Oh my gosh, you have to do this--and do it right--even if it's just once in your life. When we were there earlier this month we did our EE on Sunday morning (the only day in our schedule that it worked for us) and it was a crazy early 7 a.m. EE. We arrived at the gates about 6:30 or so and they were all about 10 people deep. We jumped on line 13 and as previous posters said, even five minutes later the lines had grown exponentially. As soon as the gates opened we were the first people to dash over to the second turnstile that opens up so we were first through that gate (#14 I guess?)...we ran through the tunnels and ran at a pretty good clip down Main Street until we got to the end of the street where security tells everyone to walk.
I have been going to
Disneyland my whole life (I'm 36) and it was one of the most exhilarating moments I've EVER had at the park. The sense of place and time is just unbelieveable. It's just you (if you are one of the first in through the gate) and the entire place empty at your footsteps...it just has to be done to be believed. I think the more memories you have of the park the better this feeling is, if it were your first time it would be great, but without the frame of reference I think would make it less awe-striking.
We ended up the second, or third, family in line for Nemo, so we were on the first sub. Would have been nice to call it officially first but first sub is first sub! Nemo didn't end up opening until about 7:25 or so (technical difficulties)...but there was something about knowing we were going to be first that it didn't matter that we were waiting. We had some fun visits in line with another family also buzzing on the adrenaline rush. We still ended up going on both sides of the Matterhorn (no wait) and ran to Space Mountain right about 8 a.m. and got an early fast pass return and also rode that once before heading over to the other side of the park. By 10 a.m. we had accomplished SO much at Disneyland, we then walked over to California Adventure and did all the wacky early-morning park opening stuff all over again (DCA opened at 10 that morning).
The great irony is, on Monday the park opened at 10 a.m. and we got there a little after 9 (ostensibly "early" so I could go back through the DTD security to La Brea and get a coffee) and there were crazy monster numbers of people already there so we just jumped in line and skipped the coffee.
I usually drink about 5 cups of very strong Starbucks every day...and on the trip I ran on adrenaline for three days straight!! Honestly, Disney could make a FORTUNE on people in the esplanade by opening a coffee cart there just on early entry mornings!!
to the Coffee Deliverer!
I had no idea everyone got there so early. I guess we'll have to adjust our plans a bit. I'm used the my WDW schedule of getting to the parks around 8:30am.
