hulamom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2008
- Messages
- 143
We visited DLR last week Thursday and Friday. I think we did a good job making the 2 days work for us, using the EMH, FPs, and getting to ride RSR (along with everything else we wanted) so thought I'd share our strategy in case it helps anybody else.
Since we were staying at the DLH, we had EMH each day. We decided that our first day we'd get up early and try to get to DCA for that. We left the DLH around 7am (tough getting the gang up and out) and arrived at the gate by 7:15. We saw the line of people without EMH lined up outside the gate and we were lead right into the gate with no wait. In some ways, getting there at that time was good because we didn't have any waits at the security or entrance. Note that this was also an AP EE day.
My DD15 and I rushed over to the RSR FP line which wasn't too bad while DH and DS9 went to Flo's for breakfast. After they ate, they walked onto Soaring over CA.
At 8am, the FP line started moving and I made it up there by 8:10. I got FPs for 9:20am. Not bad.
Then I headed over to get World of Color FPs (got blue section for 9pm show) and met the rest of the gang who finished Soarin'. After that, we rode CA Screaming (twice -- basically walked on) and Toy Story (about a 15 minute wait). After Toy Story, we walked back to Cars Land (was probably around 9:15). Before riding RSR I got FPs for Tower of Terror. We rode RSR (waited in FP line for maybe 15 minutes). It was fun but we didn't get to race another car... don't know why.
After RSR, it was time to ride ToT... then after we grabbed Grizzly FPs (standby line was over an hour by then -- it was a HOT day)... then hopped over to DL for lunch and more rides. In DL, I grabbed Space Mtn. FPs, ate lunch, and rode Big Thunder (our longest standy wait at 25 minutes). Noticed that DL was getting more crowded in the afternoon, probably due to the DCA crowd heading over after the morning like we did.
The next day (Friday) was tough to get everybody up early again. We were tired from being up late and walking all over... but amazingly got more RSR FPs! This is what we did:
Around 8am we left the DLH and headed over to the monorail station. Everybody (except me) rode the monorail to DL. I grabbed everybody's tickets once we got scanned into the monorail station and headed over to DCA. By then (around 8:15), the RSR FP line wound around the corner and was about where the Crush show is. I wasn't sure if the FPs would run out or not. The CMs also thought it would run out by 9am and he was unsure if my tickets would work since my family was in DL but not in DCA. I was pretty sure it would work, and another CM down the line announced that the tickets needed to be scanned at either DCA or DL (several people left the line at that point, having family members not in either parks).
Amazingly, I got to the FP machine at 8:50am and got FP return times for 4:30!! Plus, 2 bonus FPs for CA Screaming. I headed over to DL and spent the day with the family there (grabbing FPs when I could).
We didn't actually use the RSR FPs until evening since we wanted to ride after dark when the lights were on the ride. We got to the line around 8:30 and the FP line was pretty long (the CM said the FP wait was about an hour) while the standby line was at 2 hours. About 10 minutes later, they announced that the ride was down. We stuck it out, since it was our last day and we wouldn't have another chance. The ride came back up in about an hour and we got on pretty quickly after that.
So, while the plan wasn't fool proof (due to the ride shutting down), it did work for us to ride RSR both during the day and evening with FPs!
Since we were staying at the DLH, we had EMH each day. We decided that our first day we'd get up early and try to get to DCA for that. We left the DLH around 7am (tough getting the gang up and out) and arrived at the gate by 7:15. We saw the line of people without EMH lined up outside the gate and we were lead right into the gate with no wait. In some ways, getting there at that time was good because we didn't have any waits at the security or entrance. Note that this was also an AP EE day.
My DD15 and I rushed over to the RSR FP line which wasn't too bad while DH and DS9 went to Flo's for breakfast. After they ate, they walked onto Soaring over CA.
At 8am, the FP line started moving and I made it up there by 8:10. I got FPs for 9:20am. Not bad.
Then I headed over to get World of Color FPs (got blue section for 9pm show) and met the rest of the gang who finished Soarin'. After that, we rode CA Screaming (twice -- basically walked on) and Toy Story (about a 15 minute wait). After Toy Story, we walked back to Cars Land (was probably around 9:15). Before riding RSR I got FPs for Tower of Terror. We rode RSR (waited in FP line for maybe 15 minutes). It was fun but we didn't get to race another car... don't know why.
After RSR, it was time to ride ToT... then after we grabbed Grizzly FPs (standby line was over an hour by then -- it was a HOT day)... then hopped over to DL for lunch and more rides. In DL, I grabbed Space Mtn. FPs, ate lunch, and rode Big Thunder (our longest standy wait at 25 minutes). Noticed that DL was getting more crowded in the afternoon, probably due to the DCA crowd heading over after the morning like we did.
The next day (Friday) was tough to get everybody up early again. We were tired from being up late and walking all over... but amazingly got more RSR FPs! This is what we did:
Around 8am we left the DLH and headed over to the monorail station. Everybody (except me) rode the monorail to DL. I grabbed everybody's tickets once we got scanned into the monorail station and headed over to DCA. By then (around 8:15), the RSR FP line wound around the corner and was about where the Crush show is. I wasn't sure if the FPs would run out or not. The CMs also thought it would run out by 9am and he was unsure if my tickets would work since my family was in DL but not in DCA. I was pretty sure it would work, and another CM down the line announced that the tickets needed to be scanned at either DCA or DL (several people left the line at that point, having family members not in either parks).
Amazingly, I got to the FP machine at 8:50am and got FP return times for 4:30!! Plus, 2 bonus FPs for CA Screaming. I headed over to DL and spent the day with the family there (grabbing FPs when I could).
We didn't actually use the RSR FPs until evening since we wanted to ride after dark when the lights were on the ride. We got to the line around 8:30 and the FP line was pretty long (the CM said the FP wait was about an hour) while the standby line was at 2 hours. About 10 minutes later, they announced that the ride was down. We stuck it out, since it was our last day and we wouldn't have another chance. The ride came back up in about an hour and we got on pretty quickly after that.
So, while the plan wasn't fool proof (due to the ride shutting down), it did work for us to ride RSR both during the day and evening with FPs!
