DCA Strategy (No EMH)

[disneymum58]

We are planning to start off in DCA this Friday and we don't have early admission. Both parks open at 9. DCA opens early at 8. If we arrive for 9, what would be the best plan for starting our day. We will have hoppers and MaxPass, but want to start at DCA this day.

 

[DLRExpert]

Visiting DCA on a EMH day that you do not have access to is not as big of a deal.

Arrive by 845am. They should start letting guests into DCA and once you have scanned in you can start getting Fastpasses. If you want to attempt to ride Racers twice make that be your first FP.
Now put all focus for first three hours into the Non-FP attractions. You basically want to fit in the Non-FP with the FP attractions/
9am-930am: Mater's Junkyard Jamboree then Luigi's Rollicking Roadsters
930am-11am: Head to Pixar Pier, Ride Pixar Pal Around first, Emotional Whirlwind, Jumping Jellyfish, Golden Zephyr, and Symphony Swings
11am -12pm: Monsters Inc., Little Mermaid, Jessies Carousels
Everything else will be FP attractions and shows.

FP order for two rides on Racers should be...
1) Racers
2) TSMM
3) Incredicoaster
4) 2nd Racers FP for Night ride
5) Guardians
6) Soarin
7) Grizzly
8) Goofy

ME

 

[theluckyrabbit]

As pp said, doing RD at DCA on a day when you don't have EE will still put you on fairly even footing with everyone else. EE is a perk only given to on site hotel guests, so it isn't shared with off site guests like EMH and MM at DL. Be at the DCA gates early and be ready to go -- you'll be fine!

 

[Becca1007]

Also... start from the rope by Ariel, if you decide to do the Pier first.

 

[CharleneTheDM]

Also... start from the rope by Ariel, if you decide to do the Pier first.

Hey, @Becca1007 ! I have a dumb question.
I've only rope dropped by Guardians once and another time on Buena Vista street.
If I enter DCA and turn right towards Soarin, is that where the path goes to Ariel? How deep is the rope in on that area?
(Just trying to picture it)

 

[CherylGonz]

I’m in the same boat. Do we pull a FP for RSR first? Just wondering if that is a good choice or will we need to wait another 2 hours for next FP. Is it better to start with another FP ride and then pull RSR. Also my DD12 and I don’t like RSR (weak stomachs) can I still use max pass and pull a FP for us but let my other DD and niece use them (assuming they need to scan our tickets)?

 

[Becca1007]

Hey, @Becca1007 ! I have a dumb question.
I've only rope dropped by Guardians once and another time on Buena Vista street.
If I enter DCA and turn right towards Soarin, is that where the path goes to Ariel? How deep is the rope in on that area?
(Just trying to picture it)

Yes, turn right by Soarin (most people will wander in to the standby queue for Soarin ... just ignore that) and walk around the bend, past GRR and the Grand and line up at the intersection where Ariel is. We rolled up at like 7:50 for 8am openings and we were at most 2 people back from the rope. That being said; I was traveling with a four year old (and he was walking) and we were the second people on TSMM both days that we did this (last week, so fairly low crowds)

We would do: Pull FP for TSMM, two to three times standby in TSMM, use FP for TSMM, pull FP for Soarin, ride Emotional Whirlwind, Jellyfish, finish out the Pier, then Ariel, then Soarin, pull FP for Racers while in the Soarin line (generally a 10:30 or so slot) then snack break, then Monsters, then Mater & Luigi, then it was time for our RSR FP.

I'm sure you could squish in Incredicoaster there early on with a standby line or skip the TSMM FP pull and do it instead (my little guy was too short so we skipped)

 

[Becca1007]

I’m in the same boat. Do we pull a FP for RSR first? Just wondering if that is a good choice or will we need to wait another 2 hours for next FP. Is it better to start with another FP ride and then pull RSR. Also my DD12 and I don’t like RSR (weak stomachs) can I still use max pass and pull a FP for us but let my other DD and niece use them (assuming they need to scan our tickets)?

If you can get the first available FP for RSR do it first because you can book another one as soon as you have scanned into the ride. If the FP is more than 2 hours out, I would skip pulling the FP and do it later in the day. I just kept a close eye on it because I like to ride it at night.

 

[DLRExpert]

I’m in the same boat. Do we pull a FP for RSR first? Just wondering if that is a good choice or will we need to wait another 2 hours for next FP. Is it better to start with another FP ride and then pull RSR. Also my DD12 and I don’t like RSR (weak stomachs) can I still use max pass and pull a FP for us but let my other DD and niece use them (assuming they need to scan our tickets)?

You may wait two hours if you use the legacy FP system. An hour and a half with MaxPass.
You only need to pull a RSR FP first if you want to ride it more than once.
If you are in the park before opening and use MP the return should be fairly early.

If you want to ride RSR once
I would pull TSMM first, then Incredicoaster, then Racers (unless you want a night ride).
Even if you have to wait an hour and a half or two hours to pull the next FP you will have the Non-FP, and FP attractions that you currently hold to use during that wait.

ME