Starting visit at DL on Saturday afternoon in July?

[freshstart19]

Hello! Trying to figure out what to upon our arrival from the East Coast. Projecting we'd get to the park by 1. Since we're going to be exhausted from a really early flight, I thought it would make sense to limit ourselves to the lands near the main entrance. However, when I plugged rides into https://touringplans.com/, the lines line were long even with Lightning Lanes so I'm not sure I'm reading that correctly. We will have park hoppers with Gene+. After the long flight, there's no way my DH will wait in a 51 min line for Space Mountain. Does it make sense to do some of the shows that afternoon in Fantasyland? DD20 wants to see Lion King, Storytelling at Story Theater and Meet Tinker Bell. Tink is a tradition!! We have 6:50 Goofy dinner and will definitely go to bed after that.

I'm finding we're planning our days around dining reservations which were a pain to get. I also planned a baseball game. I'm concerned we're doing too much jumping around.

I'm thinking the Saturday hours are going to be important for attractions since I feel like we're jumping around on the other days.

Sun - Rope drop at DCA and then back at DL for Savi's Workshop at 4:50pm (a must) with dinner at Cafe Orleans at 6:40. Want to move our 8:50pm Oga's Cantina so we can see the fireworks. BUT, we are probably still going to be jet lagged.
Mon -Napa Rose at 10:00am back at DL for a 1:00pm tour followed by the parade but going to the Angels/Yankees game that night. Maybe, check out Encanto projections when we get back.
Tues - Maybe rope drop at DCA, afternoon break with early dinner at Trader Sam's (we are staying at DLR) followed by WOC dessert party.
Wed - Rope drop at Disneyland before 12:30 Blue Bayou Lunch. We then leave for San Diego Comic Con. Doing DL and Comic Con on the same trip is making my head explode with all this planning!

Sorry for the long post. Trying to get these days planned before a busy time at work and a 3-week work trip.

 

[starlite_]

If you have genie+ and are gonna be in the area already you might wanna go into the park just to activate your tickets and stack up some LLs while resting at your hotel. That way you will have some low waiting rides ready for the afternoon.

 

[freshstart19]

Thanks for your reply, Starlite. We might be getting to DLR from the airport at around 11:30. So, you're saying we should check in if we can and go right to the park? Will that 1 1/2 hours make a difference? I've never used Genie+ or LL.

 

[starlite_]

Thanks for your reply, Starlite. We might be getting to DLR from the airport at around 11:30. So, you're saying we should check in if we can and go right to the park? Will that 1 1/2 hours make a difference? I've never used Genie+ or LL.

It's up to you really. It's enough time to book at least one LL. You can only book LLs after you entered the park, but you don't have to stay in the park after to book them. There are a few pinned threads in the forum that explain stacking better than I can.

 

[CamillaF]

I agree with Starlite. Spend some time understanding Genie +. Pick your top must do rides and use Genie+ to get them. Watch shows when the lines are long. You can get a new Genie+ Reservation every time you tap in to a ride OR every 120 minutes (once you enter the park). So on the day you get there the first thing is get to the park and make a reservation. Stop planning after that. Let the Genie+ availability and your Jet Leg plan the rest of the day.

 

[MissDisney21]

Since you need a ticket to ride the monorail, are your tickets activated when you get on it? If so, jump on the monorail for a trip around the park and start stacking your LL.

 

[freshstart19]

Thanks, everyone! I have been reading up on Genie + LL. It reminds me of the much older system when we had to physically go get tickets from a machine at the attraction for a return time. So, once you enter the park and leave, can I still try to stack LLs every 120 minutes? I'm thinking not but just want to make sure.

 

[DLgal]

That's a lot of dining reservations for 3 days. I'd drop Cafe Orleans and Trader Sam's, personally. I'd also drop Ogas. You can get in there as a walk in the majority of the time.

3 days is not a lot. And the counter service food is (in my opinion) better than most of the sit down restaurants.

If you are staying at DLH, you can order that same food from the Tangaroa Terrace, and all the drinks are available at the outdoor walk up bar. Trader Sam's is the most overrated experience at Disneyland Resort. Unless you are massive tiki bar fans and this is checking off some bucket list, I wouldn't bother. It's not anything amazing.

 

[freshstart19]

Thanks for the replies. We arrive on Saturday and leave on Wednesday after lunch for Comic Con. We'll certainly look at the reservations. The Oga one had me concerned because it would interfere with our only night for fireworks.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

We are huge Star Wars fans and were disappointed with Oga’s. We feel it misses the point of what makes a Star Wars cantina so awesome (the aliens). Also the Blue Milk is much better outside at the stand. If you really want to see it try to do a walk up earlier in the day. I wouldn’t miss fireworks for it.

 

[China Expat]

Lines are long all summer!

 

[sophy1996]

Thanks, everyone! I have been reading up on Genie + LL. It reminds me of the much older system when we had to physically go get tickets from a machine at the attraction for a return time. So, once you enter the park and leave, can I still try to stack LLs every 120 minutes? I'm thinking not but just want to make sure.

Yes, you can. And you can use a modify feature that changes your times without changing the 120 time period. So grab a LL, keep modifying it, then 120 minutes later grab another LL, etc. I was able to stack up several LLs and move them into the evening when we would be back at the parks.

 

[monkeypat83]

If you are planning to do the parade that first afternoon might be a good time. Get to the parks around 1, try and do a couple of rides or see Tink, grab a snack and watch the 3:30 parade. If you have grabbed some LLs for like 4 or 5 PM then do a couple of rides before heading back to your hotel to freshen up for dinner.

 

[freshstart19]

Thanks everyone! Back from my long work trip and now back to planning. I see that Genie+ Service can come up with an itinerary for each day based on interests. How does that compare to using https://touringplans.com/. I used to swear by TP to plan our WDW trips and it really reduced our waiting in lines.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

Thanks everyone! Back from my long work trip and now back to planning. I see that Genie+ Service can come up with an itinerary for each day based on interests. How does that compare to using https://touringplans.com/. I used to swear by TP to plan our WDW trips and it really reduced our waiting in lines.

I would not count on following the Genie plans. They have you doing things like going to the bakery tour first thing in the morning.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Thanks everyone! Back from my long work trip and now back to planning. I see that Genie+ Service can come up with an itinerary for each day based on interests. How does that compare to using https://touringplans.com/. I used to swear by TP to plan our WDW trips and it really reduced our waiting in lines.

Genie plans are worthless. Do not even look at them.

 

[Mr. Mike]

Thanks everyone! Back from my long work trip and now back to planning. I see that Genie+ Service can come up with an itinerary for each day based on interests. How does that compare to using https://touringplans.com/. I used to swear by TP to plan our WDW trips and it really reduced our waiting in lines.

Genie+ Service does not create an itinerary for you. That's Genie. Genie and Genie+ are two different things. It's very easy to confuse the two.

Genie is Disney's free-to-use AI that creates an itinerary for you but apparently (according to guests who have used it) sends you to whatever rides have the shortest lines at the time (Carousel, Casey Jr train, etc). It's Disney's attempt at spreading out the crowds.

Genie+ is Disney's pay-per-day system that allows you to book Lightning Lanes.

 

[freshstart19]

Thanks for the clarification! I'll stick with TP to try to come up with a plan. Is the TP app more reliable for showing actual waiting times?

 

[irlandaise]

Thanks for the clarification! I'll stick with TP to try to come up with a plan. Is the TP app more reliable for showing actual waiting times?

Don't TouringPlans and other third-party sites get their data from Disney? If so, just look at the wait times on the DL app, unless you prefer the interface on another app.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

Thanks for the clarification! I'll stick with TP to try to come up with a plan. Is the TP app more reliable for showing actual waiting times?

If you are rope dropping plan your morning and then be flexible based on what you see throughout the day. We can provide advice for some things that are common, but over planning the day is a recipe for disaster at DLR.