2 parks/1 day trip help

co10064

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Original Poster
Hi all,

I apologize if a similar thread has been posted before (though I looked and I couldn’t find it).

I am planning a 1 day trip to the resort with a group of friends (all students, but we are interested in most everything the parks’ offer). We have purchased park hopper tickets and are trying to make the most of our day. We plan on arriving before park opening (at or before 9:30am and stay to the parks’ close).

I would love some tips and recommendations anyone has for seeing the most we can, especially ride-based attractions! I am looking for FastPass ideas, the best park to rope drop, etc.

Thanks for the help!
 

PorterRedkey

Well-Known Member
For one-day it is usually best to keep to one park. You are going to lose 1.5 - 2 hour using Disney transportation. (leaving the park, waiting for transportation, the ride there, security checkpoints for the other parks and finally the entrance turnstiles). Even using your own car can take a lot of time as well.

If you do want to do two parks I would suggest- rope dropping AK (no less than an hour before official park open). Ride FoP, Navi River if the lines still short. Hit Everest and then Dinosaur. I think the best attraction at AK is the Safari, but it is a 20-minute ride and will make for longer lines for Everest and Dinosaur. You should be out of the park by 11am, or noon at the maximum.

Head over to MK (be sure there is no after hour party). MK has the most rides, so there are plenty of classic rides and FPs are easier to acquire.

If you want to see Galaxy's Edge, go first thing and then decide if you have time for anything else.
 

co10064

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Original Poster
For one-day it is usually best to keep to one park. You are going to lose 1.5 - 2 hour using Disney transportation. (leaving the park, waiting for transportation, the ride there, security checkpoints for the other parks and finally the entrance turnstiles). Even using your own car can take a lot of time as well.

If you do want to do two parks I would suggest- rope dropping AK (no less than an hour before official park open). Ride FoP, Navi River if the lines still short. Hit Everest and then Dinosaur. I think the best attraction at AK is the Safari, but it is a 20-minute ride and will make for longer lines for Everest and Dinosaur. You should be out of the park by 11am, or noon at the maximum.

Head over to MK (be sure there is no after hour party). MK has the most rides, so there are plenty of classic rides and FPs are easier to acquire.

If you want to see Galaxy's Edge, go first thing and then decide if you have time for anything else.

I’m going to Disneyland Paris! Thank you for the help though!
 

PorterRedkey

Well-Known Member
I’m going to Disneyland Paris! Thank you for the help though!
Oops! That will be that much more manageable.

I have only been there once, so I will let more experienced people fill you in on that. Sorry for the confusion. If you need WDW tips in the future, feel free to ask. I hope you have a great time!
 
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Den Carter

Well-Known Member
Number one tip, don’t even try this on a weekend. Weekdays, unless during school holidays, are 100% quieter.

Focus on Disneyland Park. It’s exceptional. Make sure you’re there for rope drop. You’ll want to be at the turnstiles 45 mins before park opening. About 30 mins before opening, they’ll let you in, so you can use this time to explore Main St and get your castle selfies in the hub.

From then it depends on your priorities. Do you want to do thrill rides more or shows?

I’m going to assume you’re a WDW regular, but even if you think you might skip some of the headline attractions, you should definitely try DLP’s BTM, Pirates and (Hyper)space Mountain and Phantom Manor. All are better than their WDW counterparts.

FastPass are old-school, and you can only hold one at a time. BTM is generally the first attraction to ‘sell out’ of its daily FastPass quota, so this should be your first port of call. The FastPass ticket will tell you what time you can collect your next FastPass.

Don’t bother with Star Tours as it’s identical to the one you’ve probably ridden before, except it French.

Over in Walt Disney Studios Park, I really think the only attraction it’s worthwhile you doing is Crush’s Coaster. It’s a good coaster, and unique to DLP. ToT is the inferior version, RnR is thematically slightly different, but not enough to write home about, and as for the Ratatouille ride, while it was great when it first opened, it’s in need of a refurb and the Epcot version will open soon anyway.

Entertainment-wise, don’t miss Mickey and the Magician. Over in the main park, the Stars on Parade parade is fab (as good if not better than Festival of Fantasy), and Disney Illuminations, the nighttime spectacular, is also good.

If you’re visiting during the summer the months, we have the upcoming Lion King show to look forward to too.

Dining is the biggest bunch of crap at DLP. There are some decent meals to be had, but nothing like as good as the US parks. So I wouldn’t waste time or money on meals. Just bring some snacks in with you, and grab more as you go. Save the fine dining for another day during your trip to France.
 

Den Carter

Well-Known Member
One more thing... make sure you carve out some time just to admire the park. The level of theming and detail at Disneyland Park knocks the US parks literally out of the park. Frontierland and Adventureland are particularly stunning. Remember there are tons of walk-through attractions. Adventure Island is a joy, as is the backstory of Thunder Mesa and the Ravenswoods. Don’t miss the dragon under the Chateau!
 

Robbiem

Well-Known Member
One more thing... make sure you carve out some time just to admire the park. The level of theming and detail at Disneyland Park knocks the US parks literally out of the park. Frontierland and Adventureland are particularly stunning. Remember there are tons of walk-through attractions. Adventure Island is a joy, as is the backstory of Thunder Mesa and the Ravenswoods. Don’t miss the dragon under the Chateau!

I’d agree with this at Disneyland Park, possibly the nicest lookng castle park. Dont miss the walkthrough attractions like the nautilus and dragons lair. Small world is a different art design, casey jnr is a kiddie coaster and actually a lot of fun and storeybook land has different IP
 

co10064

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Original Poster
One more thing... make sure you carve out some time just to admire the park. The level of theming and detail at Disneyland Park knocks the US parks literally out of the park. Frontierland and Adventureland are particularly stunning. Remember there are tons of walk-through attractions. Adventure Island is a joy, as is the backstory of Thunder Mesa and the Ravenswoods. Don’t miss the dragon under the Chateau!
I’d agree with this at Disneyland Park, possibly the nicest lookng castle park. Dont miss the walkthrough attractions like the nautilus and dragons lair. Small world is a different art design, casey jnr is a kiddie coaster and actually a lot of fun and storeybook land has different IP
Thank you both so much! This helps a lot.
I’m a huge WDW/DL fan so this is good info. We will be going on a weekday in July.
 

AndyS2992

Well-Known Member
Generic repost from previous threads:
If you only have a short time in Paris then a 1 day 2 park ticket should be fine if you want to hit up both parks but if you don't care about the Studios then spending one whole day in Disneyland park is fine too. There is no Magic Band but if you stay in a Disney Hotel you do get a Magic+ card which acts as your park ticket, hotel door key, dining plan card and can be used to charge things. Disney Hotel guests also have access to Extra Magic Time (Extra Magic Hours in the US) where guests can enter the park an hour and half before official park opening and ride select attractions. Standard old paper Fastpass is in operation here but you can purchase an Ultimate Fastpass should you need it. All attractions and shows are a mix of English and French. With Tower of Terror, elevators 1 and 2 are French, 3 is English. The best way to get from Paris to Disneyland is by the RER A train line. If travelling from London then I highly recommend the direct Eurostar service from St Pancras International station. Download the official Disneyland Paris App for ride times, park maps, park opening times and closures, very useful. Character meet and greets at Walt Disney Studios park are by reservation only so you will need the Lineberty app to reserve your place, places sell out quick at park opening so you need to be fast. Disneyland Park character meets are standby lines only as standard. Like other Disney parks, Disney Photopass is available here, however the number of locations are very minimal.

Disneyland Must Dos:
-Big Thunder Mountain
-Phantom Manor
-Pirates of the Caribbean
-Indiana Jones & the temple of peril
-Peter Pan's Flight
-It's a Small World
-Hyperspace Mountain
-Star Tours 2.0
-Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
-Disney Illuminations fireworks and Disney Stars on Parade.
*Also don't forget to check out the dragon under the castle ;)

Studios Must Dos:
-Crush's Coaster
-Ratatouille
-RC Racer
-Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
-Rock n Rollercoaster
-Mickey and the Magician show
*Backlot Tour (It's terrible but still has Catastrophe Canyon if that is something you care about, Lights, Motors Action is also still in in the park)

If you arrive at park opening (or earlier during Extra Magic Time as a Disney hotel guest) and make good use of Fastpass (or even buy Ultimate FP if you have to) you can easily hit up all these attractions and more in a single day. Also if you are burger and fries kinda person then do not eat in the parks, extremely overpriced, walk out to Disney Village and go to McDonald's instead, it's half the price. But if you don't care about prices then Walt's on Main Street USA and Bistrot Chez Remy in Studios are pretty popular choices, though expensive. For cheaper in park options then I recommend Au Chalet de la Marionette in Fantasyland or Cafe Hyperion in Discoveryland in Disneyland park or Restaurant en Coulisse in Studio 1 at Disney Studios park. You also have Rainforest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Earl of Sandwich, McDonald's and Five Guys (and Starbucks) in Disney Village if you are looking for big names and familiarity. If you are looking for merch then The Emporium on Main Street USA in Disneyland, Studio 1 in Studios and World of Disney in Disney Village are your best bet. Character dining can be found at Auberge du Cendrillon in Disneyland park and Cafe Mickey in Disney Village. Should you want a unique experience from your visit then the PanoraMagique balloon in Disney Village is also an option if it is operating.

Attractions closed in July 2019:
Disneyland Park:

-Hyperspace Mountain (Reopens July 6th)
-Disneyland Railroad (All July)
-Dumbo the Flying Elephant (All July)
-Autopia (All July)
Walt Disney Studios Park:
-Flying Carpets Over Agrabah (Reopens July 6th)
-Art of Disney Animation (All July)
-Cars Race Rally (All July)

CvXowJZXgAAYMj9.jpg
 
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co10064

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Original Poster
Generic repost from previous threads:
If you only have a short time in Paris then a 1 day 2 park ticket should be fine if you want to hit up both parks but if you don't care about the Studios then spending one whole day in Disneyland park is fine too. There is no Magic Band but if you stay in a Disney Hotel you do get a Magic+ card which acts as your park ticket, hotel door key, dining plan card and can be used to charge things. Disney Hotel guests also have access to Extra Magic Time (Extra Magic Hours in the US) where guests can enter the park an hour and half before official park opening and ride select attractions. Standard old paper Fastpass is in operation here but you can purchase an Ultimate Fastpass should you need it. All attractions and shows are a mix of English and French. With Tower of Terror, elevators 1 and 2 are French, 3 is English. The best way to get from Paris to Disneyland is by the RER A train line. If travelling from London then I highly recommend the direct Eurostar service from St Pancras International station. Download the official Disneyland Paris App for ride times, park maps, park opening times and closures, very useful. Character meet and greets at Walt Disney Studios park are by reservation only so you will need the Lineberty app to reserve your place, places sell out quick at park opening so you need to be fast. Disneyland Park character meets are standby lines only as standard. Like other Disney parks, Disney Photopass is available here, however the number of locations are very minimal.

Disneyland Must Dos:
-Big Thunder Mountain
-Phantom Manor
-Pirates of the Caribbean
-Indiana Jones & the temple of peril
-Peter Pan's Flight
-It's a Small World
-Hyperspace Mountain
-Star Tours 2.0
-Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
-Disney Illuminations fireworks and Disney Stars on Parade.
*Also don't forget to check out the dragon under the castle ;)

Studios Must Dos:
-Crush's Coaster
-Ratatouille
-RC Racer
-Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
-Rock n Rollercoaster
-Mickey and the Magician show
*Backlot Tour (It's terrible but still has Catastrophe Canyon if that is something you care about, Lights, Motors Action is also still in in the park)

If you arrive at park opening (or earlier during Extra Magic Time as a Disney hotel guest) and make good use of Fastpass (or even buy Ultimate FP if you have to) you can easily hit up all these attractions and more in a single day. Also if you are burger and fries kinda person then do not eat in the parks, extremely overpriced, walk out to Disney Village and go to McDonald's instead, it's half the price. But if you don't care about prices then Walt's on Main Street USA and Bistrot Chez Remy in Studios are pretty popular choices, though expensive. For cheaper in park options then I recommend Au Chalet de la Marionette in Fantasyland or Cafe Hyperion in Discoveryland in Disneyland park or Restaurant en Coulisse in Studio 1 at Disney Studios park. You also have Rainforest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Earl of Sandwich, McDonald's and Five Guys (and Starbucks) in Disney Village if you are looking for big names and familiarity. If you are looking for merch then The Emporium on Main Street USA in Disneyland, Studio 1 in Studios and World of Disney in Disney Village are your best bet. Character dining can be found at Auberge du Cendrillon in Disneyland park and Cafe Mickey in Disney Village. Should you want a unique experience from your visit then the PanoraMagique balloon in Disney Village is also an option if it is operating.

Attractions closed in July 2019:
Disneyland Park:

-Hyperspace Mountain (Reopens July 6th)
-Disneyland Railroad (All July)
-Dumbo the Flying Elephant (All July)
-Autopia (All July)
Walt Disney Studios Park:
-Flying Carpets Over Agrabah (Reopens July 6th)
-Art of Disney Animation (All July)
-Cars Race Rally (All July)

CvXowJZXgAAYMj9.jpg
Awesome info! Thanks!
 

fradz

Well-Known Member
In the other Disney Parks you've already visited, what are the rides/experiences that you particularly like and what are the ones you are not particularly interested in?

Based on that, I think we can slightly trim down Andy's post and guarantee that you enjoy the most important headliners!
 

co10064

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Original Poster
In the other Disney Parks you've already visited, what are the rides/experiences that you particularly like and what are the ones you are not particularly interested in?

Based on that, I think we can slightly trim down Andy's post and guarantee that you enjoy the most important headliners!
I would say classics and thrill rides!
 

Den Carter

Well-Known Member
Just to add to this, @co10064, you’re visiting during the new Festival of the Lion King and the Jungle, which just kicked off this week. I’ll be there at the weekend to check it out for myself, but the initial reactions online indicate that both the main festival shows are excellent.

There’s a Jungle Book themed show that takes place on the parade route and in the hub, and a Lion King show in the Frontierland Theatre.

The Jungle Book one uses the immersive approach of DLP’s amazing Festival of Pirates and Princesses, and I can guarantee you’ll have seen nothing quite like this level of show at WDW. The closest equivalent would be Move It, Shake It, Mousekedance it - but waaaay better. Prime viewing spot is right in the middle of the castle hub. There are four mini-stages on the hub itself, and if you stand in the middle you’ll be able to rotate and see all four.

The Lion King show is kind of like AK’s Festival of the Lion King but more stylised and show-tunesy.

Looking forward to seeing both in a few days, but based on the reviews I’d add these to your must-dos.
 

fradz

Well-Known Member
@Den Carter is absolutely right, I've only heard positive things about both shows.
Should you want to hit both parks in one day, I would:
Rope drop WDSP, do Crush -> Ratatouille -> RnRC -> ToT, then head to the castle park. (You should be done before 12).
There, Peter Pan and BTM are your priorities in terms of FastPass. The rest should have very manageable wait times.

For the rest, Andy's post covers pretty much everything; but feel free to ask if you have any other questions. Don't miss Disney Illuminations at park closure. It's great!! (except, imho, for the Star Wars & POTC parts...)
 

Den Carter

Well-Known Member
I’m here for the weekend, @co10064, and can confirm both the Rhythm of the Pride Lands stage show and the Jungle Jive Parade/hub show are brilliant...

But... the lines for Rhythm of the Pride Lands are massive. This weekend people were lining up two hours before showtime. I’m sure this will be less on a weekday, but realistically you’re looking at an absolute minimum of one hour out of your day for this show. If I was here for my first time ever, I’d regret ‘wasting’ that time. You could always watch on YouTube. It’s a really high quality production.

On the other hand, you won’t find a show quite as fun and special as Jungle Jive in the US parks. I think this one is unmissable. It plays four times a day (I think), with half the parade stepping off from each end of the parade route, and meeting at the hub. My viewing strategy for this one is the same as for the Pirates and Princesses Festival parade (not currently on)... get to the castle hub 5-10 minutes before the advertised start and stand as close to the middle of the hub roundabout as you can. You won’t see the floats well, but 80% of the action takes place right there on the hub stages, so here you get a real 360 view.

If you like parades in general, the Disney Stars On Parade is one of the better ones outside Asia, and my top time-saving tip for this one is to find a spot really close to the big set of gates to the right of It’s a Small World, immediately next to the disabled viewing area. The upsides are that you get a clear view of each float, that you only need to get there 5-10 mins in advance (this area doesn’t tend to fill up as much because most people think it’s for disabled access only), and that you’re right at the start of the parade so can escape as soon as the last float (Anna and Elsa) clears. Downside is that you’ll be able to see slightly off-stage, but it’s not too distracting. See where I dropped a pin on the attached for this spot.
 

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