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Disneyland Help!
- Thread starter fullerdb
- Start date
Lhriangel
New Member
Well it's definately going to be busy that time of the year. Disneyland has many many annual passholders and since that's the time school is out expect long waits on the attractions and to use Fastpass. Also some rides have single rider lines BUT you have to ask at the greeter position because the lines aren't like the ones in FL. (example: Screamin')
Make sure you take the time to see Santa at the Wilderness Lodge. Also you want to see the Haunted Mansion Holiday. They unfortunately only do ONE candlelight show but I'm not sure what day that's playing on. It's really hard to get into so if you are interested in that at all I would call Guest Relations or and see if you can book it. If you get the chance I'd take "Walk in Walt's Footsteps". It's supposed to be the most amazing tour and it's the one I really want to do even though I know alot about the park.
Disneyland at Christmas is GORGEOUS I hope you have a great time!
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Disneyland during the week between Christmas and New Years? Yikes. :hammer:
Is that the only time you have to visit? Can you come two weeks earlier, or wait two weeks later?
If not, then you are going to have to go into this trip with an entirely different set of rules than if you were visiting at any other time of the year.
First off, resign yourself to the fact that you have chosen the absolutely busiest and craziest week of the entire year to visit Disneyland. Just come to grips with it now, deal with it, mentally prepare for it, and brace yourself.
Your best strategy is to use the early morning hours to try to do Fantasyland, Finding Nemo and Space Mountain. Even Autopia and Buzz Lightyear too. If you have a ticket package that offers 7:00am Early Entry, use it. Be there at 6:45am and be ready. If you don't, get to the gate by 7:30am and be ready to go at 8:00am rope drop.
Your next strategy is to use Fastpass like there is no tomorrow. Indy Jones, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion Holiday, Space Mountain and Big Thunder should all be Fastpassed. Roger Rabbit isn't connected to the network, so Fastpass it also.
Next, come to grips with the fact that on most days this week they will close the turnstiles for at least a few hours. For the last several years that happens around 11:00am to 1:00pm, and lasts through the afternoon. The turnstiles open up for a bit in the early evening, but then can close again by 8:00pm and stay closed until after fireworks crowds clear out around 10:00pm. Last year the message boards were ablaze with Annual Passholders and Disney Hotel Guests alike who were furious that they closed the turnstiles due to overcrowding and wouldn't even let them in, much less the tourists from the Howard Johnsons. If you are in Disneyland by 6:00pm, realize you can not leave or else you likely won't be allowed back in that night. It doesn't matter what kind of super-duper ticket you have, or how lavish your Concierge level suite is at the Grand Californian. Once Disneyland is full, it's full, and the CM's don't budge. Check the message boards for Grand Californian Hotel concierge guests who were furious over this closure issue last year at Christmas.
Finally, please be patient. The walkways and performance areas in Disneyland become gridlocked routinely during this week. Last year Main Street became gridlocked several times and people panic and call 911 on their cell phones and literally start climbing trees and lampposts to try and escape the crush of nonmoving humanity. Don't panic. Wait 10 minutes and the walkway will once again slowly begin to move. Obey and observe the instructions given to you by Cast Members trying to direct the crowds. When a fight breaks out in the gridlocked crowds, and they do, stear clear of it and try not to panic. Don't try to be a good guy in that situation, just protect yourself and your loved ones.
And lastly, if you do get locked out of Disneyland for some reason, don't yell at the CM's at the locked turnstiles. It's not their fault. It's the fault of the 100,000+ people each day who chose to visit Disneyland during the busiest week of the year.
Is that the only time you have to visit? Can you come two weeks earlier, or wait two weeks later?
If not, then you are going to have to go into this trip with an entirely different set of rules than if you were visiting at any other time of the year.
First off, resign yourself to the fact that you have chosen the absolutely busiest and craziest week of the entire year to visit Disneyland. Just come to grips with it now, deal with it, mentally prepare for it, and brace yourself.
Your best strategy is to use the early morning hours to try to do Fantasyland, Finding Nemo and Space Mountain. Even Autopia and Buzz Lightyear too. If you have a ticket package that offers 7:00am Early Entry, use it. Be there at 6:45am and be ready. If you don't, get to the gate by 7:30am and be ready to go at 8:00am rope drop.
Your next strategy is to use Fastpass like there is no tomorrow. Indy Jones, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion Holiday, Space Mountain and Big Thunder should all be Fastpassed. Roger Rabbit isn't connected to the network, so Fastpass it also.
Next, come to grips with the fact that on most days this week they will close the turnstiles for at least a few hours. For the last several years that happens around 11:00am to 1:00pm, and lasts through the afternoon. The turnstiles open up for a bit in the early evening, but then can close again by 8:00pm and stay closed until after fireworks crowds clear out around 10:00pm. Last year the message boards were ablaze with Annual Passholders and Disney Hotel Guests alike who were furious that they closed the turnstiles due to overcrowding and wouldn't even let them in, much less the tourists from the Howard Johnsons. If you are in Disneyland by 6:00pm, realize you can not leave or else you likely won't be allowed back in that night. It doesn't matter what kind of super-duper ticket you have, or how lavish your Concierge level suite is at the Grand Californian. Once Disneyland is full, it's full, and the CM's don't budge. Check the message boards for Grand Californian Hotel concierge guests who were furious over this closure issue last year at Christmas.
Finally, please be patient. The walkways and performance areas in Disneyland become gridlocked routinely during this week. Last year Main Street became gridlocked several times and people panic and call 911 on their cell phones and literally start climbing trees and lampposts to try and escape the crush of nonmoving humanity. Don't panic. Wait 10 minutes and the walkway will once again slowly begin to move. Obey and observe the instructions given to you by Cast Members trying to direct the crowds. When a fight breaks out in the gridlocked crowds, and they do, stear clear of it and try not to panic. Don't try to be a good guy in that situation, just protect yourself and your loved ones.
And lastly, if you do get locked out of Disneyland for some reason, don't yell at the CM's at the locked turnstiles. It's not their fault. It's the fault of the 100,000+ people each day who chose to visit Disneyland during the busiest week of the year.
We will be at DL for Christmas again this year. It is a wonderful time to go, but VERY crowded. Be prepared to take all your patience with you! It is lovely, so much to see and long lines to see it in.
There is a Holidaytime Tour that they do. It books 30 days out and fills up quickly and is about 50 bucks a person, I think. You get to go see all the decorations and you get priority entry to Haunted Mansion and Small World with the group. You bypass ALL the lines and go right in the attraction. That is nice. You also get seating, in a real chair for the Holiday Parade right outside Small World and a keeper cup of Hot Cocoa and a gingerbread man cookie and some fudge. It is well worth the cost. We are going to try to book it again this yr, if only for the seats for the parade and entry to the attractions! The lines are longer than you can ever imagine! and Stores are crowded as are restaurants. Get your ADRs NOW! You can book meals 60 days in advance. We already have our Christmas dinner planned and ressies booked at Steakhouse 55 and the rest of the week's meals as well. New Year's is insane. We are leaving before New Years. It is REALLY, REALLY crowded and just crazy!
You will love the Park at Christmas. The magic is palpable! It is so beautiful and happy and I love it! We will be staying in our favorite hotel of all, The Disneyland Hotel! They have carolers in the lobby and decorations everywhere. There is no WDW Christmas party type thing, but the parade and fireworks are all Christmas themed and there is the raindeer roundup at the Big Thunder Ranch. The Disney website will have all the details of what happens at Christmas in DL after the Halloween festivities are done. Keep an eye out for it!
Have a great time!:ROFLOL:
Mermaid1
Oh Yeah! ABSOLUTELY, 100% TRUE about them closing the gates when the Park gets to max capacity. You will NOT get in if you don't go early! We book character meals for breakfast and then spend the early part of the day at DL and leave when we are done for the day. We may go back in the evening to watch fireworks, but usually just watch those from the Hotel window or concierge lounge. It does *snow* after the fireworks in parts of DL, like Main Street and New Orleans Square and over by Small World so you may not want to miss that! It IS magical!
It closed last year everyday of our trip about mid day due to capacity! It then opens up again later and closes again, you never know when. You can always go to DCA and watch the Electrical Parade at night and be in a park that is relatively uncrowded.
There is a Holidaytime Tour that they do. It books 30 days out and fills up quickly and is about 50 bucks a person, I think. You get to go see all the decorations and you get priority entry to Haunted Mansion and Small World with the group. You bypass ALL the lines and go right in the attraction. That is nice. You also get seating, in a real chair for the Holiday Parade right outside Small World and a keeper cup of Hot Cocoa and a gingerbread man cookie and some fudge. It is well worth the cost. We are going to try to book it again this yr, if only for the seats for the parade and entry to the attractions! The lines are longer than you can ever imagine! and Stores are crowded as are restaurants. Get your ADRs NOW! You can book meals 60 days in advance. We already have our Christmas dinner planned and ressies booked at Steakhouse 55 and the rest of the week's meals as well. New Year's is insane. We are leaving before New Years. It is REALLY, REALLY crowded and just crazy!
You will love the Park at Christmas. The magic is palpable! It is so beautiful and happy and I love it! We will be staying in our favorite hotel of all, The Disneyland Hotel! They have carolers in the lobby and decorations everywhere. There is no WDW Christmas party type thing, but the parade and fireworks are all Christmas themed and there is the raindeer roundup at the Big Thunder Ranch. The Disney website will have all the details of what happens at Christmas in DL after the Halloween festivities are done. Keep an eye out for it!
Have a great time!:ROFLOL:
Mermaid1
Oh Yeah! ABSOLUTELY, 100% TRUE about them closing the gates when the Park gets to max capacity. You will NOT get in if you don't go early! We book character meals for breakfast and then spend the early part of the day at DL and leave when we are done for the day. We may go back in the evening to watch fireworks, but usually just watch those from the Hotel window or concierge lounge. It does *snow* after the fireworks in parts of DL, like Main Street and New Orleans Square and over by Small World so you may not want to miss that! It IS magical!
It closed last year everyday of our trip about mid day due to capacity! It then opens up again later and closes again, you never know when. You can always go to DCA and watch the Electrical Parade at night and be in a park that is relatively uncrowded.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
It closed last year everyday of our trip about mid day due to capacity! It then opens up again later and closes again, you never know when. You can always go to DCA and watch the Electrical Parade at night and be in a park that is relatively uncrowded.
The daily random park closings really catch a lot of people off gaurd. They get to the point where even concierge level guests at the Grand Californian aren't allowed in. And for those that are inside the park, you can bet that the place is packed to the rafters with gridlocked walkways and a 2 hour line for Dumbo.
This year they are doing a whole new snowfall thing on the Castle, with fiber optics and special effects that should be very cool. They are redoing the Christmas fireworks show too, so all of the locals will be there. As long as it doesn't rain, I expect the daily park closures to be even more frequent and earlier in the day this year compared to last year.
But then, there is always DCA to visit. That's the overflow lounge for Disneyland, where you are sent to wait it out until they let you back in the real park. :ROFLOL:
TP2000
Well-Known Member
One. Haunted Mansion Holiday offers Fastpass.
From January to September, Haunted Mansion does not. From October through Christmas, it does.
mouselvrmom
Well-Known Member
Do you thing we will need fastpass for it in the beginning of December?
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Weekday, no. Weekend, yes, but only between 11:00am and 11:00pm. The first few hours of the morning on a weekday its 10 minutes or less, but my late morning it gets busy. The Haunted Mansion Holiday is at its busiest after sundown, when all the lights and candles on the house turn on.