Question about Soarin and riding early.

[cedarparkgirl]

I have read you can ride Soarin a half hour early on MM days, but what about regular days.. does DCA open up Soarin before DL opens?

 

[S. S. Columbia]

DCA's regular opening time is usually 10:00am, but there's some unofficial, unadvertised perk, and every day of the week the DCA gates open early at 9:30am for all Guests. Soarin' opens at 9:30am, and Guests are allowed to enter the front area of DCA between 9:30 and 10:00am.

I have heard that you can also get FPs for Soarin' between 9:30 and 10:00am. At 10:00am the rest of DCA will open.

HTH

 

[mystic_path]

DCA's regular opening time is usually 10:00am, but there's some unofficial, unadvertised perk, and every day of the week the DCA gates open early at 9:30am for all Guests. Soarin' opens at 9:30am, and Guests are allowed to enter the front area of DCA between 9:30 and 10:00am.

I have heard that you can also get FPs for Soarin' between 9:30 and 10:00am. At 10:00am the rest of DCA will open.

HTH

WHAT! I thought I was really up to date on park tips... Why didnt I know this? Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You just made my day... Seriously!

 

[blackjackdelta]

DCA's regular opening time is usually 10:00am, but there's some unofficial, unadvertised perk, and every day of the week the DCA gates open early at 9:30am for all Guests. Soarin' opens at 9:30am, and Guests are allowed to enter the front area of DCA between 9:30 and 10:00am.

I have heard that you can also get FPs for Soarin' between 9:30 and 10:00am. At 10:00am the rest of DCA will open.

HTH

We have done this a couple of times. Probably my favorite ride. I go here to relax and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells.

Jack

 

[cedarparkgirl]

DCA's regular opening time is usually 10:00am, but there's some unofficial, unadvertised perk, and every day of the week the DCA gates open early at 9:30am for all Guests. Soarin' opens at 9:30am, and Guests are allowed to enter the front area of DCA between 9:30 and 10:00am.

I have heard that you can also get FPs for Soarin' between 9:30 and 10:00am. At 10:00am the rest of DCA will open.

HTH

Thanks! When you say "front area".. isn't there just one area you can enter?

 

[mechurchlady]

Thanks! When you say "front area".. isn't there just one area you can enter?

It is the same as the Disneyland rope drop but there is not Main Street. The prior poster was referring to the area from the entrance to Sunshine Plaza. It is a long walkway with buildings on either side that have services, shops and the monorail.

 

[cedarparkgirl]

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[northshoremama]

DCA's regular opening time is usually 10:00am, but there's some unofficial, unadvertised perk, and every day of the week the DCA gates open early at 9:30am for all Guests. Soarin' opens at 9:30am, and Guests are allowed to enter the front area of DCA between 9:30 and 10:00am.

I have heard that you can also get FPs for Soarin' between 9:30 and 10:00am. At 10:00am the rest of DCA will open.

HTH

really??? everyday? so not just MM days, huh?! i didn't know this either, but this makes me a very happy camper! i guess i have to and take a look at our itinerary again!

 

[bumbershoot]

really??? everyday? so not just MM days, huh?!

MM only covers DL.

 

[DangerMouse]

I can confirm that you can get FP's for Soarin when it is open at 9:30 am. Gives you a nice little head start on DCA FP collection.

 

[northshoremama]

MM only covers DL.

yeah, i knew MM was only DL...but for some reason i thought that maybe DCA would possibly open a bit early too when DL had MM days.

...but from what i'm reading, it sounds like DCA unofficially opens its gates at 9:30am and that people are allowed to ride and/or get FPs for Soarin' at 9:30am...and then the rest of DCA opens at 10am.

 

[cccdisney]

...but from what i'm reading, it sounds like DCA unofficially opens its gates at 9:30am and that people are allowed to ride and/or get FPs for Soarin' at 9:30am...and then the rest of DCA opens at 10am.

That is correct! I have done it many many times!
Also, the line for Toy Story Mania starts forming as soon as they start letting people in at 9:30 at the rope past Soarin' by Grizzly River Rapids. Just a heads up!

 

[cedarparkgirl]

So if you want to do Toy Story Mania.. its best to get in line right at 9:30am?

 

[northshoremama]

That is correct! I have done it many many times!
Also, the line for Toy Story Mania starts forming as soon as they start letting people in at 9:30 at the rope past Soarin' by Grizzly River Rapids. Just a heads up!

So if you want to do Toy Story Mania.. its best to get in line right at 9:30am?

but it's not like they are actually waiting in line for toy story mania, right? i mean, they are waiting by the rope...and once the rope drops, people will walk "briskly" towards toy story mania to get in line. i'm imagining that if a couple of adults walk faster than a family with a stroller, that they would "overtake" them as they are walking to toy story mania and be ahead in line of the family even though the family may have been standing ahead of them by the rope...

 

[mechurchlady]

The good thing about staying on site is that as the herd is rounding the corner for Toy Story Mania the hotel guests have already left the GHC through the east exit and are ahead of the herd. All resort guests can use GHC east exit into the park and thus beat the crowd at the main entrance.


I love DLR for its exercise programs, lol.

 

[Bunless]

I experienced two different line ups for TSM.

Weekday was just a normal rope drop.

Weekend was an actual line up at the rope. They walked the entire line, in order to TSM before the park opened.

 

[cccdisney]

I experienced two different line ups for TSM.

Weekday was just a normal rope drop.

Weekend was an actual line up at the rope. They walked the entire line, in order to TSM before the park opened.

Yes. I have had both happen to me also. Although I usually only go during peak times so I have had the "normal" rope drop only once. And they SHOULD have had a line because people RAN from the rope drop (by GRR) all the way to TSMM! No fun!

 

[northshoremama]

I experienced two different line ups for TSM.

Weekday was just a normal rope drop.

Weekend was an actual line up at the rope. They walked the entire line, in order to TSM before the park opened.

Yes. I have had both happen to me also. Although I usually only go during peak times so I have had the "normal" rope drop only once. And they SHOULD have had a line because people RAN from the rope drop (by GRR) all the way to TSMM! No fun!

so what can i expect if we are going the 1st week of may...weekday...either tuesday 5/5 or wednesday 5/6??

...and when you say "normal rope drop", do you mean, they still open the DCA gates at 9:30am, but no one is really lining up at the rope to walk briskly/run to TSM?

 

[cccdisney]

so what can i expect if we are going the 1st week of may...weekday...either tuesday 5/5 or wednesday 5/6??

...and when you say "normal rope drop", do you mean, they still open the DCA gates at 9:30am, but no one is really lining up at the rope to walk briskly/run to TSM?

It really is hard to say what they will do as far as the TSM line. Regardless, DCA will open their gates at 9:30. At that point you can go into the park but only in the front plaza area (not sure what it's really called), as well as the area where Soarin is. You can ride Soarin' at 9:30 and you can also pick up fast passes for it. This will be the only ride open between 9:30 and 10:00. There will be two ropes blocking people from getting to the rest of the park. One near GRR (just past the GC entrance) and one in the sunshine plaza area. There will be CM's at the ropes. In my experience a line started forming for the TSM immediately after the 9:30 gate opening. A CM formed the line at the rope near GRR and a little before 10 they started walking that line back to the ride so by the time 10:00 came that line was already at the ride and any other people (who probably didn't know about the early line) had to get behind the first line. (I sure hope that made sense! )

My plan would to be there at 9:30. Head towards the GRR rope drop area and ask a CM at the rope if there was a line for TSM. If there is one, it would be there.

HTH!

 

[northshoremama]

It really is hard to say what they will do as far as the TSM line. Regardless, DCA will open their gates at 9:30. At that point you can go into the park but only in the front plaza area (not sure what it's really called), as well as the area where Soarin is. You can ride Soarin' at 9:30 and you can also pick up fast passes for it. This will be the only ride open between 9:30 and 10:00. There will be two ropes blocking people from getting to the rest of the park. One near GRR (just past the GC entrance) and one in the sunshine plaza area. There will be CM's at the ropes. In my experience a line started forming for the TSM immediately after the 9:30 gate opening. A CM formed the line at the rope near GRR and a little before 10 they started walking that line back to the ride so by the time 10:00 came that line was already at the ride and any other people (who probably didn't know about the early line) had to get behind the first line. (I sure hope that made sense! )

My plan would to be there at 9:30. Head towards the GRR rope drop area and ask a CM at the rope if there was a line for TSM. If there is one, it would be there.

HTH!

cccdisney, makes perfect sense! i'm glad i've learned this extra bit of information before our may trip! we haven't ridden soarin' in our 2 past trips because we were doing rides where we all could ride as a family, but this time around, i wanna do the baby swap/SLR so that we can try some other attractions, too (e.g., soarin', indy, etc).

thanks again!