Magic mornings and blackout advice!

[Mister Skellington]

Hi there!
We will be in Anaheim March 27th- April 2nd. I have been looking at Touring plans and blackout dates etc. and I am trying to figure out how to best schedule my days. We will be going to the DL 1 day, DCA 1 day, and revisit favs the final Disney day the other two days will be: Knotts 1 day, and Universal 1 day.

Without posting touring plans #'s what do you make of this? Where would you go on which days? We are staying at a good neighbor hotel and arrive at the park before opening if it makes a difference.
Are the blackout days to be avoided or not? Are the parks busier at DL when magic morning hours are going or should we plan on going to them? We usually go to WDW and avoid early entry days...I am not sure if this applies for DL.
Monday 28th-
Tuesday 29th- magic morning hours
Wednesday 30th-
Thursday 31st-magic morning hours
Friday 1st- Blackout day (SoCALSelect)

Thanks for the advice! This is a last minute trip so I am usually more prepared!
Nate

 

[bzkds]

I'm not an expert, but I think the blackout days are LESS crowded than usual because a lot of pass holders cannot go those days. And doing one park per day.. the parks are right across the esplanade from each other, it's really easy to walk back and forth between the two. We don't ever spend a whole day in CA, but we don't do all the parades/shows/WOC/etc. We usually stay in CA until they close then go back over to DL until they close (they are open later). Just get a hand stamp when you leave one side to go to the other.
Beth

 

[DLR29]

I'm not an expert, but I think the blackout days are LESS crowded than usual because a lot of pass holders cannot go those days. And doing one park per day.. the parks are right across the esplanade from each other, it's really easy to walk back and forth between the two. We don't ever spend a whole day in CA, but we don't do all the parades/shows/WOC/etc. We usually stay in CA until they close then go back over to DL until they close (they are open later). Just get a hand stamp when you leave one side to go to the other.
Beth

Sometimes the blackout days are less crowded than usual (namely summer weekdays, 4th of July, Thanksgiving), but others are blackout days for a good reason (Christmas, Spring Break) because crowds are high.

I do, however, STRONGLY agree with the fact that you should hop on all days.

Also, check out these threads:

Hydroguy's DLR tips for WDW vets: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

and for the Magic Morning queestion, here's my MM super thread on the subject: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1675403

Is MM like EMH's at WDW? Should I avoid MM days at DL like I avoid EMH days at WDW?
MM is EXTREMELY different from EMH and one should not avoid MM days at DL to try and beat the crowds. At WDW it is a good idea to avoid the WDW parks with EMH's because they are often more crowded; however at DLR I would never recommend going to only one park, on one day like at WDW. It's so much easier to hop at DLR, so I would always start at DL for the morning (MM or not) and then hop over to DCA for the middle of the day. MM does not affect park attendance at DL like EMH's affect park attendance at the WDW parks. If you have MM privileges, definitely don't hesitate to use it. Also, there is no evening Extra Magic Hours at DLR.

 

[Eeee-va]

If you are buying a 3-day hopper online or through a travel agency, it should have one Magic Morning--if so, you definitely want to use it!

Other than that, I would personally go to Disneyland on Friday just because that's probably the only night that will have fireworks and Fantasmic! If neither of those matter to you at all, then you can really go any days you like. Disneyland is open until midnight that Friday and only until 8 the rest of your days, but if you have fairly young children or no one in your party is a night owl, I can definitely see the appeal of only going on days when the park closes at 8.

Have a great trip!

 

[Mister Skellington]

Thanks for all the great advice everyone.
Thanks for the links DLR- very helpful threads!

According to disney's website the park is open 9am-12am (8am on MM days)with 2 Fantasmic showing each night we are there.
DCA is open 10am-9pm.

I am still a little nervous about the blockout day but I guess it doesnt matter too much. It seems like it is going to be pretty busy either way.

 

[bumbershoot]

They make the blockout dates because they know that there are already going to be lots of ticket-holding people there.

But since it's only a blockout date for ONE of the three types of APs that have blockout dates, they aren't anticipating HUGE crowds IMO.

And I say, choose the dates that work for you, be AWARE that they are already expecting crowds, and plan accordingly.

If you have access to Magic Morning, go to it. You have access ONE day if you have a 3+ day ticket and you're staying offsite. If you're staying ONsite, you have access to all the MM days (assuming you have a ticket to enter the parks at all that day, of course) during your stay.

If you do not have access to MM, the only thing you need to do is to *avoid* Fantasyland that morning once you arrive. And to some extent, Tomorrowland, but it's not as important IMO to avoid Tomorrowland. If you enter Fantasyland at normal opening time on a MM day, you're walking into a land that is *packed*, and has been packed for an hour already. Don't do it. Avoid Fantasyland on MM days, especially earlier in the day. If you don't have MM access, do Fantasyland first thing at park opening on a *normal* day.

That's my rule. Have fun!

 

[Eeee-va]

Oh; I didn't notice you said March--since you said "last minute" I assumed February. Sorry!

I might avoid Friday in that case, because Friday evenings tend to be a little busier than weekday ones regardless. But on the other hand, people will be on Spring Break anyway,a nd I think I'd rather spend my last vacation day in Disneyland.

 

[g0lden]

Hi! I'm a new member and have been to Disneyland as a kid. All the advice I've read here is amazing, and I've used it to plan my trip so far. I'll be the official "pack leader" and FP runner for the trip. Since we are arriving on July 20, 2011, mid-morning, we thought we would head to DCA for a more leisurely day (we probably won't get there until peak time, once we've rented a car, dropped the car and our luggage off at our hotel, purchased our shuttle tickets and took the shuttle. Our full day, July 21st, happens to be a MM, for which we do not have MM access. Our tickets are 2-day, 1-park tickets. There are a lot of tips on how to navigate MM by avoiding Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. But the children in our party want to go to Princess Fantasy Faire and sign up for Jedi Training Academy. Everything that I have read suggests that I go first thing in the morning. I was going to split up the party so that half stands in line for PFF and the other half stands in line to sign up for JTA. While they do that, I was going to get FP for Space Mountain. But I'd hate to send them to chaos. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you!

 

[HydroGuy]

Hi! I'm a new member and have been to Disneyland as a kid. All the advice I've read here is amazing, and I've used it to plan my trip so far. I'll be the official "pack leader" and FP runner for the trip. Since we are arriving on July 20, 2011, mid-morning, we thought we would head to DCA for a more leisurely day (we probably won't get there until peak time, once we've rented a car, dropped the car and our luggage off at our hotel, purchased our shuttle tickets and took the shuttle. Our full day, July 21st, happens to be a MM, for which we do not have MM access. Our tickets are 2-day, 1-park tickets. There are a lot of tips on how to navigate MM by avoiding Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. But the children in our party want to go to Princess Fantasy Faire and sign up for Jedi Training Academy. Everything that I have read suggests that I go first thing in the morning. I was going to split up the party so that half stands in line for PFF and the other half stands in line to sign up for JTA. While they do that, I was going to get FP for Space Mountain. But I'd hate to send them to chaos. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you!

Welcome to DIS DLR!

You might want to create your own thread to ask questions like this next time.

In answer, PFF is best done by arriving first thing when it opens (at 9AM I believe). JTA runs all day and you do not need to go first thing in the morning. Just choose the show you want to attend and get there early (15-30 minutes).

Fantasyland will be an issue for you. Here is what I would try:

1. Arrive at the DL gates early (by 7:30 for the 8AM regular opening).

2. You will benefit from so many MM guests going straight to ST and not doing FL this year. I would go to Fl right away and see what rides you can do. Matterhorn will likely not be too bad (10-15 minutes) and some of the others (Alice, Toad, Snow White, Carrousel, etc.) also not too bad. If they are, skip FL and leave it for the evening.

3. Head to PFF at 8:45Am

4. Either tough it out on the other FL rides after PFF or come back early evening (7-9PM) when lines tend to go down a bit.

 

[Eeee-va]

HydroGuy's advice on Fantasyland is very good. Also, when people say "avoid Fantasyland," that actually doesn't mean PFF. They're just referring to the things that are open in Fantasyland during Magic Morning, which is mostly the rides by the castle and the Matterhorn. PFF (and Small World, and Storybookland/Casey Jr.) shouldn't actually be affected by MM much at all. Like HydroGuy said, aside from Peter Pan's Flight, the lines in Fantasyland may be decent.

Have a great trip!

 

[g0lden]

Thanks, HydroGuy and Eeee-va! Seriously, HydroGuy I am in awe of all your posts! You approach Disneyland trip planning with surgical precision, and we are all so grateful! This is the type of stuff that should be published and on the shelves at the bookstore! Eeee-va, thanks for pointing out that avoiding MM is really more about avoiding the rides open during MM. That said, do you think that we can squeeze in a ride at Peter Pan before lining up for PFF? They're both slow-loading, even though one of them isn't a ride! If not, we'll backtrack and hit the ride between 7-9 p.m. As for Jedi Training Academy, I thought that I had read somewhere that they do all the sign-ups in the morning for all the shows for the rest of the day...unless that was a really old thread. I've been reading so many threads lately that I'm a little jumbled!

And HydroGuy, thanks for reminding me about the Star Tours refurb. That will be my first FP of the day then! I think I'm more excited about this trip than the kids are!

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks, HydroGuy and Eeee-va! Seriously, HydroGuy I am in awe of all your posts! You approach Disneyland trip planning with surgical precision, and we are all so grateful! This is the type of stuff that should be published and on the shelves at the bookstore!

Thanks, but I hope it is a surgeon with a heart! I try to make the heart connection as much as possible and not just "the facts".

That said, do you think that we can squeeze in a ride at Peter Pan before lining up for PFF? They're both slow-loading, even though one of them isn't a ride! If not, we'll backtrack and hit the ride between 7-9 p.m.

Maybe but it is likely to take so much time you could miss the chance to ride five others FL rides with short lines. PP and Dumbo will be the tough ones, and IMO you should do a quick visual at 8AM and decide. If the line is 10 minutes, do it. Otherwise save it for the evening. At which point it will be 40 minutes. If you say why not do PP with a 20 minute line in the morning to avoid 40 minutes in the evening, that is because every other ride has lines building too and you may miss those ride opportunities for PP.

As for Jedi Training Academy, I thought that I had read somewhere that they do all the sign-ups in the morning for all the shows for the rest of the day...unless that was a really old thread. I've been reading so many threads lately that I'm a little jumbled!

The JTA signup approach is at WDW - not DLR. Just show up early WITH A SIGN (see "Jedi Training Academy Tips" by Hound 109 www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1478699)

And HydroGuy, thanks for reminding me about the Star Tours refurb. That will be my first FP of the day then! I think I'm more excited about this trip than the kids are!

ST FPs are going lot hotcakes this summer. If you want them, send your fastest walker to get them first thing at 8AM while everyone else makes their way to FL...

 

[Eeee-va]

That said, do you think that we can squeeze in a ride at Peter Pan before lining up for PFF?

As you can guess, Peter Pan's lines will likely be longer from 7-9 PM (anyone know if PPF closes for fireworks? I think it does, even in summer, and definitely in winter). But there's a certain appeal to Peter Pan at night, too. For one thing, the line is pleasant when the sun's not coming down on you, and the line may not be THAT much longer at night versus very first thing in the morning.

And on another board I read a complaint that the car headlights on the roads of London were gone from Peter Pan's Flight...it turned out, they're still there, but it's very hard to see them unless your eyes are adjusted to the dark!

 

[g0lden]

Hi Eeee-va and HydroGuy,

I just wanted to thank you for all of your advice. We were able to do everything we wanted except Fantasmic (but ST, PFF, JTA, PP) and posted a massively long trip report to pay it forward. Some of the experience will be obvious to you DIS veterans, while most of the observations will be from a novice's point-of-view. A lot of adjustments had to be made based on the moods, preferences and sheer size of the group.

HydroGuy, yes, the surgical comment was definitely meant to be a compliment! I was going to write "military precision." I can see why you said to line up at PFF at 8:45 a.m; the CMs do not like people camping out there too early. Shortly after we arrived, the line got ridiculously long. Perhaps, in the future, I might just let the kids go on rides first and then attend the 10:00 a.m. Coronation Ceremony and meet the princesses afterward. I learned on the trip that they were more interested in rides than shows. The Royal Walk was anti-climactic, especially since Minnie was the third princess. I can't imagine others waiting 60 minutes or more for that! The pictures were nice, though. Or, maybe we should just take short breaks at the secret passageway from Fantasyland to Frontierland and Tomorrowland. The characters, including princesses, just LOVE to hide there!

I had also read the JTA tips prior to my original post here and now remember where I saw that you'd have to line up in the beginning of the day to get on any JTA shows--it's at WDW. It was when I was brand new to DISboards and didn't notice that WDW and Disneyland threads are color-coded. All of Hound 109's tips as well as on MyYearWithTheMouse blog worked like a charm. All the kids got picked on the first try! The signs were the key, as two of them were not perky and still got picked. Two boys wore Star Wars shirts, but the girls wore bright or easy-to-describe shirts. I worked hard on the signs and even got them back after the show.

We rode PP on Day 2 with a standard wait time (30 minutes) bc the group wanted to sleep in that morning and bc we didn't get to do it on Day 1, and my sister wanted to ride it really bad. However, parents with little ones got to go on King Arthur Carousel during the wait and joined the line afterwards, so that was cool. Eeee-va, the ride happened so fast that I freaking missed the headlights!

 

[Eeee-va]

I'm so glad you had a good time! 30 minutes for Peter Pan isn't bad at all. And I never would have noticed the headlights if someone hadn't complained on another forum about them being "missing". You can see them in London if your eyes adjust quick enough.