Early Entry question for Disneyland Veterans

[marx]

The official hours for DL and DCA have been posted for August 22-23 a Saturday and Sunday. We will be visiting the parks August 22-25 and staying on-site at a Disney hotel.

Openings for both parks that weekend is at 8am. (Some sites had predicted shorter hours beginning the weekend of the 22nd). Should I utilize early entry that weekend and arrive at the designated early entry park at 6:30am, or should I avoid the early entry park and arrive at 7:30?

If utilizing early entry, I've seen 2 variations on touring DCA. The first is to ride RSR first thing. The second is to visit other popular early entry attractions and head over to pick up a Fastpass for RSR 10 minutes prior to official opening time. Any opinions on this?

Thanks!

 

[Girimama33]

First of all, take advantage of the early entry...it is one of the perks that you get for staying at an on-site hotel. In DCA, you could head for RSR first thing if you like. Get there early, and head straight there after rope drop. The ride you will want to get out of the way during EMH is Toy Story. There is no FP and the lines get long.
FPs are not available until after the park opens, so I would grab one when I was in the area after the park opens. RSR FPs are lasting a lot longer these days.

 

[scrapshappen]

Take advantage for sure! We like to do Toy Story first and ride it a few times in a row since it isn't a FP ride and get RSR FP as soon as they are available. (And we also go back later and get another set of RSR FP for an evening ride since it's even better at night).

 

[HydroGuy]

The official hours for DL and DCA have been posted for August 22-23 a Saturday and Sunday. We will be visiting the parks August 22-25 and staying on-site at a Disney hotel.

Openings for both parks that weekend is at 8am. (Some sites had predicted shorter hours beginning the weekend of the 22nd). Should I utilize early entry that weekend and arrive at the designated early entry park at 6:30am, or should I avoid the early entry park and arrive at 7:30?

If utilizing early entry, I've seen 2 variations on touring DCA. The first is to ride RSR first thing. The second is to visit other popular early entry attractions and head over to pick up a Fastpass for RSR 10 minutes prior to official opening time. Any opinions on this?

First, in my experience it is pretty darn hard to make an EMH every day when it starts at 7AM. You can try but be prepared to not make it as the trip goes on.

As the PP said RSR FP is not as difficult to get as it used to be. Unless you really want to ride it twice in the day, then you can just wait and get a RSR FP a little later in the morning. Your call.

 

[ADisneyFamilyof5]

I say use the EMH, especially on DCA days. DCA EMH is only for hotel guests and everything is open. It is the least crowded you will see either park at any point. We usually head to TSMM first and ride it 2-3 times with no line. Then my husband takes DS8 on Cali Screamin about 5 times with no line and get to sit wherever they want. Then we do a few other rides, usually Goofy's Sky School and Mater, with no lines. Then right before the park opens we get in line for RSR fastpass. It is awesome!

 

[Geemo]

On the EE days at DCA sometimes you don't even have to get off the ride. The CM will let you stay on and go again, as long as there isn't a line forming. Last trip we were able to ride Screamin' several times in a row.

 

[marx]

Thank you all on the advice! Getting up early for EMH should be easy for us as we are coming from the East coast. Last year on a trip to Vegas I was up at 3am the first few days. It's the evenings that will be difficult

 

[chrisaman]

Peter Pan is a must on the early entry Disneyland days. That rides lines swell fast and the line is so packed together it is miserable. We always go straight to fantasyland on Disneyland days just to get it out of the way. Everyone else covered DCA for u

 

[marx]

Peter Pan is a must on the early entry Disneyland days. That rides lines swell fast and the line is so packed together it is miserable. We always go straight to fantasyland on Disneyland days just to get it out of the way. Everyone else covered DCA for u

Thanks! Peter Pan is a ride we've done in WDW, so we aren't planning on riding in DL. We will though use the strategy of going on other slow loading rides in Fantasyland that cannot be experienced in Florida.

 

[McNs]

EMH is much better the earlier the parks open, though getting the troops up and running at 6am can be a little tough. Once you are in the parks though it is all worth it.

If it is a later park opening especially for DL it may not be worth it. We went just after 9am for a 10am park opening on a Tuesday and the lines were the longest we had seen - more than during regular park opening. Peter Pan was 50 minutes by 9:30, and Matterhorn snaked all around the mountain. Too many MM folks and not enough rides open.