Tentative Day Itinerary at Disneyland

[Version 6]

Just a question: do you have a back up plan for any of this? In all seriousness, what will you do if your plan starts to tank? DLR really isn't a place where militant planning works all that well (that works better at WDW). For the most enjoyable visits, we tell people to do their research and make their plans (you've certainly done that!), have a back up plan, then get ready to drop it all if needed and let the magic happen. Make a list of the top 3 priorities for your day (one for each person) and make sure to get those done. Then have a list of the second 3 ("would like to do") priorities -- try to do those next. The last 3 things are the "if we do these, great -- but if we don't, that's fine" list. Anything beyond that is gravy. Otherwise, if your list starts to go south and you don't get to do what you want, and your family is tired and cranky from being shuttled around all day on a tight schedule, you may not have such a magical day. Just some food for thought.

This is good advice.

Also, the whole point is to have an awesome day! So, let's say for example you're in Fantasyland and see the Tea Party is walk on - scrap the plan and hop on! It's a ride your whole family can enjoy together. Also, you might check the App and see that Buzz Lightyear has a really close return time. Again, if that's the case have the flexibility to scrap the plan and hop in.

I understand the desire to want to experience everything and tick everything off your list. But I think in trying to do that, you run the risk of stressing yourself out too much. So, go with the flow.

 

[StarSpeckledSky]

Just a question: do you have a back up plan for any of this? In all seriousness, what will you do if your plan starts to tank? DLR really isn't a place where militant planning works all that well (that works better at WDW). For the most enjoyable visits, we tell people to do their research and make their plans (you've certainly done that!), have a back up plan, then get ready to drop it all if needed and let the magic happen. Make a list of the top 3 priorities for your day (one for each person) and make sure to get those done. Then have a list of the second 3 ("would like to do") priorities -- try to do those next. The last 3 things are the "if we do these, great -- but if we don't, that's fine" list. Anything beyond that is gravy. Otherwise, if your list starts to go south and you don't get to do what you want, and your family is tired and cranky from being shuttled around all day on a tight schedule, you may not have such a magical day. Just some food for thought.

Back up plan is what we've done without planning before - drop everything, know what we've heard about that's popular/a good ride, watch a ton of shows, go with the flow, and go on those rides in mind.

Priority-wise: it's a small world, Fantasmic, Space Mountain, Pooh, Tea Party, BTM, Splash Mountain, and Dumbo probably.

 

[StarSpeckledSky]

This is good advice.

Also, the whole point is to have an awesome day! So, let's say for example you're in Fantasyland and see the Tea Party is walk on - scrap the plan and hop on! It's a ride your whole family can enjoy together. Also, you might check the App and see that Buzz Lightyear has a really close return time. Again, if that's the case have the flexibility to scrap the plan and hop in.

I understand the desire to want to experience everything and tick everything off your list. But I think in trying to do that, you run the risk of stressing yourself out too much. So, go with the flow.

Good advice. We'll probably go on any walk-ons or less than 5 minutes if we see them and scrap the plan. The plan was more of a oh-look-i-heard-these-rides-will-be-easiest-then/a basic guideline type thing that I maybe took too far.

 

[StarSpeckledSky]

High protein snacks are best for kids. We take: beef jerky or pepperoni sticks, boiled eggs (tiny lunch bag with ice packs), protein bars, bags of pistachios or almonds, cheese sticks, cheese chips, pork rinds,...

My sister would probably do well with nuts, cheese sticks, and chips, thank you for the suggestions!

 

[Version 6]

Good advice. We'll probably go on any walk-ons or less than 5 minutes if we see them and scrap the plan. The plan was more of a oh-look-i-heard-these-rides-will-be-easiest-then/a basic guideline type thing that I maybe took too far.

I think that's a very good attitude.

Don't forget that you are a kid too, and that your number one job on this trip is to have fun!

 

[StarSpeckledSky]

I think that's a very good attitude.

Don't forget that you are a kid too, and that your number one job on this trip is to have fun!

Yup, thank you!

 

[DLRExpert]

Too much planning (don't plan for restroom breaks).
Too much walking around from one end of the park to the other.
Use the Mobile App for Food Ordering when available

From park opening to SWGE reservation try to stay on the West Side of the park.

730am-745am: Arrive at the entrance to Disneyland (As soon as you enter get FP for Star Tours)
8am-830am: Big Thunder Mountain
830am-9am: Pirates of the Caribbean
9am-920am: I would do the Jungle Cruise
920-945am: Use FP for Star Tours
945am-1015am: Take a break
1030am-1115m: Head to Critter Country ride Winnie the Pooh, then Single Rider Splash Mountain
... you probably want to be in line for SWGE a bit early. While roaming SWGE check out the FP return time for Hyper Space Mountain, you should easily be able to get one for after SWGE.
After SWGE and in between FPs is when you want to do everything else. Anything on the app that has a return time of 20 minutes or less is worth waiting for.

Have fun,
ME

 

[VandVsmama]

A few things to consider:
- you should allow for more than 10 min to eat at Bengal BBQ.
- plan on using Mobile Ordering so you don't have to wait too long for counter service food ordering.
- On a SWGE day, stuff like Alice and Mad Tea Party will have >20 min wait in the middle of the afternoon. You should try to go on those within the 1st 2 hours after park opening.
- If DL closes at 11:00 pm & you're getting in line for Peter Pan at 9:55 pm, it'll be 45 min to get on the ride.
- On a SWGE day, the line to get on the Finding Nemo submarines will be 45 min long unless you ride it first thing in the morning.
- Lately, they've been showing movie previews in Great Moments with Mr Lincoln.
- on a VERY busy day, they sometimes close the Single Rider line at Matterhorn if the SR line gets long.

 

[VandVsmama]

Ok, didn't realize that you'll have a 3 yr old with you. This is very optimistic with a 3 yr old. Cut down the # of attractions by half. You should hit up Fantasyland first, not in the middle of the afternoon. The 3 yr old won't be able to last from breakfast until 2 pm before eating lunch. Think more like 11:30 am for lunch...or whatever time it is that the 3 yr old usually eats lunch at home. The LO will totally run out of gas and be very cranky & ornery by about 2-3 pm, so that's a good time of day to do slower paced stuff...THAT is when you'd get the silhouettes done. THAT is when you'd go to the Mr Lincoln attraction. THAT is when you would do a full circle around the park on the train. Or ride the monorail round trip.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Ok, didn't realize that you'll have a 3 yr old with you. This is very optimistic with a 3 yr old. Cut down the # of attractions by half...

OP: A popular saying around here is that you can only go as fast as your slowest group member. Keep that in mind -- it can make a very big difference in the outcome of your day.

 

[EmJ]

Good advice. We'll probably go on any walk-ons or less than 5 minutes if we see them and scrap the plan. The plan was more of a oh-look-i-heard-these-rides-will-be-easiest-then/a basic guideline type thing that I maybe took too far.

I get it, Speckled. I’m nine months out from our trip and already have our four-day touring plan typed out If you’re like me, I find it easier to go into a theme park with a detailed plan to adjust on the fly—or even scrap entirely—than not have one at all. The process of researching and preparing the plan (and getting feedback) helps me think about timing, park layout, and even alternatives (PP a no go? Alice could substitute!). As long as you are willing to be flexible when you get there and know that all the boxes might not be checked, then your plan is fine. One thing you might want to do is reconstruct the plan so that the seven priorities you identified above are *first* (well, except for Fantasmic! for obvious reasons). That way, if you don’t get past them, you’ve at least done the most important things.

Another idea would be to make a plan that has the priorities first, like I said above, and then a second plan that is ONLY the priorities with a lot of built in extra time for food/potty/lines/characters/walk-ons/etc. Print them on a sheet of paper, back-to-back. Start touring with the more ambitious plan, but if things are taking a lot longer than you expected, just flip the paper over and start working from the priorities plan.

 

[StarSpeckledSky]

Too much planning (don't plan for restroom breaks).
Too much walking around from one end of the park to the other.
Use the Mobile App for Food Ordering when available

From park opening to SWGE reservation try to stay on the West Side of the park.

730am-745am: Arrive at the entrance to Disneyland (As soon as you enter get FP for Star Tours)
8am-830am: Big Thunder Mountain
830am-9am: Pirates of the Caribbean
9am-920am: I would do the Jungle Cruise
920-945am: Use FP for Star Tours
945am-1015am: Take a break
1030am-1115m: Head to Critter Country ride Winnie the Pooh, then Single Rider Splash Mountain
... you probably want to be in line for SWGE a bit early. While roaming SWGE check out the FP return time for Hyper Space Mountain, you should easily be able to get one for after SWGE.
After SWGE and in between FPs is when you want to do everything else. Anything on the app that has a return time of 20 minutes or less is worth waiting for.

Have fun,
ME

Okay, thank you so much. We're not interested in Jungle Cruise but we'll do everything else. Walking less is a good idea actually, thank you.

 

[StarSpeckledSky]

A few things to consider:
- you should allow for more than 10 min to eat at Bengal BBQ.
- plan on using Mobile Ordering so you don't have to wait too long for counter service food ordering.
- On a SWGE day, stuff like Alice and Mad Tea Party will have >20 min wait in the middle of the afternoon. You should try to go on those within the 1st 2 hours after park opening.
- If DL closes at 11:00 pm & you're getting in line for Peter Pan at 9:55 pm, it'll be 45 min to get on the ride.
- On a SWGE day, the line to get on the Finding Nemo submarines will be 45 min long unless you ride it first thing in the morning.
- Lately, they've been showing movie previews in Great Moments with Mr Lincoln.
- on a VERY busy day, they sometimes close the Single Rider line at Matterhorn if the SR line gets long.

- For eating, my dad and I can normally finish food really fast and then we can take food along for my sister.
- Yes, we'll be using Mobile Ordering!
- Not sure about that because there will be EMH there that we don't have access to.... we were told that rope dropping the west side of the park was better for our situation?
- DL closes at 12am. I just planned on leaving a little earlier because our hotel is 30 minutes away.
- We can pass on Finding Nemo if needed
- We know that, we'll be going after the preview for Aladdin - thought that Lincoln would be back by then...?
- That's good to know, I'll keep an eye on crowds the week leading up to the trip.

 

[StarSpeckledSky]

Ok, didn't realize that you'll have a 3 yr old with you. This is very optimistic with a 3 yr old. Cut down the # of attractions by half. You should hit up Fantasyland first, not in the middle of the afternoon. The 3 yr old won't be able to last from breakfast until 2 pm before eating lunch. Think more like 11:30 am for lunch...or whatever time it is that the 3 yr old usually eats lunch at home. The LO will totally run out of gas and be very cranky & ornery by about 2-3 pm, so that's a good time of day to do slower paced stuff...THAT is when you'd get the silhouettes done. THAT is when you'd go to the Mr Lincoln attraction. THAT is when you would do a full circle around the park on the train. Or ride the monorail round trip.

I was told that since it's an EMH day and we don't have EMH Fantasyland would already be very crowded. We'll be bringing snacks for her (our SWGE reservation is at 11am). She's actually okay at around 2-3pm, at least she has been whenever we've went to WDW. She'll most likely fall asleep!

 

[StarSpeckledSky]

OP: A popular saying around here is that you can only go as fast as your slowest group member. Keep that in mind -- it can make a very big difference in the outcome of your day.

True! I'm thinking of just giving my dad a map and running ahead of the crowds and telling him to meet me at a place!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

True! I'm thinking of just giving my dad a map and running ahead of the crowds and telling him to meet me at a place!

This can actually be a very good idea, especially if your sister decides she's sick of the stroller and wants to run around for a bit. You can leave them in Toon Town where she can safely explore and have fun and your dad can get snacks and drinks if he needs them. Then go do your thing, push as hard as you need to in order to get through your list, and meet up with them later for a meal. And everyone will be happy.

 

[EmJ]

This can actually be a very good idea, especially if your sister decides she's sick of the stroller and wants to run around for a bit. You can leave them in Toon Town where she can safely explore and have fun and your dad can get snacks and drinks if he needs them. Then go do your thing, push as hard as you need to in order to get through your list, and meet up with them later for a meal. And everyone will be happy.

I like this! Give dad a map and circle Toon Town, Tom Sawyer Island, Tarzan’s Treehouse, and the Tiki Room. Let them run around and play, and you all can meet up at a designated time for dinner, IASW, and Fantasmic. Would your dad be okay with you touring solo?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I like this! Give dad a map and circle Toon Town, Tom Sawyer Island, Tarzan’s Treehouse, and the Tiki Room. Let them run around and play, and you all can meet up at a designated time for dinner, IASW, and Fantasmic. Would your dad be okay with you touring solo?

I wouldn't split up for that long, but the day could be broken up by time/area. For example, dad and sister can do Toon Town while the OP takes care of FL and TL. Then meet up and move to Adventureland. Dad and sister do Tiki Room and Treehouse, while the OP takes care of AL and Frontierland. Meet up again and move to NOS. Dad and sister do TSI, while the OP does the NOS area. Meet up again and do Critter Country together -- everyone can enjoy Winnie the Pooh. That way the OP gets rides, dad and sister get fun, dad doesn't get anxious because of the regular meeting times, etc. With a bit of flexibility, it could work.

 

[VandVsmama]

I think your plan should go something like this:

• 7:10 am - arrive, park, wait for rope drop. After they've scanned your tickets and you've entered the park and you're "at the rope," buy Max Pass if it's in your budget to do so. Then get a FP for Space Mtn. Make a note of the time that it says you can grab your next FP. Set an alarm on your phone for that time.
• 8:00 am - go to Fantasyland. Even though it'll be EMH, Fantasyland ride wait times won't be in the 30 min range until later. Go on Mad Tea Party, Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Storybookland Canal Boats.
• ~ 9:00- go to Toon Town. Go straight to Mickey's house to meet him w/hardly any wait. Then go on Roger Rabbit. Then use your Space Mtn FP. Next FP you get should be for Star Tours. You can go on Matterhorn in single rider line while somebody else attends to the 3 yr old. Good time for the little one to have a quick break.
• When Star Tours FP return window opens, go on that.
• Then have everybody go on Buzz Lightyear.
• Now everybody goes on Pirates of the Caribbean.
• Then get a snack. Bathroom break.
• Then go on Haunted Mansion.
• FP you select after Star Tours should probably be Splash Mtn if the FP return time is before 11:30 am. Otherwise, get a FP with a return time after 2 pm when you'll be out of SWGE. While you go on Splash Mtn, others can take the little one on Winnie the Pooh.
  
• 11:30 am - enter SWGE
• 2:00 pm - exit SWGE.
• MID AFTERNOON - THIS is when you get the silhouettes done on Main Street. If you wait until 10 pm, then chances are that the 3 yr old will be asleep for it.
• OTHER MID-AFTERNOON TIME KILLER OPTIONS - Storytelling at Royal Theater, Mickey & the Magical Map, Great Moments with Mr Lincoln, get an ice cream, let the 3 yr old explore Toon Town some more. Be at your parade watching spot by IASW by 2:45 pm. So it would make a lot more sense to grab some Quick Service food in Fantasyland, for example, rather than walk all the way from SWGE at the back of the park to Adventureland for Bengal BBQ and then walk all the way back to the OTHER back side edge of the park to watch the parade by IASW. By the way, a better parade watching spot is right in front of or just to the left of the Alice in Wonderland themed bathrooms in Fantasyland. They're the bathrooms with the playing cards on the stall doors. There's a row of benches built into the side of the 'mountain' and there's a bathroom right there. If you're smart about it, THAT's where you should be ~ 2:30-2:45 pm for the 3:30 pm parade. Send 1 of the adults to a Quick Service location in Fantasyland for food while 1 of you holds your parade watching spot. Bring a light weight blanket to mark your territory. Same routine as at WDW. 1 of your party has to remain there. If the 3 yr old is potty training, I guarantee you that the kid will need to use the toilet right before the parade because 3 yr olds never give you enough advanced notice that they need to use the bathroom! Haha!
• If everything has an enormous wait between the 2 pm SWGE exit and finding a spot for the 3:30 pm parade, you should consider escaping to Tom Sawyer's Island. Kids LOVE exploring that area. You can also go on the Columbia Sailing Ship and the Mark Twain river boat. OR THIS is when you spend some time shopping. Or taking a family photo in front of the castle. Or taking the 3 yr old to Snow White's wishing well so the kiddo can drop a coin in and make a wish.
  
• Tarzan's Treehouse is a good time filler between parade & dinner/Fantasmic.
  
• 6:30 pm - pick up Hungry Bear F! dining package. Eat dinner.
• For Fantasmic! - You should actually get in line earlier than 30 min (even though it says 30 min beforehand on the Fantasmic FP). I think probably 8:45 pm.
• After fireworks, head to Fantasyland the back way through the back side of BTMRR. That's when you should go on IASW. You probably won't need a FP at that point. Then maybe go on Mr Road or Pinocchio. Peter Pan will have a 30-45 min wait right up until a few min before park close. If it's a 30 min wait, that's a "short" wait for Peter Pan.
• Earlier in the day, pay attention to FP return times so you can get a FP for BTMRR also. A good time to go on that would be between dinner & 8:45 pm when you'll line up for your Fantasmic! FP. There's a lot of open area around the BTMRR exit, so if the 3 yr old is wearing out, the kiddo can chill out there.

You'll probably need to skip the Finding Nemo submarines.

I am totally all for having a plan. I have a detailed daily plan every time we go to a Disney park. But you also need to keep some options in your mental back pocket so you can adjust on the fly as needed based on how wait times and crowds are.

 

[StarSpeckledSky]

I get it, Speckled. I’m nine months out from our trip and already have our four-day touring plan typed out If you’re like me, I find it easier to go into a theme park with a detailed plan to adjust on the fly—or even scrap entirely—than not have one at all. The process of researching and preparing the plan (and getting feedback) helps me think about timing, park layout, and even alternatives (PP a no go? Alice could substitute!). As long as you are willing to be flexible when you get there and know that all the boxes might not be checked, then your plan is fine. One thing you might want to do is reconstruct the plan so that the seven priorities you identified above are *first* (well, except for Fantasmic! for obvious reasons). That way, if you don’t get past them, you’ve at least done the most important things.

Another idea would be to make a plan that has the priorities first, like I said above, and then a second plan that is ONLY the priorities with a lot of built in extra time for food/potty/lines/characters/walk-ons/etc. Print them on a sheet of paper, back-to-back. Start touring with the more ambitious plan, but if things are taking a lot longer than you expected, just flip the paper over and start working from the priorities plan.

I'm probably like you - it's easier and more settling to know that I have a solid plan and dumping it if needed. Definitely ready to be flexible... we want to make the plan so that we get as much done as possible so I'm not sure about putting priorities first-first but we'll see. I'll probably make a just priorities plan too, thanks for the suggestion!