Touring strategy for a nonMM in DCA & DL?

[SeiterClan]

Hello DISers! I could really use some touring strategy help. We will have 3 day PH, but no MM & will be there in less than 2 weeks-in parks Thursday Feb. 2nd-Sat. Feb. 4th. Figured we would do the parks opposite of their EE/MM to help with crowds.

On Thursday we planned to head to DCA in line before rope drop(open 10am) & try to follow this plan:
Family head to TSMM while I get FP's for RSR & meet up with them to hopefully ride it twice in a row
Then older kids ride Screamin while my 2 littles ride Triton's Carousel & then we will use rider swap
Then maybe ride Soarin' or pick up FP's for it & WOC if can't get yet
Ride RSR with FP & get rider swap card while I take my 2.5 year old on Luigi's and/or Mater's Jamboree
Lunch?-maybe run to get FP for Indy for later at DL?
Get FP for Goofy's Sky School
Ride Monster's
Ride Ariel's
Ride Soarin with FP
Ride Silly Symphony Swings, Golden Zephyr & Jumpin Jellyfish
Ride Goofy's Sky School
Get another FP for RSR's in evening
Hop to DL to ride POTC before refurb & grab FP's for Indy
Hit anything else with low waits in that area ie HM, Pooh?
Dinner
Ride Indy?
Hop back to DCA & ride RSR then line up for WOC

Plan for Friday at DL(hours 9am-MN)Feb. 3rd: Plan to be there one hour before rope drop at least!
PP
Dumbo
Alice
Toad
Part of group head to sign up for Jedi Training Academy, part to ride Buzz while FP runner gets FP's for Hyperspace Mountain & Buzz
Storyland boats
Nemo
Matterhorn & get rider swap card
Autotopia
Toontown-meet Mickey & ride gadget's Coaster?
Get FP for Star Tours
Ride HSM get rider swap card & ride Astro Orbiter with 2.5 year old
Ride Buzz
Ride Star Tours
Dinner while watching Jedi Training
Hit Fantasyland rides we missed-Carousel, Snow White,Pinocchio, Casey Jr. & Tea Cups
Line up for reserved seating for parade at IASW-take turns riding IASW
Watch MSEP & then move closer to rail for Remember fireworks

Saturday-start at DCA & hop to DL(hours 8am to MN) - ride favorites & stuff we missed

Background: 4 adults & 5 kids ages 2.5, 5, 7, 9, & 11 plus my 14 year old on Saturday. We haven't been since 2013 & will probably not be back for another 3-4 years so want to do as much as possible. We all love rides!

Any help or advice you could give would be awesome! TIA

 

[chickapin parterre]

Here is the clock, RSR fp is at 11:00 , because a whole of folks have sent a runner from Disneyland to gather Fastpass, you would be better sending a runner to gather fastpass, while others jump in line For RSR if it is that important to ride RSR twice, Goofy school 1:15


Skip monster inc a long ways to walk with your plan


By 2:30, all RSR should be gone and there will be no evening ride

Don’t forget to see RSR in the evening


Disneyland Friday looks good

 

[SeiterClan]

Thank you for your feedback! Maybe we will do RSR single rider at night, save our rider swap for nighttime or just do it again on Sat. I just know it is a fave with our group! Glad to hear you think our DL plan on Friday could work. Mainly hoping to to do some Fantasyland rides all together before heading to Tomorrowland to sign up for Jedi Training?!? I have a hard time figuring out timing of FP's etc...thanks again for your input.

 

[dshimel]

* Disneyland now enforces the FP return times. You make some assumptions like you will be able to use the Indy or Sky School FPs way later in the day, but it has to be in the window (unless it goes down for any part of your window, then you can use them any time that day).

* WoC FP is "disconnected" from other ride FPs. You can get them even if you just got FP to a ride, and getting them won't effect when you can get your next ride FPs.

* Since you mention child-swap, I am told by a couple people that you can get a child-swap card when returning with a FP, even if you don't have enough FPs for everyone in the group. I have not personally confirmed. Seems wrong, but a couple people here said it works, and no one said it doesn't. The strategy works something like this. Instead of getting, say, 4 FPs for RSR, you get 2 to RSR, and 2 to, say, Screamin'. Then you show up with the 2 FPs for RSR and get a baby-swap pass. 2 ride with the FPs, then the rest ride (up to 3) with the baby-swap pass. Then you repeat at Screamin'. Since you need fewer FP to each ride, you can have FPs to different rides. I have not tried it myself, but will give it a go in March when I go with 10 mo grandson.

* Be in the entrance plaza an hour before opening. That means that if driving/parking, be at Mickey and Friends by 1:30 before opening as it takes half an hour to pay, park, walk, escalator, bag check, tram to the entrance. They will start letting people into the park half hour before opening for the rope drop.

* We like to bring in snacks and refillable water bottles. No problem getting them through security. Allows us to eat one larger meal half-way between normal lunch/dinner time, and just eat fruit, crackers, cookies, etc to tide us over. Full meals are not only expensive, but VERY time consuming, especially if you try to eat at normal times like noon and 6.

 

[SeiterClan]

* Disneyland now enforces the FP return times. You make some assumptions like you will be able to use the Indy or Sky School FPs way later in the day, but it has to be in the window (unless it goes down for any part of your window, then you can use them any time that day).

* WoC FP is "disconnected" from other ride FPs. You can get them even if you just got FP to a ride, and getting them won't effect when you can get your next ride FPs.

* Since you mention child-swap, I am told by a couple people that you can get a child-swap card when returning with a FP, even if you don't have enough FPs for everyone in the group. I have not personally confirmed. Seems wrong, but a couple people here said it works, and no one said it doesn't. The strategy works something like this. Instead of getting, say, 4 FPs for RSR, you get 2 to RSR, and 2 to, say, Screamin'. Then you show up with the 2 FPs for RSR and get a baby-swap pass. 2 ride with the FPs, then the rest ride (up to 3) with the baby-swap pass. Then you repeat at Screamin'. Since you need fewer FP to each ride, you can have FPs to different rides. I have not tried it myself, but will give it a go in March when I go with 10 mo grandson.

* Be in the entrance plaza an hour before opening. That means that if driving/parking, be at Mickey and Friends by 1:30 before opening as it takes half an hour to pay, park, walk, escalator, bag check, tram to the entrance. They will start letting people into the park half hour before opening for the rope drop.

* We like to bring in snacks and refillable water bottles. No problem getting them through security. Allows us to eat one larger meal half-way between normal lunch/dinner time, and just eat fruit, crackers, cookies, etc to tide us over. Full meals are not only expensive, but VERY time consuming, especially if you try to eat at normal times like noon and 6.

Thank you for all the tips! Our last trip was in Jan. 2013 just before they started enforcing FP times so I'm unfamiliar with the timing but was aware of the change. Hoping to utilize rider swap with FP like you described above so we will see. We definately plan on being to the turnstiles early especially because my kids are early risers anyway & bringing on lots of snacks/lunch stuff ao we only have to do one meal in the parks to save time & money!