Disneyland strategy?

[meldrick]

What is the best direction around Disneyland to go on rides and see the parade? I went the Disneyland last month and our strategy didn't work. I just want to know, so next time it will be successful and more fun. My dad just picked the nearest food stand for lunch, it was Enchanted Cottege Sweets and Treats. That snack shop food was ok, it wasn't a restaurant. Which land should I go first? How do you get around? Tell me everything you know please.

 

[Mugglemama]

As far as the parades go, we always found that the train depot at the DL entrance is a good spot. We either watch on the sidewalk, or try to get a spot up the stairs (but sometimes they have this roped off - kind of "reserved" I guess). We also like this spot for fireworks!

In regards to getting around the park for rides...it depends on what you want to ride? Are you using a RideMax itinerary? If not, do you want to hit the rides in Fantasyland? If no on the RideMax itinerary, and yes on the FL rides, just get there at opening and ride the FL rides first, starting with Peter Pan, Dumbo, and Matterhorn, in that order.

We like to take less traveled walkways to get around...like the path between FL and Frontierland (go between the princess shop and the other shop across from it - can't remember the name, but there's a walkway right next to what used to be the door into the castle. At the end of that little curved walkway, turn right and there's another little covered walk that goes past some restrooms and rancho del zocalo and spits you out in Frontierland.

Sometimes we'll also take the back way from Village Haus Restaurant in FL to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, because it's quicker.

Finally, if we need to get all the way across the park on a day with crazy crowds we take the train. It's just easier than maneuvering your group through thousands of people.

Hope that helps!

 

[meldrick]

ok.I like to go around the park. We didn't arrive really early, got there at 10am. My mistake was that we started at Fantasyland, had lunch near the Princess fantasy faire, rode the railroad at toontown for one whole circle and got off at the same place, went to toontown, took the train again to new orleans square, took the train again to tomorrow land. We took the train a lot because my parents got tired. I went according to rides, not by land and what rides was there. It was more of a counter clockwise with a bit of skipping around. Is it better to start at Adventureland (Indiana Jones, Jungle Cruise); then New Orleans Square (Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, food shops), Critter Country (Splash Mountain); Frontierland (the rides there); Fantastyland (the rides there); Tomorrowland (the rides there) right? going in a circle clockwise. Then in the afternoon or nighly parade, I will be near the parade route.

 

[meldrick]

sorry my question is above this. it double posted.

 

[avalon451]

Meldrick, read Hydroguy's tips compilation at the top of this forum. It tells you how to make the best use of your time in the parks. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483

Some basic rules:
1. Get there before opening
2. Ride the slow loading rides that don't have FastPass first
3. Collect FastPasses as soon as each window comes up for the next one; you don't have to use them in the "return time" window. They are good from the beginning of the return time until park closing
4. Take a break midday when the parks get hot and crowded, saving the FPs you collected for later
5. Return to the parks after your break and use the FPs you collected earlier. All those FP rides will now have long lines, but you can sail past them using FP, all right in a row. The slow loading rides you already did early in the day.

Hydroguy explains how to do this kind of strategy in his tips, especially "Getting the most out of FP during the high season"

Hope that helps!

 

[PinkBudgie]

Using some of Hydroguy's strategies, we zig zagged all over the park in order to get to the rides we wanted. We even left DL and ran over to CA just for ice cream and of course picking up FPs there too! We never go in order through all the lands and we never stop to eat at whatever happens to be near by. We already had ideas of places we wanted to try.