Best strategy for California Adventure

[txcorey]

We are heading out for our trip tomorrow and I'm starting to go into panic mode. I've spent so much time researching the Halloween party that I've neglected our plans for DCA. Our priorities in DCA are RSR and TSMM. My son is 8 and I think his favorite is TSMM. Not sure how the lines are for it lately but it seems like it builds pretty quickly. We are planning to be there for RD on Thursday. What would be the best plan of attacK? Ride TSMM first and then go get FP for RSR? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.

 

[GatorChris]

If your son's fave is Toy Story, go there first. By the time you're done with the quick early morning line, you can grab a FP for RSR for later.

 

[Geemo]

We are heading out for our trip tomorrow and I'm starting to go into panic mode. I've spent so much time researching the Halloween party that I've neglected our plans for DCA. Our priorities in DCA are RSR and TSMM. My son is 8 and I think his favorite is TSMM. Not sure how the lines are for it lately but it seems like it builds pretty quickly. We are planning to be there for RD on Thursday. What would be the best plan of attacK? Ride TSMM first and then go get FP for RSR? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.

At rope drop you'll have an idea of the beginning crowd. Have a couple plans, depending on the volume.

Ask your son which ride is his favorite, plan from there.

At rope drop I'd go and ride RSR, maybe as single rider, many say this is really a fast way to get a ride in first thing. Then head over to TSMM for a ride or two. When you ride TSMM and the ride is over,if there is no line ask the CM if you can stay in the car and go through again. Sometimes they will let you go right through. If you get out of the car you'll have to walk through the entire line to ride. Then I'd go pull a FP.

Or go straight to TSMM ride once or twice, Pull RSR FP for later in the day and go to RSR for a ride using the single rider line.

The single rider for RSR can be fun. My grandkids do this and sometimes they are in side-by-side cars racing each other. They love it!

Have a fun time and don't panic. Going with the flow of the day will make it enjoyable.

Geemo

 

[MouseEXP]

Park opens at 9am so get to the DCA entrance gates at 830am
As soon as they let you in, get in line for the RSR Fastpass

Get a RSR FP. Your return time should be around 10am-12pm.
Head to Toy Story Mania and ride it a couple of times, then the rest of the Pier attractions.
Once done with the Pier attractions ride Soarin then Grizzly. Get a FP for the World of Color if you need it.
Once it is time to ride RSR get another FP for RSR, which will hopefully be a night ride.
Lunch
Then Hollywood, then Cars Land attractions once it gets dark and use the 2nd RSR FP.
Remember you can get another FP 2 hours after you get that second RSR FP.

 

[figment_jii]

I would say it depends on whether you want to do multiple TSMM or multiple RSR rides because to get multiple RSR FP, you have to be among the very first guests to get a RSR FP in the morning. FP times start about 45 minutes after the park opens (so on Thursday, it'll be around 9:45-10:45). So you would have to get the FP and then go back and get another when the first FP window opens up. RSR FPs do seem to be lasting longer since they no longer allow guests to line up pre-park opening, but I wouldn't plan on them lasting more than 90 minutes after opening (especially given that DCA closes at 8:00 pm).

If TSMM is your son's favorite, I would head straight there from rope drop. If you get there soon enough, you could probably get in a couple of rides without a substantial wait time. After that, I would head back to get a RSR FP. You'll probably only get one RSR FP if you go this route, so if you wanted a second ride, you'll have wait in the standby or single rider line.

If multiple RSR rides is your goal, then get a RSR FP when the park opens (be in the front of the rope drop crowds on the left side). Then after you get your FP, head to TSMM and ride that. Hopefully the RSR FP line moves quickly and you get to TSMM before the line builds up. Then as soon as the window opens for the RSR FP, go back and get another one.

The biggest wrinkle to this is if RSR is not operating at park opening. They do not distribute RSR FPs while the ride is down, so that could impact the schedule.

 

[ehrawn]

I'm a DCA novice and don't know it like DL, so I needed a little help on our last trip. Here's the basic plan we followed that would have worked really well had there not been so many rides down. Hopefully others will weigh in because 1) I can't remeber where I saw this (sorry), and 2) it was adjusted for my kids so I'm missing some critical things like ToT. Obviously, be at the gate at opening, "wide right" to ride RSR standby, Soarin' FP, CS standby, TSMM, GSS, LM, GRR, go back to Soarin'.

 

[txcorey]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think we will do Toy Story first and then head over to RSR. We may try single rider then grab fp for later.

 

[Pucka1378]

When we were there last month we started at rope drop and went right to RSR and waited maybe 20 mins in line there then we headed over to TSMM and waited in line there for 20 mins.

 

[ccb1212]

I keep hearing about the "wide right" strategy for RSR. Can someone explain what this strategy is?

 

[figment_jii]

I keep hearing about the "wide right" strategy for RSR. Can someone explain what this strategy is?

Check out this thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2971596