Is there a ride you MUST ride first (or another ritual)?

[jaxy82]

I was just thinking about my upcoming trip and getting excited ... We always start in Fantasyland and ride either Dumbo or Peter Pan first (depending on the lines). I don't know why; it just feels RIGHT to start there because it's SO true to the Disney magic. (And now that I am thinking about it, we started in Fantasyland every time I went as a kid, too!)

In California Adventure, we don't have a ritual yet -- the first time we went, we started in A Bug's Land, and the second, in Carsland. I think we'll head that way again this time and hit Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, but I am not as married to any traditions there as I am at DL!

 

[GatorChris]

For DCA, we're just like everyone else. We head right for Radiator Springs Racers.

As for DL, my kids HAVE to go to Big Thunder Mt. I can't say that we've gone enough to really call it a tradition, but I have a feeling BTMRR will be the first ride for a long time to come.

 

[Luckymommatoo]

We are local and often have passes, so that changes things. I find it has also changed over the years as my kids have gotten older (they are 8 and 11 now).

At CA, we ALWAYS pick up RSR FPs and then head straight to TSMM. Always.

I would say in DL we generally go to Space Mountain first and either pick up FP for later or ride it. Although when we were there in November we decided to ride Peter Pan first because we hadn't ridden it in so long. So I guess we don't really have a tradition in DL!

 

[HappiestHaunt]

When heading into DL first at opening, we do grab fp for SM then head to fantasyland (usually riding Toads, Alice, and Pan). When heading to DCA these days we like to start with TSMM after grabbing FP for CS.

 

[ColdNeverBotheredMe]

In DCA we always start the same way, get there well before rope drop and head straight to RSR. We've never waited more than 20 minutes for it. Then we split up and the people (like me) who like it ride Tower of Terror while the others get FPs for WoC and another ride. After that we usually mix it up.

In Disneyland we pretty much always head straight to Indiana Jones first thing, or at least to the Adventureland/New Orleans Square/Frontierland area. We like to ride headliners first so then later we can get a fastpass for them and ride them twice in a day. We've mixed it up a few times though.

 

[YukonMommy]

For all 5 times I have been at DL we have always rode the train around the park first. I was a kid the first 2 times, but as a Mom of 4 on my last 3 trips I get the enjoyment..I got to finish my coffee...while it was still hot! Then we always go to Adventureland and work our way around the park.

For DCA, my Mom and I usually drink coffee sitting on a bench while my kids and hubby stand in line for a RSR Fp!

 

[MommyWithDreams]

If we arrive in the middle of the day, Pirates, always Pirates. Otherwise probably SM or Indy.

 

[emily94]

We don't have any traditions for DCA but as others have mentioned, we make a beeline for Radiator Springs Racers!

As for DL, we usually end up getting Big Thunder FPs first! If the line isn't long we will ride and then head over to Pirates while we wait for our FP time!

 

[Pastalady]

If we are there for early entry we do Peter Pan in DL first, RSR in CA.
If we get there later it's Pirates first for DL and Ariel in CA as they usually have quick lines.

 

[Eclectic Goddess]

Usually, on our first day there, regardless of time of day, we hit Haunted Mansion first, then Pirates. With HM closed on our next visit, I don't know if Pirates will come first, or we'll head to a totally different part of the park and do something else. It'll be weird to start a trip without some Haunted Mansion.

On our first morning in the parks, we usually head for Peter Pan at DL. In DCA, it's RSR or TSMM.

We've also made a tradition out of eating at Carthay Circle on our first day, but that, too, is out the window due to Fantasmic FP issues. It's going to be an odd trip.

 

[Butterfly123]

No starting ritual, but we always end our trip with POTC. When the kids were little it was Small World, but it changed to POTC as the kids aged.

On a couple of trips we were lucky enough to have a whole boat to ourselves on our last ride through. Those are some special memories.

 

[jasy]

First ride for me is always the train, all the way around the park starting at main street station.

 

[chickapin parterre]

Peter pan for economy of minutes , what if it breaks down and Peter Pan is the most magical attraction for me in the resort. To call this my first attraction in the morning is liken it to entering the resort gates an attraction. It has to happen before exploring the rest of the park. So important is this pirate ship ride that for my next trip, I am arriving a day before my wife, so I can rush the rope drop and then not fret about it again as she is not inclined to crush the park in the manner I perform.

And then Splash, always splash first thing in the morning after Peter Pan, trying to ride the same log over and over. Drying from the wet. The last roller coaster I can ride. So it is always first because it also might shut down.

With those two out of the way, anything else is frosting on the trip.

 

[TheChapman6]

We usually start with pirates too. During early entry we always do fantasy land peterpan first then, we do 5-6 more and head to adventure land get fast pass for Indy ride jungle cruise. Get fast pass for splash ride pooh and hm etc


At dca we ride tsmm then get rsr fast passes

 

[dtnrhi]

If starting off at DCA, we always seem to get FP for RSR and then head over to Tower of Terror.

If starting at Disneyland, we almost always grab a FP for Star Tours and then ride Space Mountain. Then, we grab a FP for Space Mountain and then ride Star Tours with the FP we grabbed earlier.

I had a really efficient trip where we had ridden everything in DCA but the Jellyfish and Bug's Land rides by noon. This was during Spring Break 2013.

 

[BuzzBiteyear]

Our ritual is to ride Buzz Lightyear for our last ride if possible. Two years ago, we made an exception and Radiator Springs Racers was our last ride, because our youngest son was so in to Carsland, that he would actually get irritated when we even tried to leave the area for another section, telling us to turn around or that we were going the wrong way.

 

[CaptBane]

Well I'm a little different I like to start with a stroll down Main Street U.S.A. get a picture of Walt's Window above the Fire House to pay respects to the man who created it all. Always looked forward to the first sighting of Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

Then its a toss up for rides.

As for DCA its trip to Fast Pass for World of Color and Radiator Springs Racers then the toss up starts again. Lol

 

[BoomerThePirate]

first things first - FP for Indiana Jones and then over to Pirates. Then Huanted Mansion. Back over to Indy and then whatever else after that

 

[kangamama]

the first thing I do when I enter disneyland is tear up and start crying from joy. Following that, it is anyone's guess. lol! I always make touring plans, but mostly we abandon them and just see where the wind takes us.

 

[GeminiAngel]

The trip always kicks off with POTC!!!