Recent Conditions: Frozen, Red Rose Taverne, & MSEP?

[twitch]

Good evening!

We are planning tomorrow to try to hit these 5 things:

• GOTG
• Frozen
• Space Mountain
• Red Rose Taverne
• MSEP

Other threads have been dedicated to GOTG, and nobody can predict what will happen when SM reverts to the original. But I hoped to get some feedback on the other three:

1. I understand that they've been taking people directly into the Frozen theater. Any idea how early one needs to show up to get a seat (I don't care about a GREAT seat, just a decent seat is fine)?
2. How have lines been for Red Rose Taverne? I don't mind eating at an off hour (3 or 4 pm) if that means waiting less. Any recent experiences waiting for RRT?
3. Lastly, we hope to see the early MSEP, preferably from the curb on Main Street. Any recent experiences on how long it's needed to stake out a spot for two?

Thank you for any recent experiences!

 

[SMD]

Today is supposed to be the last day for SM, it shouldn't be open tomorrow. I was there 2 weeks ago, tried to get to Carnation about 40 minutes before the parade and it was insane sea of people we had to fight through. On the other hand, I was there last Thursday and saw the CMs kicking lots of people out of curb seating about 30 minutes after Soundsational. I'd say there's a certain amount of luck and the unknown factor of how Disney will enforce their policy. But I've seen the parade standing behind the people seated on the curb and it's a short parade, it really is the same experience.

 

[twitch]

Today is supposed to be the last day for SM, it shouldn't be open tomorrow.

Both the press release and the Disneyland App indicated that Monday would be the last day for HSM, and SM would open on June 1st. It was interesting, on the app, yesterday (May 30th) it said that HyperSpace Mountain was closed for refurbishment, and today (May 31st), it said that Space Mountain was closed for refurbishment.

I'm hopeful that they are able to stick with the advertised date for SM.

Thanks for the input!

 

[SMD]

Both the press release and the Disneyland App indicated that Monday would be the last day for HSM, and SM would open on June 1st. It was interesting, on the app, yesterday (May 30th) it said that HyperSpace Mountain was closed for refurbishment, and today (May 31st), it said that Space Mountain was closed for refurbishment.

I'm hopeful that they are able to stick with the advertised date for SM.

Thanks for the input!

I thought I read the 31st. If it reopens tomorrow, go there first, check the standby time, otherwise pull an FP. That ride is prone to going down due to guests loading/unloading issues. If it happens during your window, at least the FP will be honored later. However, DCA opens at the same time as DL tomorrow. So you don't get the normal advantage of the extra hour. The other way to do it would be start in DCA pre-rope drop, wait in the GotG FP line, then hope the FP for SM hold out 2 hours until you can pull another one. Given that GotG is more of a known situation with how the FPs are going right now, that might be the better strategy. The problem with tomorrow is that I assume SM FP will noow be distrubued during MM. But as standby lines go, I'd probably rather do SM if I had to, it always seems like it goes quickly.

 

[ashley0139]

I haven't been to Frozen since GOTG opened (which is why they are sending people directly into the theatre) but I generally recommend an hour before for really good seats and 45 minutes for okay-decent seats.

 

[Mousequake]

I ate at Red Rose Taverne twice over the past weekend-- once on Thursday at around 2:00 (when the park was CRAZY busy), and once on Sunday evening around 7:00. I never waited more than 5 minutes either time.

 

[whoever]

When I was there in late April, Red Rose Tavern was walk-up, zero wait. MSEP... kind of a disappointment compared to Paint the Night. We had dining package seating.

 

[Gillbob316]

Was there last weekend. Thur through Mon.

Walked into the first show of Frozen Friday Morning (10:30am) 3 minutes before it started. Half the theater was empty. Got a great floor seat, dead center, 1 row directly behind "reserved" seating. I admit it was an early weekday show, but I don't think Frozen is the same draw it was a year or two ago. They're currently using the queue space for Guardians, so clearly they don't feel they need it for Frozen anymore.

Walked into Red Rose with little to no wait. Only 1 person in front of me.

Waited 45 minutes on a curb for MSEP... don't know that I actually needed to, but I was tired and didn't want anyone in front of me, so I went for it. There was still a fair amount of space 45 minutes out. Plenty of people camped already too, but I found a spot with some looking around. I don't know that you could get a curbside view if you arrived later, but you'd certainly see it. Space behind the curb stayed empty until just before it started, when people crowded in behind.

As for riding Space Mountain and Guardians... I'd call rope-dropping Guardians vital at this point in time. I wouldn't even touch the standby queue over the weekend, I just got a fastpass first thing each morning, and returned to ride it w/ no wait in the afternoon. As long as you line up right when the park opens (or earlier) you'll get fastpasses. The line is long, but it moves fast. Seems to take over an hour (maybe 2) for them to run out. So line up when the park opens and it's fine.

For Space Mountain I'd just say rope drop that without a fastpass OR get a fastpass later in the day. They stayed available most of the day for my trip. Didn't run out 'til evening. Don't know if removing the overlay will effect things... but I'd still call Guardians the higher priority.

If Disneyland opens before California Adventure your trip date, You could conceivably rope drop Space Mountain, then immediately head to DCA and secure fastpasses for Guardians. But it might be smarter to just show up early for Guardians.

Don't get fastpasses for Space first thing. That will just prevent you from getting Guardians fastpasses for 2 hours, and in 2 hours those will be gone.

 

[twitch]

To answer my own questions, in case anyone is asking similar questions. Here are my experiences on June 1, 2017, a Thursday. DL had EMH/MM. While we did other things to fill the time, here are our experiences in the areas that I asked about in this thread.

We started in DCA, arriving at ToyStory Parking at 7:05, and were in line at the Turnstile by 7:25 (after security, lockers, and restrooms). It took us about 5 minutes to get through the turnstile.

By 7:38, we were entering the GOTG FP Queue, which began outside the Disney Junior theater. As that filled up, they moved us onto a taped queue on Buena Vista Street, and then finally into a maintenance area between the FP area and Bugs Land. We had made it to the maintenance area before 8:00, and I think there were probably about 100-150 people in front of us. At 8:03, we pulled a FP for 8:55-9:55.

Then, we had our breakfast while waiting for 8:55, in order to pull a Space Mountain FP. Those FP machines were down from 8:00-8:30... and at 8:55, we pulled a FP for 10:35-11:35.

When we used our GOTG FP, it took about 20 minutes from entering the FP queue until exiting the ride.

We arrived at Frozen at 11:20 for the 12:00 show. We chose the Mezzanine level, and sat in the front row on the left hand side. Great seats. I wish they'd turn the volume down a notch on that show.

When we left Frozen, GotG was advertising a 90 minute wait. We got in line, just as they announced that it was a 120 minute wait. They were queuing in the maintenance area, but not nearly as full as when it was the FP queue in the morning. It was actually only a 80 minute wait to ride (and the line moved well and the queue is interesting), and I'm counting the lobby, the office, and the waiting area outside the lifts as part of that 80 minute wait.

We ate at Red Rose Taverne around 3:45, and only waited 5 minutes or so to order.

We sat down on the curb on Main Street around 7:15 for the 8:45 MSEP. No problems, and shared the space next to us and behind us with some great people.

As I said, we did other stuff too... a total of 13 "attractions," including 2x on GotG, 2x on SM, Frozen, Pixar Play Parade, MSEP, and the Fireworks. We easily accomplished our goal of doing the 5 things we set out to do.

 

[cuteinnocent]

To answer my own questions, in case anyone is asking similar questions. Here are my experiences on June 1, 2017, a Thursday. DL had EMH/MM. While we did other things to fill the time, here are our experiences in the areas that I asked about in this thread.

We started in DCA, arriving at ToyStory Parking at 7:05, and were in line at the Turnstile by 7:25 (after security, lockers, and restrooms). It took us about 5 minutes to get through the turnstile.

By 7:38, we were entering the GOTG FP Queue, which began outside the Disney Junior theater. As that filled up, they moved us onto a taped queue on Buena Vista Street, and then finally into a maintenance area between the FP area and Bugs Land. We had made it to the maintenance area before 8:00, and I think there were probably about 100-150 people in front of us. At 8:03, we pulled a FP for 8:55-9:55.

Then, we had our breakfast while waiting for 8:55, in order to pull a Space Mountain FP. Those FP machines were down from 8:00-8:30... and at 8:55, we pulled a FP for 10:35-11:35.

When we used our GOTG FP, it took about 20 minutes from entering the FP queue until exiting the ride.

We arrived at Frozen at 11:20 for the 12:00 show. We chose the Mezzanine level, and sat in the front row on the left hand side. Great seats. I wish they'd turn the volume down a notch on that show.

When we left Frozen, GotG was advertising a 90 minute wait. We got in line, just as they announced that it was a 120 minute wait. They were queuing in the maintenance area, but not nearly as full as when it was the FP queue in the morning. It was actually only a 80 minute wait to ride (and the line moved well and the queue is interesting), and I'm counting the lobby, the office, and the waiting area outside the lifts as part of that 80 minute wait.

We ate at Red Rose Taverne around 3:45, and only waited 5 minutes or so to order.

We sat down on the curb on Main Street around 7:15 for the 8:45 MSEP. No problems, and shared the space next to us and behind us with some great people.

As I said, we did other stuff too... a total of 13 "attractions," including 2x on GotG, 2x on SM, Frozen, Pixar Play Parade, MSEP, and the Fireworks. We easily accomplished our goal of doing the 5 things we set out to do.

Thanks! For Frozen were you able to go right into the theater, or else when did they open the doors? When you got there were most seats available?

 

[twitch]

Thanks! For Frozen were you able to go right into the theater, or else when did they open the doors? When you got there were most seats available?

I know that it has been reported that they've been taking people right into the theater. That may have been the case on Saturday when GotG was showing a 300 minute wait. However, our experience was different. After the morning rush, GotG standby was NOT using the Frozen queue, they were using the maintenance area queue by the FP machines. Consequently, they were not letting Frozen guests go directly into the theater, but were using the Frozen queue as normal.

Only Orchestra and Mezzanine levels were open. They opened the doors 30 minutes prior to showtime. It looked like they let quite a crowd in, and then tried to push people toward the center of sections so they could count seats and let more people in. We were not far back in our queue... there were masses of people heading for the center section in front of the tech booth... we circumvented them and went around the outside aisle on the left side so we could sit in the front row... they were still great seats.