What to ride when?

[starshine514]

So, I'm trying to start make some basic touring plans of what we should see when. We want to ride most things at DL (Autopia, Captain EO and Tom Sawyer Island aren't necessary, but we're game for most anything else) and CA. We also need to meet some characters - princesses, fairies, Mickey and Minnie. (We're going for 4 days, Tue-Fri mid-May. I know, I'm an early planner.)

So, what are the things that we must do early in the morning, and which can wait for the more crowded parts of the day? Any tips on when to do what would be appreciated!

 

[marcemc]

Nemo submarines, Peter Pan & Matterhorn don't have fast passes & they get crowded early morning, specially Nemo. If they are on your list I would suggest you ride them first thing in the morning.

Make sure you take advantage of fast passes to maximize your time.

The great thing is that you will be there for 4 days, so you won't have to be on a hurry.

Try a character breakfast or Toon town opening ceremony to great & meet characters.

I'm sure that somewhere in this board Hydroguy has posted a list of tips of how to make the best of your vacation during each season.

We will be there on may also

Have a magical vacation

 

[HydroGuy]

So, I'm trying to start make some basic touring plans of what we should see when. We want to ride most things at DL (Autopia, Captain EO and Tom Sawyer Island aren't necessary, but we're game for most anything else) and CA. We also need to meet some characters - princesses, fairies, Mickey and Minnie. (We're going for 4 days, Tue-Fri mid-May. I know, I'm an early planner.)

So, what are the things that we must do early in the morning, and which can wait for the more crowded parts of the day? Any tips on when to do what would be appreciated!

You know, this question has so many different answers and I fear after a few responses here you will be more confused and not less.

I would recommend you bite the bullet and pay $15 for Ridemax www.ridemax.com and you can play around with that as much as you like.

 

[starshine514]

I can do that, but I hear RideMax only covers the rides - and I know I have to work in the meet & greets for the girls. I'm just not sure if they have steady long lines all day (and can therefore be accomplished as easily in the afternoon as first thing in the morning) and our morning time would be better spent somewhere else. Or, are they super short first thing and then get exponentially longer later in the day. Just really not sure where those should fall...

What's the Toontown Opening Ceremony? Is it part of that TTMM that you have to have special tickets for, or something else?

We did Cinderella's Royal Table at WDW last year. We enjoyed it, but it was pricey (and that was just paying for 4 adults and 1 child, my youngest was still 2 then); it's not in our budget this time around (and this time there are 6 adults and 2 children).

Truthfully, I'm not sure how well I'm going to get everybody else in my group to follow a plan (DH and DDs are fine as are my parents, but my sister won't plan and doesn't want to follow mine!), but I want to have plans for each day setup and a separate list of what times are best for what in order to have a basic idea of what we should hit when, if we get off-track to my plans...

 

[CrazyDuck]

Please click one of the Quick Reply icons in the posts above to activate Quick Reply.

Exactly my thoughts!!! Hahah just messin with ya!

Seriously though... don't make a ride plan! Just wing it... You know which ones you want to ride and you have 4 days... plenty of time to do everything!

 

[ironpig70]

Ride Max is well worth the $15.

I like to use my Magic Morning to do Fantasyland as we can do ever ride there in the hour before the park opens. After this I'd hit nNemo.

Fast pass, fast pass, fast pass. Learn it and love it.

I prefer to concur a land at a time.

Go early, leave mid day for a break/nap and close the park.

Lastly read/ask here.

 

[starshine514]

Exactly my thoughts!!! Hahah just messin with ya!

Seriously though... don't make a ride plan! Just wing it... You know which ones you want to ride and you have 4 days... plenty of time to do everything!

I tried to answer from my Blackberry, but clicked the wrong button...had to make my way over to the computer to fix it.

Four days sounds like a ton of time, until I start trying to factor in traveling w/2 small kids, a disabled husband and my mother with all her health problems... I just want to make the most of the time we are in the parks, because I figure that mid-day break will be an extended one! Plus, we have so many different interests/ages in our group that almost everything makes somebody's list.

 

[lb2000]

I have found the princesses to be elusive around the park. I think they are in the Princess Fantasy Faire area, but the line always seems to be long. We did see Tiana in New Orleans Square last week. Other than that, to guarantee princesses, we've had to do a lunch at Ariel's Grotto, which it doesn't sound like you want to do this trip.

 

[HydroGuy]

I can do that, but I hear RideMax only covers the rides - and I know I have to work in the meet & greets for the girls. I'm just not sure if they have steady long lines all day (and can therefore be accomplished as easily in the afternoon as first thing in the morning) and our morning time would be better spent somewhere else. Or, are they super short first thing and then get exponentially longer later in the day. Just really not sure where those should fall...

What's the Toontown Opening Ceremony? Is it part of that TTMM that you have to have special tickets for, or something else?

We did Cinderella's Royal Table at WDW last year. We enjoyed it, but it was pricey (and that was just paying for 4 adults and 1 child, my youngest was still 2 then); it's not in our budget this time around (and this time there are 6 adults and 2 children).

Truthfully, I'm not sure how well I'm going to get everybody else in my group to follow a plan (DH and DDs are fine as are my parents, but my sister won't plan and doesn't want to follow mine!), but I want to have plans for each day setup and a separate list of what times are best for what in order to have a basic idea of what we should hit when, if we get off-track to my plans...

Your best bet for princesses is at the Princess Fantasy Faire. And go early. Guaranteed three princesses. Best bet for Mickey and Minnie are Toontown at their houses. Again go early. Best bet for fairies is Pixie Hollow. And guess what? Yah, go early. You should plan these into Ridemax as a "break".

TT opening ceremony is part of TTMM.

 

[skiingfast]

We want to ride most things at DL (Autopia, Captain EO and Tom Sawyer Island aren't necessary

You may already know this. Tom Sawyer Island has been changed. If you haven't seen it since you may want to check out the Pirates Lair. The caves have some new elements added to them.

 

[Eeee-va]

I second the suggestions for Ridemax. Just be flexible and build in a lot of down time.

You can probably meet Jasmine (and/or Aladdin) in the Aladdin's Oasis area, and you can ask when/if Tiana is doing meet-and-greets in New Orleans Square--she has a little show and sometimes she does the show and sometimes she just does a meet and greet. That and a run at Fantasy Faire and one at Pixie Hollow will give you a good smattering of characters.

IF the coronation ceremony is running at Fantasy Faire when you go, the princesses involved MIGHT do a quick meet and greet after that show too. I haven't heard anything about the show lately, but it's also the off-season right now, so I don't know if or when it is running/will run.

Also, check the hours of PFF when you visit. I don't THINK this will happen for you, but one day when we went in June 2010 (day after a Grad Nite), PFF opened at 9 AM--the SAME TIME as the rest of the park. If we had gone right to PFF we could have gotten through with little or no line. (Even getting there around 9:40 that day, our wait was around 30 minutes--not too bad.)

I don't THINK the new parade will be running during your trip, but if it is, I've heard the Pixie Hollow line goes down drastically during parades.

Even if the line is 30 minutes, it's not a bad wait; the surroundings are pleasant. Hopefully your party doesn't have someone obsessed with a particular fairy (unless it's Tink).

Have a great trip!

 

[ironpig70]

At Christmas we did the first show at the Princess fantasy Fair. We saw Belle, Tiana and Ariel. Then we took a mini break while waiting for the Coranation party/dance. There the kids come down and dance with the princesses. After the show the princesses leave and so does the crowd. Stay around because the princesses will come back out. We got to see Snow White, Auroa and Cinderella. Be warned they do story telling after this and 1 of the princesses does this so go to her first. I wanna say we did the autographs at 9am and the coranation at 10am and where done with 6 autographs and pictures by 10:30am.

 

[starshine514]

...Hopefully your party doesn't have someone obsessed with a particular fairy (unless it's Tink).

WOW! Thanks for all the great info! Our important ones are Mickey, Minnie, Ariel, Belle, Rapunzel (she has her own M&G, right?) and (unfortunately) Silvermist and Rosetta in Pixie Hollow.

So, pay attention to the M&G opening times, use ridemax for the rides, and get there early. Keep my eyes open for park M&Gs... It's funny, characters were so NOT important to me as a child, but my girls LOVE them (but they love rides, too!)

 

[Yukonjack]

I have found the princesses to be elusive around the park. I think they are in the Princess Fantasy Faire area, but the line always seems to be long. We did see Tiana in New Orleans Square last week. Other than that, to guarantee princesses, we've had to do a lunch at Ariel's Grotto, which it doesn't sound like you want to do this trip.

I have found princesses to be elusive EVERYWHERE, not just in the park Sorry, couldnt pass that one up

 

[Eeee-va]

WOW! Thanks for all the great info! Our important ones are Mickey, Minnie, Ariel, Belle, Rapunzel (she has her own M&G, right?) and (unfortunately) Silvermist and Rosetta in Pixie Hollow.

So, pay attention to the M&G opening times, use ridemax for the rides, and get there early. Keep my eyes open for park M&Gs... It's funny, characters were so NOT important to me as a child, but my girls LOVE them (but they love rides, too!)

Last I heard, Rapunzel's Meet and Greet was supposed to run through summer, so yes, she'll likely be doing meet and greets. The lines for those can get long quick, too (we waited maybe 30 minutes in October BEFORE THE MOVIE EVEN CAME OUT!). But at least it's a sure thing, unlike PFF.

I'm crossing my fingers for you for Ariel and Belle! I've only been through PFF twice, I think, and we always met them, but some others always get other princesses! It's all chance, but I hope it's quick and easy for you!

I had heard that SOMETIMES the CMs just MIGHT tell you which fairies you can expect to meet before you get in line at Pixie Hollow. I suppose you can always ask (as long as you're nice if they say they can't tell you!). Or you might try City Hall, as I'm not so sure every fairy is out every day, and I imagine they might be nice enough to tell you that much. (Like if you already met Rosetta and Silvermist isn't appearing that day, then there's no sense in waiting again.) In my limited experience this line seems to be shorter than PFF, but I've only actually gone through once.

 

[ArchOwl]

Another vote for Ridemax! My parents were skeptical, but were total converts after the first day because we never stood in line longer than 25 minutes during summer last year. It always builds in significant downtime during the afternoon, even with several rides.

Since you have four days, you should be able to fit in Toon Town, Princess Fantasy Faire, Rapunzel, etc., around the other rides you want to do.

Have fun!