We've been to WDW twice with the kids but its been a few years. We are now making our first visit to Disneyland this August.
Kids are both boys and will be 11 and 9 at the time of visit, staying at
http://www.hojoanaheim.com/ walking distance from the park.
Is there anything we need to do this far out as far as dinner reservations, looking for ticket deals, etc?
I know that WDW is isolated and DL has more surrounding it so how does that change the strategy for a trip?
Seems like it would be easier to get back to the hotel for a break or less expensive to pop out of the park for meals?
With DL and CA so close to each other and visiting at a time with low crowds is spending extra for a park hopper a no brainer?
Any general advice for a family that's been to WDW but are new to DL?
Thanks!
In general, there's a lot less to keep track of at DLR than WDW. Very little needs to be done for advance dining reservations, there's no advance FastPasses to book, no transportation system to decipher, fewer parks to decide between... it's a much simpler experience.
One thing you will notice if you're been to WDW a few times is the DLR crowds are less intense. DLR is in the middle of a densely-populated area that has great weather 300 days a year. A ton of locals have annual passes, and will come for a couple hours and take off. There's a MILF run through Fantasyland when DL opens, they bring the kids in strollers, do a lap of Fantasyland, then go home. There's a pocket of locals who will be out and decided to pop over to DL for the parade or fireworks. (That can make prime seating a little challenging, but DLR is working on policies designed to limit all-day squatters.) Since so many of the guests are local who come every year, maybe every month, there isn't as much use of strollers as battering rams to get to every park attraction because this might be their only day here in their entire lives. Not as many scooters with six kids hanging off them so the whole family can use the handicapped queue. In general, it's more relaxed.
I recommend following Casey Starnes on social media. Her brand is "Disneyland Daily" (formerly "DLR Prep School"). If any legit discounted ticket deals break out, she will know about them.
That HoJo is going to work out well for you. It really is within walking distance to the parks. I'd guess 15 minutes tops from your room to the security gates by the park entry plaza. You might be closer to the park gates than the Disneyland Hotel is. There's a lot of hotels in Anaheim that claim "walking distance to Disneyland", but the convenient walks are limited to south of I-5 and north of Katella on Harbor. That HoJo is in that window.
It will be easier to pop back to the hotel for a break, but between the parks, Downtown Disney (right on the other side of the park entry plaza), and the restaurants on Harbor, you shouldn't have to venture far to eat.
I recommend getting Park Hoppers. DL and DCA are right across from each other and often stagger the opening and closing times for crowd control purposes. The parks are close enough to catch World Of Color at DCA and be on Main Street for the DL fireworks a half hour later.
There is a FastPass system at DLR, but it's not done through the app. It's the old paper FP system where you walk up to kiosks and have physical FastPasses issued to you.
Here's a rundown of similarities/differences in the parks....
Magic Kingdom and Disneyland have generally the same layout and a lot of shared attractions. Disneyland is a bit larger and has more open-air attractions given the weather in Anaheim every day is about 70 degrees and sunny. While some of the extra space is closed for construction of Star Wars Land, the rest of the extra space is DL-only sections New Orleans Square, Critter Country, and Toon Town.
As far as rides go... working "left to right" relative to Main Street...
Both have Jungle Cruise (pretty much the same), Pirates of the Caribbean (DL is a longer more involved ride, but same story), Splash Mountain (MK's is longer, a much bigger splash hill), Haunted Mansion (September-December has a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay, does not have the interactive queue MK has), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (IMO the DL version is a little faster and smoother, but that's anecdotal).
Adventureland doesn't have the Aladdin carpet ride, but does have an Indiana Jones-themed dark ride.
Out beyond Frontierland and Splash Mountain is "Critter Country", this is where the Winnie The Pooh ride and character greets are, plus a good bakery and shop.
At DL, the Fantasyland space behind the castle is more dense with rides. Peter Pan is the highest-demand one (ride is same as MK, doesn't have the interactive queue). No Philharmagic; in that space are Snow White and Pinocchio dark rides. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is back there, and my favorite in that section, Alice In Wonderland. It's A Small World is much bigger spectacle. There's also a Storyland Canal boat ride that will probably bore your boys a great deal. Spinning teacup ride is in about the same spot.
DL doesn't have the Fantasyland expansion MK has with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the extra princess stuff. (The Little Mermaid dark ride is at DCA and rarely has a line) There is a Toon Town in the back of the park with some classic character houses and some Roger Rabbit stuff - your boys have probably outgrown the attractions, but it is cool to walk through once.
One high-speed ride MK doesn't have in the Fantasyland/Tomorrowland transition is the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Fun ride, recommend it, will be on the FP system by the time you get there.
Tomorrowland is probably where your will spend most of your time with the 11- and 9-year-old, especially if they are into Star Wars. Space Mountain is "Hyperspace Mountain", a Star Wars overlay. So instead of random stars, asteroids, planets, the ride tells a Star Wars story. It's one of my favorite attractions at any Disney park. So fun. Buzz Lightyear is there but on the other side of the walkway. Star Tours from DHS is in Tomorrowland. Instead of Tomorrowland Speedway, it's Autopia, themed more as a leisurely drive than a car race. I prefer Autopia to the MK version; the signage is a lot more clever. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AT THE SUBMARINE RIDE - it takes forever to load and unload, the looks out the windows aren't worth the wait. Instead of Cosmic Ray's and an enclosed theater/DJ space, it's the open air "Galactic Grill" with a Star Wars themed menu, and a patio where the Jedi Training from DHS takes place. The old Carousel of Progress building is now the "Star Wars Launch Bay", with Star Wars exhibits and Star Wars character greets, usually Chewbacca and Kylo Ren. Instead of the Tomorrowland People Mover, there's a flying ride above the pizza QSR.
DLR doesn't have three satellite parks. They have Disney California Adventure. Based on in-park experiences alone, it's my favorite of the six DisneyParks in the USA.
Cars Land is the signature section, a DCA exclusive. It's like walking down Route 66 into Radiator Springs. The big ride there - Radiator Springs Racers - is a must-do, must-FastPass when the park opens. It's kind of like Test Track at Epcot, but a smoother ride, longer story, and the high-speed portion is a LOT more fun. I'm not that big of a fan of the Cars movies, but I love this place. Also recommend Mater's Junkyard Jamboree - you get thrown around a lot more than it looks like watching it. Ton of fun. The Luigi ride can be skipped if the line gets too long, but at least check it out.
There's a Hollywood Land section. This is where the Animation building (former DHS resident) can be found. Drawing classes, Turtle Talk With Crush (Epcot attraction), meet-and-greet Anna and Elsa, other interactive animation stuff. Even if none of that pulls your chain, pop in for a minute and see how they change the walls to match the music playing. This is also where the old MuppetVision theater is (MuppetVision 3D is retired; on our last visit an extended Beauty and the Beast trailer was showing there), and a Monsters Inc dark ride that is cute but moves slow enough to not be scary. The Hyperion Theater is showing a Frozen musical Disney is workshopping to try to get in to Broadway, like they did with Aladdin. If the boys are into Frozen, check it out. Otherwise, it can be skipped. The Tower of Terror from DHS is also here, but it is being rebranded into a Guardians Of The Galaxy ride that will be the new attraction of the summer. Highly anticipated, gonna recommend it blind.
The kids' section is Bug's Life themed. The rides are too slow for your boys except for maybe the bumper cars. Still worth a walk through to see how they made everything look so small.
Pacific Wharf is a food & drink area. DCA serves alcohol, DL doesn't. I like the sandwiches and soups at Pacific Wharf Cafe featuring Boudin Bread. There's also Chinese and Mexican QSRs, and a Ghiradelli shop that has the best desserts in all of DLR.
In the transition from the Wharf to the Pier is the Little Mermaid dark ride. Usually 40 minutes or so at MK, hardly ever more than 10 minutes at DCA.
Paradise Pier is Disney's take on the amusement piers of California. The California Screamin rollercoaster is the centerpiece - about as intense as Rock and Rollercoaster at DHS, but in the open air. There's also a few midway games, Toy Story Mania (half the wait as DHS, maybe less), a swings and flying ride, and the Goofy's Sky School coaster, a track usually mouse-themed at other amusement parks.
The other route out of the Pier takes you to the wilderness area and the flight area. GrizzlyRiver Run is a standard river raft ride, similar to Kali River Rapids at AK. There's also a Wilderness Challenge (UP-themed) that might be a good fit for the boys - it's a mix of problem-solving and running around set off to the side of the park. It's a nice relief from standing around. And the flight zone is where Soarin' is - lines there are usually shorter than the Soarin' queue at Epcot, but the new Soarin' Around The World movie (which is excellent) has renewed interest in the ride among the locals.
The big highlight of nighttime at DCA is World Of Color, an amazing 18-minute show in front of the pier that is a delightful mix of water, lights, video, the occasional flame, nothing quite like it at WDW (the new Rivers of Light show at AK might surpass it when it gets the bugs worked out).. each vacation to DLR I try to catch World of Color from the "wet zone", the front row of the Yellow seating section where you are at risk of getting wet from the water features and close enough to feel the heat if flame effects are used. It's a bit time-consuming to set up seating from up close, but you can also buy seating in a reserved part of the Blue section with table service dining.
DCA In-park strategy.... at DCA it's important to get there close to rope drop to get FastPasses to Radiator Springs Racers. They are a tough ticket. If you're not doing a dining package for World Of Color, you will want to get World Of Color tickets in the morning as well (World Of Color tickets are technically a "FastPass", but they do not lock you out of holding other FastPasses). Keep an eye on when you are FP eligible again after grabbing RSRs so you can get Soarin FPs. The old Tower of Terror never required a FastPass, but the new Guardians Of The Galaxy one probably will - keep an eye on Disneyland Daily around June 1 or so when Casey does a "FastPass walk" sorting out how to work in all three of those big rides.
Not much in terms of dining that will require advance reservations. Ariel's Grotto fills up early, so if the boys want to have a princess-themed menu with greets from Ariel, Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White, Minnie Mouse, book that one early and see if you can get World Of Color passes with it. My favorite table-service place at DCA is Carthay Circle (decor is retro; imagine Walt going out to dinner to celebrate Snow White's monster box office numbers in 1939) but check the menu if the boys are picky eaters. If sitting down for formal dining isn't your thing, the lounge at Carthay Circle has a limited-but-tasty menu and great drinks. The QSR food at DCA is pretty good - as mentioned, I like the bread bowl soups and sandwiches and Pacific Wharf Cafe, using Boudin Bread (San Francisco institution)... there's a rotating menu QSR at the Pier based on holiday - on our last visit, it was a Lunar New Year menu with Chinese dishes. But the famous thing at DCA (and DL) is the corndog carts - part of the DLR experience is having a corndog while walking around or a corndog/chips/drink while standing at a table for a few minutes. The churro carts are good, too. (my favorite homemade DLR fan shirt I've ever seen in-park is a big dude with muscles and tattoos wearing a T-shirt reading "CHURROS AND PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN"; I never got around to making my response shirt, "CORNDOGS AND SPACE MOUNTAIN") There's also a couple upscale dining experiences featuring California wines; my wife and I aren't wine drinkers, so I'm no help on these.
DL in-park strategy.... Hyperspace Mountain will be the toughest FastPass to get. The Star Wars overlay is still a huge hit with locals. If the boys want to do Jedi Training, they will need to get in line for that early to get a training time. The good news is the Jedi Training signup is close to Space Mountain and you can get those FPs and Jedi Training sign-up in one trip. Star Tours FPs sometimes back up, but that will thin out a bit when Matterhorn gets added to the FP menu. I'd try to avoid Fantasyland early and instead hit up all the Tomorrowland stuff, then cross over to the Adventureland/Frontierland stuff.
Not much sit-down dining at DL. The castle doesn't have a restaurant inside. DL's equivalent of Crystal Palace - The Plaza Inn - only does character greets at breakfast. For dinner, it's cafeteria-style featuring fried chicken. I'm not a fan of Carnation Cafe - crowded tables, menu is meh.
My favorite meal at DL requires some divide-and-conquer but it's awesome. Over in Adventureland is the Bengal Barbeque - a skewer menu of beef, chicken, bacon-wrapped asparagus, or veggie. I'll order up a pile of those skewers across the board, then walk them over to New Orleans Square to the seating by the Mint Julep Bar. I go there because my wife and daughter got in line there while I was at Bengal to get some Mickey-shaped Beignets and beverages. We then meet up at a table, and share meat and veggies on sticks with beignets for dessert.
If you want to go off-park to eat, Downtown Disney will have some options. If you walk the opposite direction from your hotel at the park entry plaza, you will be in Downtown Disney in a few steps. (Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel guests have to walk Downtown Disney to get to the parks.) There's a big ESPN Zone, a really big Rainforest Cafe, Tortilla Jo's (great tableside guacamole), Ralph Brennan's (New Orleans), Earl of Sandwich, pizza, Mediterranean, and of course lots of shops. For the boys, there's Ridemakerz, that's like Build-A-Bear but you build a car or truck instead of a stuffed animal. Also a tech shop where you can design your own smartphone case using art from Disney properties, including Pixar, Muppets, and Marvel.
There are three Disney-owned hotels at DLR, all with dining options open to all guests. Goofy's Kitchen at Disneyland Hotel is a lot like Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary, but not quite as loud. And more booth seating. Tangaroa Terrace has good flatbreads. Steakhouse 55 is upscale. And there's a spot there somewhere that serves Dole Whips with or without rum. Think that's at Trader Sam's Tiki Bar.
Paradise Pier is set back a bit, quite a hike from where you're staying. But if you want to do buffet meal with greets of the classic Disney characters in surf gear, that's where to do it.
The upscale hotel at DLR is the Grand Californian Hotel. It's right up next to DCA. Seriously. The hotel has its own DCA park entrance separate from the main entrance. That is where you can simulate dining at the WDW Deluxe Resorts most closely. The decor is kind of like Wilderness Lodge, but northern California instead of Pacific Northwest. If you want a quiet sit-down lunch during a DCA day, pop over to Storytellers inside the GCH.
Goofy's Kitchen, Steakhouse 55, and anything at GCH will require a reservation, but there will still be tables available 20-30 days out. It's not the 180 days out bumrush you get at WDW.
- possibly take the kids in December (this is very unlikely but maybe); Feb - Winter break; April (Spring break - but only if not every school system is out at the same time) - then my daughter has two cheer competitions next year in Orlando and we would most likely go as a family and while the wife and daughter do cheer stuff the rest of us would hang out and do whatever around Disney. I may need to call Disney and ask them what the record is for days visited by a non-FL resident.
" if it is a 1st in a lifetime trip, I think i would rather you invest in experiences rather than hotel. THere are a lot of 'pluses' you can add to your trip (like fireworks dessert parties) that make it seem more VIP. I can list those out later. 
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