Tips for Afternoon Arrival

[savvy?71]

This is when I learned to appreciate WDW's new Fastpass sytem; having a few afternoon rides booked makes arrival day great!

I assume there is no advanced FP booking at DL yet. I passed on the red eye flight from New England; yes, we'd get an extra park morning but we'd all be cranky zombies. So we won't get into parks until 1-2 (this Tuesday!).

We may just enjoy pool and stroll in park later for supper, a few rides. Or would it be better to go straight to parks and hope for some FP success? I am not sure how the afternoon-evening flow is going at DL with the recent FP changes so any suggestions/tips are much appreciated!

 

[mom2rtk]

There has been no indication that DL plans to add advance booking for FP, even with the new system. MaxPass has not started yet but could at any time, so just keep an eye on the boards before you leave for any updates.

Keep an eye on the DL app to see which FPs are still available. I'm guessing there will be some FPs left (one of the perks of no advance booking!). Don't expect RSR or GotG, but I bet other things will have availability.

 

[tarheelalum]

Most of the more popular attractions will probably be out of fast passes by that time but not all of them.

 

[alvernon90]

You will have some manner of FP success but probably not for super headliners. Think more like Buzz Lightyear. But unlike WDW, there are plenty of good rides that do not have FP and the standby waits are likely to be tolerable even when you arrive.

We like to spend a first afternoon with a reserved sit-down meal (Blue Bayou is a favorite) and then focus on seeing shows or doing less popular attractions. You might find that if you are already behind in the FP game, that afternoon/evening might be well spent waiting to see parades or fireworks.

 

[AC7179]

We will arrive around one on the 29th. We are planning to eat at Earl of Sandwich, leisurely take the Monorail to Disneyland (we don't waste the time to enter that way normally), and hopefully get an immediate fast pass for Buzz Lightyear, Star Tours, and then the Matterhorn with a short delay. We will ride Buzz, Star Tours, maybe Autopia and then hopefully catch the 430 parade before heading back to the hotel.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

DH and DD13 arrived into DL last mon around 1:00pm and DH said it was very tough. It was very hot, pretty crowded and a bit difficult to get going. Based on their experience, I would relax and swim and maybe not even go into the park until the next morning. I am not sure I would enter the park at 1pm.

Have a great trip whatever you decide!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

If it was me, I would either relax at the hotel pool in the afternoon and head to the parks in the evening, or enjoy DTD or maybe try DCA if you want to try a park earlier. Checking the app for wait times will give you an idea of how crowded it is. In my experience DCA is frequently less crowded in the afternoons than DL, which can get quite congested but it really depends on the day and lately, the weather.

 

[mom2rtk]

We will arrive around one on the 29th. We are planning to eat at Earl of Sandwich, leisurely take the Monorail to Disneyland (we don't waste the time to enter that way normally), and hopefully get an immediate fast pass for Buzz Lightyear, Star Tours, and then the Matterhorn with a short delay. We will ride Buzz, Star Tours, maybe Autopia and then hopefully catch the 430 parade before heading back to the hotel.

If you can't get a FP for Matterhorn, don't forget about the single rider line.

Sounds like a great start to your visit!

 

[Linkura]

We're arriving around the same time on a Sunday. The plan is to hit up single rider rides (Splash and IJ) and get less-in-demand FPs like BTMRR, HM, and maybe RR. We also plan to hit Pirates since we'll mainly be in that half of the park.