DL Challenge: First time visit over two 1/2 days + 1 full

[BigPapaPaulie]

Heading to LA for a few days with the family and am trying to squeeze a DL trip out of it.

Facts of the case: Our Park availability is Friday 12-5, Saturday from opening until 2, and all day Sunday. Staying at HoJo. End of March.

Riddle me this, please:

1) Is it worth bothering with a 3 day ticket? I'm thinking Friday would be a waste because getting anything done in a 5 afternoon hours is a bit of a stretch.

2) Which park deserves spending all day (Sunday)? My guess is the DL park.

Love to hear opinions!

 

[figment_jii]

If you looking at going at the end of March (3/27 to 3/29?), the park will be in full Spring Break-season mode at that point, which means long hours and full entertainment offerings. I'm guessing the crowds will be high, but potentially not as high as the next weekend (Easter). The SoCal Select AP is blocked starting on Friday and the SoCal AP is blocked starting on Saturday. I still think it would be worth getting a three day ticket because you can still probably get a fair amount done on Friday afternoon (I would guess the biggest uptick in crowds will happen in the later afternoon as folks get off of work). Some school districts are already on spring break, but a large number of local area schools are on break the next week (starting on Saturday). So my guess is that you'll have the best chance to accomplish the most attractions on Friday and for the first few hours on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Assuming you're going to go into DL on Friday when you arrive, I would head straight to the Times Board (end of Main Street, next to Jolly Holiday) to see what the wait times look like for the attractions you are most interested in riding. You can also ask the Guest Services CMs about FP return times for any rides that you might want to try riding. From there, it really depends on what you want to do and see.

In terms of full days, I'm guess it means you aren't going to get the park hoppers. The parks are only 110 yards apart, so it's very easy to hop. Otherwise, for my family, we would opt to spend the full day at DL.

 

[chickapin parterre]

So, in my experince , the economy of time Sunday in Disneyland is important for a first time visitor. You have greater opportunity on Sunday to explore the entire park if you enter the park on Friday for the limited hours.

During those limited hours:
*explore Main Street
*take in the parade
* watch street performances
*round trip on train
*character meet and greet
*photo opps at parterre, castle and partner statue
* complete photo session at admittance gate
*Mr. Lincoln

Some of the building exploration can be completed during the Sunday rope drop, but parterre will be crowded and castle not available. Also rope drop will be at Main street, bunching up folks down the length of the street.

12-7 are the high peak times in the park so E-attractions not really a time saving , first time Disneyland experience to explore on Friday. Instead, Explore the gates at each land, look for the tiny details that indeed make Disneyland more than just thrill rides, find out where Fast pass machines are located, so on Sunday you can maximize your morning E-attractions

 

[cherice95403]

Friday is iffy. You could go and take in shows and the parade. Small World might be an option. I'd spend the half day at DCA and the full day at Disneyland.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

Friday is hit or miss. If you want to see the parade or the current lackluster firework show, then go. And actually, if you stay later, a lot of people go home toward the end of the night and you can get on some of the big rides with a lot less wait time. Otherwise, check out Downtown Disney or the Garden Walk. Saturday would be better for DCA and Sunday for DL. Part of this has to do with where the EMH falls in each park and part of it has to do with, at least in my opinion, there being far more to do at DL than DCA. Have fun!

 

[grannyminnie]

What's "lackluster" about the current fireworks? I was planning on staying to see them this visit (in a couple of weeks) since my other visits I have not.