Basic plan for 4 days at DL/DCA

[luvallprincesses]

We are arriving in 60 days. I will be getting 4 day passes with MaxPass but not park hoppers. From what I understand, we will have one early entry morning to DL only. Our 4 days are Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, first week of March. Without park hoppers, I’d like to have a good game plan of which park per day so as to make any meal reservations (and Oga’s) correctly. I’d expect to rotate parks daily. Which days of the week should we do which park (and why?) Do we want to experience DL first since it’s our first trip? And which day should we use early entry? It looks too early for posted park hours for March at this time?
And finally, should I go ahead and purchase tickets now in case of a price increase (or MaxPass price increase) prior to Resistance opening? (What is the expiration policy/situation with Disneyland tickets if something were to prevent our trip from occurring?)
Thank you for your help! I’ve read the stickies and many threads and they’ve been so helpful.

 

[ironband74]

If my math is correct, that's March 2-5.

Crowds should not be terrible since Easter isn't until well into April. There my be some early spring-breakers, but you should be able to have a really nice time.

On the whole, I like to rope drop each park on a day where there is not early entry into that park.

Early entry is nice one day, though, but that would mean doing the same park back to back days.

One thing to consider is if you want to see Fantasmic! - it is likely that will only be happening on Friday that week, so if you are wanting to see it, DLR would be a for-sure on Friday.

If you are going to do one park per day, I'd say do 3 DLR and 1 DCA. DCA can easily be done in 1 day, and with the addition of Galaxy's Edge there is a lot more to do in DLR.

If it were me, I'd do MM on Tuesday at DLR. Then do DLR on Wednesday non MM, DCA Thursday non EMH, and then Clean up on Friday at DLR with plans to see Fantasmic!

Tickets are typically good for a year or more after purchase. You can't return them, but if you are going to go within the next year or so, you should be fine. Sometimes they also have discount tickets available for "off season" visits like yours, so I'd keep my eyes open.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Some authorized discount ticket vendors offer trip insurance that covers DLR tickets. If you think you might have to cancel your trip, you might want to look into this. I think aRes offers this. Maybe UT, too? Look into the vendors listed with Mousesavers.com -- I know that some of them offer the trip insurance that covers DLR tickets. As the pp said, DLR tickets are non-refundable, but do retain their original monetary value. If the tickets expire before you are able to use them, bring them to the ticket booth whenever you are able to visit. You can upgrade them to whatever tickets you choose and pay the difference.

 

[VandVsmama]

If my math is correct, that's March 2-5.

Crowds should not be terrible since Easter isn't until well into April. There my be some early spring-breakers, but you should be able to have a really nice time.

On the whole, I like to rope drop each park on a day where there is not early entry into that park.

Early entry is nice one day, though, but that would mean doing the same park back to back days.

One thing to consider is if you want to see Fantasmic! - it is likely that will only be happening on Friday that week, so if you are wanting to see it, DLR would be a for-sure on Friday.

If you are going to do one park per day, I'd say do 3 DLR and 1 DCA. DCA can easily be done in 1 day, and with the addition of Galaxy's Edge there is a lot more to do in DLR.

If it were me, I'd do MM on Tuesday at DLR. Then do DLR on Wednesday on MM, DCA Thursday non EMH, and then Clean up on Friday at DLR with plans to see Fantasmic!

Tickets are typically good for a year or more after purchase. You can't return them, but if you are going to go within the next year or so, you should be fine. Sometimes they also have discount tickets available for "off season" visits like yours, so I'd keep my eyes open.

I second this advice. All of the above are great ideas.

 

[luvallprincesses]

If my math is correct, that's March 2-5.

Crowds should not be terrible since Easter isn't until well into April. There my be some early spring-breakers, but you should be able to have a really nice time.

On the whole, I like to rope drop each park on a day where there is not early entry into that park.

Early entry is nice one day, though, but that would mean doing the same park back to back days.

One thing to consider is if you want to see Fantasmic! - it is likely that will only be happening on Friday that week, so if you are wanting to see it, DLR would be a for-sure on Friday.

If you are going to do one park per day, I'd say do 3 DLR and 1 DCA. DCA can easily be done in 1 day, and with the addition of Galaxy's Edge there is a lot more to do in DLR.

If it were me, I'd do MM on Tuesday at DLR. Then do DLR on Wednesday non MM, DCA Thursday non EMH, and then Clean up on Friday at DLR with plans to see Fantasmic!

Tickets are typically good for a year or more after purchase. You can't return them, but if you are going to go within the next year or so, you should be fine. Sometimes they also have discount tickets available for "off season" visits like yours, so I'd keep my eyes open.

Wow this is awesome advice. I never would’ve known to spend 3 days at DLR instead of doing 2 and 2. Will the off season tickets be offered directly through Disney or just other retailers? (My mom is a TA so she’s able to get tickets at 10% commission and returns that value to us, so I think that discount is tough to beat purchasing elsewhere.)

How far in advance will we be able to see park hours and when Fantasmic is showing? Are there any other shows that might only be once or twice that we need to plan accordingly - World of Color?

If we decide to splurge on one dinner package for priority seating, which should it be? Or does MaxPass use of Fastpass make this not necessary? (I think I’ll be able to use that efficiently since I have experience with both the old paper FP system at WDW as well as the new system via the app. )

 

[luvallprincesses]

Some authorized discount ticket vendors offer trip insurance that covers DLR tickets. If you think you might have to cancel your trip, you might want to look into this. I think aRes offers this. Maybe UT, too? Look into the vendors listed with Mousesavers.com -- I know that some of them offer the trip insurance that covers DLR tickets. As the pp said, DLR tickets are non-refundable, but do retain their original monetary value. If the tickets expire before you are able to use them, bring them to the ticket booth whenever you are able to visit. You can upgrade them to whatever tickets you choose and pay the difference.

I totally forgot we have trip insurance through TravelGuard. I will have to look into the ability to add park tickets to our policy which is covering everything else. Thank you for that reminder!

 

[ironband74]

Wow this is awesome advice. I never would’ve known to spend 3 days at DLR instead of doing 2 and 2. Will the off season tickets be offered directly through Disney or just other retailers? (My mom is a TA so she’s able to get tickets at 10% commission and returns that value to us, so I think that discount is tough to beat purchasing elsewhere.)

How far in advance will we be able to see park hours and when Fantasmic is showing? Are there any other shows that might only be once or twice that we need to plan accordingly - World of Color?

If we decide to splurge on one dinner package for priority seating, which should it be? Or does MaxPass use of Fastpass make this not necessary? (I think I’ll be able to use that efficiently since I have experience with both the old paper FP system at WDW as well as the new system via the app. )

Usually they are offered by Disney - just watch their web site and see what's up. Undercover Tourist and Get Away Today also have tickets at a discount. If they never materialize go through your mom. I don't expect any increases the first half of the year. Attendance was light over the summer partially due to the increase in prices and partially due to the fear of SWGE crowding. But Disney seems to feel that the ticket pricing is appropriate for now.

Not sure how far in advance the calendar will update, but since you are at the 60 day point you can check Fantasmic! by looking at the dining reservations for the packages.

World of Color typically runs every night. It doesn't require characters and is lighter on pyro, so it is a cheaper show to run. Still, checking the dining packages is a way to verify.

With Maxpass you can now use the app to get WOC and F! fastpasses right after you get in the park. Personally I do like to do the Hungry Bear dining package for F! myself. But it comes down to how you like to do things.

Note that MaxPass/FastPass at DLR works much differently than the WDW system. There is a superthread here that can help you become acquainted. The greatest power of MaxPass after the 90 minute cooldown is the ability to get canceled passes even after all passes have been given out.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/m...thread-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/

 

[luvallprincesses]

Usually they are offered by Disney - just watch their web site and see what's up. Undercover Tourist and Get Away Today also have tickets at a discount. If they never materialize go through your mom. I don't expect any increases the first half of the year. Attendance was light over the summer partially due to the increase in prices and partially due to the fear of SWGE crowding. But Disney seems to feel that the ticket pricing is appropriate for now.

Not sure how far in advance the calendar will update, but since you are at the 60 day point you can check Fantasmic! by looking at the dining reservations for the packages.

World of Color typically runs every night. It doesn't require characters and is lighter on pyro, so it is a cheaper show to run. Still, checking the dining packages is a way to verify.

With Maxpass you can now use the app to get WOC and F! fastpasses right after you get in the park. Personally I do like to do the Hungry Bear dining package for F! myself. But it comes down to how you like to do things.

Note that MaxPass/FastPass at DLR works much differently than the WDW system. There is a superthread here that can help you become acquainted. The greatest power of MaxPass after the 90 minute cooldown is the ability to get canceled passes even after all passes have been given out.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/m...thread-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/

They only have Fantasmic packages showing up until March 1 at this time, so I will check back in a few days to see if just Friday is available. Thank you for that tip. For some reason I was thinking I needed ticket media attached to book/view dining packages.
I’ve been stalking that thread to learn up on using MaxPass most efficiently. I think I’ll be a quick learn once we get in the park. I’m so thrilled that the show Fastpasses are unlinked to the rest of the system. That’s a huge advantage to MaxPass and huge advantage over the WDW system.

 

[Jason2015]

The advice so far is great...but...I’m a rare one that likes DCA almost as much as DL so I’d do 2 and 2. Living on the upper west coast we usually do two day trips and start with DCA on day one and do DL on day two. If I was in your shoes I’d do DL day one and DCA day two (or vice versa based on EMH). That way you can then choose to do two more DL days or one DL day and one DCA day based on needs and wants. Either way you’ll have a great time.

With MaxPass make sure to set a 90 minute timer so you can stack passes if your pass is outside the 90 minute window. (Ie. on 1/1 we wanted to ride HyperSpace Mountain but the MaxPass was 2 1/2 hours away. (2:05-3:05 and it was only 11:30). We didn’t want to lose riding (Incase MP ran out) so we accepted the pass and set a timer for 90 minutes. At 1:00 the timer went off an I was able to grab a 2:45-3:45 MP for Buzz. Worked great having to MPs stacked in the same area.). If you’re MP is within the 90 window (and you don’t having any stacked) you can make your next reservation right after checking in. I usually do this while still in the short fast pass que.

A timer is also great if you decided to leave the park for lunch, dinner, or a midday break. I was able to stack MPs on 1/1 while we were outside the park eating dinner. Made getting back to the park nice know we had two rides ready to go.

One last note-Radator Springs Racers passes go quickly but the single rider line is a great way to get on “fairly” quickly if you don’t get a MP and don’t have super young kids. My 10 year old loves the single rider line because it allows us to go on RSR multiple times.

 

[luvallprincesses]

Th

The advice so far is great...but...I’m a rare one that likes DCA almost as much as DL so I’d do 2 and 2. Living on the upper west coast we usually do two day trips and start with DCA on day one and do DL on day two. If I was in your shoes I’d do DL day one and DCA day two (or vice versa based on EMH). That way you can then choose to do two more DL days or one DL day and one DCA day based on needs and wants. Either way you’ll have a great time.

With MaxPass make sure to set a 90 minute timer so you can stack passes if your pass is outside the 90 minute window. (Ie. on 1/1 we wanted to ride HyperSpace Mountain but the MaxPass was 2 1/2 hours away. (2:05-3:05 and it was only 11:30). We didn’t want to lose riding (Incase MP ran out) so we accepted the pass and set a timer for 90 minutes. At 1:00 the timer went off an I was able to grab a 2:45-3:45 MP for Buzz. Worked great having to MPs stacked in the same area.). If you’re MP is within the 90 window (and you don’t having any stacked) you can make your next reservation right after checking in. I usually do this while still in the short fast pass que.

A timer is also great if you decided to leave the park for lunch, dinner, or a midday break. I was able to stack MPs on 1/1 while we were outside the park eating dinner. Made getting back to the park nice know we had two rides ready to go.

One last note-Radator Springs Racers passes go quickly but the single rider line is a great way to get on “fairly” quickly if you don’t get a MP and don’t have super young kids. My 10 year old loves the single rider line because it allows us to go on RSR multiple times.

Thank you for your thoughts and clear explanation on stacking the passes!

 

[rwatson626]

Following along going in Feb for the first time and there is some great advice here. Thanks

I'll take a look at the Maxpass super thread but

With Maxpass you can now use the app to get WOC and F! fastpasses right after you get in the park.

Once I reserve WOC or F! right after I get into the park will I have to wait 90 mins for the cooldown to book another FP? My plan was to book a popular ride when I first enter the park and maybe do WOC or F! after the 90 min cooldown.

Also, if you get there early what would be the first MaxPass FP you grab once you enter each park?

I was thinking in this order

DCA - 1.Radiator Springs Racers , 2.Guardians of the Galaxy , 3. WOC
DL - 1. Indiana Jones Adventure, 2. Space Mountain, 3.Fantasmic! (Haunted Mansion will be in Referb when I go)


Thanks

 

[luvallprincesses]

Following along going in Feb for the first time and there is some great advice here. Thanks

I'll take a look at the Maxpass super thread but



Once I reserve WOC or F! right after I get into the park will I have to wait 90 mins for the cooldown to book another FP? My plan was to book a popular ride when I first enter the park and maybe do WOC or F! after the 90 min cooldown.

Also, if you get there early what would be the first MaxPass FP you grab once you enter each park?

I was thinking in this order

DCA - 1.Radiator Springs Racers , 2.Guardians of the Galaxy , 3. WOC
DL - 1. Indiana Jones Adventure, 2. Space Mountain, 3.Fantasmic! (Haunted Mansion will be in Referb when I go)


Thanks

From what I understand, the fastpass system for F! And WOC is not connected to the rest of the system. So they can be retrieved right away without affecting the rest of the Fastpasses. Hopefully someone will correct me if I misunderstood this in my research.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Plan on Friday at DL for sure so you can catch Fantasmic and fireworks (if they will have those at that time). DL is also open later than DCA, so that might be something to keep in mind when you are choosing which days at which parks.

I'd start with DL, next day DCA and then decide on the third day if you'd rather do another DL or DCA for that day, knowing that you'll have DL on the Friday. I tend to vary on which park I prefer and a lot of that has to do with how crowded that parks are at the time. While DL is considered a more classic park and is generally preferred, my favorite rides and places to eat are in DCA.

 

[luvallprincesses]

Original poster back here. The Pixar After Hours event is the Thursday of the week of our trip. We’re doing the parks Tues-Fri with MaxPass but weren’t planning on park hoppers. Should we definitely avoid DCA on that day because of it? We will not be buying tickets for the party, as East Coasters we’ll be dragging by 8 pm. I read that party guests can arrive at 5 pm for this party. Anyone have thoughts on the crowds at DCA that day versus DLR?

 

[EmJ]

We are arriving in 60 days. I will be getting 4 day passes with MaxPass but not park hoppers. From what I understand, we will have one early entry morning to DL only. Our 4 days are Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, first week of March. Without park hoppers, I’d like to have a good game plan of which park per day so as to make any meal reservations (and Oga’s) correctly. I’d expect to rotate parks daily. Which days of the week should we do which park (and why?) Do we want to experience DL first since it’s our first trip? And which day should we use early entry? It looks too early for posted park hours for March at this time?
And finally, should I go ahead and purchase tickets now in case of a price increase (or MaxPass price increase) prior to Resistance opening? (What is the expiration policy/situation with Disneyland tickets if something were to prevent our trip from occurring?)
Thank you for your help! I’ve read the stickies and many threads and they’ve been so helpful.

You and I are doing the exact same days, MaxPass, no park hopper, but four weeks apart. We arrive March 30, and our park days will be March 31-April 3. The broad outline of our plan is:
Monday (arrival day) - Dinner at Goofy's Kitchen
Tuesday - DL with EMH. The reason we are doing EMH this day is that it will be the longest day with the earliest wakeup. I want to do that at the start of our vacation rather than the end, when everyone is tired.
Wednesday - DCA has early entry this day, so we are going to DL instead. This is our dedicated day for all things Star Wars.
Thursday - DL has early entry this day, so we are going to DCA. This is our only DCA day.
Friday - same as Wednesday--DCA has early entry; we will be in DL.

I have a meticulously planned itinerary for each day that will probably be useless once we get there, but it was fun to prepare and I like having it. Three DL days and one DCA day was definitely the right choice for us. Our party is two adults and a 5-year-old; we aren't doing any nighttime activities. Oh, and we did already purchase our tickets with MaxPass to guard against price increases.

 

[EmJ]

You and I are doing the exact same days, MaxPass, no park hopper, but four weeks apart. We arrive March 30, and our park days will be March 31-April 3. The broad outline of our plan is:
Monday (arrival day) - Dinner at Goofy's Kitchen
Tuesday - DL with EMH. The reason we are doing EMH this day is that it will be the longest day with the earliest wakeup. I want to do that at the start of our vacation rather than the end, when everyone is tired.
Wednesday - DCA has early entry this day, so we are going to DL instead. This is our dedicated day for all things Star Wars.
Thursday - DL has early entry this day, so we are going to DCA. This is our only DCA day.
Friday - same as Wednesday--DCA has early entry; we will be in DL.

I have a meticulously planned itinerary for each day that will probably be useless once we get there, but it was fun to prepare and I like having it. Three DL days and one DCA day was definitely the right choice for us. Our party is two adults and a 5-year-old; we aren't doing any nighttime activities. Oh, and we did already purchase our tickets with MaxPass to guard against price increases.

Also, just to add because I saw your post on the ROTR thread--we are going to DL with the hope, but not the expectation, of riding ROTR. With three DL days, we can try for a boarding group each day. We are hoping to get at least one of the three. If you're a regular WDW visitor, will you be able to ride at WDW at some point in the future if you miss it at DL?

 

[luvallprincesses]

Also, just to add because I saw your post on the ROTR thread--we are going to DL with the hope, but not the expectation, of riding ROTR. With three DL days, we can try for a boarding group each day. We are hoping to get at least one of the three. If you're a regular WDW visitor, will you be able to ride at WDW at some point in the future if you miss it at DL?

Nice thought...I, myself, would be okay with waiting until WDW but there’s no way our kids at age 13 and 18 would pass on RotR when there’s a chance, so it suddenly became a priority. I’m just hoping it’s not going to prevent us from experiencing everything else we hope to do. And I’m really unsure about which morning to use Magic morning now with the boarding group situation. Like you, I wanted to do it the first morning since we’ll be freshest and still more on east coast time, but I feel like I should push that to Thursday now to concentrate on getting a BG at rope drop on Tuesday instead of risk being on a ride when the rope drops. Certainly, the BG idea sounds wonderful and will prevent us from hours of waiting in line which I’m thankful for. Just not sure how to strategize now.