How To Make Due Without Magic Mornings?

[fayt19]

Hi, guys! You've been so helpful to me in the past, I thought I'd ask this question that's been bugging me for a while. So, my family's moving to closer to Disneyland, and we're going to get Annual Passes. We're hoping to get to go every two to three months or so, and we're very excited about that. But-- we'll probably have to stay off-site to afford going that often. I'm slightly bummed, since I'm the Disney nut in our family(obviously) but heck, we're going to Disneyland!

But I just recently found out that with Annual Passes and staying off-site, you don't get Magic Mornings. Now, since you all know I'm an obedient DISboarder, I definitely know how important Magic Mornings are. But... I won't get to take part in them?!

So, my question is for those other lucky folks with Annual Passes. How do you make due without the magic mornings? We've discussed staying on-site for a few nights to get to use the magic mornings, and then just moving hotels, but I'm not so sure. Do you just avoid Disneyland the days of MM, go line up early at DCA to get to ride Soarin' on the MM morning, and then on the days Disneyland doesn't have MM, just get to Disneyland really early? That's what I figured was most plausible, but I'm not sure.

Thanks for any advice you guys have.

 

[QueenDoOver]

Well...I'm sure there is more than one strategy that works. I personally have never been able to go to DCA without going into DL first and at least getting a fastpass or two, so I do that no matter what.

On Magic Morning, when I don't have access, then the strategy would be to avoid the FantasyLand and Nemo like the plague, as lines will already be long when you get entrance. If you like this area, and/or Nemo, then plan on arriving early on a non MM day.

One good strategy, if you have not managed to get in line early on a MM day, is to go to a MM Gate, right before the regular opening and wait. At opening, the MM gate will switch to a normal gate and you will be in without waiting. I have done this and it is slick.

I tend to enter the park, head to Space Mountain, and grab a fast pass, then head east(unless the line on Buzz is short, then we will ridethat first!) , usually to Big Thunder, ride it, then hopefully grab another fastpass, then head for Indy. We seldom go high season, so fast pass for Splash is not necessary, but we usually ride it a lot. After Indy, I would go ride Splash, maybe do Pooh Ride, then up the hill, hit Haunted Mansion, grab Indy FastPass if available, Ride Pirates and perhaps Jungle Cruise, all before lunch.

We would likely then be ready for a break, and on the way out would grab Buzz fast passes.

Man, writing that out makes me want to go back!

We don't worry too much about DCA, as we seem to always be able to make that work without extraordinary efforts. The one exception would be TOT, where if there is a line, it really sucks. So we like to get a fastpass there, if possible. Screamin, we do the single rider line, or sometimes get FP.

Enjoy your AP. We have them for the firt time, but live in WA, and probably won't renew anytime in the near future. It just made sense with the trip we did in Feb 09, and now it is allowing me to do a few bonus trips.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Ditto what the PP said. We save Fantasyland for non MM. We also never skip DL first because it opens earlier and I don't want to miss out on short waits at DL to stand in line for DCA. And pick up some FP before leaving to go to DCA.

 

[bumbershoot]

"On Magic Morning, when I don't have access, then the strategy would be to avoid the FantasyLand and Nemo like the plague, as lines will already be long when you get entrance. If you like this area, and/or Nemo, then plan on arriving early on a non MM day.


Absolutely.

Since MM only encompasses parts of two lands, you have the rest of the park to get to first, once the gates open to everyone else. So head to Indy while the MM'ers are stuck in their last MM line. etc.

And as they've already said, on the regular mornings, be there early, so you get the MM effect (fewer people heading to those lands).


And you could get MM once, by buying normal 3+ day hoppers, having your MM, and then upgrading. If you want to get the Costco AP voucher that won't work, but if you were just going to buy the AP online or at the park, you might as well get the hopper with MM, then upgrade.

 

[fayt19]

Well...I'm sure there is more than one strategy that works. I personally have never been able to go to DCA without going into DL first and at least getting a fastpass or two, so I do that no matter what.

On Magic Morning, when I don't have access, then the strategy would be to avoid the FantasyLand and Nemo like the plague, as lines will already be long when you get entrance. If you like this area, and/or Nemo, then plan on arriving early on a non MM day.

One good strategy, if you have not managed to get in line early on a MM day, is to go to a MM Gate, right before the regular opening and wait. At opening, the MM gate will switch to a normal gate and you will be in without waiting. I have done this and it is slick.

I tend to enter the park, head to Space Mountain, and grab a fast pass, then head east(unless the line on Buzz is short, then we will ridethat first!) , usually to Big Thunder, ride it, then hopefully grab another fastpass, then head for Indy. We seldom go high season, so fast pass for Splash is not necessary, but we usually ride it a lot. After Indy, I would go ride Splash, maybe do Pooh Ride, then up the hill, hit Haunted Mansion, grab Indy FastPass if available, Ride Pirates and perhaps Jungle Cruise, all before lunch.

We would likely then be ready for a break, and on the way out would grab Buzz fast passes.

Man, writing that out makes me want to go back!

We don't worry too much about DCA, as we seem to always be able to make that work without extraordinary efforts. The one exception would be TOT, where if there is a line, it really sucks. So we like to get a fastpass there, if possible. Screamin, we do the single rider line, or sometimes get FP.

Enjoy your AP. We have them for the firt time, but live in WA, and probably won't renew anytime in the near future. It just made sense with the trip we did in Feb 09, and now it is allowing me to do a few bonus trips.

Ditto what the PP said. We save Fantasyland for non MM. We also never skip DL first because it opens earlier and I don't want to miss out on short waits at DL to stand in line for DCA. And pick up some FP before leaving to go to DCA.

"On Magic Morning, when I don't have access, then the strategy would be to avoid the FantasyLand and Nemo like the plague, as lines will already be long when you get entrance. If you like this area, and/or Nemo, then plan on arriving early on a non MM day.


Absolutely.

Since MM only encompasses parts of two lands, you have the rest of the park to get to first, once the gates open to everyone else. So head to Indy while the MM'ers are stuck in their last MM line. etc.

And as they've already said, on the regular mornings, be there early, so you get the MM effect (fewer people heading to those lands).


And you could get MM once, by buying normal 3+ day hoppers, having your MM, and then upgrading. If you want to get the Costco AP voucher that won't work, but if you were just going to buy the AP online or at the park, you might as well get the hopper with MM, then upgrade.

I knew I'd feel better after I asked my DISboarders. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! These are AWESOME tips.

 

[Hound 109]

I completely agree with the posters above.

Another possible strategy if you have an AP... is to go when the AP rates are available. Stay the final 1 or 2 nights on site (on MM days of course ). The PP was $139 both times we did this. That way you can get your MM fix in if you have to have it.

 

[fayt19]

Thanks, again, for all the replies. I'm much happier now.

But, I just checked the Disneyland website, and they only have the entertainment schedule up to August 1st. I thought I had read somewhere that they release the hours up to three months in advance. But... how am I supposed to plan for October? Really, I'm most curious to know if I'll have to schedule a weekend to get to see Fantasmic. That's high on my list of priorities. Does anyone know for sure? Any advice?

 

[DisneyloverinWA]

I have an annual passport and i have a question after reading this thread:

If I am staying at Disneyland hotel next month for 5 nights, do I get magic morning early entry even if I have an AP? If so, I AM SUPER EXCITED because the other people I am going with will have normal park hoppers and I didn't think I would get to go in early with them!

 

[DizMe]

I have an annual passport and i have a question after reading this thread:

If I am staying at Disneyland hotel next month for 5 nights, do I get magic morning early entry even if I have an AP? If so, I AM SUPER EXCITED because the other people I am going with will have normal park hoppers and I didn't think I would get to go in early with them!

Yes, if you stay onsite you get MM every day it's offered!

 

[DisneyloverinWA]

Thank you DizMe! That is fantastic news!!!

 

[LavenderPeach]

Also, if you get to go often then you won't feel like you have to see everything in one trip. We have APs and since we only live an hour away we go just for a few hours at a time. But we often break many "rules" and are still able to get in a few rides before the really big crowds start. We often go on Sundays (blocked out on Saturdays right now and DH can't always take off work to go during the week) and we usually go after church so we don't get to DLR until 11am and then we head straight to Fantasyland! See all the rules we break? We just aren't able to go to DLR the "correct" way very often but we still manage to find lines that aren't too bad. So don't despair about not having MM! You'll still have fun!

 

[iheartdisney]

Also, if you get to go often then you won't feel like you have to see everything in one trip. We have APs and since we only live an hour away we go just for a few hours at a time. But we often break many "rules" and are still able to get in a few rides before the really big crowds start. We often go on Sundays (blocked out on Saturdays right now and DH can't always take off work to go during the week) and we usually go after church so we don't get to DLR until 11am and then we head straight to Fantasyland! See all the rules we break? We just aren't able to go to DLR the "correct" way very often but we still manage to find lines that aren't too bad. So don't despair about not having MM! You'll still have fun!

ITA with you! Having my Ap changes my entire attidue. i don't "tour" or really plan at all. We live about 2 hours away (in good traffic!) so I'll ask the kids on the way down what is the most important thing to them. We might hit one or 2 lands, at best. One of our best days, we didn't get out of Bugsland, but the kids had a blast playing in the water.
The best strategy for fantasyland is to go on a weekday afternoon. Once a month I run down once my kids get out of school, just to get a break. the first week of June, it was a grad night, but in the last 20 minutes before closing, we got in 4 attraction in Fantsyland.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thank you DizMe! That is fantastic news!!!

You will actually get more MM days than they will, if your onsite stay goes over more than one MM day. So get up early and meet 'em once they finally get in, after you have your fun on the MMs they can't get.

 

[cruise cruise cruise]

Thanks, again, for all the replies. I'm much happier now.

But, I just checked the Disneyland website, and they only have the entertainment schedule up to August 1st. I thought I had read somewhere that they release the hours up to three months in advance. But... how am I supposed to plan for October? Really, I'm most curious to know if I'll have to schedule a weekend to get to see Fantasmic. That's high on my list of priorities. Does anyone know for sure? Any advice?

check out laughingplace.com for past years hours and entertainment schedule. It should give you a decent idea of what to expect this year.

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

Thanks, again, for all the replies. I'm much happier now.

But, I just checked the Disneyland website, and they only have the entertainment schedule up to August 1st. I thought I had read somewhere that they release the hours up to three months in advance. But... how am I supposed to plan for October? Really, I'm most curious to know if I'll have to schedule a weekend to get to see Fantasmic. That's high on my list of priorities. Does anyone know for sure? Any advice?

In October, Fantasmic is only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so yes, you'd have to schedule a weekend day to see it in October.