Disneyland for a WDW freak?

[Frank Bullitt]

Hello folks,
I have done WDW in September 05 and again in Sept 06, I am debating taking a short trip (3 days or something like it) to visit DLR, I was curious to ask the Disneylanders questions...

I know how bad the traffic on the LA freeways are, is there some sort of resort shuttle service to and from the airport(s) in LA?

When is the best time to go?

places like Goofy's Kitchen, Blue Bayou, etc how hard is it to get reserved seating for it and how far back?

Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated

[NotaGeek]

Hey there, we have a Crowd Estimate post in here that gives info about the whole year and what to expect, it's pretty helpful in planning.

It's very easy to make Priority Seating resevations, just call (714) 781-3463 60 days in advance. The only restaurant that really reserves out quickly is the Blue Bayou, so if you and your family want to try dinner or lunch there, book early. Goofy's Kitchen is my favorite Character Meal, and another good family restaurant with great food is Hook's Point (dinner reservation) ... it's at the Disneyland Hotel and one of my must-dos when I visit the resort.

If you would like priority seating for Fantasmic! you must call 30 days in advance and those tickets go like hotcakes! To book you must call the same number as Priority Seating, just pick the Priorority Viewing option #1.

If you want a fancy dinner try Steakhouse 55 (the restaurant formerly known as Granville's) at the Disneyland Hotel. It's an ala carte steak house, but they usually have an amazing prix fixe dinner option that serves 3 courses. The atmosphere and service are wonderful, but it can be expensive!

[jrkcr]

Yes, they have Disneyland Resort Express. I didn't use this, we drove. But it is less than $30 for round trip for an adult, from both LAX and orange county/john wayne.

And all the rest depends on when you go-peak season or off season. I just got back(see my trip reports) and we, family of 5, basically walked in for a Blue Bayou lunch, and a dinner at Ralph Brennans Jazz kitchen, without reservations-but that was luck. DL does not have near as many sit down choices as WDW. So if you really want something sit-down, yes you should make reservations. We just ate when we got hungry, with a few ideas from intercot on what to try. I carried around a piece of paper with headings of all the "lands" like "frontierland", and under that I wrote places that intercotees had recommended. So that helped ALOT. Just gave us an idea what the top picks where for that area of the park.

Good luck planning your trip! I hope you have a great time!

[tinkwest]

I don't mind the drive from either LAX or SNA, but I have been a southern California driver for over 30 years. That may make a difference. If you don't want to deal with driving, you could contact the Disneyland Resort Express at (714) 978-8855. Or take a look at their online brochure. This service is offered by Southern California Gray Line.