Name your top 5 must-do's at each park

[CapnJacksGirl]

I'm bored and impatiently waiting for my DLR trip next month. Help me pass the time!

What are you top 5 must-do things at each park? It can be an attraction, a show, a character meet, a food item, whatever. Your top 5s will help me make sure I don't miss anything cool!

OK.....go!

 

[Davin_Felth]

DLR
1) Star Tours - I'm a huge Star Wars nut and it's been my top thing since my first visit to DisneyLand the year Star Tours opened
2) Indiana Jones - Great Ride, tons of fun
3) Thunder Mountain Railroad - Always loved that ride, I like the change they did with the explosives
4) Fantasmic! - Great show, fun to watch it with kids
5) Churros! I love them so much, no place does them as well as DisneyLand

DCA
1) Tower of Terror - I really enjoy the ride, but I do like it at WDW a little bit better
2) Radiator Springs Racers - I like it better than Test Track at Epcot, really well themed!
3) California Screamin' - If you like roller coasters, how could you not enjoy this ride
4) Toy Story Midway Mania - I enjoy video games and they did a great job with this ride
5) World of Color - Saw it for the first time last year, looking forward to seeing it again

 

[disneyobsessed808]

Mine are probably a little weird.

Disneyland
1. I always get a Matterhorn Macaroon, every single time I visit.
2. Plaza Inn Fried Chicken - White meat only, the dark meat is okay but I really love the White meat here
3. Ride Splash Mountain
4. Ride Jungle Cruise and try to run through the spiel along with the Skipper in your head.
5. Try to sit in the back, backwards facing seat in Casey Junior - only if the line isn't too long.
I'd say Fantasmic too, but I've avoided it since they instituted FastPass.
(Bonus that my friend always tries to do: Ride Big Thunder and time it so that the Fireworks are running during your ride)

DCA
1. Ride Radiator Springs Racers
2. Play the skiball/Bullseye game at Paradise Pier
3. Get a free sample at Ghirardelli and Bakery Tour
4. Take in the view of Ornament Valley by walking behind Flo's or eating in the back there.
5. Try the Fun Wheel of Death cars (Swinging Gondolas) at least once

 

[jammyjam25]

Disneyland:

1) Dole Whips and Churros - a must have every trip!
2) Splash Mountain - My favorite mountain in DLR. So much fun!
3) Fantasy Faire - Love meeting all the Princesses <3
4) Jungle Cruise - We start every trip with this as our first ride. It's a DLR original and a true classic!
5) Pomme Frites at Café Orleans - SO good!

DCA:

1) Radiator Springs Racers - It's the most popular ride for a reason!
2) Goofy's Sky School - Legit the most terrifying coaster in all of DLR/DCA!
3) Cove Bar - Nothing better than enjoying an adult beverage and a snack in the middle of the park!
4) Heimlich's Chew Chew Train - Yes, this is for little kids. But my BFF and I love this ride.
5) Tower of Terror - As much as I scream my head off on this, it is a ton of fun.

 

[TashaDuddek]

I am going to separate some things, only because I feel I cant do a proper top 5! I will always pick rides at being my favorite, so its hard to narrow it down.

Rides
Disneyland
1) Splash Mountain-Always feels like a extra special ride!
2)Space Mountain
3)Matterhorn
4)Indian Jones
5)Big Thunder

DCA
1)Toy Story- My favorite because half the fun is being able to compete with your loves one
2)Tower if Terror
3)RSR
4)California Screamin
5)GRR

Top 5 shows/activities
1)Fantasmic- I Have been seeing this show since I was 12 years old, so it always feels special to me!
2)Fireworks
3)Animation academy
4)The castle walkthrough
5)The petting zoo at Big Thunder Ranch

Food
1)Favorite meal is the Surf and Turf at the Blue Bayou at a waterside table. The food and atmosphere is great, but expensive enough we limit it to once every few years
2)The friend chicken at the Plaza inn
3)The Corn dogs at both Disneyland and DCA
4)Freshly made only churro's
5)Popcorn from any of the popcorn carts

 

[agamble]

Disneyland
Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Pirates, Big Thunder Mountain, and Tea Cups.

DCA
Grizzly River Run, Screamin', Toy Story, Mater's, and Pacific Wharf Café for bread bowls with soup.

I didn't get to do many of my "Must Dos" on my last trip due to pregnancy. Looking forward to riding the best the parks have to offer next time.

 

[Oswald23]

DL:
1. Indiana Jones
2. Matterhorn
3. Haunted Mansion
4. Paint The Night
5. Meet Fairies

DCA
1. Meet Oswald
2. Meet Olaf
3. Radiator Springs Racers
4. Aladdin Show
5. Soarin

 

[grnflash]

No fair, only 5 lol. I want ten. But here's my 5

DL
Pirates
Indy
Haunted Mansion Holiday (regular HM just misses the cut)
PTN (right now cause it's so new but F! is a close call)
Tigger Tail or Choclate Pineapple Spear from Pooh's Corner

CA
Viva Navidad (landslide winner)
Soarin'
Tower
Sample chocolate from Ghirrardelli
Frozen Lemonade (I know it's generic but that park gets hot!)

 

[neomouse]

That's difficult to narrow down...

Disneyland:
1. Desserts - Dole Whip, Matterhorn Macaroon, Mint Julep
2. Haunted Mansion Holiday
3. Space Mountain
4. Indy
5. Big Thunder Mountain

CA:
1. Radiator Springs Racers
2. Tower of Terror
3. Paradise Garden Grill
4. Toy Story Midway Mania
5. California Screamin'

 

[Girimama33]

My must dos in DL are:

• Ride BTMRR...a lot
• Build a Droid in Star Trader (we have quite the collection)
• Ride HM or HMH depending on the time of year
• Ride Star Tours...a lot
• Eat lunch at French Market

My must dos in DCA are:

• Ride RSR with a FP
• Ride TSMM first
• Lunch and drinks at The Cove Bar
• Buy a new shirt on Hollywood Blvd
• Disney Visa M&G

 

[Winnowill]

DLR:

• Indy
• Splash
• Space
• BTMRR
• Matterhorn

DCA:

• RSR
• California Screamin'
• Soaring
• TSMM
• WOC

 

[madmaxx]

DLR:

• Peter Pan - nostalgia
• Pirates - nostalgia
• Indy - awesomeness
• Space Mountain - super-awsomeness
• Splash - awesome-creepy-nostalgia

DCA:

• Tower of Terror - awesomeness
• Grizzly River Run - awesomeness
• Beer - relax
• Soarin' - relax
• California Screamin' - whoosh!

 

[corinne76]

Fun!

I don't get to go to DL nearly as often as most people here, but here is my list:

DL:
walk through the entrance archway, read the sign and try not to cry (or let anyone see me crying)
Peter Pan (this has been my favorite since I was a kid)
Splash
Jungle Cruise
Pirates
apparently all my favorite rides are ones I loved as a kid

DCA:
enjoy the awesome theming in Cars Land (we have a 4-yr-old boy=huge fans of the movie)
RSR
TSMM
GRR
Aladdin (though this will have to change )

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Yea! This is so much fun....keep 'em coming!!

I'm kind of surprised Pirates and Paint the Night aren't coming up more than they are. Interesting!

 

[taniahappy]

We always do every trip different but now that you made me think about it, the constants are...

***Disneyland***

- Haunted Mansion
- Walk/browse shops @ Main Street
- Take picture in front of SBC
- Ride the Railroad
- Either Space/Big Thunder/Splash

***DCA***

- Ariel's Undersea Adventure
- Beer from Karl Strauss truck (one or many)
- California Zephyr
- Pixar Parade
- Mad T Party

 

[VandVsmama]

Disneyland:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean
2. Haunted Mansion
3. Star Tours
4. Indiana Jones
5. Mr Toad's Wild Ride

DCA:

1. Soarin' Over CA
2. Toy Story
3. Ariel's Undersea Adventure
4. RSR
5. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree

 

[spacemermaid]

At Disneyland:
1. Haunted Mansion.
2. Gumbo at either Blue Bayou or Cafe' Orleans.
3. Ride the train all the way around the Park.
4. it's a small world.
5. Pirates of the Caribbean.

At California Adventure:
1. Radiator Springs Racers...preferably at night!
2. Get a dark chocolate sundae at Ghirardelli.
3. Watch the sunset-time lighting of Carsland.
4. Eat at Flo's.
5. Tower of Terror.

 

[DisneyMommy403]

This is an awesome thread! Great idea!


Disneyland
1. Splash Mountain - my favorite!
2. Shop at the Emporium on Main St
3. Jungle Cruise
4. Grab gumbo or chowder bowl while we wait for fantasmic
5. Ride the railroad all the way around as our last ride as a goodbye when our vacation is over

DCA
1. RSR
2. WOC
3. The Little Mermaid
4. Hot Cocoa from Ghiradelli
5. Turtle Talk - kids say the cutest things!

 

[mgmgbook]

DL
1. Matterhorn - (I think. Last time I rode it, it hurt - a lot!)
2. BTMRR - can't wait! It was being refurbished during our last trip.
3. Star Tours
4. Buzz Lightyear's ride
5. Fantasmic

DCA
1. RSR (of course)
2. TSMM - if the line was shorter, we would ride this so often
3. Animation Academy - I love trying to draw some of the characters
4. Aladdin - the genie is awesome!
5. Soarin

 

[stephanie22]

Disneyland
1. Ride Big Thunder Mountain
2. Eat at Bangal barbecue (love the kabobs there)
3. Try to find rare characters to meet, and always Cinderellla.
4. Idk if they still have the tangled show in the fantasyfaire, but it is my favorite
5. Haunted Mansion
6. Parades

California Adventure
1. RSR
2. Animation Academy
3. Walking through all the shops
4. Mators junkyard jamboree
5. Cheddar and broccoli soup in bread bowl