DCA--What to do first.

[nutshell]

Heading to DCA for one day next week. Do we ride Guardians first then pull FP for Radiator Springs? Or vice versa? Or some other strategy? We'd like to ride each ride twice during the day, including RSR once at night. Thanks!

 

[dmcdixie]

I did that strategy last week. We got to DCA on a non EMH day and i charged about 20 mins before official park opening to GOG line. Friend went to get RSR fast passes, then rushed and met me in line at GOG. Now if you want to ride twice. Standby for sure and have other adult be in line for GOG fast passes and then get FP for RSR when you can. Good Luck!

 

[nutshell]

I did that strategy last week. We got to DCA on a non EMH day and i charged about 20 mins before official park opening to GOG line. Friend went to get RSR fast passes, then rushed and met me in line at GOG. Now if you want to ride twice. Standby for sure and have other adult be in line for GOG fast passes and then get FP for RSR when you can. Good Luck!

Thanks!

 

[Winnowill]

Yesterday, we rode both twice and didn't wait more than 20 minutes for either.

1. Rope drop (get there EARLY) GotG.
2. Get FP for RSR (return time should be around 9:30-10:00 - ours was 9:55). We were in the second elevator on GotG.
3. Ride other stuff till around 9:30, wander back toward GotG to watch the dance party, grab FP when window opens (at 9:55 on Tuesday, our return time was 4:50-5:50)
4. Ride RSR. Do other stuff.
5. When FP window opens, get RSR FP, which will probably be after dark (8:25-9:25 for us, pulled at 11:55 am).

Unfortunately, this strategy KILLS your ability to FP anything other than those two rides.

 

[nutshell]

Yesterday, we rode both twice and didn't wait more than 20 minutes for either.

1. Rope drop (get there EARLY) GotG.
2. Get FP for RSR (return time should be around 9:30-10:00 - ours was 9:55). We were in the second elevator on GotG.
3. Ride other stuff till around 9:30, wander back toward GotG to watch the dance party, grab FP when window opens (at 9:55 on Tuesday, our return time was 4:50-5:50)
4. Ride RSR. Do other stuff.
5. When FP window opens, get RSR FP, which will probably be after dark (8:25-9:25 for us, pulled at 11:55 am).

Unfortunately, this strategy KILLS your ability to FP anything other than those two rides.

Thanks! I might resign myself to one time only on each ride to free up FPs for other things. We'll see!

 

[Midnightred]

I think grab FP for Guardians, Do single rider for RSR, then grab FP for RSR when the window opens, try for after dark!

Midnightred

 

[Steven G]

Do single rider on radiator springs if you can. don't waste fp on it.
Also on screamin, and grizzly rapids ride.

Single rider can be faster than fp on radiator springs. I once did radiator springs twice in 20 minutes or so, when standby time was 30 min in early morning. Single rider was practically walk on.

Even when radiator springs was 90 min standby, single rider was at most 5 min.

 

[nutshell]

Do single rider on radiator springs if you can. don't waste fp on it.
Also on screamin, and grizzly rapids ride.

Single rider can be faster than fp on radiator springs. I once did radiator springs twice in 20 minutes or so, when standby time was 30 min in early morning. Single rider was practically walk on.

Even when radiator springs was 90 min standby, single rider was at most 5 min.

Wow! I didn't think single rider was that fast!

 

[Winnowill]

It isn't always. Especially at night. It's kind of a crapshoot. We had FP for part of our party once and the others did single rider. They took 40 minutes longer than the FP ones.

 

[Steven G]

I'll admit I've mostly only done single rider in the morning and early afternoon for RSR, so of course your mileage may vary.

However, on my most recent trip (last weekend), I did do RSR at around 7pm, and it was a 75 minute standby wait, and less than 10 minute wait in single rider.

 

[Niltiac]

I've only tried single rider for RSR once and it seemed like it took forever. Probably about an hour. That was at night on a relatively slow weekday. I haven't tried again, but I've heard it recommended so much that I assume my experience is uncommon. Just make sure you don't have anywhere to be soon, like dining reservations, just in case.

 

[Winnowill]

We've done FP on RSR many times and our longest wait has been, maybe, 12 minutes. It's typically five.

 

[Winnowill]

As a point of reference: this morning we got into the RSR single rider line at 9:40 with a posted standby wait of 75 minutes. Our wait was twenty minutes. DD9 was in the car behind me, DH was in the next load cycle.

 

[nutshell]

Update. How have the GOTG lines and fast passes been? Running out around 11:30? How about RSR? Thanks!

 

[Winnowill]

Ran out yesterday (non-EMH, 8:00 opening) around 11:00. I didn't check today.