DCA - how long would it take to accomplish this "to do" list?

[snowybelle]

I just want to get a ballpark estimate (it will help to plan some meals, shows, breaks)...

If we do 8am early entry on Monday May, 9th at DCA with the following "check list", how long do you think it would take us to accomplish the following attractions (using FastPass for a couple key things):

- California Screamin
- Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters
- Maters Jamboree
- Mickey's Fun Wheel
- Monsters Inc
- Radiator Springs
- Tower of Terror
- Toy Story MM
- Goofy's Sky School

Would that number of attractions be do-able before a lunch break? Just gathering data/opinions for now... to help adjust our plans/expectations... Any suggestions for order of operations?

FWIW, we are DLR newbies (but WDW vets), two adult females in good shape with lots of energy

 

[figment_jii]

May 8th is a Sunday...did you mean Monday, May 9th or Sunday, May 8th? I ask because I do think it makes a difference because Sunday is the last day of the Tinker Bell Half Marathon.

 

[snowybelle]

May 8th is a Sunday...did you mean Monday, May 9th or Sunday, May 8th? I ask because I do think it makes a difference because Sunday is the last day of the Tinker Bell Half Marathon.

Whoops! Monday, May 9th. (will edit above )

 

[Angrose]

I think yes, you can do it. I put your attractions into Touring Plans for that day and they say you can be done by 11:15am. I'm not sure I agree with the order they having you doing things and I don't know that I trust the wait times they have posted, but even if you switched things around a bit it should be doable. At least you could do single rider for RSR if necessary.

 

[SMD]

If you take your lunch break after 2pm, sure.

 

[mgd]

I don't agree with a 12 min wait for tsmm at 9:45.

Stick with rsr or fp or tsmm first thing. Mater, monsters, goofy should be shorter waits. Before lunch for all will be very tight, even 2pm. Sounds like a fun challenge though.

 

[SMD]

I also don't see a 4 minute wait for Luigi's or a 1 minute duration when you add loading and unloading. I don't see how you can walk to get an FP at ToT and then to Screamin in 10 minutes. And then a 4 minute wait a GSS isn't likely, and 8 minutes to walk back to ToT which you'll ride in 6 minutes. Even if you go right into the video with FP you still have to load and unload that room, watch that, then load and unload the ride.

 

[figment_jii]

Wow, it's interesting to see what a Touring Plans schedule looks like. I agree with the PPs that the wait times and walking times seem a little unrealistic. Although, if you do follow the TP, I'd be curious to see how closing it was...

Overall, I think you can get a lot of the attractions done in four hours, but I'm not sure you can get to all of them. If you're willing to ride separately, I'd strongly consider the SRL for RSR as a means of shortening the wait for that attraction. Personally, I'd rather try to group rides together to avoid criss-crossing the park, but it might be a bit unavoidable if you wanted to get a FP for something like ToT or RSR.

 

[keen23]

We went to DCA on a very overcast day in December and did the entire park in under 4 hours (some rides multiple times). The only ride that had a wait time was Radiator Springs. Everything else was walk-on. It was great. We were told after the fact that we lucked out.

 

[corinne76]

I don't agree with a 12 min wait for tsmm at 9:45.

Stick with rsr or fp or tsmm first thing. Mater, monsters, goofy should be shorter waits. Before lunch for all will be very tight, even 2pm. Sounds like a fun challenge though.

Yeah, I dont see this happening either. We were there a couple of weeks ago, and if we weren't at TSMM first thing, we didn't do it. I think we managed to get here about 8:30 on an 8 open day, and waited about 20-25 min, which was pretty good. The line quickly built from there

 

[snowybelle]

Thanks everyone for your replies and for weighing in on this! I do have a subscription to TouringPlans and I have used it successfully at WDW in the past, but I've heard that it's not nearly as accurate when it comes to DLR. (Btw, thank you so much Angrose for making a plan just for me, that was very generous of you!)

I'm not necessarily attached to getting all of those things done before an afternoon break, just curious what might be possible.

Strongly considering skipping TSMM, as I've ridden it a bunch at WDW and, while I like the ride quite a bit, it sounds like it is identical at DCA and perhaps not worthy of being high on the priority list.

That said, if we are skipping TSMM, what should we do FIRST on an Early Entry morning? (Most advice I've read syas do Toy Story first...)

 

[Nonsuch]

Wow, it's interesting to see what a Touring Plans schedule looks like...

It seems Touring Plans is essentially worthless.

...if we are skipping TSMM, what should we do FIRST on an Early Entry morning?

I would recommend starting with Luigi's. It should be a walk on, since the majority of guests go to RSR first.

Use the main park entrance for EMH, rather than GCH entrance.

 

[Ckkk]

I'd definitely start with Toy Stoy and Screamin for magic hour. I cant remember if goofy/ferris wheel is open if it is , I'd do whatever time allows and then grab fast passes for Racers when they open the fast passes up at like 850 and then do Luigis and maters. After that grab a snack or do whatever you didn't do yet on paradise pier. Head over to Monsters Inc and you should be pretty close to being able to fast pass Tower(probably wont be over a 20 minute wait) and then head over to Racers and your list should be done by noon.

 

[adykate]

Goofys has never been open for magic hour when we have been there. Also, we have been in the parks multiple times the Monday after a race weekend and it has still been quite a bit crowded in the morning, It does tend to thin out as the day goes on.

 

[SMD]

I agree that people tend to hand around for an extra day or 2 after race weekends, but this one isn't a 3 day weekend, and it didn't sell out, which makes me think that by midday Monday will be more like Tuesday after a race weekend. Which means higher than you'd expect but not race weekend awful.

 

[PHXscuba]

Single rider lines at Screamin', Radiator Springs, and Goofy's will help you a lot.

If it were my friend and me, I'd probably:
Luigi's (since it's new and a slow loader)
Radiator Springs Racers as single riders
Mater
Collect a FP for RSR (if you really liked it)
TSM if the line hasn't gotten too long (and remember no FP users making it longer)
Mickey's Fun Wheel
Screamin' single rider (unless the line says under 10 min, then use the regular line)
Goofy's, single rider
Tower of Terror
Monster's Inc.

On a good day you could do all of that in 3 hours (although I agree with PPers that the Touring Plans order is wacky), but regardless you could do it before a midday break or lunch. With what I outlined above, I think your only longer waits should be TSM and Tower of Terror.

PHXscuba

 

[taniahappy]

Grab a Fastpass for RSR first things and then head to Toy Story Mania... its doable

 

[realrellim]

It depends on crowds but is probably doable if you have a late lunch. If you do Touring Plans and use the app, optimize it when you get there. We were on the park on Saturday a couple of weeks ago and we did have the EMH at 7 am so we did Soarin', grabbed a FP for World of Color, then went over to RSR which only had a 20-minute wait. We finished that just as the park opened to everyone at 8 am, headed over to TSMM and had a short wait. DH and DD1 also rode Screamin' with a very short wait. Then we all did Mickey's Fun Wheel, some of the Paradise Pier rides, and then DH and DD1 rode Goofy's Sky School while DD2 and I did Ariel's. Then we all headed over to ride Monsters. The wait for Monsters was about twice as long as TP predicted (and than the Disneyland app showed) than it should have been because the ride stopped while we were in line; Ariel's also stopped at least three if not four times when we rode it (once with DD2 and again with the whole family when they finished Goofy's). We had reservations at Goofy's Kitchen for brunch at 11:35, so we left the park around 11:20 and booked it over there. We also stopped and grabbed breakfast at Flo's V8 at some point, probably around 9 am or so because the kids and I were super hungry.

I definitely think the walking times are all fine if you walk at a reasonable pace (which some people, including my husband define as "fast" but I define as "normal"...though this is probably also the reason that I was able to eat a small breakfast at Flo's V8 and enjoy a great brunch at Goofy's. We logged 8 or 9 miles a day during our three days in the park!). A lot of people mosey through the park, but as long as it's not too crowded you should be fine. Also, I initially had serious doubts about the Touring Plans suggestions for our day in DCA but it turned out to be the best of the three days we were at DLR. We did keep comparing it with the Disneyland app's wait times just in case.

 

[JargonX]

That TP schedule has a lot of issues. I've never used TP at DCA, but I am an AP holder here and go all the time. You should definitely be able to get everything done by lunch if ou move fast.

Look into RideMax--for me, my first few times at DL/DCA--it worked perfectly.

 

[Ndusmama]

Early entry only has cars land and soarin open. You can't get fast passes until shortly before regular park open.