Newbie trying to go to Disneyland on June 15th

[yakmom]

We had no idea about Carsland when we booked our trip in December. We are planning to do Disneyland on June 14th and 15th. We have 2 day tickets to one park and only want to do Disneyland. Is it going to be horribly difficult for us to get into Disneyland on the 15th with the opening of Cars...meaning, do they have the same entrance areas? I read on another thread that people will be camping out to enter CA...so will we even be able to get into Disneyland? We are going with our three littles (ages 3, 6, 9) and I could never imagine making them campout. Thanks in advance!

 

[jenergy]

We had no idea about Carsland when we booked our trip in December. We are planning to do Disneyland on June 14th and 15th. We have 2 day tickets to one park and only want to do Disneyland. Is it going to be horribly difficult for us to get into Disneyland on the 15th with the opening of Cars...meaning, do they have the same entrance areas? I read on another thread that people will be camping out to enter CA...so will we even be able to get into Disneyland? We are going with our three littles (ages 3, 6, 9) and I could never imagine making them campout. Thanks in advance!

That's rough...On a positive note though, no, they do not share the same entrance so in that regard you're good. However, I don't doubt that Disneyland will be insane as well with people avoiding/taking a break from CA.

 

[yakmom]

Oh thank you! Crowds, I am beginning to think we can handle. We'll just do as much as we can and really try to absorb the smaller details that everyone else is too busy to notice. I was just super afraid that we wouldn't even be able to get into Disneyland in the first place and waste so much time trying to get through the lines at the entrance. Our oldest two went to Disney about 3 years ago, but they were still so young that I don't know how much they really remember...so this is really going to be a magical experience for all three of them regardless.

 

[mystic_path]

That's rough...On a positive note though, no, they do not share the same entrance so in that regard you're good. However, I don't doubt that Disneyland will be insane as well with people avoiding/taking a break from CA.

Yah its a hard call on what Disneyland itself will be like. I can imagine people wanting to take breaks from DCA, plus in Disneyland the Matterhorn is reopening on the 15th after a LONG refurb to repaint the mountain, install new ride vehicles, and add a few new effects to the inside of the mountain. Just make use of your fast passes, and take a break from the parks if it's just getting to you. A swim in the hotel pool, or a nap, or an early dinner can really make a world of difference before you go back and tackle the park some more. Just remember you are at Disneyland and its hard not to have a good time.

 

[sonnyjane]

I'm actually less worried about your day on the 15th than I am your day on the 14th, since on the 14th, California Adventure is closed completely, so the only place open is Disneyland!

Just get there as early as you possibly can...

 

[yakmom]

I'm actually less worried about your day on the 15th than I am your day on the 14th, since on the 14th, California Adventure is closed completely, so the only place open is Disneyland!

Just get there as early as you possibly can...

We were originally thinking of getting there at 7:00 am on the 14th since we won't have early entry with the two-day tickets. I thought 1 hour before would be enough, but now, I am thinking that is not early enough either. Is there any other way you can get early morning entry if you are staying off-site and don't have park hoppers?

I would never have imagined that there is such a learning curve to Disneyland! LOL!

 

[sonnyjane]

We were originally thinking of getting there at 7:00 am on the 14th since we won't have early entry with the two-day tickets. I thought 1 hour before would be enough, but now, I am thinking that is not early enough either. Is there any other way you can get early morning entry if you are staying off-site and don't have park hoppers?

Unfortunately no

I'm not going to make you panic or anything, but is there any way you can change the dates of your trip? Wow I really feel for you! When you booked, you didn't have any idea that you were picking the busiest day of the year!!!

 

[yakmom]

Poop! LOL! No, there isn't a way we can change our dates. Darn! We arrive in Aneheim on the 13th around 1pm and were planning to do Disney on the 14th and 15th. We are meeting up with friends on the 16th and doing some sightseeing in the area. On the 17th we are driving down to San Diego for 4 nights and doing some fun beach stuff there. Our tickets are non-refundable for airline.

Funny thing is that I normally HATE crowds...go grocery shopping before most people are up, avoid Christmas crowds by shopping online. This is going to be a great test of my patience. I have vowed to remain upbeat though and try to go with the flow. If our kids miss a ride or two OR 10...they honestly won't know any better.

 

[sonnyjane]

I have vowed to remain upbeat though and try to go with the flow. If our kids miss a ride or two OR 10...they honestly won't know any better.

AWESOME attitude Yeah, I wasn't sure if you were driving into town or something easy like that where you could just reschedule. Obviously if you have other things planned and non-refundable plane tickets, you will just have to roll with the punches.

I wish you a very happy trip and I hope you have a blast! BUT... if you DON'T have a blast, please promise us that you will schedule another trip giving "us" a second chance. When you're going won't be a good representation of "normal" Disneyland. Typically we recommend at least 3 (and probably now 4 days because of Carsland) to see most everything, so maybe plan another trip down the road when everybody is tall enough to go on everything and you won't be up against this insanity

Have fun!

 

[CalvaryMike]

There are separate entrances to both parks, however they share the same security line. I don't know if they're going to try something different for the people that just want to go to DL. However, if they do, I could see people going to the DL line and then once in DL try to cut over to DCA.

 

[yakmom]

Thanks for the well wishes and advice. Very nice! So, do you all think 7 am is early enough on the 14th? The Early Morning Entry people should mostly be through by then, right?

 

[MagicMomma1]

yakmom,

I always think it's a good idea to have a plan when going to Disneyland, ESPECIALLY when it's busy. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the Unnofficial Guides and recommend checking out The Unofficial Guide To Disneyland 2012 (Sehlinger, Kubersky, & Testa) beforehand. The touring plans provided are extremely helpful (the key is to be among the first in the park and they only apply to non-Magic Mornings).

Utilize your Fastpasses, stay well-hydrated, pack some healthy snacks so everyone's energy stays up, keep those kiddies protected from the sun, wear your COMFIEST shoes (no flip-flops!), and don't be afraid to take an afternoon break at the hotel for a swim and naps.

There's no denying it's going to be INSANE but it is what it is and you've got the absolute right attitude about it. That's so important. It will set the tone for the entire visit. Have a great time!

 

[DisneyMomma81]

yakmom,

I always think it's a good idea to have a plan when going to Disneyland, ESPECIALLY when it's busy. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the Unnofficial Guides and recommend checking out The Unofficial Guide To Disneyland 2012 (Sehlinger, Kubersky, & Testa) beforehand. The touring plans provided are extremely helpful (the key is to be among the first in the park and they only apply to non-Magic Mornings).

Utilize your Fastpasses, stay well-hydrated, pack some healthy snacks so everyone's energy stays up, keep those kiddies protected from the sun, wear your COMFIEST shoes (no flip-flops!), and don't be afraid to take an afternoon break at the hotel for a swim and naps.

There's no denying it's going to be INSANE but it is what it is and you've got the absolute right attitude about it. That's so important. It will set the tone for the entire visit. Have a great time!

I agree with most of that but... my go to shoes for Disney for several years have been my Croc Flip flops, even wore them for 9 days @ WDW, they're awesome! I tried these on and they're super comfy too, good revies. More reviews here.

 

[yakmom]

I have purchased the Official Guide to Disneyland 2012 and paid for their online subscription. Their plans say that they only work for early entry, which of course we won't have, but I am hoping that they will still work better than no plan at all??? The plan that works best for us (although we do acknowledge that it is too ambitious for such a busy day...is the Dumbo in a Day. We'll just start at the beginning and work our way through it as much as possible. What we don't get done that day, we'll start with the next day.

We bought comfy shoes! Our kids have been wearing them on our nightly "getting our Disney legs" walk. We walk about 2 miles every night...even our littlest!

We plan to take a 3 hour break, nap, and swim from 2-5 and then come back to the park...hoping to take advantage of dinner hour to get more attractions done (hoping people will be eating their own dinners at that time). We are staying at the Park Vue Inn and have a small kitchenette, so we'll get the kids dinner from our room.

I have learned so much from these boards! Crazy how much preparing has to be done, but I would rather do it right now than be scrambling and overwhelmed while we are in the parks.

 

[8timesblessed]

Can you change your days around at all?? Can you be in the park on the Sunday/Monday or Monday/Tuesday? And do your San Diego stuff first?

If not your plan sounds fine and you have a great attitude and with bigger crowds they run more cars and have more CM's so if you can ignore the people and go with your plan and get fast passes you will be fine! Bring snacks for your kids and have a fun trip!!

 

[MagicMomma1]

DISNEYMOMMA 81,

Admit I've never tried Crocs but am always hearing good things about them... Some ppl even RUN in them! And thanks for the link to the Nike thongs. Not only do they look comfy but they're CUTE, too!! I always heard flip-flops were a poor choice for Disney because of what walking in them does to your feet and leg muscles but maybe the caveat is the KIND of flip-flops you're wearing??? I swear I'm going to order those Nikes in chocolate/pale blue....

 

[MagicMomma1]

yakmom,

It sounds like you're doing everything right and going into this prepared!!! It WILL pay off!!

 

[jenergy]

My Rainbow flip-flops hurt me a lot less than my Nike running shoes in the parks. I find that if you have a very broken in flip flop (or Rainbows) they can be just as comfortable if not more as a regular shoe at Disneyland.

 

[rtfelt]

I also wear my flip flops (rainbows) in the parks. I NEVER wear sneakers. People think about the walking, but remember you spend most of your time standing not walking when going to Disney. Flip flops with a thick, cooshy sole is MUCH more comfortable for your feet then sneakers when you're just standing. Think about all those people who stand all day (ticket takers, cashiers) they stand on a thick rubber mat.

 

[yakmom]

I looked into changing dates at the hotel, but they were booked because of the busy weekend...plus...we are flying into John Wayne, but flying out of San Diego, so changing dates around, probably wouldn't work well either. I wish we could though.