Best Way To Tour Fantasyland

[jhaig]

What is the best way to get most or all of Fantasyland done first thing after park opening? We would like to do DL on a day when the park opens early. I should add this will be our first trip ever to DL (to California for that matter). We will be arriving the morning of Sun 8/5 and be at DL Mon 8/6 and Tues 8/7. We will probably skip Peter Pan (we are also WDW vets and have done the Florida version many times). We’re trying to experience the rides at DL that are new to us.

I thought Fantasyland would be a good place to start since there are no Fastpasses and it looks like we can get a lot done in the first hour.

 

[Mysteryincorp]

I would do Alice, Dumbo, Storybook canals, Toads, Pinocchio, Snow White, tea cups, carousel...in that order.

 

[disneychrista]

I would do Alice, Dumbo, Storybook canals, Toads, Pinocchio, Snow White, tea cups, carousel...in that order.

Peter Pan then as above with it's a small world at the end.

Both these are very different than their WDW counterpart.

 

[jhaig]

I would do Alice, Dumbo, Storybook canals, Toads, Pinocchio, Snow White, tea cups, carousel...in that order.

I am guessing I should be able to get most of that done within the first hour of park opening?

 

[jhaig]

Peter Pan then as above with it's a small world at the end.

Both these are very different than their WDW counterpart.

So Peter Pan is different than WDW?

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

No-essentially the same ride-queue way better at WDW though. If you are ok skipping this ride, you can get a lot done in Fantasyland and I would generally follow what Mysteryincorp outlined. After PP, Alice, Storybook Canal and Dumbo will have longer wait times than the other rides in Fantasyland. Don't forget Its a Small World-better/longer version than WDW and view from queue is way better at DL.

 

[VandVsmama]

What is the best way to get most or all of Fantasyland done first thing after park opening? We would like to do DL on a day when the park opens early. I should add this will be our first trip ever to DL (to California for that matter). We will be arriving the morning of Sun 8/5 and be at DL Mon 8/6 and Tues 8/7. We will probably skip Peter Pan (we are also WDW vets and have done the Florida version many times). We’re trying to experience the rides at DL that are new to us.

I thought Fantasyland would be a good place to start since there are no Fastpasses and it looks like we can get a lot done in the first hour.

I'm going to "think out loud" on your question, only my thinking will be in a written form.

• Regular park opening in early August will probably be at 8 am.
• Be up early and at the DL main gate with park tickets in hand on Monday 8/6 at 7:30 am. Maybe even by 7:15 am if you want to go on Peter Pan essentially as a walk on.
• Once they let guests into the park, walk with purpose to Fantasyland and, in my opinion, do the rides in this order...
• Peter Pan (but skip if it's not a 'must do')
• Matterhorn
• Dumbo
• Alice
• Mad Tea Party
• Mr Toad
• Pinocchio
• Casey Jr Circus Train
• Storybook Land Canal Boats
• King Arthur's Carrousel
• it's a small world
• Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk Through

• You'll probably be done around 10 am.
• Matterhorn has a single rider line, by the way, which is handy if you want to go on it again later in the day, but you don't have a FP for it and you don't want to wait in a long line.
• If you have purchase Max Pass, while you're getting on Dumbo, get a FP for a Tomorrowland ride or for IJ, Splash Mtn, or BTMRR. Preferably for a Tomorrowland FP attraction because, for some reason to me, it feels closer than walking to the other lands from Fantasyland.
• if your FP return time for Buzz, Space Mountain, or Star Tours is 9-10 am and within that 9-10 am window, you're not done yet with everything in Fantasyland, NOT TO WORRY! You can postpone the carrousel, It's a small world, and the castle walk through until after you go on the Tomorrowland FP ride.
• If you have NOT purchased Max Pass, then have 1 person in your group take everyone's tickets and go to Space Mountain or Star Tours to get a FP for 1 of those.
• Make sure you've downloaded the Disneyland app to your smart phone prior to your trip.
• The other only Fantasyland attractions that aren't listed above are Pixie Hollow, the Royal Theater show, and meeting princesses in the Royal Hall.
• If you're smart about it and you have the $$ in your budget, schedule a character breakfast at the Plaza Inn for 10:30 am. By 10:30, you'll be done with Fantasyland and you'll be ready for a break. So you can rest, eat, and have a ton of characters come to your table! We've done it this a couple of times and it's worked out great. I'm usually able to have a FP return window that falls around 11:30 am, so by the time we're done at the Plaza Inn, we go on an E-ticket attraction ride! My DH did not enjoy going on BTMRR after eating his fill of Plaza Inn breakfast, though! But he's not a roller coaster fan.

 

[VandVsmama]

Another option is as you walk BY the Matterhorn, get FPs for it and then go on the rest of the Fantasyland attractions in the order listed above. The Matterhorn FP return window will probably be within 30-45 min. You'll still end up going on Matterhorn in the morning and you won't have to wait in a long line to do it.

Of course, if you don't care much for Everest at WDW (if you're a WDW person), then Matterhorn might not be your cup of tea either. It doesn't go backwards. But it's a rough ride and you often feel banged up a bit at the end of it. I love it, though!

 

[SeiterClan]

I'm going to "think out loud" on your question, only my thinking will be in a written form.

• Regular park opening in early August will probably be at 8 am.
• Be up early and at the DL main gate with park tickets in hand on Monday 8/6 at 7:30 am. Maybe even by 7:15 am if you want to go on Peter Pan essentially as a walk on.
• Once they let guests into the park, walk with purpose to Fantasyland and, in my opinion, do the rides in this order...
• Peter Pan (but skip if it's not a 'must do')
• Matterhorn
• Dumbo
• Alice
• Mad Tea Party
• Mr Toad
• Pinocchio
• Casey Jr Circus Train
• Storybook Land Canal Boats
• King Arthur's Carrousel
• it's a small world
• Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk Through

• You'll probably be done around 10 am.
• Matterhorn has a single rider line, by the way, which is handy if you want to go on it again later in the day, but you don't have a FP for it and you don't want to wait in a long line.
• If you have purchase Max Pass, while you're getting on Dumbo, get a FP for a Tomorrowland ride or for IJ, Splash Mtn, or BTMRR. Preferably for a Tomorrowland FP attraction because, for some reason to me, it feels closer than walking to the other lands from Fantasyland.
• if your FP return time for Buzz, Space Mountain, or Star Tours is 9-10 am and within that 9-10 am window, you're not done yet with everything in Fantasyland, NOT TO WORRY! You can postpone the carrousel, It's a small world, and the castle walk through until after you go on the Tomorrowland FP ride.
• If you have NOT purchased Max Pass, then have 1 person in your group take everyone's tickets and go to Space Mountain or Star Tours to get a FP for 1 of those.
• Make sure you've downloaded the Disneyland app to your smart phone prior to your trip.
• The other only Fantasyland attractions that aren't listed above are Pixie Hollow, the Royal Theater show, and meeting princesses in the Royal Hall.
• If you're smart about it and you have the $$ in your budget, schedule a character breakfast at the Plaza Inn for 10:30 am. By 10:30, you'll be done with Fantasyland and you'll be ready for a break. So you can rest, eat, and have a ton of characters come to your table! We've done it this a couple of times and it's worked out great. I'm usually able to have a FP return window that falls around 11:30 am, so by the time we're done at the Plaza Inn, we go on an E-ticket attraction ride! My DH did not enjoy going on BTMRR after eating his fill of Plaza Inn breakfast, though! But he's not a roller coaster fan.

This is great! We will be there the few days before that & are thinking of using our MM on that Saturday Aug. 4th which would mean it starts at 7am! Should we do the same order you suggested above & when the early entry is that early is it less busy? My kids really want to do PP of course. Any advice you could give would be great! Thanks

 

[jhaig]

Another option is as you walk BY the Matterhorn, get FPs for it and then go on the rest of the Fantasyland attractions in the order listed above. The Matterhorn FP return window will probably be within 30-45 min. You'll still end up going on Matterhorn in the morning and you won't have to wait in a long line to do it.

Of course, if you don't care much for Everest at WDW (if you're a WDW person), then Matterhorn might not be your cup of tea either. It doesn't go backwards. But it's a rough ride and you often feel banged up a bit at the end of it. I love it, though!

That sounds like a good plan, and we are big Everest fans!

 

[jhaig]

I'm going to "think out loud" on your question, only my thinking will be in a written form.

• Regular park opening in early August will probably be at 8 am.
• Be up early and at the DL main gate with park tickets in hand on Monday 8/6 at 7:30 am. Maybe even by 7:15 am if you want to go on Peter Pan essentially as a walk on.
• Once they let guests into the park, walk with purpose to Fantasyland and, in my opinion, do the rides in this order...
• Peter Pan (but skip if it's not a 'must do')
• Matterhorn
• Dumbo
• Alice
• Mad Tea Party
• Mr Toad
• Pinocchio
• Casey Jr Circus Train
• Storybook Land Canal Boats
• King Arthur's Carrousel
• it's a small world
• Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk Through

• You'll probably be done around 10 am.
• Matterhorn has a single rider line, by the way, which is handy if you want to go on it again later in the day, but you don't have a FP for it and you don't want to wait in a long line.
• If you have purchase Max Pass, while you're getting on Dumbo, get a FP for a Tomorrowland ride or for IJ, Splash Mtn, or BTMRR. Preferably for a Tomorrowland FP attraction because, for some reason to me, it feels closer than walking to the other lands from Fantasyland.
• if your FP return time for Buzz, Space Mountain, or Star Tours is 9-10 am and within that 9-10 am window, you're not done yet with everything in Fantasyland, NOT TO WORRY! You can postpone the carrousel, It's a small world, and the castle walk through until after you go on the Tomorrowland FP ride.
• If you have NOT purchased Max Pass, then have 1 person in your group take everyone's tickets and go to Space Mountain or Star Tours to get a FP for 1 of those.
• Make sure you've downloaded the Disneyland app to your smart phone prior to your trip.
• The other only Fantasyland attractions that aren't listed above are Pixie Hollow, the Royal Theater show, and meeting princesses in the Royal Hall.
• If you're smart about it and you have the $$ in your budget, schedule a character breakfast at the Plaza Inn for 10:30 am. By 10:30, you'll be done with Fantasyland and you'll be ready for a break. So you can rest, eat, and have a ton of characters come to your table! We've done it this a couple of times and it's worked out great. I'm usually able to have a FP return window that falls around 11:30 am, so by the time we're done at the Plaza Inn, we go on an E-ticket attraction ride! My DH did not enjoy going on BTMRR after eating his fill of Plaza Inn breakfast, though! But he's not a roller coaster fan.

This is all great info! We are staying at the DL Hotel, so I am guessing that we can use Magic Morning on either Mon or Tues morning (DL’s early opening process is still kinda confusing to me). We are early birds anyway and usually are at the park at least 30 min before opening at WDW.

 

[brenda1966]

Great advice above. I love Disneyland Fantasyland first thing in the morning. I have encountered times when the Canal boats are not yet open, so be aware of that. They sometimes open a bit later in the morning. And it can be a slow go in the morning as they casually add boats to the rotation. The ride is adorable, but it's not a quick one. The Castle walk through is easy to skip, but don't. It's worth a look for sure.

I have to gasp at comparing the Matterhorn to Mt. Everest. That's like comparing riding in a beat up rusted out VW bug to riding in a porche! I have an affection for the Matterhorn and its history but I can barely ride it once because it is ROUGH and a huge rattle trap. However I once rode Mt. Everest 9 times in a row via since rider and FP one morning. It was chilly and we rode over and over until our lips were turning blue. The two rides are worlds apart.

 

[sleepymouse]

On early entry/magic mornings, the Storybook Land Canal Boats are not open (unless something changed recently). They usually open a bit later and slowly. Also, I would definitely do Peter Pan first only if you are near the front of the pack. If not, do not waste your time waiting in line. Next, Dumbo and then Alice.

Also, since you are staying at the DLH, you have early entry every day at either one park or the other.

 

[jhaig]

Are there any Fantasyland rides that can be done at any time during the day with minimal waits?

I will probably do FP’s for Matterhorn but how should I fit in the Nemo sub ride? Should that be done right after FL?

 

[jhaig]

Also, since you are staying at the DLH, you have early entry every day at either one park or the other.

Would Monday be better for early entry? And should we plan on a 7am park opening?

 

[sleepymouse]

Would Monday be better for early entry? And should we plan on a 7am park opening?

Unless something changes, DL currently has extra magic hour in the morning on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It should be 7am on Tuesday, and I would definitely use it. If you decide to go to DCA, that park would have in on Monday, and you could enter early there that day.

 

[jhaig]

On our first day at DL (Sunday) we won’t be getting to the park until around noon. Is DL or DCA a better choice for a midday arrival? At DL the plan would be to hit things on the left side of the park (Pirates, HM, Big Thunder, etc) while saving Fantasyland for an early morning.

 

[jfk4]

Are there any Fantasyland rides that can be done at any time during the day with minimal waits?

I will probably do FP’s for Matterhorn but how should I fit in the Nemo sub ride? Should that be done right after FL?

Pinocchio and Snow White usually settle into 10 - 15 minute waits as the day progresses, so I wouldn't wait longer for them in the morning. Alice's line may go down somewhat, but usually levels out at 25-35 minutes. The Casey Jones line is often quite short at night. I've seen the wait times for the canal boats go down at night, but I think it is much better in daylight. I'd avoid doing the submarines in the morning (and certainly not during Early Morning Magic hours). In many cases the ride isn't fully staffed and the waits can be deceptively long.

 

[agamble]

I would do Alice, Dumbo, Storybook canals, Toads, Pinocchio, Snow White, tea cups, carousel...in that order.

Peter Pan then as above with it's a small world at the end.

Both these are very different than their WDW counterpart.

I would do Peter Pan at a later time. I shake my head every time I see people in a 30+ minute wait for Peter Pan first thing in the morning. I'm not waiting 30 minutes to ride something at a time that everything else is a walk-on. You can do all the rides that Mysterincorp mentioned within an hour, or less, if you skip Peter Pan. If you do Peter Pan first it could take you two hours to do those things. I would suggest doing Peter Pan at a different time and just accepting that you will have to wait 30-40 minutes to ride it. But 30-40 minutes later in the day when all lines are long is better than 20-30 minutes in the morning when all rides are walk-ons. Don't forget Matterhorn and Small World.

Also, just an FYI Toon Town opens an hour after regular park opening and they have a little procession when it opens. So if you go in for Magic Morning at 7AM and regular opening is at 8AM then Toon Town will open at 9AM. That means you could do virtually everything (except probably Peter Pan) in Fantasyland between 7 and 9 and be at the gates of Toon Town before 9AM to walk into the area with Mickey and friends. Mickey held my daughters hand and walked her into the land once, and I've seen characters do this with other kids too. It is such a fun little thing. BONUS the roller coaster in Toon Town doesn't have a wait at that time and it also is a non FP ride.

 

[Aimee_Jane83]

Are there any Fantasyland rides that can be done at any time during the day with minimal waits?

I will probably do FP’s for Matterhorn but how should I fit in the Nemo sub ride? Should that be done right after FL?

Disneyland at night... I can't even describe to you how AMAZING Disneyland is at night time. Fantasyland is by far one of my favourite lands to do after dark. Its all lit up and being in the heart of old classic Disney you just can't beat that ambience. Peter Pan is going to be absolutely insane at any given time of the day. You are looking at a solid 45 minute wait unless you get there at rope drop or for a magic morning and hope for the best. But I have found that if you do Fantasyland at night your chances of getting shorter wait times on most rides is much better than during the day. Keep in mind this is my observation in off season when kids are in school and not around major holidays and park events.

I don't have a good strategy for Nemo unfortunately. It's always a busy long line in my opinion. I typically grab some frozen lemonade from the stand beside and wait out the line.