Trip Planning help please :)

[DnA2010]

Hi All,

I was wondering if you could help me formulate an agenda fore our 3 day trip- this will be DD6's first Disney trip but DH and I have been before-

We would like to fit in:
-Early Entry for Thursday (hit up PP, Dumbo, Matterhorn etc) (in DL)
-Lunch at AG with the princesses (in CA)
-Fireworks then Fantasmic (will have to do on the friday) (In DL)
-WOC(either wed when we arrive or thurs as have FWs/Fantas on friday (DA)
-Aladdin (CA)



Dates:Arrive: Wed February 23, Leaving our hotel at 8am Saturday 26th-
3 days in DL/CA- Wed (23rd), Thurs (24th), Friday (25th)

Staying at Castle Inn

Wed:
Leaving home at 1am ish, driving 3.5 hours to airport, plane is 7am arriving at Long Beach Airport at 9:35am- Have Zippy Shuttle booked ($45 private each way) to take us directly to DL (will have opened at 9:00am) where we plan on storing our stuff in a locker (just flying with carry-ons) and heading in-


*PLan is to put DD to bed early, pop her in the car at 1am, drive to airport and wake her up/tell her of trip there that way she will have slept from say 6:30pm-5am ish*

-we are "Go hard" types- even DD who can do a full day skiing etc...

I was kinda thinking:

Wed February 23rd:
Arrive, store stuff- 10-10:15ish

From say 10:30- close (9pm) do:
Main Street (possibly CC if we are hungry)
Adventureland
Frontierland
New Orleans Square

Have a basic plan (collect FP etc) but work with that plan depending on DD is-
If DD didn't sleep as much as we thought/is failing in the afternoon, head to hotel, check in and take a break- we suspect she will be too excited though

9:00pm- at close- head to hotel, check in and bed
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Thursday Feb 24
6:00am ish- Up, eat brekkie in hotel (bringing oatmeal etc), head to DL to be at security tables by 7:30-

EE- 8am- Focus on Fantasyland stuff, at 9am collect fastpasses for SM, sometime ride Nemo subs

Other Tomorrowland Stuff, at some point hop to CA-

(We can either do AG lunch today or tomorrow? )

Spend some time doing CA rides, pick up WOC picnics, see WOC
Back to hotel, bed
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Friday February 25th-

Be at DL Security tables for 7:30 (DL open at 8am today)- ride any rides we want to again, maybe pick up a FP or two.

At 9:30 be at CA entrance, ride Soarin' then head to "rope drop" to ride TSM-
Do any CA rides we missed, see Aladdin..
Have lunch at AG if we didn't yesterday...

If DD is still doing great, head to DL- use FP, collect more, do some rides, then grab some dinner and get spot for fireworks. After fireworks check out Fantasmic...if DD is tired, after Aladdin, head to hotel for a break and after a break head to DL for FWs/Fantasmic....
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So our days would be:

Wed: Travel from 1am ish, arrive, do DL (Main Street, Adventureland, New Orleans, Frontierland)

Thurs: EE (Fantasyland, then some Tomorrow), afternoon hop to CA, pick up Picnics, WOC

Friday- DL (couple of rides, FP's) then CA for Soarin' (we might have done this yesterday) but mainly TSM and Aladdin. Lunch at AG
DL for Fireworks and Fastasmic-



Sound too crazy???

 

[nana50]

It sounds very thorough. Remember to be as flexible as you can. Planning is always good, over-planning can lead to disappointment. Think about what you really want to see and do, and do the most important things when things are slow. Then everything else is gravy. Planning every minute will close you off to something that might "pop up" and you miss it. I would even try and get Fantasyland in as soon as possible. 6 year olds don't always understand waiting until MM.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

Feb tends to be (at least in the past) less busy. It's a lot easier to take your time and still get everything done sometimes twice.

unless I misuderstood, you claim to be getting FP's for Nemo. When did Nemo get FP's?

 

[DnA2010]

Feb tends to be (at least in the past) less busy. It's a lot easier to take your time and still get everything done sometimes twice.

unless I misuderstood, you claim to be getting FP's for Nemo. When did Nemo get FP's?

Unfortunately I managed to book our trip during the only busy time in February (presidents week) during which lots of schools seem to have the whole week off...crowd estimates on these days are quite high...

Sorry, will edit my post, I didn't meant to present getting a fastpass for Nemo, this is not a fast pass ride.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

Unfortunately I managed to book our trip during the only busy time in February (presidents week) during which lots of schools seem to have the whole week off...crowd estimates on these days are quite high...

Sorry, will edit my post, I didn't meant to present getting a fastpass for Nemo, this is not a fast pass ride.

In that case, I'ld totally just live in the moment, and go the speed of Miss6. Defintaley have a plan of attack, but if other things pop up just roll with it. I had a lot of fun with my DS's 1st time (almost 3 and the time) during Thanksgiving. i even let him walk most of the time. Good luck with TSM. I carried 40lbs of squiming baby from "rope drop" to TSM fighting crowds and still waited 45 minutes. I don't think Presidents week will be as bad as Thanksgiving week, but I've been wrong before.

 

[DnA2010]

Anyone else experience with fitting in these events/park hopping in 3 days?

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I don't think Presidents week will be as bad as Thanksgiving week, but I've been wrong before.

Hmmm ~ Turkey Day and the Fri and Sat of that week were fantastic last year! I'm sure the days leading up to Thanksgiving were busy but our 3 days were great. OP ~ sounds like a lot of fun! Enjoy your visit to DLR!

 

[BlueJade]

I think you could definitely see most of what you want over this time period. Aladdin was closed recently, and I think it's still closed. The longest lines for younger kid rides are on Nemo. The line for Peter Pan is also long. ToonTown has lots of areas for kids to bounce around, but the line to meet Mickey in his house was long. It was fun to go around, but there was just a photo op at the end.

Just enjoy yourself. Spend time wandering around the castle area. Make sure that you know the times that Pixie Hollow and the Princess Fairy Castle areas are open if your daughter wants to see these. They seem to close around dinner time. You can go to the Disney site and find all the upcoming time schedules.

 

[ironpig70]

When we where there over Christmas Nemo was open during EE. I saw the lines for Nemo hit the 2 hour mark.

On MM we did the ride but it is a longer ride and will eat into your MM time. I would try and hit it at park opening or shortly there bfore.


Sounds very do able.

 

[Brady's Mom]

Since you are ending up there during Pres. Week and some Cali schools have the week off you could consider RideMax. It is a very helpful planning tool. It used to cost about $15 and you could come up with any number of scenarios to make touring easier.

It will probably be very difficult to get over to ROA to see Fantasmic! after the fireworks. It can be hard to move the opposite direction as the people that are leaving that area. Would you be willing to watch F! and then sit in your spot to watch the fireworks? You miss some of the lower fireworks and will miss the projections on the castle - but you can do both pretty easily that way. Just a thought.

 

[GrandBob]

Aladdin was closed recently, and I think it's still closed.

Huh? When did this happen? I think you're wrong -- it's still showing on the schedule, and is not listed on any refurbs.

There was a time last year that they had proposed closing Aladdin and replacing it with Toy Story, but they quickly relented due to an "overwhelming response." But I still see that old news pop up on this board occasionally.

-Bob

 

[DnA2010]

Since you are ending up there during Pres. Week and some Cali schools have the week off you could consider RideMax. It is a very helpful planning tool. It used to cost about $15 and you could come up with any number of scenarios to make touring easier.

It will probably be very difficult to get over to ROA to see Fantasmic! after the fireworks. It can be hard to move the opposite direction as the people that are leaving that area. Would you be willing to watch F! and then sit in your spot to watch the fireworks? You miss some of the lower fireworks and will miss the projections on the castle - but you can do both pretty easily that way. Just a thought.

I was thinking about RideMax yes, however do you know if it does well with park hopping? I guess you can change the parameters of time so you create a itinerary for the am and then again for pm...


Is there an idea spot at F! to do this? I guess the disadvantage to this though, is that you have to wait a long time ahead to get a decent spot for F! right?
ALthought there is the lightstand trick...

Maybe we just scrap F! although both DH and I were wanting to see it as we never have...

Ahh decisions!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i had been told aladan was elaving an toy story would be up. I kinda hope it is by the tim,e we go i have seen aladen alot an it would be cool for the toy story one.

 

[ironpig70]

I was thinking about RideMax yes, however do you know if it does well with park hopping? I guess you can change the parameters of time so you create a itinerary for the am and then again for pm...


Is there an idea spot at F! to do this? I guess the disadvantage to this though, is that you have to wait a long time ahead to get a decent spot for F! right?
ALthought there is the lightstand trick...

Maybe we just scrap F! although both DH and I were wanting to see it as we never have...

Ahh decisions!

F! can be a wait but you can use that time for other stuff. DH or you could hold the spot while the other took DD on a ride or 2. You can also have dinner while you wait. We did this kind of stuff while we waited and it worked out alright.

 

[Bungle]

I'm of no help here, but we are planing on doing almost the same thing in may so I'm subscribing to see how it goes. Have fun!

 

[dlander]

I think you have a great plan! Totally doable, even if you take time to enjoy other things that pop up. I think I would make your reservations for AG on Friday. Most schools have the 18th and the 21st off. There are a few that have the whole week, but I think crowds should be low on the days you are visiting. Have a magical trip