How tour CA

[brockash]

WDW vet who feels like I have touring WDW down, but not as familiar with CA. We're going to be doing CA on a Sat. (emhs are at DL, not CA this day.) Hours are 8-10... what's the best way to tour... not sure what gets busiest first etc. I'm guessing Cars, GoG, and Screamin are busiest??? How do you tour; like what would you rope drop and then where would you head?

TIA! We're planning on taking a break around lunch time/early afternoon and then will probably head to DL for the evening, but we'll be back at CA another day as well.

 

[avalon451]

Check the sticky threads at the top of the forum, especially Skyegirl's on Hydroguy's tips thread: Maxpass and Fastpass: An Overview and Some Strategy" and Hydroguy's "Disneyland for WDW Vets."

Also check out Disneyland Daily; she has some great plans ready made that work really well.

 

[Babybears]

What our family always does is gets there in time for rope drop and once it opens, we head straight to TSMM. Most of the crowd veers left to go to RSR, so it's not even imperative that you are at the front of rope drop. We get a fastpass for RSR (using max pass or grab paper one before we head to TSMM) and usually get a return time around an hour later. We ride TSMM twice in a row, walk on first time and about 5 min wait second time. Then we go straight to IC with little to no wait and ride it twice. After that, we ride GOTG standby with usually only a 10-15 min wait and then go use our fastpass for RSR. Our next fastpass is usually Soarin and we go on GRR (standby) and Little Mermaid while waiting for that. We then get a new fastpass for whatever we want to do a second time (usually IC and GOTG) and the return times are usually less than an hour, so you can get a lot done. We do single rider on GRR the rest of them time as the wait times get long as the day gets warmer. Once afternoon arrives, the fast pass return times really start spreading out so it gets harder to do as much as they have fewer fast pass rides at DCA compared to DL. We always find that after about 2:00 we've gotten a ton done and are ready for a break or to switch parks.

 

[hyperminimalism]

Cars, definitely. Space Mountain. GotG, some of the bigger e-tickets obviously. It all depends on where you want to start first. When I go, we kind of go all over the place. Maybe 3-4 rides in DL first and then depending on how long we have to wait (always with FP/MP, never in standby lines unless the posted wait time is 15 or less) and then hop over to the other park for another big e-ticket ride. Last time we went with a magic morning extra hour we did about 4 or 5 rides before we started to see more crowds pour in. Once it started getting busier, we sat down for breakfast at an "off" time (aka a time when people aren't naturally getting hungry or eating when they considering breakfast, lunch, dinner time) and then went from there. I would try to get a FP for rides like Space Mountain, Cars, Toy Story Midway Mania, and Guardians (though Guardians doesn't tend to run out that much). The former tends to run out pretty easily depending on the day/which passes are unblocked, so try to get to those ones first. I don't think you should have too much of a problem getting FPs for any other rides.

A lot of it depends on what your personal preferences are. Every group is going to be different. For instance, it's me and my friend usually when we go and it's usually 5 days at the park. We have lots of time there and are in no rush to get everything done in one day. But for your one day trip, I'd say get on the biggest e-ticket attractions first, eat/relax during the busiest times (even pushing things a half an hour later can make a difference) like during parades unless there's one you guys absolutely want to see, and that will maximize the time you have for rides.

But to maximize your chance at getting onto the bigger rides that run out of fastpasses the quickest, I'd say hit them up in this order:

1. Radiator Springs Racers**
2. Toy Story Midway Mania**
3. Guardians of the Galaxy
4. Space Mountain (though this one you probably shouldn't have a problem with getting a FP even into the late afternoon)

**These will run out of FPs faster than any other rides between both parks. In addition to that, they tend to have the longest standby wait times, so it's not worth it to go on the rides if you're just going to stand in them for over an hour or two. You'll lose precious time getting on other rides, so get them while they're hot!

Other than that, you shouldn't have too much trouble with any other rides. I'd say head over to DCA first, get a few of the bigger e-tickets in and then head on over to DL to get a Space Mountain fast pass next, then go from there.

 

[BadPinkTink]

This is my touring plan , what I did on my June 2019 trip . I am solo and I did rope drop to about 11pm on each day. I did 3 days, 1 park each day, no park hopping and no maxpass.

Day 1 Sunday 30 June 2019 Disneyland Main Park

1. Rope Drop, arrived at Harbour Boulevard at 6.30am for 8am opening
2. Peter Pan
3. Toads Wild Ride
4. Checked Alice but it was closed
5. Dumbo
6. Snow White
7. Alice still closed
8. Got Fastpass from free kiosk for Indiana Jones
9. Pirates of The Caribbean
10. Haunted Mansion
11. Used Indiana Jones Fastpass
12. Pin trading with CM's in Frontierland
13. Got Faastpass from free kiosk for Big Thunder Mountain
14. Mark Twain River Boat
15. Pirates of The Caribbean
16. Checked out the Pirates shop
17. Used Big Thunder Mountain Fastpass
18. Time Check 11am
19. Tiki Room Show
20. Shopping on Main Street - Jolly Holiday to Fire Station side
21. Checked out The Main Street Cinema
22. Shopping on Main Street - Cinema to Plaza Restaurant side
23. Lunch reservation at 1.30pm in Carnation Cafe
24. Main Street Transportation Bus down to The Castle
25. Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk Through
26. Pin Trading in Royal Reception Shop in Fantasyland
27. Into Star Wars Galaxys Edge using Fantasyland entrance
28. Cantina reservation for 3pm
29. Shopping in Black Spire Market Place
30. Millennium Falcon ride x 3 times single rider - all engineer position
31. Food at Docking Bay
32. Back into Fantasyland
33. Casey Junior Train
34. Alice still closed
35. Into Tomorrowland
36. Got Fastpass at free kiosk for Buzz Lightyear
37. Star Tours standby walk on
38. Buzz lightyear Standby
39. Used Fastpass for Buzz Lightyear
40. Autopia
41. Full circuit of the park on the train
42. Shopping in Star Traders
43. Back onto Main Street
44. ART bus at 11.00pm

Day 2 Monday 1 July 2019 California Adventures

1. Arrived at Harour Boulevard at 7.30am for 8am opening
2. Breakfast in Starbucks in California Adventures, sit in
3. Got Fastpass for Soarin at the free kiosk
4. Had a look in the shop opposite Soarin
5. Used Soarin Fastpass
6. Walked the back way from Soarin to Pixar Pier, past Grizzly River Rapids
7. Got Fastpass for Toy Story from the free kiosk
8. Toy Story standby line
9. Used Fastpass for Toy Story
10. While walking from Toy Story to Pacific Wharf Cafe, mobile ordered bread pudding
11. Sat and ate bread pudding at Pacific Wharf Cafe
12. Got Radiator Springs Fastpass from the free kiosk
13. Single rider at Radiator Springs x2, both times walk on
14. Matar Tractors
15. Shopping on Beuna Vista Street
16. Frozen Show Dining Package, 1.00pm lunch reservation at Carthay Circle Restaurant
17. Frozen 3pm Show
18. Used Radiator Springs Fastpass
19. Little Mermaid
20. Lion King show at WOC viewing area
21. While walking from WOC viewing area, mobile order food at Flos
22. Collect food and sit inside
23. Shopping on Beuna Vista Street
24. Early night, leave at 8pm

Day 3 Tuesday 3 July Disneyland Main Park

1. Arrive at Harbour Boulevard security at 6.30am for 7am early opening
2. Sit down breakfast in Starbucks Main Street
3. Peter Pan - 20 minute wait
4. Alice - walk on
5. The Grey Stuff snack at Red Rose Cafe
6. Pinocchio - walk on
7. Pin trading in the shop
8. Snow White - walk on
9. Story Book Land - 15 minute wait
10. Time Check - 9.20am
11. Nemo Subs - 10 minute wait
12. Monorail - walk on , round trip and I rode in the front with the driver
13. Got Buzz Lightyear Fastpass from the free kiosk
14. Star Tours - single rider - 5 minute wait
15. Used Buzz Lightyear fastpas
16. River Cruise - 15 minute wait
17. Got Indiana Jones Fastpass from free kiosk
18. Mickey Beniets and sit down
19. Shopping in Pirates shop
20. Winnie The Pooh- 5 minute wait
21. Lunch at 1.30pm in Blue Bayou- checked in with host at 1.15pm to request waterside table
22. Got Haunted Mansion Fastpass from free kiosk
23. Used Haunted Mansion Fastpass
24. Used Indiana Jones Fastpass
25. Pirates - 20 minute wait
26. shopping in pirates shop
27. Critter Country entrance to SWGE
28. Chat with citizens of Batuu on the way in
29. Oga's Cantina reservation at 6.00pm
30. Smugglers Run x 2 single rider - pilot and gunner
31. Walked from Batuu to Fantasyland
32. Walked from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland
33. Shopping in Star Traders
34. Walked from Tomorrowland to Frontierland
35. Evening food in Rancho del zolco
36. Time check 9.00pm
37. Big Thunder Mountain during Fantasmic first show - 15 minute wait
38. Walked from Bug Thunder Mountain to Haunted Mansion during the end of Fantasmic first show
39. Watched Fireworks on a bench in front of Haunted Mansion
40. Sat on the bench and waited until crowd from first Fantasmic show cleared, then got in line for second Fantasmic show
41. Watched the second Fantasmic show
42. Shopping on Main Street
43. Bus back to Motel 6