Taking first time guests.

[Kramerica]

The end of the week I’m flying down to Disneyland with a bunch of friends I’ve managed to wrangle together. Most of them have never stepped foot in a Disney Park. The closest they’ve come is the local county fair, so they really have no idea what they’re stepping into.

I’d like to make their first impression as positive as possible. If you could go wave a magic wand and visit the park for the first time, what would you like it to be like? How would it go? I’m trying to come up with good ideas to pass the time until the trip.

 

[Schneewittchen]

It depends on what your friends are like....

If it's a bunch of 6 year old girls - get a few princess dresses from the local Disney store and some glitter hair spray. Take selfies with Sleeping Beauty castle. Book a character breakfast at the Plaza Inn. Plan to spend most of the day in Fantasyland.

For adults - are they Disnerds? I've seen some really cute groups of people disneybounding. Last year I saw Tiger Lily and Smee, so cute. And still do a character meal - maybe Goofy's kitchen. Get fastpasses for the mountains. And do Indiana Jones too. Save the dark rides for nighttime.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

Definitely take them through all of the E-tickets and Walt's classics like the DLRR (no need for IASW lol).

 

[AndyS2992]

I just go around the park clockwise hitting all the major must dos, stop for a snack every now and then, go to a restaurant for dinner, watch the parades and fireworks and just go with the flow. If you worry and stress about keeping to a plan then you're just going to ruin the experience for yourself and your friends. Only bad part of a Disney day is long queues so make use of Fastpass so your friends don't get bored and you should have a great day.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Definitely take them through all of the E-tickets and Walt's classics like the DLRR (no need for IASW lol).

As much as I don't enjoy the ride- Small World is classic Disney. The song is instantly recognizable to just about everyone, and it's very much a part of the fabric of what makes Disneyland "Disneyland". It's usually got a super short line, and with Fastpass, it's even easier to get on.

Ride Small World, the AC is nice and it's like a 20 minute time commitment at most.

 

[TROR]

E-Tickets (Pirates, Space, Splash, etc. etc.), Jungle Cruise, "it's a small world," Storybookland, a Fantasyland ride or two, watch fireworks, then finish the day with Mr. Lincoln

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

Whenever we go to WDW with someone new I try very hard not to say this is what we always do. Guess same applies for Disneyland. I would suggest your friend do a little research to see if there is something they want to do.
The one thing I would like to do is the drawing a character. Second is not to try to do so much they don’t get to enjoy just being there where Walt walked.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Lincoln and Tiki Room are musts in the afternoon when it's crowded and hot. Get the E's done using Fastpass, Fantasyland early in the AM, and spend the less crowded evening utilizing more Fastpasses and hitting attractions you want to do again.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Indy then Pirates, Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder first. Everything else later.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

As much as I don't enjoy the ride- Small World is classic Disney. The song is instantly recognizable to just about everyone, and it's very much a part of the fabric of what makes Disneyland "Disneyland". It's usually got a super short line, and with Fastpass, it's even easier to get on.

Ride Small World, the AC is nice and it's like a 20 minute time commitment at most.

You're absolutely right It's one of Walt's "Love to hate, hate to love" attractions

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

This place worries me. Ride small world because it has air conditioning? No wonder I prefer Universal Orlando.

 

[mickEblu]

Indy then Pirates, Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder first. Everything else later.

Hmmm. I’m going to have to disagree on Big Thunder. It’s way more fun at night and they don’t run out of fastpasses until late at night usually. I agree on POTC and HM. Not only is that part of the park better to experience during the day (as opposed to TL and FL that are either the same or better at night) but riding POTC or HM is ideal as your eyes haven’t adjusted to the dark yet so everything appears darker and all the show scenes work better.

 

[Rich T]

Ride every one of the big E Tickets--Small World Last. (I personally love Small World), but... yeah... Ride Alice in Wonderland and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. The Riverboat and the Railroad. The important thing is variety. Everyone's different regarding what they really enjoy in the parks. Long ago, I took my best friend who'd never been to a theme park, and he at first wasn't impressed by PoC or HM or Jungle Cruise, and was commenting that he found the place "disappointing" after what he'd been imagining it to be... and then I took him into the Country Bears, warning him that it was corny, but a technological marvel. And he LOVED it. America Sings, too. Those shows were his "I Get It Now" moment, and he ended up re-riding everything with a new eye and becoming a big-time fan.

Of course, those shows are history at DL, but you never know what someone's really going to relate to.

 

[Rich T]

I really, really don't understand the hate for iasw. Great set design, wonderful song with a fantastic arrangement, clever visual gags, a relaxing ride, and a message that's spot-on. I'm sorry, but if you can't be that optimistic about humanity in Disneyland, then apparently there's no place in the world for optimism and hope at all-- which I don't buy. The human dolls are a wee bit eerie, but the whimsical, wonderful animals more than make up for it. The honking geese are one of my favorite things...anywhere, ever.

The *only* things I don't like about the ride are 1) Waiting ten minutes to disembark and 2) Disembarking into a toy shop, which did not happen in Walt's day, and puts a cynical stain on the whole experience.

 

[Phroobar]

I really, really don't understand the hate for iasw. Great set design, wonderful song with a fantastic arrangement, clever visual gags, a relaxing ride, and a message that's spot-on. I'm sorry, but if you can't be that optimistic about humanity in Disneyland, then apparently there's no place in the world for optimism and hope at all-- which I don't buy. The human dolls are a wee bit eerie, but the whimsical, wonderful animals more than make up for it. The honking geese are one of my favorite things...anywhere, ever.

The *only* things I don't like about the ride are 1) Waiting ten minutes to disembark and 2) Disembarking into a toy shop, which did not happen in Walt's day, and puts a cynical stain on the whole experience.

That is just the internet echo chamber. Whatever is good and pure must be hated by non thinking twitter followers. Just like the movies and television, it isn't reality.

 

[mickEblu]

I really, really don't understand the hate for iasw. Great set design, wonderful song with a fantastic arrangement, clever visual gags, a relaxing ride, and a message that's spot-on. I'm sorry, but if you can't be that optimistic about humanity in Disneyland, then apparently there's no place in the world for optimism and hope at all-- which I don't buy. The human dolls are a wee bit eerie, but the whimsical, wonderful animals more than make up for it. The honking geese are one of my favorite things...anywhere, ever.

The *only* things I don't like about the ride are 1) Waiting ten minutes to disembark and 2) Disembarking into a toy shop, which did not happen in Walt's day, and puts a cynical stain on the whole experience.

IASW is a great attraction/ concept. It just needs some love.