A couple more yes-i'm-overplanning questions :)

[CapnJacksGirl]

Which attraction(s) are higher FP priority....Indiana Jones or Space Mountain/Star Tours? We're trying to figure out which direction to go after EMH if we don't finish FL and already find ourselves in TL.

In general, which DL attractions do the non-EMH masses head for at rope drop? We'll try to check off as much during EMH as possible (skipping Peter Pan on our first EMH day to get more in). I'm guessing HM during Halloween Time is near the top of that list. We may stalk the FP machine there just prior to opening so we can snag those and see Jack & Sally while we wait, at least on one day.

I've read that the new bobsleds on Matterhorn have made it rougher than Space. Opinions? I want to do it since it's a DL classic but Space puts me directly into needing a chiropractor so I'm not sure if I should do it or not. Is it just a rough ride or rough and jerky? My finicky neck would like to know.

Thanks to everyone for your kind and helpful responses thus far. (I may still have more questions!) It's been incredibly helpful to a DLR first-timer like me. I'm starting to get a feel for what we need to do. Honestly, I think the only thing that's really still making me go "what?" is having to pay $17 per night to park at PPH. I guess I'm too used to WDW and the free parking!

 

[Girimama33]

I love the new Matterhorn effects...makes up for the bumpy ride IMO.
Out of IJA/ST/SM...FPs for SM will go first. I do not find that ride particularly jerky.
I do not find more people go to TL vs AL/NOS area. The HMH FPs are sometimes available. I have not heard any reports yet that they are available.
I would probably head to the Matterhorn, and then ST. Grab a Space FP, and head to AL. Do IJA stand by if the line is short, otherwise head to HM or BTMRR. When you are finished there, the window for Space may be open. I would get a FP for IJA or BTMRR (whichever you were not able to ride, or want to ride again), and head to Space.

 

[ktlm]

Yep- that $17 drives me nuts every tip! We are used to WDW and since the DLR resorts are already higher priced (we can spend the same price for 4 nights at DLH as we usually do for a week at a WDW deluxe) that extra charge for parking at your own resort that they do not do at WDW totally irritates me!


Matterhorn is very rough. It was rough before they refurbished it and the reports I have seen are that it is not better now. We did that one on one DLR trip and decided never again. I would describe it as rough and jerky. If there is a chance it will make you miserable the rest of the day if it is too rough on your neck, I would probably skip it. It is a classic and great to try once, but not if it is going to ruin the rest of your day.

As far as the attractions you listed, I have never been there when Space Mountain has Ghost Galaxy for the Halloween season, but I would guess that would bump up the ride times and make the FP more useful on that. Someone else who has been during that time can probably say if Ghost Galaxy should make that your No. 1 choice. (Outside of the Ghost Galaxy Halloween season, I would put SM 3rd on your choices. We have been able to pick up a FP for that in the afternoon before).

Star Tours has a consistently longer line than you will find at WDW. Unlike WDW where Star Tours is often walk on or 10 minutes, Star Tours can be consistently 45 minutes to an hour at DLR. You definitely want a FP for that at some point-- but it is also identical to the one at WDW. Because it is identical to the one at DLR- to me that makes Indiana Jones the more important of the 2 rides. There is nothing like Indiana Jones at WDW. I know that it has the same vehicles as Dinosaur and the same track technology- but I hate Dinosaur and I love Indy (be aware with your neck that Indy is bumpy and jerky though- if I were going to take a risk- Indy is a much better ride than Matterhorn). So for us, we usually FP+ Indy first and then Star Tours--- UNLESS the Star Tours FP kicks in within the next 30 minutes or so-- then we will do it first since we are typically closer to it in the mornings and then move over to Indy. Indy also has a single rider line which can be useful-- the CM at it can direct you to where to go as it is not well marked.

As far as the morning run- at least this summer, it was Peter Pan. Peter Pan had been closed awhile for a refurbishment. That line has always seemed to build really fast at DL and there is no FP, but this year it was crazy. You should be pleasantly surprised at how low the crowds are for most of the attractions in the first hour or so the park is open. We always are- it typically is must less than WDW which I assume is because there is a bigger local crowd and they don't get moving and get there as early.

What ever you do, don't miss the new Paint the Night parade. It is the best Disney parade we have ever seen. If they happen to be running it twice the night you are there, we found that the 2nd showing is much easier to get a spot.

Are you going to CA too? The run there is typically for RSR and TSM. TSM is not FP, but the good thing is that its line can often be 30 or 40 minutes (and dropping to 20 here and there) most of the day, where at WDW the line is typically 60 minutes or more. RSR has a single rider line. We use it a lot because it is DD's favorite ride. Also, if you are not as concerned about what time your FP is for that, there is an initial rush to the FP machines, but then after about 15 minutes or so, it dies down significantly. The line for those machines does move fast though, so don't be intimidated by the length oft he line. People also run to Olaf there in the mornings-- we wound that if you wait until late morning or the afternoon, his line is only 10 or 15 minutes. We saw him 2 different days on our trip because the line was short and he was just so cute! Also don't miss the Aladdin show. It is fantastic and they are getting rid of it in January to replace it with a Frozen show to ram more of the oversaturation of Frozen down everyone's throat. The Aladdin show, in my family's opinion, is better than any of the WDW shows (and we like those).

Have a great trip!!! We fell in love with DLR so much that now we alternate between WDW and DLR!

 

[4Siamese]

Really IMO it is what you value the most. All 3 in my experience are popular but there really should be no reason why you couldn't manage all of them in a day using fastpass and regular line.

I think though that grabbing a Indy fastpass, doing various rides in that area (Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Big thunder) then riding Indy when your fastpass comes up. I would then head over to tomorrow land and since Space and Star Tours are so close to each other grab a Fastpass for which ever one you like and ride the other one.

 

[meljean]

Just did matterhorn a week ago, my husband and I both said we would not do it again. It was really bumpy and the you around. We would skip it.

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Thanks for all the great advice! I know I don't need a rigid plan for this trip but it helps my type-A brain to know which direction I need to head at the start and what our priorities should be.

A couple of follow-ups:

How long is Paint the Night? If there is only one parade that night, which direction does it go?

Is Disneyland Forever worth staying up late for? We are only moderately interested in fireworks, definitely not a necessity, and we'll be seeing the Halloween fireworks at the Party too. In your opinions of course, is it worth the hassle or should we just do the Halloween fireworks and call it a done deal?

 

[Girimama33]

Both PTN and DLF are about 20 minutes in length. Not sure if they rotate the starting point during the week when the parade is only once a night. I prefer to view it by IASW.
I think DLF is a show that should not be missed...I even preferred it to Halloween Screams.

 

[Aladora]

Is Disneyland Forever worth staying up late for? We are only moderately interested in fireworks, definitely not a necessity, and we'll be seeing the Halloween fireworks at the Party too. In your opinions of course, is it worth the hassle or should we just do the Halloween fireworks and call it a done deal?

If you are staying at PPH, you could always watch the fireworks from their viewing area. We watched the show from there after we found out that watching from the park was just too much for DS to deal with. You won't see the projections but the view for the actual fireworks is good.

 

[ktlm]

I'm not sure which way PTN goes if there is only one for the night. This summer there were 2 every night. The first came from Small World and ended at the front of Main Street and the later reversed the route and went back to small world. Has it gone into once a night mode yet? If so, maybe someone who has been recently can tell you. DH typically is not a parade fan and he was blown away. We saw it our first night and we wound up watching it again another night we were so impressed.

Are you going to see Fantasmic on your trip? ( It is much better at DLR than at WDW) If so, you can stay back in the Fantasmic viewing area that night to watch the fireworks. The new fireworks show with the projections is terrific. We saw it from the Fantasmic dining area and they do the projections on the Rivers of America, so it looks like the fireworks are over the scene- which was amazing. You can catch a glimpse of Tink and Nemo flying through the trees from there- not a good view of them, but if you know when to look you will see them. We wanted to watch it again from Main Street, but it wound up being cancelled the night we were doing that (after they had made us wait while they decided). I do have to say that while I'm sure the projections are amazing from Main Street, with the push and shove crowd this summer to see the new show, I think even if we had seen it there I would have said I preferred the Fantasmic area. We just stayed seated had some space around us and had a great view. We saw several groups leave the dining area before the fireworks started and they did open the area after Fantasmic so people from the other viewing areas were coming in and sitting the vacated areas (don't know if they still are letting people come in and do that, but if you are doing Fantasmic, but not the dining package it is something to think about). I haven't seen the fireworks from the Small World area, but that is another option if you don't want to deal with the crowd on Main Street. I would say we are also only moderately interested in fireworks too (due to crowds and hassle and DD and DH not really caring if they see them or now) and we loved the new show with the projections. It really added something. It is the projections that make it really special. If you are watching it from outside the parks, you will probably have the same opinion of it as any Disney fireworks show you have seen before.

We find DLR so much more relaxing than WDW now that FP+ exists at WDW. DLR is so much less rigid and you can be so much more flexible. You are not locked in to everything and can change your mind or do things at a moment's notice (other than for dining reservations that carry late cancellation penalties).

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

If the fireworks/parade schedule is correct for when we go and doesn't change between now and then (Oct 12-17), we'll plan to see PTN on Wednesday at 8:30 and DLF Thursday at 9:30. I'd like to get PTN checked off on Wednesday because there's no way our bunch is doing a 10:45 pm parade on Tuesday or Thursday and I'd like to not be worried about the parade during the Halloween Party on Friday. (I am correct that PTN is done during the Party and not a different parade, yes? We had a Halloween parade at WDW for MNSSHP last year and it was tons of fun....especially the Headless Horseman!)

As for DLF, we'll play it by ear. If everyone is still alive and moving, we might fight the Main St crowd and stake out a spot to see the projections, as much as I would like to avoid that to protect my blood pressure. If everyone is wilting, whoever is still upright can watch from PPH. If we miss it altogether, we'll see Halloween Screams and be happy with that. As I said, we aren't huge fireworks fans anyway. I'm happy if I see them and perfectly fine if I don't.

 

[Chris9ty]

If the fireworks/parade schedule is correct for when we go and doesn't change between now and then (Oct 12-17), we'll plan to see PTN on Wednesday at 8:30 and DLF Thursday at 9:30. I'd like to get PTN checked off on Wednesday because there's no way our bunch is doing a 10:45 pm parade on Tuesday or Thursday and I'd like to not be worried about the parade during the Halloween Party on Friday. (I am correct that PTN is done during the Party and not a different parade, yes? We had a Halloween parade at WDW for MNSSHP last year and it was tons of fun....especially the Headless Horseman!)

As for DLF, we'll play it by ear. If everyone is still alive and moving, we might fight the Main St crowd and stake out a spot to see the projections, as much as I would like to avoid that to protect my blood pressure. If everyone is wilting, whoever is still upright can watch from PPH. If we miss it altogether, we'll see Halloween Screams and be happy with that. As I said, we aren't huge fireworks fans anyway. I'm happy if I see them and perfectly fine if I don't.

Go Check the DL calendar again for the PtN parade schedule. They added 8:45 and 10:45 on the non party nights when we are the the first week of October. I think your week did too! That will make viewing so much easier for our family.

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Are you going to see Fantasmic on your trip?

I just realized I didn't address your question and comments, ktlm! We don't plan to see Fantasmic on this trip. My DH is not a fan of Fantasmic at WDW and I will be in big trouble if I suggest if for DLR! That said, if we end up getting through everything we want to do and have time for it, I might blindfold him and sneak him in. LOL If so, I'll definitely consider your recommendations. Sounds like an easy plan!

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Go Check the DL calendar again for the PtN parade schedule. They added 8:45 and 10:45 on the non party nights when we are the the first week of October. I think your week did too! That will make viewing so much easier for our family.

You were right, Chris9ty! That will help a ton! I hate being locked into one specific time for something we really want to see. Now we can play it by ear and hit the early parade any night. Thanks for the reminder to check again!

 

[ktlm]

I just realized I didn't address your question and comments, ktlm! We don't plan to see Fantasmic on this trip. My DH is not a fan of Fantasmic at WDW and I will be in big trouble if I suggest if for DLR! That said, if we end up getting through everything we want to do and have time for it, I might blindfold him and sneak him in. LOL If so, I'll definitely consider your recommendations. Sounds like an easy plan!

If you do it, just know that at DL it is by FP now. You have to have a FP to get into a viewing area. The FPs are not connected, so they don't affect your ability to get ride FP. You might want to grab some in the morning just in case. Another thing to note is that since they have gone to FP+, they have also made the areas standing only. Usually, they will let you sit a while during the wait, but then come through and make you stand. The only area you can sit the whole time is the dining package area. We don't ever go see Fantasmic at WDW because DL's is better. There is no Pocahontas section at DL- instead there is a great Peter Pan section with the pirate ship. We haven't done anything but the dining package, so I can't tell you what a pain it might be.

Another thought, I don't know where you are planning on watching PTN, but if you do the early show, a lot of people just say in place for DLF. If you are on Main Street, then everyone just crowds into the street after the parade. If you are back by small world, then you could just move closer to the projection area and stay in place. Depending on which direction the parade is going, if you are towards the end of the route, it will probably not even be a very long wait.

 

[V.I.N.C.E.N.T.]

We were there two weeks ago, I would suggest heading right for Star Tours, then getting a fastpass for it. As other have said, the longest lines throughout the day. Indy and Matterhorn was 20 min at times, Space around 30 min. Star Tours reached an hour.

 

[RKKUNK]

I would do Space Mtn. and Star Tours after Fantasyland. You can always get a FP for Indy. Space Mtn. is very popular. That ride is usually the first to run out of FPs.
We are DLR vets and just went on our first trip to WDW last November. I can tell you from experience that Space Mtn. at DL is SOOOOO much better than Space at WDW. The Space at DL is very smooth and not jerky at all.
Matterhorn on the other hand is very jerky, bumpy, and it downright hurts. We rode it once to see the new effects, but that's it for us. You might want to really think about that one. It is cause for a chiropractic visit for sure! Also, they changed the seats for the Matterhorn so if you are tall, you really have to squeeze in, which makes it more uncomfortable.
The POTC ride at DL is also much better then WDW.

 

[Nicolette11785]

I have a lot of back problems so I n was worried about the Matterhorn a couplr years back but I ride it all the time during our trips with no problems. I have found that it makes a difference in how you are sitting. I sit upright and kinda curl up in the middle of the sled as much as I can and have never felt hurt from it.

 

[taniahappy]

You could do all 3 no problem (especially if you arrive as soon as DL opens), but IJ is always busier so maybe grab that one first?

Matterhorn is hard on the butt ... not that bad

 

[CassieF]

A few thoughts for your evening entertainment....PTN has been coming from small world to town square on one parade nights, in case they don't add a second parade while you're there. Also, small world is an EXCELLENT place to watch the parade as it doesn't fill up as quickly as the rest of the parade route. Fireworks are very easy to watch there afterward...personally I think you get the best view of the projections from there. You miss the Matterhorn effects (which you do everywhere except hub) and the flying characters but the lack of crowding and shorter wait far outweighs it for me.

Either way, if you're watching the first paint the night you should stay for fireworks since its just 5-15 minutes after the parade ends, depending on where you watch from and it really is an exceptional presentation!

Oh, and Matterhorn is ROUGH! It's new effects are amazing but if it could ruin your day or entire trip by throwing your back out, don't risk it. And if you think space is rough, Matterhorn is 100x worse

 

[jenhelgren]

Jumping in on this thread as we will be visiting the week after OP. It will be our first visit too and I am still confused on logistics of things. We are big fireworks fans but my DH cant handle the Main St crowds at WDW so I need a fireworks plan still! What do you miss out on by watching the fireworks over by Small World rather than the hub? How early do the front seats for PTN fill up over by Small World? Does anyone want to share their favorite spot over by Small World where we could view PTN and fireworks? I know Small World will be closed for refurb while we are there but I don't know if that will affect the area outside of it for parade/firework seating. I don't mind waiting for a good spot-we usually grab and snack and get off our feet for awhile by that time at night-but really don't want to be in a crowd mob if at all possible. Are the projections etc the same for the Halloween Party fireworks? The party will be towards the end of our trip so if we find a good spot for PTN and Halloween Screams by Small World will that be a good spot during the party or do they change the projections and launch angles?