Advice on shows/parades/etc dessert parties/dining packages

[ninafeliz]

You might look through this thread. @DLRExpert has been good about updating the first few posts in the thread.

Thread 'Rope Drop Strategy for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure with Lightning Lane MultiPass and SinglePass - 2025 Update'

Dec 13, 2021

UPDATED 9/6/25 for Disneyland
This covers both a Early Entry (EE) and Non-EE plan.

The HUB (Rope Drop Area)
AL= Adventureland
GF= Galaxy's Edge and Frontierland
FL= Fantasyland
FTL= Fantasyland and Tomorrowland
EE= Early Entry path


Park Entrance for Early Entry
THERE IS NO EE entrance
MAKE SURE that if you are attending EE that you show up to the main entrances early. They are allowing both EE Disney hotel guests and Normal guests into the park at the same time. If you arrive late you are going to be far back in line. Ruining your 30 minutes of EE...

• DLRExpert
• Replies: 474
• Forum: Disneyland (California)

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Thank you again, this looks like it will be very helpful and might be just what I need. I'll have to read through it soon.

 

[ninafeliz]

Personally, I think the food at Cafe Orleans is better than River Belle Terrace. They are both the same price ($64). RDZ is the most affordable option ($39). It is cafeteria style counter service rather than table service. Many people choose this option for just the reason you mentioned - you need to eat anyway, so you might as well get a package.

Cafe Orleans sits in the middle with River Belle on one side and Rancho del Zocalo on the other. Dining package guests are asked to join the queue near Harbour Galley (red star on map below) at 8 pm. In reality, guest are guided down to the sitting area at 7:45 pm. You select your own seats - first come, first served. If you want to sit closer to the center or closer to the waterfront, I would be in line by 7:30pm. Bring a jacket, a blanket to sit on, and grab some snacks or desserts to enjoy after you are seated.

View attachment 1018959

This is great information! I would have preferred Cafe Orleans by far, but that wasn't even an option for the day we chose. I couldn't tell if it was just sold out, so nothing even shows on the reservation site, or if it is only offered on certain days. I then chose RZ because I thought the menu looked a little better, but I think I would prefer true table service so now I'm undecided again. I'll have to look into RZ and RBT a little more. Neither were restaurants I really wanted to eat at, unfortunately, but I want the reserved seating so one of them will do.

I'm assuming there is no huge benefit to the location for one restaurant over another? Specifically RZ vs RBT, since those are what are available on our day?

 

[ninafeliz]

DTM is Dance The Magic, It's where a million little girls and their dance moms invade the park and perform in the parade. I got caught in it last December and NEVER AGAIN!

I usually come first week of December but last year because Thanksgiving was so late, we came second week, which wasn't all that bad until Saturday, which was the Dance day. That said, Sunday seemed pretty normal again.

Ugh ugh ugh - sounds like a nightmare to me lol. I wanted to go the weekend before but that didn't work for my husband's call schedule, so here we are. I wonder if, based on that info, I should make that day our primary DCA day and the other two days DL days. That would mean never using an EE day, so I'm not sure and will probably just leave it alone and hop if we have to or just deal with it.

 

[ninafeliz]

I highly recommend booking your LL's as soon as you are able. This way you start your 2 hour timer. You'll be able to book more lightening lanes throughout the day this way.

I highly recommend booking LL's as soon as you enter the parks. This will start your 2 hour timer and allow you to book more lightening lanes throughout the day. Once you book your LL, you can continue to modify it and push the time back, if you do not want to use it right away. I agree, that you don't typically need to use LL's for the first couple of hours. Once your 2 hour timer is up (or once you scan into your LL) you can book your next one. Rinse and repeat all day long. Be aware, that on really busy days, LL's can sell out early, especially for popular rides like Guardians, Indiana Jones and Space Mountain. If you don't start looking for LL's until noon you could end up being very disappointed. Also, the modify feature is great and can help you get a better time for your LL.
I also highly recommend you start 2 of your days at DL, and one day at DCA. On your 2nd DL day, you can book your LL's for DCA as long as their return time is after 11am. Then when you hop you can have some LL's lined up for DCA.

The Star Wars projection show is really amazing, I definitely recommend seeing it. I personally, am less impressed with watching the fireworks from Galaxy's Edge. It's good and I enjoy it, but I prefer it from other locations. However, I am not a huge Star Wars fan. And, I come to the parks often enough that I can watch from various locations.

I am currently planning a trip to WDW and am equally confused about all of the different options, tips and tricks! It's a lot to figure out!

Enjoy and have a great trip!

Let me see if I understand correctly. I can get a LL as soon as we enter the park and it opens, and if the first available is for early I can wait until the window opens and change the time to whatever later time is up then, and repeat as needed if we want it later again? But we never get to choose the actual window, just whatever time is booking then. Does that change our 2 hour window for getting a second LL, or if we get the first one at 8:00 we can always get the next one at 10:00 even if we in the mean time alter the return time for the one we got at 8:00? (I do know that if we use one we can then get another, I'm just talking about if we are trying to get them for later).

I'll have to google to find out which LLs are recommended to get first based on popularity and when they sell out - I know those lists exist for WDW out there so they must for DL and DCA also.

I currently have the docking bay sever food and cargo Nighttime gathering booked, which I think gives desserts and preferred fireworks viewing from GE, I wonder if you also have viewing for the projection show?

I threw my reservations together last minute, because I unfortunately didn't start booking early enough, so I'm flying by the seat of my pants with help from all of you

 

[ninafeliz]

Regarding which package as it pertains to which seating is better, having sat in the center section and the left section, the center section is better but not to the point that I personally would spend significantly more money on it than I would the other section, especially if I preferred the food at the other restaurant. Although maybe if it's only two of you, it's not a big deal to spend the extra. View is more straight on, but there is really no problem with the view from the RDZ section other than it's a little off center. If you get there early enough, you can just go all the way to the divider between RDZ and center and sit right next to those people.

By the way, @ninafeliz, I saw in an earlier post that you said your first park day was the 12th but you also said elsewhere that you booked WOC Dessert Party for the 11th. Maybe things changed between the two posts, but you know you can't see WOC on the 11th if you don't have park tickets that day, right? You can make a reservation, but you won't be able to get in.

I missed some replies, I see you answered a question I asked later right here! The middle section isn't available our night, so we are in one of the other two no matter what. I would love to eat at Cafe Orleans but it's not available our day,

If I typed the 11th anywhere it was a mistake, our WOC dessert party is for the 12th. But thanks for pointing it out just in case I had messed that up.

 

[irlandaise]

This is an awesome list- thank you! I sort of knew most of those, but to have them put together in list form is wonderful. There are so many though - I didn't realize how many more attractions DL must have compared to the MK.

Yes, I think a lot of WDW veterans are surprised by that! Disneyland Park is small, but it's crammed with rides.

 

[JerrodDragon89]

Yes, I think a lot of WDW veterans are surprised by that! Disneyland Park is small, but it's crammed with rides.

No other theme park uses space as well as Disneyland done...its a masterwork of design

 

[ninafeliz]

I highly recommend booking your LL's as soon as you are able. This way you start your 2 hour timer. You'll be able to book more lightening lanes throughout the day this way.

I highly recommend booking LL's as soon as you enter the parks. This will start your 2 hour timer and allow you to book more lightening lanes throughout the day. Once you book your LL, you can continue to modify it and push the time back, if you do not want to use it right away. I agree, that you don't typically need to use LL's for the first couple of hours. Once your 2 hour timer is up (or once you scan into your LL) you can book your next one. Rinse and repeat all day long. Be aware, that on really busy days, LL's can sell out early, especially for popular rides like Guardians, Indiana Jones and Space Mountain. If you don't start looking for LL's until noon you could end up being very disappointed. Also, the modify feature is great and can help you get a better time for your LL.
I also highly recommend you start 2 of your days at DL, and one day at DCA. On your 2nd DL day, you can book your LL's for DCA as long as their return time is after 11am. Then when you hop you can have some LL's lined up for DCA.

The Star Wars projection show is really amazing, I definitely recommend seeing it. I personally, am less impressed with watching the fireworks from Galaxy's Edge. It's good and I enjoy it, but I prefer it from other locations. However, I am not a huge Star Wars fan. And, I come to the parks often enough that I can watch from various locations.

I am currently planning a trip to WDW and am equally confused about all of the different options, tips and tricks! It's a lot to figure out!

Enjoy and have a great trip!

Edited for clarification: I recommend booking LL's at park entry, however you don't have to use them right away. You can modify your time slot, and use them late morning, or in the afternoon. This way you'll have more LL availability and you'll have more LL stacked for the busy afternoon period.

I will say on the topic of LL, normally what I do is mostly hit rides I want right in the morning but by 9 AM use a LL on something Space or another ride I know I wont get on later in the day and then I start stacking. The issue with Stacking at 8 AM, is you wont be able to get a second one until 10 AM

Also some Rides that LL you dont need to book until your able ready to get on it normally are

Buzz Lightyear
Star Tours
Little Mermaid

These three rides normally you can get a LL for 15-30 mins before you heading over and it will be good to go by the time you get there...sometimes this is not true but mostly they are easier ones you can just hit without stacking and wasting 2 hours of not being able to use LL

I think the key is to book one as soon as eligible each time and never cancel one. Use it or modify before it expires.

I agree 100% and this is how I personally tour the parks. In my reply I was posting for a person that is not wanting to use LL earlier in the day. But we will start using it early, depending on crowd levels, and where we are at in the parks. It's can be great to use on a ride that has a small line but you know will have a really long line later. If you're there now, just ride it with the immediate LL, and then immediately book your next LL. And you don't have to circle back later in the day.

Others may have replied but I have not read all the replies (sorry, just a quick lunch break and the DIS!). I strongly suggest you book your first LL immediately as you walk through the gates (even with EE, you can book at 07.30). Then go into the LL and "modify" for a later time. You can keep modifying to later (and sometimes earlier) times throughout the day. The reason to book something immediately is that starts your 2 hour lock out clock. As long as you "modify" and don't "cancel" a LL, the clock keeps ticking. You can stack more LLs! If you cancel a LL, the clock resets. So always modify to a different time or even to a different ride. Sometimes you get lucky and book Indy or Matterhorn first thing, and if it is down, you get a MEP (multi-experience pass). You can also book across parks, as long as the time for the LL return in the other park is past 11am (PH time).

Also note that if you book a LL and let it expire, unused, you will not be able to book a LL for that ride again that day. So always "modify". I set alarms on my phone so I don't forget my deadlines!

LL to me is SO much better at DLR than WDW! We often can get LLs for almost every ride in one day if I am really on top of booking and modifying and using MEP. Have so much fun!!

Ok, thank you for all of the LL advice, I think the way DL does it i s becoming clearer. In reading all of this, my inclination is to immediately get a LL for one of the headliners that will get long lines and probably have LLs sell out for, and to actually use that LL. Then to get another headliner, but one that has a time that is soon, and do that until the headliner attractions are all later in the day. Then start stacking them for later on and hope it's still early enough to hit smaller rides with short waits. However, with that plan I'll be missing the main part of (or all of) the time with walk on or very short lines, which doesn't necessarily seem smart.

The alternative, I guess, would be to immediately grab a harder to get LL and modify it to be later, and ride smaller rides in the AM with little wait to try to knock them off one after another (like do fantasyland, for example). But to do that you cannot get a second LL for 2 hours, so the big rides will be "selling" out and I won't get more than a couple of them, I would think.

I hope I am overthinking this lol.

 

[Whistlebee]

Let me see if I understand correctly. I can get a LL as soon as we enter the park and it opens, and if the first available is for early I can wait until the window opens and change the time to whatever later time is up then, and repeat as needed if we want it later again? But we never get to choose the actual window, just whatever time is booking then. Does that change our 2 hour window for getting a second LL, or if we get the first one at 8:00 we can always get the next one at 10:00 even if we in the mean time alter the return time for the one we got at 8:00? (I do know that if we use one we can then get another, I'm just talking about if we are trying to get them for later).

I'll have to google to find out which LLs are recommended to get first based on popularity and when they sell out - I know those lists exist for WDW out there so they must for DL and DCA also.

I currently have the docking bay sever food and cargo Nighttime gathering booked, which I think gives desserts and preferred fireworks viewing from GE, I wonder if you also have viewing for the projection show?

I threw my reservations together last minute, because I unfortunately didn't start booking early enough, so I'm flying by the seat of my pants with help from all of you

Yes, I think you've got it. You can modify the time to a later time. You cannot choose a time. There will only be 1 time/option available. Just remember always modify, never cancel. Canceling will reset your 2 hour clock. You don't want that! It's so much information but you're doing great. Fortunately, for Disneyland you can fly by the seat of your pants! It works here!

You can also modify to get a better time. Say you have a 4pm Space Mountain, but it's noon, and now your're thinking it'd be nice to ride it sooner. You can spend a few minutes modifying/refreshing the app and it's highly likely you'll get an earlier time. I'm often at the parks with a big group, 10+ people, and even with a large group I can almost always move my LL times around by modifying. It's annoying because you have to stare at your phone for several minutes to get it. So I don't recommend doing it a lot. But if you got a time that really doesn't work for you, you can always dedicate a few minutes to trying to change it.

I saw someone linked DLRExpert's thread, great advice there, definitely check that out. Disneylanddaily.com has touring strategies too, and I'm sure there are several others. The touring strategies will help you put structure to your day. If you don't want that much structure, that's ok too. But you want to know which LL's are at risk of selling out. So at least gather that information, if nothing else. Don't be afraid to use a LL early either. You don't have to wait until 10, 11 or 12 to start redeeming your LL's. I'm probably redeeming my first LL about an hour into my park day. It's nice to grab one, do a few walk ons and then use your first LL, and then book your 2nd LL. I think it'll make more sense once you read up on a few touring strategies. LL's are very easy to get and use at DL. Don't stress too much about it.

 

[twodogs]

Ok, thank you for all of the LL advice, I think the way DL does it i s becoming clearer. In reading all of this, my inclination is to immediately get a LL for one of the headliners that will get long lines and probably have LLs sell out for, and to actually use that LL. Then to get another headliner, but one that has a time that is soon, and do that until the headliner attractions are all later in the day. Then start stacking them for later on and hope it's still early enough to hit smaller rides with short waits. However, with that plan I'll be missing the main part of (or all of) the time with walk on or very short lines, which doesn't necessarily seem smart.

The alternative, I guess, would be to immediately grab a harder to get LL and modify it to be later, and ride smaller rides in the AM with little wait to try to knock them off one after another (like do fantasyland, for example). But to do that you cannot get a second LL for 2 hours, so the big rides will be "selling" out and I won't get more than a couple of them, I would think.

I hope I am overthinking this lol.

We typically employee the second strategy you mentioned above. Grab a big ride LL at park entry. Wait 30 minutes or so and return times will have gone out a little bit, then modify your (usually) 8-9am return window to a later time in the morning. Yes you are blocked out for 2 hours from booking another, but you will have pretty short stand by waits during those 2 hours. When your lock out ends, it is still highly unlikely anything will be “sold out”. LLs stay available much longer at DLR than at WDW. I will link to thrill data here so you can see the average “sell out” time for LLs per ride, recently. As well, even if it shows “sold out” in the app for a ride, just keep refreshing and a time usually comes up. Even if it is a later time than you want, grab it and keep trying to modify for an earlier time.

One way your 2 hour wait can be shortened in the morning without riding the first LL ride that you booked (since SB waits are generally short at that time of day) is if the ride you booked goes down/is down during your LL. It is not a guarantee that you will get a MEP, but you often do. This is an anytime pass for a number of rides (just like at WDW; the rides you can use it on are similar in “quality/intensity” as the ride you had the LL for that was down). If you are issued a MEP, your 2 hour wait immediately expires and you can book another LL.

Here are recent sell out times for all LL rides at both parks, just to give you an idea of which ones to book earlier rather than later:

https://www.thrill-data.com/lightning-lane/dlr

 

[twodogs]

And my kids are ride junkies, so I can almost always, always get all the big rides with LL, no problem. We always travel at busy times due to school holidays, so we are not going at slow times, and we still get the LLs for everything they want to ride. And often more than one, by using MEP. The limited utility of LL at WDW is one of the main reasons we almost exclusively go to DLR now (and the better weather, and being able to park hop without getting on a mode of transportation other than our feet, and being able to walk into DTD immediately out of either park, and the ability to stay at the GCH and be in a park in literally one minute from my room door…can you tell we love DLR???).