What Is This "Wide Right" Strategy Of Which You Speak?

Skippy's Pal

Skippy's Pal

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Haven't been to DLR since '08, long before Cars Land. In reading online sources, I keep seeing reference to a "wide right" strategy for getting Radiator Springs Racers fast passes at rope drop. Could someone explain that to me in terms I could translate to the California Adventure map? Also, as we'll be staying at Grand Californian in January, I've also read that we don't want to use the GC entrance the morning we want to go for fast passes, but go to the main gate instead. Is this correct? Thanks!
 
StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Hi there. I have no idea what "wide right" means, but I think you'd be better off using the private entrance. Here's why: less people coming in than from the main gate, plus a route that looks about the same distance as from the front of the park but would avoid the crowd coming in directly from the front of the park. I'm going in 12 days and will be staying at Grand Californian, so if you're going after me, I can report back and let you know how it worked out.:)
 
RandomPrincess

RandomPrincess

Keep Moving Forward
Looking at the map the wide right to me means instead of following the crowd through the center of the park go right through condor flats and around to Carsland. But that would take you right past the Grand Californian entrance.
 
RandomPrincess

RandomPrincess

Keep Moving Forward
raven24 said:
The "Wide Right" technique refers to rope drop at DCA. The trick is to stick to the right of the CMs/rope. The people on the left will be closer to Luigi's and Mater's, while the people on the right will be closer to RSR, giving the people on the right an advantage to get in RSR first.:D
Click to expand...
Thanks this makes sense now as they walk the rope to prevent running. Do they walk all the way back to Carsland?
 
Travel Junkie

Travel Junkie

Well-Known Member
First off the wide right strategy is if you want to ride RSR first thing, not get fast passes.

They let you enter the park about 30 minutes (I think never gone that early) before opening and walk around BVS or line up for RSR fast passes. They stop you from going any further in the performance corridor just past Carthay Circle. Carthay Circle Restaurant will be on your left. To the far left is the fast pass line that usually extends all the way into Hollywood land by opening. At rope drop they do not actually drop the rope. They walk you into Carsland. Because Carsland's entrance is on your left at this point, most people tend to stay to the left hand side, so the right hand side is less crowded.

As you enter Carsland they still keep the rope up to prevent running. On the left is Mater's and Luigis and RSR is at the end of the street on the right. They actually do not let people pass until you are around Flo's. Because the right hand side is closest to the entrance of RSR when they actually "rope drop" you have the wide right strategy.

The reason you do not want to use the GC entrance if you want to hit Carsland first thing is you are on the opposite side of the park, therefore at a disadvantage from everyone else. This is especially true if you want fast passes since as I said they let you into BVS early and people are lining up for fast passes well before the park officially opens.

Of course if you have a magic morning at DCA, take advantage and ride RSR multiple times before the park officially opens.
 
B

Brer Josh

Member
Stayed at the GC in February this year.

I wouldn't use the entrance in the morning, there is a large queue which starts about 40 minutes before the park opens.
You have to make it through bag check, then CMs look at your pass and then scan for multiday (you'll need a photo the first time) and then you have to go through the turnstiles - of which there are generally only 2 working. Contrast that to how many turnstiles there are at the front of the park...

Speaking honestly, the only time this entrance proved useful was at the end of a day at DCA.
 
MichWolv

MichWolv

Born Modest. Wore Off.
Premium Member
Experienced this last week, and we split up, with me getting FPs and the rest of my family heading back to the ride. Virtual Insanity has covered this well. If you want to get FPs, you want to use the main entrance, and get there early. The FP line will be roped off towards the left of the Carthay Circle, towards the Hollywood section. You must get in the FP line there - you will not be allowed to enter it if you stay to the right at rope drop.

Those who are not getting FPs can use the "wide right" strategy to get into the stand-by line a little quicker.

We employed a hybrid strategy that worked well. I took the tickets and went to the FP line, while everybody else waited in the "regular" area before rope drop. Upon rope drop, they headed for RSR, but not at top speed, for both practical (a stroller, an 8-year-old, a 10-year-old, and just one adult) and strategic reasons. It took me about 15 minutes to get FPs, after which I headed back to RSR and entered the single rider line. We all got to the loading platform at roughly the same time. Although we didn't get in the same car, we were only a couple minutes apart.

Another tip. I assume that I experienced something normal when my RSR FPs said that I did not have to wait until the FP window or two hours had elapsed to get another set of FPs. I noticed this on my way back to RSR to hit the single rider line, and quickly (but without running :oops:) detoured through Bug's Land to grab ToT fastpasses and then back through the back exit of Bug's Land into Carsland to hit the single riders line. My ToT FPs were so early that we rode just after getting off RSR on that first ride.

For what it's worth, we used a similar splitting up strategy later in the day when it was time to use our RSR FPs. At the beginning of the FP window, I entered the FP line with the 3 year old (just tall enough!) while the older kids and my wife hit the single rider line. Again, we all rode at about the same time. After getting off the ride, we were still in our FP window, so this time my wife took the 3 year old in the FP line and the rest of us went single rider. Again, we all rode at about the same time, although not in the same car.
 
Cosmic Commando

Cosmic Commando

Well-Known Member
MichWolv said:
Another tip. I assume that I experienced something normal when my RSR FPs said that I did not have to wait until the FP window or two hours had elapsed to get another set of FPs. I noticed this on my way back to RSR to hit the single rider line, and quickly (but without running :oops:) detoured through Bug's Land to grab ToT fastpasses and then back through the back exit of Bug's Land into Carsland to hit the single riders line. My ToT FPs were so early that we rode just after getting off RSR on that first ride.
Click to expand...

Excellent strategizing! That thing on the Racers FP seems to be normal. They'll probably drop it when they feel some of the newness has worn off, but it does feel good to get a giant stack of Fastpasses in the morning between RSR, then Soarin', then World of Color, then Space Mountain then Roger Rabbit! This was before they enforced the return times, of course... :oops:

Check the bottom of the Fastpass for those of you who have never noticed or haven't visited yet:
Nov2012-0073.jpg


versus
Nov2012-1147.jpg


The handwritten FP is what happens if you're physically at the FP machine when all of the tickets have been distributed for the day. :cool:
 

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