Expert Advice Needed: Morning Strategy for California Adventure

[Mamato4boys]

We will be visiting DLR November 14-18 and I'm looking for some advice on Monday and Thursday, when we plan to spend most/all of our time in CA.

Monday is EMH (or whatever it is called) for CA, but we will not have access. Gates open at 10 and we plan on being in line by about 9:15.

Thursday we have an 8:10am reservation for Plaza Inn, CA opens at 9:00, so we will be there a bit after rope drop when we have finished with breakfast.

We have 4 kids, 14,10, 2, and 10 months. Our 2 year old is right at 40", so we *think* he will be able to ride RSR and Soarin'. We will have to do Rider Swaps (which we will save for later in the day) because of the baby.

My initial plan was to do stand-by of RSR first thing, get a rider swap, then have parent with baby go get FPs for Soarin' while the others are riding RSR, but I'm second guessing that because of the EMH (will RSR be too long of a stand-by line when the park officially opens?) and thinking maybe we need to get a RSR FP first thing and go do stand-by elsewhere.

Does anyone have any ideas on what order we should do things in to make sure we get rides on RSR, Soarin', ToT, and any other ride that typically comes with a long wait, without spending half the day trying to keep a very active 2 year old happy standing in a line? We plan on getting a Rider Swap pass whenever possible and saving them for a ride later in the day. Oh, which reminds me... I was already told that he will not need a FP to ride since he isn't old enough to need a ticket, but will he count as one of the 3 people on the Rider Swap pass? Hopefully that makes sense. I assume he will, but I just want to make sure because it sure would help if he didn't.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Christina-B-Na]

Don't have an answer but super curious and following along to see what the experts have to tell you. I'll be there the same days as you with a 4 year old and 16mo old and am trying to figure out a plan of attack as well.

We have only used the rider swap pass with my oldest when he was 2 and it was super easy since they would just have us ride as a single rider but now that he is 4 and can come along, Im not sure how the system will work out for us.

 

[Mamato4boys]

Don't have an answer but super curious and following along to see what the experts have to tell you. I'll be there the same days as you with a 4 year old and 16mo old and am trying to figure out a plan of attack as well.

We have only used the rider swap pass with my oldest when he was 2 and it was super easy since they would just have us ride as a single rider but now that he is 4 and can come along, Im not sure how the system will work out for us.

Hopefully we will both get some helpful info! I'm pretty sure we used Rider Swap last time we were there (May '14), but I can't seem to remember many details about it.

 

[tarheelalum]

I would ride TOT first then get fastpass for Soaring. TOT is extremely popular now due to it closing for good January 2nd. Even more popular than RSR. The Soaring fastpass wait time won't be very long early in the morning so as soon as you are eligible to ride Soaring with your fastpass, go get a fastpass for RSR then ride Soaring. RSR is not as tough as it use to be to get fast passes. They still run out daily, but not until the early afternoon most days.

But if you plan on riding Toy Story Midway Mania, that changes everything. Do TSMM first because the line is always awful and no fast passes for TSMM. Then check the Disneyland app to see what your wait times will be for the fast passes. The fast passes run out early now due to the late checkout at TOT starting around 5/6pm. No passes are available during Late Check Out so I would get a fast pass for TOT first thing after TSMM. Then RSR should still have some passes available for later that day/night after your 2 hour block out period for your TOT fast passes.

During that period I would not wait for Soaring unless the line is 20 minutes or less. Instead I would ride Goofy's sky school or Monsters Inc. And get a fast pass for Soaring later in the day after your 2 hour black out period is over for your RSR passes.

 

[Mamato4boys]

I would ride TOT first then get fastpass for Soaring. TOT is extremely popular now due to it closing for good January 2nd. Even more popular than RSR. The Soaring fastpass wait time won't be very long early in the morning so as soon as you are eligible to ride Soaring with your fastpass, go get a fastpass for RSR then ride Soaring. RSR is not as tough as it use to be to get fast passes. They still run out daily, but not until the early afternoon most days.

But if you plan on riding Toy Story Midway Mania, that changes everything. Do TSMM first because the line is always awful and no fast passes for TSMM. Then check the Disneyland app to see what your wait times will be for the fast passes. The fast passes run out early now due to the late checkout at TOT starting around 5/6pm. No passes are available during Late Check Out so I would get a fast pass for TOT first thing after TSMM. Then RSR should still have some passes available for later that day/night after your 2 hour block out period for your TOT fast passes.

During that period I would not wait for Soaring unless the line is 20 minutes or less. Instead I would ride Goofy's sky school or Monsters Inc. And get a fast pass for Soaring later in the day after your 2 hour black out period is over for your RSR passes.

Thank you so much!! That is very helpful! I forgot all about TSMM. I wonder if it would work out okay for my husband to go get FPs for Soarin' and catch up with us before we get to TSMM, do TSMM, then once our Soarin' window opens, get FP for ToT, ride Soarin', Monsters Inc, Bug's Land (if extra time) until ToT FP opens up, grab RSR FP, ride ToT, then finish up Bug's Land and/or head to the Pier until time for RSR. That would get us on most of the big rides and give us Rider Swap passes to use later on in the day. I wonder if Grizzly River Run needs a FP this time of year?

 

[tarheelalum]

Sending your husband to get the passes while you and the kids go to TSMM would be ideal. But as a husband myself, the plan stinks for your husband !

And if it's a cool morning, the wait at Grizzly won't be bad. Even if it's warm that day, people tend not to want to get wet early in the morning.

I encourage you to get the Disney's disneyland app and watch the wait times in the weeks before you visit on the days you'll be there. It will help you get a feel for things and the fast pass return times. And save you time when a ride breaks down because the app will show it is down. TSMM is notorious for breaking down/opening late some mornings. Have a great trip.

 

[Mamato4boys]

Sending your husband to get the passes while you and the kids go to TSMM would be ideal. But as a husband myself, the plan stinks for your husband !

And if it's a cool morning, the wait at Grizzly won't be bad. Even if it's warm that day, people tend not to want to get wet early in the morning.

I encourage you to get the Disney's disneyland app and watch the wait times in the weeks before you visit on the days you'll be there. It will help you get a feel for things and the fast pass return times. And save you time when a ride breaks down because the app will show it is down. TSMM is notorious for breaking down/opening late some mornings. Have a great trip.

Hahaha! Well, I imagine even with stopping for FPs he could beat me trying to herd all the kids there. And we are Oregonians... we don't mind getting wet early in the morning. My husband has the app on his phone, but I definitely need to start actually getting familiar with it. Thanks again for all of your help! I really appreciate it!

 

[DLRExpert]

Line up for rope drop near Hollywood Land
Grab Tower FP first
Walk through Bugs Land to Paradise Pier
Then ride TSMM
Screamin take kids on nearby carousel in the meantime
Then Mickey's Funwheel
Goofy Sky School
Save swings and mermaid for later
Grab FP for World of Color
Ride Grizzly
Before you use FP for Tower grab FP for RSR
Then use FP for Tower
Lunch
Grab FP for Soarin when the 2 hour window is up.

ME

 

[smartlabelprint]

If you get to tsmm before him ride if you can. Then you may have a chance for a 2nd ride with little wait.

 

[Mamato4boys]

Line up for rope drop near Soarin
Grab Soarin FP first
Walk through Grizzly Trail to Paradise Pier
Then ride TSMM
Screamin take kids on nearby carousel in the meantime
Then Mickey's Funwheel
Goofy Sky School
Save swings and mermaid for later
Grab FP for World of Color
Ride Grizzly
Before you use FP for Soarin grab FP for RSR
Then use FP for Soarin
Lunch
Grab FP for Tower when the 2 hour window is up.

ME

Thank you! And I would have definitely gone the other way down to the Pier, so I'm glad you specified to go through Grizzly Trail.

If you get to tsmm before him ride if you can. Then you may have a chance for a 2nd ride with little wait.

Good idea... thank you!

 

[pennym]

I would grab ToT FP first (send a runner) go straight to TSMM, then ride Screamin', check FP return times for RSR, if they are still looking good then grab one for Soarin;, then RSR. RSR is great at night, so waiting a bit for your FP can be really good. But be careful to keep an eye on when they are running out!

 

[MacMama0930]

It's important to grab FPs for ToT first thing! Not only is it super popular right now, but they also don't distribute FPs for the "last check out" version. So once FPs have been distributed for like a 6pm return time, they run out for the day.

 

[DLRExpert]

Tower FP is running out faster.
Because of the shorter open and close time.
But also due to them closing one of the 3 elevator shafts. So because of that they are giving out fewer FPs each day.

So grab Tower first then walk through Bugs Land to Toy Story Midway Mania.

My recommended itinerary has changed above to reflect the message above.

ME

 

[soma151]

We will be visiting DLR November 14-18 and I'm looking for some advice on Monday and Thursday, when we plan to spend most/all of our time in CA.

Monday is EMH (or whatever it is called) for CA, but we will not have access. Gates open at 10 and we plan on being in line by about 9:15.

Thursday we have an 8:10am reservation for Plaza Inn, CA opens at 9:00, so we will be there a bit after rope drop when we have finished with breakfast.

We have 4 kids, 14,10, 2, and 10 months. Our 2 year old is right at 40", so we *think* he will be able to ride RSR and Soarin'. We will have to do Rider Swaps (which we will save for later in the day) because of the baby.

My initial plan was to do stand-by of RSR first thing, get a rider swap, then have parent with baby go get FPs for Soarin' while the others are riding RSR, but I'm second guessing that because of the EMH (will RSR be too long of a stand-by line when the park officially opens?) and thinking maybe we need to get a RSR FP first thing and go do stand-by elsewhere.

Does anyone have any ideas on what order we should do things in to make sure we get rides on RSR, Soarin', ToT, and any other ride that typically comes with a long wait, without spending half the day trying to keep a very active 2 year old happy standing in a line? We plan on getting a Rider Swap pass whenever possible and saving them for a ride later in the day. Oh, which reminds me... I was already told that he will not need a FP to ride since he isn't old enough to need a ticket, but will he count as one of the 3 people on the Rider Swap pass? Hopefully that makes sense. I assume he will, but I just want to make sure because it sure would help if he didn't.

Thanks in advance for any help!

OMG…My plan like every time we go to Disney, NO PLAN, JUST GO AND HAVE FUN. Have never used a fass pass, don't even know what ride swap is? Have never saved a spot for fireworks or ANY parade or event. Just sort of drift threw and if line is to long we come back. Always room on some other lifers blanket to watch events, they may not like it but thats what you get when trying to save spots for 20 people and only one of you….lol…Starting to feel that Disney magic.

 

[Mamato4boys]

OMG…My plan like every time we go to Disney, NO PLAN, JUST GO AND HAVE FUN. Have never used a fass pass, don't even know what ride swap is? Have never saved a spot for fireworks or ANY parade or event. Just sort of drift threw and if line is to long we come back. Always room on some other lifers blanket to watch events, they may not like it but thats what you get when trying to save spots for 20 people and only one of you….lol…Starting to feel that Disney magic.

Um, well, when you are traveling with 4 kids (ages 14, 10, 2, and 10 months) and can only afford to make the trip once every 2-3 years, you have to plan your days more than drifting around and sitting on someone else's blanket... I'm glad your travel style suits you, but it would be a mess for us. We plan so we can experience the Disney magic. If we just floated around, we would waste our vacation trying to keep the little ones from having meltdowns while waiting in long lines.

 

[Mamato4boys]

Thank you so much everyone for the advice! I really appreciate it! We will have hubby pull ToT FPs while I get the kids down to TSMM (where we will ride once without him if the line is short and he hasn't caught up to us yet), then keep an eye on the return times for RSR and Soarin' to see which we should grab once our FP (or 2 hours) opens up.

 

[mom2rtk]

OMG…My plan like every time we go to Disney, NO PLAN, JUST GO AND HAVE FUN. Have never used a fass pass, don't even know what ride swap is? Have never saved a spot for fireworks or ANY parade or event. Just sort of drift threw and if line is to long we come back. Always room on some other lifers blanket to watch events, they may not like it but thats what you get when trying to save spots for 20 people and only one of you….lol…Starting to feel that Disney magic.

What? I get that some people don't like to plan, and I'm not a fan of all the blanket camping, but I'm just going to hope you're kidding about expecting to sit on someone else's blanket.

 

[5forMickey]

On our last trip we had Fast Passes for tower and it went down. The only good thing about this was they did let us use them for "late check out". So FYI if it happens to break down think about holding it until after 6:00.

Have a great trip.

 

[Mamato4boys]

On our last trip we had Fast Passes for tower and it went down. The only good thing about this was they did let us use them for "late check out". So FYI if it happens to break down think about holding it until after 6:00.

Have a great trip.

Ooh, nice tip... thanks!

 

[soma151]

What? I get that some people don't like to plan, and I'm not a fan of all the blanket camping, but I'm just going to hope you're kidding about expecting to sit on someone else's blanket.

Oh my NO i would never sit on some ones blanket ( we stand on it ). Sitting on it would almost be as rude as saving spots for 15 people, and who does that? lolololololool…Starting to feel the Magic.