Please help me get excited

[carmel]

I need to start out by saying that we should all hope that the biggest complaint on our plates is to not be excited about an upcoming trip to Disneyland. I'm well aware of how fortunate I am to be able to take a trip with my loving, healthy family. But.......

We are swinging by DL for 4 days in August as part of a trip out to visit DH's family in LA. We've been to DL twice before - you may remember me talking about how they were both kinda bad trips. We only got to ride 4 rides a day and the crowds were so bad, it was not fun at all. I know mid/late August is still the busy season but that is the only time we can go.

The DVD from Disney is sitting on the kitchen table, unopened. We cruise a lot and I've always got 1-2 spreadsheets going for plans and itineries for them but I haven't done a darn thing about planning DL. We are celebrating our youngest's birthday out there and I haven't even counted back 60 days to find out when to make a reservation. Why, you ask??? I think I'm overwhelmed.

The two previous times, we had a very general plan of what to do. We quickly realized that there was just no way. After spending over an hour in line and having ridden only 4 rides 2pm, we went back to the hotel with a pretty bad taste in our mouth.

I know I should plan on comando style if I want to maximize things but the thought of it overwhelms me. I sit down to try to plan when to get the FPs and where we are going to be at what time and what to do what day and I hit a wall. I don't understand it. I'm 'Miss Organized', 'Miss Planner'. My family calls me the travel agent because I've planned tons of extended itineraries on our cruises and everyone has had a blast. I just can't get my butt in gear here.

I want to be excited - our girls are 5 and 10 and our youngest is a Disness Princess maniac. If I go low stress (not comando), we don't get to do a lot of rides. If I go commando, I'll be stressed and running here and there to follow a schedule.

Gosh, this sounds really lame - I should just be happy I get to vacation with my family instead of whining. But, I really want to get excited!!!!!

 

[mom4princesses]

I will suggest you try RideMax. This will set you back about $30 but give you back your sanity. All you do it tell it what you want to do for the day and it does all the planning for you. Thats the only way my family does DL. Hope this helps and puts the Magic back into you trip.

 

[NWPrincess]

You can also get Ridemax for $15 for a 3 month subscription.

Anyway, a few thoughts:
1. It sounds like you will be going during high season. This means a lot of shows/fireworks/entertainment will be going on. You can have a great time at Disneyland, not get on a single ride (or the few you can fit in) and take advantage of all the great shows.
2. You should look into doing the Fastpasses for the Fastpass rides in the morning (read Hydroguy's tips...they are really good).
3. I would also recommend the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. It talks about Disneyland during high season and (especially if you go Commando style) it presents multiple itineraries which I found to be very good.
4. Maybe plan to take a break in the afternoon. Are you staying at a hotel within walking distance?

Don't worry--I'm sure you will have a good time. Just don't stress--it's Disney!

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

Yes, August will be busy... but let me help you get started.... go to the disneyland website, and pull up the calendar for your dates... I saw another thread that it has been posted for August...

Take a look at what you want to do on your dates (Fantasmic? Fireworks? Electrical Parade? Pixar Play Parade?) And maybe write 1 down a night (if that is possible)... two maybe for the day you want to see the Play Parade (it is really fun BTW!!)

Look at the morning start times, do you have MM? Put that in the plan... be at the gate 1/2 hour before the gates open.

Just schedule your mornings... you will get so much done between 7-11 or 8-11 (on non MM days) you will be surprised!

At 11 or so, head over to DCA, ride a couple things (it will be quieter over there) have lunch--grab a soarin FP for later, and go back to your hotel for naps... spend the afternoon in the pool, and head back to DL or DCA for dinner (or after dinner)... use up the fast passes you grabbed in the morning (you will do that right?)

Watch the parade, or fireworks or fantasmic... or whatever is on your nightly schedule... ride another ride or two, then head back to the hotel to get some sleep before doing it all again the next day!

For one of your lunches or dinners make a PS at Ariel's for your daughter... she'll meet the princesses and you won't have to spend hours in line at PFF!

There you go... you are half planned already!

Now get excited!!





--Lisa

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Definitely map out a plan for what time to hit which attraction. It is possible to tour commando without going over the top. I think it's a great idea to be in the parks at opening. The park tends to be less crowded early in the morning. It also helps to fit in a mid-day break and/or nap. That enables you to rest in the heat of the day and head back to the parks refreshed.

Also, take advantage of parades and fireworks to experience attractions. It lessens the crowd going on rides. With 4 days in DLR you have plenty of time, you can see the fireworks once and use the other nights to hit attractions. I also think it helps to do Fantasyland later at night(after the fireworks) when crowds tend to thin out especially in that area of the park.

 

[tortugaverde]

Personally, I don't think you should plan out every last detail to drag your family around the park so you get to do the very most... especially if that is stressing you out and or making you avoid even thinking about your trip!
I did a lot of research here and elsewhere in preparation for our trip over spring break. There were A LOT of people there and the lines were insane. However, we never waited more than about 20 min for any ride, except Nemo, Peter Pan and PFF... if you want to call that "a ride".
I think you can still take a relaxed "non commando" attitude AND get the most out of DL We did not plan out much of anything and I think we would have been miserable with something like RideMax. We just saved up FP in the morning (which ever we came to first), took a break in the afternoon and then came back at night and rode stuff during F! and the Fworks and used up our FP's.

I say, just relax It will be fine as long as you avoid mid day and mentally plan out (even just the night before!) what you are going to do. Just go with a "we are going to have fun no matter what" attitude, and you WILL

 

[Queenbillabong]

We went in May and it was very busy - more so in the afternoons/evenings though. We had a great time and still waited no more than 10-20 minutes for every ride that we did.

We went early, had one Magic Morning with early entry and did a LOT of rides that day and then went to DCA at opening and did more rides then. My son made use of the single rider lines for some rides that he wanted to do that no way on this Earth would I go on Did rides for the a.m. and then had lunch, rested or swam at the hotel, came back for dinner and shows (Aladdin, Fantasmic, fireworks). We never even used Fast Passes on the trip as we did so many rides in the morning that we were happy just with the shows and wandering in the evening.

I didn't plan exactly what rides we were going on - more had an idea of what area we would be in. I made PS for lunch and breakfast and then we were in that area around that time, doing whatever we wanted - this way we did not have to trek all across the park to make ressies, etc. If the wait time was too long, we moved on to the next thing we wanted to do....... If the wait times were really short for things we wanted to do, we did them more than once and then moved on. It's good to know what you want and still be able to be flexible.

I would say though to make sure you don't leave things you really want to do for the last day, just in case. I left Blue Bayou, POTC, Indiana Jones, etc. and all my souvenirs (my son certainly got his ) to the last day and then my son got very sick, so we did not go to the park on the last day - which is when we were also supposed to upgrade to APs, so did not get that done either.

 

[avalon451]

The term "commando" bugs me, because people apply it to using plans like Ridemax or Unofficial Guide touring plans. They say that they like to "take it all in" or "savor the magic" and that having a plan ruins their style.

UG, Ridemax and Hydroguy's tips all basically say the same thing: you want to talk stressful? Stressful is sleeping in ("we just can't get up that early on vacation"), getting to the parks after opening ("we wanted to have a sit-down breakfast first"), finding the parks already mobbed, not familiarizing yourself with how FP works ("I hate to plan, I just like to go with the flow"). Then the rides are all hourlong waits, you don't have any FPs, and the park is so crowded by noon that you can barely move. Then you end up with an experience like OP had. But by following a simple plan and knowing how FPs work, you can avoid all that, take a break back at the hotel during the hot, mobbed part of the day, then come back refreshed at night and use all your accumulated FPs! Super fun and easy, not stressful!

OP, you're a great candidate to use the Unofficial Guide. It's already figured out for you. It's not a stressful schedule, it's really pretty moderate and allows for breaks. Or if you want to customize it, Ridemax is a lot of fun to play around with. And for free, you can learn all you really need to know by reading Hydroguy's tip thread at the top of the forum.

I'm so sorry your previous trips weren't fun! I sure hope you can have a great time this time!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

avalon, that's a great point about commando touring. I think that when you visit anyplace, especially one that is very well known and popular, it's a wise idea to do some advance planning. The great majority of Disney guests just kind of do their own thing, so tour guides like the UG work because they've been field tested. A little bit of research will go a long ways towards maximizing your enjoyment.

 

[aymekae]

I got the 3 month subscription to try it out in February. I think it is a great tool, but we actually didn't use the plan for 2 reasons: one, it doesn't give any data for Sundays, and that's the day we were going, and two, we went on a rainy day in February. Most of the rides were walk-ons, and we didn't need a FastPass because when we got to those rides, it was worth it to wait 5 minutes and ride it immediately. But I can see the definite advantage in the plans for a busy summer day. I enjoy the different options you can choose to personalize your day, including breaks and so on. Especially for 4 days worth!

 

[fairy8i8]

Bad experiences will sour even the best things. Sorry to hear about bad luck at the parks, but you are in the norm in August. 4 days will give you a lot of flexibility. If you want to have a good time and don't want to plan yourself, then just take the time to sit down with your girls and get their input and print out a few Ridemax itineraries. However, even Ridemax and the Unofficial Guide won't help you much unless you are at the parks early and only go on a Magic Morning day if you have the privilege. Here are a few other tips to keep things light (including lines).

1. You CAN enjoy Disneyland!
2. Pump yourself up by reading positive reviews of the rides like Birnbaum's Guide with your girls and have them pick out their favorites. After the critical reviews of the rides in the Unofficial Guide, which were helpful in helping understand the ride and determining which might be appropriate, I went back and read Birnbaum's Guide, and it got me way more into the "magic."
3. Go on the rides you want to experience first thing in the morning. There are a few caveates.
*From the sound of it, you are not prepared for Finding Nemo this trip, even if you have Magic Morning-- you will be in a long line unless you are at the front of the stampede, and you will stand in a long line while all the other lines are short. If this is a must, then go later as a capstone ride and just expect the long line, but you won't save yourself much time by trying it in the morning (it often takes them 15 minutes to get the ride up and running for the first time, in which time you could have ridden 2-3 rides in Fantasyland).
*With 4 days, unless you are staying on property, you are bound to run into a Magic Morning day where you do not have access. On these days, go early and skip Tomorrowland and Fantasyland and instead line up for Adventureland or Frontierland.
*If one of your preferred attractions offers Fastpass, pick it up in the morning (before 10:30am) in place of riding it and move on to a none Fastpass ride you want to experience.

There are so many tips-- Hydroguys are great. I love to plan trips, so if you want some help and suggestions that are more catered to your family, just send me a message!

 

[tofubeast]

Yes, u can use Ridemax if you want to go Commando and see it all....

but you can also use it if you want to enjoy a good number of things AND also soak it in. By maximizing your time, you end up with more time out of the lines and enjoying the scenery, lounging by the hotel pool, eating a Tiggertail, or buying a souvenir!

We are going in August too and we just got a sub. to Ridemax.

Hope the boards get you in the planning spirit!

 

[stacymomof2]

I have to 3rd or 4th (or 5th?!) the suggestion on the Unofficial Guide and Hydroguys tips. (I have no experience with RideMax).

I read the book and tips multiple times before I went. I felt more prepared even though we didn't write down a minute-by-minute guide.

Also, to get yourself excited, 1st suggestion is relax and then go read the trip reports! There are some pretty excited people on these boards and just reading their reports can be a lot of fun!

I did get to a point where I wasn't very excited, I think I was over-planning it. I had to take a break...then come back and I was then able to get excited again. We had a fabulous trip and I hope you have the same!

 

[PryncessChrysty]

I don't have a suggestion for your planning because everyone else has already posted great ideas & tips. What I will suggest is for some simple inspiration ~ just subscribe to these 2 threads and phish through when you feel like you've lost that Disney feeling....


-Disneyland Picture of the Day

-Post your favorite character photo

I hope you & your family have a magical time!

 

[carmel]

Thanks so much for the replies. They were very helpful. I think I will invest in Ridemax and I do have the UG.

I'm having a HORRIFIC day at work right now so I'm starting to get excited to be away from here on any vacation. Even wall to wall people with terrible BO who sneeze on me and run over my feet with strollers would be more fun than the people I'm dealing with here.

 

[quest4dl]

I've been playing a bit with Ridemax for my upcoming trip but still not sure if I will use it. One thing I don't like about the softward is when they create the plan for you, there is no date. So, if you are playing around and have made several schedules you don't know which window is for which date! I will take a few schedules with me but likely follow the Unofficial Guide's general advice as well as tips from this board. That is, early to the park, use a fastpass runner, break in the afternoon and return in evening to use fastpasses.

 

[avalon451]

I've been playing a bit with Ridemax for my upcoming trip but still not sure if I will use it. One thing I don't like about the softward is when they create the plan for you, there is no date. So, if you are playing around and have made several schedules you don't know which window is for which date! I will take a few schedules with me but likely follow the Unofficial Guide's general advice as well as tips from this board. That is, early to the park, use a fastpass runner, break in the afternoon and return in evening to use fastpasses.

There is no date? Not sure what you mean... ?

When I used Ridemax, each plan came up titled "Ridemax plan for Tuesday, March 24th" (or whatever)

I would fool around till I had one I thought was pretty good, then print it up and scribble the date I made it on... i.e. "2/25"... "revised, 2/27" etc. --that way I knew which was the latest and I ended up with a "final" for each day of my trip.

 

[S. S. Columbia]

... We are swinging by DL for 4 days in August ...

What days of the week are you visiting?

Remember HydroGuy’s “Rule #5”:

“Do not go to DLR on weekends."

JMHO, if I were spending four days in DLR in August, I would go Monday through Thursday.

HTH

 

[quest4dl]

There is no date? Not sure what you mean... ?

When I used Ridemax, each plan came up titled "Ridemax plan for Tuesday, March 24th" (or whatever)

I would fool around till I had one I thought was pretty good, then print it up and scribble the date I made it on... i.e. "2/25"... "revised, 2/27" etc. --that way I knew which was the latest and I ended up with a "final" for each day of my trip.

Aaahh! You're right - I didn't scroll up!

 

[minniecarousel]

awwww...Carmel, see - you're already getting in the mood. (leave it to idiots at work to help ya out there!)

You've gotten a lot of great tips here. You really HAVE to get up early in the morning to avoid long lines and to get FPs. Hopefully, that doesn't make you feel like you're doing the parks "commando"!

We (just DH & I) did Disneyland last August, and we must have lucked out in the weather dept - because while it was warm, it wasn't too hot. We always left Disneyland in the late morning and went to DCA for lunch and FPs and maybe a ride or two, before going back to our room for a nap.

I like the idea that someone had to make a PS for a Princess meal. We don't normally make any PS's when we go to Disneyland. Once there, we might "call ahead" to a DTD restaurant. (I'm overwhelmed when we go to WDW - having to plan meals so far ahead seems nuts!)