Disneyland Early Entry/Frozen Strategy

[MNMom2009]

We are visiting DL in January and staying onsite, so we will have access to early entry. One child is all about Star Wars/Star Tours, but the top of our daughter's list includes meeting Elsa and Anna. We will be in the parks for 4 days. My questions:

1) Are we able to get a return ticket during early entry? If so, are we able to walk up to the booth at any time to get the ticket, or is the line long already?

2) Would you recommend a ride or two during early entry so our kids don't spend their time in line?

3) Should we try this on our first day or try to get the lay of the land first and then try it again on another early entry DL day?

Any advice or information is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[HulkBuster]

You could ask on the disneyland forum this one is wdw

 

[Cyrano]

Moving to the Disneyland Forum. Our friends over on the west coast will be happy to help you

 

[MNMom2009]

Thanks - so sorry!

 

[meagus]

We did early entry at disneyland week before last, and one Thursday I went straight to the Elsa and Anna meet and greet fast pass line, and got a return time no problem. Early entry was 9am, and our return time was 9.50-10.10am. By the time we came it of meeting the girls, at approx 10.15am, they were uniting u the line to hand out the last passes for the day. So they were all gone by about 1 hour 15 mins after early admission.
My husband walked around with the kids while I waited in line for the return ticket. But be sure to have EVERYONE'S park tickets with you to get your return time, as they scan the park tickets in before handing out your time. Also, everyone must be in the park too!
Good luck!

 

[GatorChris]

Update for today. Got through the main gate at 9:45 on a non early entry day. Was about 40 back at Partners. Rushed through as fast as I could maneuver and.... Was in the line at Big Thunder BBQ at 10:03. Wow! Kids and wife hit a couple rides while I waited. But at least I got to listen to some Western music! Love that stuff.

Waited until 10:55 for a 3:40 return time. I'm officially crazy for doing this. But it's for my daughters so....

 

[nicolispicoli]

Yikes. That scares me ^^^. We're trying for fastpasses tomorrow morning and there is a EMH/MM, which we can't utilize. So I'm hoping we're not out of luck. We'll be at the gates early, but I'm hoping that makes a difference.

So to confirm, when it's a EMH/MM morning, once the gates open for everyone else, the line is to the left of the castle for fastpasses?

 

[nicolispicoli]

I've also read about a few times when all the FP's were gone before regular park opening. That makes me crazy! How can you possibly hand out all the FP's for the day during EMH/MM not giving anyone who can't participate in that a fair shot. Makes me regret my decision to stay off site for once. Hoping I get a little pixie dust tomorrow morning as it's my only shot.

 

[poppinspal]

I just got home from my trip. One day we had an 8:40 breakfast at the Plaza Inn. When they opened the gates at 8:30 we happened to notice them lining people to the left of the partners statue to start the Anna and Elsa FP line. We jumped in line because we had some time to kill and then found out they weren't going to hand out the FP till 9:00. (When the parks officially opened.) So we jumped out of line. After our breakfast we did go check out the line(around 10:00) and could have waited for a FP but decided that it was better to just come back another morning and do this first thing. This was a non EE/MM day.

On Saturday it was an EE/MM day, we were staying offsite so this was our only chance at early entry. The Frozen meet and greet was our priority that day. We had expected the line at the partners statue again so it took us a few minutes to realize what was going on. On EE/MM they line you up in Fantasyland where the meet takes place. Walk through the castle and stay left of carousel. Some people went right for the FP, others, like us, went directly to the line to meet them. We were the second to last group in line to meet them, we waited about 15 minutes but the CM told us they opened 5 minutes late. We then did almost every ride in Fantasyland after our meet before the park opened for non EE. We did not do Peter Pan, that line was crazy already!

I was worried about this experience but thought it went really well. Also they were wonderful, it was a great experience. My niece (who wasn't on the trip) just turned 3 and like all girls her age loves Frozen. They recorded a nice little birthday message for her!

 

[mystic_path]

My cousin just got back from Disneyland. She said it was almost impossible to get a fast pass to see Elsa and Ana. Every morning during the week she was there an hour after park opening all the fast passes were gone and the lines were lame. She told me for when I go, if I want to see them go during magic morning or at park opening, and run like Gaston just proposed to you. See them first thing. Sadly my cousin gave up and never got to take her little girl to see them. She told her daughter during the parade when the Frozen float passed "Stand there and I will get a pic of you and them in the background on the float cause that's all your getting".

 

[TheLanes]

After reading all this about waiting in lines, I thank my lucky stars my girls no longer care about meeting princesses. Whew! Scary thing is though that may mean Santa Claus is next.

 

[Mouseketeers4]

1) Are we able to get a return ticket during early entry? If so, are we able to walk up to the booth at any time to get the ticket, or is the line long already?

We got our tickets yesterday during early entry.

2) Would you recommend a ride or two during early entry so our kids don't spend their time in line?

One person should get in line immediately but the rest of your group can do something else. The person waiting will need the tickets for the people who need Anna/Elsa FP. The tickets must be for people who are currently in the park.

I'm sure that things are different every day, but we are at DL right now and they seem to be running out quickly. We entered the park right at the beginning of EE yesterday and I went straight back to the m&g area. The line was already looped down around the closed Frontierland gate and back to Dumbo. Our FP return time was 3:10-3:30. I doubt that many people entering at regular park opening were able to get a FP yesterday.

 

[MNMom2009]

Thanks, all! I'm thinking we need to try this on our second day of EE so we can observe and get the lay of the land during that first day. With one kid who is obsessed with Star Wars and another who loves Frozen, I just hope they let us try some other activities, like meeting Mickey! Ha ha

 

[nicolispicoli]

I had my one try today, FAIL. I must say that this setup is idiotic and I don't generally complain about Disney. I stood at the gates an hour early since we didn't have MM/EMH. Got in for rope drop, was right at the rope. Walked as fast as possible thru the castle to the line. While hopping behind the EMH/MM people, the CM said it was most unlikely we would get passes and was saying that to even a bunch in front of me. This is 10:01!! I get that they offer the perk to MM/EMH people, but to not allocate any fast passes to people who can't come in a hour early is crazy unfair and beyond stupid to me. So bummed my little out and we went to Anna and Elsa's boutique to get a makeover anyway.

I usually stay onsite, so I guess this was punishment for not grossly overpaying for a room once again.