Tips for Disneyland

[Mousekateer55]

I am posting this in two spots: Disney Tips & Disneyland (California) forums. I may be going to Disneyland & California Adventure next week and I am in charge of the trip if we do go. I'll check in to this thread whenever there is a new reply. Here are the questions I would like answered:

1. What rides will not be operating next weekend? I know Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is down. Any others?

2. What rides with Fastpass, don't need a Fastpass?

3. What is the cost for a ticket that allows you to visit the two parks in two days (not park hopper style)?

4. Where are the best (or CHEAPE$T) eats?

Thank you!

 

[LuvTigger]

1. According to www.disneyland.com Mark Twain Riverboats and the Matterhorn are also down for refurbishment. (People on this site have confirmed that Matterhorn is down.)

2. I'm not sure whether you mean which rides offer FastPass, or which ones you'll probably need them for.

My guess as far as the ones you'll probably need them for are:
DL- Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain.
DCA- Soarin' Over CA and CA Screamin.

(Someone who's been there recently can probably offer better advice on that one, those are just my guesses based on past line-waiting experience.)

As far as which rides offer FastPass, there's quite a few. I would check the DL website or the Birnbaum guide.

3. For 2 days, I think you will need to get 2 1-day passes. My understanding is that multi-day passes are from 3-days and up. I think the current price is around $43-$45 per day, you may want to check the DL website to verify.

4. It's not the cheapest, but Blue Bayou is very nice if you haven't been there. (Lunch is cheaper.) Nice atmosphere, and good food.

There's also a place in New Orleans Square, I think it's the French Market, that has good soups in bread bowls.

The mint julep bar has apple fritters which make great snacks or small breakfast.

 

[Mousekateer55]

Man, I've never been on the Matterhorn (it has always been on rehab every time I have gone down there.

Those rides sound reasonable for Fast Pass.

I think you can get a two-day, two-park pass when you are down there. Anybody else know?

Still looking for some quick bites to eat, though I do like soup.

Also, I would like to add this question:

Will next Sunday or Monday be early admissions to Disneyland? If so, I don't want to go to the park on that day.

 

[LuvTigger]

Every day is an early entry day EXCEPT Sunday and Wednesday. Personally, I don't think it's as big a deal (if you're looking to avoid crowds) as it is in WDW since it's only DL and DCA, and DCA doesn't offer early entry.

I had to laugh at your comment about the Matterhorn. It seems that every time I go there, it's either "broken" or it breaks while I'm standing in line, and we have to make the decision to wait it out (since the line becomes considerably shorter), or to leave!

Um, Tomorrowland had a pretty good eating place, though I can't remember the name. It was one of those places that offers a variety of things, burgers, chicken, etc. It's always been quick and pretty tasty.

I also like the Plaza at the end of Main Street. It might be a little more pricey, but it's fast (cafeteria style, or "buffeteria" as Disney calls it), and more like a complete meal.

Anyone else?

 

[Tink33]

What type of food do you like?

Food Favorites- Hungry Bear, French Market, Pizza Port

 

[JenniferW]

When I was there last month they did have an unadvertised 2 day pass you oculd purchase so check into it. We went to Downtown Disney and asked our questions at a booth leisurely and then decided our ticket options. When I called DL they did not talk aobut the 2 day pass, but it was there.

Jenn

 

[Mousekateer55]

I think we will be eating lunch in New Orleans Square/Critter Country and eating an earlier dinner in Tomorrowland. Does anybody know when they stop giving out Indiana Jones Fastpasses in the summer?

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color=navy>In New Orleans Square, there are a few places you can eat - the French Market, Riverbelle Terrace, etc. At Critter Country, there is the Hungry Bear Restaurant, where they serve burgers and I think chicken sandwiches... My kids like to eat here on the lower level, and throw their extra bread to all the ducks that are close by in the river.

At Tomorrowland, you have the Tomorrowland Terrace, which serves burgers, chicken sandwiches, tortilla wraps, salads, etc. You also have Pizza Port, & that serves pizza, pasta, and salad.

You might check & see if live entertainment is scheduled for Tomorrowland Terrace during the time you want to eat there.

 

[Sarangel]

Since no one's chimed in on the DCA front, I'll stick my $0.02 in... Soarin' either needs a fast pass or you can ride in the Single rider line (generally only a 5-10 min wait). The Mailiboomer also has a single rider line. If you want to combine entertainment w/your food, the Soap Opera Cafe is pretty cool, but if you want the best value for your $$, my vote is the Mondavi Winery Deli. The food is almost identical to the stuff they serve in Napa (which is fast becoming a theme park of its own).

Another ride in DL that's down is Roger Rabbit. You may also want to fast pass the Autopia, since that speeds up the line quite a bit.

Have a great time.

Sarangel

 

[Mousekateer55]

I think we will eat lunch in Pacific Wharf area. Dinner probably in Backlots. Thanks for all your input.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color=navy>M'55,

If you're going to eat dinner @ Hollywood Backlot, make sure you find out what time the eateries are closing. We ate at Hollywood & Dine on a Sunday, and found out it closed at 3pm.

 

[Mousekateer55]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Ocean]

We just flew home from a Disneyland vacation today, so I can give you our observations on things that were closed or down. We were there for four days: Tuesday-Friday, June 19-22. California Screamin' was down all day Friday, June 22. It was also frequently down Wednesday and Thursday as well. We didn't go into the parks today (Saturday, 6/23/01), but we could see that they were still testing empty cars on the coaster as late as 11:00 this morning. A cast member told us Friday that they had worked on California Screamin' all night Thursday but couldn't get it back online. Another cast member told us that it appeared one of the motors had burned out because the cars were stalling every time they tried to go up one particular hill.

Additionally, during our visit the Maliboomer, Mulholland Madness, the Golden Zephyr, and Grizzly River Rapids were ALL down at one time or another. Fast passes are great when the rides are running, but based on our experience, if there is a ride that you absolutely must do and it's actually working, get in line and wait it out. You can't depend on it working later in the day or even later in the week. We rode California Screamin' on our first day in DCA. It's a good thing we did; otherwise we might not have gotten a chance to ride at all. The Maliboomer has three towers, but we only saw all three in use with passengers once. We saw them testing empty vehicles several times, but they usually only ran two towers at a time.

I THINK that I saw a sign saying that the Matterhorn will be operational again next week. Also, as far as fast passes go, get 'em early. Fast passes for Soarin' were all gone by about 1:00 p.m. one day. In terms of fast pass distribution, that seemed to be the most popular ride from our experience (based on the fact that it was the only DCA ride that used up all available passes).

I don't know if this has been covered on the board before or not, but fast pass distribution stops when a ride breaks down. When the ride is once again functional, all previous fast passes are honored, so once a ride re-opens, the lines may be trying to accomodate 3 or 4 hours' worth of riders who already had passes.

I think someone mentioned elsewhere in this thread that some DCA restaurants closed early. This is correct, although we found no explanation as to why. Lucky Fortune Cookery was closed at 1:00 p.m. one afternoon. Corn Dog Castle was closed by 7:30 on a night when the park was open until 10:00 p.m., and Catch a Flave was closed by 5:00 p.m. one day. The guide map did not indicate that any restaurants or snack areas closed early, so you just kind of take your chances.

I don't mean for this post to sound completely negative. We had a very good time - we always do on Disney vacations. However, we are frequent visitors to Walt Disney World, and this - our first visit to Disneyland - didn't quite measure up to our expectatations.

Originally posted by Mousekateer55
I am posting this in two spots: Disney Tips & Disneyland (California) forums. I may be going to Disneyland & California Adventure next week and I am in charge of the trip if we do go. I'll check in to this thread whenever there is a new reply. Here are the questions I would like answered:

1. What rides will not be operating next weekend? I know Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is down. Any others?