Need Help: please compare these rides

Disneyland Attractions and Lightning Lane
21

I would liken it more to playing corners with your friends when you were a teenager.

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22

Thanks everyone! You have helped sooo much! One additional question (maybe two) for now, about DL queues. Are there any (DL only) rides that have queues that should not be missed? Specifically that you miss something really cool if in the LL vs. standby? I’m thinking particularly Indy and GotG but there may be others. :woman_shrugging:

Thanks.

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23

The only part of the Indy queue you skip by using LL is the outside portion, and while it has some things to look at, I think they can be skipped. For Guardians you skip most of the inside queue using LL, but can see it from LL entrance. And most of the time the SB queue moves thru inside portion so quickly don’t really get to look at everything.

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24

I rode Indiana Jones in DL once. I will never ride it again. I have never felt terrified on a ride before or since, but I felt that I was going to be tossed right out of the ride.

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25

I just remembered a trick for riding Indy that helps a LOT. The jerkiest feelings happen towards the back and especially at the edges on the back (there are definitely moments in those seats where you feel like you may just get thrown from the jeep). So if you can sit in the front it will help. Preferably on the inside seats up front, but the edge seats aren’t nearly as bad as the middle or back rows on the edges. It was the only way I could get my oldest to ride it after his first try when he thought it was just too jerky.

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26

Thanks! I will be sure to use that information!!

27

The Indy LL goes through all parts of the interior queue, so don’t worry about that one! (DAS and mobility may miss portions, however.)

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28

That’s funny! It is a wild ride but the seatbelt keeps you nice and safe! It’s a little like a bucking bronco, but that is the fun of it.

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Thanks. That’s an important distinction for us.

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30

My son went right back on to ride it again.

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31

Re 7DMT. I’m about the same height as your DH and I didn’t feel scrunched.

I’d recommend it mainly for the Snow White theming. It’s got pretty visuals as you zoom through the Dwarves’ mine and see/hear them working away. As a pure coaster, it’s ok. I liked it about as much as BTMR but liked SDD more because of the height and view. DD20 really liked 7DMT and wanted to ride it a 2nd time.

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32

Something to keep in mind when it comes to DL’s SM is fitting in the restraints. There is a rather narrow lap bar contraption that is U shaped and both of your knees have to fit inside the U. My DxH could not do it when he tried to ride in April. He is over 6’ tall and a big guy, plus he has had one knee replaced and the other needs to be replaced. He just couldn’t bend his knees the way he needed to to get them in the U. It was disappointing. We were thinking of it from a perspective of will he fit in the seat? He did fit in the seat, but it still didn’t work. I don’t know if this would be an issue for your DH, but just be prepared. Luckily, there is a special loading area for wheelchairs/ECV’s so you can take your time getting in and out of the vehicle without feeling like you’re holding up the line. I hope you can ride it! It’s so much smoother than Space at WDW!

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Thanks! I hope so too! Knowing there is a special loading area really helps!

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Now, I have questions about the nighttime shows - Fantasmic , WOC and the parade.

For Fantasmic and WOC are there designated spots for ECVs etc.? If so, about where are they? Also, where would be an ok place to view each that is not necessarily the best place to view but tends to be less crowded?

What is the parade route and about how long (time wise) does it take? I don’t want to watch it, I’d like to avoid it :grimacing:. Too many memories of being on the wrong side at the wrong time.

Thanks once again.

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35

WOC has designated ECV areas within the LL corrals. I would get a LL at noon and then report to the LL area and they will direct you to the designated area. I don’t know if there is such a place for those who don’t have a LL.

I imagine there is something similar for Fantasmic, but it does NOT have LL - just dessert parties and dining packages.

Note that the WOC LL system is completely separate from Genie+ and is free, so doesn’t affect how many LLs you can have or when you book them.

Lastly, space at DL and DCA is at a premium. There is no such thing as a wide open area. It’s going to be wall to wall people. Just plan to arrive early and stay late to avoid the crush of the crowd.

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36

The parade goes from Its a Small World, alongside Matterhorn, into the hub, around the Frontierland side of the hub, and down Main Street. It then goes back in reverse if there is a second parade. The whole thing lasts about half an hour. The only places you can be to avoid the parade is Frontierland (but be aware of Fantasmic crowds if it’s happening at the same time), Fantasyland, and Galaxy’s Edge. SWGE is a GREAT place to be at night to watch fireworks (no music though), ride rides, soak in the ambiance, and avoid crowds. It tends to be less crowded since it’s in the far corner of the park.

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37

ECV areas

For F!, I believe it’s closer to the Haunted Mansion side of the river and might even be quite close to the QS restaurant Harbor Galley, but I also don’t have a strong memory of it being anywhere and not sure where it is now that they’ve started back up, so maybe someone else can chime in.

For WOC! it’s the section closest to the obelisk, behind the walkway that leads down to the terraces for the Blue Viewing Area and I’m pretty sure you have to have pulled a Virtual Queue time (opens at noon, goes very quickly) to be able to enter the section (blue is side closest to the entrance of the Little Mermaid ride as opposed to Yellow which is the side closer to the Golden Zephyr).

Less crowded viewing

For F! that side closer to the Haunted Mansion can be slightly less crowded, but overall the whole Rivers of America area gets really, really, really congested with people getting ready for F! starting from 6ish. If you really want some elbow room, I would look into a Hungry Bear Dining Package (not sure how that would work with an ECV, but I’m sure it’s possible). Also the later show at 10:30 tends to be less crowded so if you’ll be in the park late is a good option as well.

For WOC they allow you watch all along and around the lagoon. The official viewing areas are roped off, but you can watch outside the roped area at the edge of the Lagoon anywhere you can find some space. We’ve watched from Golden Zephyr, the bottom level of the Silly Symphony Swings, along the railing where during the day you can watch Incredicoaster launch and just recently just on a bench along the walkway that goes down from Lamplight Lounge towards the back area of the pier (the view was very much obstructed by the Lamplight Lounge, but we could see a small corner, of the fountains and sometimes one of the back projection screens and could definitely hear the music & were trying to avoid being around pretty much as many people as possible, so it served the job). None of those spots are very ideal views but are less crowded than the viewing areas.

Parade Route & Navigating Traffic

The parade route goes from Town Square at the bottom of Main Str, up Main St through the hub & then along Matterhorn Way up towards it’s a small world. If you want to avoid the parade traffic you need to stay out of Fantasyland or Main Street. However, because of the timings of the nighttime entertainment, it will also be the same time as the earlier showing of F! which means the Rivers of America and the adjoining Adventureland, New Orleans Square & Frontierland will be congested as well. So if you’re looking to avoid navigating that traffic, then either hop to DCA for that time or stay in Critter Country/Galaxy’s Edge OR strictly in Tomorrowland. The train does remain open (but may hold trains as the parade floats need to cross over the tracks), so it can be used as a way to help avoid some of that navigation BUT Main St will be a cluster so I would board it in either the Tomorrowland or Toon Town Stations (Toon Town station is actually outside the main entrance of Toontown and is still open even though the land itself is closed).

A note of caution about F! traffic: If you are wary of navigating parade traffic, I would also definitely be wary of the traffic just before & after the first showing of Fantasmic.
It is just as if not more stressful to navigate in & around than the parade traffic in DLR. The area doesn’t lend itself to space and even though they’ve done a lot of work to make the area as efficient as possible, the base infrastructure they have is quite limited for throughputting show crowds of that volume. For example, there are places where it’s single file to get through. It doesn’t help matters that Fantasmic ends about the same time as the parade and that FWs start shortly after both of those and so there’s giant swaths of people moving for all those things. My best advice if you do the earlier F! is to stay put for FWs wherever you chose to watch F! The projections will be shown on the water screens/Tom Sawyer Island cabin, the music piped in on the same speakers you just listened to F! on & the bursts will be visible towards Big Thunder. So stay put, enjoy the FWs and let the people who want to be moving around & being in the crush, dissipate. The later show is quite a whole lot easier to navigate through if you can be up that late.

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Thanks! I just finished your recent TR and it was great! Your family is truly adorable and your DBIL seemed to be a fantastic uncle!!

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Thanks for the detailed information. I may have to print this out!! You are so generous with your knowledge. Thank you.

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Both showtimes of F! sync up to be the same/similar times as the parade so to me all the lands bordering Rivers of America are also in the “don’t navigate through these” boat.

Also, Fantasyland, so many of the rides are getting closed to get prepped for the FWs so it can be tricky to time being there to do the ones that will close for FWs and then do the few that don’t close & then potentially be trapped in by the parade on the Matterhorn side with F! happening just over on the Big Thunder side, so I don’t usually recommend it as a place to hide out from the show traffic. However, I guess if you did get there in time before things start closing you can hit a bunch of of the smaller Fantasyland rides and then escape to Galaxy’s Edge to avoid the rush of crowds once the parade ends/FWs are about to begin.

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