Help! Is this just crazy???

[OutbackBelle]

OK, this will be breaking all the rules as we know them but we find ourselves helpless to stop our actions.

We are flying into LAX (coming from Denver, heading for Australia) and find ourselves with about an 11 hour break between flights. Very badly planned but unable to change at this stage. We are a Disney family and are unable to resist the lure of the mouse.

We arrive around 12:30pm and our flight to Australia leaves after 11pm. We will have no luggage as it'll be booked through to our next flight. I believe there is a Disney bound shuttle that leaves the airport every half hour or so, so I'm imagining us storming the gates of DL by 1:30 - 2:00ish. Is this feasible?

The park is open until 8pm, we are only going to invade the Disneyland side, not California Adventure, so I'm figuring a good 6 hours to try and get in some rides. It will be Tuesday, Feb 12th, so I'm hoping it wont be horrifically crowded and fast passes wont all be gone by the time we get there. Is that reasonable thinking?

We haven't been to DL for 18 months or so, we'd really like to experience the new Nemo ride. We are DVC members and spend the majority of our time at WDW, so we just like to savour the differences.

I would love, love any feedback on crowds in midweek Feb and also on transport options and travel time from LAX to DL.

Are we crazy to think of visiting for such a short time?? Will we be so frazzled that no one will want to sit near us on the long flight to Australia (Hmmmm, could be a good thing...)? Obviously it's a night flight so we'd have plenty of time to rest before facing the family in Oz.

Please help me plan this lunatic escapade or squash it completely!!

Bernie

 

[lulubelle]

Bernie,
I think it is a perfect plan for any Disney Freak such as yourself (and Me!) - HA! I also think it will be an excellent day for low crowds and easy access to the rides. You will still have a wait for Nemo, but it should only be 30-45 minutes. And honestly, although it is a NEW ride and very cute, it is not worth more than 45 minutes of waiting time. My advice is to make a plan for the day and stick to it. I also think it is wise to do this at the beginning of your holiday as we once planned a theme park (Universal in Florida) as a one day layover from the Bahamas back to CA and we were way too exhausted to enjoy a commando summer day at a theme park . Enjoy your trip!

 

[QueenRoark]

I think it sounds like a great idea! Have fun!

 

[KSDisneyDad]

I agree. Excellent plan from another Disney Addict in Colorado.

 

[Beth76]

I think you could do it. What I would recommend though is not to waste time with the DL shuttle. Probably not with a taxi either. We waited over 30 minutes last week for a cab at 10pm. I would pay extra and hire a car so they're ready to go as soon as you get there. It sounds like there will be time to take the shuttle back to the airport though so it's not as $$$.

I would also buy your tix ahead of time and print them yourself. Unless others think the line won't be long in the afternoon. The line was really long at opening when we were there. I didn't want to buy them beforehand because we were cruising before and I didn't want to risk losing them. Big mistake. We wasted a lot of time in that line.

 

[toocherie]

DEFINITELY get the tickets in advance--lately the ticket booths have just been swamped and I've felt badly for the people in line--although this is during the week you just never know and you don't want to be outside the gates cooling your heels when you could have quickly bought them over the Internet and walk right through the turnstiles!

 

[DangerMouse]

I'll be there with ya on the 12th. Let's keep our fingers crossed for low crowds!

A tip for Nemo -- if you find that the lines are just too long, and you don't want to waste that much time in line, ask if you can use the alternate viewing room. It's for those who need a handicapped accessible ride, but anyone can use it. It's the same experience you get in the subs, but you're watching from a room instead of from a sub. There's never much of a wait for this room, so it's definitely an option for you.

Have a great "quickie" trip.

 

[BecBennett]

Yeah do it! It will help everyone sleep on the trip to Oz...

 

[OutbackBelle]

Thanks so much for the encouragement and advice!

I need to investigage the transport options further. Any recs on towncars? We've often used towncar services in Orlando but have always rented or had our own car in Anaheim. I'm assuming that's the quickest way available. Any idea on costs?

Thanks for the tips on Nemo and on printing out tickets, I had no idea about either of those options. You guys are great!

Bernie

 

[romymichelle21]

I see there are plenty of other more detailed answers - but here's my short one!

DB and I only ever go on weekdays - and most of the time, we get there between 12-2 in the afternoon. Never busy during off-season! (Which Feb is).

If we want Fastpasses - they're easy to get - but you might not even need them. I think we've really only ever used them twice