Suck at strategy - can someone help

[carmel]

Because of the help I received on this board, I went from vowing to never set foot in DL to having the time of my life. The first time I was woefully unprepared for what to ride when, how to make the most of when things are busy. I think I ended up with about 4-5 rides all day.

We are doing a quick trip to DL while visiting family. We were be there two days but because of other obligations, we won't be doing completely full days. We will be there at opening but probably leave for the day late afternoon/dinner time. We are staying at the PVI and will be there June 23/24. I have a 4 yr old so we don't want to push everything too hard and end up with cranky and miserable. Here are the rides we would like to do. I also have an 18 yr old who will do rider switch with me on the big rides.

Can some Disney-guru give some tips/plans on what to see when, the order, what day to shoot for what ride, etc. The person that did that before for me honestly afforded me one of the most special times with my daughters I've had in my life.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!


Alice in Wonderland

Astro Orbitor (Not must-do)

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Casey Jr. Circus Train

Monorail

Dumbo

Enchanted Tiki Room

Finding Nemo (Not must-do)

Haunted Mansion

Hyperspace Mountain

It’s a Small World

King Arthur Carousel

Mad Tea Party

Winnie the Pooh

Matterhorn Bobsleds (42 inches)

Mr Toad’s Wild Ride

Peter Pan’s Flight

Pinocchio

Pirates of the Caribbean

Snow White

Splash Mountain

Storybook Land Canal Boats

Toontown (If time provides - no rides here. Mainly going through the house for my 4 yr old)

 

[figment_jii]

I would strongly recommend prioritizing the attractions you listed above (they look to be alphabetical). That can help people give you recommendations on what do first, second, etc. You'll be there on a Thursday (DL's EMH/MM) and Friday (DCA's EMH). So on Thursday, by the time you get into the parks, some of the attractions in FL and TL will already have lines (because of EMH/MM guests). I'd be inclined to say the most popular attractions on your list are HyperSpace, Peter Pan, and Splash (because you're going in the summer). Other like Alice, Dumbo, Casey Jr., Storybook Canal, and Nemo tend to have long lines because they are "slow loaders".

If all attractions on your list are equal in priority, this would be my tentative plan...

Thursday (6/23) - DL's EMH/MM
I would concentrate on the NOS, Adventureland, and Frontierland attractions on this day at first. Depending on how long the lines are (and when the FPs are for), maybe grab a Big Thunder FP on your way to PotC and HM. Then, if the Big Thunder FP window has opened, head to Critter Country and pull a Splash FP and ride Winnie the Pooh. Then back to Big Thunder and (maybe) Tiki Room while you wait for the Splash FP window to open.

Friday (6/24)
Start in Fantasyland and do as many of the FL attractions as you can/want (Alice in Wonderland, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Dumbo, Finding Nemo (Not must-do), It’s a Small World, King Arthur Carousel, Mad Tea Party, Matterhorn Bobsleds (consider Single Rider Line is only one is riding at at time), Mr Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, Pinocchio, Snow White, and Storybook Land Canal Boats). Peter Pan is likely to have the longest line and it's likely to build up quickly.

Some of the FL attraction vehicles do not comfortably fit two adults and a child (e.g., Dumbo and Mr. Toad come to mind), so while one adult and the child rides something, I would consider sending the other adult to go get FPs for HyperSpace Mountain.

Then after finishing up FL, I'd do the Tomorrowland attractions and end in Toontown.

 

[VandVsmama]

I totally agree w/figment. To add to that...

1. This website on the DIS has historical park hours. In 2015, on Thursday 6/25, Disneyland was open 8am-12am with EMH/MM starting at 7am. Same historical hours on Friday as well.
2. Get to the DL main gate by 7:30-7:40 am. Most of the gates will be for EMH/MM (Magic Morning) entry, but there will be a couple that are for regular entry. Get in line at one of those.
3. Purchase your tickets ahead of time BEFORE you get there. If you purchase your tickets through a non-Disneyland website, just be aware that there IS a possibility that you will have to exchange the tickets for regular paper DL tickets at the ticket booth BEFORE you get in line at the main gate. This can take 30 min to get this done if the line at the ticket booth is long. If you are in this situation, take care of that the night before.
4. Doing #2 is easiest if you are staying somewhere close by within easy walking distance. If you are not, then drive to the Toy Story lot and get to the parking lot around 7am.
5. Download the Disneyland app to your smart phone and familiarize yourself with it before your trip. Use the Disneyland app while you're in the parks to save yourself time WALKING to an attraction to find out how long the line is.
6. Bring along a spare battery pack & your phone cord so you can charge your smart phone during the day if it runs out of battery life.
7. If your 4 yr old is a big Star Wars fan and he/she wants to do the Jedi Academy in the afternoon, look into signing him/her up. I don't remember if they're doing it with sign ups or not now. Others here on the DIS know more about that than I do.
8. Make sure you bring "grab & go" snacks for your 4 yr old in your park bag. It helps stave off the hungries while waiting in line.
9. The Soundsational Parade last June was at 4:30 pm, so just be mindful of that if you have to be out of the park by 5pm on Thursday.

On Thursday:

1. Get FP for Hyperspace Mountain. Note the FP return time. If the FP return window is, let's say, 9:30-10:30 am, then starting at 9:30 am, you can grab another FP for that same ride or for another FP ride.
2. Cross the hub and go on Pirates.
3. Then go on Haunted Mansion.
4. If your FP window has started for Hyperspace Mountain, send your teenager to go get FP for either Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Pay attention to the FP return time.
5. Go to Tomorrowland and go on Hyperspace Mountain. If lines aren't too bad, go on Autopia and/or Buzz Lightyear. Now is a good time to do Astro Orbiter, too. Every 4 yr old kid loves driving their own car at DL! By about 11am, the lines for Autopia wil probably be about 30 min long.
6. Do a pulse check with everybody in your group. Now might be a good time for bathroom breaks and a snack. You can kill 2 birds with 1 stone by going to the Enchanted Tiki Room and getting Dole Whips and eat your snack while enjoying the attraction!
7. After that, go to the Adventureland Bazaar store & check out the Shrunken Ned machine. For $0.50-$0.75, Shrunken Ned will give you a prescription card. They're really funny and silly. My kids loved it.
8. If you have time to kill before your Splash or BTMRR FP window opens, go on Winnie the Pooh.
9. If your FP window has opened up now, go get a FP for Splash or BTMRR...whichever you haven't gone on yet. Send a runner for this. THEN go on the ride you have a FP for.
10. After the ride is done, have lunch somewhere close by. Good options are Hungry Bear, French Market (even better if you eat there when the jazz band is playing), Rancho del Zocalo, or Golden Horseshoe or Stage Door Cafe (preferably during a time when you can watch the show at the Golden Horseshoe, too).
11. If your other FP ride window has opened up, go on the ride. Otherwise, walk to Tomorrowland and take a full loop ride on the monorail.
12. Then go on Splash or BTMRR. By this point, I'm guessing that it will be 2-3pm-ish. Use the rest of your afternoon to see Mickey & The Magical Map show, go see the Jedi Training Academy show, check out the Star Wars exhibits in Tomorrowland, go on Buzz Lightyear, or go play musical chairs with Alice & the Mad Hatter at Coke Corner (often mid afternoon - ask an employee at Coke Corner earlier in the day to find out the exact time). Go on Pirates or HM again. Winnie the Pooh hardly ever has a line, so that ride is always a good time filler.

On Friday:

1. If you REALLY want to go on Peter Pan, then get to the main gate no later than 45 min before 8am. When the rope drops at 8am at the end of main street, walk with purpose to Peter Pan in Fantasyland.
2. Then go on Matterhorn, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Mr Toad's Wild Ride, Pinocchio, Snow White, Casey Jr Circus Train, Storybook Land Canal Boats (stop for a bathroom break after Snow White, I'd say, but at least check w/the 4 yr old so you don't have a bathroom emergency while waiting in line).
3. Then do Mad Tea Party, King Arthur's Carousel, and It's A Small World. By this point, a break will probably be warranted for your younger child.
4. After the break, go to Toontown. Toontown usually opens an hour after the regular park opening. If it's lunch time and your younger child is getting cranky, take a lunch break at a counter service place.
5. If you decide to see the Soundsational Parade, a good place to watch is right next to the Alice bathrooms in Fantasyland. These are the bathrooms that have playing cards on the stall doors. Just to the left of the bathroom entrances, there is a long line of concrete benches. Get there and stake your claim about 30 min before the parade. The bathroom is RIGHT THERE and at this location, there is NO seating/parade watching on the other side of the "street," so all of the parade performers & characters spend the whole time waving at you.