VIP Tour - Best Rides for Before / After Tour

[shengjiang]

We are booked for a VIP Tour for over Christmas. We will have only one day to visit so are planning to arrive first thing in the AM and tour on our own for several hours before starting the VIP tour, and also stay after the VIP tour ends. We already have restaurant reservations for before and after the tour (so we don't waste time eating during the tour). We were wondering if there are other recommendations folks had in terms of best utilizing the time we have on the tour. For example, are there "long" rides that we should do on our own first?

Thanks.

 

[DLRExpert]

What time does your tour start and end? Are you willing to rope drop?
Are you visiting one or both parks?

ME

 

[Steven G]

Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, and It's a Small World are pretty long rides, but you will want to rope drop those. Rise of the Resistance is also long, but it's of course difficult to get the time you woudl want to get.

As far as I what I would do, I'd probably try and get Tomorrowland done before the tour (Star Tours, Buzz, and Space Mountain), and then explore the park until the tour.

After the tour, I would take the train around the park a few times to rest.

 

[Steven G]

mistaken post

 

[Malcon10t]

Unless it is a must do, skip Indy. It is a hike in and out and usually chews up at least 30 mins if not 45.

 

[DisSurfer878]

Fantasyland is 100% worth doing ON the tour. No fastpasses for those rides, lines mostly in the sun all day

 

[shengjiang]

Thanks for the responses so far. We are visiting both parks, starting with Disneyland. We are planning on being there all day. The tour is 1-8. Lunch is reserved for 11:30 in Disneyland so we have from rope drop to 11:30 in Disneyland initially.

 

[DLRExpert]

Thanks for the responses so far. We are visiting both parks, starting with Disneyland. We are planning on being there all day. The tour is 1-8. Lunch is reserved for 11:30 in Disneyland so we have from rope drop to 11:30 in Disneyland initially.

I would concentrate on Fantasyland and slow loading/long attractions...
7am get a Boarding group for Rise of the Resistance
At an 8am Rope Drop get to the Disneyland entrance by 730am. When you are in, get as close to the rope as you can. I usually select the rope on the right side between the Walt/mickey statue (hub and the Tomorrowland entrance.
At 8am walk briskly through the castle and ride Peter Pan first, then Alice, Dumbo, Toad, Pinocchio. GOAL needs to be out of Fantasyland by 835am
840am Haunted Mansion Holiday
9am Jungle Cruise
930am Pirates of the Caribbean
945am Splash Mountain
10am Winnie the Pooh
1020am: Its a Small World Holiday if 30 minute or less.
Fill in other attractions that have a 20 minute or less wait.

At 1pm start at California Adventure and visit as many attractions as you can until 4pm
Grizzly (since sun is still out), Guardians, Racers, Web Slingers, Incredicoaster, Midway Mania, Goofy, Soarin
Eat dinner around 4pm to 5pm?
You want to be back at Disneyland by 5pm Hit every major Eticket attraction that you want until 8pm
Space, Matterhorn, Thunder, Indy, Falcon, Rise???

Note if you add Genie+ you can do even more, by selecting after 8pm wait times.

 

[Malcon10t]

I would concentrate on Fantasyland and slow loading attractions...
7am get a Boarding group for Rise of the Resistance
At an 8am Rope Drop get to the Disneyland entrance by 730am. When you are in, get as close to the rope as you can. I usually select the rope on the right side between the Walt/mickey statue (hub and the Tomorrowland entrance.
At 8am walk briskly through the castle and ride Peter Pan first, then Alice, Dumbo, Toad, Pinocchio. GOAL needs to be out of Fantasyland by 835am
840am Haunted Mansion Holiday
9am Jungle Cruise
930am Pirates of the Caribbean
945am Splash Mountain
10am Winnie the Pooh
1020am: Its a Small World Holiday if 30 minute or less.
Fill in other attractions that have a 20 minute or less wait.

At 1pm start at California Adventure and visit as many attractions as you can until 4pm
Grizzly (since sun is still out), Guardians, Racers, Web Slingers, Incredicoaster, Midway Mania, Goofy, Soarin
Eat dinner around 4pm to 5pm?
You want to be back at Disneyland by 5pm Hit every major Eticket attraction that you want until 8pm
Space, Matterhorn, Thunder, Indy, Falcon, Rise???

When you are on a VIP tour you do it like this? You jump from HMH to Jungle Cruise to Pirates?....

To the OP - I would use the time before your lunch to do rides you want that VIP doesn't have access to. In Fantasyland a few examples would be Casey Jr., Mr. Toads, Pinnochio, and the Carousel.

We generally start in DCA, we can hit almost everything we want in about 3 hours, take a break (because commando style touring needs it) then head to Disneyland for 4 1/2 hours and we can hit almost everything we want. (Usually includes multiple rides on Smugglers, Space, Matterhorn, Incredicoaster, Guardians, and Goofy's Sky Skool.). Tell your guide what is important to you for the day.