It seems to be weird writing a Trip Report for Disneyland. I am a LA native and go all of the time, but this past trip on March 29, 2017 was special - I was going to attempt to go on every single ride at Disneyland Resort in one day! Yes, that's right, both Disneyland and California Adventure!
Now, I've attempted every ride at DL twice before, once successfully, but had never tried to do both parks.
-Attempt 1 (almost successful)-I was with a friend and we only missed a few Fantasyland rides, but after Fantasmic, we were both so tired, we went home.
-Attempt 2 (successful)-with my younger brother, on a weekday in the Spring. This time we did it, and still had time to wait for a really good seat for fireworks. Crowds weren't too bad!
So, how did I plan to accomplish this:
1) Ticket-For the past 2 years I have had a DLR AP, but I let it expire in November. This year for Easter, my mom gave me a 3-day SoCal pass, which gave me access to one park per day, plus one magic morning. So, I decided to use this pass to get into DL early, then head across the esplanade, use the ticket to upgrade to an AP, and head into DCA.
2) Fastpasses-I've been pretty good at using these since they came out. DL and DCA used to operate on separate FP systems, but unfortunately that just ended. The best tip is to get one pass, then head and do other rides in the area where you want to get the second pass; once you can pull that one, head back to the first ride and go on it, repeat until done!
3) Single rider lines-These are key and I often use them even if I'm not alone. The rides that allow it are: Matterhorn, Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, California Screamin', Grizzly River Run, Radiator Springs Racers, and Goofy Sky School.
4) Food-no relaxing lunch for me, I will be grabbing and go.
5) Skipping fireworks and parades.
My own rule:
-A ride is something with a motor. So that means shows and attractions were not included in this attempt. That includes things with an interactive element like Turtle Talk or Tiki Room. I just knew it wouldn't fit in the schedule, but it could be fun to do it all in one park, shows included, in one day.
I also did this on a Saturday at the end of March-probably not too smart, as TouringPlans had it 9/10 on the crowd factor!
Part 1: Arrival & Magic Morning
(All times are based on timestamps on my phone; I took photos as I got in line, and again when I got on a ride to get an accurate wait time. I also took notes on a journaling app. If I have tips those are in Red).
5:43 am - Left the house just as dawn was breaking. This is abnormally early for me, so I knew I was in for a tiring day ahead!
6:19 am - Arrived at Mickey & Friends parking garage. It wasn't even opened yet! That is definitely a first for me. Put the car in park and listened to the radio for a bit. Originally only 2 lanes were opened, so I figured I would need to merge into those. But soon enough the CM's came out and removed the cones so we could pull up to the booth. What was annoying was a car in the lane next to me decided to cut in front once the cones went down. The CM was annoyed and shook his head, because it came pretty close to him! It was like-congrats dude, you just got 2 cars ahead of where you would have been if you had just stayed in place.
6:29 am - Was able to pay and enter garage. Another first-parked in Pinocchio lot. I think I have always gotten the structure, as I usually get there later in the morning/afternoon. However, this meant a longer walk to get around the new security and tram areas.
6:36 am - Was the first person through security and into the empty tram area. Security guard teased me about smuggling in a water bottle and flip flops (these will briefly come into play later).
6:48 am - Arrived at the main gates. There were about 5-10 people in front of me, most likely hotel guests who could walk to the gates.
7:00 am - Magic Mornings started with the family of the day and a Countdown to the Magic. I have only done this once before and it was pretty cool with everyone counting down from 10! A nice energy to start the morning. Everyone headed straight up Main Street to their ride of choice. Where was I going first...
7:04 am - Arrived at Peter Pan! I decided this one first because it doesn't have a Fastpass option. Of course everyone had to be led thru the queue by an unfortunate CM, who stopped before the turnstiles. Even though the ride was running, they weren't letting people on. They didn't start boarding people until 7:15am. Of course, that entire time I was annoyed that I hadn't done Space Mountain first, but it turned out Space wasn't running yet either! So I would have been stuck in the same position. Posted wait time: 40 minutes [a placeholder for what I assume the CMs know it will get to once people fill up the queue]; Actual wait time: 20 minutes.
7:26 am - Onto my next ride - Alice in Wonderland, because I knew it has a low capacity and longer wait times as the day goes on. I really like what they did with the refurb with the screens and projections. It was really surprising the first time I went on afterwards! I wish they had done even more of that with Peter Pan, and hope they will eventually do it for Snow White, Pinnochio, and Mr. Toad! Posted Wait Time: 20 minutes; Actual Wait Time: 8 minutes. (please ignore the bad hair selfie...)
7:38 am - Finished Alice and noticed on the Disney app, Space Mountain was running. I really should have stopped and gone on Matterhorn on the way over, but didn't.
7:42 am - Arrived at Space Mountain. While there was only a 10 minute wait, they also were already giving out Fastpasses for 8:20. So I grabbed one of those and headed to my next ride.
7:44 am - Got in line for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters; I would have done Star Tours, but it was already a 30 minute line. Again, I should have gone on Matterhorn then instead, because Buzz was down to a really short line at the end of the night. Posted Wait Time: 5 minutes; Actual wait time: 4 minutes.
7:55 am - Got in line for Nemo Submarine Voyage. I decided on this one because I know it gets longer lines. But yet again, I should have done Matterhorn. I forgot just how long this ride takes, as you have to wait for unload, load, go on the ride, unload again. But, again, live and learn.
As for this ride itself, it's not my favorite. I have a bit of claustrophobia, so not the best. I also have to hunch over to see out the windows, which I understand, because it was designed for kids. I was sitting next to some little kids though and they were super excited about Nemo! Posted wait time: 5 minutes; Actual wait time: 11 minutes (until I was seated on the sub)
8:20 am - It was time to get another FP, so I got one for Star Tours. Being there this early meant all FPs were super close together timewise!
Time: 8:20 am Ride count: Disneyland - 4, California Adventure - 0
8:22 am: Arrived at Space Mountain and used my FP to skip the line. It was especially nice because there hadn't been a buildup of people in the loading room yet, so was every shorter than normal. This has to be one of my favorite rides at the park. And I actually really like the Hyperspace overlay. I'm sure any security guards are amused because I make "pew pew" motions as I'm riding! It will be interesting when it goes back to Classic in a few weeks. Posted wait time: 45 minutes. Actual wait time: 6 minutes (with FP).
8:36 am: Onto my next ride, Autopia. I haven't been on this one in forever! It lost its appeal once I had gotten my actual drivers license. I don't know how I feel about the recent Asimov changes. I think I preferred the previous version with a "Car Park" and such. This line also took longer than I would have liked, because they had only opened 2/4 bays. While I was on it they opened a 3rd and while waiting to pull into the bay, I was treated to a parade of CMs driving cars (it was actually funny because they ended up doing it almost in formation). But I don't expect I would do this again anytime soon. Posted wait time: 15 minutes; Actual wait time: 20 minutes
9:06 am: Went to use my FP for Star Tours. While there I noticed they changed up the "Season of the Force" flags along the old Rocket Rod track (sorry no pictures, because it was too windy). Last year it showed silouettes, which was fun to see if I could recognize them all. This year it is actual photos of characters, many of them from Rogue One.
Anyways, on Star Tours, of course I went into the right lane, which was soooo slow compared to the left lane. I feel that always happens to me! I didn't get to be the rebel spy, but this was my first time back on it since they restarted the random first planet. So we got: Darth Vader, Kashyyyk, Admiral Akbar, and Coruscant. I would normally wander through the Star Trader to see what new Star Wars merch was available, but didn't do that this time! I was on a mission! Posted wait time: 35 minutes; Actual wait time: 15 minutes (via FP)
9:34 am: Made my way back onto Main Street where I decided to catch a Main Street Vehicle down the road. I just missed the Horseless Carriage, but then the Omnibus and Fire Engine came up. I decided to go for Fire Engine because it would take less time to unload passengers. I ended up riding with an adorable older Asian man. He must have known the driver because they had a secret handshake or something. Some people yelled out "Patrick" too, so maybe he is someone well known at Disney? But he started to clap in rhythm while we were driving and the driver beeped the horn in unison. That caused guests walking up Main Street to also start clapping and other cars to honk too. So it was pretty delightful!
I would have liked to ride more of the Main Street Vehicles, but knew I needed to get over to DCA before lines started increasing.
9:39 am: Left Disneyland and headed across the Esplanade, but first had to make a detour to upgrade to an AP! I was definitely excited about getting my AP back! And I stocked up on Target gift cards for the 5% savings. The CM started scanning all the cards and when he was done he had to get a supervisor. Unfortunately he made a mistake and said "Don't hate me", so he had to rescan everything. I just shrugged my shoulders and didn't really care, but he was insistent on making it up to me. So he gave me an anytime FP to any ride I wanted! Of course I chose Radiator Springs Racers!
(Note: always go to the East ticket booths, so much faster)
(What $750 in Disney gift cards looks like; in retrospect I probably could have called to combine them onto one...)
Time: 10:06 am Ride count: Disneyland - 8, California Adventure - 0
Part 3: Paradise Pier, and a bit of bad luck
10:13 am: Enter California Adventure and pick up a FP for Soarin. An interesting observation - when people arrive at DCA the first thing they do is get a FP for Racers. This means they cannot get another FP for another 2 hrs, so there are plenty FPs for other rides with very soon return times. For Soarin, I got a FP that had a return time of only 40 minutes later!
10:17 am: Churro time! I had just had a piece of toast at 5:30am, so I was pretty hungry at this time!
10:21 am: Arrived at Paradise pier and was greeted with a depressing sight of Screamin' shut down!
10:24 am: Arrived at Fun Wheel. Unfortunately, it was a 60-minute wait for swinging and 45 minute wait for the non-swinging side of the gondalas, so I decided to pass for now. I should have just stuck it out, as when I eventually did ride it, it was the same wait.
10:28 am: I continued to head around the Pier, and discovered the Symphony Swings and Golden Zephyr were both closed! This past weekend we had crazy winds in LA! Like, topple trees and power lines crazy. These two rides were shut down for safety (I tried to take a video of the wind but it didn't turn out well). I ended up never going on either of these. I think I saw the Swings were back open eventually, but by that time I was ready to head back over to Disneyland. So, spoiler alert-I was not successful in going on every single ride!
10:30 am: Arrived at Goofy Sky School, where I planned on doing Single Rider. Unfortunately the CM had shut that down because there were a lot of people. So I was getting discouraged at this point-30 minutes in the park and I hadn't gone on any rides!
10:31 am: Settled on Jumpin' Jellyfish. This is definitely a little kid ride, but is actually pretty relaxing and you can get a good view of the pier area. I still miss the Mali-boomer though! Posted wait time: 10 minutes; Actual wait time: 3 minutes
10:37 am: Saw Goofy Sky School was allowing Single Riders again, so I got in that line behind just a few people. I have only been on the ride once before and screamed and swore like a sailer! Of course this time I again got stuck in a front row but was lucky enough to also go with a woman and her teenage daughters who were also terrified! I don't think I will ever be going on it again, though, unless I was again attempting to go on all rides! Posted wait time: 45 minutes; Actual wait time: 7 minutes (via Single Rider)
10:54 am: Headed over to get a FP for Toy Story Mania. The FP had a relatively soon return time (1hr vs 2hr+ later in the day). I also grabbed a Mickey Ice Cream Bar on the way, as I was a couple minutes before I could get the FP!
11:03 am: Arrived back at Soarin' Around the World to use the FP. I still am not over the change of video, because I really loved the California version. I feel the new one is too reliant on CG. It also doesn't have enough "swoopin" action. The smells are a nice touch though, as I feel the California version cut back on those since it was originally opened. I also got in line in front of a cute Chinese family whose Grandma was worried about how "thrilling" the ride would be. I reassured her it was relaxing and really cool and after the ride she had a huge smile on her face! I also got to sit in the very center of the center row, which I don't think I've done in years!
And a funny thing happened. While the CMs were loading the ride I guess there was some spillage (I don't know if it was liquid or vomit, and don't know if I cared to figure it out), so they had to decommission one of the seats. As they put the fabric over it, one CM accidentally caused the other to pinch his finger. So that CM decided to play it for laughs and was threatening to sue him! It was actually really funny! Posted wait time: 45 minutes; Actual wait time: 17 minutes (via FP)
Time: 11:20 am Ride count: Disneyland - 8, California Adventure - 3
Part 4: More Paradise Pier time
11:43 am: I returned to Paradise Pier and got back in line for Mickey's Fun Wheel. I went for the non-swinging gondolas, as I've been on the swinging version and it is terrifying! So, call me a chicken if you want, but at least I went on the ride itself-I was still pretty scared in the stationary version, as the wind was blowing into the cage! It is a nice view of Disney and California Adventure though! There was a very salty CM working, who (justifiably) screamed at a guest for putting his crutches over the railing to try and get someone's lost and forgotten balloon animal. He then went over the loudspeaker to get someone off the railing: "Get off the railing. Railings are made for hands, not feet or butts. I know you can hear me. I can do this all day, I'm here until 4. Get off the railing. Get off the railing. Get off the railing..." Posted wait time: 40 minutes; Actual wait time: 30 minutes
12:27 am: Headed to Toy Story Mania to use my FP. The standby line is insane now that there are FPs, and in the hour since I had been gone the FP return time had skyrocketed! I also suck at this game too, so please excuse the low score. Posted wait time: 90 minutes; Actual wait time: 13 minutes (via FP)
12:43 am: Noticed Screamin' was back up, but the single rider line was too long for my liking (probably about 30 minutes based on the number of people). The FP return time was pretty soon, so I got one instead.
12:45 am: Went over to King Triton's Carousel since it is right next to Screamin. The animals are pretty cute, but it is just a basic carousel. It also took a long load time for the previous group before me, so the wait was longer than posted. Posted wait time: 5 minutes; Actual wait time: 12 minutes
1:06 pm: Headed over to The Little Mermaid. I was worried about the wait time, as it only said 15 minutes but the line went past the entrance. But then I realized a large portion of the queue had been roped off, so it was an accurate wait. Again, this is a basic Disney dark ride, but the scenes are cool. And the A/C was much appreciated on this hot day! I also noticed for the first time that when Ariel is in her treasure trove, her hair moves independently from the rest of her body, which is neat. Posted wait time: 15 minutes; Actual wait time: 12 minutes
1:27 pm: It was time to use my Screamin' FP, but first I headed over to get a FP for Grizzly River Run. I knew with such a warm day the standby line was going to be long (it climbed over 2 hrs that day). However, I should have saved the time walking over there, as the Single Rider line was very short (not many people realize it is available). But again, live and learn. But at least the return time worked out in my schedule.
1:34 pm: I returned to California Screamin' to use my FP. I typically go Single Rider on this ride so don't get a choice of seat, but this time I "waste" a few minutes to request the first row. And I was not disappointed! This is probably one of my favorite coasters and I love the blast-off. Posted wait time: 35 minutes; Actual wait time: 12 minutes (via FP) So happy I didn't have to wait in this Single Rider line in the blazing sun!
1:56 pm: Grabbed a hotdog and chips for lunch. It was pretty mediocre, but allowed me to keep eating while walking/in line.
1:57 pm: Entered Cars Land and Went on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. This is one of my sister's favorite rides and I do like it, but it isn't my favorite. When you're alone in the car it can be hard to brace yourself from flying everywhere-which I guess is the point! Again, I was worried about the wait time, and it did end up being longer than posted, but they had also roped off a large area of the queue so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Poster wait time: 15 minutes; Actual wait time: 24 minutes
2:27 pm: Got in line for Luigi's Rockin Roadsters. I do like this ride, but don't feel its worth the wait time. After about 10 minutes I realized the line hadn't moved in a bit and I could see CM's running back and forth across the "dance floor". I know this ride breaks down a lot and decided rather than risking waiting in vain, I would leave the line. I think they did get it working again, but I never ended up going back.
2:41 pm: Used my anytime FP on Radiator Springs Racers. I almost always do this Single Rider, so it was nice going through the FP line; it also looked like SR was about 30-45 minutes at that time, with a large portion of the wait in the sun. I also love this ride! We ended up winning which was cool. Though the girl (well young adult) in front of me was wearing a Minnie hat and it flew off her once the race started! Thats what you get for not listening to directions! Posted wait time: 105 minutes; Actual wait time: 7 minutes (via FP)
2:59 pm: I arrived in A Bug's Land. I don't think I have spent that much time in here in the past decade. Maybe occasionally to see It's Tough to be a Bug, and definitely to cut through from ToT to Cars Land, but I haven't been on the rides themselves since the last time I took my boss's then 4-yr old. That same 4-yr old just had her 16th birthday! But it is a really nice place for parents to take little kids. And the theming is on-point! All the benches look like leftover popsicle sticks, and at night there are fireflies for all lights! The splash pad looks like a garden hose and speakers look like pencils stuck in the dirt! Very cute! The hole land also has a lot of shade, as its supposed to be under grass.
3:00 pm: Time for Tuck and Rolls Drive 'Em Buggies, basically bumper cars. But they are very soft, so you don't get a sudden jar when someone hits you. You can also turn the wheel all the way to the side to reverse and get unstuck! A bit boring for me, but great for little kids. Posted wait time: 10 minutes; Actual wait time: 7 minutes
3:11 pm: Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. This had just reopened when I got in line, so I didn't have a wait at all. I also got to be at the front of the train! I honestly don't think I've ever been on this ride. And it was adorable! You basically are going through a trail of Heimlich's half-eaten food, by apples, thru a watermelon (the misters were broken on this so it just dripped water on me), and have a choice between brussel sprout alley and candy lane-well not difficult to guess you go into the candy area, thru a box of cookies that smell like sugar, and by cupcakes and candy. All while getting a narration from Heimlich which was hilarious. I would consider doing it again even if I wasn't trying to hit all rides! Posted wait time: 20 minutes; Actual wait time: 6 minutes
3:21 pm: Francis' Ladybug Boogie. Basically scaled down version of the teacups. But the wheel in the center doesn't actually move; I think you lean towards the door to make it spin faster, but couldn't quite figure it out. At this point I was happy just resting my feet for a bit. Posted wait time: 5 minutes; Actual wait time: 12 minutes
3:36 pm: Flik's Flyers. Just a simple, yet relaxing ride, but not worth the typical wait in line. Although the family behind me could not control their kids. They decided to walk around me over and over hanging onto my legs. I do like kids a lot, but just no, I need my personal space! Posted wait time: 30 minutes; Actual wait time: 19 minutes.
3:59 pm: Headed through Hollywoodland and passed by the new Guardians ride, shedding a tear for ToT. I do think the new ride will be cool though-and just bought a ticket for the premiere party!
4:00 pm: Rode Monsters Inc Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! I mean this ride is cute and all, but it doesn't add much to the park. I guess it's much better than Superstar Limo! Funny story, we got passes thru my dad's work to go to DCA a month before it opened. My mom took my little brother on the limo ride. As they were getting on they noticed Michael Eisner and some other suits getting off the ride. They did not look happy! It was not surprising when that shut down quickly. Posted wait time: 30 minutes; Actual wait time: 19 minutes
4:22 pm: Attempted to get on the Red Car Trolley. However, the CM informed me they were full and the next one wouldn't be available until 4:45 (they use the trolley for the News Boys show, so it's sometimes hard to time the actual ride itself). I gave up on that ride too.
4:30 pm: Arrived at Grizzly River Run for my FP. I know this one can get very wet, sometimes moreso than Splash Mountain, because if you are in the back of Splash you are usually ok, while you never know where is safe for Grizzly. Because I didn't want to be stuck with wet shoes the rest of the day I brought some cheap flip flops to change into, as well as a plastic bag to put my actual bag and shoes during the ride. The other people in my raft were grateful that I allowed them to put their phones, wallets, etc in it too!
Another note: The Single rider line is much faster! Most people don't realize it exists, so definitely take advantage of it! Posted wait time: 120 minutes; Actual wait time: 13 minutes (via FP) (As I was walking thru Grizzly Peak I noticed people were clustered around any shady areas they could find! It was actually pretty funny!) (My wet shoe/bag prevention method)
(Insane lines; this was the FP line!)
5:02 pm: Left DCA and headed back to Disneyland. In total I missed the following rides:
Luigi Rockin' Roadsters-broke down briefly for maintenance and I didn't have time to go back
Symphony Swings-down due to wind; came back up later but I was on the other side of the park
Golden Zephyr-down due to wind; unsure if it came back up later
Red Car Trolley-too hard to time with Newboy show.
Part 7: Return to Disneyland and some bad bad luck
5:05 pm: I re-entered Disneyland with the plan on going to Toontown first since it closed early. Unfortunately I entered just as the Parade was heading up Main Street. And not the beginning of the parade, the very end, so I didn't have a hope of avoiding it. The east backstage corridor was opened, so at least I could use that to avoid Main Street. I headed past The Plaza Inn, and decided to pass through the hub from the Tomorrowland entrance, go through the castle, up Fantasy land, and take the pathway from Storybook Canals to Toontown. It was sooo crowded! And so many annoying guests who would just stop in the middle of the path. So, what should have taken me a couple minutes took almost 15.
(The Hub and Fantasyland path with so many people!)
5:17 pm: Entered Toontown. It was closing in 3 hours for the fireworks, so I knew I had 2 rides to accomplish-Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, and Gadget's Go Coaster. My original hope was to get a FP for Roger Rabbit, ride Gadget, maybe Small World, then go on RRCTS. Unfortunately, RR was down at that moment, so they weren't giving out FPs. So I headed thru Toontown. That land really is showing its age. I rarely go back there, but remember when it was so shiny and new. Now it just feels like a hot concrete jungle. I know the rumors were that they would demo it for Star Wars land, but it looks like that is a negative, so maybe they'll do something to revitalize it.
5:20 pm: Gadget's Go Coaster. I haven't been on this ride in probably 15 yrs. The theming is cute, but it is soo short! And not worth the line. But I know a friend who has a 2-yr old who loves it, so I guess to each his own! Posted wait time: 20 minutes; Actual wait time: 26 minutes
5:52 pm: Roger Rabbit was back up, but for some reason the FPs were still not working; the CM said they must be out for the day, but I knew that wasn't actually true. The line was 60 minutes at this point (everyone coming over after the parade), so the CM advised me to come back around 8 and it would only be about 5 minutes. Well, unfortunately that didn't happen, so I never got to ride Roger Rabbit!
6:00 pm: Decided to go on Small World. But then I saw it was a 40-minute wait!!! I knew it would go down once the parade crowd finished up, so figured I would come back when I did RR. Unfortunately, it went down for a long period of time (maybe for the fireworks, but I didn't think Small World shut down for that), so I never got to ride it either.
6:04 pm: Went down to hopefully go on Matterhorn Single Rider. The standby line was almost 180 minutes! And the fastpass lane was totally overflowing, so they had shut down the single rider line for now. Meanwhile, I grabbed a FP, but even the line to get that was pretty long! The return time would put it nicely for when I came back to do Roger Rabbit and Small World (hint-didn't happen).
6:09 pm: I decided to check the Storybook Canals line, knowing it would be pretty bad. Unfortunately I was right and I couldn't even find the end of the line! So I decided to also leave it for later. I do love the models with that ride, but it is very hard to time. It shuts down for all parades, and pretty much after the fireworks it was fully closed. So, it was yet another fail.
Note: My big mistake with this was going to the back of the park once I saw the parade. I should have gone into the east side to do stuff before crowds got there. After the parade, all of the rides along the parade route are crazy busy! But most will lighten up as families head home or back to hotel for a rest.
6:19 pm: After giving up on all of the Fantasyland rides, I decided to head into New Orleans Square. On the way I finally found Maurice's Treats (I didn't know exactly where it was in Fantasyland). There was no line so I grabbed a Grey Stuff Twist. And it was DELICIOUS!!! I will absolutely be getting it again. I scarfed it down in line for my next ride and it gave me a lot more energy.
6:22 pm: Pirates of the Caribbean. Unfortunately no Johnny Depp (I had missed him by a few days)! Posted wait time: 15 min; Actual wait time: 26 min.
7:10 pm: This was the start of my worst luck for the entire day. After Pirates I decided to go on Haunted Mansion, because the Disney app had a 30 minute wait. Well, I guess I wasn't the only one who saw that because many more people also got in line, so as I entered it, they increased to 40 minutes. A school group of like 30 middle schoolers cut in front of me too, so I was pretty annoyed when I entered the line. They decided to sing annoying songs too, so I was over it!
After 45 minutes I finally entered the lobby room (before you get into the stretching room). And waited. and waited. The elevator opened twice (I had positioned myself right by the door), but each time was only to let disabled guests out. Finally, 1 hr after getting in line, the lights came on in the room and the CM explained there was a "situation" downstairs. So we all got a pass to come back on Haunted Mansion that night (not a pass to any ride in the park, which was annoying).
8:20 pm: At this point I had given up on being able to make it back to Toontown before they closed. But I knew my return time was approaching for Matterhorn FP. On my way over there I got a Thunder Mountain FP with a 9pm return time.
8:30 pm: I try to head across the Hub. Big mistake! It was almost time for the Electric Light Parade, so many people were camped out and CMs were directing away from Fantasyland. And of course, I was so tired I didn't check the Disney app, or else I would have seen that Matterhorn was broken down. It was times like this I would have appreciated a FP system like WDW. Because I now had a FP for a ride that was broken and would never restart that evening, but I couldn't use it on any other ride.
Because of the impending parade, guests were routed around the east side of the Matterhorn to the walkway between Teacups and Storybook Canals. For some reason I decided to check out Fantasyland to hit some of those because the lines were looking relatively short. Well, they were short because the CMs had closed them in preparation for Fantasyland closing for fireworks. Only Dumbo, Casey Jr Train, and Teacups were still open. I thought about waiting for Casey Jr, but it was a 25 minute (!) wait, so I again gave up on that. I walked back to Frontierland through the Castle shortcut. And I was back where I had started, almost 45 minutes later.
So, 2 hrs after getting off Pirates, and I had not gone on any rides! This really killed my schedule!
8:50 pm: While on my way through New Orleans Square, I stopped for a Golden Churro! It was fine. I agree with the description that it was like Cap'n Crunch cereal. I probably won't get it again, as a few bites of it is enough, but I can easily eat an entire regular Churro myself.
8:53 pm: Made my way all the way back to Critter Country where I rode Winnie The Pooh Adventures. I always find it interesting how it is one of the recommended FPs for WDW, because the wait in DL is usually so short. I think it is more because at WDW it is in the center of the park, while at DL it is in the far corner. I was so tired at this point I pretty much napped on the ride. Posted wait time: 10 minutes; Actual wait time: 7 minutes
9:00 pm: Onto Splash Mountain, but the Single Rider entrance. I found some confused guests staring at the Single Rider sign (at the exit) unsure of what to do. So I explained just start walking and hang a right at the logs. They were pretty appreciative and let me go ahead of them. Honestly, I'd always recommend Single Rider for this one! It can have waits of over 2 hrs during the day! And several of the groups of 2 in front of me in the SR line still got to ride together. I ended up not changing into the flip flops and plastic bag, which wasn't needed because the back of the log doesn't get too wet. Posted wait time: 45 minutes; Actual wait time: 7 minutes
Single Rider: 6 people in line; Standby: a couple hundred!
9:23 pm: As I headed out of Critter Country I discovered Haunted Mansion had just reopened. Like I was literally on the 2nd elevator down. The CMs didn't even scan my re-admit pass because it was just a walk-on at that point. I think I actually did fall asleep a bit during this ride! I exited the building just as the fireworks were ending. Posted wait time: 40 minutes (leftover from before); Actual wait time: 8 minutes
9:42 pm: Went and used my FP for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Please don't let my photo discourage you, I actually like this ride a lot! Posted wait time: 45 minutes; Actual wait time: 7 minutes
9:58 pm: I stopped at Bengal BBQ to grab a couple skewers for dinner. Still one of my favorite foods at Disney! And I love how you can see them cooking it.
9:59 pm: Got in line for Jungle Cruise with my skewers, figuring I would have time to eat. Well, I turn the corner expecting to need to go up stairs, and nope, there are maybe 10 people in front of me waiting to load into a boat! I stepped to the corner and let people behind me pass while I finished eating. Turns out the CMs had some issues getting the boats to dock properly, so it took some time before the empty boat got up to take on more victims, but my letting people thru was just more polite! I know this is some people's favorite ride (my Dad included), but I'm not a big fan. I think I've heard all the jokes before and the animatronics are getting old. It'll be interesting to see if the Rock really does revitalize it! Posted wait time: 15 minutes; Actual wait time: 9 minutes
Time: 10:15 pm Ride Count Disneyland: 15 California Adventure: 16
I love that you encountered the clapping man! He's something of a local legend and spends many mornings in the park spreading goodwill and interacting with CM's. I watched a Youtube video his family put together and really loved that this guy's smile and routine were so familiar and appreciated by guests and CM's.
I love that you encountered the clapping man! He's something of a local legend and spends many mornings in the park spreading goodwill and interacting with CM's. I watched a Youtube video his family put together and really loved that this guy's smile and routine were so familiar and appreciated by guests and CM's.
10:20 pm: Fantasyland had just reopened, so I went in and got on Snow White's Scary Adventures. And this ride was scary! My car stopped suddenly. For a couple minutes the sound and lights were still working. This was my view:
Yup, I was stuck in the dungeon! Eventually the lights came back on, and a CM came to get me. She also explained that the skull on the second photo above can actually be turned to look at guests, but the CMs get in trouble if they are caught doing that! So I got to walk out of the ride, picking up more stranded guests on the way. At the end most of them just left, but the CM told me and another group that she would get us re-admit passes to any ride in the park if we waited a few minutes! Yes please! Posted wait time: 15 minutes; Actual wait time: 4 minutes
10:36 pm: Went next door to Pinocchio's Daring Journey. I know this is a classic, but I think it could really use some spiffing up; like what they did to Alice in Wonderland! Posted wait time: 15 minutes; Actual wait time: 6 minutes
10:46 pm: Walked onto Casey Jr Circus Train. They had actually closed the gates, with a family, group of pre-teens, and myself waiting for the next train. After they loaded all the people they saw there was empty spots so let the family on and then offered to the girls if they wanted to go on. But because no cages were available, they passed, so I got a spot on the train. I forgot how relaxing this ride is! A calm train ride through Fantasyland and it gives you a chance to see the models in Storybook Land Canals! I think I will be making this an every-visit thing, especially because it usually has such a short wait. Posted wait time: 10 minutes; Actual wait time: 1 minute
10:53 pm: Moved onto the Mad Hatter Tea Cups. The second showing of Electric Light parade was going on, and the Cinderella and Peter Pan floats went by as my group was loading. Due to the narrowness of the parade route here, there were no guests on the other side of the road, so all of the parade attendees just paid attention to people riding the ride! Tinkerbell looked very worried once we started spinning! Posted wait time: 15 minutes; Actual wait time: 4 minutes
11:01 pm: One hour left til park closing! I hopped into the line for Mr Toad's Wild Ride. I did end up in front of some annoying kids who had no idea what Wind in the Willows was and were being really obnoxious about it all. But riding the ride, I realized it is definitely confusing if you aren't aware of the story! Oh well! Posted wait time: 10 minutes; Actual wait time: 8 minutes
11:12 pm: Rode King Arthur's Carousel. And because I was so tired, I took a bench seat rather than a horse! Shared it with a grandpa and his young grandson who also looked exhausted! But, I noticed-why is it called King Arthur's Carousel, when it only shows images from Sleeping Beauty? Posted wait time: 5 minutes; Actual wait time: 7 minutes
11:26 pm: I knew I had limited time left, and planned on using the readmit pass for Indiana Jones. So I had time for one more ride before getting over there, and had to choose between Dumbo and Astro Orbitor. Both had similar waits, but I love looking at the Tomorrowland Lights from Astro Orbitor, so I chose that one. I suppose I could have used the readmit pass for Dumbo, waited for Astro, and then waited for Indy, but that would have risked not getting to Indy until after midnight and the line would have been closed. Posted wait time: 10 minutes; Actual wait time: 13 minutes
11:44 pm: Headed over to Indiana Jones Adventure for my final ride of the night, boarding at 12:01 am. They didn't even scan my readmit pass! But I got to see their paper cards, which are so cool-look like an old telegraph! I wish I could have kept it! Posted wait time: 35 minutes; Actual wait time: 17 minutes (via FP)
12:17 am: Headed down Main Street and out of the park, exhausted, proud of how many rides I did but still a bit disappointed I couldn't hit everything!
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin-broke down and wasn't able to get back to it before Toontown closed
It's a Small World-broke down or the line was too long
Matterhorn-broke down and no single rider line available; I missed my opportunity to do this early in the am
Storybookland Canal Boats-shut down for parades, fireworks; too long of a wait other times
Dumbo-couldn't fit it into schedule
Main Street Vehicles (Omnibus, Horseless Carriage, Horse-drawn Trolley)-didn't have time and these stop running about 2:45 in preparation for the parades.
California Adventure
Luigi Rockin' Roadsters-broke down briefly for maintenance and I didn't have time to go back
Symphony Swings-down due to wind; came back up later but I was on the other side of the park
Golden Zephyr-down due to wind; unsure if it came back up later
Red Car Trolley-too hard to time with Newboy show.
Total time spent at the resort: 19 hours (!)
Food: Churro x 2, Mickey Ice Cream Bar, Hot Dog, Grey Stuff Twist, Chieftain Chicken Skewers, plus numerous bottles of water/soda.
Fastpasses:
Pulled: 8 Used: 7 Extra: Anytime FP for Racers via ticket booth; Readmit to Haunted Mansion; Readmit used for Indiana Jones
Some thoughts:
This was an interesting adventure. I go to DLR often, so this provided something new. I also got to ride so many things I haven't been on in years! But, did I have fun? I'm not so sure. I was constantly on my phone checking wait times and updating my touringplan app. I also got more easily annoyed at annoying guests, especially the large number of student groups at the parks that day. But again, it was interesting.
I think this could have been done on a less busy day. I also think it would have been "easy" to do everything in one park, including attractions.
Touring plans app (LINES) is a great tool for planning the rides. But their current wait times are not accurate. I think there is a bug too because I would try to report the actual wait time and it wouldn't let me.
Getting to the park early is key! I accomplished so much in the first couple hours, especially because of Magic Morning. But I probably wouldn't pay extra for it.
When visiting DCA, you have to consider FP priorities. Yes, you can grab one for Racers, and if you have young kids, then do that. But if you are a group of adults who are ok with Single Rider, I'd recommend instead saving FPs for other rides, especially if you get to the park early. Then you can get multiple passes with soon return times in the time others are still waiting for their window to get a second pass is opening. And at that time the Single Rider Racers line is not too long, so you can ride it then (but I do have to say, I prefer that ride at night).
Timing Fastpasses is key. I wonder how this will be affected by the upcoming MaxPass (one of the reasons why I did it now). Maxpass would have definitely helped because I wouldn't have had to run from one side of the park to another as much. But you also have to consider how the FP availability will be affected once everyone has access to it.
Would I do it again? Undecided. Maybe just Disneyland, and maybe after the MaxPass is released, to compare the two experiences. But there is something to be said for just going to the park, riding 1-2 rides, having a relaxing meal, and watching the parade. In fact, I may be doing just that on Sunday!
This was great practice for my trip to WDW this fall. I originally put in way too many rides per day. This past week I have modified my plans to "slow walking" and "less walking, more waiting". We are going through a historically slow time (mid-september), so I'm not so worried about long wait times, as long as we plan accordingly. But we will be in the parks for 10 days in a row! So, we need to account for plenty of rest, and acceptance that we may not ride everything.
Why couldn't I accomplish every ride?
Ride breakdowns - this is to be expected, and unfortunately can't be predicted. Some rides are more prone to breakdowns, but you don't know when, or if they will come back online.
Wind - caused ride shutdowns. We do get heavy windstorms in SoCal on occasion, but they are rarer in the spring/summer.
Crowds - This was a 9/10 on touring plans and 92% full on Mousewait! Probably not the best day to attempt every ride. Also a lot of school groups doing their end of year trips (when I was in school we did these on weekdays but I guess now they stick to weekends)!
Poor planning - I thought I checked the Disneyland app often, but obviously it wasn't often enough. It could have saved a lot of needless walking!
Fin. I am open for any questions or comments you may have!
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