2 questions - TSMM and morning character meals

[riostoker]

1. Is TSMM open during the early morning hours (or whatever it is called when Disney hotel guests can get into DCA early)? We are not staying in a Disney hotel. I was thinking our DCA plan of attack might be to head to TSMM first at rope drop and then get RSR fastpasses, but if it has already been open for an hour by the time we get there, I'm guessing it would already have quite a line, and that might not be as good a plan as I was imagining. Maybe I'm better off going on a non-early morning day?

2. How early does Plaza Inn start doing breakfast? We will be there in September, and I don't think the parks open very early - maybe 10? Can you get in for breakfast early enough to be done about the time of rope drop? I do NOT want to waste precious morning park time eating, but if we can be done eating about the time of rope drop, I'd like to try their character breakfast.

Thanks!
ann

 

[figment_jii]

1. Is TSMM open during the early morning hours (or whatever it is called when Disney hotel guests can get into DCA early)? We are not staying in a Disney hotel. I was thinking our DCA plan of attack might be to head to TSMM first at rope drop and then get RSR fastpasses, but if it has already been open for an hour by the time we get there, I'm guessing it would already have quite a line, and that might not be as good a plan as I was imagining. Maybe I'm better off going on a non-early morning day?

On-Site guests at the DLR hotels have access to Extra Magic Hour in DCA. TSMM is included in the attractions that are open during EMH (as is RSR). They do not start distributing RSR FP until the park open to everyone. The general advice is usually to start your DCA day on a non-EMH morning.

2. How early does Plaza Inn start doing breakfast? We will be there in September, and I don't think the parks open very early - maybe 10? Can you get in for breakfast early enough to be done about the time of rope drop? I do NOT want to waste precious morning park time eating, but if we can be done eating about the time of rope drop, I'd like to try their character breakfast.

I think the Plaza Inn usually starts serving about 30 minutes before the park's regular opening time.

 

[allsaintsatx]

This is just my experience, and I'm sure someone on this board knows way better than I do, but...

1. Yes, TSMM is open during EMH.

2. Plaza Inn does not open before rope drop. We searched and searched, but the earliest we could find was 20 minutes before park opening, but you only get to walk down main street to a second rope at the end before the hub. Oh, and the rub is they drop the rope fro everyone, not just for character breakfast!

 

[calilou]

TSMM is usually open during EMH. I suggest grabbing your RSR fastpasses on the way to TSMM. It's on the way there anyway. There is often a line there but worth waiting in, and it moves quickly once the FP machines are open. If you can, you could always split up and one of you wait in the FP line while the other heads to TSMM to check out the wait there and get in line if necessary.

Plaza Inn does open before the official park opening most of the time, but I don't recall exactly when when DLP opens at 10am. Probably 9:30. So you can get in early (there's a special character breakfast turnstile open with a list of reservation names), but don't count on it being early enough to dine and finish in time for rope drop. We still like doing this though because it gets you in the parks ahead of the crowds still and the experience is fun.

 

[Winnowill]

If you are not staying at a Disney hotel, you do not get early entry at DCA ever, so you're better off starting there on a day when the early entry is at DL if TSMM is your goal.

If you're there in September, the crowd levels should be manageable enough that losing a bit of time to breakfast shouldn't impact your morning touring, especially if you schedule it for a little later in the morning. I'm looking at the TouringPlans.com crowd calendar, and most weekdays are between 2 and 4. And I don't think either park ever opens later than 9:00 am, no matter how light the crowds are expected to be.

 

[figment_jii]

And I don't think either park ever opens later than 9:00 am, no matter how light the crowds are expected to be.

Last year, the parks opened at either 8:00 am, 9:00 am, or 10:00 am depending on the day in September.

 

[jina]

Do DCA on a non-EE day, agree w/ others -have one person grab RSR FP's at regular open then head over to Toy Story.

Do DL on a MM day when you were not planning to use a MM (if you have one from a hopper ticket) and get a Plaza Inn reservation - I had one for 8:05am on a day when EE/MM was 8am and regular open 9am - we finished breakfast right at 9am so we were able to hit the left side of the park just as it was opening up for regular open. DL has a separate "character breakfast" gate where you will enter if you are not eligible for EE/MM so you can get to Plaza Inn on time.

If you can't get them to all align I'd say do DCA on a EE day and use the same strategy - grab RSR fast passes at regular open and head to Toy Story -it may not be walk on but it won't be that bad w/ the EE only crowds (unless RSR had a "Delayed opening" in which case most EE-ers would have headed over there). We went for 5 days so we were able to get it all to align.