Staggered Ride Openings at Disneyland Park

[cathcuc]

Hi again! Thanks to those for giving me tips for my first-ever trip coming up next week. I've been reading a bunch of the recent trip reports for any ideas and noticed several of them mentioning staggered start times for rides at the Disneyland Park. We will be there on a Wednesday or Thursday (which day depends on if Auberge de Cendrillion is closed either day -- anyone know?). I was planning to drag everyone to an early breakfast and be at the park for EMH at 8am. My husband will kill me :mad: if I make him get up early and many rides aren't open until 11am. Any thoughts? Any idea where I could find out which rides won't open until later? Thanks again!!

[DLPdaft]

I can't guarantee these will be open at 11am, they may be even later than that, but on our May trip, we found Autopia, Nautilus, Alice's Labyrinth, Casey Jnr, and the Storyboats all closed until 11am or later. Some of these closed as early as 5pm too.

Unless they are closed for refurbishment, its usually always the same rides which are open for EMH.
These are - in Fantasyland
Teacups
Carousel
Peter Pan
Dumbo
and either Snow White or Pinocchio rides
In Discoveryland
Space Mountain 2
Buzz Lightyear
and Orbitron.

No other rides are open during EMH, from 8am to 10am. From 10am, the parks officially open, and unless there are technical difficulties, all the big coasters etc should be open from that time.

[davewasbaloo]

Sorry Elaine, we had a slight difference last week. As of last week, EMH was:

Carousel
Dumbo
Tea Cups
Peter Pan (worth it to cut out 45+ min waits)
Buzz
Orbitron
Space Mountain
Main Street Vehicles (disappeared after 10:00)

Then most attractions opened at 10 with the exception of:

Snow White (11 am open)
Storybookland was closed in the week
Labrynth 11:30 - 3:30
Train from frontierland, fantasyland and Discoveryland 12:30 onwards
Indy 12:30
Phantom Manor 11:00
Steamboats (closed at 5)
Indy opened at 12:30
autopia 11:30
Star Tours closed at 6
Honey I shrunk the audience 5
Nautilus was open 12:30 - 2:30

This was on a day when the park closed at 7

In the studios, everything was open all day except for the show times as posted, and the Animation Academy closed earlier than the rest of the park.

There were no warnings until you got to the rides themselves with the exception of the trains (on the map) and the Discoveryland attraction closure times were posted at the entrance of the land (after the attractions closed).

It was so annoying, I will be writing a complaint to the park. I don't want to be on a downer, but hopefully this will help you.

But EMH is totally worth it. You can ride on Space Mountain with a 5 min wait. Peter Pan in 5 - 10min (instead of 40+).

Enjoy.

[DLPdaft]

Those certainly are some ridiculously short opening times Dave, no wonder you've written to complain.

[cathcuc]

Thanks for the info as of last week. I can't believe that some of the rides don't open until 12:30pm when the park is open only until 7pm. Boo hoo! It sounds like we should start in Discoveryland and then work our way to Fantasyland during EMH and then the rest of the park. How did this effect the lines? It seems like you're almost forced to do rides in a certain order since some of the big rides in Frontierland and Adventureland aren't open until 12 or 12:30pm. Do they offer Fastpasses for rides like Indiana Jones when the parks open or not until the ride itself opens? Thanks for the advance warning. Your info definitely gave me a better idea how to plan my day!

And I agree with you about writing. All the delayed opening should be in the daily times guide or at least on the tip board so you have some warning. Being a WDW fan I'm an avid planner and walking up to rides that I had no idea were closed would make me crazy. :scared1: Thanks again!

[cap'njack.]

I beleive that the Fastpass machines are open from park opening, however during off-peak times fastpasses for most rides in DLRP are not really necessary.

[davewasbaloo]

It all depends on your priorities. The longest waits are typically in Fantasyland, and also for Big Thunder, Space Mountain, Buzz and Autopia. Use that to help. Big Thunder often operates FP on quiet days (whereas others often do not).

FP machines (if they are in use at all) open at the same time or later than the attractions open.

[dixonsontour]

Yes we were there this week and saw staggered opening. I didn't realise until we tried to go on snow white and it wasn't open until 11. I think the carousel was 10-6 not 7. There was a small sign near the entrance to each ride. Also tue and wed casey and fairytail boats were shut although the park was very busy tues.

[mommy2ash]

well that just seems very annoying. i hope they dont keep up this practice or at the very least put it on the programme. i would be very annoyed if i walked from one end of the park to another to go on a ride and it was shut.

[PoppyAnna]

It was so annoying, I will be writing a complaint to the park. I don't want to be on a downer, but hopefully this will help you.

But EMH is totally worth it. You can ride on Space Mountain with a 5 min wait. Peter Pan in 5 - 10min (instead of 40+).

Enjoy.

::yes:: We were there the same week, it was very frustrating as there seemed to be an hour or so between 10-11am which was kinda like "dead" time when nothing "new" was opening. Didn't get to do "Honey I shrunk......" due to the staggered opening/closing.
EMH is really worth it, we managed it every morning, the place has a totally different feel to it at this time:thumbsup2

[fd1972uk]

From DLP EMH information sheet:-

From 30/5 - 26/06/09


Main Street USA

Plaza Gardens Restuarant
Market House Deli
Cable Car Bake Shop


Fantasyland

Sleeping Beauty Castle
Le Carrousel de Lancelot
Peter Plan's Flight (except 2-12/6/09)
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Mad Hatter's Tea Cups
It's a Small World (only 02-12/06/09)
Au Chalet de la Marionnette - fast foods


Discoveryland

Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
Orbitron
Space Mountain 2 (when this was off during our visit Star Tours took it's place).




FD