need advice

[jakoky]

Hi there, we are on the countdown now, only 26 sleeps til we leave for our 10 night disneyland vacation....we are travelling with another family(we also travelled with them to WDW in dec 04)...we travelled with just our family to DL last year in may...Our flight has changed and we now arrive in LA at 9 am on sept 15 and we dont fly out til sept 25(early am)...Both times we havent seen fastasmic and would really like to see it, but we know it is only on the weekends...we are wondering if there is a difference in crowds between fridays and saturdays...We have planned a longer than normal trip so that we can do 5 days at DL(possibly 6), a day a knotts, a day at soak city, and 2-3 pool/shopping days...We are thinking of going in on the saturday we arrive(late afternoon) but my DH is scared of the crowds..we went last may and did 4 weekdays with almost no wait times, then did one day on the weekend and it was soooooo packed....We are just wondering what or when the best time to do fantasmic would be, is it a waste of a day to go in around 4 the first day and stay til close...thanks so much
sharon
sharon
me, dh, dd-16-, ds-14-, dd-turns 12 in 16 days(and we leave for disney 11 days later)
WDW-Dec 04-first disney experience for my DH, DD, DS, DD and first time at WDW for us all
DL-MAY 06-first time at DL for DH and kids , and my 9th(but the first 8 were all by the time i was about 13) so it was all new to me
COUNTDOWN IS ON....WE ARE GOING BACK TO DL SEPT 15-25!!!!!

 

[AmericanItGirl]

Since it's mid-September, the crowds shouldn't be too bad. Locals and the summer crowds will be back in school. Friday would be even better crowd-wise if you can swing it. Go to the later show and you should be good. You'll be glad you did.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm going at almost the same time, and I have the calendar up for the 17th through 22nd. And I don't think you have a choice for Friday and Fantasmic, as it isn't on the calendar for Friday the 21st.

Do you have the 22nd free for DL, or is the 15th your only choice? I might choose the 22nd, since you would be getting so little time at the park not getting there until 4. Unless you were upgrading to APs (like we are planning), I just don't think I'd "waste" half a day. Unless you have something planned for the 22nd and can't do it then.

Oh wait, I don't have either Sunday up, maybe it's showing on Sunday?

 

[jakoky]

hi there, we completely have the 22nd free, i was worried it might be a little busier as the halloween decorations will then be up...do u know if that makes much of a difference??? We can pretty much go anyday that we are there, we are actually planning around our disney days....we are looking at just going during the least busiest days but know we will have to include one weekend day to get fantasmic and the fireworks...thanks so much
sharon

 

[joseph821]

Hi there, we are on the countdown now, only 26 sleeps til we leave for our 10 night disneyland vacation....we are travelling with another family(we also travelled with them to WDW in dec 04)...we travelled with just our family to DL last year in may...Our flight has changed and we now arrive in LA at 9 am on sept 15 and we dont fly out til sept 25(early am)...Both times we havent seen fastasmic and would really like to see it, but we know it is only on the weekends...we are wondering if there is a difference in crowds between fridays and saturdays...We have planned a longer than normal trip so that we can do 5 days at DL(possibly 6), a day a knotts, a day at soak city, and 2-3 pool/shopping days...We are thinking of going in on the saturday we arrive(late afternoon) but my DH is scared of the crowds..we went last may and did 4 weekdays with almost no wait times, then did one day on the weekend and it was soooooo packed....We are just wondering what or when the best time to do fantasmic would be, is it a waste of a day to go in around 4 the first day and stay til close...thanks so much
sharon
sharon
me, dh, dd-16-, ds-14-, dd-turns 12 in 16 days(and we leave for disney 11 days later)
WDW-Dec 04-first disney experience for my DH, DD, DS, DD and first time at WDW for us all
DL-MAY 06-first time at DL for DH and kids , and my 9th(but the first 8 were all by the time i was about 13) so it was all new to me
COUNTDOWN IS ON....WE ARE GOING BACK TO DL SEPT 15-25!!!!!

Friday night for Fantasmic would be less crowded. I am not sure if ether are 2 showings of Fantasmic on September Fridays -- but if there are go to the second showing ( less crowds than first showing). Enjoy!

 

[ScooterL]

hi there, we completely have the 22nd free, i was worried it might be a little busier as the halloween decorations will then be up...do u know if that makes much of a difference???

If last year is any indication, then yes, the 22nd will be busy since it's the first weekend for Haunted Mansion Holiday and all of the other Disney's HalloweenTime festivities.

I'd anticipate the 15th would be a little less busy since it's sort of in the middle of the month in between Labor Day and the start of the Halloween stuff. But that's just a guess.

Do you have APs? If so, it might still be worth going on the 22nd if you arrive BEFORE the park opens and leave after a few hours when it starts to get crowded. You can do a lot in those first couple of hours.

 

[bumbershoot]

Me again.

Something I noticed is that while there are fireworks on Friday and Saturday, Fantasmic (and only ONE Fantasmic) is on Saturday AND SUNDAY (just noticed this!). So you could "do" them on different days. Now, I don't know if you stand in the same place to watch both? I've never been to either (hence my obsessive checking of the calendar on disneyland's website), but even if you do stay in the same spot, you wouldn't have to *worry* about the fireworks if you saw them on a separate day from F.

I've never been on a weekend, not even a Friday, so I don't know what the crowds are like. But they won't be like during the summer! Or so I've heard. So even though they might be *more*, I know that I myself am not anticipating them to be unbearable.

But still, I'm just not sure that I personally could handle giving up a full day for just a half day to see Fantasmic.

And since I just noticed Fantasmic is on Sunday, that gives you another chance to see it, after spending a full day there.

Also, 4pm? If you get to LAX at 9, time to get luggage and to your transportation...is it another hour on the road to get to Anaheim (coming in on a Saturday...are there games you have to wonder about causing problems with traffic? here in Seattle that's a huge factor, with all three stadiums in the same few square miles)...put your bags in the hotel's luggage storing area if your room isn't ready...I'm no expert but if it were me, I wouldn't anticipate it taking 7 hours after landing! Maybe you'll have more time than you think?


But I also just noticed you said that you are planning 5, maybe 6, days at DL. So that might mean you have APs? With APs, I'd do it, go there at 4pm and see the show.

 

[silence]

i agree, i think the park will be much busier on the 22nd than the 15th.

we don't do "weekends" in the park unless we are staying for a special event. (we did fantasmic balcony on a december trip once on a saturday, only going into the park for the show and a ride or two after). we just really can't stand crowds and you totally notice the difference, even fridays are busier.

good luck, have a great trip.

 

[jakoky]

thanks so much for all everyones advice, i really, really appreciate it...we do not have AP's...we just have gotten 5 day passes but we were very lucky and have gotten them free through our airmiles program-that is why we are thinking of putting a 6th day on our tickets once we get there...We arrive at the airport at 9:15 and our private shuttle is stopping at a grocery store for us and i am optimisitc we will be at our motel by 12:30 or 1:00...we were going to let the kids have a swim and do a quick lunch at espn and then head into DL, but we could definately go in earlier than 4...i just figured that during the week it is only open 10 hours and this way would could get in about 7 but i dont want to waste a day if we dont have to....I just know how much my DH and kids hated that saturday we went in last year after our WDW trip we had NO crowds and the other days in DL last year were so quiet...But we want to see fantasmic if we can and would love to ride some of the rides in the dark ...We could maybe go in the following saturday or sunday and go early in the morning, leave for while in the afternoon, and then go in later in the in the afternoon...thanks again for all your help...from all your opinions, is fantasmic something not to miss...Is it something we "have to do"..my kids are at extremely easy ages to plan with as i will be tired out WAY before they will be....
sharon
me, dh, dd-16-, ds- 14-, dd-turning 12 in 15 days and we leave for DL 10 days later-
WDW-Dec 04-first disney experience for my DH, DD, DS, DD and first time at WDW for us all
DL-MAY 06-first time at DL for DH and kids , and my 9th(but the first 8 were all by the time i was about 13) so it was all new to me
COUNTDOWN IS ON....WE ARE GOING BACK TO DL SEPT 15-25!!!!!-25 more sleeps til we leave