What to do first when entering the parks in the afternoon?

[SFMommy]

On previous trips we arrive in mid-afternoon (flying into SNA) and don't bother going into the parks. We relax at the pool, settle into our hotel room, have dinner in DTD and get to bed early to hit the parks early.

This year we are going in mid-September, arriving on a Wednesday afternoon into SNA at about 12:30. Since it is not that much more to get a 4-day park hopper tickets instead of a 3-day park hopper ticket...I am considering going into the parks on our first afternoon (a Wednesday) and then our usual 3 days of Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Since we are usually one of the first families at the gates every morning, I'm not sure what a good strategy would be when we enter the park at 2:00-ish. Where should we head first?

Also, to make it a bit different for us...this time we (me, DH, DD6) are traveling with my BIL and his 2 sons (9 & 11). They are from Australia and have never been to Disneyland before.

Any ideas or tips? Thanks!

 

[JDCLL]

We always get there at about 1:00 on our first day. I found that this is a great time to watch the parade, eat dinner at Rainforest Cafe. This year our plan is to knock out some of the minor things that we may not have time to do on our full days. We plan on doing Innoventions, Tarzan's Treehouse, Mad tea cups, Small World, Pooh, Parade, DTD, and just walk around, eat, and take in the sights; probably will end up walking around Carsland also. I plan on being back to our hotel by 7:00, and asleep by 8:00-9:00 to get a good nights rest before the craziness of the next full Disney days take over.

Have FUN!

 

[DLR29]

Any of the shows would be good like Aladdin or an afternoon parade. The Animation Building at DCA is also a really good option. So much to do in there and it never is really crowded!

Rides that will have short or fast moving lines could be Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Buzz, Jungle Cruise, Pinocchio, Monster's Inc., Ariel's Undersea Adventure, or It's a Small World. Any of the minor attractions should be fine too like the Rivers of America, Sleeping Beauty's Castle Walkthrough, Tiki Room, any of the 3D movies or the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.

There's a lot to do that won't be crowded even if you show up in the afternoon. You might even be able to snag a FP for a less popular FP attraction like Autopia or Big Thunder or Goofy's Sky School.

 

[kayleigh83]

I agree with everyone, it seems like this would be a good time to do lots of stuff that isn't dependent on "beating the crowds", like shows and attractions with shorter or faster lines.

 

[Midnightred]

I would do Pirates, HM, Pooh, then Backtrack and do Tarzan's Treehouse, and The Jungle Cruise. Or, you could start in Fantasyland and do Snow White, Pinnochio, and Small World. Maybe take the train around once.

Midnightred

 

[4th Gen Disney Fan]

Our family arrived the day before we went to DL and we spent the evening in DTD. This allowed us to experience the area at night without having to eat time during our park only days. You also get better food in DTD than within the parks and it is much cheaper to feed a large group. We also bought all of the kids' souvenirs while we were there. This allowed them to have all their goodies back in the hotel room and we didn't have to carry it around the park all day.

I think that since you are taking children who have never been before you might want to consider spending that first evening in DTD. While they may be excited to go as soon as you get there, they may feel a bit let down if they aren't able to do any E-Ticket rides before they have to leave. I think that DTD is a great "introduction" to what is in store for them within the parks. I know my 4 kids had a blast. There is so much for them to see and do and they really liked the live band that played while we were there.

 

[CamoMama]

When I went for my solo trip in May I got there at 2:30 in the afternoon. When I got inside there was a school band parade, so I watched that, then went to get a very late lunch/early dinner. The rest of the day I just wandered around and hopped on any ride that had a shortish line and I felt like doing. It was a nice relaxing day and I really enjoyed it.

Oh, and I watched Fantasmic that night, it was a really good time for that, since I wasn't rushing to find a spot after a full day of rides.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We will be arriving on a Sunday late morning or early afternoon this July. My plan is to get our APs activated, turn in our photopass plus voucher for the photopass card, and then check out CL. I want to get a feel for where things are and what the lines look like at that time. We may give single rider on RSR a try if it looks like a good option. If MJJ is 30 min we can try that too. Maybe have a dinner in one of the new CL places. I'm just planning on checking things out and not feeling like we have to rush and find a line to be in.

 

[tykayausjake]

Since you are going in mid Sept, mid-week I would think that crowds will be lower. You should be able to get a couple FPs or even wait stand-by for some of the e-ticket rides if you wanted. CL may throw a wrench in low crowd levels though.

 

[rtfelt]

I agree with all the other posts about doing shows and less popular attractions, but don't forget "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" that now includes the Voices of America on the hour starting at 11 am and going to 5 pm.

My kids love Innovations and Animation Studio and there's never really a crowd and they're inside, so nice on a hot afternoon.