Guide to DLR for WDW Veterans!

[PiratesMansion]

Possible to do DL and DCA in just under 2 days (2 adults no kids). Never been to DLR, but frequent WDW. I have the opportunity to fly into LAX on a friday night and drive to DLR. Parks all day Saturday and most of Sunday. Sunday night drive back to LAX with an EARLY Monday morning flight out.

Is that worth it or should I wait until I can spend more time at DLR? We would buy G+ for both days and ILL for webslingers and radiator springs at least once.

I kinda have a priority list:
Must see:

• Indiana Jones
• Pirates
• Mr. Toad
• Pinocchio
• Enchanted Wish
• Alice in Wonderland
• Matterhorn
• Space
• Mission Breakout
• Web Slingers
• Radiator Springs
• Incredicoaster

Would like to see

• Haunted Mansion
• Splash
• Big Thunder
• Buzz
• Nemo
• Monsters Inc
• Grizzly River Run
• RotR

If there is time

• Railroad
• Jungle Cruise
• Pooh
• Small World
• Peter Pan
• Storybook Canal
• Casey Jr.
• Star Tours
• Philharmagic
• Luigi
• Mater's
• Soarin
• Midway Mania
• Little Mermaid
• Tea Cups
• Sleeping Beauty
• Smugglers Run

No real interest

• Lincoln
• Tiki Room
• Mark Twain
• Columbia
• Dumbo
• Carrousel
• Astro Orbiter
• Autopia
• Monorail
• Disney Jr.
• Jessie's
• Emotional Whirlwind
• Pal Around
• Zephyr
• Sky School
• Jumping Jellyfish
• Silly Symhony
• Davy Crocket

That should be doable, especially since you're foregoing nighttime stuff.

Personally I would move the Railroad, Small World, and Storybook up to higher priority than they currently are, and Monsters Inc. down.

I searched DL rope drop strategies and got very different answers from the 'DL experts'. Help decide between Indiana Jones and Space Mountain

Both are tempting, but the actual best answer is Fantasyland. You can get a ton done in that first hour (though you have to be close to the front and hustle if you want Peter Pan) on a lot of low-capacity attractions that don't have Genie.

If you're not at all interested in that, I would say Space fills faster than Indy in my experience-it takes a bit longer for the west side of the park to get crowded.

 

[Purduevian]

That should be doable, especially since you're foregoing nighttime stuff.

Personally I would move the Railroad, Small World, and Storybook up to higher priority than they currently are, and Monsters Inc. down.

Thanks for the advice, I was actually really hoping to do Fantasmic! the one actual night we have there. It is our favorite show in WDW and would love to see the "Better" version.

WDW railroad is usually a pass for me, but I'll trust that DLR RR is better!

I also started doing some research and was surprised at how few attractions have G+!

 

[PiratesMansion]

Thanks for the advice, I was actually really hoping to do Fantasmic! the one actual night we have there. It is our favorite show in WDW and would love to see the "Better" version.

WDW railroad is usually a pass for me, but I'll trust that DLR RR is better!

I also started doing some research and was surprised at how few attractions have G+!

Ah, definitely do Fantasmic then! I'll withhold any real advice because who knows if/how Disney will muddle the operations until it's back.

If it operates as it did, the second show is typically less crowded. Blue Bayou typically sells a dining package for front and center viewing.

Definitely do the RR round trip, optimally boarding at Main Street and riding all the way around. If that's not possible, the Tomorrowland-Main Street portion is most essential and Main Street-New Orleans Square the least. The DL Railroad is considerably closer to the actual park than the WDW RR is, so on average there's more to see too.

Yep, way less FP/MP/LL/Geniewhatever at DLR! Part of that is just practicality- there's no easy way to add it to many of those older attractions. But less G+ is one of those things that sounds like a curse but is actually a blessing. It's much easier to find something that isn't an obscene wait than at WDW. Though it used to be even better-I miss when Buzz and Monsters DIDN'T have G+ and you could get on them in 10-15 min no matter how busy the parks were! Ah well. At least G+ seems to be working a bit better in CA than FL!

 

[Sailor310]

I would consider riding the Mark Twain for a break. A first day attraction. Walt and Lillian took their anniversary party guests on it before the park opened. Get to the front of the line and get one of the chairs on the bow. It's peaceful 20 minutes with beautiful scenery. Maybe it's because I'm a mechanical engineer, but I love watching the steam drive the pistons through beautiful brass linkages to turn the paddlewheel.

 

[PiratesMansion]

I would consider riding the Mark Twain for a break. A first day attraction. Walt and Lillian took their anniversary party guests on it before the park opened. Get to the front of the line and get one of the chairs on the bow. It's peaceful 20 minutes with beautiful scenery. Maybe it's because I'm a mechanical engineer, but I love watching the steam drive the pistons through beautiful brass linkages to turn the paddlewheel.

Alternately, the Sailing Ship Columbia, unique to Disneyland, which contains a below decks museum showing what crew quarters would have been like in the time of the US' first sailing ship.

 

[Purduevian]

1 week out from my 60 days... starting to form a plan of attack for my 1.75 days at DLR:
Morning 1: Reservations at DCA. Rope drop Mission break out at 8am... unless close enough to the front that I think we can get to Spiderman without an insane wait.
Assuming Guardians... Get a G+ for Guardians (round 2). ILL for Spiderman ~8:45am, ILL for Radiator Springs for 9:30ish. Do Lugi/Maters to fill in time. Spend the rest of the AM G+ Incredicoaster, Soarin, TSMM, and Mike and Sully. Around lunch get a LL for Grizzly then head back to hotel for a break.

Afternoon/Evening: Hop to Disneyland and follow the G+. Hope to focus on the left side of the park with Indy, Btmm, Splash, and HM. Have an evening dinner package for Fantasmic. Watch the fireworks from the fantasmic spot.

Day 2: Reservations at Disneyland. Rope drop Fantasyland classics with an early G+ for Matterhorn. Move on to tomorrowland. Then spend the rest of the day trying to see everything else we missed on day 1 at either park.

Does that sound doable? CA highlights with G+ and ILL and part of DL in day 1?

 

[PiratesMansion]

1 week out from my 60 days... starting to form a plan of attack for my 1.75 days at DLR:
Morning 1: Reservations at DCA. Rope drop Mission break out at 8am... unless close enough to the front that I think we can get to Spiderman without an insane wait.
Assuming Guardians... Get a G+ for Guardians (round 2). ILL for Spiderman ~8:45am, ILL for Radiator Springs for 9:30ish. Do Lugi/Maters to fill in time. Spend the rest of the AM G+ Incredicoaster, Soarin, TSMM, and Mike and Sully. Around lunch get a LL for Grizzly then head back to hotel for a break.

Afternoon/Evening: Hop to Disneyland and follow the G+. Hope to focus on the left side of the park with Indy, Btmm, Splash, and HM. Have an evening dinner package for Fantasmic. Watch the fireworks from the fantasmic spot.

Day 2: Reservations at Disneyland. Rope drop Fantasyland classics with an early G+ for Matterhorn. Move on to tomorrowland. Then spend the rest of the day trying to see everything else we missed on day 1 at either park.

Does that sound doable? CA highlights with G+ and ILL and part of DL in day 1?

I'd say it sounds good, with the disclaimer that I've never actually used G+ (and I have no idea how closely together you can buy ILLs).

Based on some of the reactions I have heard, it may not be a bad idea to try and get a ride on Spider-Man before committing to the ILL in that instance. If you're willing to split up, you can skip the ILL for Radiator Springs Racers by doing the single rider line (one of the only singles lines on property that REALLY works well); I see that Spider-man has a single rider line too. Not sure how well that one works but I imagine it works better as a newer ride than a lot of the SRLs do at older attractions.

I would come back for Maters and Luigi's after you do the other headliners. It's pretty easy to knock out the Pixar Pier area rides if you get there fairly early.

That afternoon at Disneyland is a great time to knock out some of the lower impact things that interest you. I know not all of the things I'm going to list will appeal to you, but if they do it's a good time to hit things like the Railroad, Mr. Lincoln, Tiki Room, the Castle walkthrough, TSI, or the Riverboats. Certainly try and do the other things and load up on the G+ as you're able. If waits are prohibitive during the afternoon, the west side of the park (save Indy) takes longer to fill in the morning and you can still do a lot of things with short waits for the first few hours the park is open (until around the 10:30 to 11:00 window).

.

 

[jonnyc]

Starting to plan a DL trip for April 2023 (to coincide with WrestleMania 39 ). I've only been to DL for one day in what was a rushed visita about 7 years ago now - got 5 days at the parks planned for this trip so I can do both of them properly!

In terms of booking park tickets, how far in advance can/should I book them? From looking on the DL website it looks like park reservations are open for the next 4/5 months.

 

[Purduevian]

Sorry to keep spamming this thread, but you all are giving great advice.

Planning to do a Fantasmic Dinning package... but they show as not available (even though fantasmic is back in less than 60 days). On top of that I would love to do the blue Bayou, but that doesn't have a re-opening date. With my 60 days coming up, and I just best to grab a river belle terrace and hope I can upgrade it to a dinning package later? Or should I not reserve anything and stalk the DLR website waiting for the dinning packages to come back?

 

[vikescaper]

I am currently planning my park reservations for for September DL trip. We will have three day tickets without park hoppers. I am not sure which park to use the third day for. The last time we were at DL was 2005-ish so it was before the DCA makeover. My question is would it be worth it having two days at DCA since we haven’t experienced the new attractions they have added since we were last there?

 

[Californian Elitist]

I am currently planning my park reservations for for September DL trip. We will have three day tickets without park hoppers. I am not sure which park to use the third day for. The last time we were at DL was 2005-ish so it was before the DCA makeover. My question is would it be worth it having two days at DCA since we haven’t experienced the new attractions they have added since we were last there?

I’d suggest two days at DL and one at DCA. Or consider making the third day a park-hopper and convert your ticket.

 

[truecoat]

I’d suggest two days at DL and one at DCA. Or consider making the third day a park-hopper and convert your ticket.

Yep, I'm doing 3 days in August and 2 at Disneyland since it has so much more to do. I'll spend a good day in DCA though.

 

[PiratesMansion]

I am currently planning my park reservations for for September DL trip. We will have three day tickets without park hoppers. I am not sure which park to use the third day for. The last time we were at DL was 2005-ish so it was before the DCA makeover. My question is would it be worth it having two days at DCA since we haven’t experienced the new attractions they have added since we were last there?

It won't take you two days to do everything you want to do at DCA, especially if you have Genie and/or will be there at opening. You should have more than enough time to get everything done.

DL still has significantly more to do, so you'll appreciate the second day there. Two days is a LOT of time at DCA for most people.

 

[vikescaper]

It won't take you two days to do everything you want to do at DCA, especially if you have Genie and/or will be there at opening. You should have more than enough time to get everything done.

DL still has significantly more to do, so you'll appreciate the second day there. Two days is a LOT of time at DCA for most people.

Thank you! That’s what I was leaning towards doing but wanted to make sure I wouldn’t need two days at DCA. I am really excited for the trip!

 

[Purduevian]

Not really a question. Just excited to share. Just booked my first ever trip to DLR. 2 nights at the grand california and a 2 day park hopper ticket with G+.
Day 1 starting at DCA, have a dinner reservation at River Belle Terrace and going to request Dinning package. Planning to see F!, Disneyland forever (from the ROA after F!), and MSEP.
Day 2 starting at DL with no other plans. Can stay as long as we want, but have to drive to an LAX airport that night for an early flight out for the rest of the vacation.

Just excited I finally have it all booked today! Hoping Blue Bayou opens up and I can switch my River Belle to that.
Probably going to pay the ILL for RsR and Webslingers.

 

[Hawkeye_2018]

What's the weather like now? Does it get chilly at night?

 

[PiratesMansion]

What's the weather like now? Does it get chilly at night?

I can't speak for this precise moment, but generally speaking in the summer it tends to be cool in the morning, hot in the afternoon (but a dry heat and never as bad as Florida this time of year), and then it cools down again in evening.

 

[Purduevian]

What is your favorite rope drop plan for someone that has been to WDW a lot, never been to DLR, and will be buying G+. Will be staying at the GC and probably heading to the parks around 7:45am, so I know I won't be at the front of the rope or anything.
DL:
A) Indiana Jones>Jungle cruise
B)Space (Hyperspace while I'm there) Mountain>Tomorrowland
C)Fantasyland. Probably Snow White>Toad>Alice>Storybookland
D)Any other strategy?

CA:
A)Guardians
B)Paradise Pier/Incredicoaster>Toy Story
C)Any other strategy?

 

[Hawkeye_2018]

We're probably going to try and rope drop RSR on day 1 and Space Mountain on day 2.

Anyone know the most likely rides that will run out of genie+ by the afternoon?

 

[JenniferS]

Not really a question. Just excited to share. Just booked my first ever trip to DLR. 2 nights at the grand california and a 2 day park hopper ticket with G+.
Day 1 starting at DCA, have a dinner reservation at River Belle Terrace and going to request Dinning package. Planning to see F!, Disneyland forever (from the ROA after F!), and MSEP.
Day 2 starting at DL with no other plans. Can stay as long as we want, but have to drive to an LAX airport that night for an early flight out for the rest of the vacation.

Just excited I finally have it all booked today! Hoping Blue Bayou opens up and I can switch my River Belle to that.
Probably going to pay the ILL for RsR and Webslingers.

Congrats on getting everything booked.

Bestie and I were first time visitors to DL this past February, after visiting WDW w/our families/spouses dozens of times. We also stayed at GC for 6 nights ….

We paid for ILL for RotR and RSR each twice, and for Webslingers once. RSR is a totally different experience during the day vs at night, so that was totally worth it. I didn’t think Webslingers was worth paying for at all. It’s really just another shooter ride. I’d rank it higher than Buzz, but below TSM.

Because there were only the two of us (no hubbies, kids, or parents), we splurged on Genie+ everyday. I’m more of a ride junkie than she is, so I got more use of it than she did, as she let me use her LL’s for Space, Guardians, Incredicoaster, and Big Thunder. Obviously I felt it was worth it, but she also felt that Genie+ was worth every penny.