Itinerary Planning help for on site guest; 1st trip

[Melanie415]

Hi! Planning help please. We leave in 2 weeks and I am just now trying to cobble together a "plan". I already booked some dining reservations and WOC dessert pkg/Fantasmic pkg before I knew what we were doing (I assumed it would be easy to move from park to park). I am stuck on the best course of action, lol. We have 5 day Park Hoppers with Max Pass and are staying at DLH. First DLR trip. 2 adults, 9 yr old son and 6 yr old daughter. Might take Wednesday 11/29 off if we are tired or feel we have accomplished most of DLR.
Dates: 11/25 check in (DLH 4 pm) thru 12/1 Friday (leaving resort at 2pm).
PARK DAYS: 26 SUN, 27 MON, 29 WED= CA EMH 28 TUES, 30 THURS= DL EMH


1. Oh where to Begin?: First Park day on 11/26 Sunday. Should we utilize our EMH at DCA 7 AM-8 AM OR
start trip at more iconic (?) DisneyLand 8 AM-12 AM?
*we would like to have an afternoon hotel break and then hop over to Disneyland.
Reservations: 4:30 Blue Bayou Fantasmic! pkg. for the 9pm show
2. Assuming we start at DCA with our EMH: Thinking of using Disneyland Daily touring plan with Max Pass at DCA https://www.facebook.com/DisneylandDailyCasey/posts/1269612603136380 and shoe horning in Santa somewhere and hotel break, then heading to DL for dinner and Fantasmic. What do you think?
Here is the plan:
1 Ride Soarin’ Around the World
2 Grab Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!

4 Ride Toy Story Midway Mania (if the wait is under 20 minutes; otherwise skip)
5 Ride California Screamin’
6 Ride Mickey’s Fun Wheel
7 Ride Symphony Swings
8 Ride Goofy’s Sky School (closed)
9 Ride Jumpin Jellyfish
10 Ride Golden Zephyr
11 Ride Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
12 Ride Luigi’s Rollcikin’ Roadsters
13 Grab Radiator Springs Racers FASTPASS
*what time for Santa?
*If we start at DCA, what fast pass should we schedule for Disneyland in the afternoon since we will be there for our 4:30 BB and 9pm Fantasmic!?
*should we use the monorail to get to DL in the afternoon from DTD?(staying at DLH). seems fun.
*what is a good first DL day itinerary?
*Since we have so many days, should we just wing it as far as order of most rides?
*Should we ALWAYS take advantage of our EMH and then hop to other park for the afternoon? Is EMH better at DCA than DL?

 

[chickapin parterre]

Well.....you have two EMH DCA days in a row, so use Sunday for DCA and join the gate party at Disneyland on Monday. Since your Sunday schedule is already hectic booked with a 4:30 Disneyland appearance and no time to absorb Main Street as you thread your way to ROA, save that Monday morning to re-visit Main Street and absorb the iconic nature that Walt built. you will be released into a rope drop, but don't get caught up in that rush, take in all the tiny details that a regular first time visitor would miss as they rush to all the attractions rather than taking in the art of Walt Disney. Then on Tuesday when you return for your EMH, you can join the run, I mean rush to the very limited Disneyland offering for EMH. After dinnner on sunday, you can walk around Fantasyland and take in the entry ways to the attractions and then tuesday morning you will know where to enter the attractions with the maddening crowds of morning folks. Chances are that after dinner you will be out of the Disneyland loop for FP, so take in the iconic features of the ROA

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

First, we did EMH on Tuesday at DL last week and it was terrible! Soooooo crowded and not worth it at ALL. I'll never do that again. Maybe I would try EMH on Thursday but Tuesday was truly not worth it. I highly suggest you keep Wednesday and maybe do DL that day. I am an annual pass holder and Wednesday mornings are my absolute favorite to go to DL at rope drop. It's not *always* the case, but very often Wednesday mornings are very low crowd and magical at DL. In fact, I'm planning to go to DL that very day (11/29). If you want to take a day off maybe try Monday or Tuesday.

 

[smartlabelprint]

I agree. Monday’s can be busy. I never take off Tuesday-Thursday in the parks. We usually arrive on Monday and first park day is Tuesday.

We also don’t do mm in DL.

Use your emh Sunday at DCA. You’ll get a lot done in that hour. When it’s over you can head to DL!

I wouldn’t wait for midway mania. If you have 5 days and max pass... you can get so many rides done with maxpass. I also wouldn’t wait for soarin. Use your mp!!

 

[Geemo]

*Should we ALWAYS take advantage of our EMH and then hop to other park for the afternoon? Is EMH better at DCA than DL?

If the EE for either park is 7am or even 8am for that matter..... Go For IT!!!!
Even a Tuesday morning in DL, a 7am opening is great. You can get so much done.

A 7am EE for DCA is even better!!!
When we go to EE at 7am, we always plan for mid-day pizza-pool break.

Plus you'll have MaxPass. You can monitor the app during your break to schedule FP's for when you return to the parks.

You're going to have a great time.