Confused about DCA's opening

[PRINCESS VIJA]

We decided to stay on site at Disneyland Hotel. If I understand correctly, we can use the entrance to DCA from the Grand Californian. Is that correct?

What does that get you?

I am confused because at 9:30 if I understand right, everyone can ride Soarin' and then get ready to walk to TSMM (or wherever they are going)

If you are entering from the GC, do you skip Soarin for the morning so you are closer to TSMM?

I want to do both rides, what is the best way?

So confused?

 

[Minuet888]

I don't believe you get in to DCA any earlier

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I didn't think the guests from GC get in earlier, so I guess I am wondering what the benefit is to line up at GC entrance? Because so many people here report that DCA actually opens up at 9:30 (instead of 10) JUST up to Soarin and that alot of people get in and ride Soarin before the official posted time. THat opening is for EVERYONE. So, just to clarify, I am wondering the benefit of the entrance to DCA from GC?

 

[Sherry E]

Well, here is the thing. Soarin' is a Fast Pass ride, so you don't need to necessarily get on that first thing in the morning, unless you want to. TSMM is NOT a Fast Pass ride, so the sooner you can beat the crowds to it, the better. What happens is, when you are a guest at one of the 3 DLR hotels and you use the GCH entrance into DCA, you are lined up over in the Grizzly River Run area, which gives you a slight advantage in time and proximity over the people waiting at the main entrance to DCA. At a certain time before 10:00 a.m., a CM will begin to walk everyone in the GCH/DCA line over to TSMM and you get in line before the masses get to it. It is worth it - we did that last year, and we beat everyone waiting around the main entry to DCA by several minutes - and that line builds fast and furiously!! I would hit TSMM first and then do Soarin' after or later, with a Fast Pass. The TSMM line, should you get stuck in it, moves quickly, but if you can gain a few minutes on the people at the front of DCA, or the ones who stop to ride Soarin', it will be worth it. It is a FUN ride!

By the way, they let people in the park at 9:30 or 9:40, but not into the whole park - just the Condor Flats area where Soarin' is, or in the main area by the Sun fountain/plaza area. You can't get into the whole park until 10:00 a.m. by going in the main way, but if you take the GCH entrance, the CM will start walking you over to TSMM before the other people.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

At a certain time before 10:00 a.m., a CM will begin to walk everyone in the GCH/DCA line over to TSMM and you get in line before the masses get to it. It is worth it - we did that last year, and we beat everyone waiting around the main entry to DCA by several minutes - and that line builds fast and furiously!!

Thanks for the explanation! What time would you recommend lining up at the GCH entrance? How many people would you say use that entrance on an August morning? We don't mind lining up early, I prefer that! I tend to REALLY want to be the first one at the turnstile. It is just something we like to do, yes, we are crazy!

Do they do that EVERY morning? I mean having the CM walk you over before the masses?

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for the explanation! What time would you recommend lining up at the GCH entrance? How many people would you say use that entrance on an August morning? We don't mind lining up early, I prefer that! I tend to REALLY want to be the first one at the turnstile. It is just something we like to do, yes, we are crazy!

Do they do that EVERY morning? I mean having the CM walk you over before the masses?

I haven't been at that GCH entrance to DCA in August yet, but from what I have read on DIS, they do seem to do that every morning. Everyone lines up by GRR in an orderly fashion, the CM comes along and then everyone calmly walks over to TSMM - or wherever they decide to branch off to. When I saw how many people rushed into the TSMM line after our bunch got to it last year, I said to my friend, 'Ahhh...okay, now I see why people use that entrance!"

Let's see....I am trying to remember when we did it last year....We got to the turnstile waiting area of the GCH entrance into DCA at about, I am guessing, 9:30 or so. There were only a few folks there when we arrived. It wouldn't hurt to get there earlier. They then let us in the turnstile and motioned us over to GRR at about, maybe 9:40 or 9:45 a.m. or so. (remember, at this time, everyone who came in through the main DCA entrance is either on Soarin' or wandering around the Sun fountain area at this point). Then they started walking us over to the Paradise Pier area where TSMM is located at about 9:50 and we were in line by 9:55 or 10:00 sharp, I think. Others have reported using the GCH entrance and being walked over to the TSMM line even earlier than that (by about 5 minutes or so), so it may depend on which CM you get that day and how generous they are feeling in giving people an extra five minutes. And then everyone from the main entrance zoomed in behind us after we were safely nestled in the TSMM line! (But again, if you do get stuck in a TSMM line any time during your trip, it does move rather fast, so don't be daunted by signs that say '40-minute wait,' because those usually mean '30 minutes.' And it is worth it!)

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

If we want to ride it 2x do you think it is best to ride it a second time right away, or to do a repeat of DCA entrance another day? Somehow I don't think we would do that 2x, so I am wondering when best to try to do it 2x?

thanks!

 

[Sherry E]

If we want to ride it 2x do you think it is best to ride it a second time right away, or to do a repeat of DCA entrance another day? Somehow I don't think we would do that 2x, so I am wondering when best to try to do it 2x?

thanks!

Hmmm...well, the ride is definitely addictive. Most folks want to ride it again at some point during their trip. I think we were on it 3 times in one day last year. But I am thinking that by the time you get out of your first ride on it in the morning, you will see that the line has gotten long. If it is not long, then hop into it again right away if you like the ride. Take advantage of a short line if there is one. Otherwise, wait until later in the day or do what you suggested and hit the GCH entrance on another morning (since you will be there for several days). Again, it is a fast-moving line so that is not a huge issue, but after your first ride on TSMM, you may want to then venture over to other things in DCA - like get your Fast Pass for Soarin', for example, see the Aladdin show, hit the Monsters Inc. ride (which never seems to have a line when I am there, but I don't know what happens in August), go to the Animation building and learn to draw Mickey or whoever the character is at that time, wander around A Bug's Land or the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, California Screamin', etc. Beware of riding GRR if you are not planning to go back to your hotel immediately afterward, because you may very well be soaked and walking around the parks that way.

Oh, and if the DLH is still on your agenda, did you take a look at Bumbershoot's TR? She just spent a few days at the DLH and took some fun pictures which are in her TR.

 

[bumbershoot]

We did not use the GCH entrance on our early DCA day. We stood in line (just over a week ago, sigh) at the main entrance.

We got in line just after 9 and there were only a few people there. If we'd been brave and stood at a different line we could have been first through a turnstile, but we were the second family at our gate.

At 9:30 they opened the parks, and we went over towards Soarin'. They do not STOP you at Soarin'. They stop you JUST before the big huge Grizzly at GRR.

So someone entering at GCH would have a bit of an earlier start at that rope, because those coming from the main entrance have to walk from the main entrance up to GRR. However, we were right at the rope, even walking from the main entrance. Not many people, at least on that day, entering from GCH.

Hubby was able to grab Soarin' FPs on the way, at approx 9:33 am. He went through the FP-getting area as E and I went along the main path, and we just slowed a tad as he got the FPs and came out the exit of the FP area, then we just headed on up the rise, past the GCH entrance, and then to a stop before GRR.

Then we waited a half an hour, the CM (who was amusing and fun) being helpful the whole time. If you have an early morning Ariel's breakfast, you go up to the rope, tell the CM, and they let you on through.

Then right at 10, the CM took the rope away (telling those at the rope to wait...those behind us wouldn't have known the rope was actually gone) had a countdown, and then we all started walking towards TSMM.

There does seem to be another rope, over along the wide path that would take you between bug's land and Wine Country Trattoria. I think that most people wait there, having no clue that there's the GRR area to wait in.


Anyway, if you want to ride Soarin', I'd probably go to the main entrance. Maybe create a reason for it...like you want to get a Peet's espresso latte from Haagen Dasz (they open at 8am)...so that your family doesn't think you're silly for standing at the main gates. Then go on Soarin' and then go on to TSMM. You won't be among the ones to just walk through the TSMM line though...you might have waiting involved. But it won't be anything near what it will be like after 10, when most normal folk think the park is going to open!

And no, not everyone knows it opens early. A family was chosen to open the park the day we were at DCA early, and shortly after being chosen, they LEFT! They realized what time it was, realized they'd "have to stay there until 10", and took off, even with people trying to tell them it was less than half an hour until they would be inside the park. It was sad!

 

[Buttercup26]

We just did this for first time a few weeks ago. We stayed at PPH and walked across street to GCH and used that entrance to get into DCA. We got there about 9:15 - 9:20 and were some of the first people waiting. The first day they just had everyone kind of wait in a group and opened the rope to go to TSMM about 9:45. The following days they actually had a line for TSMM and queued everyone up - about 9:30-9:40 a CM would start walking the line over to TSMM - the people coming in from the front gate were added to end of the line coming from the GCH entrance. We did this 4 days in a row and it was great! Best way to do TSMM.

Soarin has FP, so not such a big deal for us to do first thing. Since TSMM doesn't have FP this is the way to do it if you are staying at a DLR hotel.

 

[Sherry E]

We just did this for first time a few weeks ago. We stayed at PPH and walked across street to GCH and used that entrance to get into DCA. We got there about 9:15 - 9:20 and were some of the first people waiting. The first day they just had everyone kind of wait in a group and opened the rope to go to TSMM about 9:45. The following days they actually had a line for TSMM and queued everyone up - about 9:30-9:40 a CM would start walking the line over to TSMM - the people coming in from the front gate were added to end of the line coming from the GCH entrance. We did this 4 days in a row and it was great! Best way to do TSMM.

Soarin has FP, so not such a big deal for us to do first thing. Since TSMM doesn't have FP this is the way to do it if you are staying at a DLR hotel.

Exactly. Because Soarin' is a Fast Pass ride, that can be managed easily after TSMM, but TSMM has no Fast Pass and a line that builds quickly....and again, when we did the GCH entrance and got escorted over to the TSMM line by the CM, got ahead of the masses, rode it and then got off the ride and saw how many people were standing in line at that point - we knew exactly why doing it the way we did was better. When you see how many people you beat into the line by just a few minutes, you realize it is a good idea to do it that way. And then Soarin' is a breeze because you can just grab a Fast Pass any time for that.

It is sort of like why riding Peter Pan and all the non-Fast Pass Fantasyland rides during Magic Morning is better than racing for Buzz Lightyear or Space Mountain - because Buzz and SM have Fast Passes and Peter Pan, etc. do not, and the lines build rapidly.

 

[ozdisfan]

are you able to get a fastpass for grizzly river run while yur waiting in the tsmm line (from 9:30 - 10:00)?

 

[Sherry E]

are you able to get a fastpass for grizzly river run while yur waiting in the tsmm line (from 9:30 - 10:00)?

Good question. I am not sure. I would assume so, if there is access to that part of GRR where the FP machines are before 10:00 a.m. But depending on when the CM starts to walk you over to TSMM - and some of them will do it earlier than other ones - you want to make sure you don't get separated from your group if someone makes a run for the Fast passes while the group lined up starts walking!

 

[ozdisfan]

awesome! thanx 4 the quick response sherry e!

 

[bumbershoot]

The rope was before the Grizzly line and the FP line. It wouldn't have been possible. The only ride open was Soarin', which is why their machines were on. Grizzly wasn't open.

And I don't know when Grizzly actually has FPs, b/c we were seeing lines 40+ minutes long during our week, and there were no FPs to be had...

 

[DLR29]

I can double confirm that you cannot get GRR FPs until 10AM. They hold the TSMM line before the entrance to GRR. Actually, when I went in August, they had the line go through the back path through Grizzly Peak, and not the normal path by GRR's entrance.

 

[sdfamily]

We're only staying one night. So, we'll be there for an afternoon/evening and then the next day (a MM day). Does this sound crazy....

- be at DL at 6:30 for 7:00 MM entry: Peter Pan, etc.
- be at Toontown for 9:00 entry to see Mickey Mouse
- hoof it back to Grand Californian entry into DCA (or take monorail) by about 9:45

Question: if one of us stays at DL to get a FP, do the others just need a hand stamp for entry into DCA, or do they need their APs?

 

[DLR29]

We're only staying one night. So, we'll be there for an afternoon/evening and then the next day (a MM day). Does this sound crazy....

- be at DL at 6:30 for 7:00 MM entry: Peter Pan, etc.
- be at Toontown for 9:00 entry to see Mickey Mouse
- hoof it back to Grand Californian entry into DCA (or take monorail) by about 9:45

Question: if one of us stays at DL to get a FP, do the others just need a hand stamp for entry into DCA, or do they need their APs?

Sounds pretty normal for one of my tours . But it's totally doable if you don't spend that much time in Toontown. I don't recommend taking the monorail. It puts you closer to the DLH and deeper into DTD than it does closer to GCH. Actually, I'm not sure that going all the way to the GCH entry will save you a TON of time. Maybe just wait at the normal gates, which is much closer.

To your question, in order to park hop or reenter a park, you need both the handstamp and admission ticket, so that plan won't work.

 

[stacielee]

We just did this for first time a few weeks ago. We stayed at PPH and walked across street to GCH and used that entrance to get into DCA. We got there about 9:15 - 9:20 and were some of the first people waiting. The first day they just had everyone kind of wait in a group and opened the rope to go to TSMM about 9:45. The following days they actually had a line for TSMM and queued everyone up - about 9:30-9:40 a CM would start walking the line over to TSMM - the people coming in from the front gate were added to end of the line coming from the GCH entrance. We did this 4 days in a row and it was great! Best way to do TSMM.

Soarin has FP, so not such a big deal for us to do first thing. Since TSMM doesn't have FP this is the way to do it if you are staying at a DLR hotel.

Agree with everything people have said; we've done it this way several times and depending on how busy the park is, sometimes the CM will take you over at around 9:45 and sometimes a few minutes later, but we've always been at TSMM before 10. If you want to ride again, one thing you can do is the single rider line, once it opens. It's not open first thing in the morning, and it opens sporadically throughout the day. Once you get the hang of the ride, that will usually be quicker, as long as you don't mind riding with someone you don't know. But there have been a couple of times we've done the SRL and been put together instead of being split up.

We're only staying one night. So, we'll be there for an afternoon/evening and then the next day (a MM day). Does this sound crazy....

- be at DL at 6:30 for 7:00 MM entry: Peter Pan, etc.
- be at Toontown for 9:00 entry to see Mickey Mouse
- hoof it back to Grand Californian entry into DCA (or take monorail) by about 9:45

Question: if one of us stays at DL to get a FP, do the others just need a hand stamp for entry into DCA, or do they need their APs?

It would be quicker to just go across the esplanade from DL to CA instead of walking all the way back to the GC entrance.

And if you have an AP, you don't need a hand stamp, unless the parks are VERY busy. And everyone needs a ticket, whether it's a regular ticket or an AP to get into the park, at all times.