Magic Morning vs. late night crowd levels

[sampal24]

We are going to DLR late June, staying at Disneyland Hotel. Is it best to do the early morning entry or do crowd levels go down enough late at night?

 

[dismom73]

I'm wondering the same thing. My kids are better at staying up late than getting up early.

 

[Hound 109]

We are going to DLR late June, staying at Disneyland Hotel. Is it best to do the early morning entry or do crowd levels go down enough late at night?

1. You'll have MM for each day available since you're staying on site. USE IT.
2. It'll be incredibly easy for you to get up the first couple of days because of the tiime zone difference from Jersey. (5:30am will feel like 8:30am)
3. I'm betting that late June will have crowded park conditions late because of the recent CarsLand opening.
4. Getting to the park at opening sets your day up perfectly....for riding slow loaders with little to no lines AND you'll begin your FP collection so you have 4-6 to use in the more crowded late afternoon & evening.

Read Hydroguy's DLR for the WDW veteran thread & all of his FP threads...& Have a great time at Walt's Park.

 

[MommyLove]

The early morning hours are the GOLDEN HOURS. If you want to experience the lowest amount of people and the shortest lines, take advantage of it. You won't see anything like it at any other time of the day. Ya, it can be a sacrifice to get up that early, but if the least amount of crowds is what you're looking for, the early am (and especially the early morning entry!!) is IT!

With kids, take a nap during the heaviest part of the day (2pm-ish) and come back for the evening hours.

 

[MrsMears]

Magic Mornings at Disneyland are truly magical! You will be shocked how quickly the park fills up as it opens and certainly how crowded it gets as the day progresses. I think that it's much busier at nights than in the mornings.

 

[Jennifer2983]

we use MM but we also stay up late too some nights, and I always remember we were in Fantasyland at like 11 something (park didn;t close till mid) and we were able to ride dumbo twice and 3 other rides there with no lines LOL!! but that also is just the last hour.....BUT during shows like fireworks and fantasmic the lines are A LOT shorter!!!! we rode splash 3 times during fireworks


http://www.***********************/tickers/g06w4s4ojqonqfxw.png

 

[HydroGuy]

I would say do both - with a 4-5 hour break mid-day at the hotel to take a swim and nap.

But if I had to choose, MM is better because it also sets you up to start collecting FPs. So you get:

1. the benefit of MM itself
2. the benefit of being there first thing for regular hours - also a huge benefit
3. the benefit of more collected FPs

 

[lb2000]

Magic morning is amazing! We did the 7 am MM yesterday and walked on so many rides in rapid succession. We were standing in line for Peter Pan at 8:00 when the MM ended, and instantly, the line grew from a less than 5 minute wait to about a 30 minute wait. It was eye opening to see that. The other good part was after the MM, several of the rides still had short lines, so we got through a lot without waiting.

 

[starshine514]

I would say do both - with a 4-5 hour break mid-day at the hotel to take a swim and nap.

But if I had to choose, MM is better because it also sets you up to start collecting FPs. So you get:

1. the benefit of MM itself
2. the benefit of being there first thing for regular hours - also a huge benefit
3. the benefit of more collected FPs

This is what we do! Open the park, take a break and close the park. The last hour is magical, but not as magical as that first hour.

 

[disneychrista]

The early morning hours are the GOLDEN HOURS..

Never skip the first half of the day. MM or regular entry. The first few hours are the most productive of the day.

Having an AP we miss out of MM. On those days we start on the opposite side of the park (Adventureland, etc). On other days we start in Fantasyland or Tomorrowland.

During extended park hours (anytime it is open after 8pm), we go back to the hotel early afternoon, to take a break, nap, & change clothes for the evening. We will go back to the hotel for dinner & evening. We rarely stay until park past 10pm any more. But of course as the evening goes on the park crowds will lesson (DL - 1st wave after the fireworks, 2nd wave after the 1st Fantasmic, 3rd wave after the second fantasmic DCA - in waves after each World of Color, some will flee to DL)

 

[sampal24]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I will be sure to read Hydroguy's posts on DLR for the WDW vet. We have been to WDW 3 times since 2006, but this will be my first trip to DLR with my DD's (10 and 8), and the first time in the DLR parks since '89, when there was only DL.

 

[Hound 109]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I will be sure to read Hydroguy's posts on DLR for the WDW vet. We have been to WDW 3 times since 2006, but this will be my first trip to DLR with my DD's (10 and 8), and the first time in the DLR parks since '89, when there was only DL.

Actually they're more like info threads. Here's what I've linked before:

If you are a WDW veteran, then here is your primer.....a must read!!:

HydroGuy's "DLR for the WDW veteran tip thread". http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

Also, lots of good info for the WDW vet in Mary Jo's tip thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=802084


Regarding touring DLR....the two most important things to remember is to:

- Get to the parks BEFORE opening &
- Know how to use FP at DLR.


30 minutes early is typically when security opens (so getting in THIS line 5-15 minutes prior to security opening is best). Being one of the first 8-10 families at Security will get you up front (probably first thru third family) in line at the DL turnstile. Being very near the front of the turnstiles is important (to me) so that:

- If it's an MM day, I'm first on Peter Pan...if i'm first on PP then the rest of MM flows easily. & even if i'm not doing PP, i would want to be first on Matterhorn...or SM (or whatever) during MM.

"Critique of MM/EE" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1392671


- Even on a non MM day, I want to be one of the first few the turnstiles so i can get to the ST, SM (or Indy) FP machine first (to start the FP collection clock). Then we'll hop on our first ride a minute or two later & begin the important first 90-120 min. of the day at DLR.



KNOW THESE FP THREADS:

"Getting the Most Out of FastPass During High Season" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=885132

"FastPass for Dummies and Smarties - A Photographic Explanation" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1186052

"Which Fast Pass First?" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1107718

"Strategies For Using DL and DCA Opening Time Differences to Collect More Fastpasses"
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1553197


"Why I Park Hop" http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1491961


If you have kiddos ages 4-11, then Jedi Training is a must:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1478699

But you'll want to read up on how CarsLand will affect some of the early touring strategies (when that info becomes available), because at least one day you'll likely want to hit DCA first. (maybe 2 days?)