2 parks in One Day?? (JANUARY)

[MainStMandy]

Is it possible? We only have one day (a Saturday) and I was hoping to see both DL And CA. Can we do this??

 

[party-five]

you will have to decide the three or four things that really matter to you in each park and just focus on doing them - You can probably do most of CA in a 1/2 day but you'll have to be selective at DL - AND USE FASTPASS!!!! This will be important - collect them throughout the day and use them in the evening (you don't have to use them by the end time on the card)

 

[kingLouiethe1]

You can totally do it, as long as you don't expect to see it all.

If you make a list of things you would like to see in each of the parks, get there early for the popular rides, and stay until Disneyland closes you can do a lot. Good luck!

 

[Sherry E]

Is it possible? We only have one day (a Saturday) and I was hoping to see both DL And CA. Can we do this??

I am saying YES. This is an area of some mild disagreement among some of the good people on this board. Many will say an unequivocal "NO. You cannot do both parks in one day." I tend to think that those people view a one-day schedule in terms of what they themselves would want to do in the parks, but not everyone is going to follow those same agendas. So it all boils down to what your own main interests and priorities are for a full day in the parks. For example, not everyone needs to see the parades and other shows, so they can cross those off their lists if they don't. Some people ONLY want to do rides and that's it. Some people don't care if they get on too many rides, but just kind of want a mix of some rides and some shopping and some eating, and that's good enough.

So my personal answer as to whether or not you can swing two parks in one day is yes. My friend from Georgia was out here during the peak of summer last year and took her mom and son to DLR. I gave her tips and suggestions on what to see that was new since when she had last been there. I also gave her ideas on how to get the most for her limited time, and how to save waiting time. They ended up having a really full day, and they didn't even stay until DL closed. They got a LOT done in DCA and a LOT done in DL, and even had a character breakfast too. They went on so many rides, I can't even list them all here. They skipped the parades and a couple of the shows.

It is totally possible to do both parks in one day as long as you realize that you won't get to see and do EVERYTHING in both parks. You may not have the same Must-Sees that the folks who say you cannot do it have on their lists. If you resign yourself to the fact that you will just be doing sort of a 'highlight tour' of DL and DCA, and will have to skip some things, you will be fine. Just make lists before hand of the necessary things you MUST do, try to get there as close to the DL opening as possible and leave as near to when the park closes as possible, use Fast Passes, make Priority Seating plans for table service restaurants if you want to save time waiting to be seated, and hop over to DCA when DL starts to get really crowded during the day, and you will get a LOT done. It just requires a little planning, but it is definitely possible with realistic expectations. Sure, it is not the ideal scenario to only be able to have one day to play in both parks, but you can manage to do a lot in that brief time!!

 

[pixiewings71]

Sure you can, but you'll miss some stuff. As a PP said, use FP religiously! And you do not have to use the pass within the time window on the ticket, just the same day.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Can you experience both Parks in one day? Absolutely.

Can you experience everything there is to see in both Parks in one day? No way. (Can't even do that for Disneyland in one day!)

DCA and DL are a few minutes apart from each other if you time the walk from front gate to front gate.

- Dreams

 

[Hound 109]

Is it possible? We only have one day (a Saturday) and I was hoping to see both DL And CA. Can we do this??

I agree with the folks above that it is "doable" & worth it.....& that you'll have to be selective & prioritize a little. A few quick tips:

- Get to the front gates 40 - 50 min. prior to Gen. Adm. opening. (Sat. is a MM day)
- Avoid FL first thing as it will be filled with MM people.
- Pick up FPs early & often.
- Hop to DCA when it gets crowded at DL.
- Return to DL later with 4-6 FPs in your pocket.

I found this thread to be helpful when i first tried to understand FPs & the art of zigging when others are zagging.:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=885132

This thread has alot of opinions regarding park hopping & effective touring & FP collecting:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1491961

& the rest of HydroGuy's tip threads you might find helpful:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483

& although not necessarily a recommended itinerary, my one day trip report might add some insight as to how someone (with a little bit of knowledge & planning based on many of the tips discussed in the threads above) would tour BOTH parks in one day.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1975805


Have a great time visiting Walt's Park.

 

[TheAXIOM]

Like everyone else has said, it is definitely possible. You simply need to prioritize which rides and shows are your must-dos and do them.

Fastpasses are always good, do those! As a note, the Roger Rabbit ride is on a separate network from all the other rides, so you can get fastpasses to that while you have FPs for another ride!

The lines usually die down for a few rides during the fireworks and Fantasmic, too.

 

[MainStMandy]

Thank you all so much!! I leave tomorrow (very early) for California. I am training all week and next Saturday will be our day in the parks. I think we are going to try both parks thanks to all your advice!

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you all so much!! I leave tomorrow (very early) for California. I am training all week and next Saturday will be our day in the parks. I think we are going to try both parks thanks to all your advice!

It will be worth it! Just try to get into DL as early in the morning as possible and leave as close to when DL closes as possible, and you will easily be able to squeeze in some quality DCA time in the middle of the day. Let us know how it went when you get back, and exactly how much you were able to accomplish!!

 

[MainStMandy]

It will be worth it! Just try to get into DL as early in the morning as possible and leave as close to when DL closes as possible, and you will easily be able to squeeze in some quality DCA time in the middle of the day. Let us know how it went when you get back, and exactly how much you were able to accomplish!!

Thanks! That's the plan. This was supposed to be a solo trip but I convinced my mom to come. Our boss not only paid for her airfare and rental car but is paying for us to stay at the Disneyland Hotel for that weekend My plan is to get to DL early, hit CA in the afternoon with late lunch at Wine Country Trattoria and then back to DL to hit more rides and fireworks!!

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks! That's the plan. This was supposed to be a solo trip but I convinced my mom to come. Our boss not only paid for her airfare and rental car but is paying for us to stay at the Disneyland Hotel for that weekend My plan is to get to DL early, hit CA in the afternoon with late lunch at Wine Country Trattoria and then back to DL to hit more rides and fireworks!!

Thanks again everyone!

That's great! So you have company on your trip AND you get to stay at DLH, which is awesome! Wine Country Trattoria is excellent - yummy meatball sandwiches and HUGE pizzetta salad big enough for 2 or 3 people to eat!! Also, they serve orange sorbet in an orange peel. WCT is also a good choice because it tends not to be as crowded as some of the other DLR restaurants, from what I have seen, and it is usually easy to get seated immediately, though having a PS made is always a good thing to do, just in case. It sounds like you have a good plan mapped out, so I think it will work well. And if it rains at all or threatens to rain, that will drive the crowds way down so you will be able to hit more rides. Have fun!