1st trip to DL, going solo, am I crazy?

[jswalker1981]

Ok, I'm a WDW veteran, but I've never been to DL. So I'm looking at going for labor day weekend, but everyone I know is busy, so it looks as if I'm going solo. What do I need to know? My trip will be five days, but the last day will be traveling back to FL, so at best, I will be able to go to the parks for 3 1/2 days. So please, give me all the knowledge you can think of. What restaurants should I try, I'm not a big character meal fan, so I won't be going to any of those. And are there any touring tips I should know about?

 

[DangerMouse]

First of all you should read Hydroguy's Tips Complitation sticky at the top of the forum. Specifically, you will want to start with this one:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

Are you aware that Labor Day weekend is the Disneyland Half-Marathon? That might make the parks a bit more crowded than normal.

 

[bumbershoot]

Solo is great! Even if it's busy, you can move as fast as you wish to without losing anyone in the crowd. If you get stuck in a line that is moving to slow for your tastes, you have only YOUR wishes to deal with, if you think about leaving the line. You can eat at non-meal times easily, just sit if you want to, and so on.

Single Rider lines are great. Screamin's single line is great, and I assume Grizzly's is good to, though I've never been there when it's busy enough to warrant one. They always put singles into rafts with other families/people anyway. There are also single rider lines for...Splash, Soarin', Mulholland Madness, and Maliboomer, and I will bet you a dollar I've missed one that I remembered earlier. Oh and the new Toy Story Midway Mania ride has one, but right now they aren't using it (I would hope by Labor Day they will be, though).

 

[jswalker1981]

First of all you should read Hydroguy's Tips Complitation sticky at the top of the forum. Specifically, you will want to start with this one:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

Are you aware that Labor Day weekend is the Disneyland Half-Marathon? That might make the parks a bit more crowded than normal.

Any idea when the marathon is done running through DL? I really don't want my first steps into Disneyland be me jumping out of the way of several runners.

 

[bumbershoot]

The main race is on the 31st, and it says "The Disneyland® Half Marathon will take place on Sunday, August 31, 2008 and is scheduled to begin at 6:00 a.m." Runners must complete it in "three and a half (3.5) hours or less. Anyone not able to maintain a 16-minute per mile pace will be picked up".

There's a link here to the course map PDF, and it looks like the actual time in the parks happens early on, and the finishing won't bother guests inside the parks.

The 5K is on the 30th, starts at 7, and participants have to maintain a 15 minute mile.

Besides people being there for it, it doesn't *seem* that the running will actually cause problems in the parks.

 

[DLR29]

Single Rider lines are great. Screamin's single line is great, and I assume Grizzly's is good to, though I've never been there when it's busy enough to warrant one. They always put singles into rafts with other families/people anyway. There are also single rider lines for...Splash, Soarin', Mulholland Madness, and Maliboomer, and I will bet you a dollar I've missed one that I remembered earlier. Oh and the new Toy Story Midway Mania ride has one, but right now they aren't using it (I would hope by Labor Day they will be, though).

I'll bet you that dollar! You got them all.

 

[bonita_babe232]

.... but just looking at the map for the race got me tired

 

[joeysmommy]

You are so lucky to be able to experience DL by yourself!
I just got back from a trip with 9 people and I was wishing I could ditch them.
They were dead weight and I could have seen and experienced so much more by myself.
I know that sounds terrible, but the parks were so crowded and so much time was wasted negotiating on what to do next, shopping when I didn't want to and uncoordinated bathroom breaks.

Meet up with another Disboarder and have a great time!