EE, VQ, PPF morning plan!

[farmfresh2]

Hoping the Disboards experts can check my plan! I have 2 days in DLR with my SIL, staying GCH, and I'm feeling a bit rusty on the details. She wants to ride Peter Pan, so I'm thinking...

1. 6.30 am Security for 7.30 EE - early enough?
2. Indy LL when we enter (7.30?) hoping for MEP.
3. VQ HM at entry.
4. Fast walk then Ride PPF and other dark rides during EE... thoughts on when to schedule Matterhorn?

Our usual plan then is to head down to Pirates, Jungle Cruise, BTMR...and start working through our LLs. I think I understand how to modify etc.

We will have park hoppers and intend to start at DCA on the next morning, but any thoughts on when it's useful to park hop that day? There is an OBB bash on that night so we will leave before it starts and head back to DL.

Thanks for any hints you could share!

 

[LKing]

VQ HM at entry.

You can sign up for VQ for HM at 7 am from outside of the park.

 

[disneychrista]

You can line up at 630 but security doesn’t open until 7. I wouldn’t line up earlier than you already plan.

 

[farmfresh2]

You can sign up for VQ for HM at 7 am from outside of the park.

Thanks - that's helpful!

 

[farmfresh2]

You can line up at 630 but security doesn’t open until 7. I wouldn’t line up earlier than you already plan.

OK - we will stick with 6.30 - thanks!

 

[Jawwdoc]

OK - we will stick with 6.30 - thanks!

6:30 am at the GCH to DTD entrance is ok if you are fine with being 20-30 people deep in the security line, on my last few trips to DLR they have been releasing off-site guests to the Harbor security at 7:00 sharp, so you will be competing with those folks for a spot in line at the DL and/or DCA gates, they won’t have EE but may put you behind other on-site guests at the main gate. Pre-pandemic, this was not an issue as there were dedicated gates for EE guests. A year or so ago, they were holding the Harbor guests outside of the security checkpoint until 7:05-7:10, which gave on-site guests more time to queue at the main gates. Personally these changes combined with the anemic 30 minutes of EE time, makes it very hard to justify the cost of an on-site hotel.

 

[disneychrista]

6:30 am at the GCH to DTD entrance is ok if you are fine with being 20-30 people deep in the security line, on my last few trips to DLR they have been releasing off-site guests to the Harbor security at 7:00 sharp, so you will be competing with those folks for a spot in line at the DL and/or DCA gates, they won’t have EE but may put you behind other on-site guests at the main gate. Pre-pandemic, this was not an issue as there were dedicated gates for EE guests. A year or so ago, they were holding the Harbor guests outside of the security checkpoint until 7:05-7:10, which gave on-site guests more time to queue at the main gates. Personally these changes combined with the anemic 30 minutes of EE time, makes it very hard to justify the cost of an on-site hotel.

Do they open the security at GCH before 7am?

 

[farmfresh2]

Maybe I'll ask the question in another way! What time do I need to be at Security at GCH DTD entry to be among the first at DL gates? I'm used to security opening before the EE time so guessing that has changed.

 

[Chili327]

You can sign up for VQ for HM at 7 am from outside of the park.

Is there any end date for VQ?

6:30 am at the GCH to DTD entrance is ok if you are fine with being 20-30 people deep in the security line, on my last few trips to DLR they have been releasing off-site guests to the Harbor security at 7:00 sharp, so you will be competing with those folks for a spot in line at the DL and/or DCA gates, they won’t have EE but may put you behind other on-site guests at the main gate.

I’m confused, do hotel guests get in with EE before regular guests or no?

 

[Jawwdoc]

Maybe I'll ask the question in another way! What time do I need to be at Security at GCH DTD entry to be among the first at DL gates? I'm used to security opening before the EE time so guessing that has changed.

Security does open before EE time but only 30 minutes before and EE is only 30 minutes. If you are staying onsite and wanting to maximize EE then you should be at security no later than 6:30 am. Each day is slightly different but on our February trip we were 2nd in line at the GCH to DTD security when arriving at 6:30 am. In May, we were about 15 people deep when arriving at GCH to DTD security at 6:30 am. We still managed to get a first in line spot at the DL but had to walk faster in May. Many families send down 1 or 2 early risers to stake out a spot in line while the remaining crew get ready or grab coffee/breakfast. The GCH to DTD security typically has two lanes operating in the morning. They no longer hold back the off-site guests at Harbor security and many of them will be heading to DL @ 7:00 am even though they do not have EE. There is also no longer dedicated EE gates at either park so it is even more critical to be through security early if you want to maximize EE. Have a great trip.

 

[Chili327]

So EE just gets to be in line sooner, not actually enter the park earlier?

EE is starting to sound like a scam. lol

 

[twodogs]

So EE just gets to be in line sooner, not actually enter the park earlier?

EE is starting to sound like a scam. lol

If you have EE, you can enter the PARK at 7:30am. If you don’t have EE, you can enter the GATE at 7:30am, but you are held at the rope in the hub until 8am, when the park opens to you. Regardless of if you have or don’t have EE, you can go through security any time after it opens and go through the GATE when it opens.

 

[torchlight]

Here was my experience a few weeks ago using EE for Disneyland as a Grand Californian (GCH) guest.

6:30, got in line for the GCH security gate into DTD. About 30 people deep in line. Probably mostly GCH guests but it is true anyone can use this line if they want to.

6:46, security gate opened. Probably 60 people behind me in line at this time. Single line splits into two and moves pretty quick.

6:55, I have made it through security, walked at moderate (not run-walk) pace through DTD and have made it to the Disneyland turnstiles (ticket gate). I am the 8th person in line for the turnstile I chose. There were people walking up to the turnstiles from the Harbor security entrance at this time, so they must have opened Harbor before 7 also, and some Harbor people are beating the first hotel guests to the turnstiles.

7:20, turnstiles open. Again moderate walk direct to the EE checkpoint on Tomorrowland side of Hub and then to the EE rope that is gating the path to Fantasyland. I am very close to the front here, maybe 1 person back from the rope. I reach this point at 7:25.

7:30, EE rope drops and I head straight for Peter Pan. Huge line behind me at this point. I choose not to run and just walk normally, so I do lose some ground here, but I’m still off Peter Pan with a big smile on my face by 7:45.

Given the size of that line that ended up at the EE rope at 7:30, my experience would be that you want to be close to the front of that line to maximize the benefit of EE. To do that, you need to be near the front of the turnstiles line, and to do that you need to be near the front of whatever security line you are going to use.

 

[Chili327]

If you have EE, you can enter the PARK at 7:30am. If you don’t have EE, you can enter the GATE at 7:30am, but you are held at the rope in the hub until 8am, when the park opens to you. Regardless of if you have or don’t have EE, you can go through security any time after it opens and go through the GATE when it opens.

Gotcha, so the advantage is not having to sit at the rope.

Here was my experience a few weeks ago using EE for Disneyland as a Grand Californian (GCH) guest.

6:30, got in line for the GCH security gate into DTD. About 30 people deep in line. Probably mostly GCH guests but it is true anyone can use this line if they want to.

6:46, security gate opened. Probably 60 people behind me in line at this time. Single line splits into two and moves pretty quick.

6:55, I have made it through security, walked at moderate (not run-walk) pace through DTD and have made it to the Disneyland turnstiles (ticket gate). I am the 8th person in line for the turnstile I chose. There were people walking up to the turnstiles from the Harbor security entrance at this time, so they must have opened Harbor before 7 also, and some Harbor people are beating the first hotel guests to the turnstiles.

7:20, turnstiles open. Again moderate walk direct to the EE checkpoint on Tomorrowland side of Hub and then to the EE rope that is gating the path to Fantasyland. I am very close to the front here, maybe 1 person back from the rope. I reach this point at 7:25.

7:30, EE rope drops and I head straight for Peter Pan. Huge line behind me at this point. I choose not to run and just walk normally, so I do lose some ground here, but I’m still off Peter Pan with a big smile on my face by 7:45.

Given the size of that line that ended up at the EE rope at 7:30, my experience would be that you want to be close to the front of that line to maximize the benefit of EE. To do that, you need to be near the front of the turnstiles line, and to do that you need to be near the front of whatever security line you are going to use.

I think I’ll just sleep in and stay till close and get some end of night rides in.