Rides that are best to Fastpass

SGarv

New Member
Original Poster
I am taking my 5 yo son to for the first time next week. We will be there 3 days, I was thinking DL one day CA the other day and then decided what we need to get back to the last day. We are really going for the Haunted Mansion overlay because he is a HUGE Nightmare Before Christmas fan so I will most likely go right to that and will also Fastpass that for a 2nd trip at least.

He's a thrill seeker (kinda) and is 45" so he makes the height for many rides. I know I am going to need to do some Fastpasses in the Cars area but any others that are recommended. I've read some of the thread and

I'm also thinking about getting the MaxPass so I can do Fastpasses right from me phone to make it easier.

I should also say that he has been to WDW 5 times already so he's familiar with the rides but I know some of them are much different and much better at DL. He loves Buzz Lightyear, Splash Mountain, Test Tack, Astro Orbiter, Philharmagic, Expedition, Everest, Bugs Life, Goofy's Barnstormer, and anything Star Wars in WDW.
 

Travel Junkie

Well-Known Member
I am taking my 5 yo son to for the first time next week. We will be there 3 days, I was thinking DL one day CA the other day and then decided what we need to get back to the last day. We are really going for the Haunted Mansion overlay because he is a HUGE Nightmare Before Christmas fan so I will most likely go right to that and will also Fastpass that for a 2nd trip at least.

He's a thrill seeker (kinda) and is 45" so he makes the height for many rides. I know I am going to need to do some Fastpasses in the Cars area but any others that are recommended. I've read some of the thread and

I'm also thinking about getting the MaxPass so I can do Fastpasses right from me phone to make it easier.

I should also say that he has been to WDW 5 times already so he's familiar with the rides but I know some of them are much different and much better at DL. He loves Buzz Lightyear, Splash Mountain, Test Tack, Astro Orbiter, Philharmagic, Expedition, Everest, Bugs Life, Goofy's Barnstormer, and anything Star Wars in WDW.

Check this thread out. It has a lot of good info. https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guide-to-dlr-for-wdw-veterans.875596/

The Christmas stuff starts officially on Friday the 10th. If you are around on that day 1. it will be crowded as the first day of the holiday's and 2. DL and DCA go all out for Christmas. Be sure to check them out. You will see the decorations going up all next week.

With no advance reservations FP's don't run out nearly as quick as WDW. AT DL Space probably runs out first, but unless it is a busy day you can still get one late into the day. At DCA Radiator Springs Racers and Guardian's run out usually around mid day.

Haunted Mansion Holiday does get busy, but you can usually get a FP pretty easily. My advice is to hit up Fantasyland first thing. None of those rides have FP and the lines get long pretty quickly. Peter Pan is almost always 30 minutes or longer unless you run to it at rope drop.
 

Daveeeeed

Well-Known Member
Disneyland
Big Thunder Mountain is an 'easy' FastPass, and Matterhorn has short waits within an hour from closing. Indiana Jones is hands down the best ride at the park and has waits that are truly justified. Get a FastPass for Indy and Space and second priority. Getting a Matterhorn FastPass in the late morning and then hitting the Fantasyland dark rides is a fun way to do it too. Star Tours is extremely popular, so it might be worth it too. Throughout the day, a second Indy FastPass and Big Thunder early evening FastPass are good ideas to get. The park may have a pretty small footprint, but its ride line-up is unmatched, and it has so many hidden experiences with its history.
Disney California Adventure
Rope drop Radiator Springs, and head over to Paradise Pier. Ride Screamin' and grab a TSMM Fastpass. Grizzly River Run has super low wait-times in the evening, and Mission Breakout you can get in the early afternoon.

  • Don't only focus on rides, The Disneyland Resort is beautiful.
  • Some great restaurants include many of the Downtown Disney restaurants (get some cups of water at Starbucks, but be sure to buy at least 1 thing), The Carthay Circle (takes a while though), The Jolly Holiday Bakery, Cove Bar, Flo's V8 Cafe, Corn Dog Castle, The Plaza Inn, Goofy's Kitchen, and pretty much any restaurant in New Orleans Square & Frontierland. Disneyland has many more quick service options that are really good than WDW.
  • Fastpasses at Disneyland are much easier to come by than WDW and queues as a whole are much lower. Just don't be on Main Street during the fireworks, unimaginably crowded. Watch them from Frontierland if you can.
  • The weather is very dry, so even though it may be in the 90's it's manageable compared to WDW
  • Play things by ear. Know what restaurants are good vs. bad, and know what rides you want to ride. It's really good to be prepared but semi-relax. Not ridding everything is not a big deal as it's only part of the experience. Smart techniques like wandering through New Orleans quaint alleys, while waiting for a Splash Mountain Fastpass, or riding Pirates is a good idea. You want to game the system, but relax and have a laid-back time at the resort. Don't plan every second out, but have an idea of what you want to do/want everyone wants to do.
  • The second showing of anything is always a better experience: World of Color, Fantasmic, and Paint The Night, if there is one, go to the second showing/time.
Enjoy! The resort may not be as grand as WDW, but its charm and the fact that it is so stuffed with awesome rides and rich history make for an awesome experience.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom