Questions about first trip to DL.

[jennilee17]

We are taking my daughters (4 and 2) to Disneyland in October and I have so many questions! We have done WDW and I am totally comfortable with they way their system works, but I am lost when it comes to DL!

First of all my neighbor told me that it is possible to be turned away if the park is too crowded! Has this ever happened to anyone? We are surprising the girls and flying from Texas so that would be a gigantic let down!

Also, it seems like there is a possibility that you could spend a lot of time waiting in lines. I was reading the unofficial guide to Disneyland and they were talking about their touring plans. Has anyone had success with the touring plan? Any other touring plan I should look into?

Last but not least is Mickey's Halloween Party worth the extra admission? We are going to be there for 3 days and thought it might be fun to go to one night.

Sorry for the 20 questions, this is our first big trip just the four of us, we normally go with friends or family, I'm nervous!!!

 

[maltdizzy]

Which days in October?

If going during the week, you should find the crowds very manageable.

Weekends in October tend to be busy because Halloween Time attractions are popular and nighttime parades and fireworks are usually dark during the week. I have been on some very busy Saturdays in October and heard they shut down the turnstiles for a while (on these days, lines for popular rides were 1-2 hours long...or longer), but it is not a common occurrence on other days. The first weekend of the month is Gay Days and the next week (Columbus Day week) often coincides with a Fall break for many Western schools (but L.A./O.C. schools usually don't get a holiday for Columbus Day).

 

[Imdboss]

I've been numerous times in Oct. and it has become more crowded over the past few years but I've never heard of the park reaching capacity during that time. Depending on when you go will really determine what kind of crowds you'll face. There's a huge difference from weekdays vs weekends. I've been to MHP 3 times and love it! That being said I'm not sure I'd spend the extra money with a 4 and 2 year old in tow unless they can make it through the late hours. The party won't start until 6 or 7 depending on what night you go (based on past parties) and will end at 11 or 12. My youngest was 4 the first time he went and made it until closing but we did have a good afternoon nap.

 

[HydroGuy]

We are taking my daughters (4 and 2) to Disneyland in October and I have so many questions! We have done WDW and I am totally comfortable with they way their system works, but I am lost when it comes to DL!

First of all my neighbor told me that it is possible to be turned away if the park is too crowded! Has this ever happened to anyone? We are surprising the girls and flying from Texas so that would be a gigantic let down!

Also, it seems like there is a possibility that you could spend a lot of time waiting in lines. I was reading the unofficial guide to Disneyland and they were talking about their touring plans. Has anyone had success with the touring plan? Any other touring plan I should look into?

Last but not least is Mickey's Halloween Party worth the extra admission? We are going to be there for 3 days and thought it might be fun to go to one night.

Sorry for the 20 questions, this is our first big trip just the four of us, we normally go with friends or family, I'm nervous!!!

There are a few days a year when DL can reach capacity and October is not one of them. Typically you are talking about New Years or something like that.

If are comfortable with WDW then DLR should be better with waiting in lines as lines at DLR are typically shorter than at WDW. Understand that the two parks at DLR have almost as many rides as the four WDW parks put together. Yes really.

I have never done the Halloween party so can't help you there.

 

[jennilee17]

We are going the October We will be at the park October 13-15 which is a Tuesday-Thursday. We are staying at Disneyland resort so I figured we could go back to the hotel one day and have a good afternoon nap and attempt to go to the halloween party. Maybe the last day..?

I had no clue that DLR had as many rides as WDW!

 

[minnie mum]

If you have the current edition of the Unofficial Guide, it includes several different touring plans that you can choose from. We used them long ago, before the online plans were available. They worked. Or you can register on their website and do personalized ones. I've just finished making mine for our trip at the end of the month.

 

[jennilee17]

Ok good to know about the touring plans. I will sign up for their online app, it looks like you can make custom ones. I'm just worried about the waiting with the toddlers. I think it is something I am just going to have to get over! : )

 

[violentlyserene]

Ok good to know about the touring plans. I will sign up for their online app, it looks like you can make custom ones. I'm just worried about the waiting with the toddlers. I think it is something I am just going to have to get over! : )

I'm using the touring plans app to try out different plans and see when the best and worst times are for us to be places. I'm taking two year old twins in the third week of October. Our plans will almost certainly have to change but this is helping me understand how the park works so we can do what we want with a minimum of waiting in line.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

For avoiding long lines (which should be similar or better than what you have experienced at WDW), the general rule is that you should arrive at the parks as early as possible. The first couple of hours after opening there are much shorter lines. By midday and into the evening the lines begin to grow, and then they ease up later into the night. However weekdays in October should not be bad at all. That is when I typically used to visit and I did not find the crowds that bad. The weather will probably be nice as well, though it could be very hot or could be rainy, you just never know. Afternoons, when the lines are longest, are the time to go back to the hotel and take a break if you want to, especially if you have little kids. The hotels (the resort hotels and the non-Disney hotels right across the street) are RIGHT THERE, just steps away, so going back and forth will be very easy. Hopping between parks will also be very easy as they are directly across from one another.

The parks rarely reach capacity, it happens maybe 2-3 days a year, such as on Christmas or New Years Day.

The other suggestion for avoiding long lines is to make good use of the FastPass system, which differs from WDW's FastPass+. There are some threads on this forum that will help you out with understanding it. For now you should know that unlike WDW, not all rides have FP, so it is probably best to spend your mornings on those rides. For instance the Fantasyland rides do not have FP, and Peter Pan always has long lines, so it is probably the first area you want to visit when you get there in the morning (when crowds are lowest).

But honestly, don't stress the crowds too much. You will have a great time, and there is so much to do and see in such a small amount of space that you will always have something to do. Have fun!

 

[Sherry E]

In this Mickey's Halloween Party FAQ post -- http://www.disboards.com/threads/ha...ut-halloween-time-2015.3270919/#post-51326916 -- you will find a lot of info about what to expect at the party, what it offers that your kids may be interested in, etc. You will also find links to reviews of MHP, from members of this forum who attended last year and in 2013, as well as links to comparisons of MHP and MNSSHP in Florida.

We're still waiting on the info to come in about 2015's Halloween Party and Halloween Time season (should be any day now, or any minute now!), which will let us know if things are more or less the same as the last couple of years, or if there are any big changes.

 

[kylie71]

Just get there EARLY, rope drop! You can knock out all the Fantasyland rides in half and hour.... then move on to POTC, and HM.
You will have EMH staying on site, use it!

Have a Blast, and relax and enjoy!

--Lori

 

[RKKUNK]

The parks will open later and close earlier during the week in Oct. and the one that is having the party will close even earlier on those nights, while the other park stays open. Also, since it is during the week you will miss out on the fireworks for sure and probably Fantasmic, too. Not sure if that is important to you though.

You will have the EMH at the resort hotels so make sure that you take advantage of that. FL and TL are open during that time. You should be able to get all or at least most of the FL rides in during that time. Make sure that you take advantage of the FPs, that will also cut down on wait times. I would make sure that you check out HydroGuys thread on DL for WDW vets.

Have fun! We love that time of year at the parks!!