Do any other AP holders do this?

[disfan07]

So I just redemeed my first premium AP

I was just curious if any other local AP holders just go to DL for a couple of hours if they have a little bit of time to kill?

I have 2 doctors appts next Monday. One at 9:30AM up in LA and one at 3:00 PM in Orange (about 10 minutes from DL) I'd probably get to DL around 12:00 depending on traffic and have to leave around 2:30 so I was planning on just grabbing lunch and sitting in the park for a little while before my second appt. If there was too much of a time crunch, I was thinking about going after my second appointment and grabbing dinner before heading back to my apartment (I only live about 15-20 minutes from the parks)

Is this crazy to do? In a way it seems crazy to me to go for like 2 hours at the most but in another way, I feel like this is whats great about having an AP. I dont have to pay for parking or admission and it would just be a nice little magic in between 2 very stressful appts. or after 2 appts. Do any other AP holders just go and hang out for a couple of hours without really doing anything?

 

[-KT-]

I would totally do that!

 

[fctiger]

Well I never really hung out for just a few hours, but if I could, I would!

Yeah, I'm sure lots do though! Thats the beauty of an AP! You can just do the mornings or go after work, or go for dinner or just catch WOC and go home! You can do anything you want with it, HOW you want with it, so enjoy!

 

[Brumbie13]

Some friends of mine who live in Placentia tell me there are lots of people who go just for a little while because they have some time to kill and because, like you, they can.

Sometimes when we go when it's busy, we hardly ride any rides, we just go there for the environment and to take it all in.

You got the annual pass, use it any way you want! If that means you pop in for a couple of hours, grab a lunch, and walk around your favourite land, or even just Main Street or Downtown Disney, then whose to tell you you're crazy for it? If I lived in SoCal and had an annual pass, I'd go every chance I got!

 

[disfan07]

Thanks! I've lived here for 2 years and its my first AP and its so cool being able to do things like this! Now I just have to make sure that if I go in between appts, that I dont lose track of time...haha. Don't want to get charged for a no show because I was at DL!!

 

[CA Disney Fans]

I'd totally do it. I have flown down in the early AM, gone to the parks and flown home that same night. People thought I was crazy, but it was better than losing airline credit and not going to the park at all.

 

[cmwade77]

We just did this today, we went and sat on Buena Vista Street for a few hours, watchd he Parade, go some candy and decided to leave because we were getting a little tired and didn't want to be driving with all of the drunk drivers tonight.

 

[Disney Dreams]

All. The. Time.

 

[silence]

If I lived closer, I would do that all the time Some of my favorite moments on our trips are just sitting on a shady bench and people watching.....soaking up the atmosphere of the park.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

ok so here's where my problem is....i go there planning on just going for a little while and then find myself not being able to pull myself away...I will say "just a little bit longer" and then before I know it, it's closing time

 

[skiingfast]

We just did this today, we went and sat on Buena Vista Street for a few hours, watchd he Parade, got some candy and decided to leave.

And you weren't alone. Many SoCal Locals pop in. Many APHs stop in for a few hours at the start or end of a visit. They do because they can. It doesn't cost them anything with the right AP.

 

[Angrypenguin]

We do it all the time! Most of the time we go down, have some dinner, do a ride or two and then leave. It's rare that we're there more than 2-3 hrs. We're in Long Beach, so it's only about 25-30 minutes away.

 

[Pinocchio #1 Fan]

Doing this is the best benefit of having an AP. My wife and I go for a ton of short trips. In fact, it's rare for us to stay over 4 hours on a trip. We are like 10 minutes from the parks, so we go for dinner all the time. We go on a ride or two, grab a bite, see a show, and maybe grab a piece of fudge or something to enjoy later on at home. The only time we stay all day is if we are going with friends from out of town who are staying the whole day.

 

[aan1701]

I have done this plenty of times. Sometimes we go just to walk around and trade pins. Before I got married a friend of mine and I would go just to watch Fantasmic and then grab a bite at the Tomorrowland Terrace and listen to the band. I plan on going Friday solo and have no clue what I will do. I may just hang. I might catch a ride or two. I might go to Trader Sams for a drink or I might just do some pin trading. That is the beauty of being local to the parks and having a AP.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[xsuki000]

I lived 10 minutes away from DL. Recently just moved back to San Francisco. But last year, minus the trips when DBF came to visit, all my visits were for around 2 hours. And during the school year, the waits are so short that you get so much done.

And tbh after DBF came to visit and we did a 4 day trip to DL, i couldn't go back to DL for 3-4 months.

I actually like the short visits more. It's much more relaxing for me. Less money is spent and I don't have to feel like I have to get everything done. I go to do all the things in Fantasy Land or expect to ride 2-3 rides.

Heck there were some times that I went to DL to run errands and was only there for 10 minutes.

 

[disfan07]

ok so here's where my problem is....i go there planning on just going for a little while and then find myself not being able to pull myself away...I will say "just a little bit longer" and then before I know it, it's closing time

haha....that sound slike me....thats why I'm thinking it might be best for me to go AFTER my appt for dinner! At least then if I lose track of time, its okay....if I lose track of time in the afternoon, I'm in trouble!!!! My thought is to go from about 5:30-8. rush hour should be over by then and it'll be a quick drive on the 5 and 55 to get home.

 

[aluckyduck]

We do it all the time. If we know we are going to be only a few hours, we park in DTD and browse the shops for a few minutes, go into the park, hit a ride or two depending on crowds and then head home. If we decide to stay beyond the free parking hours, we stop and a have a quick meal on our way out at a DTD restaurant and share a meal to get 3 more hours. Parking in DTD is 2 hours free, plus 3 more with validation.

On busy days, the parking garage and the tram take more time then we'd like (we have a big old double stroller). We usually walk the route, but like I said, sometimes we plan a short trip so walking through DTD is just more interesting.

 

[elaw]

We usually go every other Saturday and only stay for about 4-5 hours.

 

[luv2plan]

We just recently moved to Orange County and have SoCal AP. I plan on doing this exact thing once my kids start school in September. Go solo and really look through all the gift shops. Ride all the mountains, that my kids are afraid of Just generally enjoy the magic that is Disneyland!

 

[AddictedtoDoleWhip]

We did it on Tuesday, we decided to go to DL and got there at around 7:45, ate dinner and went on a few rides and then went home. Of course we ended up leaving at like 11:50... haha. Tonight we plan on going to DCA until closing, and then going home if my Mom gets home from work on time. A few rides and dinner, always sounds fun.