Next week suggestions/help

[Mom2Joce]

I'm out of control!!!
So, I got the Hojo email this morning and decided to just go for it, haven't been in 4 years (which is unheard of) and I booked next week 29, 30, 31. Haven't even told the kids. I have family very close to the parks so will visit them a day or two but got the Deluxe AP's, rented a car and just want to spend the week there.

I'm usually the master planner and NEVER go in the summer cuz I'm not a fan of crowds, but with the hotel discount and the fact that it's been sooooo long, I just couldn't pass it up!

Help/questions:
My priority is Car's Land...what's the best way to maneuver and get the most out of Car's Land...I don't want to be in line for hours!

Next priority is WoC, what's the most enjoyable way to see this?

Also, is there morning madness with the deluxe AP's?

Where are the best places to use the AP discounts? Food/Souvenirs?

Are there any events going on during this time? Races, cheer groups, etc.

Last, it's been 4 years since our last Hojo stay...any new or current things I should be aware of? We like Mimi's do they still work with them?

Many, many thanks for all the help,
Kelie

 

[ktlm]

Are your kids old enough to do the single rider line? DD is 8, and we rode RSR several times last week using the single rider line. We kept an eye on the wait times app, and most of the time we did it with a 10 or 15 minute wait. We wanted to do it after dark on our first night (you definitely need to see Carsland after dark-so pretty!) and the FPs were gone by the time we arrived at the parks, so we waited in single rider 20 minutes that night, but that was the longest. Last week the FPs were running out about 12:30 ish, but we felt like the crowds were pretty low. We did it with FP once to try to get a picture of everyone together since we had photopass+, but of course the picture came out terrible!

The other 2 rides, the lines are usually shorter in the morning, but if you keep an eye on the DL wait times app, they do go down her and there through the day. We rode the tires in the afternoon with just a 10 minute wait last week. If you have never ridden the tires before, you will probably want to ride them more than once. It takes a little while to get the knack of it, but once you do it is FUN. We discovered this trip that instead of just going side to side and forward, that if we all leaned back at the same time we would fly backwards- we were cruising all over the area. As far as Tow-Mater- just a warning- at least last week they had some little bug swarms over the vehicles. The CM said the bugs had been hanging out there at the ride for a a while. I said I can't wait until we start moving and get rid of these guys- and the CM heard me and said "Don't count on that- they have been following the cars they are hovering over for days. Sure enough the nasty little guys followed us and pestered us the whole ride! I thought they looked like mosquitos, but I didn't get bit and mosquitos usually love me, so they must have been something else. Between the bugs and the fact that ride is pretty rough, I'm done with that one! Hopefully, the bugs will be gone before your trip!

Absolutely see Carsland after dark. It is beautiful. Not only are all the neon lights great, but the canyon lighting is gorgeous. A great picture spot is coming in from the Pacific wharf entrance. They even had a photopass photographer set up there the night we were out there.

WOC there is an entire superthread on getting a good spot without doing the dining package. We like doing the dining package. You get a FP for the preferred dining section, and you don't have to wait in line quite as long to get a good spot. Do note that there is only 1 WOC a day right now, as opposed to the 2 there were last summer. We felt that got people in line about 15 minutes earlier than usual. We like to be at the rail in the wet zone. I'm short and DD, 8, is shorter so I will take wet if it gets me a front row unobstructed view. Normally we do the dining package and just go in between 45 minutes to an hour ahead of the show after they have already opened the area and grab that spot. This time the line looked like it was alreayd starting to get long an hour and 15 minutes before the show, so we went ahead and jumped in line then, and had no problem getting to the wet zone rail. There were also still good spots not in the wet zone when we got in.

The rest I can't help with because we don't have APs.

We usually go the first week in June before a lot of schools in the area are out, and we were surprised at how low the crowds were last week. Much less than we are used to in June. Hopefully it will stay that way for you!

Have fun!

 

[Mom2Joce]

Thanks so much. That was extremely helpful. I know there will be crowds but the more prepared I am the easier it will be when there I will check out the WoC thread. And hopefully someone will be able to shed some light on the AP thing

 

[SMD]

There is no MM for APs unless you stay onsite. There are no AP discounts at food carts (including Cozy Cone). Otherwise, you get 10% on food, so it's not like it's a better value to use it at Pizza Port vs. Blue Bayou. I guess you could say it's better to go to a counter service place than buy a soda from a cart, but honestly, if you're near the cart, you want the soda, the savings is maybe 30 cents when you're already buying a theme park soda, so I'd probably just buy it for the convenience.

 

[Mom2Joce]

Thanks for your advice on the AP info

 

[aliceindisneyland]

Remember to ask for the AP discount in Downtown Disney and in the resort hotel restaurants and gift shops! (But at Earl of Sandwich use your AAA if you have it - that's 15% instead of 10%.)

Check your receipts for 20% off coupons for your souvenirs at select stores, but it includes most of the big stores.

And, as always, use your favorite credit card combo to get Disney Gift Cards and pay everything but the hotel with those. On such short notice, you can still buy all you need at Target for a flat 5% off (assuming you have a Red card) and save over $100 on 4 Deluxe APs.