Last Minute Planning Itinerary Help

[mysteriouspnai]

We're leaving for Universal Studios tomorrow!! And Disney the day after!! Since this is a longer trip than normal for us, we decided to plan out a little more of our vacation. We need a little help, though.

1) What is the updated strategy for MM with ST (Tue, Sept 13th)?
2) Strategy in general w/o MM (Sat, Sept 17th)?
3) "Do not miss" things for DLR vets? Random trivia? I've looked through the other threads with a similar topic, but it never hurts to ask
4) Strategy for 1st day of Halloween time (Fri, Sept 16th)? I'm worried the crowds will go up because of the whole "first day" thing.
5) Last minute tips for photopass? We're buying the gallery CD in DL and using the coupon when we get home. Because of all the construction in DCA, I don't know where all of photopass photogs are. We're also dedicating Wed to be our main picture day.

Here's our itinerary. We're pretty crazy people who like to be organized xD

- Wednesday, September 14th
o 10am-11:30am: DCA
World of Color Fastpass, Soarin’ for another Fastpass
Pictures!
• 4 character spots including Ariel’s Grotto; check schedule (if characters fit, do them!)
• If possible, try to buy the character sketch (pick up Thursday)
o 11:30am: Disneyland
Fastpass for Indiana Jones
 11:50am reservation for Lunch at Café Orleans
o 1pm-1:30pm: Laughing Stock Company at The Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland
Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
o 1:30pm-2:15pm: More pictures!
o 2:25pm-3pm: Jedi Training Academy in Tomorrowland, if possible grab a Fastpass for either Space Mountain or Star Tours depending on times
o 3pm-5:30pm: WAY MORE PICTURES!
 Disney Princess Faire in Fantasyland! Shorter lines around 5:30pm
o 5:30-6:30pm: Use Fastpasses? If not, EVEN MOAR PICTURES!
 Rivers of America Pirate Ship boat ride
o 6:30pm-7:20pm: Mickey’s Soundsational Parade (show starts at 7pm) in Main Street
o 7:30pm-8:30pm: Go to DCA for World of Color (show starts at 8pm)
o 8:30pm-9:00pm: Shop DCA
o 9pm-9:30pm: Go home, eat dinner, etc, etc.

- Thursday, September 15th
o 6:30-7:30am: Get up, get ready, eat breakfast, head to park
o 7:30am-9am: Magic Morning Hour
 7:30-8:50ish: Peter Pan, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, all other Fantasyland rides
 8:50ish: Get Star Tours Fastpass, ride if possible; if not, go to Matterhorn
o Rides: Lily Belle Car, Buzz Lightyear, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain
o 12:15-12:45ish: Billy Hill and the Hillbillies in Frontierland
o Pick up a Fastpass, then go to DCA
• Rides: Little Mermaid, Toy Story Midway Mania, Silly Symphony Swings, Golden Sephyr, Jumpin Jellyfish, Goofy’s Sky School, Redwood Creek Trail Challenge, Water rides, Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train, other A Bug’s Land rides, Tower of Terror, Monsters, Inc., etc.
• Pick up drawing
o 9:15pm-whenever: Dinner at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen (Dueling Pianos)
o Explore Downtown Disney/Hotels?
o Sleep, etc.

- Friday, September 16th
o 12pm Pixar Pals Show
o 12:40pm Aladdin the Musical
o 9:30pm Fireworks
o Rancho zocalo shortcut for Fantasmic
o 10:30pm Fantasmic
o Rides: Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy, Haunted Mansion Holiday

- Saturday, September 17th
Princess fantasy faire and pixie hollow sat morning


This is what we have so far.
...and then we're planning to go to the Halloween Party on Sept 30! Any suggestions/comments? Thanks for all your help and sorry for the long thread! We're SO excited!!!!!!!!

 

[wannagoback]

I like your plan! We will be there Wed-Mon. I think the park opens at 10 on Thursday... So MM would start at 9. Correct???

 

[mysteriouspnai]

Yeah, that's right.

Everything's pretty much packed and ready to go. So excited!!!

 

[araes2102]

5) Last minute tips for photopass? We're buying the gallery CD in DL and using the coupon when we get home. Because of all the construction in DCA, I don't know where all of photopass photogs are. We're also dedicating Wed to be our main picture day.

• 4 character spots including Ariel’s Grotto; check schedule (if characters fit, do them!)
• If possible, try to buy the character sketch (pick up Thursday)

So I just had some Qs about the things above, if someone could help out i would appreciate it!

I have read a little about Photopass, but I don't really understand how it works. Do the CMs take pics of you in the park? And are the pic locations at certain areas? I think I read that it does not include ride pics so what is the benefit to the CMs taking pics, other than that they can be of the entire family? I thought there was something about loading your own pics to this as well?

What are the "character spots?" Just places where the characters hang out? Are there just 4 of them? And where are they??

What's the character sketch? A caricature of you with characters? Why does it take a day to finish? How much is it?

Are there any other of these things which we would not necessarily read about on the DL website but should be aware of so we can do them?

Thanks!!

 

[mysteriouspnai]

So I just had some Qs about the things above, if someone could help out i would appreciate it!

I have read a little about Photopass, but I don't really understand how it works. Do the CMs take pics of you in the park? And are the pic locations at certain areas? I think I read that it does not include ride pics so what is the benefit to the CMs taking pics, other than that they can be of the entire family? I thought there was something about loading your own pics to this as well?

What are the "character spots?" Just places where the characters hang out? Are there just 4 of them? And where are they??

What's the character sketch? A caricature of you with characters? Why does it take a day to finish? How much is it?

Are there any other of these things which we would not necessarily read about on the DL website but should be aware of so we can do them?

Thanks!!

In regards to Photopass, yes, the CMs take pictures of you in the park. General locations include in front of the castle and on main street. Here's a few sites to help you understand where some of the CMs may be:
http://www.disneyphotopass.com/skins/100147/help/AboutDPP-Maps-Tips.pdf
http://allears.net/dlr/tp/dl-ppass.htm
You're right that it doesn't include ride photos. We're also new to Photopass, so we're not sure of all of the benefits too. The main reason why we want to do it this time around is because we're also planning to go to the Halloween Party on Sept 30, and since it's a night time thing, trying to get good pictures with our cameras would be really difficult.
You also can load your pictures to the website, but I don't think they go onto the Photopass CD, you have to pay extra for it or something.

Character spots are places where you can find characters, typically listed in your times guide. There aren't just 4 of them. If you look at your map once you get to the park (or on the map on the DLR website), you'll notice that there's character locations on it. Some main character spots include Mickey's house, PFF, and Pixie Hallow. It's our first time going to PFF and Pixie Hallow! We're going to get autographs and put them into a scrapbook later.

Character sketch is in "Off the Page" at DCA. It's been a tradition for us, so we continue to buy it. It's about $35 for 1 character, $60 for 2, I think. Unless they changed prices. You pick one (or 2 or 5 if you want Pooh and Friends or Mickey and Friends) of the characters from this "book of approved characters" and a Disney artist will sketch it for you. Yes, some people think that they're traced, but like I said, we do it because of tradition. Plus, makes for nice artwork in your room I'll post my little collection after the trip because I'm starting to run late. It doesn't take a WHOLE day to finish, typically they have them done fairly quickly, but if there's a lot of other commissions, and you're the last in line... you understand. It just depends on the demand at the time. When we go, there's typically at least 2 sketches ahead of us. We have to pick ours up a different day because we don't have time to pick it up the same day.

I was hoping for some more tips of my own before I leave, but I'll keep checking this thread as I go along my day. Maybe this will end up turning into a trip report .

It's 5:40 AM and we're just about to leave for Universal and Disney!!!

 

[araes2102]

Have an awesome trip!!!

 

[mysteriouspnai]

Have an awesome trip!!!

Thank you! We're at the hotel getting ready. Any last minute tips will be appreciated

Great day at universal yesterday! lines were all less than 30 min including studio tour. Parenthood and desperate housewives were filming that day, and we got to see some of the cars used on the show

 

[starshine514]

Just a couple of things regarding pictures.

• I would take pictures everyday! Be sure to get some during the day and some after dark. Don't be afraid to change your photo strategy, you may find that you don't find many Photopass Photographers on Wednesday, but a ton on Friday (as was our experience in May), just go with what you find and keep your eyes open.
• Ariel's Grotto is a restaurant with character dining at DCA, not a photo spot like at WDW.
• Let's see photo spots for DCA, we got some on the bridge that leads to Paradise Pier (girls holding balloons w/ Screamin' and Fun Wheel in the background), there is a spot to meet Duffy right after you cross the bridge, and a spot to meet Mickey not too far away (as you walk towards PP), the Toy Story characters often do meet & greets under the covered area (not sure what it's called) by the water - right across from the carousel (if there are no characters, but a photographer, he'll probably do picts for you if you just ask him), let's see (continuing around the pier) we walked by Phineas and Ferb on the other side of Toy Story mania and the midway games, we also saw the army men do a little interactive show with the kids in front of the Silly Symphony Swings. Mike and Sully were available near the Monsters, Inc ride. We met Minnie at the plane near Soarin'. Keep your eyes open for photographers!
• Be sure to check on the times for the formal meet & greet spots, I can agree with both the strategy to be there when they first open, and to be there 30 minutes before closing - we've done both and wait times were shorter than the middle of the day. However, wait times are long in the middle of the day everywhere...
• Don't forget, Rapunzel has her own meet & greet in Fantasyland.

I haven't checked the hours, but anytime that Disneyland is open before DCA, start there! Grab a ST FP (or the FP of your choice) ride a couple of rides w/ short lines, maybe meet a character or two on Main Street before hopping to DCA (if DCA was on your agenda next, that is).

Have a great trip!