Name your top 5 must-do's at each park

[JinxedSydney]

Like Taniahappy, we vary it up, but these are my must-do's:

Disneyland:
1. Stare at the entry plate in the archway, unashamed of my tears every.single.time.
(I have to edit here because if The Haunted Mansion Holiday is up, it is always my #2-5)
2. Ride the train all the way around at least once (because those dinosaurs are RAD!)
3. Pirates of the Caribbean (and reminisce about the talking skull before the drop)
4. Storybook Land Canal Boats at night (wee little lands with twinkling lights?! Yes please!)
5. Thunder Mountain (who doesn't love a great roller coaster?)
(Close #5 is Peter Pan)

DCA:
1. Toy Story (despite the atrocious lines)
2. Ariel's Undersea Adventure (it's just fun)
3. Radiator Springs Races
4. California Screamin'
5. Avoiding the entrance and exit of Tower of Terror at all times...I don't do barf or barfy faces.

 

[anonymousegirl]

DLR-
Alice in Wonderland
Storybook Canal boats
Mr. Toad
Mickey and the Magical Map
Indiana Jones

DCA-
Radiator Springs Racers
Toy Story Midway Mania
Aladdin show
Soarin'
Mad T Party

 

[Astylla]

DLR :

1. Peter Pan
2. Pirates of the Caribbean
3. Haunted Mansion
4. Mickey and the Magical Map
5. Riding the Disneyland Railroad all the way around

DCA :

1. Radiator Springs Racers/Carsland ( Aladdin would be here..but it's leaving soon )
2. Toy Story ( ONLY when it's not hot/ I think we stay on site JUST to hit this early..)
3. Tower of Terror
4. Screamin over California
5. Soarin'

 

[NovemberMom]

Disneyland:
1. Space Mountain
2. Peter Pan
3. Dumbo - I just FEEL the Disney magic on that ride when you overlook the park.
4. Pirates
5. Indiana Jones

California Adventure:

1. RSR
2. World of Color
3. Soarin'
4. TSMM
5. Aladdin

DH's list would include California Screamin' but I am afraid of upside down roller coasters. Trying to convince myself to get on it this November.

 

[mommamonster]

We have our traditions, which give or take are 5 per park plus we have a few DTD things we do as well

DL:
1) Peter Pan
2) Haunted Mansion
3) Pirates
4) IASW
5) Winnie the Pooh is the traditional last ride of the trip since my kids' first trip

DCA:
1) RSR
2) Ariel (my littlest DS loves her/the ride, one time when it was not busy the CM let us ride 3x in a row!)
3) Redwood Creek Challenge Trail - my kids love spending a good chunk of time in the afternoon there
4) TSMM
5) Heimlich's Chew-chew I'd ride it even if my kids weren't there

DTD:
1) House of Blues dinner on arrival night
2) Surf's Up! breakfast on departure morning (Stitch is my favorite!)
3) Watching the artists at Marceline's make the caramel apples and other treats- I love that giant window

 

[kkmcan]

This is tough!
Disneyland:
Haunted Mansion
Space Mtn
Pirates
Big Thunder Mtn
Indy

DCA:
Radiator racers
Toy story
Soarin
Screamin
Monsters Inc

Food:
Popcorn
Corndog
Bread bowl soup

 

[wdwfan22]

This is hard!

DL:
Pirates
HM - Regular version!!!
All the small dark rides in FL (The smell of them is the best!!)
Indy
BTMRR

CA:
Tower of Terror
Soarin
TSMM
RSR
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree

 

[flyingdumbo127]

This hard and lol I have not really been to CA Adventure either. (Not a coaster person) For me, after going for the first time last December being at DL then is awesome and I am excited about going back this year so keep in mind that will influence some of my choices. I will also happily admit that I always have a big goofy frin on my face as I walk toward the DL gate. I am so happy and thankful to be there. Never gets old just better!

Disneyland:

Candlelight Ceremony and Processional! I views the CP last year for the first time and wow! Being on Main Street under God's Stars and being witness to the choir praising God's greatest gift to us humans in Jesus, truly such a blessing. I will be going again this year.

My very favorite rides (again not a thrill ride person or coaster fan) are IASW at Christmas and Dumbo!

JinxedSydney said "Storybook Land Canal Boats at night (wee little lands with twinkling lights?! Yes please!)" I am going to have to go on that in December and at night! Thank you

Disneyland RR

Ice Cream on Main Street

As a P.S. Minnie and Friends Breakfast I will be doing for the 1st time in December and have heard the characters are Christmas dressed. I am thinking that will be on my list too

CA Adventure

Christmas Decorations will be completely new to me this year
I would like to see how Ariel compares to Nemo
Ride the Trolley to get a tour of BVS
Visit Ghiradelli
Check out Flo's as I do like Johnny Rockets

 

[bcwife76]

DL:
1-Pirates
2-Peter Pan
3-Teacups
4-Astro Orbitor
5-Haunted Mansion

DCA:
1-RSR
2-Mators Junkyard Jamboree
3-Alladin (so glad to be going next week since it's closing soon!!)
4-Soarin
5-TSMM

 

[beachdreamr1229]

DL--------
1. Pirates of the Caribbean
2. Haunted Mansion
3. Matterhorn
4. Small World
5. Churros (it's not a ride, but it counts, right?)

DCA--------
1. Grizzly River Run
2. Little Mermaid
3. Monster's Inc.
4. Tower of Terror
5. Carsland (just walking through)

 

[goldmay]

Disneyland:
1. Indiana Jones
2. BTMR
3. Jungle Cruise
4. Mad Tea Party
5. Pizza Port


DCA:
1. Aladdin
2. RSR
3. Midway Mania
4. Cheddar cheese stick at the hot dog place
5. Shopping at Off the Page -- love looking at the art and watching CMs do sketches

 

[Bud Ice]

Disneyland:
Pirates of Carribbean
Fantasmic
Indiana Jones
Space Mountain/Star Tours
Buzz Lightyear

DisneyCaliAdventure:
World of Color
MadTParty
Toy Story
Monsters Inc
Radiator Springs Racers

DTD:
Wonderground Gallery
Marceline's Candy Shop
D Street
Disney Vault 28
Ridemakerz/Build-A-Bear

DTD Food:
Ralph Brennan's
House of Blues
UVa Bar/Catal
Naples
Starbucks

Hotel Retaurants:
Napa Rose
Storyteller's Cafe
Steakhouse/Lounge 55
Trader Sam's
Goofy Dining/PCH Grill

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Because I'm bored this morning and focused on anything DLR (and because I'm just this kind of weird girl), here's a tally!

Top 5 at DL -
#1 Pirates
#2 Haunted Mansion (regular and holiday combined)
#3 (tie) Indiana Jones and Big Thunder Mtn Railroad
#4 (tie) Splash Mountain and Space Mountain
#5 (tie) Peter Pan and DL Railroad

Top 5 at DCA -
#1 Radiator Springs Racers
#2 Toy Story Midway Mania
#3 Soarin'
#4 Tower of Terror
#5 California Screamin'

Top
Foods/Restaurants -
#1 (tie) Churros and Soup in a Bread Bowl
#2 (multi-way tie) Plaza Inn Fried Chicken, Dole Whip, Corn Dogs, Popcorn, Matterhorn Macaroons, Ghirardelli samples, Cove Bar

Top Non-Rides -
#1 Aladdin (by far....I wonder if it's the nostalgia of knowing it's going away!)
#2 Views/ambiance at CarsLand
#3 World of Color
#4 Paint the Night
#5 Fantasmic!

 

[fly girl]

DL:

Matterhorn
PoTC
Space Mountain
Haunted Mansion
Fantasmic!


DCA:

RSR
California Screamin'
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail (my kid could be there all day)
World of Color
ToT


ETA: somewhere in the mix I have to have a churro. WDW's can't hold a candle to DLR.

 

[chickapin parterre]

flag retreat, besides military bases, where at a given time all cars stop along side the curb or shoulder of the military post and folks exit and face the post flag. Disneyland provides that opportunity to participate and recognize sacrifice.

train, 2 times around the park. watch the variety of the people, the character of what drives folks to visit to Disneyland. high on the berm looking into the park.

mickey mouse ice cream treat. frozen. chocolate chunk of freshness on a stick

walk as slow as I can thru Indy or even the last one off the HM elevator, feel the texture, stride with the soundtrack, build the anxiety as though you are actually wiping away the cobwebs.

Casey junior at night. my only time I ride the attraction. my last attraction of the long visit. the darkness, uncomfortable in a cage feeling. the sound. a great decompression chamber to enter back into society

 

[agamble]

My must dos in DL are:

• Build a Droid in Star Trader (we have quite the collection)

I've never heard of this before. I've seen the build a Light Saber section. What does the build a droid entail? How is the cost?

 

[SA-TX]

DL:

• Pirates. I have to ride it a minimum 3 times and if I had my way, it'd be at least 4 times. Okay, 5. It also has to be the last ride of the night.
• Haunted Mansion. Same as above, but 3 times is good enough.
• Peter Pan
• Splash
• Tie between Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, and the Disney Railroad.

DCA: Nothing really sticks out, i don't really have a must do list there.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

DL:

• HM Holiday
• Pirates
• Indy
• Mr. Toad
• Paint the Night

DCA:

• TOT
• RSR
• World of Color
• Monsters Inc
• Soarin

 

[GatorChris]

I held off to see if anyone would post my exact list. Of course, with odds at 50 million to 1, it didn't happen. So here's mine:

DL:
1. Splash Mt (not even close)
2. Star Tours - scifi nerd alert
3. Pirates of Caribbean - blows WDW version out of the water (Barbosa style)
4. Fireworks
5. Fantasmic!
(Space Mt used to be in the top 5, but I'm 40 now)

DCA:
1. Tower of Terror
2. Soarin'
3. RSR
4. World of Color
5. Bug's Land - specifically Heimlich's Chew Chew train (cracks me up)

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

flag retreat, besides military bases, where at a given time all cars stop along side the curb or shoulder of the military post and folks exit and face the post flag. Disneyland provides that opportunity to participate and recognize sacrifice.

The flag retreat is one of my absolute favorite things! This is my first DLR trip so I haven't seen it there yet obviously, but I make a point of seeing it at WDW. There was a couple of elderly veterans that participated in the retreat when I was at WDW last time. One of my favorite memories of all time. Very moving and a great tribute.