October Weekends - DCA Strategy?

[Mister Toad]

Hello everyone,

After a long absence, we will be making our way back to the DLR, its been nearly 2 years! We only have time for a short trip (flying in Friday, Oct 19 and back out Monday Oct 22), so we will only have 2 weekend days in the parks, but we plan on making the most of them.

As neither of us has been to the new DCA, any tips on strategy? Should we expect Sunday or Saturday to be more crowded in both parks? I am trying to get an idea of how we should plan since we want to be sure to do Cars Land (I am sure RSR more than once!), but also spend plenty of time in DL.

Any tips on if we should do DCA or DL first in the AM, get fast passes, etc. Not sure how crazy DCA continues to be on weekends.

Thanks!

 

[rewardsinlife]

DCA is still busy... But not as bad as before. RSR is on average about a 75 min. Wait now instead of 150!

My advice is to get there on sat. Right when the park opens. Then have a member or all of the family rush to cars land and grab fast passes for RSR. While there, if line is not too bad then you can go on rides, and then come back later when you want to use fast pass.

Bonus you will have is that it is Halloween time. So, you are going to have more people in DL for the halloween rides and decorations, ideally, than DCA. Sun. More annual passes are valid than Sat so watch out for crowds on Sunday. Also you need to each out for MNSSH and the time limits on those days. Obviously, go to DCA if you are kicked out of DL early .

 

[Tennor]

I suggest finding out if either park does NOT have an early entrance going on, and going to that park on that morning.

You want to be the first people in the park, and not have to compete with those who've already entered.

 

[Steamboat Philly]

Not sure if I agree w/ Rewardsinlife on his statement about the Halloween decorations. My DW and I are AP holders and we go probably a good 3-4 times per week. Cars Land is still just as packed as it was in the summer. Whereas the longest DL line we've waited in is about 40 mins for Space Mountain. And unfortunately the weekends are still crazy. If you want to do RSR more than once, then do what was mentioned above. 1 person go get FP's, the other(s) go get in line and do it twice that way. We've been experiencing 100+ min wait times still. Only about 40 in single rider though. Hope this helps.

 

[Mister Toad]

Not sure if I agree w/ Rewardsinlife on his statement about the Halloween decorations. My DW and I are AP holders and we go probably a good 3-4 times per week. Cars Land is still just as packed as it was in the summer. Whereas the longest DL line we've waited in is about 40 mins for Space Mountain. And unfortunately the weekends are still crazy. If you want to do RSR more than once, then do what was mentioned above. 1 person go get FP's, the other(s) go get in line and do it twice that way. We've been experiencing 100+ min wait times still. Only about 40 in single rider though. Hope this helps.

Thanks, I think we will try first thing each day to grab RSR fastpasses before day one getting into DL and hitting up fantasy land and day 2 hitting up cars land.

Anyone know if its been calming down during WOC or later in the evenings?

 

[DLR29]

Thanks, I think we will try first thing each day to grab RSR fastpasses before day one getting into DL and hitting up fantasy land and day 2 hitting up cars land.

Anyone know if its been calming down during WOC or later in the evenings?

Unfortunately no. One thing that I've noticed is that the FP return line for RSR is much longer in the evening. Since you really have to be in the park in the first 2 hours to get a RSR FP, my theory is that many people who arrive in the early early morning take afternoon breaks and then use their RSR FP in the evening. Just a guess, but I've seen the FP return line on multiple occasions back up to the entrance of the ride at night.

 

[Monica D]

Unfortunately no. One thing that I've noticed is that the FP return line for RSR is much longer in the evening. Since you really have to be in the park in the first 2 hours to get a RSR FP, my theory is that many people who arrive in the early early morning take afternoon breaks and then use their RSR FP in the evening. Just a guess, but I've seen the FP return line on multiple occasions back up to the entrance of the ride at night.

So this is something that still confuses me: you don't have to use your FP during the stated hours? If your RSR FP says 1:30-3:30, you can use it at night?

 

[Mister Toad]

So this is something that still confuses me: you don't have to use your FP during the stated hours? If your RSR FP says 1:30-3:30, you can use it at night?

As far as I know, and as of my last trip (October 2010), they permitted late fast-pass usage. I heard that this was on the way out though.

 

[DLR29]

So this is something that still confuses me: you don't have to use your FP during the stated hours? If your RSR FP says 1:30-3:30, you can use it at night?

Yes this is correct, although the FP would say 1:30-2:30. And as of right now there are no signs of this being changed at DLR. This has been unofficial policy for years. At WDW they recently started requiring that you return during the actual printed return time, but not at DLR.