Just back- Carsland super crowded

[AustinTink]

Hi, Missed you while you were here!

We've ridden RSR twice with FPs for each one. Total waiting time from 7:30- to tickets and then in line was less than hour so pretty good. But we don't expect to get on it much. MJJ is at 20 min a lot. We never ride if it is more than that. Actually, we've timed it and when it says 20 it is really more like 25, but do-able. We've been on it 3 times and it's really fun! Did LFT once to try it at 60 min wait. It is fun but don't want to wait that long. We have APEE so we may ride then, we'll see. But we are loving CL and all other things to do in DCA. I wish CL wasn't so crowded walking down the street. But the view from Flo's outside in back is amazing! Did you get to try there?

We looked for you! We were there from the 21st-24th, so we may not have overlapped much. We didn't eat at Flo's, but took lots of pictures of it. We had snacks from the Cozy Cone (churros and the chili cone queso) and they were yummy! The chili cone queso line was the longest, the others were very light when we were there.

The CL theming is awesome, I do agree that it will be even better when the crowds thin. It was tight spacing in a few spots... and really hot and sunny! Glad we had our hats.

We went in all the stores in CL since we're avid pin traders. We never miss a store and an opportunity to trade pins with the CMs. It seemed like all the CMs in CL were really upbeat and happy to be stationed there.

Maybe we'll see you next year at the CCI. We'll be back.

 

[AustinTink]

I am sorry for your dissapointment.

This is also a danger or reading TOO MANY forum posts. As already pointed out, it is a matter of perspective. For an AP holder who's only mission is to try RSR and soak up the themeing, two hours is not bad at all for a wait. For a family of four who is on a vacation with a schedule, a two hour wait means a large portion of their day sacrificed to just stand and do nothing.

This is why we moved our annual trip from the week of 4th of July to October this year. Cars land will be busy for some time, but hopefully it will be equal to waiting for Indiana Jones or Splash Mountain by the time we get there.

The good news for everyone is that I have yet to read a bad review of RSR. Some people get cranky about the wait, or the frequent break-downs, but it seems like everyone enjoyed the ride.

Indy was still up to it's usual 90 mins while we were there! Luckily we rode it with fps multiple times. Eventually, RSR will get to where indy is now... popular but still doable, with FPs available all day. Maybe in a couple years. It makes me think of TSM in Florida, it still sells out FPs by 11am everyday after all these years. Crazy!

 

[pixiewings71]

Hmmm we were there July 7-11, RSR waits were 120 minutes most of the day, SR line for RSR was about an hour, we never got FPs but we rode it 4 or 5 times. We waited in the 120 minute line the first time (we wanted to ride together and we wanted to see the full ride queue, we are weird like that lol) that was actually more like 150 minutes because the ride broke down while we were in line, it was great! We loved it! The next few times we rode we waited in the SR line. Still just as much fun but we were on different cars each time.
We didn't ride Luigi, wait times were regularly 60-90 minutes so we just skipped it.
We did ride Mater 2 or 3 times, but we didn't wait more than 30 minutes. We regularly saw wait times of 30 minutes or less, we felt it was worth the 30 minute wait.
OP I'm sorry you had such long waits for everything, we too found CL to be very busy but it was so worth it!

Something I realized while we were there, you can get in the standard line and wait 2 hours or you can get in the FP line and wait 30-60 to get a FP and then get in the FP return line and wait another 30-60 minutes, it seemed to me that either of those would result in a at least an hour wait time, which is the same as the SR line, that's why we didn't worry about getting FPs so much.

ETA when we were there Screamin' was NOT connected but we never needed a FP, the wait was less than 30 minutes for it every time we wanted to ride.

 

[katejc]

Hi, Missed you while you were here!

We've ridden RSR twice with FPs for each one. Total waiting time from 7:30- to tickets and then in line was less than hour so pretty good. But we don't expect to get on it much. MJJ is at 20 min a lot. We never ride if it is more than that. Actually, we've timed it and when it says 20 it is really more like 25, but do-able. We've been on it 3 times and it's really fun! Did LFT once to try it at 60 min wait. It is fun but don't want to wait that long. We have APEE so we may ride then, we'll see. But we are loving CL and all other things to do in DCA. I wish CL wasn't so crowded walking down the street. But the view from Flo's outside in back is amazing! Did you get to try there?

Hey Pink Budgie,
Just wondering about your experience getting APEE after activating passes. Was that fairly easy to do? We are going soon and will activate our new passes and hope to get APEE while we are still there. Any helpful tips you can offer would be much appreciated! Thanks!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

CS was connected to the system when we were there.

Hmm. Very odd that you would say that. We were at the parks Sat-Wed (7/21-7/25), so overlapping your dates. We got RSR fastpass on Sunday morning then immediately went and got Screamin' fastpasses. On Monday we got ToT fastpasses then walked straight back to Screamin' and got those. So Screamin' was definitely not connected to the system these last few days.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

we are going in oct im planing on one day in dca and one day we may hop back and forth lol.

In oct when we spend a day at dca im gona go to the rsr first no fast pass gona line up to get in dca bout hour early.
see some buna vista street head for cars land wait where im told to wait till opening and then head for rsr first thing. Not gona waist 30min for fp and then an hour or two till can go on the ride. after rsr once we will go to the other two cars land ride and then we will hit the rest we want need have to do in dca.
Ariel, tot maybe, never done toy story mania might try it, but i hate the rest of the board walk rides we don't go on them or want too. we wont go to Aladdin in less we decide to but its not a must do.

cct lunch and tea party if its going on then woc and we would spend the rest of our time at dl.

I am sorry you didnt have a good time and hope if you go again it wont be as bad

 

[AustinTink]

Honestly, we assumed CS was connected because we read it somewhere before we left. (I have to stop reading things!) We didn't think to try to FP something right after swiping for CS, because our swipe time at the bottom of the fastpass was only like an hour out. Also, I don't ride CS and my DH does it once. So, my DS ended up with lots of extra FPs for him to use throughout the day from our tickets. Sorry for any confusion.

 

[AustinTink]

I am sorry you didnt have a good time and hope if you go again it wont be as bad

No worries, we still had a great time.

 

[mgd]

So if I show up around 8-8:15 in DCA and head for the RSR FP line, should I be safe getting one, or is the line already so long by then I might get refused?

 

[DLFan]

I have been telling my family that the lines will be brutally long, so I hope they will not find the wait too bad.

If we get to the park at opening, approximately how long is the line for RSR?

Unfortunatley, we do not have any EE.

 

[Amy5869]

We're also a Texas family in Disneyland! We did Carsland this morning after avoiding it for the last few days. The DH and big kids lined up and made the mad dash for the Standby line at 8 and DS2 and I waited in the FP line. 37 minutes for FP's and an hour and 37 minutes for them. We're going back later to use our ride swap so we can ride at night. I expected it to be crowded but was really hoping to see lighter crowds in Magic Kingdom...we haven't. Day Campers, Tour groups and TONS of random locals. I love Disneyland though so we get in the park early, play and then head out for a break. It's cooler here than Texas so it's made it fun and we're not complaining too much. I think the only thing that makes me really annoyed are the people who line jump in family groups and push and shove to see the charcaters when my kids are being so patient. Then again....nothing an ice cream bar can't fix.

 

[incruzcontrol2]

We will not get there until 10am on Sunday.... Should I just expect to wait in a 2 hour line for RSR? Should we still head straight there once we are in or should we just try it for night? Pls help and advise

 

[hjgaus]

We are going this Saturday for AP early entry!! Headed straight for RSR! Not sure if we want to get FP for that ride cuz we are not staying all day but I'll see if my guys want to do it!
This will be our 3nd time to leave VERY EARLY from HOME for early hour entry! No coffee for me so I can wake up on time!

 

[pixiewings71]

We will not get there until 10am on Sunday.... Should I just expect to wait in a 2 hour line for RSR? Should we still head straight there once we are in or should we just try it for night? Pls help and advise

I always assume a 2 hour line for new rides, then when it turns out to be less I'm happy and when it turns out to be more I can deal. LOL

 

[2boysmom1998]

We went on Saturday, June 23. The wait for RSR was 2 hours, my waited 30 min in the SR line and rode it twice. The wait for Luigi's Flying tires was an hour. Mater's Jamboree was only 15 minutes. We ate lunch at Flo's and there was plenty of seating inside and out. We sat inside and got a seat facing RSR!! There weren't any lines at the Cozy Cones, we had Red's Apple Freeze, (a must have).

We were there only a week after Cars Land opened and it wasn't busy at all. I am wondering now if people avoided it then thinking the crowds would be crazy. So, they planned on going in July and August. So now, the crowds are crazy. We were really fortunate, I am grateful we went when we did. We rode 23 rides at DCA that day. It was wonderful!!!!!

 

[mgd]

I didn't start seeing all the ads for carsland on tv and the radio until a couple weeks ago. Maybe that is making more people go. Or also just a busy time of year to begin with.

 

[DisneytheKid]

Too bad to hear that there is not a lightened crowd at DL

We're also a Texas family in Disneyland! We did Carsland this morning after avoiding it for the last few days. The DH and big kids lined up and made the mad dash for the Standby line at 8 and DS2 and I waited in the FP line. 37 minutes for FP's and an hour and 37 minutes for them. We're going back later to use our ride swap so we can ride at night. I expected it to be crowded but was really hoping to see lighter crowds in Magic Kingdom...we haven't. Day Campers, Tour groups and TONS of random locals. I love Disneyland though so we get in the park early, play and then head out for a break. It's cooler here than Texas so it's made it fun and we're not complaining too much. I think the only thing that makes me really annoyed are the people who line jump in family groups and push and shove to see the charcaters when my kids are being so patient. Then again....nothing an ice cream bar can't fix.

 

[LAWalz23]

Just back from first visit to DLR last week. Lines for Racers were around two hours most of the week and even single rider was 45 minutes plus most of the week. Luigi's was around 60 minutes even late at night, Mater's if you hit it right was only 20minutes but some days it was up to 30 or 40 minutes. Our way to combat the long lines was to get inline at the front gate at 6:45am then go straight to Luigi's, first ride of the day twice, and the Mater, got on right away there also, then my sister waited for fast passes to Racers while the rest of us did Tower of Terror. We managed to ride Racers there times with fast passes and single rider once when we waited 40 minutes including a 10 minute breakdown at the very end of our first night. Absolutely enjoyed all three rides but the rest of California Adventure was very manageable except for Toy Story Mania, can't figure out why no fast pass as the wait was 30 plus minutes except for very early in the am. Thought Disneyland was extremely crowded but then I am used to WDW.

 

[Thundergod]

We're just back from 2 dyas at DLR. I had very high hopes for Carsland crowds based on a popular thread here in the last few weeks. I though the crowds would be manageable with planning.

I can tell you we were very disappointed. We arrived last Sunday before 7:30am and joined the fastpass line to await the 8am opening. Once the line started moving at 8, we had our tickets by 8:30 for a 11:15 return time. FPs were all given out by 9:45. This was all expected, so I still had high hopes for the rest of the day.

But, once we got to Carsland from the FP machines, both Luigi's and Mater were at 45 minutes. We really should have ridden them then, because those were the shortest lines we would see all day.

RSR was never under 120 minutes while we were there... even when we checked back at 10:30pm! Single rider was also at 1 hour plus all day, when we checked in.

So, while we did get to ride RSR once with our FPs. We never got a second ride and never got to do the other two rides in carsland.

Fortunately, our 13-year old wasn't really interested in them anyway. He just wanted to ride Screamin' over and over... and did. So all was good in his world.

I was disappointed, having read that the hype was blown out of proportion. But, in my opinion it is indeed extemely crowded. And, unless you are staying on property with EE, or have a MM from a 3-day park hopper you won't have much luck finding a short line in carsland.

Oh well, I'm really glad we woke up at 6am on Sunday and scurried to the FP line. RSR is an amazing ride. Loved it.

We were there Monday the 16th, Wednesday the 18th and Thursday the 19th.

Monday and Wednesday we were at rope drop and have very short waits in single rider. Rode again Wednesday and Thursday nights in single rider.

Wednesday night was short wait with us cutting fireworks off early. Thursday we were seated infront of castle for fireworks and walked over to DCA to ride that night. Waited about an hour.
Did not use fastpass on a single ride the entire trip and did everything we wanted to do multiple times.

Only reason we didn't ride thursday morning was because we did Magic Morning in DL.

 

[brenda1966]

We just got back from spending 3-4 days in DL and CA. We were there 7/21-24. We had 3 mornings and used our EE day at DL on Sunday and spent the entire day there.

We entered Carsland at about 2 or 3 PM on Saturday and headed straight to the SR line for the Racers. We rode in roughly 30-40 minutes.

We decided we didn't want to use our precious morning time to stand in line for fastpasses. So, we used Monday morning to pick up Soaring FP, WoC FP and then rode Toy Story twice with short 10-15 minute waits. We did not arrive at rope drop as we had closed down the park the night before -- we arrived at about 8:15. We also rode Calif Screaming, picked up a FP, went over to ToT, rode and grabbed FP, got a FP for GRR at some point as well.
We used single rider line for the racers again -- around a 30-40 minute wait. We rode maters with a roughly 20 minute wait. Luigi's was the killer wait -- sign said 60 minutes but it was 75 before we were loading. Painful to watch how slow that ride loads!

We rode the racers one final time at 10:30 pm, single rider, and we were off the ride within 30 minutes.

Carsland is crowded, but managable and doable! I was suprised at how thick the crowds were at CA overall. At one point the line for Screaming was 90 minutes! We decided to wait a bit and come back and that was a good thing. The crowds had cleared a bit. LM was at 20 minutes at one point.

We found DL to be so nice and manageable. Easy touring over there!