DLR in 11 Hours...Help

[Aroleggim]

Hello Everyone,

Sorry if there have been threads like this before, I found great threads on WDW vs. DLR, but not much about short visit times. Basically, I have the opportunity to visit both DCA and DL next week, but only for a day (not even arriving to the parks till closer to noon). I'm asking for game plan help. Of course, I want to see the premium things that DLR has to offer that WDW doesn't, but I'd love to do a few of the nostalgics since this is my first time ever to DL.

Specific Questions:
-World of Color or Disneyland Forever? (I'm leaning towards WoC, but people are saying it's hard to get good seating? Help!)
-Are the common-to-both-parks thrill rides worth doing? (ToT, Splash, Soarin', Star Tours, etc) Or will those just eat up my time?

Like I said, I can bounce around between parks, and my party (3 of us total) are cool doing single rider on all the top tier stuff. Please help me get a sense of what I should expect and how I can achieve the most possible.

 

[NobodyElse]

Two parks in a half-day is going to be tough. We have a lot of attractions. You'll also be at a fast-pass disadvantage (by the time you get there, return times for things like Space Mountain and Radiator Springs Racers will be much later that night). As you say, single rider will help (where available). We may need some more info to help you prioritize.

 

[Phroobar]

First thing you need to do is get Fast Passes for Wold of Color if you are going to see that show. They assign you a show time and area to stand. If you have seen ToT, Splash, Soaring, Star Tours your not missing anything by not seeing them here. Soaring has to new movie right now so that might be your exception. However Pirates and Haunted Mansion are ones you must do and won't take much time to do. HyperSpace Mountain is a definite do too as well as Radiator Springs Racers and the Matterhorn. Always do Mr Toad. No other ride at Disneyland ends by sending you to Hell.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Hello Everyone,

Sorry if there have been threads like this before, I found great threads on WDW vs. DLR, but not much about short visit times. Basically, I have the opportunity to visit both DCA and DL next week, but only for a day (not even arriving to the parks till closer to noon). I'm asking for game plan help. Of course, I want to see the premium things that DLR has to offer that WDW doesn't, but I'd love to do a few of the nostalgics since this is my first time ever to DL.

Specific Questions:
-World of Color or Disneyland Forever? (I'm leaning towards WoC, but people are saying it's hard to get good seating? Help!)
-Are the common-to-both-parks thrill rides worth doing? (ToT, Splash, Soarin', Star Tours, etc) Or will those just eat up my time?

Like I said, I can bounce around between parks, and my party (3 of us total) are cool doing single rider on all the top tier stuff. Please help me get a sense of what I should expect and how I can achieve the most possible.

I would personally recommend Disneyland Forever, along with Paint the Night. The current iteration of WOC is really not great, while DLF and PTN are REALLY great. If you have your set on seeing the fountains in action, then that may be the deciding factor for you. If you do WOC, get a FP (a freebie that doesn't count told holding a ride FP).

Single rider RSR at DCA unless the wait is super short (unlikely) or FP is available (possible). Soarin' is just like WDW's but with a DL finale and it takes up a lot of time, so I'd say skip it and see the new film next time you're at WDW. TOT is different but inferior to WDW's, only ride if you can walk right on.

In DL, Star Tours is identical (skip it). Hyperspace Mountain is great, try to do that. Splash is better in WDW, skip if need be. BTMRR is better at DLR, see it if you can. Good things to focus on in DL:

- Indiana Jones Adventure
- Hyperspace Mountain
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Haunted Mansion
- Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
- Alice in Wonderland
- Matterhorn Bobsleds (if you don't mind rough)

If you love dark rides, consider trying to squeeze in Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin and Pinocchio's Daring Journey. The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is disappointing IMO, but worth a ride if you've never been on Disney subs and the line is short. It takes up a lot of time to ride - loading/unloading is slow and the ride itself is lengthy.

 

[Aroleggim]

Thanks for the advice thus far. Starting to make my ride list and it doesn't seem terrible consider how much I know I can do in a WDW day.

Call me out if this is ridiculous...World of Color is at 9pm and I'm seeing is a 21 min show. Disneyland forever is a 9:30pm start. Think I can get to DL to catch at least the end of the fireworks. I'm sure there's a mass exit out of DCA...It's tough, I'm pretty set on World of Color just because I've never seen it and that's always been the big thing I wanted to experience. But my mom wants to see the Fireworks! And either way, I will catch Paint the Night because there's a 10:45pm show. Btw, listening now to the Paint the Night soundtrack, damn that arrangement is awesome! Can't believe I haven't listened to it before!

 

[Phroobar]

DCA will be playing the "Lets all go to Disneyland." song since the place will be closed. It's their version of "You don't have to go home but you can't stay here."

You'll be seeing the fireworks as you walk out of DCA. You might want to stand in the esplanade and watch the fireworks instead of trying to get into the park. Everyone is trying to get into Disneyland then anyway. After the fireworks, there will be a mass exit from Disneyland and you will have smaller crowds.

 

[Stevek]

These are the must do's IMO, especially for someone that has been to WDW and wants unique. With only a half day, I'd say you need to focus on the one's underlined and then see what else you can squeeze in.

Disneyland Forever
Paint the Night
Radiator Springs Racers (single rider)
Screamin'
Hyperspace Mountain
Matterhorn
Indy
Pirates
Mansion (just because it's the original)
Alice
Toad
Subs
Autopia
Big Thunder

Second Tier:
Pinocchio
Snow White
Storybook Land
Roger Rabbit
Big Thunder
Monster's Inc
Grizzly River Run

World of Color, especially in it's current incarnation, would be a second choice behind Disneyland Forever IMO.

 

[TP2000]

For someone who has only ever been to WDW, it's important and often surprising to realize that...

The Disneyland Resort has more scheduled major entertainment spectaculars in its two parks than all four WDW parks combined. And there are just as many rides in the two Disneyland Resort parks as all four WDW parks combined. That not only shows how cheap and tacky the WDW executive teams of the last 15 years have been and the level of contempt they have for their customers, but it also shows how overstuffed and luxurious the Disneyland Resort is when it comes to rides and entertainment and how Anaheim executives think differently about their customers.

But TDA is crafty in that they do not schedule all that nightly entertainment to make it easy for people to bounce back and forth between the two parks to see and do everything in a single day. They schedule it so it is difficult to see and do everything in a single day to encourage multi-day visits to a compact piece of property that has more entertainment and just as many rides as WDW has.

It will be very difficult to see and do everything in one day, if not impossible on a busy summer day. Luckily Fantasmic! is currently closed for refurbishment due to Star Wars Land construction. However you choose to visit the Disneyland Resort, good luck to you!

 

[Rich T]

Lots of great advice here. I'd also just say (as personal preference), unless parades and shows and fireworks are more important than rides to you...skip the entertainment. Or, rather, just pause for a moment to enjoy whatever entertainment is going on around you wherever you happen to be (a minute of distant fireworks here, a snippet of parade there, a song from a live band...) and spend your time just walking around, riding things that don't have insane waits, and soaking in the atmosphere of the 2 parks. I'd say your priorities should be RSR (singe rider), Pirates, Indy, Alice & Toad, Matterhorn (single rider--ask the cm at the turnstyle...and, as mentioned above, only if your back can take it...it's rough) and Screamin' (single rider--shuts down during WoC). Avoid Rivers of America during Fantasmic and Main St. during the parade.

And try to eat at Flo's with a table view of RSR. Great way to soak in the atmosphere of Cars Land. Have a great time!

 

[JediMasterMatt]

My 2 cents on the Nighttime Spectacular dilemma -

- WoC is most effective when you have a good view. A good view usually means a considerable time investment to get. While the best views are always debatable, my preferred view is at the show centerline (so the projection screens line up) and from the front at the rail in the wet zone (so you can see the effects on the surface of the water and more importantly, so you can see the LEDs refracted from the individual water droplets). So, if you want to see WoC in any form, invest the time to do it right. Getting Carthay's reserved dinning can help; but, you still need to invest the time to get there early.
- WoC Celebrate is just plain bad. Not only is the show inconsistent, it fails to properly utilize WoC's greatest strength - the fountains - effectively. The majority of the show is using the 3 rear mist screen for projections and lacks much of the variety of fountain patterns that made the first show spectacular. Too much video and not enough fountain action. Honestly, the post show cooldown is MUCH better than the actual show. Based on this... I'd skip Celebrate as I wouldn't want your first time with WoC to be with this version.

- Disneyland Forever is the second best fireworks spectacular I've ever seen in a Disney Park. Remember Dreams Come True (long version) just slightly beats it because of the playful theme and journey through Disneyland's past; but, Forever puts on a much more spectacular show. The moment at the beginning of the show where all the search lights form the diamond in the sky is breathtaking. If you're coming from a WDW background for fireworks, the only show in this rarified strata they could offer is the short lived Magic, Music and Mayhem.
- Since Forever isn't going to be around forever (although, I am trying to clarify if the rumors of it's demise are exaggerated - it may only be going away until next summer and returning in a slightly modified form) - don't miss the opportunity to miss what will be remembered as a true Disney Parks classic.
- If you are in DL for Forever, you can easily catch PTN, so bonus.

 

[BrianV]

This is a great post. Thanks all. I'm especially interested in the clones from wdw that we can skip because we see them every year at WDW.

People mention single rider lines. Are they plentiful? My wife and I alone will be travelling. Without kids we don't care if we sit apart for a 5 minute ride to save 20 minutes of waiting. Does the radiator springs single rider line save significant waiting time?

 

[Rich T]

This is a great post. Thanks all. I'm especially interested in the clones from wdw that we can skip because we see them every year at WDW.

People mention single rider lines. Are they plentiful? My wife and I alone will be travelling. Without kids we don't care if we sit apart for a 5 minute ride to save 20 minutes of waiting. Does the radiator springs single rider line save significant waiting time?

My family does RSR single rider every time. No matter how crowded the park is or how long standby is, Single Rider will get you on in 45 minutes maximum, often much less.

Single Rider's available on RSR, Screamin', Grizzly River, Goofy's Sky School (generic wild mouse--don't bother), Matterhorn, Indy, and Splash. They're wonderful time-savers.

 

[BrianV]

My family does RSR single rider every time. No matter how crowded the park is or how long standby is, Single Rider will get you on in 45 minutes maximum, often much less.

Single Rider's available on RSR, Screamin', Grizzly River, Goofy's Sky School (generic wild mouse--don't bother), Matterhorn, Indy, and Splash. They're wonderful time-savers.

Awesome. Indy is the other big ticket ride I really want to see. This is good to know!!