What is up with Peter Pan?? (LOOONNNG LINES!)

[JoyG]

I was in DL today for the first time. I had a game plan which included getting to the park before opening and being there for rope drop. Peter Pan was stop number 2 on my list. I ran to Adventure Land first, got fastpasses to Indie and then ran to Fantasyland for Peter Pan. I got to Fantasyland before 9:10 according to my watch on a non early entry day. When I got there 10 minutes after park opened, the line was no less than an hour long!!! What is up with that?? Every other ride in Fantasyland was a walk on...literally. I finished fantasyland before 10am when I decided I wasn't going to wait for Peter Pan.

It seems like DL has two problems with this ride...number one it's an great ride (I saw it in Orlando) and it's slow loading and number two, it's the first ride you get to when you come into Fantasyland...so everyone stops there first. This should really be a fastpass attraction! It was in Orlando and I'm so glad I saw it there. This was the only attraction on my itinerary I couldn't get to see today. I even checked back at various times during the day and the line was always there if not longer!! When do you all fit this one it?

Joy

 

[Diva of Dragons]

Hi Joy!

Peter Pan always has one of the longest lines in the park. It is very slow loading. Unlike Orlando where the ships are in constant motion etc.. I believe they considered fast pass for it, but they would have to do a lot of construction. It's just not set up for an extra line. If it makes you feel any better, Orlando's is much better (IMHO). I was surprised when we went to Paris last year that they had DL's version instead of WDW's.

TIP: The best time to ride PP is just after the fireworks. Get to Fantasyland by going between the castle and the Matterhorn. They start a line near Mr. Toad, while they make sure the coast is clear of any firework debris, and if your timing is good you can be in the first wave of people to get back on PP!

Have Fun!....Lisa

 

[1000th happy haunt]

I've seen huge lines at Peter Pan in Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom, AND Disneyland Paris. It just seems to be a real popular ride.

 

[blackjackdelta]

The PP ride has always had long lines at DLR. We love the ride but we skip it most times.

Jack

 

[Michelle2]

When we do the fantasyland rides, we always make Dumbo our #1, and Peter Pan directly after at #2 and #3---we can usually wait only about 5 minutes to go right on it again while it is still early. After that, the line is always long.

Sorry have to disagree, I like Disneyland's version better than WDW's. But I am biased, and that is just me. I have also been to DLP, and was glad it was the same as DL pretty much!

 

[robinb]

I happen to think that the DLR Pan is better that WDW's Pan. I was also shocked at how quickly the line gets very, very long. I did my regular WDW Commando plan of Dumbo first and then Pan and ended up waiting in a 40 minute line. Dumbo was still only a short wait when I (finally!) exited Pan. My plan for next month's trip is to bolt for Pan and get in line ASAP. We have a 6 year old, so skipping the fireworks is not an option .

 

[frozonefan]

Is it possible to see all of Fantasyland first (peter Pan the absolute first)at the rope drop and then get decent fastpasses for Space Mountain, Indiana Jones and the other popular rides?

 

[MamaKate]

Is it possible to see all of Fantasyland first (peter Pan the absolute first)at the rope drop and then get decent fastpasses for Space Mountain, Indiana Jones and the other popular rides?

Yes it is. I would do Peter Pan and Alice 1st and then all the other attractions. Snow White and Pinnocchio will have the shortest waits and you might want to grab a fastpass for Space Mountain before riding these.

I would get a Fastpass for Space Mountain 1st since this always runs out of Fastpasses and if you wait too long, your return time will be ALOT later. As soon as you can get another fastpass get one for Indie or Splash Mountain. The other fastpass attractions don't run out as quickly.

,
Katie

 

[MamaKate]

P.S. I also like the WDW version of Peter Pan better. I also think it's a little longer or at least it feels that way.

 

[azgal81]

I always get to park right at opening ride peter pan first, then matterhorn and then get a fastpass for space mountain. I have noticed that most of the people head towards tomorrowland and fantasyland first so you can normally do all of that and then head toward adventureland and walk on indy. I never get a fast pass for indy unless the line is outside because the only thing the fastpass allows you to do is skip the outside line everyone joins the line at the same place inside. Since the outside portion of this ride isn't really long I have found that fastpasses aren't really needed. Space mountain fastpasses on the other hand allow you to skip through tons of people.

 

[steen995]

Hmmm, now you've got me thinking.....

I was going to take my kids to Fantasyland later in the day because I was afraid that once they "saw' it there would be no leaving. Would it be better to break from DH (have him get space mountain fastpass) and head straight to Fantasyland with the kids? How fast do you have to move at the rope drop? My MIL will be with us and she moves pretty slow. Last time at DW she accused me of giving her shinsplits because I walk too fast. I'd hate to go to there first (albeit slowly) and still have the same long lines as if I had waited until later in the day.

Advice?

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hmmm, now you've got me thinking.....

I was going to take my kids to Fantasyland later in the day because I was afraid that once they "saw' it there would be no leaving. Would it be better to break from DH (have him get space mountain fastpass) and head straight to Fantasyland with the kids? How fast do you have to move at the rope drop? My MIL will be with us and she moves pretty slow. Last time at DW she accused me of giving her shinsplits because I walk too fast. I'd hate to go to there first (albeit slowly) and still have the same long lines as if I had waited until later in the day.

Advice?

Definitely do Fantasyland first! It depends on the time of year and whether you are going on a weekend or not, as to how fast Fantasyland will fill up. Believe me, there may be some lines first thing but it never gets better as the day wears on, only worse! And if you are at the front of Main Street waiting for rope drop, its not a far walk to Fantasyland. I have been to Disneyland with my elderly parents and was still able to get to Fantasyland in plenty of time to take advantage of shorter lines. Do Peter Pan first, then Dumbo, the rest of the rides don't usually fill up too fast. And believe me, once those lines get nasty, your kids will probably be begging you to go to another, less crowded area of Disneyland!

 

[ZeusNike]

We always devote one of our early mornings to getting some of the Fantasyland rides done, especially Peter Pan. No way would I get DH to wait in line for it so that is the first stop in Fantasyland!

 

[LucyKate]

Peter Pan was the biggest (pleasant) surprise to us. It's not one that features in many guide books or websites, doesn;t have fastpass, and yet it is superb.

It was the one ride when we were there that we had to queue for more than half an hour, and it's clear that word has now got around about just how good it is.

I think the queues are due to a number of factors:
1. It's in Fantsasyland which is always popular
2. But it's still a great ride for adults and many we saw in the queue had no kids, so it gets the kids, the families and the singles.
3. It has no fastpass
4. It's not fast loading
5. It has a very messy queuing system.

It appears even Disney has bene taken by surprise by the success of this ride, which apears, on the outside, no different than the other Fantsayland dark rides, but is up there with its best.

 

[JoyG]

Like I said, I was standing outside of Peter Pan at 9:10 and the line was at least an hour long. You would have to sprint at rope drop to get there first for a walk on (and lots of people were doing that...running!) If I was doing this park again with my kids, I would have dh and me split up with one of us standing on line while the other took the kids around Fanstasyland. You would just waste too much precious time the first hour of the day with everybody standing on that line.

 

[Brina78]

This would probably keep PP under construction for awhile, but if they altered the ride to run the pirate ships non-stop like the Doombuggies on HM (or what Diva of Dragons said about the WDW version), it would make loading time go a lot faster. I think I last rode that ride before Christmas, when my sister and I went up on a weekday. I probably have it in a Trip Report on here somewhere. The wait was about 15 minutes, which wasn't bad at all. If we ever stay late enough after the fireworks, we'll try that plan of taking the side route from the Matterhorn to Fantasyland. However, others may get the same idea and already start to form a line!

 

[ladyjayhawk]

Is the wait for Peter Pan very long during early entry? Thanks!

 

[doombuggy]

While the doombuggies at the HM are continuous, they can be stopped. It is my understanding from the disabilities guide available at WDW that the Peter Pan ride cannot be stopped. Apparently this is not the case for PP in DL?

Perhaps on the day the OP went it was crowded? I have not been to DL in almost 4 years, but while we went over mother's da weekend, I don't remember the line being that long (an hour).

 

[iceskatejen]

DL's Peter Pan boats stop both for loading and unloading.

 

[Ride Junkie]

I think Peter Pan is so popular because it's different -- it's the only Fantasyland ride that is suspended, so you get that feeling of flying. We waited about 25 mins. for it last Saturday.

I like the DL version better than the one at WDW. One section has all these really pretty lights they added a few years ago, so it looks all starry.