Change of plans...

[gustivon]

Ok so now thanks to the tickets being too expensive and my dad has to pay many things (car payments being one of them) we decided that we will only go ONE day to DLR and maybe use a park-hopper ticket (if we don't we will only go to ) and that it would be in October 25th!! (We were going to go in X-mas). If we DO use park-hopper this would be our first time using them

So, my questions are,

1) How is the park around the 25th of October?
2) Any park-hopper (just in case) tips?

Thanks,
~gustivon~!

[lovesdisney]

That is a Saturday. But it's in the off-season so crowds should generally be more manageable. Plus, it's also right before Halloween, so it should be nice and festive with Halloween Time going on. :)

Park hopper tips:
-GET A LOT OF SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE. This gives you enough energy to pack your day in (if you want to see it all).

-Plan your day -- pick out all the attractions that are musts, and plan around that.

-Get there early, if you can. In the first few hours that the park is open, there aren't too many people and lines are definitely manageable. (this also applies, to an extent, to the hours right before closing [10:30 pm - 12 am].)

-Fastpasses. They will save you hours in line. (Remember you can get one every two hours.)

-Try and do DCA in the morning if you can, when it first opens -- it's small enough that it'll only take you a few hours to get through everything (unless you're a big fan of shows, then... maybe a few more than a few hours).

-REMEMBER YOUR HAND STAMP. If you don't get one, you can't park-hop. And don't lose your ticket, either, because that's how you get FastPasses.

-Bring snacks and LOTS of water, and comfortable shoes. And extra batteries, too.

-Be flexible -- something might be down that you want to see/ride. Also, stay positive and go with the flow -- don't let something disappointing ruin your whole day at Disneyland.

-Remember that (if you can last that long!) Main Street shops are open one hour after park closing.

Let's see. I think that's really it from me. Hope that helps :)

[gustivon]

Thank you a lot it did!

[gustivon]

It's Official we are using park-hopper. My dad bought the tickets today and I saw them and once he mentioned them I was about to faint hehe!

We want to do Nemo first (we are going to be there super early), because my mom and brother are dying to go on it, if we arrive there early (before the park opens) do you think we will be able to make it?

[elizabethsparrow]

The park-hopper will be very handy for you guys but listen to what ~lovedisney has said up there. It's better than what I would have said! Have fun on the trip!

[alyx92]

RUN LIKE THE WIND!!!!!!!!!
jk
However, if you want to pack in EVERYTHING you want to do all in one day, most of your "non-ride/eating/show" time will be running (or walking at a quick pace) from attraction to attraction or park to park. Like lovesdisney says, get alot of sleep the night before to prepare, and map out everything you want to accomplish so you use your time more effeciently. But all-in-all I'm sure it'll work out! Have a good trip!!!!!

[gustivon]

What my dad said that we will go to disneyland first and maybe after a while go to DCA, and finally go back to DL again!

Since my little brother (7) can't stand IJA, and my mom and dad started having motion sickness (sadly, it was to do with their aging hehe), I am looking forward to use Single Rider in IJA

btw what rides have single-rider in DCA?

[Wedbliss]

There may be others, but I know that Soarin', Grizzley River Run and Midway Mania all have single riders lines in DCA.

[lovesdisney]

I'm pretty sure all the big DCA rides have Single Rider. California Screamin' has one for sure. Toy Story Midway Mania has one. I'm not sure about Mulholland Madness, you'll have to check. Soarin' has one, and I *think* Tower of Terror has one, but not sure about that one.

As for Nemo, you should be able to do it first thing. It shouldn't be TOO bad in the morning. What I would suggest, though, is if the fireworks aren't a huge priority, get in line before the fireworks, because the line will be shorter, and you can watch the fireworks from the line. :) Plus you can sort of hear the audio in Tomorrowland.

[AraBrokenDreamer]

As a chick who only got one day at DLR/DCA, I can tell you that it's highly unlikely you'll get to everything, so proritize, and figure out what you'll be willing to sacrifice. I didn't get to ride HM while I was there in June b/c I wanted to ride TSM and see both Fantasmic and RDCT. GET THERE EARLY!!! We walked onto POTC and BLAB, not to mention covered Fantasyland (didn't ride much b/c the darkrides are a lot like the ones at MK, and we've ridden those), and then made it to DCA for two hours before lunch. I had half a lunch (the pizza in Tomorrowland is undercooked. Pay more for a real meal!) and a little candy to tie me over the entire day, but I'm a gangly 17-year-old whose used to skipping a meal now or then in order to increase my work/play time. If you're going to hit up any souvenir shops (I didn't b/c I'd already blown a hundred bucks at World of Disney the previous day), have that planned pretty well, too. Anyways, Fastpasses are your friend, and plan them accordingly. We skipped most of Paradise Pier, Bug's Land, Frontierland, Critter County, and Toon Town. The Fastpasses for Space Mountain are out for the entire day before 10, so be weary of that. Be prepared to stand in line a lot, or simply to stand a lot, you'll probably do that for Fantasmic/RDCT/Electrical Parade, unleass you skip them for the rides that are still open (Fantasyland and toon towan close early for the fireworks, and TSI). If you can, stay as late as possible, and... at worst, just tell yourself you'll be back someday. I missed a lot that day and I'm simply biding my time until I return, but rest assured, I WILL RETURN!!

-Ara

[HiddenMickey]

If you have just one day, skip DCA and enjoy the whole day in DL.

[gustivon]

^^^ I have had that before HiddenMickey so I'm used to going to a park for just one day, and I have gone once to DCA and I was 7 so I was scared of TOT and now I wanna go on it , and if we were just going to DL that meant that my dad just wasted extra money for nothing hehe...

Wow thanks for the tips guys, btw (I can't believe I'm saying this, but...) I'm happy Fantasmic! isn't up that day because my mom is the one that irrevocably loves that show and if it's going to be on Rivers of America, she WILL see it, so, that means I have to tag along, No matter what

So that means we will get on more rides thanks to that, I don't mind seeing RDCT because I love those fireworks

Also another question: Do DCA fastpasses run on another system than those on DL (for example can I get a fastpass form DL and one from DCA at the same time?)

[lovesdisney]

Yes, you can, but that might be a little hard since it's a long walk from one Fastpass machine in DCA to one in Disneyland... :)

[gustivon]

Oh ok, I always forget about the walking part hehe,

one more question (I feel weird asking so many questions):
Where is the monorail entrance in downtown disney, and is it open at the same time as DL opens, AND can you park your car at the Mickey and Friends Structure, use the tram, and use the monorail entrance instead (it's already in tomorrowland so it's closer to Nemo) AND, is it more efficient?

[lovesdisney]

Don't worry about asking questions, that's what we're here for. :)

The monorail entrance is on the other side of Downtown Disney from where the tram drops you off -- it's closer to the Disneyland Hotel, ESPN Zone, and Rainforest Cafe. As far as I know, you can take it into Disneyland when it opens.

You can park at the structure, take the tram, and use the monorail, BUT, I don't think it'll save you any time. If you don't get on the first one, Monorail wait times take a while. If you REALLY want to take the Monorail, you could park at Mickey and Friends, but instead of taking the tram, walk to the end of the parking structure where the tram is, but then walk across the street, walk through the Downtown Disney parking lot, and once you enter Downtown Disney, the monorail station is just to your left. Taking the tram and then going on the monorail is like going back to the parking structure, almost. And, this way only works if you really know where you're going. Otherwise, you just might end up lost -_-. Personally, I think just taking the tram and going in normally would be faster, but that's just me. :)