Is it a good idea to hit DCA at opening at least once?

[imjen]

I've read a lot of posts about hitting DL first since it gets more crowded and waiting until late morning or early afternoon to hit DCA. That's what we did last year but I'm wondering if it might be worth it to hit DCA at opening one day so we can really maximize our time there and enjoy some of the rides with no/little lines. We'll be there for 3.5 days including Thurs night MHT. What do you guys usually do?

 

[DLR29]

Well, I'd say no. Only because in 3.5 days in October you will have plenty of time to do everything you want at DCA without wasting precious morning hours at DL. Especially if you are doing MHT where you can ride a bunch of the DCA rides with very little wait in the evening.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I love DCA but I think in 10 plus trips to DL, have only gotten there at opening once! And that was on a departure day when I just really wanted to ride TOT, Soarin and CA Screamin and needed to make sure I got there right on time.

I go to DCA most every day of my trip, but generally get all I need to do done over the course of that with getting there late morning. I really like to have lunch over there so generally arrive to coincide with that (get there, fp Soarin or Screamin, have lunch, then go from there).

Of course, if you get to DL very early (can be 7:00 on an EE day), you may very well be ready to get over to DCA when it opens at 9:00 or 10:00. I would just wait and see how your time goes, just know that unlike DL, you don't have to arrive at opening to make it all happen. I do recommend you fastpass Soarin first, its generally the one that has fastpasses run out first or have them with the latest return times.

 

[disney-super-mom]

I would usually say no, but this year being "The Year of a Million Dreams", it maybe a good chance to get dreamed (wink, wink)!

 

[azgal81]

Usually I don't bother heading over to DCA until around or after lunch times and the wait times are still minimal. DCA does not seem to get crowded at all.

 

[EmEyeSeeKayEeWhy]

This past July was the first time we'd EVER been at DCA at opening....and it was pretty cool. They picked a family to hold the rope walking down the street toward TOT (as if they were holding the crowd back from running), and then gave that family fastpasses for the day. We weren't heading over to TOT, but wanted to go on Monsters Inc, and when we got there, they made all of the kids scream as loud as they could. The loudest child got a special 'screaming' certificate to go to the exit of every ride for the day to ride that ride. So I'm assuming that there would be other surprises too if you walked around other areas of the park upon opening.

 

[lulubelle]

I agree, I would do it at least once if you can. We have and it is awesome to be the first on Soarin' and walk onto most rides without a wait at all. It just FEELS right, if you know what I mean - to be one of a few (ok, maybe a hundred) to open a park for the day. You walk away with a special feeling of doing DCA properly. Good luck deciding and have a fabulous trip.

 

[silence]

we did DCA at opening last week and on our FIRST day even!

we were not using our EE that day to Disneyland so both parks were "opening" at the same time. they let people into DCA before Disneyland so after we picked up our tickets we went over there.

we got a bunch of PhotoPass pics taken, went to Soarin, then went on Monsters right when the park "opened". we then headed to Redwood Trail where the kids got to do the tire swing thing with NO wait, all 4 of them did it at least 3x's each.

anyways, i recommend it if you can.

 

[DizneyMommy]

As far as strictly considering crowds, it will never get crowded if you are going during the week, and really not much more on the weekend. The only 3 rides that ever have a line also have FP so you can use that to avoid ever standing in line in that park. If the days you are there seem to have really hot weather, I'd hit DCA in the late afternoon when the sun is starting to set a little. I swear, that place feels like nothing but concrete on hot days and there are not a lot of shady trees and walkways like at DL. I hate being at DCA when it is hot out. That alone usually dictates what time of day we go there.

 

[jakoky]

hi there, we just got home yesterday from 10 nights at DL(actually 5 days in the park)...twice we started at CA (my kids are 16, 14, and 12)...the first time we started there we got dreamed-YAH- we got the dream fast passes...2 days ago we planned on starting at DL...we got to the park at 9:20-so 40 minutes before opening) and the DL lineup was allllll they way back to CA...we decided that was nuts and headed into CA and in 1 1/2 hours we rode screaming 4 times, mailiboomer 3, mullohand madness-2 and tower of terror twice....it was well worth it and then we headed in DL where for some reason it was quite busy...(we started there the monday before and it was much quieter)...i think it probably depends on the ages of your kids, we dont like huge crowds so starting out in CA a couple of times worked great for us.sharon
me, dh, dd-16-, ds- 14-, dd-12-
WDW-Dec 04-first disney experience for my DH, DD, DS, DD and first time at WDW for us all
DL-MAY 06-first time at DL for DH and kids , and my 9th(but the first 8 were all by the time i was about 13) so it was all new to me
JUST BACK YESTERDAYFROM OUR 10 NIGHT DISNEYLAND TRIP-WE HAD FUN, FUN, FUN-NOW BACK TO THE REAL WORLD AND CATCHING UP ON LAUNDRY