Help with Touring Days/Plan & Halloween

[edtoss]

My wife and I are taking a trip to Southern California in early October, including 1 or 2 days at Disneyland. We've been to DL about 4 years ago with the kids (for 3 days), and Disney World several times, but this is our first trip without the kids in about 20 years.

Our interest on this visit is to go on the "big" rides that the kids were too young to go on (mountains, Indy, etc.) along with Fantasyland, Pirates, Main Street, and a few others. We do not plan on any shows, parades, Toontown, etc.

Originally we were planning on 1 day at DL (on Wednesday 10/6), eating breakfast before entering the park, being there for rope drop, and not having dinner until after closing, so we'd have a full 10 hours in the park. I do way too much research and planning, so I consider myself an expert when it comes to Fastpass and touring plans, and my wife and I also tend to walk fast and move quickly between rides. So I think we'd have no problem riding everything we wanted to, with some rides several times, but there would be a little rushing.

Now we're considering adding a second day (Tuesday 10/5) but can't decide. One option would be to upgrade to a 2-day parkhopper, spending Tuesday split between DCA and DL (our main interests in DCA are ToT and Soaring, but we'd also go on a few other rides and see Muppets-3D). With this extra day, besides seeing DCA, we could knock out a few rides in DL (possibly New Orleans Square area).

Another option is to do the Halloween Party on Tuesday (from 3 - 11), then splitting time between DCA and DL on Wednesday. Again, if we went to the party it would mainly be to go on the rides and not so much for the parade, fireworks, characters, etc, although we would spend some time just walking around.

My questions:

1) What would you do?
2) How early does DL close on Tuesday with the Halloween Party? I assume it closes at 6 or possibly even 5 if you don't have party tickets.
3) How crowded do you think DL will be on Tuesday, both before the Halloween Party and during the party? What do you think ride lines will be like (especially Space Mountain, Pirates, other Mountains?
4) Is Fastpass operating during the Halloween Party?


Thanks!

 

[DLR29]

My wife and I are taking a trip to Southern California in early October, including 1 or 2 days at Disneyland. We've been to DL about 4 years ago with the kids (for 3 days), and Disney World several times, but this is our first trip without the kids in about 20 years.

Our interest on this visit is to go on the "big" rides that the kids were too young to go on (mountains, Indy, etc.) along with Fantasyland, Pirates, Main Street, and a few others. We do not plan on any shows, parades, Toontown, etc.

Originally we were planning on 1 day at DL (on Wednesday 10/6), eating breakfast before entering the park, being there for rope drop, and not having dinner until after closing, so we'd have a full 10 hours in the park. I do way too much research and planning, so I consider myself an expert when it comes to Fastpass and touring plans, and my wife and I also tend to walk fast and move quickly between rides. So I think we'd have no problem riding everything we wanted to, with some rides several times, but there would be a little rushing.

Now we're considering adding a second day (Tuesday 10/5) but can't decide. One option would be to upgrade to a 2-day parkhopper, spending Tuesday split between DCA and DL (our main interests in DCA are ToT and Soaring, but we'd also go on a few other rides and see Muppets-3D). With this extra day, besides seeing DCA, we could knock out a few rides in DL (possibly New Orleans Square area).

Another option is to do the Halloween Party on Tuesday (from 3 - 11), then splitting time between DCA and DL on Wednesday. Again, if we went to the party it would mainly be to go on the rides and not so much for the parade, fireworks, characters, etc, although we would spend some time just walking around.

My questions:

1) What would you do?
2) How early does DL close on Tuesday with the Halloween Party? I assume it closes at 6 or possibly even 5 if you don't have party tickets.
3) How crowded do you think DL will be on Tuesday, both before the Halloween Party and during the party? What do you think ride lines will be like (especially Space Mountain, Pirates, other Mountains?
4) Is Fastpass operating during the Halloween Party?


Thanks!

1) Our family is similar to yours in that rides come first and shows/characters? Eh we can pass. So I would definitely not go for the Halloween party. Why pay an extra $50-$60 for just rides if you have already paid for a ticket? I would get the 2 day ticket (because 2 days are better than 1 day at DLR) without going to the party.

2) The party officially starts at 6. We're still not exactly sure how logistics will work because this is the first time that the Halloween Party will be held at DL as opposed to DCA. I've heard reports of people not being kicked out immediately (although the ride lines will be closed to them), but I'm sure that non-party people will definitely be gone by 7.

3) Just an educated guess here but I'd say that the lines will be very reasonable during the day and slightly longer as the day progresses, especially due to the party. For Space Mountain (because it will be transformed into the Halloween version), the lines will still not be short, guessing about 30-45 min during the middle of the day (much shorter in the morning). For the other major rides (Indy, Splash) I think a 30 min maximum is about right. Although Peter Pan will still be 30-45 also. Everything else should be almost a walk on to about 10 min.

4) Not sure, again the Halloween Party at DL is all new this year so small stuff like this is unknown.

 

[Eeee-va]

When I looked at prices, it appears that a 1-day hopper plus the party is the same price as a 2-day hopper. If your days are fixed (Tuesday and Wednesday) then your choices appear to be:

*1 day hopper and then park admission on a second day from maybe 9 AM - 6 PM (DCA may be open until 8 or 9)
or
*1 day hopper and then admission to Disneyland for a possibly-less-crowded experience from 3 PM (right?) - 11 PM

If you absolutely can't get up early in the morning, then the option with the party may be better. And if you are not interested in shows, fireworks, characters, etc., and don't want to dress up at the parks (or see costumes), then I think a 2-day hopper is probably better for you.

Since shows and atmosphere aren't your priorities, though, I think you will be able to get more done early in the morning than you will at the party. We don't know if there will be FP at the party or not (I suspect not, but we'll see).

I think Disneyland may be less crowded on the party day, but we don't know yet.

With FPs during regular hours, you really should have no problem riding the "big" rides in 2 days. You should also have no problem doing Fantasyland first thing on Wednesday morning, IMO.

Have a great trip!

 

[Dramamama]

Some TA offer to create touring plans and itineraries for their clients for free. You can ask yours, or if you don't have one you can transfer a reservation to them. It will not cost you any more and they might provide some good incentives.

 

[edtoss]

Thanks for the replies. I forgot to mention that we each have a 1-day 1-park ticket through the Give-a-Day promotion. So we can either upgrade to a 2-day ($80 each) or do the Halloween party ($59 each).

Here's what I'm thinking (my wife knows how I plan trips and constantly change the plans, so she told me to not even tell her the plans until I'm sure they are final):

TUESDAY
Get to DL before rope drop, head to Adventureland, grab FP for Indy
do Pirates & HM, grab another FP (BTMRR?), do Indy
train to Tomorrowland, grab FP for SM
Go to California Adventure (Noonish), grab a FP for Soarin' then have lunch
grab a FP for TSMM or California Screaming, spend some time on that side of the park
Muppetvision
Tower of Terror
Return to DL around 4 and use remaining Fastpasses
Dinner and evening at Downtown Disney

WEDNESDAY
breakfast before entering park
Fantasyland first thing in the morning
circle park clockwise to Tomorrowland
Main Street
Left side of park
optionally spend a little more time at California Adventure doing Fastpass rides & Tower of Terror (my wife's favorite)
dinner at Steakhouse 55 after leaving park

Obviously these plans would be fluid based on crowds, Fastpass return times, and any rides/shows/characters that grab our attention.

 

[DLR29]

Thanks for the replies. I forgot to mention that we each have a 1-day 1-park ticket through the Give-a-Day promotion. So we can either upgrade to a 2-day ($80 each) or do the Halloween party ($59 each).

Here's what I'm thinking (my wife knows how I plan trips and constantly change the plans, so she told me to not even tell her the plans until I'm sure they are final):

TUESDAY
Get to DL before rope drop, head to Adventureland, grab FP for Indy
do Pirates & HM, grab another FP (BTMRR?), do Indy
train to Tomorrowland, grab FP for SM
Go to California Adventure (Noonish), grab a FP for Soarin' then have lunch
grab a FP for TSMM or California Screaming, spend some time on that side of the park
Muppetvision
Tower of Terror
Return to DL around 4 and use remaining Fastpasses
Dinner and evening at Downtown Disney

WEDNESDAY
breakfast before entering park
Fantasyland first thing in the morning
circle park clockwise to Tomorrowland
Main Street
Left side of park
optionally spend a little more time at California Adventure doing Fastpass rides & Tower of Terror (my wife's favorite)
dinner at Steakhouse 55 after leaving park

Obviously these plans would be fluid based on crowds, Fastpass return times, and any rides/shows/characters that grab our attention.

Couple things although the plan sounds very very very good for a rough draft.

1) During a Tuesday in the middle of October, the FP for Big Thunder might not be operating because it, frankly, is not needed. Especially that early in the morning, the line should be very manageable.

2) TSMM is actually going to be under refurb until 10/10. However, if it were open, it would not have FP option.

Otherwise, the plan looks great. I really like how Fantasyland is on Wednesday instead of Tuesday, and that you will be starting your day on the left side of the park on Tuesday!

 

[Eeee-va]

Currently a 2-day hopper is $151 and I THINK a 1-day hopper plus party with advanced purchase price is $97 + $49 = $146. (For our trip there's no discount because we'll be going on a Friday, so it's $151 whichever we do.)

Ticket prices might go up, but you'll get $72 (or whatever a 1-day 1-park admission costs) off your admission. So there would be a tiny cost savings to doing the party instead...but I think your plan is better. Your itinerary sounds very do-able as far as time is concerned (I can't speak for rehabs).

Have a great trip!