Carsland random questions

[underminer]

2 days to go and I'm starting to panic! Does flo's cafe take reservations or is it counter service? About what time in the evening now do they light up carsland? When you line up early at the gates before DCA opens does it matter where you are in line to get to RSR fast passes the quickest? Thanks

 

[Rhonna]

2 days to go and I'm starting to panic! Does flo's cafe take reservations or is it counter service? About what time in the evening now do they light up carsland? When you line up early at the gates before DCA opens does it matter where you are in line to get to RSR fast passes the quickest? Thanks

1) Flo's is counter service only.

2) They light up around dusk but no set time. Be there early enough that you don't miss it. Some people use a weather app to check the official sundown and then get there 15 minutes before that time.

3) For your third question do you mean you are staying onsite and have EE to DCA? I believe there are lines for the EE people. Just be sure the green light is on above the CM's entry booth for the line you are in. I've read that some people line up at booths with the red lights on and then get upset and push into other lines when they realize their line isn't opening up.

As to getting in quickest at the entry gates there are things you can't predict. Often it depends on where you are in line AND how efficient the CM happens to be (you can't tell that in advance) and whether some people in front of you end up having a problem.

After you get through the entry gates all people end up being funneled through BVS so I don't think the entry gates on one side or another (or center) make much difference.

As to FP line - if you are not an EE guest and you enter after they are already in the park, you will find the FP line is already long. It snakes from Bug's Land down Hollywood land street (past Animation Academy) and back toward ToT. There are signs and CM's for the FP line and the long line will be obvious.

 

[Meech Loves Mickey]

Does this mean that the FP line for RSR is going to be longer than the Stand By line?

We are headed to CA for the first weekend in December. We are not staying on propery (we are at the Sheraton Park Anaheim) so what time should we arrive at CA?

The plan was for my DH to go get FP while I get in the stand by line with our two boys. The issue here is that my younger DS is not tall enough to ride RSR, so we will have to get a baby swap pass.

I was hoping we could ride it using the baby swap (and take my older DS on twice, once with me and once with my DH) and then ride it again later using the FP.

Or should we get the baby swap pass first? At what point in the ride line do you actually get the baby swap pass? Would it be possible for us to go and get the baby swap pass and then the one who is not riding go & get in the FP line?

Thanks.

 

[Girimama33]

Not to Hijack, but I have a question....Does anyone have experience getting into the RSR FP line on a non-EMH day? Are most people trying to get in the standby line?

 

[HydroGuy]

Not to Hijack, but I have a question....Does anyone have experience getting into the RSR FP line on a non-EMH day? Are most people trying to get in the standby line?

Just did this Saturday. We arrived at security at 7:40 and were into DCA by 7:45AM as they let folks in before the 8AM opening. Folks headed to RSR standby were held at a rope. We were set on getting FPs and I could not see where the standby rope was but I am sure it was before you get into CarsLand. I could see the rope over by the entrance to Condor Flats and there were folks at that rope too.

I do not have a feel for how many folks chose direct to RSR vs. FP, but there were a ton of people going for FP. At 7:45 we were in a FP line that snaked up Hollywood Blvd and we were almost to the Off the Page store in the Disney Animation building. The line grew back to the Hyperion theater somewhere - I could not see the end at 8AM when the line started to move. We got FPs at 8:19AM. Return window was 11:15AM-12:15PM.

 

[ArchOwl]

Not to Hijack, but I have a question....Does anyone have experience getting into the RSR FP line on a non-EMH day? Are most people trying to get in the standby line?

In my experience (July and September), most people are headed for standby. Here is a picture from July where I was there for EMH and this was where they held the crowd for regular park opening. This is pretty much the same place they held the non-EMH crowd when I was there last.

There are still lots of people gunning for RSR FP, but no where near as many as are at the rope waiting for standby RSR. The RSR FP line moves quickly even if it looks long. And what those people waiting for standby RSR didn't know was that RSR wasn't running at that time. Lame.

 

[Nonsuch]

Nice picture
The guests standing to far right (under the Carthay Theatre overhang) are in line for RSR fastpasses. That line wraps around the corner eventually reaching the Aladdin Theatre.

EMH guests can enter the RSR fastpass line ahead of the regular park guests, but must do so before rope drop.

I rode RSR 4 times as a single rider during EMH, but was about a minute too late to join the front of the fastpass line. The fastpass line moves very quickly, so even joining the line down the street (near Off the Page) only takes 30 minutes

 

[ArchOwl]

Nice picture
The guests standing to far right (under the Carthay Theatre overhang) are in line for RSR fastpasses. That line wraps around the corner eventually reaching the Aladdin Theatre.

EMH guests can enter the RSR fastpass line ahead of the regular park guests, but must do so before rope drop.

I rode RSR 4 times as a single rider during EMH, but was about a minute too late to join the front of the fastpass line. The fastpass line moves very quickly, so even joining the line down the street (near Off the Page) only takes 30 minutes

I have a pic of that line as well:

This is the EMH RSR FP line. As Nonsuch pointed out in the first picture, the regular guests start the FP line under the Carthay Circle Theater. About a minute until park opening, a CM walks the front of the regular FP line to the back of the EMH FP line. Then at opening, the RSR FP line begins to move.

 

[stephenintokyo]

Does this mean that the FP line for RSR is going to be longer than the Stand By line?

We are headed to CA for the first weekend in December. We are not staying on propery (we are at the Sheraton Park Anaheim) so what time should we arrive at CA?

The plan was for my DH to go get FP while I get in the stand by line with our two boys. The issue here is that my younger DS is not tall enough to ride RSR, so we will have to get a baby swap pass.

I was hoping we could ride it using the baby swap (and take my older DS on twice, once with me and once with my DH) and then ride it again later using the FP.

Or should we get the baby swap pass first? At what point in the ride line do you actually get the baby swap pass? Would it be possible for us to go and get the baby swap pass and then the one who is not riding go & get in the FP line?

Thanks.

We used the baby swap pass when we were there at the end of September. They don't let you go in the standby line with the baby. Your family need to go to the standby line entenrance together. If you go early enough, you should be able to get the baby swap pass and then get in the FP line but it all depends on the crowds on that day. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Rhonna]

They don't let you go in the standby line with the baby.

The standby line is THE main queue for everyone, including babies and disabled, etc.

Are you talking about the single rider line?

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

The standby line is THE main queue for everyone, including babies and disabled, etc.

Are you talking about the single rider line?

No, if the ride has a heigh limit, only people who make that limit are allowed in the queue. So a baby(or anybody who doesn't meet the height requirement) wouldn't even be allowed in line.

For the poster who asked, I would leave the son who doesn't make the height requirement with your DH in the FP line. You could ask a CM for a child swap pass, but they usually want to see the child. So you would be taking your chances.

 

[my2mickeykids]

If RSR is down when the park opens, can you still get a FP or do FP only open up when the ride is running? I was trying to plan what we will do if RSR is down when the park opens. We only have 1 morning in CA Adventure and it's non-EMH day which works great for us since we are staying at a good neighbor hotel. My fear is that we will get in early and RSR won't be running.

Thanks!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

If RSR is down when the park opens, can you still get a FP or do FP only open up when the ride is running? I was trying to plan what we will do if RSR is down when the park opens. We only have 1 morning in CA Adventure and it's non-EMH day which works great for us since we are staying at a good neighbor hotel. My fear is that we will get in early and RSR won't be running.

Thanks!

You can technically get a FP while it's down (I believe), but I'm not sure there would be any left by the time you go to the ride, realized it was down and then backtracked to get in the FP line. I don't believe they tell you ahead of time whether it's down or not.

 

[ArchOwl]

If RSR is down when the park opens, can you still get a FP or do FP only open up when the ride is running? I was trying to plan what we will do if RSR is down when the park opens. We only have 1 morning in CA Adventure and it's non-EMH day which works great for us since we are staying at a good neighbor hotel. My fear is that we will get in early and RSR won't be running.

Thanks!

Unlike most other rides, they do distribute RSR FPs when the ride is down. Sometimes they have told us when RSR was down and other times they didn't. That is why I usually prefer to get the FP rather than take a chance on standby. Unless the ride is down the entire day, I will most likely get a chance to ride with my FP. If I am in standby, I might not ride at all.

 

[tanyaewa]

We will be in DL/DCA or 2 days, non EMH.
I want to surprise my Cars loving boys with the whole CarsLand experience rather than rushing over to get in line for RSR.
Suggestions to make the most of the experience?

My idea is to head to DCA early first day, send DH and boys over the other way to Soarin' while I head to RSR FP line. Then meet up, do a little BV, and then head over to DL.
Plan is to come back to CL for rides and RSR, dinner at Flo's as the lights come on.... Explore CL at night, do DCA rides all evening. No WOC for us.

Will that work?

Should I have made this my own thread? Sorry I didn't mean to hijack just thought it was same topic, pretty much....

 

[Meech Loves Mickey]

No, if the ride has a heigh limit, only people who make that limit are allowed in the queue. So a baby(or anybody who doesn't meet the height requirement) wouldn't even be allowed in line.

For the poster who asked, I would leave the son who doesn't make the height requirement with your DH in the FP line. You could ask a CM for a child swap pass, but they usually want to see the child. So you would be taking your chances.

Yes, I think that is the plan. One of us will take my older son directly to RSR and the other will take our younger son and get in line for FP. I'm OK with just riding RSR once, as long as my son gets to ride multiple times!

 

[Meech Loves Mickey]

I apoligize for hijacking this thread, but I have more questions about Carsland.

Are there any 'shows' or any other special things that go on in Carsland? I've seen a picture of DJ the car and a waitress and it seemed to me that it was a dance party. Is this accurate? Approx what time a day is the dance party?

Aside from the rides, what are some of the not to be missed things in Carsland?

My boys are obsessed with Cars, so I want to try and do as much Carsland stuff as we can in the 4 days we are there.

Thanks!!!

 

[Rhonna]

No, if the ride has a heigh limit, only people who make that limit are allowed in the queue. So a baby(or anybody who doesn't meet the height requirement) wouldn't even be allowed in line.

For the poster who asked, I would leave the son who doesn't make the height requirement with your DH in the FP line. You could ask a CM for a child swap pass, but they usually want to see the child. So you would be taking your chances.

Okay, I get what you are saying. I didn't think about a height requirement. Thanks for the correction. But the pp I was responding to seemed to imply that a baby would be allowed in another line for RSR, just not standby. Maybe I misunderstood them.

 

[my2mickeykids]

Just did this Saturday. We arrived at security at 7:40 and were into DCA by 7:45AM as they let folks in before the 8AM opening. Folks headed to RSR standby were held at a rope. We were set on getting FPs and I could not see where the standby rope was but I am sure it was before you get into CarsLand. I could see the rope over by the entrance to Condor Flats and there were folks at that rope too.

I do not have a feel for how many folks chose direct to RSR vs. FP, but there were a ton of people going for FP. At 7:45 we were in a FP line that snaked up Hollywood Blvd and we were almost to the Off the Page store in the Disney Animation building. The line grew back to the Hyperion theater somewhere - I could not see the end at 8AM when the line started to move. We got FPs at 8:19AM. Return window was 11:15AM-12:15PM.

So on a day like this, a non early entry day, where do we head to get FP's for RSR? What time do they let people in the park? Just trying to figure out our FP plan of attack since we are staying in a good neighbor hotel and for this reason going to CA Adventure on a non EE day. Any tips would be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[DickTracy]

I was there last Saturday and got in line for the fast pass. It didn't take long at all. Even around 9:30. Took about 20 minutes to get through the line. It was a LOONG line but moved super fast.