TSM Question

[Mrs.Roo]

It's been awhile since I've been to California Adventure, can anyone tell me is TSM as crazy busy here as it is at WDW? We were lucky to ride it 3 times at Hollywood Studios and it's my new fave!

Thanks

 

[Itinkso]

We were there last Saturday and maybe waited 20 minutes; the line moves pretty fast. What a great ride! ~ My new favorite in DCA! Remember though, it did rain last Saturday and we were able to walk right onto a number of rides. DDs did wait 45 minutes for ToT; no line at all for Buzz.

 

[Jennifer03]

When I was there last November, I only had to wait thirty minutes.

 

[DLR29]

After reading some horror stories about the mass stampede at DHS, I can assure you that TSMM at DCA does not have such a high demand (same with Soarin and ToT and DCA too). During the busiest seasons, its line will be at the most 45 min and usually less. Plus, unlike DHS, DCA has kept TSMM's Single Rider line, which might help if you are ok with splitting up your party, but it is offered mainly during busy times.

 

[ballarinamom]

Just remember if you get there for rope drop, they line everyone up at Grizzly River Rapids and walk you over. We did this and only waited 5 minutes. Got right off anf back on in 10 minutes

 

[HydroGuy]

After reading some horror stories about the mass stampede at DHS, I can assure you that TSMM at DCA does not have such a high demand (same with Soarin and ToT and DCA too). During the busiest seasons, its line will be at the most 45 min and usually less. Plus, unlike DHS, DCA has kept TSMM's Single Rider line, which might help if you are ok with splitting up your party, but it is offered mainly during busy times.

Adding to this, TSMM at DCA does not have FP like the one at DHS. We rode TSMM at DHS 10 times last May/June through the FP and SR line (we were at DHS on June 1, the day TSMM officially opened). Sounds like SR is no longer open there?

 

[LavenderPeach]

We keep trying to ride it on really busy days I guess because every time we've gone over there the line has been at least an hour long. Still haven't been on it yet but it is my number one priority next time we go, i don't care how long the line is.

 

[Sherry E]

Out of all the times I went on TSMM last year (in October and December, which was vey busy), I think the longest we ever had to wait was 40 minutes. Usually, it was about 25-30 minutes or less. Well, let me put it this way - even if the line says it will be a 40-minute wait, it will probably hustle along faster than that, so don't be discouraged. They seem to keep people loading on and off the ride at a rapid clip, so the line is constantly moving through the queue. When we used the GCH entrance to DCA in the morning at opening, we lined up at GRR and then all marched (calmly, no stampeding!) to TSMM and got in line, and we would have gotten on the ride immediately if not for the fact that it broke down as we were moving along in the line. I have heard of hour-long lines or more, but I still think that the wait would be shorter than that even if the sign said "1 hour." In my opinion, seeing that it is a brand new ride, extremely popular, ride and was only a 40-minute wait or so just a few months after it opened was pretty lucky. It never seems like you are standing in one place for too long, like in the line for Nemo or even Haunted Mansion sometimes (because the line comes to a standstill when each group is ushered into the first room).

 

[Disneyluvr2]

Just remember if you get there for rope drop, they line everyone up at Grizzly River Rapids and walk you over. We did this and only waited 5 minutes. Got right off anf back on in 10 minutes

Are they doing this again? When I went in October we lined up at GRR but when I went back in November they weren't doing it any more.

 

[PinkBudgie]

After reading some horror stories about the mass stampede at DHS, I can assure you that TSMM at DCA does not have such a high demand (same with Soarin and ToT and DCA too). During the busiest seasons, its line will be at the most 45 min and usually less. Plus, unlike DHS, DCA has kept TSMM's Single Rider line, which might help if you are ok with splitting up your party, but it is offered mainly during busy times.

I have never seen it less than an hour. And then the line extends beyond that mark and goes down along the path. We went last summer when it was pretty new, and then over the holidays when we went it was worse. If the line was anything less than 60 min, I jump in!

An additional point- if your goal is to get on TSMM first thing in the morning so you head over to DCA early, how much time is that total you waited anyway? If you count getting in line at DCA early. Then walking to their "holding line" (if they have one), and then whatever line there is at the ride, I wonder if that really saves any time. I know it would depend on when, but let's say a "busy" day. Has anyone added up that time? I would be interested to know. These are the type of things I wonder, but then I'm currently listening to an audio book about traffic patterns.

 

[HydroGuy]

An additional point- if your goal is to get on TSMM first thing in the morning so you head over to DCA early, how much time is that total you waited anyway? If you count getting in line at DCA early. Then walking to their "holding line" (if they have one), and then whatever line there is at the ride, I wonder if that really saves any time. I know it would depend on when, but let's say a "busy" day. Has anyone added up that time? I would be interested to know. These are the type of things I wonder, but then I'm currently listening to an audio book about traffic patterns.

Good point. The counterpoint is that it is not the total amount of time saved. It is the fact that you use part of that time outside of park hours rather than, say mid-day (waiting for TSM mid-day), and hence have more time mid-day to do something else.

 

[labattblue]

Adding to this, TSMM at DCA does not have FP like the one at DHS.

I didn't know this. Did they have FP when it first opened and then abandoned it, or never had it at all?

Thanks!

 

[Mom2Joce]

Staying at the Grand next week. I wonder if I can use the special enterance one morning and be right there at the grizzley line up OR if I have to go out to the enterance of the park???
ANyone know?

 

[Sherry E]

Staying at the Grand next week. I wonder if I can use the special enterance one morning and be right there at the grizzley line up OR if I have to go out to the enterance of the park???
ANyone know?

If you are staying at the Grand - or any of the 3 DLR hotels - you can use that special GCH entrance into DCA in the morning. Just bring your room key (called the Key to the Magic) and your ticket/Hopper/AP to show them at the turnstiles. They will let you in to stand at GRR about 10-20 minutes before the park officially opens (in my experience), and then when it's just before 10:00 a.m., you start the slow walk to TSMM. But you get there before all the people who came in the main entrance, so you do have a slight advantage.

 

[Michelle2]

Are they doing this again? When I went in October we lined up at GRR but when I went back in November they weren't doing it any more.

I have heard this too and am wondering if its a seasonal thing. I am curious if they are going to line people up or not during the spring break month?

An additional point- if your goal is to get on TSMM first thing in the morning so you head over to DCA early, how much time is that total you waited anyway? If you count getting in line at DCA early. Then walking to their "holding line" (if they have one), and then whatever line there is at the ride, I wonder if that really saves any time. I know it would depend on when, but let's say a "busy" day. Has anyone added up that time? I would be interested to know.

I totally agree. We went this last summer, and did not go TSM at park opening for that same reason. We used the early morning time taking advantage of DL rides and gathering fastpasses instead. I figured whether if its waiting before the park opens, or waiting during the day, it totally was about the same amount of time, so might as well take advantage of DL while it was slow in the morning. In the summer, the line was usually about 35-45 minutes, they kept it cranking.

 

[Mrs.Roo]

So no fastpass, right?

I found these boards while planning our WDW trip, I don't know when we'll be able to go again so I studied and had a plan. My family laughed at me with all my planning and making sure we were at all the rope drops, but they were wow'd by the fact that we got to ride all the biggies multiple times. Although the CM's did very well at controlling the rush to TSM at DHS, it was kinda scary. FP were gone by noon.

Thanks for all your replies, and oh yea

Hi I'm Laura, nice to meet you all!

 

[HydroGuy]

I didn't know this. Did they have FP when it first opened and then abandoned it, or never had it at all?

They never had it at DCA.

 

[S. S. Columbia]

An additional point- if your goal is to get on TSMM first thing in the morning so you head over to DCA early, how much time is that total you waited anyway? If you count getting in line at DCA early. Then walking to their "holding line" (if they have one), and then whatever line there is at the ride, I wonder if that really saves any time. I know it would depend on when, but let's say a "busy" day. Has anyone added up that time? I would be interested to know. These are the type of things I wonder, but then I'm currently listening to an audio book about traffic patterns.

Good point. The counterpoint is that it is not the total amount of time saved. It is the fact that you use part of that time outside of park hours rather than, say mid-day (waiting for TSM mid-day), and hence have more time mid-day to do something else.

FWIW, RideMax.com has some of the best touring advice for DLR (IMHO) -- I think it's worth the $15 for 3 months -- and he would agree with PinkBudgie. He recommends seeing TSM between 2:00 and 6:00pm, because he believes that it's not worth all the extra time in the morning on really busy days (if you get in line at DCA at 9:15, you may not get to TSM until 10:30am).

HydroGuy, I disagree slightly with the counterpoint, because the time that is spent waiting for DCA to open is time that could be spent inside DL.

Sounds like SR is no longer open there?

Correct, the Single Rider at DHS's TSM was discontinued sometime last fall. (Or at least that's what I heard over at TourGuideMike.com.)

HTH

 

[DCDisney]

I think it just depends on when you go. We went at the end of Jan on weekdays. They didn't walk people over from GRR. A lot of people didn't seem to know where it was or got distracted on the way over because for the first hour or so it was 5 minute wait (if that) from about 10:15 until about 11:15 we rode 8 or 9 times. Our arms got too tired and DH took one kid to ride CA Screamin and the other kid and I rode one more time which took about 15 mins. We were just doing DCA that day so no hurry to collect FP's. Going early seems to work well now especially with it being in the back of teh park vs the front at DHS.

 

[PinkBudgie]

FWIW, RideMax.com has some of the best touring advice for DLR (IMHO) -- I think it's worth the $15 for 3 months -- and he would agree with PinkBudgie. He recommends seeing TSM between 2:00 and 6:00pm, because he believes that it's not worth all the extra time in the morning on really busy days (if you get in line at DCA at 9:15, you may not get to TSM until 10:30am).

HydroGuy, I disagree slightly with the counterpoint, because the time that is spent waiting for DCA to open is time that could be spent inside DL.


Correct, the Single Rider at DHS's TSM was discontinued sometime last fall. (Or at least that's what I heard over at TourGuideMike.com.)

HTH

Yes, that was my point. You would have to leave DL early in order to get over to DCA and wait in line to get in the park. 8am to 11am at DL is what I call "Prime Time" because that is best time to hop on a lot of rides. I'd hate to leave that to go wait to get into DCA. If you wait 30 min to be first in line at DCA only to get over quickly to TSMM, then that time is still included in your wait time.