I did decide to do dinner instead would Steakhouse 55 be a good option? I don’t like how it’ll take away a lot of park time to go back to the hotel and eat, especially since it looks like the parks will be closed around 8pm.
• I want to do a dessert party for WOC, which is why I’m leaning towards lunch.
• Plan to park hop and get in as many rides as possible.

You will be walking thru DTD and there are lots of quick choices there. Many folks stop at La Brea Bakery, the last place before entering queues for the parks. To save time we always get our own bagels and fruit, and bring those along to eat in line. If you stop at the Bakery, it may make sense to have one person queue for the park while the other grabs breakfast to go and meets you in the queue. Be aware that like WDW sometimes/often DLR let's the queues inside the parks before rope drop to wait inside and keep the outside turnstile queues shorter. That usually does not happen until 30 minutes before EMH starts.

I personally would not do Cafe Orleans and BB in your situation. If I had 4 full parks days I might and sometimes do. But for your case, try something else. I also would not tie yourself down with an ADR for lunch this day. You may want to stay at DCA and the ADR would pull you to DL. DLR has lots of good quick dining options (more than WDW IMO) and I would angle for those.

Steakhouse 55 is our favorite restaurant at all of DLR and I would recommend it. But you will have to backtrack all the way to the DLH for dinner. With short park hours it may not be a good choice unless you make a late reservation at the 8PM DL closing.

The dessert party for WOC will keep you at DCA until 8:45PM. So that kind of conflicts with SH55. Plus it will affect your appetite. This might be a good night to eat at Tangaroa Terrace/Trader Sam's at the DLH at 9PM after WOC. And just skip SH55 until the next time.

Wednesday – Our last day. We have a flight at 9:15pm at LAX so my plan is to leave the hotel around 5pm? I know it’ll be around rush hour in LA so I want to give plenty of time to make it to our flight. Does this time sound good, or is this too early?

• For transportation to the airport I’m on the fence between using Uber or the Disneyland Resort Express bus. If I decide day of I want to take the bus could I buy tickets then? Or do they need to be bought in advance? I like the idea of the bus except having to stick to their schedule and having lots of additional stops along the way.
• I want to do the character breakfast at the Plaza since I read it has like 12 characters that you can meet, which is way more than any I’ve been to. I noticed that they have lunch and dinner, but it doesn’t look like characters go to those. If I make a late breakfast will I miss out on characters leaving before they get to me?
• The plan for this day is to try and get on anything we hadn’t gotten on yet and re-ride favorites.

If it was me I would Uber to LAX to give yourself every last minute at DLR. The shuttles run on a schedule and have to leave extra time to stop at multiple hotels. Uber will take you direct. With a flight at 9:15PM, it really depends on your comfort level. I think 6PM is fine and if you hit traffic you will be there by 8PM at the latest. If you have boarding passes in advance printed at the hotel, and only carry-on (that is how we travel), then 8PM arrival at LAX will still be fine in a worst case.

Another option is a dedicated driver/limo. It will probably cost a bit more than Uber (I pay usually $40-45 to John Wayne, never done a limo to LAX, but I did do Uber last month). I would guess a limo may be more like $60-70 to LAX. But they will be at the DLH waiting for you while Uber you will have to schedule. It may be worth the extra $ for peace of mind. The DLH should have a list of recommended limo drivers. You can also get suggestions here.

 

[Elima2015]

I would also consider staying at an offsite hotel. DLH is pretty pricey if you mostly plan to just sleep there. The price difference can easily be $300 per night.

We just saw Fantasmic! last week and loved it. I think it is definitely worth it. However, as you plan to arrive late in the day, the only way to ensure you see it is to book a dining package. The fast passes will mostly likely be long gone by 3:30/4:00. If they offer two shows on that day, opt for the later one and go on rides during the first show. If the price stays the same at $10/person, I would be tempted to buy MaxPass on your first day. It would allow you to maximize the rides by booking as soon as you possibly can even if you are waiting in another line. It also gives you the flexibility to cancel FPs if you decide you don't want it. However, if you don't arrive until 4:00 and have dinner reservations at say 7:00, that doesn't give you any time to really benefit from MP. You will probably have 1 hr+ waits for the FP attractions by then. You mentioned starting in California Adventure, so I'd pull either a TSMM or a Soarin' Fast Pass right away at arrival and maybe deal with the long wait at the other one? Or check return times and try to guage if you will still be able to pull the other one before they run out. Screamin' stand by isn't usually too bad and Grizzly River Run will likely be short in the winter, if it is even running (seems like a prime time for taking it down for refurb).

Yes, definitely options for a quick breakfast - there are two Starbucks and La Brea in DTD; on the Harbor side there is a McDonalds and Panera (order online ahead of arriving). Several of the off-site hotels offer a free breakfast (BWPPI and Candy Cane Inn are two that we have stayed w/ breakfast included) and make grabbing food before park opening really easy and cheap!

Given that you only have one full day in the park, I personally wouldn't schedule any sit-down restaurants or character breakfasts and prefer to just grab a quick bite when hungry (or if you want a break, take your time eating) -- either way, I'd want the flexibility of not working around any reservations.

 

[Davin_Felth]

You probably could leave the hotel closer to 6pm. You only need to be to the airport 2 hours before you flight, and that still gives you over an hour travel time.

I realized I missed an important detail. You're departing from LAX, not from John Wayne (which you're arriving from). Leaving the hotel at 6PM to LAX would be cutting it kind of close since it's commute time. It probably would be safer to leave at 5PM like you had mentioned.

 

[FSU Girl]

If it was me I would Uber to LAX to give yourself every last minute at DLR. The shuttles run on a schedule and have to leave extra time to stop at multiple hotels. Uber will take you direct. With a flight at 9:15PM, it really depends on your comfort level. I think 6PM is fine and if you hit traffic you will be there by 8PM at the latest. If you have boarding passes in advance printed at the hotel, and only carry-on (that is how we travel), then 8PM arrival at LAX will still be fine in a worst case.

How do you print boarding passes at the hotel? Is it something you talk to the front desk about?

You will probably have 1 hr+ waits for the FP attractions by then.

FP lines get to be an hour?

 

[Rabb it]

Thank you! I was thinking the DLH just because it'll possibly be our only time going to this park and I thought a Disney hotel would be nice to experience. Since the parks will be closing early for off season we'll be able to relax at the hotel at night before sleep so not entirely a place to just sleep. I'll do a little more research on hotels before I book anywhere.

Does Disneyland not have quick service for breakfast? Or Starbucks? A quick coffee and breakfast sandwich to eat on the go is all we really need.

If they do show Fantasmic should I do the dinner package at Blue Bayou? Is there anywhere that has special seating like the WOC dessert party? I'm just speculating it'll show because it's showing on Labor Day Monday and it showed last year on President's Day. It's hard planning when dates aren't released far in advance, I've gotten spoiled lol.

Thank you for all your suggestions

There are Starbucks inside both parks, very near the entrance. There's also 2 Starbucks in Downtown Disney, one near Disneyland Hotel (across form the monorail entrance) and the other on the other side of DTD, next to World of Disney.

 

[FSU Girl]

There are Starbucks inside both parks, very near the entrance. There's also 2 Starbucks in Downtown Disney, one near Disneyland Hotel (across form the monorail entrance) and the other on the other side of DTD, next to World of Disney.

Thanks! I love Starbucks and usually get some when I'm in a park at WDW so that's great to know. I can take a picture in front of the castle with my cup of coffee lol.

 

[Elima2015]

FP lines get to be an hour?

I apologize for the lack of clarity. The stand-by lines for the rides with FP will be an hour or more (I was specifically thinking of Soarin, TSMM, Guardians, Radiator Springs Racers). We never waited more than 20 minutes when we had a FP for a ride (Soarin tended to be our longest wait with a FP in hand and RSR in the evening was probably 15 min or so), but it was usually closer to like 5-10 minutes.

 

[FSU Girl]

I apologize for the lack of clarity. The stand-by lines for the rides with FP will be an hour or more (I was specifically thinking of Soarin, TSMM, Guardians, Radiator Springs Racers). We never waited more than 20 minutes when we had a FP for a ride (Soarin tended to be our longest wait with a FP in hand and RSR in the evening was probably 15 min or so), but it was usually closer to like 5-10 minutes.

Oh okay, thank you for the clarification I was a little worried.I think Soarin and TSMM will be last on my list to ride since we have those at WDW and especially if they have long wait times.

 

[Davin_Felth]

Oh okay, thank you for the clarification I was a little worried.I think Soarin and TSMM will be last on my list to ride since we have those at WDW and especially if they have long wait times.

There is a small difference on Soarin from WDW. The very last scene is different depending on what park you're at. If I remember correctly, the WDW version ends at Epcot showing the golf ball. At DL, it ends with a shot going up Main Street. It would be quicker to just Youtube it than stand in line for the one scene change.

 

[PHXscuba]

I would skip the MaxPass for the first night. Many of the "Disneyland only" rides have either no FP (like the Fantasyland rides) or a single rider line (like Screamin, Radiator Springs, and Matterhorn). So you could do quite a bit that first day without MaxPass. You can still use the app when you arrive at DL to see what FPs are available.

PHXscuba

 

[HydroGuy]

How do you print boarding passes at the hotel? Is it something you talk to the front desk about?

All reasonable hotels have a place where you can log in and print boarding passes 24 hours before your flight. Almost always for no charge. Just ask the front desk.

 

[HydroGuy]

Oh okay, thank you for the clarification I was a little worried.I think Soarin and TSMM will be last on my list to ride since we have those at WDW and especially if they have long wait times.

Maybe we covered it in your other thread, but there are 5 identical rides between DLR and WDW. Soarin (with the small difference of the final scene being at DL vs. Epcot), TSMM, ST, ITTBAB and Little Mermaid (aka LMAUA at DCA).

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I would also consider staying off site unless you don't mind tripling your hotel expense at the DLH. For me, I'd rather save some $$$ and/or splurge elsewhere. But if money is not an issue the by all means book the DLH. In fairness I haven't stayed onsite (yet.. I have the DLH booked for
Dapper Days in November and I was highly motivated by the very good DD rate I was able to get). I am local and have only stayed once across the street at a motel (which was fine for me and my toddler). But there are some nicer hotels still right across the street that you might like that would save you a ton.

I have heard great things about WCT, although I haven't eaten there yet.

I would opt for a late dinner at steakhouse 55 (or napa rose) after park closing on your non-WOC dessert party night. Just have a later lunch or snack more to get you to the later dinner. Bonus is you can relax and have cocktails or wine.

I would absolutely Uber to LAX rather than take the bus.

 

[FSU Girl]

Maybe we covered it in your other thread, but there are 5 identical rides between DLR and WDW. Soarin (with the small difference of the final scene being at DL vs. Epcot), TSMM, ST, ITTBAB and Little Mermaid (aka LMAUA at DCA).

Thanks, I'll try and ride these if I have time, but will probably not make them a priority.

I would also consider staying off site unless you don't mind tripling your hotel expense at the DLH. For me, I'd rather save some $$$ and/or splurge elsewhere. But if money is not an issue the by all means book the DLH. In fairness I haven't stayed onsite (yet.. I have the DLH booked for
Dapper Days in November and I was highly motivated by the very good DD rate I was able to get). I am local and have only stayed once across the street at a motel (which was fine for me and my toddler). But there are some nicer hotels still right across the street that you might like that would save you a ton.

I have heard great things about WCT, although I haven't eaten there yet.

I would opt for a late dinner at steakhouse 55 (or napa rose) after park closing on your non-WOC dessert party night. Just have a later lunch or snack more to get you to the later dinner. Bonus is you can relax and have cocktails or wine.

I would absolutely Uber to LAX rather than take the bus.

I'm not completely set on a hotel and still looking so I will give the off site hotels a look. I do like the extra hour on-site gets. I think it's hard for me to understand this park is in the middle of an actual city, whereas WDW is far away from Orlando.

I was thinking of a late dinner, but I'm not sure if we will have fully adapted to the time change by the time we are here. It'll be three hours later at home I feel like we'll be hungry earlier. But maybe not since we'll be at Vegas for a few days already. The Uber is looking appealing and my boyfriend gets $15 a month free in rides so we can put that towards it if he doesn't use it before we get there.

All reasonable hotels have a place where you can log in and print boarding passes 24 hours before your flight. Almost always for no charge. Just ask the front desk.

Ok great! The last time I was on a plane was the beginning of 2014 so it's been a long time.

I would skip the MaxPass for the first night. Many of the "Disneyland only" rides have either no FP (like the Fantasyland rides) or a single rider line (like Screamin, Radiator Springs, and Matterhorn). So you could do quite a bit that first day without MaxPass. You can still use the app when you arrive at DL to see what FPs are available.

I downloaded the app. Where does it show what FP are still left on it? Also, is there a way to sort the wait times? When I was looking at it, it had it in alphabetical order instead of by wait time like WDW does. Is there a way to change that or is that just how it is? Would you recommend doing single rider for a first time ride?

There is a small difference on Soarin from WDW. The very last scene is different depending on what park you're at. If I remember correctly, the WDW version ends at Epcot showing the golf ball. At DL, it ends with a shot going up Main Street. It would be quicker to just Youtube it than stand in line for the one scene change.

I forgot about that scene. My boyfriend really likes this ride when we go so I'll see if we can ride it if the wait isn't too bad and we have time.

 

[FSU Girl]

For Fantasmic, is this one you need a FP to see it? Or can we just walk up?

 

[Davin_Felth]

For Fantasmic, is this one you need a FP to see it? Or can we just walk up?

There are standby areas, but they aren't a great view and it'll probably be tough to get a spot on the first showing. There is a FP available and it is not connected to ride FPs, so it doesn't interfere with those. Or, you could do a F! Dining Package for the better viewing areas.