Disneyland park must go to ride?

[Lorilais_mommie]

The last time we went to disneyland was in 2005. Many things have changed and i cant wait to go. But what do we hit 1st?

So I know that at DCA the 1st ride or fass pass is going to be cars ( anything in cars land)
So what about Disneyland? Is fantasyland still the place to hit 1st thing?
Or hit the big MT.s 1st. Space,splash,Thunder,& matahorn?

Or maybe something new has come along..

Let me know what I should FP and what I should just ride 1st thing..

 

[Carolynleanne]

Eeryone will say something different, but we always hit up one of two rides first thing. Indiana Jones in Adventureland or else Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. We grab a fast pass for one and go straight to the other in the meantime

 

[Vexorg]

Generally, the advice to go to Fantasyland first is dependent on whether or not you're getting to the park at rope drop, otherwise the lines start getting longer. If you're not getting to the park early, I'd recommend saving Fantasyland for later in the evening (after the fireworks seems to be best.) Otherwise, my typical strategy for Disneyland is to go for either Space Mountain or Indiana Jones (unless I can use the Single Rider line) Fastpasses first, since those seem to be the two rides with the longest sustained queues on a daily basis.

 

[chrissiecutie]

I think it all depends on who you're traveling with and when you're going.

Busy season with young kids & Slow season too- hit up Fantasyland first then move to Toontown.

Busy season no kids or older kids- send a "FP Runner" to either Space Mtn or Indiana Jones while the rest of the group lines up at the other. Personally, I would send a FP Runner for Space while the rest of the group headed to Indiana Jones. Because THEN you are primed for POTC, HM, BTMRR & Splash Mtn after riding Indiana Jones & you have a FP for Space Mtn for later in the day. IMO- the left side of the park has more "big" ticket rides that fill up fast. So my strategy is to always hit up the left side before it starts getting to busy and then move onto the right side of the park in the afternoon.

Slow season with no kids or older kids- you have much more freedom here...especially if it's mid week. But again, my strategy has always been move left to right.

 

[DLR29]

Many folks here stick to the slogan:
"Peter Pan first! Peter Pan always first!"

 

[Bungle]

Teacups are a favorite for our family. Somehow it just doesn't feel like we are vacationing at dl until we are twirling around in those cups.

 

[damo]

Eeryone will say something different, but we always hit up one of two rides first thing. Indiana Jones in Adventureland or else Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. We grab a fast pass for one and go straight to the other in the meantime

That's what we do too.

 

[Started With a Mouse]

Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Star Tours. Shoot over to Tomorrowland first thing in the morning, ride Space Mtn, then Star Tours, then head to Matterhorn, pick up Fast Pass for Indy, ride Big Thunder Mtn, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, pick up Fast Pass for Splash Mtn, and stop to catch your breath!

 

[sammons70]

If your passes or travel package include "extra magic hours," you will be able to enter the park 1 hour before the regular daily hours. In the summer, 7:00 am is the extra magic hour time. In my experience, Fantasy Land has been the only Land open during this extra hout. On a few occasions, my wife and I have conqured the Matterhorn, Peter Pan, Snowhite, and the teacups in that order during the extra hour. Once the rope drops for everyone else, we hit Tomorrow land and get started with those attractions.

 

[cmwade77]

We have annual passes, so we just go where we want to when we want to, the advantages of living only a few minutes away.

But, when we go with people who are here for a limited time, we start at Tiki Room and work our way around the park from there. We have never had a problem with getting to every attraction they want to in the day, at least once, many 2-3 times, even on the busiest days.

 

[preciouz29]

I think it all depends on who you're traveling with and when you're going.

Busy season with young kids & Slow season too- hit up Fantasyland first then move to Toontown.

Busy season no kids or older kids- send a "FP Runner" to either Space Mtn or Indiana Jones while the rest of the group lines up at the other. Personally, I would send a FP Runner for Space while the rest of the group headed to Indiana Jones. Because THEN you are primed for POTC, HM, BTMRR & Splash Mtn after riding Indiana Jones & you have a FP for Space Mtn for later in the day. IMO- the left side of the park has more "big" ticket rides that fill up fast. So my strategy is to always hit up the left side before it starts getting to busy and then move onto the right side of the park in the afternoon.

Slow season with no kids or older kids- you have much more freedom here...especially if it's mid week. But again, my strategy has always been move left to right.

I agree, it's really a matter of who you're travelling with. But I always send out a FP runner to Tomorrowland and then visit Adventureland, New Orleans Square and Critter Country before stopping in Frontierland on our way to Tomorrowland. We always visit Fantasyland after the second parade since most of the queues empty out as it gets later.

 

[mystic_path]

For me there is just something so FRESH and EXCITING about Adventureland first thing in the morning. I really like the sounds and smells and the almost damp coolness of the air. But going down that way, I generally hit up Pirates. This is the first ride I am going to hit the minute I get to Disneyland in August. It was down last year when I went and it is my favorite ride. I was so heart broken, but very excited this time.

As for your Fantasyland question. If you have a magic morning pass, then that is a good time to use it. Especially if you have little ones with you. It can get very busy during the day. But my favorite time for Fantasyland from an adult perspective is later at night. I find it much more relaxed with 1/2 or sometimes less the amount of people. Yes Peter Pan still maybe a 25 minute ride, but you certainly arnt waiting 45 minutes to ride Dumbo. You may wait 10, and the tea cups are usually a walk on. The stores are less crowded as well. If the park is open until 11pm or midnight, being there around 10pm is amazing. Something about Fantasyland lit up at night is just sooooo magical.

 

[bakerudall]

For me there is just something so FRESH and EXCITING about Adventureland first thing in the morning. I really like the sounds and smells and the almost damp coolness of the air. But going down that way, I generally hit up Pirates. This is the first ride I am going to hit the minute I get to Disneyland in August. It was down last year when I went and it is my favorite ride. I was so heart broken, but very excited this time.

As for your Fantasyland question. If you have a magic morning pass, then that is a good time to use it. Especially if you have little ones with you. It can get very busy during the day. But my favorite time for Fantasyland from an adult perspective is later at night. I find it much more relaxed with 1/2 or sometimes less the amount of people. Yes Peter Pan still maybe a 25 minute ride, but you certainly arnt waiting 45 minutes to ride Dumbo. You may wait 10, and the tea cups are usually a walk on. The stores are less crowded as well. If the park is open until 11pm or midnight, being there around 10pm is amazing. Something about Fantasyland lit up at night is just sooooo magical.

Exactly what I was going to say.

With Magic Morning--Fantasyland with Peter Pan First.

W/O MM or after MM--grab FP for ST or SM and head up the left side of the park. I would rather get the FP for SM than IJ because IJ has an entertaining queue.

 

[chrissiecutie]

For me there is just something so FRESH and EXCITING about Adventureland first thing in the morning. I really like the sounds and smells and the almost damp coolness of the air. But going down that way, I generally hit up Pirates. This is the first ride I am going to hit the minute I get to Disneyland in August. It was down last year when I went and it is my favorite ride. I was so heart broken, but very excited this time.

As for your Fantasyland question. If you have a magic morning pass, then that is a good time to use it. Especially if you have little ones with you. It can get very busy during the day. But my favorite time for Fantasyland from an adult perspective is later at night. I find it much more relaxed with 1/2 or sometimes less the amount of people. Yes Peter Pan still maybe a 25 minute ride, but you certainly arnt waiting 45 minutes to ride Dumbo. You may wait 10, and the tea cups are usually a walk on. The stores are less crowded as well. If the park is open until 11pm or midnight, being there around 10pm is amazing. Something about Fantasyland lit up at night is just sooooo magical.

I LOVE Adventureland in the AM! To me, this is was Disney "smells" like....I know its SO silly. But if anyone could understand that Disney has it's own special smell, it's the folks here on the DIS.

Prior to having DS, I always started with Adventureland Land because let's face it...its crowded there! That narrow walkway from Jungle Cruise all the way down to POTC can be a tight squeeze so I prefer to get it out of the way first thing. But also...it makes me feel like I'm most in "another world", KWIM?

Now with DS, we always hit Fantasyland then TT 1st on our 1st day and then our 2nd day in DL is Adventureland & NOS. It's the best of both & works out great for us. Plus, I really like Tomorrowland at night. But I really like all the lands at night...

 

[4th Gen Disney Fan]

Many folks here stick to the slogan:
"Peter Pan first! Peter Pan always first!"

That's our philosophy too!

 

[mystic_path]

I LOVE Adventureland in the AM! To me, this is was Disney "smells" like....I know its SO silly. But if anyone could understand that Disney has it's own special smell, it's the folks here on the DIS.

:

Its true. Disneyland has smells you dont come across too often. The smell of the ozone of the water rides, or the old wooden building smells that are kinda dusty etc. But even the air to me is dry compared to where I am where it rains often and is very damp. But Adventureland... I dunno to me it's almost mist like. Its just very cool. When I talk to people about Disneyland smells I always think about Adventureland first. I am sure others will agree when you go on with your daily life, there's that rare time you will walk past something briefly and go "OMG DISNEYLAND" and then you take a few steps back to sniff the air to see if you can refind that smell.

 

[Patrick in Oregon]

Space Mountain 1st thing in the morning always gets us primed for the day. The first ascent in the red tunnel...!!!!!!. I'm excited just thinking about it!

Keep in mind that since Star Tours reopened, that is a big ticket item and I would seriously consider doing that very early because the line gets long quick for both queue and FP.

 

[chrissiecutie]

Space Mountain 1st thing in the morning always gets us primed for the day. The first ascent in the red tunnel...!!!!!!. I'm excited just thinking about it!

Keep in mind that since Star Tours reopened, that is a big ticket item and I would seriously consider doing that very early because the line gets long quick for both queue and FP.

I totally forgot about Star Tours! We haven't been since they re-vamped it. Should I plan around this, is it super busy still?

 

[chrissiecutie]

Its true. Disneyland has smells you dont come across too often. The smell of the ozone of the water rides, or the old wooden building smells that are kinda dusty etc. But even the air to me is dry compared to where I am where it rains often and is very damp. But Adventureland... I dunno to me it's almost mist like. Its just very cool. When I talk to people about Disneyland smells I always think about Adventureland first. I am sure others will agree when you go on with your daily life, there's that rare time you will walk past something briefly and go "OMG DISNEYLAND" and then you take a few steps back to sniff the air to see if you can refind that smell.

So glad to know that I'm not alone!! DH thinks I've lost my mind!

For me...since I've been so many times Disneyland was just a part of my childhood. It's the one place that makes me feel like I'm 10 years old again walking down Main St with my parents and annoying brother & sister. I love that most of it stays exactly the same. I can always count on the familiar sounds & smells & immediately, I'm a kid again.

Now that I'm older with a kid of my own, I'm so happy to give this gift to DS. This is why...even though he says he's too old for Dumbo, we always do this ride 1st. We walk down Main St, through the castle & head straight to Dumbo. It's our family tradition and there's just something so magical about this. I hope when he's 30 with kids of his own, that I can be there to walk down Main St & ride Dumbo with my grandkids.

So sometimes....tradition trumps touring plans.

 

[KateDrake]

Geez, every one of these answers has been great! All this talk of Adventureland is making me crave Dole whips and Bengal BBQ. You are right, Adventureland does seem so exciting and just makes you feel like you are really there!
As to the question at hand, this might sound like a weird answer, but I would probably hit Finding Nemo Subs the first thing and send a runner to get FPs for Star Tours. But that is because my daughter absolutely loves the subs, and the line gets SUPER long later in the day. It is such a slow loader that even on days with few crowds, the wait will be an hour long. It's the same issue with Dumbo and tea cups, so if those are a must for you, they are a good place to start as well. I love to hit Fantasyland on my MM, because you can get on just about everything in that first hour.
I don't know how Star Tours is right now, and it might have died down a bit with all the hubbub over at DCA, but it was still hoppin' last time we visited. The standby line was usually around an hour long. So not as bad as it was at opening, but still bad. And the FPs were usually gone for the day by early afternoon. As to if it is worth it, IT TOTALLY ROCKS!!! I was always kind of a take-it-or-leave it fan of the old Star Tours, but the revamped version has totally won me over. I'd recommend trying to get a few FPs so you can ride it multiple times, it's fun how they can mix it up now!