tips for doing DCA on a EMH day. not staying onsite

[corinne76]

Looking at the MM and EMH schedule, we won't be able to hit DCA on a non EMH day. We're going early october so the parks dont open super crazy early, but I'm wondering if there is anything we need to be aware of. Any tips?

Edit: i should mention I'm mainly looking to do RSR 2x a day if possible, and the E&A m&g.

 

[corinne76]

Apparently i cant edit the title but i added details on why I'm asking

 

[agamble]

On the positive side the FP machines are not on during EMH, so they can't pull tickets before the park opens. Unfortunately they can wait outside the FP area and get a FP before you'll be able to get to the machines. Don't discourage though. Go straight to the FP machines and pull your ticket. Most likely you'll have a late morning or early afternoon ticket. When the ticket comes available swing back by the FP machines (hopefully there's still more) and pull another FP. Just FYI if you pull your RSR FP at 9am your ticket will tell you that you can get another FP at 11am. However, if your return time is not until 12-noon, you cannot get another RSR FP at 11am. You have to wait until your FP time comes up for any given ride before you can get a FP for that same ride. Be careful not to pull another FP that will keep you from getting a second FP for RSR as soon as possible.

The M&G should not be a problem. Get a FP early in the day, but I wouldn't stress too much about it. Use the ask Otto feature to find out about ride wait times. Toy Story is going to have a longer line after EMH than a normal day at opening, but it's still probably shorter than later in the day.

 

[corinne76]

Thank you so much! That was awesome advice. My last question was about just riding it twice but then I started looking at the early morning schedule on touring plans and realized since we're there sunday to Wednesday, we'll likely do DL on tuesday for the MM, our only options for DCA are all EMH days. It seriously threw a wrench in my strategy!

 

[agamble]

Do you have park hoppers? If you do you could go to Disneyland for a few hours and then as the park begins to get busy hop over to DCA and grab a FP for RSR. It may be for later in the day, but that'd be okay as riding at night is supposed to be the best time.

 

[Tinkerbell19672]

On the positive side the FP machines are not on during EMH, so they can't pull tickets before the park opens. Unfortunately they can wait outside the FP area and get a FP before you'll be able to get to the machines. Don't discourage though. Go straight to the FP machines and pull your ticket. Most likely you'll have a late morning or early afternoon ticket. When the ticket comes available swing back by the FP machines (hopefully there's still more) and pull another FP. Just FYI if you pull your RSR FP at 9am your ticket will tell you that you can get another FP at 11am. However, if your return time is not until 12-noon, you cannot get another RSR FP at 11am. You have to wait until your FP time comes up for any given ride before you can get a FP for that same ride. Be careful not to pull another FP that will keep you from getting a second FP for RSR as soon as possible.

The M&G should not be a problem. Get a FP early in the day, but I wouldn't stress too much about it. Use the ask Otto feature to find out about ride wait times. Toy Story is going to have a longer line after EMH than a normal day at opening, but it's still probably shorter than later in the day.

FP machines aren't open during EMH? I didn't know that, thanks!

 

[corinne76]

Do you have park hoppers? If you do you could go to Disneyland for a few hours and then as the park begins to get busy hop over to DCA and grab a FP for RSR. It may be for later in the day, but that'd be okay as riding at night is supposed to be the best time.

I haven't decided this yet actually. We're usually one park a day people, but I've only ever visited in June, so longer park hours. I'm waiting to see the official hours, and MHP schedule, to see if we need hoppers. We will get in early Saturday to LAX, so after driving to Anaheim, buying groceries and dropping them off at PVI, we will have a late start in DL. So we have that plus 4 full days. Depending on the schedules, we may spring for hoppers this time, just to get the most of our time in Anaheim.

 

[Jerryp49]

Consider the Single Rider line. Your party probably wont get to ride in the same car but the wait time is much shorter and you could do that while waiting for your FP time to come up

 

[agamble]

We're tend to stay in one park most of the day too; it's just easier with our little kids.

 

[corinne76]

Consider the Single Rider line. Your party probably wont get to ride in the same car but the wait time is much shorter and you could do that while waiting for your FP time to come up

My kids are 4 and 7, so probably not this time around. But definitely something to do when they get older!

We're tend to stay in one park most of the day too; it's just easier with our little kids.

Yes! Mine are older (duh!) than the last time we visited, but it's still quite a bit of extra walking for them. If we did get hoppers, it would be to hop over the other park if one closes extra early. Not really going back and forth.