**June 2016 check in**

[tlovesdis]

Yes we will be getting a shuttle pass, I had really thought about eating a red robin sometime during our trip we don't have those in Southeast Missouri! He would actually prob love it

I'm sure he would! There are lots of burgers to choose from!

 

[PoohsFan1]

I agree with Red Robins, we have one where we live and do eat there often. If he likes burgers, then definitely go there, they do have other things on the menu too, but the burgers are the best. Also if the Red Robin's on Harbor is anything like the one we have here, then you can get bottomless root beer floats (I have been able to get bottomless floats in any of the sodas too) .

 

[sarahk0204]

I just switched to my summer purse, which is also my soccer games bag and also my parks bag.

I got to Five Below with DD over the weekend so that I could pick up a couple of USB charging sticks. DD also finally found an acceptable bathing suit (DD will wear it and DH will let her).

 

[xlsm]

Pretty sure I have the traveler list updated correctly...if there's any changes needed just let me know.

It's almost time, woohoo!!

 

[Disneyluv111]

We'e going on June 21-29. It's going to be a long trip but so worth it! No rushing, just relax and go with the flow.
We will be staying at Castle inn and suite. Husband didn't want to spend too much on hotels.

 

[bdub]

Pretty sure I have the traveler list updated correctly...if there's any changes needed just let me know.

It's almost time, woohoo!!

We've altered ours - we're now arriving 06/10 instead of 6/12, but we're still staying through til the 20th. Then off to San Diego til the 25th.

 

[CherylGonz]

We'e going on June 21-29. It's going to be a long trip but so worth it! No rushing, just relax and go with the flow.
We will be staying at Castle inn and suite. Husband didn't want to spend too much on hotels.

We are going the 22-29 and I agree with you about the slower pace. We will still get to the parks at opening and take a break. DD9 wants to do other things we always miss like Animation Academy.

 

[bdub]

My travel pack was delivered from Costco travel today! It's finally feeling like this is really happening. I really wanted those 60th Anniversary souvenir tickets, heh.

 

[CherylGonz]

My travel pack was delivered from Costco travel today! It's finally feeling like this is really happening. I really wanted those 60th Anniversary souvenir tickets, heh.

How exciting!! We still have a few weeks until we get ours.

 

[choirboy501]

I will be at DLR 6/23-25.

 

[xlsm]

Warning...LONG post ahead...

A question for DLR vets (wrapped up in a lot of other explanatory info, but I swear there's a question in there!):

Trying to make the most of our first full park day at Disneyland

We will have MM and want to do as much as possible in the first two hours before our "breakfast" (it'll be lunch time to our CST adjusted selves) at the Plaza at 9:10.


For those of you with experience, is my planning idea ridiculous? Here it is:

- First stop, Space Mountain.
- Maybe Buzz and/or Matterhorn
- Go get FP for Indiana Jones (or ride without depending on line length, not sure how fast this grows in the am)
- Ride Pirates, HM, Winnie the Pooh, Splash, Indy with FP (if we got one), Jungle Cruise (probably will start with Winnie or Splash and work our way forward?? Since Splash is so far back there, we might wait and pull a FP for it before our lunch/dinner ADR at Cafe Orleans at 330, so it's not a must do)

**We would be willing to skip Winnie and Splash I think, since we can do those at WDW and they aren't considered better at DLR...right?? And then fit in Big Thunder with any time we have saved by missing Splash and Winnie. I'd say we'd skip Jungle Cruise too, but my 10 year old loves it.


Is this overreaching for the first two hours when entering the park at 7am?
We would then spend the time after our Plaza meal wandering around Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Toon Town.

I'm really worried this is the wrong approach. Everything I have read recommends starting in Fantasyland and getting the dark rides out of the way. Those rides are a big draw for us, and while we are expecting to wait in lines, I don't want to be in Fantasyland for hours in the afternoon when there's so much else to do. I KNOW I need to stop comparing, but I'm used to WDW. We can get so much done in the mornings, and I don't think I've ever waited more than 35 minutes for anything (maybe before FP+, but I really don't think so). We push hard in the morning, take the early afternoon easy, then head back to the resort by 230, and go back to the parks around 530 or 6. I will openly admit I'm nervous about the time adjustment for California, and I'm afraid we'll all be ready to go to sleep at 7pm!

If I took another approach, I think we'd do Fantasyland then see what we could do in Tomorrowland before our 9:10 meal time, eat and then visit Toon Town, then go do Adventureland/Frontierland while working around our 3:30 Cafe Orleans reservation.

The Fantasyland first plan would be:

- Peter Pan (might save this for another day)
- Snow
- Pinnochio
- Toad
- Alice

- Matterhorn??
- see what we can do in Tomorrowland
- Plaza Inn



As an experienced DLR visitor, which plan would you use if you were a first timer wanting to take advantage of as many rides as possible early so exploring can be done in the early afternoon, and knowing I still had more park days available to catch whatever was skipped on day one? I'm still really leaning toward my Tomorrowland/Adventureland plan, but I want someone with experience to let me know if it's crazy or not, because I just don't know how to manage the time factor yet.

I reread this and I sound nuts, but I want to go in with a pretty clear plan of attack (while knowing adjustments may be necessary...I like a solid plan, but am able to be flexible when the need arises. We often veer off our plan, but I still like to have one!)
Thanks!

(and I'll come back to update our first page later )

 

[AZMermaid]

Only tomorrowland and fantasyland are open during MM. You could totally do Space, Buzz, Matterhorn in that first hour. I would maybe try to knock out Snow and/or Pinocchio with your remaining time. The Peter Pan and Alice lines will be long by then. If you do your Fantasyland first plan, I would do Pan then Alice and then Toad.

In the second hour, yes, I think that is too much. Ride time alone at Pirates, Jungle and Splash is going to be pushing 45 minutes. You could- grab the Indy Fast pass. If you do this right at 8:00, the return should be 8:40--9:40. Then go ride Jungle Cruise and then Pirates, maybe you would still have time for HM. Then ride Indy using the fast pass. Grab a Thunder FP before going to breakfast.

Another way is to grab the Indy FP before you go to breakfast. Then you could ride it afterwards. You could then start at Splash,Winnie, HM and then maybe Pirates before breakfast. Get the Thunder FP when the window open for Indy after breakfast. Ride Jungle while you wait for the Thunder FP to open.

 

[Misskitty3]

Warning...LONG post ahead...

A question for DLR vets (wrapped up in a lot of other explanatory info, but I swear there's a question in there!):

Trying to make the most of our first full park day at Disneyland

We will have MM and want to do as much as possible in the first two hours before our "breakfast" (it'll be lunch time to our CST adjusted selves) at the Plaza at 9:10.


For those of you with experience, is my planning idea ridiculous? Here it is:

- First stop, Space Mountain.
- Maybe Buzz and/or Matterhorn
- Go get FP for Indiana Jones (or ride without depending on line length, not sure how fast this grows in the am)
- Ride Pirates, HM, Winnie the Pooh, Splash, Indy with FP (if we got one), Jungle Cruise (probably will start with Winnie or Splash and work our way forward?? Since Splash is so far back there, we might wait and pull a FP for it before our lunch/dinner ADR at Cafe Orleans at 330, so it's not a must do)

**We would be willing to skip Winnie and Splash I think, since we can do those at WDW and they aren't considered better at DLR...right?? And then fit in Big Thunder with any time we have saved by missing Splash and Winnie. I'd say we'd skip Jungle Cruise too, but my 10 year old loves it.


Is this overreaching for the first two hours when entering the park at 7am?
We would then spend the time after our Plaza meal wandering around Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Toon Town.

I'm really worried this is the wrong approach. Everything I have read recommends starting in Fantasyland and getting the dark rides out of the way. Those rides are a big draw for us, and while we are expecting to wait in lines, I don't want to be in Fantasyland for hours in the afternoon when there's so much else to do. I KNOW I need to stop comparing, but I'm used to WDW. We can get so much done in the mornings, and I don't think I've ever waited more than 35 minutes for anything (maybe before FP+, but I really don't think so). We push hard in the morning, take the early afternoon easy, then head back to the resort by 230, and go back to the parks around 530 or 6. I will openly admit I'm nervous about the time adjustment for California, and I'm afraid we'll all be ready to go to sleep at 7pm!

If I took another approach, I think we'd do Fantasyland then see what we could do in Tomorrowland before our 9:10 meal time, eat and then visit Toon Town, then go do Adventureland/Frontierland while working around our 3:30 Cafe Orleans reservation.

The Fantasyland first plan would be:

- Peter Pan (might save this for another day)
- Snow
- Pinnochio
- Toad
- Alice

- Matterhorn??
- see what we can do in Tomorrowland
- Plaza Inn



As an experienced DLR visitor, which plan would you use if you were a first timer wanting to take advantage of as many rides as possible early so exploring can be done in the early afternoon, and knowing I still had more park days available to catch whatever was skipped on day one? I'm still really leaning toward my Tomorrowland/Adventureland plan, but I want someone with experience to let me know if it's crazy or not, because I just don't know how to manage the time factor yet.

I reread this and I sound nuts, but I want to go in with a pretty clear plan of attack (while knowing adjustments may be necessary...I like a solid plan, but am able to be flexible when the need arises. We often veer off our plan, but I still like to have one!)
Thanks!

(and I'll come back to update our first page later )

Only parts of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open during MM. In other words, you will not be able to get FP for Indy or ride Splash during MM. If I were you, I would stick with your Fantasyland list FIRST (btw, notice you don't have Dumbo on your list?). You can always get a FP for Space Mountain but not for Peter Pan....

If riding Indy is important I would make that your first ride once the park opens an hour after MM. Seems like it breaks down so much that even if you get a FP, you won't be guaranteed a ride. Get Indy out of the way and then head to either Splash or Big Thunder (or grab a FP). If you do Splash, ride Winnie afterwards. On the way to breakfast hit HM, Pirates and Jungle cruise, if possible.

What are your plans after breakfast?

 

[xlsm]

Only tomorrowland and fantasyland are open during MM. You could totally do Space, Buzz, Matterhorn in that first hour. I would maybe try to knock out Snow and/or Pinocchio with your remaining time. The Peter Pan and Alice lines will be long by then. If you do your Fantasyland first plan, I would do Pan then Alice and then Toad.

In the second hour, yes, I think that is too much. Ride time alone at Pirates, Jungle and Splash is going to be pushing 45 minutes. You could- grab the Indy Fast pass. If you do this right at 8:00, the return should be 8:40--9:40. Then go ride Jungle Cruise and then Pirates, maybe you would still have time for HM. Then ride Indy using the fast pass. Grab a Thunder FP before going to breakfast.

Another way is to grab the Indy FP before you go to breakfast. Then you could ride it afterwards. You could then start at Splash,Winnie, HM and then maybe Pirates before breakfast. Get the Thunder FP when the window open for Indy after breakfast. Ride Jungle while you wait for the Thunder FP to open.

I'm an idiot - I knew only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland were open for MM, but I got carried away with executing a plan that seemed logical to me. This is what happens with panic sets in!!
At WDW, I can get our priorities in Tomorrowland, New Fantasyland, most of regular Fantasyland, and Haunted Mansion finished in the first two hours (that's Space Mtn, Buzz, Dumbo, Barnstormer (multiple times most of the time...last July we stayed on three times in a row with no one else on it b/c they were all trying for 7Dwarfs standby or Peter Pan), Ariel ride, Ariel m&G, Small World, sometimes an extra character meet if they're around (have done Gaston and Fairy Godmother), and HM usually by 10:30 or 11 on a 9am opening day.

I think we'll do maybe Space and Matterhorn, Alice (depending on line), Toad, Pinnochio, Snow. Does that seem more manageable?

 

[xlsm]

Only parts of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open during MM. In other words, you will not be able to get FP for Indy or ride Splash during MM. If I were you, I would stick with your Fantasyland list FIRST (btw, notice you don't have Dumbo on your list?). You can always get a FP for Space Mountain but not for Peter Pan....

If riding Indy is important I would make that your first ride once the park opens an hour after MM. Seems like it breaks down so much that even if you get a FP, you won't be guaranteed a ride. Get Indy out of the way and then head to either Splash or Big Thunder (or grab a FP). If you do Splash, ride Winnie afterwards. On the way to breakfast hit HM, Pirates and Jungle cruise, if possible.

What are your plans after breakfast?

I was typing my reply to AZMermaid when this popped up! I got too caught up in working my way around the Disneyland map I didn't even think about only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland being open during MM (which I knew, but didn't think about in my craziness this morning) We aren't planning to do Dumbo unless the kids just want to and the line is short...we want to focus on things that are different from WDW or are family favorites for the first day, which is why we'd skip Splash/Winnie if we needed to. We have 5 day tickets, so we have time to go play catch up, but I want to have a plan for our first day that makes sense, lets us ride as much as we can, while also leaving us time to wander and take pictures and just BE there, you know?

After breakfast we'll just go where the wind takes us, probably small world, storybook boats, and Toon Town.

So, in addition to my new plan, we'll go grab a FP for Indy asap.

 

[xlsm]

Ok, after revisions, and I know it could all fall apart, but as a starting point, how does this look?

Space
Matterhorn
Alice (depending on line, we'll save it for another day if we need to)
Toad
Snow

So, 4 or 5 rides in the first hour, is that reasonable?

Get to Indy as close to 8am as we can for ride or FP

Depending on time, Pirates and HM.

Are Pirates, HM, and Indy doable in one hour? I can push HM to another time, but Pirates is a must for me (it's my favorite at WDW, it was under refurb last summer, and I'm so excited to do the DLR version)

Head to our breakfast at Plaza (910 reservation)

After breakfast, get FPs for Buzz and Star Tours and go see the launch bay

Potential rides depending on lines, desire, tiredness level, etc:
Nemo subs
Storybook boats
Small World (a priority for me, not anyone else in my family)

Walk through Toon Town (we can save this if need be, either for after dinner or another day, since it's tucked away in the back)

3:30 Cafe Orleans reservation.


This day is the only day we have two reservations. We actually only have one other reservation and it's on our last park day, so this first day is the only one where we need to be mindful of times. Every other day of our trip will be super flexible and go with the flow, so that's why I'm obsessing a little more over this one day.

 

[Misskitty3]

Ok, after revisions, and I know it could all fall apart, but as a starting point, how does this look?



Are Pirates, HM, and Indy doable in one hour? I can push HM to another time, but Pirates is a must for me (it's my favorite at WDW, it was under refurb last summer, and I'm so excited to do the DLR version)

.

Even if there are no lines at all, I think doing all 3 would be cutting it close. I think Pirates is about 15 minutes just for the ride alone.

That is so great that you have 5 day tickets! You are going to have an awesome time!!

 

[xlsm]

Even if there are no lines at all, I think doing all 3 would be cutting it close. I think Pirates is about 15 minutes just for the ride alone.

That is so great that you have 5 day tickets! You are going to have an awesome time!!

Thank you! I'm think I'm going to go find a ride length cheat sheet somewhere and save it to my phone so I can keep ride times in mind!

 

[CateinPhoenix]

Starting packing today!

 

[xlsm]

Got our travel docs, tickets, and luggage tags from Disney this afternoon!! Woohoo!!