Arrival Day - what's best?

[Mazzy]

On our first day we will be arriving around 12.30ish - assuming the flight from Monterey is on time.

This will be our very first visit to Disneyland. We are staying at the Grand Californian 12-14 August so it will be busy from what I have read here.

We are only staying two nights, but our third day we are staying until early evening.

What do you suggest we do for that first afternoon/evening?

Will there be any chance of getting fastpasses for any of the rides? Will we be better focusing on the parades, fireworks etc, and visiting things like Pirate's Lair, or do some shopping?

Any help would be great. The following morning we intend doing Early Entry to get some rides in first thing.

 

[brenda1966]

You're coming in on a Sunday? My Sunday afternoon arrival plan is to go to CA and hit some rides there. I believe DL will be packed, so I'd do DL first thing the next morning.

At CA you may be able to get a fastpass to Soarin and should be able to get one for ToT. If you have kids you can play in the Bug's Life area. Later you can catch the Electric Parade.

 

[Mazzy]

Brenda - yes it's a Sunday. Your plan sounds great, I think we will do that and hopefully get the Soarin fastpass as we do love that ride.

 

[LLS]

I have the same question but for different days.

We, too, will only be staying two nights (at the DLH). We arrive on Wednesday (will probably be 3:00-4:00 p.m. by the time we check in). We will do EE on Thursday and plan to spend that entire day at the park.

Our first night should we try to see Fantasmic so we can do rides during it the next night? Or should we just hang out at the hotel and DTD that first night and go to bed early (our bodies will still be on Central time) so we're well-rested for our big EE day?

We are flexible on how long we stay Friday -- I was planning to use that day to catch things we missed or re-visit the things we really loved. We don't care if we never make it to CA at all -- since our time is limited we'd rather focus on DL.

Thanks in advance for your great insight and advice!

 

[dragonflymom]

I have the same question but for different days.

We, too, will only be staying two nights (at the DLH). We arrive on Wednesday (will probably be 3:00-4:00 p.m. by the time we check in). We will do EE on Thursday and plan to spend that entire day at the park.

Our first night should we try to see Fantasmic so we can do rides during it the next night? Or should we just hang out at the hotel and DTD that first night and go to bed early (our bodies will still be on Central time) so we're well-rested for our big EE day?

We are flexible on how long we stay Friday -- I was planning to use that day to catch things we missed or re-visit the things we really loved. We don't care if we never make it to CA at all -- since our time is limited we'd rather focus on DL.

Thanks in advance for your great insight and advice!

It would be a shame to miss the major attractions in Calif. Adventure. I'd suggest doing half a day in DCA--catch the Aladdin show at the Hyperion, get Fastpasses for Soaring Over Calif. (or do single rider line), Tower of Terror & Mullohand Madness. Catch the Electric Light Parade and you can be in your hotel by 9:45 pm (cut through the GC hotel entrance to DTD to DLH).

On Thursday EE, you should be able to fit all the Fantasyland rides, but send someone for FPs for at least one Tomorrowland attraction--Space Mountain, Buzz AstroBlasters. Try to fit in some Tomorrowland rides in the same morning (esp. when the regular guests arrive for the Fantasyland rides). Have an early lunch, do a couple more rides and go back to the hotel to have fun at their awesome pool. But get some FPs before your leave, e.g. Indiana Jones, Big Thunder, etc.

When you return in the evening, you can do more rides, catch both the parade and the fireworks.

Then, on Friday, you may want to try the new attractions (Pirate's Lair, Nemo) first thing in the morning and do other rides on your wish list or repeat rides. Catch Fantasmic in the evening.

Hope that gives you some ideas for an attack plan.

 

[LLS]

Thanks, dragonflymom! Sounds like a good plan to me.

We've just been focusing on DL, but I like your idea of doing DCA highlights the first day. I also like your idea for a pool break in the afternoon!

Thanks so much. I love this board -- you guys are the best !

 

[Hound 109]

On our first day we will be arriving around 12.30ish - assuming the flight from Monterey is on time.

This will be our very first visit to Disneyland. We are staying at the Grand Californian 12-14 August so it will be busy from what I have read here.

We are only staying two nights, but our third day we are staying until early evening.

What do you suggest we do for that first afternoon/evening?

Will there be any chance of getting fastpasses for any of the rides? Will we be better focusing on the parades, fireworks etc, and visiting things like Pirate's Lair, or do some shopping?

Any help would be great. The following morning we intend doing Early Entry to get some rides in first thing.

If i was staying at the GCH & arriving at 1pm (ish), leaving me 2 1/2 days at DLR during High Season...& if I had never been to DLR before, I would do the following:

- Walk around the GCA for a few min. - it's beautiful.

- Eyeball the entrance/exit to Downtown Disney (from the GCH), you'll be using it to return home LATE that night.

- Check your bags with with GCH storage.

- Walk thru the private entrance to DCA, hang a right a few steps & pick up FPs for Griz.

- Reverse back towards the front of DCA & pickup FPs for Soarin'.

- Exit DCA (get your hand stamped), cross the hundred yard walk & into DL.

- Send a runner on down Main St. to pick up FPs from either Indy or SM. (you can meet next to Walt & Mickey at the Hub).

- Leisurely walk down Main St, take pics, window shop.

- Do a nice 2 hour "get to know it" loop of Fantasy Land/ToonTown/TomorrowLand, or a "get to know it" loop of Frontierland/CritterCountry/NewOrleansSquare/Adventureland.

- Get a mickey bar or dole whip.

- If no lines & the timing is right, see the hillbillys, pirate's lair (on tom sawyer's island) or treehouse. Or ride small world, jungle ride, winnie pooh, star tours, snow white or another not so popular ride.

- Pick up another FP prior to leaving DL when you are able (at most 2 hours after you picked up the first DL FP).

- Walk back to DCA, pick up a ToT (or Screamin') FP.

- Ride Soarin with your first FP.

- Ride Griz with your first FP. (& if you like it pick up another one).

- Enter the special GCA entrance (a few steps away from Griz, so if you get drenched...who cares? )

- Check into your room, hop in the pool or relax.....then hit it again that night.

You will have oriented yourself to GCH & CA & DL. You also will have "immersed" yourself properly (let's face it...you can't properly immerse yourself w/o walking down Main St. ) at Disneyland.

You will have gotten your bearings on DCA & on DL and you will have seen half of each park. You will have gathered 3-5 FPs (essential for having a good time when you tour DLR during the crowded evening hours).

Have fun.

 

[Mazzy]

Hound - sounds a good plan.

BUT I have just added another night onto our stay - 2 nights just didn't seem long enough!

Would you do things differently with another day added? We will be arriving on Saturday 11 August now.

 

[Hound 109]

I would still walk into DCA using the private entrance, pick up the 2 FPs in DCA, walk into DL, walk down Main St., pick up at least one DL FPs(preferably two), do a half loop around DL....shopping, poking around, hopping on a nice ride if it looks good.

Then back to the hotel to check in. (riding Griz & Soarin first of course). If you are running short on time, or if the above seems too much, skip the "half loop". (But do walk down Main St. & pick up a SM or Indy FP for later).

Others have said it (& if you haven't read Hydroguy's DLR for WDW Vets Tip thread, do so). But don't look at DCA as a separate park...to me it's more like CaliforniaLand (which you can walk through to get to Main St. - except not before 10am)

3 days at the GCH....good for you.

 

[DarthVader92]

if you give me the rides you'd like to do, I'll give my best shot!

 

[Mazzy]

Hound - thanks so much for your help. One question though, I thought you could only get one fastpass at a time, and couldn't get another until the start time on the first one? If I'm wrong, that's great!

Darthvader92 - thanks so much for your kind offer. Well, we want to do everything really, as it's our first visit to DL. We have been to WDW 7 times and will be visiting it at the end of this trip, so anything that is the same as WDW is not as important as the rides special to DL or those which are different to their equivalent at WDW.

 

[DarthVader92]

Darthvader92 - thanks so much for your kind offer. Well, we want to do everything really, as it's our first visit to DL. We have been to WDW 7 times and will be visiting it at the end of this trip, so anything that is the same as WDW is not as important as the rides special to DL or those which are different to their equivalent at WDW.

Just be prepared, I've done this before and it has come out to me not even getting into paradise pier.

Your main focus should be:
Tower of Terror (you should be able to get on this after 5-6 with a minimal wait)
Monster's Inc. (same with ToT)
Soarin (You should definetly grab a fastpass as soon as you get in)
Grizzly River Run (You should definetly grab a fastpass as soon as you get in, note that this Fastpass is disconnected from the other DCAs)

Also, remember that Screamin (if you choose to do it) it doesn't open till 1pm due to construction for Toy Story Mania.