6 hours enough for California Adventure?

[Minnie1986]

Hi All!
My best friend and I are headed to LA for work and then going down to Disneyland Friday night (2/14) through Sunday (2/16). We’d ideally like to see Disney on Valentine’s Day and are planning on spending Friday night (from 5pm-closing) in California Adventures. Is that enough time to enjoy it or should we just wait until Saturday. We’ll be spending Sunday in Disneyland proper. What would you all suggest? TIA!

 

[PiratesMansion]

Well, it'd really be 5 hours, as the park closes at 10.

You could maybe get away with doing the park in 5 hours...if you arrived at opening. But on the evening of a holiday that's on a weekend when Disneyland closes early because of a private event, and FPs for the good stuff probably gone by that point...very unlikely.

You could treat it as a fun preview, but I wouldn't expect to be able to get everything done.

The ideal scenario would probably result in you getting hoppers, so that the instant you finish DCA on Sat you can devote the rest of your day to Disneyland.

 

[Minnie1986]

Well, it'd really be 5 hours, as the park closes at 10.

You could maybe get away with doing the park in 5 hours...if you arrived at opening. But on the evening of a holiday that's on a weekend when Disneyland closes early because of a private event, and FPs for the good stuff probably gone by that point...very unlikely.

You could treat it as a fun preview, but I wouldn't expect to be able to get everything done.

The ideal scenario would probably result in you getting hoppers, so that the instant you finish DCA on Sat you can devote the rest of your day to Disneyland.

What private event is there? And the calendar says the park closes at 11.

 

[Minnie1986]

Well, it'd really be 5 hours, as the park closes at 10.

You could maybe get away with doing the park in 5 hours...if you arrived at opening. But on the evening of a holiday that's on a weekend when Disneyland closes early because of a private event, and FPs for the good stuff probably gone by that point...very unlikely.

You could treat it as a fun preview, but I wouldn't expect to be able to get everything done.

The ideal scenario would probably result in you getting hoppers, so that the instant you finish DCA on Sat you can devote the rest of your day to Disneyland.

We don’t have hoppers. We have two one day tickets and we’ve already set aside Sunday for Disneyland. Therefore, would you recommend doing DCA on Friday night or Saturday?

 

[PiratesMansion]

What private event is there? And the calendar says the park closes at 11.

My apologies. The private event was listed as the night before. However, DCA is listed as closing at 10 on the 14th (DL is open until 11, however).

I would recommend upgrading to hoppers if at all possible; Disneyland requires a lot more time than DCA and it'll allow you to tour more efficiently. It can be difficult to do everything in DL park in only one day, and hopping takes around five minutes. It will also allow you one additional crack to get on Rise of the Resistance; otherwise, you have to hope you get lucky during your one day at DL.

Either way, I would recommend going on Saturday to DCA. You may not need the entire day to do everything you want, but you'll probably need more time than what Friday night will allow.

 

[Minnie1986]

My apologies. The private event was listed as the night before. However, DCA is listed as closing at 10 on the 14th (DL is open until 11, however).

I would recommend upgrading to hoppers if at all possible; Disneyland requires a lot more time than DCA and it'll allow you to tour more efficiently. It can be difficult to do everything in DL park in only one day, and hopping takes around five minutes. It will also allow you one additional crack to get on Rise of the Resistance; otherwise, you have to hope you get lucky during your one day at DL.

Either way, I would recommend going on Saturday to DCA. You may not need the entire day to do everything you want, but you'll probably need more time than what Friday night will allow.

Thank you! I’ll look into upgrading to the hopper

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Depends on what you want to see the most. You’ll for sure miss Frozen live which is one of the best things in the park and fastpasses will likely be gone for world of color, which is a cant miss at the California resort imho.

With that said, 5 hours is enough time to see the park and ride most of the rides. Monsters inc. is unique to the park and should have 30 min or less wait, soarin maybe 40, guardians tower will be around 50, screamin, err incredicoaster will be like 20 if you use single rider line and then do cars stuff right before closing. That’s your 5 hours taken up right there. You could maybe squeeze in 1 more ride, but that’s without eating.

Seeing the frozen show and having a fastpass for world of color (the only way you can have a good view) would be worth spending the whole day at DCA to me. Friday night and all day Sunday at Disneyland should be enough.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I'd say its plenty to see all the big rides besides cars.

If you single rider cars, it's like a 25 minute time commitment tops. So they should be fine there as well.

6 hours in DCA is more than enough.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

I don't think I've ever been in DCA for a consecutive 6 hours in my entire life.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

Don't waste your time. Spend most of it in Cars Land, single ride RSR, get FP for Chase-a-baby and warehouse fortress power plant, maybe check out Goofys sky school and little mermaid, possibly FP Soarin if it's SoC. Badda Bing badda boom get out of that god forsaken park in 4 hours.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Keep in mind, OP, that this board in general, myself included, is very much jaded towards most things DCA at the moment. The park does have some very real problems, and you may get there and very well agree with what is being said. BUT you are a first-timer and not a local, so chances are pretty good you will enjoy DCA more than many of the people who have responded to this thread. That seems to be the case for most WDW veterans who come west, and there have even been many WDW-based people who have enjoyed DCA more than Disneyland, or at least liked it much more than they were expecting to. It's not at all unheard of.

It does depend a bit on what you want to do. I do agree that Frozen and World of Color are two of the biggest and best entertainment offerings at the resort that should be experienced. If you arrive at 5, it will be impossible to do Frozen and it will be unlikely to score World of Color FPs. And then, even if you did get WOC FPs, you'd be looking at a massive time commitment that would make it difficult to do everything else you might want to do.

Speaking personally, I find it's always better to potentially have too much time than potentially not enough (and the too much time problem is solvable with the hopper).

What are your must-do's? I'd still advocate for a full day, but it also does depend on what your group wants to do.

 

[Blu]

I don't think I've ever been in DCA for a consecutive 6 hours in my entire life.

lol. I’d second this.

 

[beachlover4444]

run straight to cars land and do those 3 attractions, then go to incredicoaster. if you can fit in guardians of the galaxy you have done all you need to do at that park. Carsland blew us away it is the best thing Disneys done in years.