1 more week, thinking of tweaking our vacation plan - Please critique!

[myxdvz]

BTW, what time is rope drop? Is it at the published park open time or earlier?

Goals:

• DL: RRCTS, Nemo, Buzz, Autopia, Alice, PeterPan, Dumbo, CaseyJr, Indiana, Pirates, BTMR, SplashMtn, Pooh
• DCA: TSMM, Screamin, Soarin, Ariel'sUA, GRR
• Characters: Rapunzel & Flynt, Fairy Godmother, Cindy's Stepmother/Stepsisters, Fairies other than Tink, Iridessa, Phineas & Ferb, 7 Dwarves, Rabbit

We arrive on Monday, 1/16 around noon...

Day 1 (1/16), Monday

• Check in Hilton@USH
• Visit USH (open 10am - 7pm)
• Wanted to change, and add "Go to DLR for dinner and watch 8:40 RDCT fireworks" (this is so I only have to do WoC on Friday)
  

Day 2 (1/17), Tuesday

• Spend all day at USH (10am - 5pm)
• Leave USH ~5pm, drive to DLR
• Check in VGC, dinner at DTD area

Day 3 (1/18), Wednesday

• Get Soarin FPs @ 9am
• Do TTMM at DL @10am
• Get RRCTS FP
• Slow day, do the popular attractions (specially those with no FP) today if possible
  [*]? Should we skip the Fantasyland rides until tomorrow (?)
  
• Lunch at DCA, Character Dining @ Ariel's Grotto, 12nn
• Do Disney Jr, Live on Stage @ 2:15pm
• Do "My Disneyland Birthday Party" @ 3:15 Plaza Inn
• Do Jedi Training Academy @ 4:35pm, Tomorrowland Terrace (~30mins)
• Do Mickey's Soundsational Parade @ 7pm
• Do TMTMY @ 7:45pm (where's the best spot for this?)
• Leave DLR ~ 8pm

Day 4 (1/19), Thursday

• Do MM at DL @9am
• Do (or repeat) remaining Fantasyland rides during MM
• Do Billy Hill & the Hillbillies @ 1:30pm The Golden Horshoe Stage (arrive at 1pm for lunch)
• Do Pixal Pals Parade @ Hollywood Blvd
• Do Phineas and Ferb's Rockin Rollin Dance Party @ Performance Corridor @ 4:55pm
• Do the shows : Muppet3D, It's Tough to Be a Bug, etc
• Leave DLR ~ 8pm
• Do Take the Monorail to DLH for dinner @ Goofy's Kitchen

Day 5 (1/20), Friday

• Enter DCA via VGC, get WoC FP @9am
• Do brunch at Storyteller's Cafe @10am
• Checkout and leave bags for Storage
• Do Aladdin @ 12:40pm, Hyperion Theatre
• Do Disney Dance Crew! @ 3pm
• Do ElecTRONica
• Do WoC @8
• Leave DLR ~ 10pm-ish
• Check in LAX Hotel

Day 6 (1/21), Saturday

• Relax all morning, pool, etc
• Fly home

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Looks good! I thought of a few tidbits of advice. I'll concentrate on your Disney days....



Day 3 (1/18), Wednesday
Get Soarin FPs @ 9am
Do TTMM at DL @10am
Get RRCTS FP -ride it after your TTMM, there will be no line. I would either get Star Wars, Indiana, or Space FPs. Star Tours is still very popular. Probably the longest wait at DL right now.
Slow day, do the popular attractions (specially those with no FP) today if possible- ride slow loaders, nemo subs, storybook boat in the morning

? Should we skip the Fantasyland rides until tomorrow (?) You will be going through Fantasyland to get to Toontown. Spend some time in Toontown, especially those great character meets in the morning. Toontown at DL is much, much better than WDW Toontown. It is one of our favorite places.

Lunch at DCA, Character Dining @ Ariel's Grotto
Do Disney Jr, Live on Stage @ 2:15pm -doable, but you are going to feel rushed
Do "My Disneyland Birthday Party" @ 3:15 Plaza Inn
Do Jedi Training Academy @ 4:35pm, Tomorrowland Terrace (~30mins)
Do Mickey's Soundsational Parade @ 7pm
Do TMTMY @ 7:45pm (where's the best spot for this?) anywhere in front of Small World, large area, no problem with viewing
Leave DLR ~ 8pm

Day 4 (1/19), Thursday
Do MM at DL @9am
Do (or repeat) remaining Fantasyland rides during MM
Do Billy Hill & the Hillbillies @ 1:30pm The Golden Horshoe Stage (arrive at 1pm for lunch) -not the best lunch choice. You can see the show without buying any food. They do have ice cream. I would eat lunch first, or bring in lunch from another venue.
Do Pixal Pals Parade @ Hollywood Blvd
Do Phineas and Ferb's Rockin Rollin Dance Party @ Performance Corridor @ 4:55pm
Do the shows : Muppet3D, It's Tough to Be a Bug, etc
Leave DLR ~ 8pm
Do Take the Monorail to DLH for dinner @ Goofy's Kitchen

Day 5 (1/20), Friday
Enter DCA via VGC and get WoC FP @ 9am
Do brunch at Storyteller's Cafe
Slow morning... let kids sleep in
Checkout and leave bags for Storage
Do Aladdin @ 12:40pm, Hyperion Theatre
Do Disney Dance Crew! @ 3pm -this show has been cancelledDo ElecTRONica
Do WoC @8 -even with FP you will want to start lining up near Paradise Pier to get your spot, this is a standing only show, so it is important to get near any railing, especially if you have kids. I would doubt you would have time for Electronica before WOC
Leave DLR ~ 10pm-ish
Check in LAX Hotel


Have a great time!

 

[myxdvz]

Thanks Halloweenqueen! I reallly feel we WILL see each other that week

I called DVC to see if I can still get a 1/16 stay, but the villas are booked so I guess I am keeping our Hilton reservation - but do you think it's worth it to drive from USH to DLR area just so we can see RDTC on Monday night? This is so we can just concentrate on WoC on Friday.

Rope Drop? Is it at 10am (if the parks open at 10am?)

Do you think this is too much character dining? (Ariel's, GK and Storyteller's). We always try and do 1 character dining a day and I tried to do a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner - the rest I think we'll do Quickserv/Counter service.

 

[Eeee-va]

Rope drop at DL is at the posted opening time, but sometimes Main Street will open earlier. It sounds like you know the drill for DCA.

For the parade and The Magic, the Memories and You, I'd try hanging out in the Small World area for both. There's some terraced viewing (I've read it's good for the parade but I've not tried it) and that's where you want to be for The Magic, the Memories and You.

do you think it's worth it to drive from USH to DLR area just so we can see RDTC on Monday night? This is so we can just concentrate on WoC on Friday.

RDCT is the best fireworks show I've ever seen...but do you already have the extra day's admission purchased? Between the time, the gas, and the possible cost, I don't think I'd do it, even if it means missing RDCT (which may be what you have to do since the schedule for nighttime shows is pretty tight ). You'd probably have to leave USH around rush hour, too, to get to Disneyland on time. And fireworks can be cancelled for wind or other issues, and I'll bet you'd be mad if you spent a couple hours to get to DL, only to find the show wasn't running. As great a show it is, I don't think I'd try to do it that day, personally.

(If it were my trip, I'd just do USH one day, but I'm pretty obsessed with Disney. )

It's too bad that World of Color isn't playing every night during your trip, but I hope you spend a little time in Paradise Pier one of your nights when WoC isn't running. At night it is one of my favorite areas in either Disney park!

 

[myxdvz]

Rope drop at DL is at the posted opening time, but sometimes Main Street will open earlier. It sounds like you know the drill for DCA.

Now this just confused me more I have never been to a rope drop event and at WDW, we will never do it, because we are late risers. But for this trip, the parks open at 10am, and we're at VGC, so rope drop is very possible. I have always imagined rope drop at the gates, so if Main Street opens earlier (and how does one know?) - where exactly is rope drop?

RDCT is the best fireworks show I've ever seen...but do you already have the extra day's admission purchased? Between the time, the gas, and the possible cost, I don't think I'd do it, even if it means missing RDCT (which may be what you have to do since the schedule for nighttime shows is pretty tight ). You'd probably have to leave USH around rush hour, too, to get to Disneyland on time. And fireworks can be cancelled for wind or other issues, and I'll bet you'd be mad if you spent a couple hours to get to DL, only to find the show wasn't running. As great a show it is, I don't think I'd try to do it that day, personally.

(If it were my trip, I'd just do USH one day, but I'm pretty obsessed with Disney. )

It's too bad that World of Color isn't playing every night during your trip, but I hope you spend a little time in Paradise Pier one of your nights when WoC isn't running. At night it is one of my favorite areas in either Disney park!

I'm bummed too but trying to see if I can do anything about it. We have a 4 day park hopper, so were planning to do T, W, Th, F... Instead, I was going to move the T plan to Monday. We can just check in at USH, then go directly to DLR to avoid traffic and spend the whole afternoon at DL to avoid the rush hour...

 

[sierranevada]

One comment - on Friday you said you want to get FP for WoC at 9 am and then mentioned letting the kids sleep in. All the tickets have to have been used for a park admission that morning before you can get FP's so the kids will have to at least go through the turnstiles.

 

[myxdvz]

One comment - on Friday you said you want to get FP for WoC at 9 am and then mentioned letting the kids sleep in. All the tickets have to have been used for a park admission that morning before you can get FP's so the kids will have to at least go through the turnstiles.

Ah good to know.... they won't let me go thru for my kids just for FP? Does DLR use the same biometric system like WDW?

I guess the kids will have to be woken up then Go thru the turnstile, and go back to the room with their dad.. Hee.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

When we stayed at GCH they were handing out WOC FPs at the DCA entrance, we never had to use a turnsile. I could have asked for any number, but it was just my husband and I.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Ropedrop can happen at the gate. They also can start letting people in 15-30 before park opening. All of Main Street is open during this time. They have a rope blocking access to the hub and lands further. Some attractions on Main Street, such as Mr. Lincoln, are not open until park opening.

We notice many more "rope drop" openings lately than gate openings. I think they like the extra shopping/eating revenue. I don't know about this month though, because Carnation Cafe, the old bakery, and Gibson girl are in refurb. That is a big chunk of MS closed.

 

[sierranevada]

When we stayed at GCH they were handing out WOC FPs at the DCA entrance, we never had to use a turnsile. I could have asked for any number, but it was just my husband and I.

I did not see this when we were there late Sept. You might want to call the hotel and see if they are doing it.

 

[myxdvz]

I did not see this when we were there late Sept. You might want to call the hotel and see if they are doing it.

We'll be there on Tuesday night, and WoC is not until Friday - so we have enough time to ask. Either that or the CMs know us by then, and will give us the FPs