Experiences going to DL when it closes early for special events?

[Azan's Beauty Shop]

Were you glad you went that day despite the park closing early if you don't care about fireworks/projections or parades? If you went, any tips/tricks to help manage to see a lot other than LL or Single Riders?

My partner and I are going on February 3 when DL will be open (for regular tickets) from 8-8 PM. We are spending the night at a motel in Fullerton that has a shuttle that leaves the property at 7:30 AM so we know we won't be one of the first ones in the park. I figure we will be at DL most of the day and then towards the end of the night head to CA since it will be open from 8-9 PM which I imagine everyone else does lol.

No plans to get breakfast at DL as our hotel includes a continental buffet. We do have late lunch reservations at Blue Bayou at 1:20 PM which I know will take up some of our lunch time. Would be nice to end the night with a light dinner at CA (any recommendations?)

We will have the 3 day CA Resident Hopper so we don't need to see and do everything. It's my partner's first time at DL so I want him to have a fun, a leisurely time at the park and make it not that chaotic for him.

 

[Mike_M]

Hopefully I’m reading your intentions right here. I can be a bit long winded so take what you like and feel free to leave the rest.

I can’t recall how long it’s been since I’ve run into that kind of situation (10 years or more I’d guess) so my experience isn’t exactly current. However I don’t recall it leaving any kind of negative impact on our trip. Plus you’ve already got your park hopper figured out so it’s not like your day is ending early, it’s just ending across the way.

LL and SR definitely can help with line fatigue, but if a leisurely day is your goal, then my suggestion is to not worry too much about how much you can do in a day and instead make it about what experiences you want to have that day and focus there. Especially if you have two more days available to try and get more in.

I’ve always felt that even with long lines, if you stay in a land for a while, the magic and immersion becomes more apparent. Do everything in a land before moving onto the next one. Even if it means you may not make it to something in another land before the end of the day, or you have to stand in standby lines more than you planed because a LL time didn’t line up. It’s ok. If there is no rush, then queue time is just more time to enjoy the queue which can have its own magic too.

You mentioned it’s your partner’s first time. Is he a go go go kind of person or more laid back? Is he looking forward more to the rollercoasters or the Dark rides? What’s his relationship with the mouse? Star Wars, yes or no? These things will help you understand how to feel out your day. If something is especially exciting to him, then make sure it’s part of your day.

I’ve never been in a relationship with someone who’s been to the parks more than me, so I’ve taken on the role of tour guide a couple times (each with mixed results). Ha ha

For me, the first step of building a magical experience is trying to meet their expectations at the beginning. Treat it like a date. Sounds like you’re familiar enough to know all there is to do. So think of what works according to your experience and then give him a couple choices throughout the day based on that so he feels part of the process, but not overwhelmed by the scope of what is possible to do.

Be open to pivoting however the wind takes you (if you’re both ok with a less planned experience). Stop for a churro. Take a stroll around Tom Sawyer Island. Find a bench and people watch. These aren’t always the most exciting things to do in the park, but they build good memories I’ve found.

Something I didn’t do as a kid but my wife really wanted to do our first trip together was get a lay of the land first thing so we rode the train as our first ride together.
And it was wonderful.
She felt less overwhelmed by seeing it all as a preview and was happy to say, ok we did what I wanted, now it’s your turn to pick. It also helped slow me down and not just activate my established routines.

Don’t forget to introduce him to your favorite ride or experiences. He’ll want to know why you love the park just as much.

I guess in a nutshell what I’m saying is try and make the park fit the two of you, rather than try and fit the park. It’s big enough to work with your expectations and style. And I think that’s a big part of any successful trip.