Early entry versus late nights

[kikismom]

Our trip is 4 weeks from tomorrow and I'm trying to get my ducks in a row about if we'll sleep in and stay late or use early entry and go back early for the trip. I know we will need to stay late one night to watch fireworks.

I will have two 9 year olds who like to sleep in until 8ish which is really inconvenient for early entry. Would you recommend us getting up early for early entry if we can only be to security by 715 each morning? I think that's about the earliest we can get there. Or should we skip early entry entirely and just stay late each night and sleep in? How have the 9-midnight hours been?

We definitely need to choose, we can't stay up late and get up early or the girls get crabby and I don't want that on our vacation. We are staying at GC.

 

[chezcurrie]

How many days do you have and where are you coming from?

If you’re coming from the East Coast or somewhere where there is a + time difference, take advantage of that your first day and do early entry. The next day and do a late night. By day three you won’t likely feel the need to rush first thing in the am so as long as you are in before 9:30/10 and if you’re not using G+ plan to do more shows and ambiance on that day.

Definitely take a mid day break regardless of which option you choose. Even the sleep in/late night. So so easy at the GCH - when I do day trips we chill in the lobby mid day, even for 90 min and it makes a HUGE difference.

 

[Version 6]

Our trip is 4 weeks from tomorrow and I'm trying to get my ducks in a row about if we'll sleep in and stay late or use early entry and go back early for the trip. I know we will need to stay late one night to watch fireworks.

I will have two 9 year olds who like to sleep in until 8ish which is really inconvenient for early entry. Would you recommend us getting up early for early entry if we can only be to security by 715 each morning? I think that's about the earliest we can get there. Or should we skip early entry entirely and just stay late each night and sleep in? How have the 9-midnight hours been?

We definitely need to choose, we can't stay up late and get up early or the girls get crabby and I don't want that on our vacation. We are staying at GC.

We were in a very similar situation to you for our September trip.

Staying at the GCH with two kids (7 and 10) who LOVE to sleep in on holidays.

I'm not sure how many days your trip is, but my advice would be:

• Definitely aim for at least one day of early entry per park. Things will be quiet not only for that first half hour, but also for a couple of hours thereafter. Even on really packed days, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are basically empty during EE. It's this perk that makes the GCH so expensive - and that's for a reason - so definitely use it!
• On your Disneyland Park Early Entry days, avoid bringing a bag into the park. This will allow you to use the much shorter and much quicker "no bag" security line into Downtown Disney at the far end of the courtyard.
• Skip breakfast. We like to give the kids a banana and muesli bar or something similar on the way to security - and then hit the Starbucks in either park at some stage mid morning and grab hot chocolates/bagels.
• All of that being said - the nights are really nice and something to experience. So ideally if time permits you'd also have at least one night in each park. The parks really are a different beast at night. One of my sons favourite memories from this trip was hopping back into DCA for dinner at Lamplight Lounge and then riding Incredicoaster and Guardians at night.
• Definitely get Disney+ and continue to monitor it during the day, including during your break as you will be able to stack LL's for later in the day.
• Take advantage of your close proximity to the parks on busy days.

Disneyland was slammed (or at least felt that way to us) during our trip, but we still had a great time utilising the above.

 

[Pluto468]

When we were there in June we did both. I love walking into the park first thing because it's so empty compared to how it will be later in the day. I'd do at least one early entry since you have that perk. We really enjoyed the evenings, too, and had good luck with lines once it was really late, like 10:00-11:30. I think it's hard to pick rope drop OR evenings, because they're both good for different reasons.

 

[DLRExpert]

Early Entry for Fantasyland attractions.
At least have everyone scan into the park early, so you can start the LL stacking process.

I would do both, Arrive for Early Entry, stay until about 10am.
Come back into the park around 4pm with stacked LLs stay until you are ready to go back to the room

 

[Version 6]

Early Entry for Fantasyland attractions.
At least have everyone scan into the park early, so you can start the LL stacking process.

I would do both, Arrive for Early Entry, stay until about 10am.
Come back into the park around 4pm with stacked LLs stay until you are ready to go back to the room

We did exactly this on our September trip and it was perfect.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Everyone torus different but I am 100% a fan of sleeping till we wake up, getting a relaxed breakfast, starting the day whenever then closing out the parks strong. Nighttime is our favorite time in the parks and can be no fun when you are tired and crabby cuz you have been there since rope drop.

I like to say at sunset Disneyland goes from the Happiest Place On Earth to the Crabbiest Place On Earth cuz Mom is tried, Dad is fed up and irritated, kids are cranky and whiny but we are gonna get every gosh darn minute of fun the we paid for even if we are miserable!

...plus often you can get just as much done in those closing few hours as you can rope drop.

 

[kikismom]

Oops. Definitely forgot some info. We are coming from Washington, short flight and we have five days in the park with the last one being a half day. We have park hoppers and will use G+. We are super experienced but after our trip last October with the crowds I'm slightly nervous.

 

[Aspencreek]

Oops. Definitely forgot some info. We are coming from Washington, short flight and we have five days in the park with the last one being a half day. We have park hoppers and will use G+. We are super experienced but after our trip last October with the crowds I'm slightly nervous.

We were just there a week ago (coming from Idaho) and yeah, October is crazy busy. Was also there July 2021 and it was way less packed. That said, my family are not early risers (weird that the parent is the most excited to go and everyone else snoozes away the morning), but the parks didn't really feel that busy until around lunchtime. So even if you can't get up at the crack of dawn to rope drop, if you can get in for a couple/few hours of the morning you will have way less people there and can get some good LLs going. Then maybe do the recommended mid-day break/naps and come back for the evening and stay late where it again clears out to some degree.

 

[kirstyfly]

We got back from the parks about 3 weeks ago.

We had ideas to do EE but only made it for one day out of 6.

We didn't even make it when we swapped to the Disneyland hotel for 2 nights at the end of our trip.

The morning are hard and we liked to let our turned 7 on the trip sleep as well as us. NO one is having fun it you are tired and grumpy.

We never stayed till close as we couldn't make the long days with the time change from New Zealand. We did stay till 10 one night and miss and hubby rode splash mountain 4 times in a row (even stayed on at one stage) as the line was very low.

If did it again I would aim for late nights.

We also did come back to rest on one day but only hubby feel asleep miss wouldn't and she was the one who needed the rest but she hasn't had a daytime rest/sleep in a number of years.

 

[chezcurrie]

Oops. Definitely forgot some info. We are coming from Washington, short flight and we have five days in the park with the last one being a half day. We have park hoppers and will use G+. We are super experienced but after our trip last October with the crowds I'm slightly nervous.

With 5 park days, hoppers and Genie+ you will be able to tour however you choose. As a PP said the real advantage in the morning is a leg up on stacking those lightning lanes for your evening. With 5 days I say go for a combo of both.

One thing that has helped us is each of our kids picks their top 3 things. This is our silly rule of threes for Disney vacations: 3 things, 3 treats, 3 hour break! Lol This way each of our 3 boys feels like they got what they were really hoping for.

 

[RoseColored97]

We do both. Last trip, we generally woke up at 5:30am and got to security early. Came back to the room to take a 2-3 hour nap after noon and then hit the parks from about 4pm until midnight.

Granted, we didn't set alarms and just naturally woke up then so it's different for everyone.

 

[BethID]

We do both. Last trip, we generally woke up at 5:30am and got to security early. Came back to the room to take a 2-3 hour nap after noon and then hit the parks from about 4pm until midnight.

Granted, we didn't set alarms and just naturally woke up then so it's different for everyone.

This is the way. I love to sleep in but getting that time early in the park can't be beat. The nap revives everyone and we are good to go until close.

 

[kikismom]

We do both. Last trip, we generally woke up at 5:30am and got to security early. Came back to the room to take a 2-3 hour nap after noon and then hit the parks from about 4pm until midnight.

Granted, we didn't set alarms and just naturally woke up then so it's different for everyone.

I wish we could do this. I do not nap, like even if I'm exhausted it just doesn't happen. I wish I did though and a few times a year I'll try. I lay there for an hour and get up frustrated. If I can get the girls to nap this could work though.

 

[rpmdpm]

We are nappers here! We rope drop every day of our trips and then go back and nap around 3-6. Get dinner and then stay till closing. My kids are 14,12,and 10. It's what we have always done and they have never complained. It works out well!

 

[kikismom]

We are nappers here! We rope drop every day of our trips and then go back and nap around 3-6. Get dinner and then stay till closing. My kids are 14,12,and 10. It's what we have always done and they have never complained. It works out well!

I so wish this worked for us. We were able to do that until my daughter was about 6 and then never again. She is just like me and can't nap.

i think what I've decided to do it try our first day as early entry and go from there. If it was just rope dropping we'd have no issue. We are normal rope droppers. Getting to the DL entrance line at 7 though is just so early. I wish they had a dedicated line for it.

 

[chezcurrie]

I so wish this worked for us. We were able to do that until my daughter was about 6 and then never again. She is just like me and can't nap.

i think what I've decided to do it try our first day as early entry and go from there. If it was just rope dropping we'd have no issue. We are normal rope droppers. Getting to the DL entrance line at 7 though is just so early. I wish they had a dedicated line for it.

Even if you don’t nap I still suggest a “break” from the stimulus. I will take my guys to the GCH lobby for an hour or so just to sit and chill with a book or device. Sometimes they just need that break from everything else and to zone out. Then they, and I am ready to go back out and conquer! For me, a shower and clothing change midday can really revive as well.

 

[NewbieMouse]

Early Entry for Fantasyland attractions.
At least have everyone scan into the park early, so you can start the LL stacking process.

Where's the best place for me too learn more about the LL stacking process? I'd like to try doing this this time, but I'm not sure where to start.

Remember fastpasses when return times were not enforced? Ahhh the gold ol' days....

 

[DLRExpert]

Where's the best place for me too learn more about the LL stacking process? I'd like to try doing this this time, but I'm not sure where to start.

Remember fastpasses when return times were not enforced? Ahhh the gold ol' days....

Pretty simple, just wait for the LL return time to meet the time you will be entering the park. Once you get the LL you now have two hours until you get the next LL. This is the current LL list booking list from the attraction that sells out first and last.
DL
1. Mansion Holiday
2-4. Either Indy, Space, or Small World Holiday
5. Matterhorn
6. Thunder
7. Falcon
8-11. Splash, Autopia, Star Tours, or Buzz
DCA
1. Web Slingers
2-3. TSMM or Guardians
4. Incredicoaster
5. Soarin
6-8. Goofy, Grizzly, Monsters

Advanced Strategy
Is to scan in early and use the first few hours of park opening to try and get the Multiple Experience Pass (MEP). They can then be used later even on non-LL attractions.

 

[chezcurrie]

Where's the best place for me too learn more about the LL stacking process? I'd like to try doing this this time, but I'm not sure where to start.

Remember fastpasses when return times were not enforced? Ahhh the gold ol' days....

Tom Bricker from Disney tourist blog has a few posts on how to stack afternoon/evenjng LL. As the PP mentioned it just means you are booking return times in the afternoon instead of morning. So you use those morning hours and ride things standby, but book a LL later in the day, wait your 2 hrs, then book another.

It doesn’t always work out seamlessly, so I tend to book one LL in the am for a “must do” ride, and once I scan into that I will look for a later return time in our second park or in the evening if not park hopping. If a later time for the ride I want isn’t readily available I’ll either wait a bit to book, or choose another LL in the park I’m in if it has a close return, and lather rinse repeat.

On especially busy days the return times can get pretty late pretty early so it all depends on the day. I am firmly in the Genie+ camp of “this is my fast pass for 3 rides, everything else is frosting” camp. So I tend to prioritize those top 3 rides and secure them with a LL, and then go about my day - if I score a few more, great. If not, no big. I am not about taking genie+ to the max cause that’s just not my touring style.

EDIT: although with G+ now starting at $25 I may be augmenting my approach.