First Disneyland trip - planning/dining questions

Disneyland
21

Almost single digits - only 102 days to go until our trip and I would love to receive some advice on my plans!

Because I can’t help myself, I decided to start working on Touring Plans for my trip. I realized quickly that the wait times were inaccurate and the plan can’t handle the LL function, but I still wanted to plug some ideas into the tool to help me visualize a rough plan on the park map. I used Thrill Data to estimate wait times and return times for LL.

Please feel free to critique and advise on the below, especially to make sure my assumptions and understanding of how things work are correct. Paging @Jeff_AZ, @lolabear_la and @Wahoohokie if any of you have time or ideas (but also fully understand if you don’t)!

Note that this plan deliberately skips Batuu/SW rides: we’ve ridden these rides a few times in Florida and they are not must-dos for us especially with the cost of ILL for Rise. We’re also fine skipping Peter Pan as it’s the same in Florida (and Paris, which we visited in December).

Day 1 in Disneyland (park hours 8am to midnight), Sat 29 Jun, predicted CL 6
We will not have early entry.

Arrive 30-45 min before park open to tap in and grab a LL for IJ (which we want to ride but also hope might turn into an MEP).
Rope drop all Fantasyland rides except for Peter Pan and Matterhorn.
If IJ turns into an MEP, I assume we’re pretty much set for the day and no longer need to pay much attention to the order of rides?
If not, head to Adventureland, ride JC then tap into IJ, head into New Orleans Square grab LL POTR then BTRM and ride after snack break, then start stacking LLs for afternon. If time, ride Davey Crocket canoes/visit Tom Sawyer islands.
Lunch at Rancho del Zocalo or Bengal BBQ (or mix of both)
Break at hotel until 4pm.
Ride Matterhorn, Space Mountain, and Buzz with LL stacked at 11/1/3, grab Autopia once tapped in. Take train from Tomorrowland to Critter Country, early dinner at Hungry Bear (F! Dining Package) Ride WtP with LL.
Wander or re-ride anything with low waits (maybe get Dole Whips and visit Tiki Room) then watch F! and fireworks from viewing area.
We’ll likely crash after that.

Day 2 in DCA (park hours 8am to 10pm), Sun 30 Jun, predicted CL 6
We will not have early entry.

Arrive 30-45 min before park open to tap in and grab a LL for TSMM (which we want to ride but also hope might turn into an MEP).
If TSMM turns into an MEP, I assume we’re pretty much set for the day and no longer need to pay much attention to the order of rides?
If not, rope drop Pixar Pier, using LL for TSSM, followed by IC and Goofy’s (interspersing with all other Pixar Pier rides using standby). Grab LL for GotG (and modify as needed).
Head to Carsland, ride Luigi and Mater’s standby, buy ILL for RSR and do again via SR if we like it.
Lunch at Flo’s Cafe (grabbing items from San Fransokyo Square).
Do Redwood Challenge Trail, ride Grizzly, grab LL for WS.
Break at hotel until 4pm (grab LL for Soarin once eligible)
Ride Soarin (grab LL for Monsters), GotG, Monsters and WS with stacked LL.
Grab LL for Little Mermaid.
Dinner at Lamplight Lounge, timed to see WoC from LLL terrace.
Return to Carsland to see it lit up at night, re-ride any favorites until everyone is tired.

On Day 3, our only plan is to start in DL and rope drop Toontown, maybe ride Nemo’s submarines, then re-ride favorites in either park (or anything we didn’t get to), have lunch wherever we want (currently leaning towards Harbor Galley, Plaza Inn or Tiana’s Palace) and leave around 2pm for onwards travel. Probably watch a parade if there is one.

Does all of this seem realistic? Did I forget something? Am I overcomplicating the use of LLs with the stacking plans? I very much hope I’ll still have the option of using BG1 to streamline G usage.

Also, I realize that I somehow instinctively planned for one park a day and am now very tempted to get a refund for the hoppers I purchased (through GetAway today, I got a hotel/ticket package that I can adjust or cancel at no charge). Does that make sense - or should I replan to park hop more, thereby getting to ride favorites on both days? I’m not sure that we actually know what our favorites will be, except BTMR. Or just keep the hopppers in case everyone is up for staying up late, and also for Day 3 (where I love the idea of giving everyone the chance to pick 1 favorite to re-ride - we did this on our final day of Disneyland Paris and felt it was a perfect way to end the trip).

So excited for this trip!

1 Like
22

This looks reasonable, and yet I know we don’t get through everything in two and a half days when we visit. Maybe we spend too much time in Batuu. Or maybe we get distracted by characters and churros (neither of which are mentioned in your plan). If you like Marvel, you may also be underestimating the time you’ll spend hanging out watching the Avengers assemble and whatnot.

With the small footprint and the ease of G+ there, you really can get through the LL attractions pretty easily though. I force us to do the smaller things by not purchasing G+ the last day. Not running from ride to ride makes it easier to enjoy charming things like Main Street Vehicles, Railroad (full circle), Columbia and/or Mark Twain, characters, Monorail, Dapper Dans, Disneyland Band, Tom Sawyer Island, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, and of course Mr Lincoln.

3 Likes
23

How fun! Getting close … you’ll be in DLR not long after I get back from WDW. Makes my trip feel even closer! :flushed:

I think the best part of your plan is leaving Day 3 mostly open. You can usually get roughly half of the resort done in each of two days, so a third day is a good day to pick up what you missed. You may get through more than you think and be able to chip away at Day 2’s itinerary on Day 1, but better not to plan for that.

2 Likes
24

My thoughts/additions/notes.

If you wanted to get them in, after F! if Rise is open until 10pm, isn’t down and/or hasn’t had a lot of downtime that day) & of course if you’re not beat, the Hungry Bear F! dining section is very close to the Rise side of Batuu and is a nice way to go opposite the crowds and not be in the whole mess of everyone moving towards Main St right when it’s the craziest after fireworks.

Also Peter Pan is one of my favorites, but I don’t love the line so it’s one we only ride every 3-4 trips. When do ride, we do it as close as we can make it. It does have to shut down for FWs and they allow people to line up during FWs to be walked to the queue once it’s cleared to re-open which means it gets a fresh wave that backs it up in the 10pm hour BUT 11pm or later, it can be lower. That is late and a little tortuous to wait even the 25-30 min. BUT if you get a 2nd wind, it’s one of the most magical endings riding over Neverland at the end of a fun Disney day and walking out through a quiet Fantasyland as the park is closing/closed.

Yes, just make sure you know how to properly “clothe” your MEP so it stays until you actually really ride IJ and TSMM.

DLR does not have LL for WtP (unless I missed a temporary addition with the closures going on around that part - Tiana’s & HM both are down). I did double check the DL app to see if it shows up as an LL and it doesn’t so I’m 99.9% sure that it was NOT added. Luckily though, it doesn’t really need one because you can easily find 15 or less minute waits most of the day if not 5 or less.

:heart_eyes: :heart_eyes: :heart_eyes:

I love this part of the plan especially. Just a word of caution on the timing. WOC gets done just before 9:30pm so you really only have about 20-25 mayyyybe 30 min. once you walk from LLL to Carsland after the show. It’s definitely enough time to see it. But will be a short amount of time to re-ride anything. But I definitely encourage you to see both Carsland and the Avengers Campus, particularly the Dr. Strange sanctum area lit up at night. You can see all of Carsland and then walk past Luigi’s where it connects to Avengers Campus and walk past the sanctum & then back towards WS and the main Avengers Campus entrance.

Right now Magic Happens (the parade in DL) runs at the earliest at 3pm and if a 2nd showing is scheduled right now is around 5:30 but has been 6 or 6:30pm when there’s daylight later on in the day. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen a parade before 3pm at DLR but you could work in a later parade if you want to on one of your other days.

For both of these reasons I absolutely would keep the hoppers. Unless there’s a specific extra dining, merch or something of that nature that you would direct the refund for the hoppers towards. I know that hopping, while I don’t necessarily plan for it either, is something that happens really organically, especially in the afternoons/evenings and DEFINITELY after DCA closes at 10pm and I just need a bit of Main St. ambiance, maybe a train ride, maybe a churro while I sit in the hub staring at the castle or town square staring at the train station to wrap up my Disney day.

All in all though, you’ve got some really great outlines & are definitely setup to have a jam-packed 2.5 days!!

2 Likes
25

Thanks @willsob and @Jeff_AZ for confirming this seems doable and also for these important reminders. I get so into planning that there is definitely a risk of overscheduling/forgetting to stop and smell the churros (we will definitely stop for those and for characters - though no one in the family is into Marvel, so I doubt we’ll spend too much time hanging out in that corner of DCA, except maybe to see the cool Spiderman acrobatics).

When we left time on our final day in DLP for favorites/re-rides, my choice was the castle walk through - I may end up doing the same in DL, plus a Main Street vehicle or the train (if not already ridden on Day 1)? Not getting Genie + for that day seems like a very wise choice actually, but we’ve already pre-purchased it for the whole trip (and have no doubt the kids will choose a ride where we can put it to good use on that day).

Yay! Can’t wait to follow along.

2 Likes
26

Thanks so much @lolabear_la for providing the usual gold mine of detailed tips!

This is a great tip, even if we decide not to ride Rise and just stroll through Batuu in the dark! And then maybe continue on the FL as the park is winding down for a late-night PPF or Dumbo or wherever the spirit takes us :slight_smile:

You just mean to book another LL for them before riding, right? We’ve used golden tickets in WDW quite successfully, so am hoping DL will be the same.

Thanks for pointing that out. I actuallly just saw that Critter Country is closing for refurbishment in May (when some of the retail shops will be rethemed), so I’m not yet sure what that means for WtP, or the Hungry Bear dining for that matter. We won’t be too disappointed if we can’t ride WtP, but I would still love to experience that corner of the park including Hungry Bear, Harbor Galley and maybe even the Davey Crockett Canoes. Fingers crossed.

Sounds fantastic, and another great walking tip! I’ll be happy to just soak in the atmosphere at that point even if we only get in one re-ride (or none!)

This is really good to know. I’m pretty sure we’ll want those midday/afternoon breaks, so a late parade sounds better than the 3pm one. I’m fine grabbing spots for that at the last minute, even if they’re not perfect.

Good, glad you agree :slight_smile: And I think I can live with not using them on Days 1 and 2 (though your suggestion to just pop in for a snack and atmosphere actually sounds amazing) if they give us maximum flexibility on Day 3.

Thanks so much!

2 Likes
27

Yes. This is a perfectly perfect not-a-plan kinda plan and exactly what I love doing to end my days in DLR.

I mean for when you actually do want to ride IJ/TSMM, when you tapping in you have to properly “clothe” your MEP, I believe by ensuring you have an LL for IJ/TSMM. It’s documented in the advanced G+ and I can never keep up on that thread so I’m not sure what the latest is, but the experts in there will know & if you’ve used successfully in WDW then you’re probably well set & on your way!

I am very curious if WtP will be included in that refurb. The WtP ride building doesn’t physically touch either of the retail spaces but it is just right next door to one of them, so possibly??

I could be absolutely off-base BUT those things are all a good distance from the retail shops being touched & so I would be highly surprised if any of them shut down. Maaaayyybee Hungry Bear since it is right next to WtP. But anything else getting shut down would mean that they close off the walkway to Batuu towards Rise and that would be very, very surprising. Having that side of Batuu connect to the other side of the Rivers of America has been much needed relief to the crowd flow across the front of RoA.

Well, if my bank account were the one funding the hoppers for my full family of six I might be able to reason myself into not having them haha. But honestly, it would be torture because of how close the entrances are to each other & especially hard for me on days when DCA closes at 9 or 10pm, so I’d really have to have a specific thing or reason that those funds would be redirected to choose not getting a park hopper. But if you can budget for them, they are so worth the flexibility in DLR!!

Now you’ve inspired me to go figure out a plan or two for our Spring Break trip coming up in a couple of weeks :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

1 Like
28

Even on days where we plan on being in one park all day, we still hop over to the other park to use G+ where we can since the parks are so close.

1 Like
29

Just FYI, NOS train station is currently closed due to construction at HM. Not sure when it will open again, but if it’s still closed, you would have to take the train from Tomorrowland to Main Street & walk from there to Hungry Bear. But that section of the train is the best part with the Grand Canyon and dinosaurs dioramas.

3 Likes
30

Thanks for the heads up, I did not realize that - will defintely keep an eye on that closure. So if I want to see the Grand Canyon/Dinosaur dioramas should I stay on the train until Toontown? Or maybe I should just build in some time for a full loop on the train at another time.

1 Like
31

The dioramas are between Tomorrowland and Main Street, so no need to stay on until Toontown. I think Main Street is closer to Hungry Bear than Toontown station is.

3 Likes
32

I’d recommend this! Or just try to be more spontaneous with your day as a whole! I find that DL is very accommodating to just going with the flow, and not so much when you make a strict plan, as things will almost inevitably not go according to plan. And you can often be more efficient if you just have a list of things you want to accomplish and less of an itinerary, if you will!

2 Likes
33

Thanks, I will do my best - and a loop on the train sounds like a great way to slow down and be in the moment!

Planning for Disney trips gives me a lot of joy (in German we have a word for this, it’s called “Vorfreude”, literally “pre-joy” or probably more accurately translated as the joy of anticipation) For me, that includes playing around with TPs. But I am optimistic that once there, I can fall back with some confidence on the advance planning/research done and keep my plan in the back of my head as a checklist rather than something that holds back spontaneity.

3 Likes