Best morning plan

[eargal]

Actually "morning" was a poor choice of words since I would appreciate suggestions over the whole day.

My best friend and I are sneaking away for a girls weekend. We'll be staying at DLH and will only have Friday September 30nd and Sat. Oct. 1st for the parks.

There are a few things that are making planning more difficult than usual for me:

-Friday is MNSSHP so Disneyland will close at 7 (we're not attending)
-Sat. is the planned "gay days" Disneyland day so it might be more crowded?
-Star Tours Fastpass is now a priority but we also LOVE Ghost Galaxy
-Holiday Haunted Mansion will probably require fastpasses?
-We like fantasy land and would want to hit all those rides once too but will skip the carousel, dumbo, tea cups and small world.
-We've never done WOC and want to try to fit it in. It is offered twice each night and we are fine with the second show and might use the fire hydrant trick
-No need to fit Fantasmic! in or the Aladdin show
-We're really good about making rope drop and are both able bodied and willing to hop parks collecting fastpasses.

Can any of you super planners help me with a plan of action?
Your input will be truly appreciated!

 

[Hoku]

The holiday install won't be ready Sept 2 & 3. No Ghost Galaxy yet and HM will be closed.

 

[eargal]

Sorry Hoku. I've corrected the trip dates. I think I need a nap.

 

[Hoku]

A-ha! Now that's a horse of a different color. Unfortunately, though, I'm not a super planner. I'm one of those "wing its". LOL. Maybe someone else will have some stealthy ideas for you.

 

[skiingfast]

No Halloween parties until the 30th, but it will be that season. Gay Days is on the last weekend of the month.

HM does not normally have FPs, but during that season it very will may. It and Space get much longer rides so do them early and use FP. But still ST first, do that ASAP or do Space First so it has a quickly coming return time to let you get the ST FP before it runs out.

WoC on Friday( and it will be busy so stop by GRR and ask what color and show they are on often), and F! will have to be Saturday night. You could do both on Saturday but don't risk it incase wind cancels a night show.

 

[eargal]

Are you still sure on those dates? No Halloween parties until the 30th

E-gads! Now I'm just fully embarrassed

The dates are Sept. 30 and Oct. 1st. I'm traveling to Cerritos the weekend prior on business and got the dates reversed. So sorry for the confusion and I would delete this thread if I could!

Your advice still applies though and confirms my thought that I should grab ST fastpass and head straight to Space Mountain.

 

[PrncesKMW]

Hi Eargal - I recently used the touring plans in the back of the Unoffical Guide, substituing some of the attractions with others if I didn't particularly care for it, and it worked great - was able to ride 10 - 11 rides by 11 a.m., and I did not feel rushed at all.

 

[skiingfast]

Don't worry too much about Gay Days, will it bring more people? Yes. But it's a weekend anyway and would have a lot of people than the weekdays around it. If they didn't wear red you wouldn't notice them and have a group to blame for the crowds. It still won't be crazy busy at all but not light crowds. Just make sure you use the FPs well and you will get a lot in.

Also remember to do HM early or FP because the lines are longest for it during that season.

Also DCA will fill up as non party goers migrate over on Friday, so save some FPs for that evening, or do Monster's Inc, Muppets, Bugs Life and Flik's fun fair then, they all have shorter waits. LM usually is calm just after DCA opens for the rest of the day but may get more pressure on the Halloween party nights. We'll find out that Friday you are there how that works out.

 

[ArchOwl]

I would actually advise on Friday that you grab a Star Tours FP and then make a beeline to Fantasyland. The reason being that Friday is NOT a Magic Morning, which means Fantasyland is not already full of guests who got in before you. Saturday IS a Magic Morning, so you will already be behind lots of guests.

So on Friday, grab a ST FP and then do Fantasyland. Continue obtaining FPs as soon as you are eligible for them. Use them up and then hop over to DCA late afternoon. Grab a WOC FP and a FP for your favorite DCA ride or perhaps reserve a WOC picnic? Then ride the shorter lines like Little Mermaid, Silly Symphony Swings, or stand in the TSMM line.

Have an early dinner and redeem your FPs. Get in line for second WOC as soon as you are able. Enjoy the show!

Saturday morning make ST and Space a priority by collecting as many as you are able in the morning, alternating with rides you didn't catch the day before. It looks like the Gay Day activities don't really start until 11am, so you should be able to get a jump on things. When DL gets really crowded, hop over to DCA, picking up FPs as needed. Hop back to DL when the crowds die down a bit. Cash in those FPs you have been collecting!

If you really like planning, I would suggest perhaps investing in Ridemax? There is a fee, but it is a fun tool to play around with and puts rides in the order you can do for the least amount of waiting time. Sometimes I just make different schedules to see how long a wait for something is at different times of the day.

Whatever you decide, have fun!