DCA - Strategy for Soarin' and Carsland?

carolina_yankee

carolina_yankee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We will have five days at DLR beginning next Monday and will be in DCA on Tuesday. Our goal the first day is to hit the new stuff we haven't seen since our last trip in 2009 as well as focus on unique to DCA attractions for the first DCA day since we know WDW like the backs of our hands.

I'm sure we'll want to experience Soarin' and RSR twice. We're staying at the VGC. What is the best strategy (entry from VGC) - Soarin' first and the Carsland? Or grab Soarin' FP and head to Carsland for standby? Line tolerance is about 20-30 minutes for a never-seen major attraction, assuming that is possible. We're realists so can wait longer if necessary but not if we don't have to.

We have a World of Color dining package, so not worried about a FP for that. Thanks.

Dirk
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
The general rule is to get FP for RSR first. They are over by It's Tough to be a Bug across from the winery. Single rider on RSR will cut your wait time down to 20 minutes on most days instead of 90 standby. You can then head over to Soarin' for just the regular line. You might want to get a FP for Forzen music early in the morning too.
 
GiveMeTheMusic

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
carolina_yankee said:
We will have five days at DLR beginning next Monday and will be in DCA on Tuesday. Our goal the first day is to hit the new stuff we haven't seen since our last trip in 2009 as well as focus on unique to DCA attractions for the first DCA day since we know WDW like the backs of our hands.

I'm sure we'll want to experience Soarin' and RSR twice. We're staying at the VGC. What is the best strategy (entry from VGC) - Soarin' first and the Carsland? Or grab Soarin' FP and head to Carsland for standby? Line tolerance is about 20-30 minutes for a never-seen major attraction, assuming that is possible. We're realists so can wait longer if necessary but not if we don't have to.

We have a World of Color dining package, so not worried about a FP for that. Thanks.

Dirk
Click to expand...

Right now, the order of FPs to obtain at DCA are as follows:

- Soarin'
- Frozen Live
- RSR as soon as your Soarin' window starts, which if you time it right, will be within a half hour-45 minutes of park opening

If you can go on a Magic Morning, you can knock out RSR first and not need an FP for it when the park opens.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Soaring is currently around 40 minutes but so is RSR. There is no single rider on Soaring right now but there is on RSR which cuts wait time in half or more.
 
Rich T

Rich T

Well-Known Member
My family always does Single Rider for RSR. Half the time we still end up sharing the same car! :) Here's a hint if you do hit RSR first thing when the ride opens, (early enough to do the speed-walk through the queue); Upon exiting, immediately enter the Single Rider line for a second ride. You'll walk right on.
 
F

fosse76

Well-Known Member
phruby said:
The general rule is to get FP for RSR first. They are over by It's Tough to be a Bug across from the winery. Single rider on RSR will cut your wait time down to 20 minutes on most days instead of 90 standby. You can then head over to Soarin' for just the regular line. You might want to get a FP for Forzen music early in the morning too.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily true. The standby line can get to 45 minutes. The last time I was there I don't think I waited more than 20 at most, but at peak times it can get to be 45 minutes.

But as everyone has said, the second you enter the park, head right to the RSR FastPass machines.
 
5thGenTexan

5thGenTexan

Well-Known Member
At 10:30 when we returned for our Fastpass time, the standby was showing 85 minutes. I checked throughout the day and it was 90, 110, sometimes 120 minutes standby.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Today looks like a pretty lite day at DCA. Currently, Soaring is 35 and RSR is 65. Even Space Mountain is 25. Grizzy has 60. Last Saturday was pretty lite too. It's nice in the summer time when most AP levels are blocked.
 
deix15x8

deix15x8

Active Member
If your staying at VGC can you take advantage of extra magic hours at all? On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday DCA has extra magic hours. Even if your in the other park on one of those days you can hit DCA first, get right on RSR and still make it into DL before anything opened. On our trip I wanted DL to be our first park which didn't match up to the EM schedule so we went into DCA when it opened and got right on RSR. We then took the long walk around the whole park to get back to the entrance and still made it into DL to wait for the rope drope for Adventureland with 15 minutes to spare. If you really wanted you could probably even hit Soarin during that time and still make rope drop. The fast passes don't open until the park does which helps things as well. On another day we were able to ride RSR twice along with Soarin during EM and then the park opened and we grabbed a FP for RSR later on the day. EM is a benefit of staying at the Disney hotels and it was a huge help for us so consider that in your planning.
 
Stevek

Stevek

Well-Known Member
If your family make up allows it i.e. no little kids, I'd definitely get a FP for Soarin' and do single rider for RSR. We have never gotten a FP for Racers.
 
M

morningstar

Well-Known Member
If you stop to get any fastpass, the RSR standby line will probably already be beyond 30 minutes. People are clued-in there and about half the people at rope drop go straight to RSR. My strategy was to ride it first thing on standby and then get a fastpass for later in the day. I still waited 30 minutes for my first ride, since I was at the back of the pack at rope drop. Either wait 30 minutes at the turnstiles or wait 30 minutes in the line. An interesting idea would be to keep an eye on the fastpass return times and grab one for 8 - 9. Then you can have one ride on it at night, which is a different experience.

As far as Soarin', I'm not sure. It didn't seem too busy when I was there. At rope drop we went on the first "flight", and then could have just about walked on a second time. But that was before Soarin' Around the World.
 

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