First Hand Experience? Attending MM @ DL & DCA OPENING same day.

[cinderlexa's mom]

Could this work? We've never park hopped @ DL.

On paper, the scenario below seems possible, but concerned we could just end up wasting precious low crowd time in the 2nd park's entry line...

Staying on property Saturday, July 2 & Sunday, July 3. BUSY time, but only time we can go...

1. On Saturday, we are attending MM @ DL to knock-out Fantasyland, then considering parkhopping to DCA's 8AM opening & staying @ DCA for the day. Hoping DCA might be less crowded on this Saturday due to:
* AP's blocked, & it's mostly only the locals that know to skip DL on Saturday's
* no DCA EMH Saturday, so all guests attending DL EMH/MM without parkhoppers must stay at DL
* most out-of-state visitors will visit DL as the 1st park of their trip (1st vacation day often Saturday)

2. On Sunday, we are attending EMH @ DCA, then considering hopping to DL's 8AM opening for the similar reasons listed above.

Has anyone actually done this during a busy time? Is too much time wasted in line trying to enter the 2nd park? Any advice welcomed!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Yes, we have done MM and then hopped over to CA for opening.

CMs man the ropes in front of the central hub for regular park opening. You will have to ask a CM to let you out under the rope and then make your way upstream, as it were, back down Main Street through all of the people coming in. Beware, the CM may give you a bewildered look for wanting to leave DL early.

The line to get back into CA was not long because they let you in Buena Vista Street and then hold the ropes at the end.

 

[cinderlexa's mom]

Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback! Were the parks busy when you did this? Did you feel like you wasted time waiting in line to enter DCA when you could have gone on DL rides with short lines @ 8?

Can anyone tell me if this didn't work out for them?

 

[bcla]

As was stated, entrance is allowed before official opening time, but everyone is held back at Buena Vista Street behind a rope. There are a lot of references on DIS about "rope drop" when the park officially opens. I suppose this keeps the turnstiles from backing up. I've done this once, and it's part free for all, but probably closer to organized chaos. I'm not sure it would be worth all that walking though. I would just save it for the next day.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

If you're doing an early entry at both parks, I personally wouldn't worry about trying to rope-drop, too. Sure, you could, but it does not seem efficient to me. If you didn't have early entry both days, that's another story, but since you do, there's really no point.

DL at 8:00 isn't going to be more crowded ENOUGH to justify the time spent getting to DCA at that exact point. Like, with the time you'll spend getting to DCA, you could do several things at DL since you're already there. Stay at DL as long as you feel like it, then go over to DCA, then head back to DL if you want... We go back and forth between parks easily 3-4 times a day, and we're usually just there for half days.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I mean, let's say you're at DL at 7. You're hitting rides, you're halfway back into the park, it's 7:40, and "gotta run, gotta fight our way down Main Street and over into DCA!" In the meantime, you're missing prime DL time. I can see why it sounds like it would work, but it's a hassle...

 

[mom2rtk]

We have a couple days on our upcoming trip where we'll have early entry at one park, but intend to spend most of that day in the other park. Our goal is to stay in the early entry park long enough for the rope drop crowd to clear through. So if the park early opened at 7, we expect to stay until at least 8:30, maybe closer to 9 depending on how things are going. I see no point in fighting that initial crush of humanity if you don't have to.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback! Were the parks busy when you did this? Did you feel like you wasted time waiting in line to enter DCA when you could have gone on DL rides with short lines @ 8?

Can anyone tell me if this didn't work out for them?

We never intended to stay at DL for the day anyway, we just wanted to ride Peter Pan. We were there a couple of days after the 4th of July last year. The parks were moderately busy.

 

[SplashMo]

We have done this. Remember that once everyone has entered DL for MM a fast pass runner can rope drop DCA. That is how we handled it. I left and waited in line at DCA for 25min and then the family left DL after DCA had opened and we then met up.

 

[Nevada Jen]

I'm with skyegirl, if you have early entry to both parks, you are giving up good dl time making the switch. You can easily finish fantasy land and advenature land at dl by 10 and then head to dca. You should still be able to fast pass the last show of frozen at that time. All with less rush,waiting in line and wasted time.

 

[cinderlexa's mom]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! So now I'm rethinking the parkhopper. Not sure how I would use it if I don't switch parks after EMH. We've been to both parks quite a few times without it. Where is the value over a 2 day one park only ticket? I must be missing something?

 

[SplashMo]

If you are there during a busy time you want Park Hoppers so at some point you can leave DLR and head over to DCA... It works fine to hop both parks during the morning...

If you are staying at GCH be sure to use the park entrance in the mornings and not the GCH entrance...

When hopping into the DCA line in the morning try the right most line (assuming it is not too long). They often open some gates on the right allowing you to slide over...

Unlike WDW you do not need to leave the EHM park.

During your DCA day you can run and get FP for DLR headliners for use later on in the day...

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I think parkhoppers are still very useful. DL gets more crowded than DCA. We pretty much always end up in DCA for a good portion of the afternoon. The flexibility to move around during the day lets you do each park when it's most convenient. Also you can hold FP in both parks at the same time, so especially if someone is willing to be a runner, that can be super helpful.