One Day - both parks - advice

[sunny45]

After tweaking our vacation around a bit for next year we will only be visiting Disneyland for one day and getting a park hopper. We know this is not going to be enough time to truly experience the parks.

DH is not big on some rides, which is good in a way to allow more time for other things. Mickey's Fun Wheel, California Screamin', Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, BTMRR, Splash Mountain and probably even Matterhorn would be single lane rider rides for me or even just skipped if it's too long. He would do anything that's not a roller coaster or with a drop or too high up. Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Toy Story Mania, etc are all ok rides for him.

What are some of the things to truly not miss at Disneyland (we have been to WDW several times) rides or otherwise, Radiator Spring Racers is something I would like to do and Soarin' is awesome, even though we have done that at WDW several times. World of Color, Aladdin, Fantastic? I know we can't do it all in one day.

Is there a park we should do first? Our date is Sept 6th of next year which is a Friday and we would go from opening to closing which should be until 10 or 11pm, and we are staying across the street at the Best Western.

We can always come back, hopefully.

 

[rewardsinlife]

WOC or F! Would be good shows to see since they are different and sometimes don't exist in other Disney parks. Cars land is the big new thing which deserves a visit. Soarin of course is wonderful.

In the past when we have done both parks in one day we have done DL
' big' rides in the morning. ( run over to frontier land first as most people go straight to Tomorrowland or Fantasyland. Then about lunch time or early afternoon when many people get there with their young kids head over to DCA. Eat lunch over on the pier between cars land and the roller coster if you want a bit of a quieter and a little cheaper lunch. Hit up as many rides till evening and then depending on what show you want to see head over to that park. (note carsland is pretty busy in afternoon so try the other rides) The last hr. before closing at DCA is A LOT less crowded than DL. So if you didn't get cars land during the day..it has a lot shorter lines..and I think looks really neat at night.

Hope this helps!

 

[HydroGuy]

After tweaking our vacation around a bit for next year we will only be visiting Disneyland for one day and getting a park hopper. We know this is not going to be enough time to truly experience the parks.

DH is not big on some rides, which is good in a way to allow more time for other things. Mickey's Fun Wheel, California Screamin', Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, BTMRR, Splash Mountain and probably even Matterhorn would be single lane rider rides for me or even just skipped if it's too long. He would do anything that's not a roller coaster or with a drop or too high up. Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Toy Story Mania, etc are all ok rides for him.

What are some of the things to truly not miss at Disneyland (we have been to WDW several times) rides or otherwise, Radiator Spring Racers is something I would like to do and Soarin' is awesome, even though we have done that at WDW several times. World of Color, Aladdin, Fantastic? I know we can't do it all in one day.

Is there a park we should do first? Our date is Sept 6th of next year which is a Friday and we would go from opening to closing which should be until 10 or 11pm, and we are staying across the street at the Best Western.

We can always come back, hopefully.

While World of Color totally rocks it takes a big time commitment and I always advise day trippers to avoid it unless they have visited before and can afford the time.

Aladdin is definitely worth seeing and requires a lower time commitment.

Don't overestimate your ability to go opening to closing. Especially when it is warm out like Sept. I was with DS16 the last two days at DLR and he is a high school soccer player in good physical condition. Saturday the high was like 75 and yesterday it was close to 90. On both afternoons we needed a two hour break to the hotel for a nap. Since you will not have a hotel I will strongly recommend you plan on not being able to stay all day and being ready to leave by 7 or 8PM in the evening. Or you may run your kids or the adults into the ground with exhaustion! If you find out in the end you can make it then count it a bonus.

 

[madigraham]

After tweaking our vacation around a bit for next year we will only be visiting Disneyland for one day and getting a park hopper. We know this is not going to be enough time to truly experience the parks.

DH is not big on some rides, which is good in a way to allow more time for other things. Mickey's Fun Wheel, California Screamin', Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, BTMRR, Splash Mountain and probably even Matterhorn would be single lane rider rides for me or even just skipped if it's too long. He would do anything that's not a roller coaster or with a drop or too high up. Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Toy Story Mania, etc are all ok rides for him.

What are some of the things to truly not miss at Disneyland (we have been to WDW several times) rides or otherwise, Radiator Spring Racers is something I would like to do and Soarin' is awesome, even though we have done that at WDW several times. World of Color, Aladdin, Fantastic? I know we can't do it all in one day.

Is there a park we should do first? Our date is Sept 6th of next year which is a Friday and we would go from opening to closing which should be until 10 or 11pm, and we are staying across the street at the Best Western.

We can always come back, hopefully.

Start at DCA to get fp for RSR.
Attractions at DL that are a must do:
Star Tours, Space Mt, Matterhorn, Storybook ride, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Scary Adventure, Thunder Mt, Splash Mt, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Many adventure of winnie the pooh, Jungle Cruise, Soundsational Parade, and Wishes Fireworks.

DCA Attractions:
Soarin, RSR, its a bugs life, TOT, Aladdin show, Mad Tea Party, Monster's inc, Animation Studios, and World of color( get fp at beginning of the day)

 

[sonnyjane]

DH is not big on some rides, which is good in a way to allow more time for other things. Mickey's Fun Wheel, California Screamin', Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, BTMRR, Splash Mountain and probably even Matterhorn would be single lane rider rides for me or even just skipped if it's too long. He would do anything that's not a roller coaster or with a drop or too high up. Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Toy Story Mania, etc are all ok rides for him.

I'm not sure if you typed that to be literal or not, but just in case, I wanted to make sure you knew that of the rides you listed, only California Screamin', Splash Mountain, and Matterhorn offer Single Rider Lines.

 

[undertheradar]

This would be the start of Labor Day weekend, correct?

 

[smiles33]

Your DH sounds like mine! I rode the Mountains and other rides my DDs didn't want to ride every afternoon when DH rested at the hotel with the girls. Are you trying to stick together the entire day or are you planning already to send him off somewhere (the hotel? the Cove Bar in DCA?)?

If you only have one day, you REALLY need to have a good FP strategy if you want to hit all those rides. It's a bit exhausting to traverse the parks collecting FPs but it's TOTALLY worth it.

I also strongly recommend you read HydroGuy's tips, especially his DLR Guide for WDW vets!

 

[sunny45]

I'm not sure if you typed that to be literal or not, but just in case, I wanted to make sure you knew that of the rides you listed, only California Screamin', Splash Mountain, and Matterhorn offer Single Rider Lines.

I didn't know which rides offer single rider lines or not but was just saying which rides he wouldn't do. Thanks for the heads up on that.

This would be the start of Labor Day weekend, correct?

Next year Labor day is Monday Sept 2nd.

 

[sunny45]

Your DH sounds like mine! I rode the Mountains and other rides my DDs didn't want to ride every afternoon when DH rested at the hotel with the girls. Are you trying to stick together the entire day or are you planning already to send him off somewhere (the hotel? the Cove Bar in DCA?)?

If you only have one day, you REALLY need to have a good FP strategy if you want to hit all those rides. It's a bit exhausting to traverse the parks collecting FPs but it's TOTALLY worth it.

I also strongly recommend you read HydroGuy's tips, especially his DLR Guide for WDW vets!

We most likely will just stick together. We'll do the rides we can together and If I can't do all the other rides that's really okay with me too. There is enough other things to do. Really just want to do RSR, Haunted Mansion & Soarin' everything else will just wing it with FP's and see what happens. Would like to see the Aladdin show since the shows at WDW are so good.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[sonnyjane]

Aladdin is REALLY good but it is also definitely a time suck if you only have one day. If you're okay with dedicating an hour or so to it, then do try to go. It's very well done.