Here now... First trip, a couple questions

[riostoker]

1. We are now back at our room for naps, and it just occurred to me that I forgot to get WOC fast passes for tonight. Do those FP usually run out early in the day? The park does not seem very crowded. At 3:30 there was only a 25 min wait for RSR, and there were still RSR FP available until at least 2:00. If I get back there and all the WOC FP are gone, is there any chance of viewing the show somewhere? Even a crappy side view or something?

2. Yesterday, we went to DL. Got there for rope drop. We were not right at the rope but maybe 6 people deep, so not super far back. We lined up at the rope that leads straight into the castle since that looked like the most direct line to PP. By the time we got to PP, there was already a 40 min wait! I'm baffled. How did I screw up? Was that center section the wrong place to be? The line was already out of PP and going into the castle tunnel. I know I wasn't right at the rope but I still wasn't anticipating it being that bad that fast. Is that normal? Was yesterday morning exceptionally busy? Just curious if that is typical. We didn't end up waiting. Didn't want to waste precious morning time in that long a line.

Thanks,
Ann

 

[ADLFAN]

I think you should be ok grabbing the WOC fastpasses as soon as you get back in. It is a very sweet show! If the FP's are all given out, I think there are a few bordering spots, but I am not sure where would be best...

Peter Pan has kind of been like that since it opened back up in July! I watched the Disneyland app constantly and the shortest I saw it in our 8 days was 25 minutes, briefly! I never found that spare hour to dedicate, but there's always next time!

Have fun!

 

[Indiana Scott]

When we got WOC FP's we ended up in the section at the back. It was right up against the rope that separates the crowd from the walk way and frankly, anyone who just walked up a stood there got just as good a view as we did with out passes.
So I wouldn't worry about them.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

You can view WOC from right in front of the Little Mermaid ride. That is a non-FP area. If you are there early and at the front of the area, there will be pedestrians crossing in front of you, but you will still have a big picture view of the show.

 

[riostoker]

Thank you so much for the tips! We just watched from the Little Mermaid section. That worked out well enough!!

Got to ride RSR after dark and LOVED that!!! Totally worth my gazillion calls to Ask Otto all day to get the right FP return time!!

 

[corinne76]

Thank you so much for the tips! We just watched from the Little Mermaid section. That worked out well enough!!

Got to ride RSR after dark and LOVED that!!! Totally worth my gazillion calls to Ask Otto all day to get the right FP return time!!

I've never used Ask Otto but would love to ride RSR at night! What did you ask? Do you just call and ask what the current FP return time is?

 

[Watchtower]

Yesterday (Thursday) was a Magic Morning in Disneyland for DLR hotel guests and 3+ day park hopper guests. If you were at the park for general opening rope-drop, then all of those guests had an hour head start on you....that's why Peter Pan already had a line...most likely.

Edit: just realized your original post WAS from yesterday, so it would have been an Early Entry day for DCA.....so nevermind my speculation.

 

[Winnowill]

2. Yesterday, we went to DL. Got there for rope drop. We were not right at the rope but maybe 6 people deep, so not super far back. We lined up at the rope that leads straight into the castle since that looked like the most direct line to PP. By the time we got to PP, there was already a 40 min wait! I'm baffled. How did I screw up? Was that center section the wrong place to be? The line was already out of PP and going into the castle tunnel. I know I wasn't right at the rope but I still wasn't anticipating it being that bad that fast. Is that normal? Was yesterday morning exceptionally busy? Just curious if that is typical. We didn't end up waiting. Didn't want to waste precious morning time in that long a line.

Was it POSTED 40 minutes, or was it ACTUALLY 40 minutes? I think they post it 40 minutes at opening, from the get-go. When we were there in August, it was posted 40 minutes when we got there after power-walking from the rope, but we were on and off within 12.

 

[riostoker]

Was it POSTED 40 minutes, or was it ACTUALLY 40 minutes? I think they post it 40 minutes at opening, from the get-go. When we were there in August, it was posted 40 minutes when we got there after power-walking from the rope, but we were on and off within 12.

Oh!! Bummer! It was posted as 40 and snaked all the way into the castle, so I assumed that was right. Maybe I should have tried it anyway. Oh well... we're home now. Will save that for another trip!

 

[riostoker]

I've never used Ask Otto but would love to ride RSR at night! What did you ask? Do you just call and ask what the current FP return time is?

Ask Otto was my best friend!! Love that! You just ask, "What is the current fast pass return time for Radiator Springs Racers?" and he will tell you. I just kept calling over and over all day until the return time got to be around 6:00. It was perfect! RSR at night is like a totally different ride... absolutely gorgeous!

 

[corinne76]

Ask Otto was my best friend!! Love that! You just ask, "What is the current fast pass return time for Radiator Springs Racers?" and he will tell you. I just kept calling over and over all day until the return time got to be around 6:00. It was perfect! RSR at night is like a totally different ride... absolutely gorgeous!

thanks so much!

 

[adamkat]

Sorry to be daft but what is Ask Otto? How does it work? Never heard of it before.
Thanks.

 

[tjcrabb]

Sorry to be daft but what is Ask Otto? How does it work? Never heard of it before.
Thanks.

Ask Otto is an automated system that you can ask questions about the DLR/DCA parks. You can ask things like wait times, if there are fastpasses left, parade times etc.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/07/got-a-disneyland-resort-question-just-ask-otto/

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I had no idea about Ask Otto! Heading for my first trip in years on Thursday. That will be a huge help!

 

[jomarsou]

When we were at DLR a few weeks ago, we were right at the rope for the drop (no early entry) and by the time we got to PP the line was right back to underneath the castle just as you said. People were running to it and there was no way I was doing that. Plus, because we had a stroller, we had to go all the way to the parking section near the carousel, so the line was even longer when we got back to it. There was no way we were going to get into a line that long so we didn't bother. The park wasn't overly busy at that time either. When we decided to brave the line the next day after lunch it was still a 45 minute wait.

 

[Blue32]

1. We are now back at our room for naps, and it just occurred to me that I forgot to get WOC fast passes for tonight. Do those FP usually run out early in the day? The park does not seem very crowded. At 3:30 there was only a 25 min wait for RSR, and there were still RSR FP available until at least 2:00. If I get back there and all the WOC FP are gone, is there any chance of viewing the show somewhere? Even a crappy side view or something?

2. Yesterday, we went to DL. Got there for rope drop. We were not right at the rope but maybe 6 people deep, so not super far back. We lined up at the rope that leads straight into the castle since that looked like the most direct line to PP. By the time we got to PP, there was already a 40 min wait! I'm baffled. How did I screw up? Was that center section the wrong place to be? The line was already out of PP and going into the castle tunnel. I know I wasn't right at the rope but I still wasn't anticipating it being that bad that fast. Is that normal? Was yesterday morning exceptionally busy? Just curious if that is typical. We didn't end up waiting. Didn't want to waste precious morning time in that long a line.

Thanks,
Ann

Peter Pan is a tough one to handle. I think you really need to be at the front of rope drop crowd. I also think you can get there a little bit quicker by using one of the ropes to the side of the partners statue, rather than lining up behind the one right in front of it. Then power walk and hope for the best. It's about all you can do unless you have a 7am magic morning. They don't seem to do rope drops on the very early magic mornings(7am).