Need help strategizing for 1 day at each park

[disneyfan551]

Hi all! We will be going to DL for the first time ever next week, and am soooo excited! It will be myself, DM, DD-15, DDfriend-15. My daughter is in a cheer competition on Sat/Sun, so here's what I'm looking at. Arriving at LAX around 8:45am Thursday & going to CA....is it possible to do (and ENJOY) CA, without being there at rope drop? Friday...all day @ DL. Sat & Sun...possibly pool/DTD, then be at cheer comp by 6pm. Monday...Celebrity Home Tour through Starline (11-4), to airport around 7pm & back to NC! We are typically non hopper, rope drop & a "rest" day between park days people. Would love ANY suggestions!

So thankful for these boards! Love my DIS family!!!

 

[dshimel]

Spring Breaks, so just be ready for crowds.

Yes, it is possible to enjoy DCA even if not arriving at opening. Land at LAX at 8:45, probably won't be in the park until after 11.

Pretty hard to detail plan as a lot is dependent on wait times.
Hopefully you can get FPs to Radiator Springs Racers. Try to get FP to that first. 2nd FP should be Soarin around the world.
Other big rides that will have a long wait:
Toy Story Mania (no FP available).
Screamin' (the big coaster). Sometimes you can grad a FP to this, wait the hour for Toy Story Mania, then have the FP ready to use.
Goofy's Sky School is a pretty stock mad mouse not too different from similar rides at carnivals.

Medium wait time rides:
Monsters Inc.
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
Rollikin' Roadsters
Fun Wheel (do swinging car)

Short Wait:
Animation (turtle talk, animation academy)
Its tough to be a bug
Little Mermaid
swings
carousel


Friday at Disneyland, be at gate at 7am for 8am opening. 7:30 they will let you in to line up for rope drop.
8am, straight to Hyperspace Mt and grab FP then ride it.
Then Indiana Jones and BTMRR (get back seat on big thunder)
Space, Indy, BTMRR should be about 45 mins, so can get another

Grab FP to Star Tours (8:45ish, return should be about 9:30) on way to ride HyperSpace with FP.
Good time to do non-Pan rides in Fantasyland. Mr Toad, Snow, Pinnoc. (should be like 5-10 min wait each)
One person heads back to Indy to get FPs, then go ride Star Tours with the FP.

About an hour and a half after opening, lines are starting to build. Now it is okay to start thinking about doing some of the longer ride-time rides. Like nemo subs, pirates, jungle cruise. Grab FP to Splash at like 11 for a ride time around noon so you can be dry before dusk. Mansion usually has a short return time for FP.

By mid afternoon, think about shows like Tiki Room, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Mickey and the Magical Map.
If you can get an FP, consider grabbing FP for Roger Rabbit then doing Mickey and Magical Map and/or Small World, then it will be time to use Roger Rabbit.

I think Big Thunder is a much better ride at night, so consider grabbing a FP in late afternoon for after dark.


Wait until first electric parade ends, then grab a place for fireworks in the street outside Tomorrowland. Then when fireworks end, grab a spot for second electrical parade.

 

[disneyfan551]

dshimel... Thank you so much for the information! That helps tremendously! I've been trying to decide if I need to add another ticket, just to maybe do 1/2 day @ CA, one of the mornings that she cheers. But, if I can do it from 11'ish-close on my arrival day, that would be perfect!

 

[dshimel]

dshimel... Thank you so much for the information! That helps tremendously! I've been trying to decide if I need to add another ticket, just to maybe do 1/2 day @ CA, one of the mornings that she cheers. But, if I can do it from 11'ish-close on my arrival day, that would be perfect!

"Doing it" is relative, to a great extent. Some people are content to do the big rides one time each. Others consider it a fail trip if they didn't ride the coasters 3 times.

If you can't get FastPass for Radiator Springs Racers, consider single rider.

(on the plus side, you can upgrade a 2-day ticket to 3-day if you decide you didn't get enough done. Just have to do it on or before last day of use. Like you can do it Thur or Fri, but not Sat in this case. If you do add a 3rd day, look at the price diff to 4. $20 per from 3 to 4... So the question should be 2 or 4, not 2 or 3.

 

[rentayenta]

I think one of the best things to remember is that you will be back (hopefully). Try to stay in the moment and not think about what you could/should be doing. I used to be guilty of this. Once I realized there will always be a next trip, it became much more relaxing.