Touring Plans For DL and DCA - Where To Start?

[jhaig]

Our first trip to DL will be June 25-29, 2018 and as a WDW veteran, I like to start my planning early (maybe too early!!). I want to have some kind of touring plan for each park but need some advice on some things. I have read thru Hydroguy's guide which has given me great info so far.Our general plan is to stay on site at either the GC or DLH and be at the park 30-45 minutes prior to opening. We are early risers and would have no problem getting to a 7am opening on a magic morning day. We will also have five full days to devote to the parks so we don't have to hit everything all at once.

1) Should I make a plan to stay exclusively in one park per day or plan on a morning at DL and after noon/evening at DCA (or vice-versa)? Is it easier to plan for just one park per day?

2) At DL, what ride(s) would you head to immediately at opening? My plan was to try and get to Peter Pan first since it doesn't have FP. Should I be able to get through most of Fantasyland during the first hour of opening?

3) What rides/attractions are a complete waste of time?

4) Mickey's Fun Wheel - to spin or not to spin?

5) Is touring from 7-10am at DL followed by a late breakfast at the Plaza Inn a good idea?

6) If I did the left side one morning (Indy, Pirates, Splash, Big Thunder, HM), how long should it take if I rode Indy first and did the standby lines for the others?

 

[ktlm]

We are WDW vets that have been to DLR every summer for the last 7 years.

1. By a WDW vet's standard, DL/CA are basically one big park. They are separated by a small plaza and you do not even have to go through bag check again to hop. It literally takes 5 minutes to hop and we have gotten from the back corner of DL to the back corner of CA in 10 minutes. We tend to go back and forth multiple times in a day. There have been several times that I have looked at the wait times on the app and we have hopped where they were shorter in the other park. We always want hoppers at DLR.

2. Peter Pan line is consistently long. If you can be near the front of the rope drop line that is best. The line builds fast. If we get there before the Peter Pan line is an hour, we typically do Peter Pan, then Alice, then Nemo and save the rest of Fantasyland for later. The Nemo lines get and stay long and there is no FP. Aside from Dumbo, we have not found the rest of the Fantasyland lines to be horribly long. Alice is the longest after Peter Pan, it tends to hover around 30 minutes- so since it is on the way to Nemo and the line is usually still 10 minutes or less, we do it on the way. If Dumbo is a priority, you might want to do that after PP. We FP Star Tours or SM. Unlike WDW, Star Tours usually has a long line at DLR.

3. Nothing is a waste to me!
4. Take a look and decide for yourself- you could not pay me to spin. It has been referred to as Mickey's Wheel of Death or Mickey's wheel of puke.

5. Yes. We love Minnie's and we usually do it between 10 and 10:30. Because of the local crowd, DL is empty the first couple of hours and you can get a ton done. We also have found the character interaction great in the later morning.

6. If you are there at rope drop, not that long. The lines on that side will be short the first couple hours. We like to do Splash in the afternoon when the line is typically huge and it is always hard to time pulling a FP just right because I always go over there to get them and they kick in too fastbevahse the lines are short in the morning.

 

[jhaig]

We are WDW vets that have been to DLR every summer for the last 7 years.

1. By a WDW vet's standard, DL/CA are basically one big park. They are separated by a small plaza and you do not even have to go through bag check again to hop. It literally takes 5 minutes to hop and we have gotten from the back corner of DL to the back corner of CA in 10 minutes. We tend to go back and forth multiple times in a day. There have been several times that I have looked at the wait times on the app and we have hopped where they were shorter in the other park. We always want hoppers at DLR.

Do you usually go to the park with early entry or Magic Morning or do you avoid it? If you go to either at RD does it even matter?

 

[cruisehopeful]

1) Should I make a plan to stay exclusively in one park per day or plan on a morning at DL and after noon/evening at DCA (or vice-versa)? Is it easier to plan for just one park per day?

I hop back and forth throughout the day. Since you'll only be there for a few days, you may be happy to just stay in one park per day. I'll switch parks just to get a certain food item from the other park, but I visit often. I think a first timer would get more enjoyment out of staying in one park per day.

3) What rides/attractions are a complete waste of time?

The Gadget coaster in Toontown is way too short to make it worth waiting in line for me. I also don't like the merry go rounds or the swings or any of the continuous go in a circle rides. You may love all of those, though. Be sure to watch the rides to see if you'd like them. I've been on the submarine twice and got really bored both times.

4) Mickey's Fun Wheel - to spin or not to spin?

It rocks back and forth. It does not spin. The rocking cars have barf bags in them. I don't go on those. The stationary cars are fun because you get a really good view of everything. It's a pretty slow and time consuming ride, though, if you do the stationary cars.

5) Is touring from 7-10am at DL followed by a late breakfast at the Plaza Inn a good idea?

Lots of people have reported doing that it sounds like it works out great.

6) If I did the left side one morning (Indy, Pirates, Splash, Big Thunder, HM), how long should it take if I rode Indy first and did the standby lines for the others?

If you get there right at opening, I think you can have it all done in a couple hours. Those rides do not open during early hours, but I've very good experiences with that whole area first thing after rope drop.

Do you usually go to the park with early entry or Magic Morning or do you avoid it?

If you have the early entry, it can't be beat. If you don't have early entry, you can still get on rides very quickly in DCA on those days at rope drop. Disneyland gets pretty crowded quickly after rope drop. I wouldn't necessarily avoid it if what I wanted to do what over there, but as far as getting in lines quickly for stuff, consider Disneyland already fairly packed on those days.

 

[jhaig]

If you have the early entry, it can't be beat. If you don't have early entry, you can still get on rides very quickly in DCA on those days at rope drop. Disneyland gets pretty crowded quickly after rope drop. I wouldn't necessarily avoid it if what I wanted to do what over there, but as far as getting in lines quickly for stuff, consider Disneyland already fairly packed on those days.

So then it's a good idea to use MM at DL but not so much at DCA, unless Radiator Springs Racers is a priority?

 

[jhaig]

And what about our travel dates of June 25-29, M-F? It's before 4th of July but after schools get out. I'm guessing it should be somewhat busy, but with a touring plan and getting there early each day, will it matter? I am also guessing that the weather should be pretty nice around this time.

 

[chickapin parterre]

could be the best week of the whole year, Thursday night you will see an influx of folks who flew in and are taking in the night and Friday should be crowded as folks who flew in and drove in on Thursday night, will be in the park.

MM has a greater advantage to folks who already know how to rotate around the the FL rides, as a first time visitor, WDW background, you may find yourself asking, "what just happened ?" when the hour is over. HOWEVER, the advantage to you as a first time visitor, is that entering the West side right at the end of MM, will put you way ahead of the crowds and you will find that those hours after MM will probably be your best segment of time of the trip.

 

[ktlm]

Do you usually go to the park with early entry or Magic Morning or do you avoid it? If you go to either at RD does it even matter?

It isn't like WDW where that park will be more crowded for the whole day, no reason to avoid. We feel like the first couple of regular hours are pretty good no matter what. If we feel like being there at 7:00 am we go to extra hour, but that doesn't happen too often as we usually are in the parks late at night. We stick with around rope drop. We would do early entry when RSR was new, but we don't do it for it anymore as there is no trouble getting FP or single rider and sometimes it takes them awhile to get it going anyway. If Guardians is a priority, I would think being at the front of the extra hour crowd would be helpful since it is new- I expect that line will be huge all summer. Also for Peter Pan, if there is a magic morning/extra hour, that line will typically be really long by regular park opening.

 

[jhaig]

We would do early entry when RSR was new, but we don't do it for it anymore as there is no trouble getting FP or single rider and sometimes it takes them awhile to get it going anyway

So with RSR - is the best strategy still to get a FP at RD then ride it in standby?

 

[ktlm]

And what about our travel dates of June 25-29, M-F? It's before 4th of July but after schools get out. I'm guessing it should be somewhat busy, but with a touring plan and getting there early each day, will it matter? I am also guessing that the weather should be pretty nice around this time.

The weather should be great. We have been the first part of June, and for the last few years due to my DD's schedule we have gone in July. The first part of June it can be cold mornings and evenings, but in July it is beautiful in the mornings and evenings and a little on the warm side in the afternoons. The Californians are complaining about how hot it is, but being from the southern Midwest we think it is perfect. The weather should be really nice.

So with RSR - is the best strategy still to get a FP at RD then ride it in standby?

Things have changed since last summer with the parks FP now being connected and the addition of GOTG ride. I would keep an eye on posts over the next few weeks. I would think if you want to ride GOTG, that you would be heading for that FP line at rope drop unless you are in the front of the rope drop crowd. If you don't want to ride GOTG, then RSR would be the next priority. RSR is very easy with single rider if everyone is old enough, but for a first ride I would want to ride it all together.

 

[ktlm]

I just saw a report from yesterday that not only was GOTG open during early morning hours, but FP was already being distributed during early hours for it, as well as TSM and RSR. That changes things if it continues- previously you could not pull FP during early hours you had to wait until rope drop. Another fairly recent change is TSM started FP. We always loved it at CA because it did not have FP so the line was almost always 40 minutes or less. We've ridden it with a 15 or 20 minute wait multiple times at non- rope drop times which is about unheard of at WDW where it is often 60 to 90 minutes. I have heard since they added FP at CA the standby line has been much longer-more like WDW. Hopefully some people there in the next week or two can give some guidance on how best to handle CA mornings with the changes.

 

[jhaig]

We plan to arrive on a Monday when DCA has Magic morning. If it was your first day and first time at the park ever, would you do DL anyway to get the so-called full DL experience?

 

[nono]

We plan to arrive on a Monday when DCA has Magic morning. If it was your first day and first time at the park ever, would you do DL anyway to get the so-called full DL experience?

I wouldn't. I'd take advantage of being awake and on East Coast time. BTW, being an East Coaster and being in DL is the one time that the "mid-day break" that WDW folks love to spout about makes sense! Get up, go nuts, take a nap (oh, without a 3/4 hour commute back to your "on site" WDW hotel) and still have hours upon hours back in the parks after the nap is over. It's the greatest vacation every single time from a timing perspective (IMHO).

 

[ktlm]

We plan to arrive on a Monday when DCA has Magic morning. If it was your first day and first time at the park ever, would you do DL anyway to get the so-called full DL experience?

Arrive meaning you will be there in time for DCA's extra hour? You aren't a total newbie since you are a WDW person. (For us, our first few trips DL felt like we were in a dream-- extremely familiar, but things aren't all quite where they are supposed to be and things look a little different.) If it were me, I wouldn't worry about seeing DL first thing in the morning on the first day- you have a long enough trip that you have other mornings for that. I would start out at DCA for the extra hour that first morning if you are early risers and are still on your home time zone schedule before having any late nights in the parks. If you were a total Disney newbie, it might be different. That is just me though. Only you know how important it is to you that your first glimpse be to walk in and see Town Square and Main Street first thing in the morning. Back when DL and CA used to open at different times, we would often start in the one that opened first for that hour and then just hop to the other when it opened to squeeze every hour and every early morning short line we could. Unless we really wanted to be at the front of the rope drop crowd for the other park- we would just hop about 10 minutes after the other park opened so the entry lines had gone down. Other than early hours, the parks usually open at the same time now.

Thought about CA again. Really I think your morning hinges on GOTG. If you don't want to ride it, then I think what we would do would probably be to grab RSR FP and then head for the TSM line (that is assuming that either 1) they open the FP machine during extra hours like was reported occurred a couple of days ago; or 2) if not, then you are doing rope drop at regular opening when there has been no extra hour. In our experience going in July, if you stop to get a FP on the way to RSR, then often the RSR line is already really long by the time you get down there. I'm not sure if that would be different the last week of June. Adding GOTG and adding FP to TSM has kind of thrown a wrench in things. There is also the issue of whether MaxPass suddenly appears and goes into effect before your trip. The rumors were June 1, but all there has been is silence for a while.

 

[Nevada Jen]

If you stay on site you will get EMH everyday at one park or the other. THe EMH at DCA is extremely valuable. Only hotel guests get it. Personally I don't think DL EMH is worth getting up for. DL is packed for EMH. You don't need to avoid the park with EMH. It doesn't really have much of an effect. You don't have to worry so much about RSR now. I would ride it during one of your EMH days at DCA. It seems to work well to hit it at the end of EMH. Honestly, I think it will be very different by the time of your trip because GOTG hype will have died down and max pass will be in place. You are probably planning a bit too early

 

[jhaig]

If you stay on site you will get EMH everyday at one park or the other. THe EMH at DCA is extremely valuable. Only hotel guests get it. Personally I don't think DL EMH is worth getting up for. DL is packed for EMH. You don't need to avoid the park with EMH. It doesn't really have much of an effect. You don't have to worry so much about RSR now. I would ride it during one of your EMH days at DCA. It seems to work well to hit it at the end of EMH. Honestly, I think it will be very different by the time of your trip because GOTG hype will have died down and max pass will be in place. You are probably planning a bit too early

I'm SURE I'm planning too early! I'm so used to planning WDW trips and doing everything 6 months in advance that it just seems I need to get ahead.

 

[jhaig]

Let's say we start an early entry day at DCA by grabbing a FP for Radiator Springs Racers and then jump in the standby line to ride. How long should the standby wait be (meaning how much will getting a FP first delay our first ride) and how far out should the FP be time-wise? Will we need to wait another 3-4 hours before we can get another FP for something else?

 

[mom2rtk]

Let's say we start an early entry day at DCA by grabbing a FP for Radiator Springs Racers and then jump in the standby line to ride. How long should the standby wait be (meaning how much will getting a FP first delay our first ride) and how far out should the FP be time-wise? Will we need to wait another 3-4 hours before we can get another FP for something else?

Your FP will always say when you are eligible to get another. It's either 1) when that FP window opens or 2) 2 hours after you pulled it (whichever is earlier). It's never longer than 2 hours.

 

[jhaig]

Your FP will always say when you are eligible to get another. It's either 1) when that FP window opens or 2) 2 hours after you pulled it (whichever is earlier). It's never longer than 2 hours.

Would you get a FP on the way to the standby line or just skip FP and ride first thing?

 

[nono]

Would you get a FP on the way to the standby line or just skip FP and ride first thing?

For us, we do the latter - jump in line and then get the FP after. That was before GoTG opened...seemed to space out nicely for an afternoon return. In the end it all depends on what your priority is. For us, it was riding Radiator Springs Racers again in the afternoon v. being able to pull another FP right away.