First Trip in About Five Years - Strategies?

[ZoZo]

It's been about five years since I've gone to DL (we usually go to WDW). Last time I went, they were still building Cars Land!

What are the new things that I should see? I know there are also new things for the Diamond celebration (new parade, fireworks, and enhancements to World of Color show).

And what strategies do you suggest for things like FPs? We have three-day hopper tickets. The FPs for the two parks are separate, aren't they? So you could hold a FP for both parks at the same time, without having to wait two hours to get a new one? What about FPs for World of Color?

Any advice would be welcomed. Thank you so much!

 

[Sherry E]

When are you going?

 

[RKKUNK]

How exciting! Yes, the fireworks and parade are new at DL and the WOC is brand new at DCA. You can get the fastpasses for WOC at the FP machines by Grizzly River Run. If you get them first thing in the morning, they will be for the first showing. If you get them later in the morning, it will be for the later showing. If you are going at a time they only have one showing, make sure you get them first thing. They are not connected to the other FPs so you can get your WOC FP and still hold other FPs.

You can hold FPs for both parks at the same time. As long as all of your party has been scanned in at one park, you can take everyone's tickets with you to the other park and get FPs.

Your 3 day PHs should have a MM for Disneyland, right? If so, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland will be open. FL rides usually have long lines and they have no FPs. So, if you are interested in those rides at all, most people try to do those during MM when the lines are shorter.

My advice is to make sure you get to the parks at opening and make sure that you take advantage of FPs to make the most of your time and not have to wait in such long lines. If you are a small party (2-4) and you don't mind riding a ride separately, you can also do the single rider lines on the rides that offer that.

You can find info for newbies at the top of the thread page. Hope this helps!

 

[chickapin parterre]

If you are looking for that moment of first time surprise that you had decades ago when first visiting any disney park, may I suggest that your for first visit to CArsland be in the dark,, after the lights have been on for awhile . YOu will be be looking a great land that is different at night then it is during the day. By doing the night first, you will have no idea of the infrastructure that is the canvas to all the great lights. It is so magical at night. because I have 50 years of visiting Disneyland, I hold this night vision as that last magical ray, that I still have one more surprise, never been during the day.

rope drop is now different, in that it has increased in frequency, this is due to the new way that you are admitted into the park. It is cumbersome, so they have to open onto a rope drop

.

 

[ZoZo]

When are you going?

So sorry - I forgot to say when I'm going. October 22-25. Thanks!

 

[ZoZo]

How exciting! Yes, the fireworks and parade are new at DL and the WOC is brand new at DCA. You can get the fastpasses for WOC at the FP machines by Grizzly River Run. If you get them first thing in the morning, they will be for the first showing. If you get them later in the morning, it will be for the later showing. If you are going at a time they only have one showing, make sure you get them first thing. They are not connected to the other FPs so you can get your WOC FP and still hold other FPs.

You can hold FPs for both parks at the same time. As long as all of your party has been scanned in at one park, you can take everyone's tickets with you to the other park and get FPs.

Your 3 day PHs should have a MM for Disneyland, right? If so, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland will be open. FL rides usually have long lines and they have no FPs. So, if you are interested in those rides at all, most people try to do those during MM when the lines are shorter.

My advice is to make sure you get to the parks at opening and make sure that you take advantage of FPs to make the most of your time and not have to wait in such long lines. If you are a small party (2-4) and you don't mind riding a ride separately, you can also do the single rider lines on the rides that offer that.

You can find info for newbies at the top of the thread page. Hope this helps!

Great advice, thank you very much! Yes, I think we have access to a MM on Saturday, so we'll be sure to get there to take advantage of the short lines. We are a small party (just two of us) so your advice about single rider lines is spot-on. Thank you!

 

[ZoZo]

If you are looking for that moment of first time surprise that you had decades ago when first visiting any disney park, may I suggest that your for first visit to CArsland be in the dark,, after the lights have been on for awhile . YOu will be be looking a great land that is different at night then it is during the day. By doing the night first, you will have no idea of the infrastructure that is the canvas to all the great lights. It is so magical at night. because I have 50 years of visiting Disneyland, I hold this night vision as that last magical ray, that I still have one more surprise, never been during the day.

rope drop is now different, in that it has increased in frequency, this is due to the new way that you are admitted into the park. It is cumbersome, so they have to open onto a rope drop

.

Thanks! Great advice.

 

[ZoZo]

One more question: Isn't there a single rider line for the Cars Land ride? I think I remember reading something about it. I know it's super-popular, so want to maximize our experience. If that's the case, it might make sense to do the SRL for that ride, then hot-foot it over to TSM and get in the standby line at rope drop. (I sure wish TSM was a FP ride, like it is at WDW!).

Which rides at Disneyland/DCA have single rider lines?

 

[Tyggress]

One more question: Isn't there a single rider line for the Cars Land ride? I think I remember reading something about it. I know it's super-popular, so want to maximize our experience. If that's the case, it might make sense to do the SRL for that ride, then hot-foot it over to TSM and get in the standby line at rope drop. (I sure wish TSM was a FP ride, like it is at WDW!).

Which rides at Disneyland/DCA have single rider lines?

DCA - Radiator Springs Racers and Screamin' have SR lines for sure. I don't recall if Tower of Terror or Grizzly does at the moment.
DL - Indian Jones has a SR line.

To expound on the PP's thoughts on Cars Land...I would suggest getting there right at dusk or a few minutes before. At dusk, they start turning on all of the neon signs one at a time, while playing "Life Could Be a Dream" at the same time....gives me goose bumps every time. It's like stepping right into the movie!

 

[Winnowill]

One more question: Isn't there a single rider line for the Cars Land ride? I think I remember reading something about it. I know it's super-popular, so want to maximize our experience. If that's the case, it might make sense to do the SRL for that ride, then hot-foot it over to TSM and get in the standby line at rope drop. (I sure wish TSM was a FP ride, like it is at WDW!).

If those are your priorities, I'd send one person in your party to get FPs for RSR, and have the other head to TSMM to get in line. The person in the TSMM might have to wait a bit for the other, but it should be close to walk-on first thing. I wouldn't use first hour time waiting for RSR, even in the SR line.

But do keep an eye on the FP return times for RSR two, two-and-a-half hours after park opening and try to pull one for a time after dark, too. It's an entirely different experience.

 

[ZoZo]

If those are your priorities, I'd send one person in your party to get FPs for RSR, and have the other head to TSMM to get in line. The person in the TSMM might have to wait a bit for the other, but it should be close to walk-on first thing. I wouldn't use first hour time waiting for RSR, even in the SR line.

But do keep an eye on the FP return times for RSR two, two-and-a-half hours after park opening and try to pull one for a time after dark, too. It's an entirely different experience.

Great idea!

 

[RKKUNK]

Rides with SR lines at DCA:
Goofy's Sky School
California Screamin
Grizzly River Run
Radiator Springs Racers
Soarin over CA

IMO, it is not worth it to do Soarin in the SR line. It takes awhile. Also, I personally don't like to do Goofy's Sky School as a single rider. My son and husband don't get this, but I think it is because you sit so close together? We like to do GRR as a family, it's more fun for us that way. We almost always do RSR in the SR line. MHO, I say go to TSMM first thing, ride it once or twice and then go and ride RSR single rider. A lot of times in the morning we can ride RSR in the single rider line a couple of times in a row with hardly a wait.

Rides with SR lines at DL:
Indiana Jones
Matterhorn
Splash Mtn.

Like RSR, usually the only way we ride Indiana Jones is SR.

 

[Canuck16]

Definetly try and get a FP for RSR after dark...... It's such a cool experience at night!

 

[ZoZo]

Rides with SR lines at DCA:
Goofy's Sky School
California Screamin
Grizzly River Run
Radiator Springs Racers
Soarin over CA

IMO, it is not worth it to do Soarin in the SR line. It takes awhile. Also, I personally don't like to do Goofy's Sky School as a single rider. My son and husband don't get this, but I think it is because you sit so close together? We like to do GRR as a family, it's more fun for us that way. We almost always do RSR in the SR line. MHO, I say go to TSMM first thing, ride it once or twice and then go and ride RSR single rider. A lot of times in the morning we can ride RSR in the single rider line a couple of times in a row with hardly a wait.

Rides with SR lines at DL:
Indiana Jones
Matterhorn
Splash Mtn.

Like RSR, usually the only way we ride Indiana Jones is SR.

Wonderful advice - thank you so much!

 

[shannon006]

Rides with SR lines at DCA:
Goofy's Sky School
California Screamin
Grizzly River Run
Radiator Springs Racers
Soarin over CA

IMO, it is not worth it to do Soarin in the SR line.

Soarin is my absolute favorite ride. This is my first trip to DLR and I will have several days there solo. Soarin at Epcot does not have single rider, so I was curious as to how they do this at DCA? Why is the single rider line not a good idea for Soarin?

 

[RKKUNK]

We have only used the Soarin SRL once and it took a good 30 mins. to get on the ride. The standby line was 60 mins. so we didn't really save much time. I think because it is kind of a slow loader, it is not really worth it. We will use FPs from now on.