Newbie DL plan advice please

[Shbean]

Hi everyone! I'm a long time reader, first time poster!

Myself, DH and our 2 boys (11 & 9) are coming to Disneyland from NZ for the first (and probably only!) time. Our DL days will be Tue 20 - Thu 22 Sept.

I have done a lot of reading and research, but am still feeling nervous about how to 'attack' DL/DCA to make the most of our time, but to balance that with enjoying the fact that we are there & not rushing around like mad things!

I would love some advice on how best to use our 3 days. To give you a bit of background, our sons are Star Wars mad, and also love Cars. We've watched some ride videos on youtube, and they're not too crazy about the idea of a lot of the Fantasyland rides, but are keen for most of the others.

So I've identified our priorities as follows:
DL:
All of Tomorrowland
Jedi training
Splash Mountain
POTC
Indiana Jones
BTMR

DCA:
RSR
TSMM
Luigi's
Soarin
Grizzly River Rapids

I think rides like RSR, Star Tours, POTC etc the boys will want to go on multiple times!

We have 3 day hopper passes, so I was planning on using our MM on our first morning, the Tuesday.

I would love some advice on how I should plan at least our mornings to get in our priority rides. In the afternoon I imagine we will take a break for a couple of hours (staying at Anaheim Desert Inn & Suites), and then in the evenings it might be nice to have more of a chance to wander, and absorb the atmosphere, enjoy Carsland at night etc. Plus we will want to do WOC too.

Thanks very much!

 

[seth_r]

Having 3 days gives you a really easy way to split the parks up. When we do 3 days we usually start at DL and hit Space mountain, star tours, and buzz pretty quick. The last trip we also used the Disneyland app and monitored wait times and tried to utilize our time that way, and fast pass strategy. Usually if the fast pass doesn't save me a lot of time I don't try for them. RSR on the other hand I get a fast pass for. And then go before my fast pass time ride RSR this way I can ride it multiple times. Also if anyone wants to ride something popular that offers single rider options. This is a good way to cut the wait times down usually. But keep in mind parties most likely will be split.

 

[VandVsmama]

You're going to LOVE Disneyland! Here are my thoughts:

Tuesday 20 Sept:

• Be at the main gate 30 min before rope drop for Magic Morning. So if MM entry starts at 9:00 am, be there by 8:30 am.
• About 15-20 min before the park opens, they'll open up the turnstiles and let everybody down Main Street. Walk down Main Street and head straight to Tomorrowland. Chat with the Cast Members while you wait at the rope.
• Keep an eye out at DL first thing in the morning (1st 2 hours) for an Asian man who claps. He goes to Disneyland every single morning and all of the CM's know him. His name is Peter Tu and he is so full of joy and he's awesome. He does a special handshake with each CM he sees. If you run into him, it's a special treat!
  
• Once the rope drops, go on Star Tours first, then Space Mountain, Autopia, and then Buzz Lightyear. By this point, your MM hour might be up. Once the MM hour is over with, before you leave Tomorrowland, grab FP's for Space Mountain or Star Tours.
• I think that the Buzz Lightyear FP machines might still be disconnected, so also grab FP's for that, too.
• Cross the hub and go to either Adventureland or Frontierland and go on Indiana Jones or BTMRR. I'd say hit up Indiana Jones first. Then do Pirates of the Caribbean.
  
• Check your Space Mtn/Star Tours FP return times. Once the hour has started, get a FP for either IJ or BTMRR (whichever you haven't gone on yet).
• Now go to Tomorrowland and go on your ride. Then do Buzz Lightyear again. Stop in the Star Trader store to get one of those awesome lightsaber umbrellas (they're expensive, though, they cost $70).
• Go back to New Orleans Square via Adventureland. Hit up the Tiki Room or Jungle Cruise. Then go on POTC again.
• Assuming your FP return time window has opened for IJ or BTMRR, first grab a FP for Splash Mountain and THEN go on the FP ride (let's assume BTMRR).
• After BTMRR, take a break. Get some Mickey beinets next to the French Market in New Orleans Square and sit down for a few minutes.
• Make sure you download the Disneyland app to your phone so you can check ride wait times on the go.
• Do other stuff while you wait for your Splash Mountain FP window to open up. If it's before 12pm, now would be a good time to hop over to DCA and see if they still have RSR FP available.
  
• Now the rest of the day is yours to do as you please! For example, you could:
• Go to DCA and go on Luigi's, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, get a FP for Soarin or Grizzly River Rapids.
• A couple of fun time fillers at DCA are in the Animation Building...Animation Academy and Turtle Talk with Crush. You can do Animation Academy multiple times and draw something different every time and it's a free souvenir to take home with you.

Wed 21 Sept:
Wednesday is a DCA early entry day for guests staying in the Disneyland resort hotels. If you start your day at DCA, just expect that there will already be people there. I'd recommend starting again at Disneyland. Do the same rope drop method as you did on Tuesday, but move it forward by an hour since you won't be doing MM.

• Start your rope drop day this time at Adventureland. Grab a FP for IJ, and then you can go on IJ right away without a FP or go on BTMRR or Splash Mtn. The IJ return time will probably be 45-60 min from the time you get them at this time of day.
  
• when your IJ FP return window opens, send a runner over to Tomorrowland to get FP for Star Tours or Space Mtn. Remember: the runner will need all of your tickets to do this. the other parent, meanwhile, can shop with the kids in the Adventureland Bazaar. While you're doing that, check out the Shrunken Ned machine. For $0.50-$0.75 (you'll need quarters), he'll give you a prescription printed out on a card. It's fun and silly and a cheap souvenir to take home with you.
• Then go on IJ.
• Now go on BTMRR or Splash Mtn again.
• Or then go on POTC and HM.
• For a timefiller near Splash Mtn, the Winnie the Pooh ride rarely has a line and if it does, it's 15 min max on a busy day. It's good to remember if you need something to do without a wait.
• Consider also going on It's A Small World at some point during your Disneyland visit.
• Disneyland also still has some attractions which are still around from 1955. Mr Toad's Wild Ride and Peter Pan come to mind. If you want to go on Peter Pan, be at the main gate for rope drop 45 min before park opening and walk with purpose to Fantasyland. It's a 3.5 min ride (approximately) and other than right away at park opening or in the last hour before the park closes, the line for this ride is consistently 30-45 min long all day. It's remained very popular for the 61 years that it's been operating.

 

[BriannaRuth]

These are both great plans but no one has addressed the OP's comment that her kids want to do Jedi training, which will affect the morning plan considerably. We haven't done it but I've read you need to be in line pretty early for that and that your kids have to be in line with you. Maybe someone who has experience with that can chime in here, or OP maybe you could search for Jedi training and see how early you need to be in line for that.

Otherwise, I think VandVsmama has it about the same as I'd do it.

And yes, Buzz is disconnected.

Honestly that time of year you shouldn't have any trouble getting everything done that you hope to get done.

On your DCA day (probably Thursday) I'd arrive 30 minutes before park opening and ride TSMM first since it doesn't have FP. Get a RSR FP on your way into the park before you ride TSMM. Ride Screamin' or GSS if you can while you're in the area before doing RSR with your FP, or head over to Carsland and do Luigi's. Check wait times and FP return times and decide if Soarin' or GRR is your next priority. You could probably get a Soarin' FP, then head to GRR and do it without too much wait this early in the morning, or vice versa. They're pretty close to each other. Watch RSR FP return times and get a second RSR FP when they're good for a nighttime ride.

Get Lines or the DL app on your phone if you can to check wait times, or call Otto.

 

[Shbean]

Wow thank you so much VandVsMama! That is exactly the sort of plan I need!
BriannaRuth - you're right both boys are keen to do Jedi training, so I will need to put signing up for that and doing it in somewhere.
I'm wondering about doing that first thing on the Wed morning. That way we're not spending our first precious moments in the park lining up to sign up.
However it may be better to do it on the MM?

 

[Shbean]

And thank you too seth_r - I was thinking once we've done a ride together we may indeed start using single rider. It's handy that both the boys are confident with rides and the youngest is 9 1/2 so I don't think we'll have a problem splitting up for the odd ride.

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

Quick question, I know DLR doesn't have MDE and fast passes are the old way, but is there any way to know what Fast passes are available without checking the app or going to a FP station?

 

[BriannaRuth]

You can call Ask Otto (714-520-7090)

It seems like there's also a board that lists wait times somewhere in the hub but I don't know if FPs are listed there. I can't remember exactly where it is.

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

You can call Ask Otto (714-520-7090)

It seems like there's also a board that lists wait times somewhere in the hub but I don't know if FPs are listed there. I can't remember exactly where it is.

Thank you!

 

[smartlabelprint]

3 days isn't much. We go annually and 4 is our minimum. Can you get the 10 day pass for NZ residents from one of your travel agents?

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

3 days isn't much. We go annually and 4 is our minimum. Can you get the 10 day pass for NZ residents from one of your travel agents?

Do you do 2 in DL and 2 in DCA? I've never been, but I really want to in the near future! I think I would want to spend a whole week just in DL to soak everything up if I could LOL!

 

[maltdizzy]

Do you do 2 in DL and 2 in DCA? I've never been, but I really want to in the near future! I think I would want to spend a whole week just in DL to soak everything up if I could LOL!

5 days is solid time to do everything at a decent pace. It's also the longest domestic multi-day ticket you can buy.

We go for 2-3 days, during a week to L.A. (we used to live in L.A. and used to have AP's) and that includes pool time. 2 days feels rushed, 3 seems about right. Typically, most people can do what they want to multiple times in a 3-day trip. But if the parks are crowded, 3 days can seem rushed.

You don't lose time to transportation, everything is walk-able (even for many off-property hotels) ...the 2 DLR parks together have more rides than all 4 WDW parks but are crammed into a space slightly larger than Epcot.

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

5 days is solid time to do everything at a decent pace. It's also the longest domestic multi-day ticket you can buy.

We go for 2-3 days, during a week to L.A. (we used to live in L.A. and used to have AP's) and that includes pool time. 2 days feels rushed, 3 seems about right. Typicality, most people can do what they want to multiple times in a 3-day trip. But if the parks are crowded, 3 days can seem rushed.

You don't lose time to transportation, everything is walk-able (even for many off-property hotels) ...the 2 DLR parks together have more rides than all 4 WDW parks but are crammed into a space slightly larger than Epcot.

Good to know thanks! Do you spend more time in DL than DCA?

 

[maltdizzy]

Good to know thanks! Do you spend more time in DL than DCA?

Yes, we do. Considerably. Probably 2:1 DL to DCA

 

[smartlabelprint]

Do you do 2 in DL and 2 in DCA? I've never been, but I really want to in the near future! I think I would want to spend a whole week just in DL to soak everything up if I could LOL!

We parkhop.

 

[Geemo]

You can call Ask Otto (714-520-7090)

It seems like there's also a board that lists wait times somewhere in the hub but I don't know if FPs are listed there. I can't remember exactly where it is.

My smartphone skills for checking things on the app are sub-zero. I love Ask Otto!

The location of the info board, I believe is on the hub near Jolly Holiday's, as you are turning to go into Adventure Land.

To OP be careful about waiting until the last day to do the Jedi Training if this is something the kids really want to do.

Enjoy your time in America. Safe travels!

Geemo

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

I apologize to switching the OP for switching the topic really quick!

 

[Elima2015]

OP - you got great advice on the morning plans. We did not do Jedi Training as my kids are too young, but we saw the line for it and it formed early and was a big rush to get to it (we headed for Autopia first so saw the rush), so signing up for that will have to be a first on your list for a Disneyland day. We were there in early May.

We prioritized our mornings, but then park hopped in the afternoons and evenings based on wait times on the Disneyland app and it worked very well. We overall spent more time in DCA than in DL and had a blast.