tAll Encompassing Disney Thread

[mdmost 42999]

I would prefer a day per park but if I only had one day, I would just do Disneyland and skip California Adventure. Or if you get a park hopper, just worry about Cars Land and Guardians so you can see how that differs from Tower of Terror. If you get Genie+, it's a breeze to blow through both parks. Just get there at rope drop so you can hit up rides with low waits. If you only want to worry about differences, get a park hopper and only hit up the exclusives and maybe must do favorites and then park hop to CA. You can always go back to DLR in the evenings/when done. I think you won't get to do Haunted Mansion as that's down until the fall. The Splash Mountain changeover may be done by then. I think they were angling for late summer. Definitely get there early in the morning and be amazed at how much you can get done before 11am. Genie+ is superior at DLR and CA because less people use it. You can work it so you don't have to use Genie+ till around 11am. Makes it nice to have those for later so you can ride again if you want. 

Guy on a different site made this list which I agree with:

DL Exclusive Attractions:
Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (uses same ride system as DINOSAUR at AK)
Snow White's Enchanted Wish
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Mister Toad's Wild Ride
Casey Jr. Circus Train
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Alice in Wonderland
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin
Chip & Dale's Gadget Coaster
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
The Matterhorn (note this uses the same ride system as Space Mountain at MK)
Space Mountain (same theme but completely different ride)

DL Similar but not exactly the same:
Enchanted Tiki Room - longer show
Pirates of the Caribbean - longer with more show scenes
Haunted Mansion - even without the Nightmare overlay it is slightly different
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Big Thunder Mountain - some additional effects and scenery
Autopia - much longer than the Tomorrowland Speedway, but basically the same
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - removable laser blasters make it a little better

DL Exactly (or basically) the same:
Peter Pan's Flight - technically some minor differences
Dumbo
King Aruthur Carousel
Milennium Falcon: Smugglers Run - all of Galaxy's Edge is practically identical
Rise of the Resistance
Mad Tea Party
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway - The queue is very different and cool - may be new to you and is worth it if so.
Star Tours
Astro Orbitor - though at ground level

CA Exclusive Attractions:
Monsters Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue
Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout - based on Tower of Terror, though the DL version works a little differently
WEB Slingers
Radiator Springs Racers - this is like a massively bigger Test Track
Luigi's Rollicking Roadsters
Incredicoaster
Inside-Out Emotional Whirlwind
Silly Symphony Swings - though this is an off-the shelf "wave swinger" ride
Jumpin' Jellyfish
Golden Zephyr
Goofy's Sky School

CA Similar but not exactly the same:
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree - the same as Alien Swirling Saucers
Grizzly River Run - longer version of Kali River Rapids - definitely a wet ride!

CA Exactly (or basically) the same:
Mickey's Philharmagic! - smaller screen though
Turtle Talk with Crush
Ariel's Undersea Adventure - same as Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
Jessie's Critter Carousel
Soarin' - though note sometimes they run it with the original Sorain' over California, in which case it is a must do!

[Baboontyme 2809]

Amazing feedback. Thanks so much! I'm super bummed to hear that about Haunted Mansion. That was the one ride I really wanted to see as I know it's different and I like the other version so much. Damn.

[mdmost 42999]

7 minutes ago, Baboontyme said:

Amazing feedback. Thanks so much! I'm super bummed to hear that about Haunted Mansion. That was the one ride I really wanted to see as I know it's different and I like the other version so much. Damn.

It's possible they could open it up by July but they're redoing the entire queue and putting in an ADA elevator. I've seen they wanted to have it done by September since that would allow for the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay to be used. That's one crappy thing about DLR. You only have January to early September to get the original Haunted Mansion. The Nightmare overlay is September to just after New Year's. The WDW version is superior though in most ways. The Hatbox Ghost is in the correct spot in the DLR version but the queue and everything else is better at WDW. Pirates is a lot better at DLR. New Orleans Square is really great and the Tiana ride should add to it. Get the beignets from the Mint Julep Bar. 

If I were in your shoes, I would hit up Tomorrowland first at rope drop. Ride Space Mountain first and then head to the Matterhorn since it's close by. Then make your way over to Big Thunder and Indiana Jones. Most of these will be walk ons or under a 20 minute wait. If the wait exceeds 40 minutes, book a Genie+ for it. You can accomplish all 4 before 9:30, assuming they don't go down. Then fill in the other rides like Pirates and Fantasyland since those don't have Genie+ options. You then have 4 Genie+ selections of those first 4 rides to use later if you wish to re-ride them. The park starts to get crowded with regulars around 11am. Locals don't really use Genie+ so you'll have pretty good luck with it the rest of the day. I think you can park hop at 1pm now. You can book Genie+ for the other park if you have the park hopper ticket loaded on your app. Definitely ride the train for diorama and do the Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough. 

This is a pretty good resource for Disneyland. 

https://disneylanddaily.com/how-to-start-your-day-at-disneyland/#The_Disneyland_Strategy_for_Big_Kids_with_Genie

https://disneylanddaily.com/a-first-timers-guide-to-disneyland/

[Baboontyme 2809]

Thank you again md, those links are great and I have already started down the rabbit hole. 

Did you (or anyone else) ever go to Universal Hollywood? I was thinking about that for a day, mostly because my kids would like to see Springfield. I don't think we'll be going back to Florida anytime soon. Some good material about Universal at those links, as well, just wondering if anyone has any personal experience. 

[LonghornJones 837]

We booked our first Disney cruise for Thanksgiving. I'm excited and scared all at the same time.

[mdmost 42999]

2 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Thank you again md, those links are great and I have already started down the rabbit hole. 

Did you (or anyone else) ever go to Universal Hollywood? I was thinking about that for a day, mostly because my kids would like to see Springfield. I don't think we'll be going back to Florida anytime soon. Some good material about Universal at those links, as well, just wondering if anyone has any personal experience. 

Yeah, we did a separate trip on a long weekend in late April last year. We've been to the Orlando one as well. Orlando is better. The main draw and reason to go was Super Mario Land. We had a good time. We stayed at the Hilton right down the small hill from the gate. It was about a 10 minute walk. It's a park you could easily do in 1 day. We did 1.5 days and were going through the motions a bit on day 2. The other half day was doing Warner Bros Studio Tour which was great. My older kid is into Pretty Little Liars and Friends so she enjoyed seeing some of the sets.

I was disappointed with the Universal Studio tour. They were shooting something at the Back to the Future town square so we didn't get to go down there. The King Kong portion was also not working. You can pay to get early entry into Super Mario Land which was worth it. Got in and out of the land as it was getting super crowded. It's not a park I feel the need to repeat any time soon though especially with Epic Universe opening in 2025. Hogwarts is empty in the evening so we rode the Castle ride 3 times in a row as a walk-on. Disneyland and UH are so far apart that I wouldn't recommend trying to do both in one trip unless you're staying near Universal for a night. 

[Mo Horn 8824]

Suggestions on transportation from MCO to Disney please. Mears is the official shuttle and it looks like it's around $33 per person if you book round trip. Who knows what uber/ lyft will be. If I was at the airport right now those are cheaper options, but I'm guessing a Saturday afternoon in May will be more expensive. There will be 4 of us with luggage and golf clubs. 

[mdmost 42999]

Most car services will be over $100 each way. Given you're carrying a lot of extras, I wouldn't chance an Uber or Lyft at the airport. I'd get the car service or shuttle service. 

[PorscheGuy 127]

Suggestions on transportation from MCO to Disney please. Mears is the official shuttle and it looks like it's around $33 per person if you book round trip. Who knows what uber/ lyft will be. If I was at the airport right now those are cheaper options, but I'm guessing a Saturday afternoon in May will be more expensive. There will be 4 of us with luggage and golf clubs. 

Look up Orlando Magic’s Rides on Facebook. Run by former cast members. They were fantastic. Highly recommend. Driver is waiting for you at baggage claim. They will run you by anywhere you want to go (target/public’s) on the way to the resort to get snacks/food etc on the way. Think it was around $125 each way. But so much more efficient. You will be checking into your hotel by the time the Mears bus would be leaving the airport.

[Baboontyme 2809]

I don't know what your plans are, or for how many days, but I have taken to renting cars from Turo on trips. You can usually get a nice, late model roomy SUV for about 50/day including taxes and fees. Then you have the freedom to check out I Drive during your golfing downtime as a bonus. 

[Mo Horn 8824]

Just got back from a week with adult son and dil. They go all the time, and we haven't been since we took him and his brother 20+ years ago. Wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but we had a great time. DIL is a whiz at the whole genie+ and lightning lane thing. We did all the big stuff and rarely had to wait a long time. We did the dining plan and ate some great food. I don't know all the ins and outs like they do, but I'm happy to share any specifics if wanted. 

[Incredulity 11650]

On 5/19/2024 at 12:59 PM, Mo Horn said:

DIL is a whiz at the whole genie+ and lightning lane thing

Explain it to me like I am five.  please.

[SimonBolivar 10957]

8 minutes ago, Incredulity said:

Explain it to me like I am five.  please.

"Give me even more money" - mouse

[Incredulity 11650]

20 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

"Give me even more money" - mouse

[Mo Horn 8824]

53 minutes ago, Incredulity said:

Explain it to me like I am five.  please.

I don't totally understand it myself, which is why we were happy to let our DIL manage it. I do know we got Disney gift cards that she would use every day to buy genie+. You have to buy it every day, and it is dynamic pricing depending on how busy the parks are going to be. You can use your credit card, but since we were each paying for our own, the gift cards made it easy for her to get everyone's. With that you can get lightning lanes, but there are all kinds of rules about how many and how often you can get. Have no idea what those rules are, but she did. Some lightning lanes you have to pay an additional fee... the most popular ones. Then there are virtual queues for some rides. It's all crazy and you have to understand the whole system. I know there are videos that explain it all. Or if you're lucky like us, you can have a son and DIL who are total Disney nerds who go regularly and know what to do. It's truly a science. 

[Incredulity 11650]

1 minute ago, Mo Horn said:

I don't totally understand it myself, which is why we were happy to let our DIL manage it. I do know we got Disney gift cards that she would use every day to buy genie+. You have to buy it every day, and it is dynamic pricing depending on how busy the parks are going to be. You can use your credit card, but since we were each paying for our own, the gift cards made it easy for her to get everyone's. With that you can get lightning lanes, but there are all kinds of rules about how many and how often you can get. Have no idea what those rules are, but she did. Some lightning lanes you have to pay an additional fee... the most popular ones. Then there are virtual queues for some rides. It's all crazy and you have to understand the whole system. I know there are videos that explain it all. Or if you're lucky like us, you can have a son and DIL who are total Disney nerds who go regularly and know what to do. It's truly a science. 

crap.  thanks anyway.

I REALLY don't want to put any time into this. 

 

Maybe I will give the task to my oldest.  Probably some life lessons can be extracted from whatever success or failure follows.

[burns_312 353]

I think I’d rather jack off with a handful of stickers than put myself through the ass whip that Disney has become.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

crap.  thanks anyway.
I REALLY don't want to put any time into this. 
 
Maybe I will give the task to my oldest.  Probably some life lessons can be extracted from whatever success or failure follows.

Probably better off. Going to Disney is anything but a vacation, and not knowing wtf is going on or any of the lingo is going to leave you in no man’s land

I’m always perfecting my craft even tho I go once a year. Knowing where rides are to eliminate criss crossing,knowing park layouts, bathrooms, stroller parking, restaurants, knowing what rides sell out of lightning lanes first and what to go after next, transportation routes, how to walk from Epcot to Hollywood studios, where the skyliner goes, what characters take forever to meet and which ones are fast, do you use LL on character meets, where to sit for fireworks, nearest snack stand, what rides have best indoor queues for afternoons, what rides have best indoor AC for naps, where do I go for rope drop, what to bring through security to make it efficient as possible

[SurlyGator 865]

My next door neighbors (couple and two teenage kids) have always been massive Disney people.  So much so I know at least one year they bought season passes (you have to go ~28 days in a year to break even - they live in Nashville).

About a month ago, the husband (4 days older than me, TX native) died from cancer.  This week the rest of them are at Disney for their “rip the band-aid off” first trip without him.  I personally wouldn’t wish WDW in the Summer on my worst enemy, but I hope their trip is in some way magical.

Oh, and fuck cancer.

[mdmost 42999]

We did a 4 day trip around Labor Day 2021. It was at the height of Covid Delta so the parks weren't as full. There was no Genie+ or Fastpass. It was great. The only portion you had to contend with was the DAS people who get accommodations so they can skip the line. You had to do mobile ordering on the app but that was kind of the thing everyone was doing anyway with social distancing. We basically mapped out what rides we wanted to do the most and hit those first. It honestly was a lot less nerve wracking than what you have to do now. Of course, now that Genie+ is in full use by pretty much everyone, it puts you severely behind the rest if you don't use it. But that is an option. Just know you'll be in a lot of very long lines. I used to watch Disney Food Blog on YouTube. They have some good guides on how to navigate the parks. Maybe hit those up. 

Honestly, the extreme level of asswhip that WDW has become is why we typically opt for Disneyland instead. It's just so much easier to navigate. Plus, California weather in the summer beats Florida any day. We may go back to WDW next summer but the planning for it is something I'm not really looking forward to. 

 

[shnsajax 3591]

Planning on taking the kids out of school for the first week of Dec to do Disneyland. Done Spring Break, Summer, and during Halloween. Looking forward to a Xmas themed Disneyland!

[mdmost 42999]

We went over Christmas week in 2018 and had a blast. Just set your expectations appropriately because it will be pretty busy. The decorations are great. The Nightmare Before Christmas overlay of Haunted Mansion is pretty good. 

[SimonBolivar 10957]

POV of Tiana's Bayou Adventure that's replacing Splash Mountain was released by Disney.

It seems pretty neat minus the signs looking cheap and might be missing some filler theming. The story is non-existent, but Splash Mountain's story was probably non-existent for first time riders too.

[mdmost 42999]

I've seen the reaction is mostly negative but that's not surprising. Disney is always going to have an uphill battle with people's nostalgia and Splash Mountain was fairly beloved. I'm pretty sure on Shaggy's Disney thread that I made mention in 2015 when we went to WDW for the first time that I thought it was pretty wild that Disney had a ride based on Song of the South. The entire lift sequence is based on that movie where Brer Rabbit tricks Brer Fox into throwing into the briar patch as worse way for him to die than being cooked and eaten. I didn't realize there was an entire beginning portion about Brer Rabbit leaving home until I listened to the music sequence afterwards. Both rides were in a bad way the past few times I had been to WDW and DL. I'm sure people will eventually warm up to this one and writing an entire ride off because of a POV video seems like an odd choice. It may not be as good as the Guardians makeover of Tower of Terror but it doesn't look awful. I feel not having Dr. Facilier in the long climb was a missed opportunity but Disney seems to be trying to remove scary parts from rides like the removal of scary elements of the Snow White dark ride in DL including removing "Snow White's Scary Adventure" as the title of the ride. 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

I thought it was pointless to retheme splash mountain in Frontierland with a bayou themed ride…

That said after watching the POV, looks decent. I’ve never seen princess and the frog but I’m pretty sure they could have a ride with a lot with white noise piped in the entire time and I’d be content on a basic log ride and sitting down in the dark for 15 min

[ROFL BOX 6647]

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/XjVXs8iHcPHXjzex/?mibextid=D5vuiz

[Incredulity 11650]

On 6/2/2024 at 9:02 PM, shnsajax said:

Planning on taking the kids out of school for the first week of Dec to do Disneyland. Done Spring Break, Summer, and during Halloween. Looking forward to a Xmas themed Disneyland!

We did first week Dec annually from 2013-2018 when the kids were little.  Gloriously light attendance.  Some attractions and services would be out of commission, but that tradeoff was totally worth it.

Just got back from Tuesday-Thursday this week.  Was very busy Thursday.  Tuesday was lighter.  
 

Genie+ is a must have.  Its just fastpass on an app.  App is a bit wonky and glitched a couple times.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/XjVXs8iHcPHXjzex/?mibextid=D5vuiz

Too much carrying. Not enough pushing double strollers maneuvering in and out, anticipating oncoming traffic moves, coming up with strategies with wife on her phone and plotting where the nearest stroller parking is hoping there’s a spot all while trying not to run into the person in front of your legs

[mdmost 42999]

What once was old is new again

 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

Glad I’m not the guinea pig for this one. Gonna have to rework my game now.

The nice thing is not having to get up at 6:55AM to book LLs.

[Woland 732]

I returned from Disney World two weeks ago. The wife had a conference in Orlando so much of that part of the expense was paid for. I and two friends flew out of DFW the last day of her conference and we spent four days in the parks. No children were a part of this trip. We were there during the passage of a tropical depression. We would not return in June unless there was some sort of deal.

Resort - We stayed at our go-to Port Orleans French Quarter. Most everything was great. I still don't like the renovation of the bar, but we were able to to get our drinks to go and sat out by the pool and the canal. The water level in the canal was too low so we could not take the boat to Disney Springs.

Disney Springs - Our first night we did the tasting menu at Jaleo and it was excellent. Although we did not make reservations for the drone show, we were allowed to go out on the patio and watch. I recommend the drone show. We returned to Disney Springs a couple of nights later and ate at the Boat House which was great.  We enjoyed drinking at the bar on the pier while waiting on our table (and waiting out a rain storm). 

Magic Kingdom - Only a half-day here. Tron was great. The dessert party for the fireworks continues to decline, but the evening show is the best at Disney World. If you opt for the dessert party, go in knowing your money is going for good seats for the show and the desserts are an after-thought.

Animal Kingdom - We did Avatar twice. Satu'li Canteen was good park food. We used to be regulars at Tiffin's, but we had a bad experience two trips ago and my wife refuses to return. We ate in Disney Springs that night. We also didn't go back to the Lion King Show as during our last trip it was a shell of its former self. We are looking forward to the re-theming of Dinoland.

Epcot - Guardians of the Galaxy is the best ride at Disney World now. We ate  Le Cellier for lunch and it was great... I wish they had a lunch menu. We had reservations at The Rose and Crown for the evening show. I am not a fan of the new show and The Rose and Crown was disappointing.  We had an obstructed view of the show, the food was average, and so was the service. No one should go to Epcot and not listen to the Voices of Liberty.

Hollywood Studios - Our group enjoyed this park the most. We had never road Slinky Dog and did it twice (probably wouldn't go out of my way to ride it again). We did Rise of the Resistance twice and Smuggler's run three times. By our third time on Smuggler's Run, we were killing it on the score. Everyone agreed that we wanted to spend more time in Galaxy's Edge next trip. Oga's was a disappointment. We were given a standing table which sucked after walking all day and the drinks were also average...I'm confident that I got the same drink at a counter service restaurant the next day. 

We did Happy Limo from the airport to the resort and back. I highly recommend their service.

 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

Yea I don’t think slinky dogs targeted clientele are adults with no kids lol

I don’t know how I’d feel Disney World without kids.. would be strange that’s for sure, but damn me and my wife would slay around the parks

[mdmost 42999]

I don’t know if any of you have been keeping up with the unveiling of Epic Universe but the Dark Universe part which is a villains land looks pretty damn awesome. 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

I don’t know if any of you have been keeping up with the unveiling of Epic Universe but the Dark Universe part which is a villains land looks pretty damn awesome. 

We have somewhat but my son’s only 45-46 inches. We’re still a year or whatever away from enjoying universal to its fullest

[SimonBolivar 10957]

13 hours ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

Yea I don’t think slinky dogs targeted clientele are adults with no kids lol

I don’t know how I’d feel Disney World without kids.. would be strange that’s for sure, but damn me and my wife would slay around the parks

It's different but certainly not for everyone. 

 

1.) You can skip all character anything which saves a ton of time

2.) You can have a grown-up food experience every meal

3.) You could probably have more fun elsewhere for 1/2 the price

[Mo Horn 8824]

14 hours ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

Yea I don’t think slinky dogs targeted clientele are adults with no kids lol

I don’t know how I’d feel Disney World without kids.. would be strange that’s for sure, but damn me and my wife would slay around the parks

We went with our adult son and DIL a couple of months ago. No kids. Had a great time, ate great food, and drank adult beverages for lunch and dinner. 

[mdmost 42999]

We've only done Disneyland Paris by ourselves and just for a single day. We've taken a day in Disneyland and let the kids go do their own rides while we took it easy. It was glorious. It's great to go without kids because you can enjoy watching other parents meltdown on their children while not melting down on your own. 

[Woland 732]

I’ve been to Disney World close to 40 times with school groups, exchange students, nieces, and adult only trips. Without kids - everyone is a fucking adult and can take care of themselves if they want to go off on their own. And not being in the Surly 1%, my wife and I can afford to pay for lots of service upgrades. I would not want to take kids to a 2 1/2 hour meal at Jaleo. And when it poured rain, it was easy to just hang out in a bar.

[Baboontyme 2809]

On 3/27/2024 at 5:22 PM, mdmost said:

I would prefer a day per park but if I only had one day, I would just do Disneyland and skip California Adventure. Or if you get a park hopper, just worry about Cars Land and Guardians so you can see how that differs from Tower of Terror. If you get Genie+, it's a breeze to blow through both parks. Just get there at rope drop so you can hit up rides with low waits. If you only want to worry about differences, get a park hopper and only hit up the exclusives and maybe must do favorites and then park hop to CA. You can always go back to DLR in the evenings/when done. I think you won't get to do Haunted Mansion as that's down until the fall. The Splash Mountain changeover may be done by then. I think they were angling for late summer. Definitely get there early in the morning and be amazed at how much you can get done before 11am. Genie+ is superior at DLR and CA because less people use it. You can work it so you don't have to use Genie+ till around 11am. Makes it nice to have those for later so you can ride again if you want. 

Guy on a different site made this list which I agree with:

DL Exclusive Attractions:
Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (uses same ride system as DINOSAUR at AK)
Snow White's Enchanted Wish
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Mister Toad's Wild Ride
Casey Jr. Circus Train
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Alice in Wonderland
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin
Chip & Dale's Gadget Coaster
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
The Matterhorn (note this uses the same ride system as Space Mountain at MK)
Space Mountain (same theme but completely different ride)

DL Similar but not exactly the same:
Enchanted Tiki Room - longer show
Pirates of the Caribbean - longer with more show scenes
Haunted Mansion - even without the Nightmare overlay it is slightly different
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Big Thunder Mountain - some additional effects and scenery
Autopia - much longer than the Tomorrowland Speedway, but basically the same
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - removable laser blasters make it a little better

DL Exactly (or basically) the same:
Peter Pan's Flight - technically some minor differences
Dumbo
King Aruthur Carousel
Milennium Falcon: Smugglers Run - all of Galaxy's Edge is practically identical
Rise of the Resistance
Mad Tea Party
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway - The queue is very different and cool - may be new to you and is worth it if so.
Star Tours
Astro Orbitor - though at ground level

CA Exclusive Attractions:
Monsters Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue
Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout - based on Tower of Terror, though the DL version works a little differently
WEB Slingers
Radiator Springs Racers - this is like a massively bigger Test Track
Luigi's Rollicking Roadsters
Incredicoaster
Inside-Out Emotional Whirlwind
Silly Symphony Swings - though this is an off-the shelf "wave swinger" ride
Jumpin' Jellyfish
Golden Zephyr
Goofy's Sky School

CA Similar but not exactly the same:
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree - the same as Alien Swirling Saucers
Grizzly River Run - longer version of Kali River Rapids - definitely a wet ride!

CA Exactly (or basically) the same:
Mickey's Philharmagic! - smaller screen though
Turtle Talk with Crush
Ariel's Undersea Adventure - same as Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
Jessie's Critter Carousel
Soarin' - though note sometimes they run it with the original Sorain' over California, in which case it is a must do!

@mdmost I'm starting to get some anxiety because I haven't had any time to plan. Park day is going to be 26th, 27th or 28th. Leaning towards the 28th as the crowd calendars seem to indicate that would be the lightest. We will get there for rope drop, and I will happily purchase the lightning lanes. I'm undecided on park hopper. Looking at your list, here are the attractions at DL I think we will want to hit. Any advice on what to prioritize? You still think we can get through all of this and park hop to CA?

Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (uses same ride system as DINOSAUR at AK)
Snow White's Enchanted Wish
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Mister Toad's Wild Ride
Alice in Wonderland
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
The Matterhorn (note this uses the same ride system as Space Mountain at MK)
Space Mountain (same theme but completely different ride)
Enchanted Tiki Room - longer show
Pirates of the Caribbean - longer with more show scenes
Big Thunder Mountain - some additional effects and scenery
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - removable laser blasters make it a little better
Peter Pan's Flight - technically some minor differences
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway - The queue is very different and cool - may be new to you and is worth it if so.
 

[mdmost 42999]

1 minute ago, Baboontyme said:

@mdmost I'm starting to get some anxiety because I haven't had any time to plan. Park day is going to be 26th, 27th or 28th. Leaning towards the 28th as the crowd calendars seem to indicate that would be the lightest. We will get there for rope drop, and I will happily purchase the lightning lanes. I'm undecided on park hopper. Looking at your list, here are the attractions at DL I think we will want to hit. Any advice on what to prioritize? You still think we can get through all of this and park hop to CA?

Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (uses same ride system as DINOSAUR at AK)
Snow White's Enchanted Wish
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Mister Toad's Wild Ride
Alice in Wonderland
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
The Matterhorn (note this uses the same ride system as Space Mountain at MK)
Space Mountain (same theme but completely different ride)
Enchanted Tiki Room - longer show
Pirates of the Caribbean - longer with more show scenes
Big Thunder Mountain - some additional effects and scenery
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - removable laser blasters make it a little better
Peter Pan's Flight - technically some minor differences
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway - The queue is very different and cool - may be new to you and is worth it if so.
 

You're going this month and thinking Sunday, July 28th? I have always found Sunday mornings to be pretty nice. The cool thing about DLR is it's mostly locals and you have till about 11am to get a lot done before the locals come in mass and wait times start to balloon. On weekends, the two lowest passholder tiers are blacked out.  Sunday is also early entry for hotel guests at California Adventure so there won't be people in DLR until they start letting everyone in for Rope Drop. You might encounter less people overall since the hotel people may go to CA to use that perk. 

I would recommend this order bearing in mind that I don't like to walk back and forth all day. I like to take the park in sections that are close by: 

Rope Drop-Space Mountain. You simply are walking through the queue before you board. You are right next to Matterhorn so you can go there next. Next head to Indiana Jones or Big Thunder. Technically, Big Thunder is closer. Then head to Indy. The trick with Indiana Jones is to check the queue. If the queue is empty outside of the pyramid, go ahead and get in line. If the line is long outside then use Genie+. If the app says the wait is greater than 30 minutes, then check the outside queue. The only benefit to Genie+ is not having to stand in the outside queue. The Genie+ line meets up with the normal line at the pyramid entrance. At that time of the morning, it shouldn't be a long wait. Pirates is right there and makes sense to do immediately after.

I'm going to imagine you'll get all that done before 11am unless something goes down. Next go to Fantasyland and ride all of those. Alice has the longest line so hit that first. You can use Genie+ on Runaway Railway and Buzz. There shouldn't be a long return time for Buzz. You can then use Genie+ to re-ride any of the ones you did before 11am. You can do Tiki Room and the walkthrough of the Castle whenever. If Mr. Lincoln is back up, I would recommend that. I think it's down though. You should also check out the Treehouse walk through since that's a little different now. 

Some might recommend you do Fantasyland first thing since none of the rides have Genie+. I prefer to ride the Genie+ rides more than once. Rope drop allows that with relative ease. I've never found Fantasyland to be that terrible of a wait outside of Peter Pan and we really don't ride that unless we've done everything else in our plans or we're waiting for a Genie+ time or restaurant reservation to come up.  

With Genie+, you can adjust your reservation time. Some people use that to fish for extra passes since a ride like the Matterhorn goes down a lot. So if you're feeling like you're not going to make a time, move it back and then ride something to fill in the gap. 

Up to you on park hopper. You can then use Genie+ on pretty much everything in California Adventure that's worthwhile. The best rides are Guardians, Radiator Racers (have to pay extra for that one), and Incredicoaster. Midway Mania and Soarin' are identical. I really don't get why they don't keep Soarin' as the California version. They do it for about a month each year and it's a lot better and more fitting for that park. 

This is super nerdy but you can shadow your plan using the Disneyland app this Sunday. Open it up at 10am and see what wait times look like. I would allot 20-30 minutes per ride and travel time to the next ride. I do that before a trip just to see how things realistically can play out with a plan. 

Honestly though, don't sweat it too much. It's so much easier that Magic Kingdom due to its size. People aren't screaming at their kids as much and the Central Florida weather isn't oppressing you and making you have ball sweat at 8am. You'll get more weird Disney adults but it's also fascinating people watching. I would definitely recommend a nice train ride around the park or doing the Main Street Vehicles. It's a great way to take it all in. I always have to remember to relax and slow down. I know I want to do a lot but it's not the same stress level at WDW. 

 

[Baboontyme 2809]

Awesome info, invaluable. Thank you again sincerely. So every ride is not available on Genie +? Am I understanding that correctly? I haven't been to the parks since fast pass. And no Genie + for Peter Pan's flight? That is major nostalgia for us and we will definitely want to hit it up. You think Alice will have a longer line than PP?

I am kind of thinking maybe we just chill and slow play DL rather than park hop. Is there a "night time spectacular" type of show or parade at DL? 

[mdmost 42999]

10 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Awesome info, invaluable. Thank you again sincerely. So every ride is not available on Genie +? Am I understanding that correctly? I haven't been to the parks since fast pass. And no Genie + for Peter Pan's flight? That is major nostalgia for us and we will definitely want to hit it up. You think Alice will have a longer line than PP?

I am kind of thinking maybe we just chill and slow play DL rather than park hop. Is there a "night time spectacular" type of show or parade at DL? 

All of Fantasyland is not on Genie+. There's just no room for a 2nd queue. Peter Pan's Flight is not on it at DLR. It has the longest wait and while we enjoy it, we typically wait to ride it later. At Rope Drop a lot of people rush to it. The minimum wait for it is normally 40 minutes. There is a cool thing in the queue where you can use the Play Disney app to make Tinkerbell appear in the lamp in the final section of the queue. Jungle Cruise is also not on Genie+. Pretty much all the rest is. That's why I recommend trying to not use Genie+ in the early part of the morning so you can save those selections for later when it starts to get crowded.

Alice is long because it's a slow loader. You should also try to do the Storyland Canal Boats. Casey Jr is skippable unless you have really small kids. The Tea Cup area looks really cool at night. 

There is a fireworks show in the evening and Fantasmic. The only parade is a daytime one.

If you've never seen it, I highly recommend you go to the flagpole at Main Street Square and watch the flag retreat ceremony. Incredibly moving especially when they ask veterans to come forward to be honored. They do that at 4:30 but I would ask a cast member just to be sure. I'd also recommend a trip around the Rivers of America on the Mark Twain Riverboat. 

Remember to look above the Fire Station in the window on the 2nd floor for the light. That was the apartment Walt Disney would stay in when he was in the parks. They leave the light on to honor him. 

[Baboontyme 2809]

Great info md. You need to start blogging. This sealed it for me, we aren't going to park hop. Kids agree, as well. They are older now 15 and 11 but we have always done the Orlando in the middle of summer thing and I think everyone is looking forward to a less stressful, less humid visit. I also assume we can leave and come back in the evening if we want to get lunch outside the park? Any tips on food scene? 

I miscalculated the number of full days I have in town. We have to see my bro in law one day, DL another, that leaves one full day and half of two flight days to see the touristy crap. I was thinking on the full day we try to cram in Hollywood sign hike/Observatory, Walk of Shame, and Santa Monica. Does that seem reasonable? I've heard we don't want to spend much time in Hollywood but it's worth seeing. 

[mdmost 42999]

Honestly, I find the food to be just meh inside DLR. Plus, I really don't want to stop down too much. We tend to do quick service meals and save any sit down restaurants for dinner. You can definitely leave and come back. There's a bunch of options in Downtown Disney which is just to the west of the gates. If you could swing it, the Trader Sam's Tiki Bar at Disneyland Hotel is really awesome. You can eat there but the drinks are the real selling point. That's something we did last time that we will definitely do again. They do offer walk ups. 

We've done a whole day out where we went to Griffith Observatory, Hollywood sign, Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theater, Santa Monica, and Will Rogers State Park Beach. I would just say go early because of traffic. 

[Baboontyme 2809]

Perfect! Thank you again. If you ever come to Michigan I'm buying you a beer. Or 4.

I just hope my jinx powers aren't so strong that I awaken the earthquake gods or something. My past two summer trips have been Captiva right before Ian and Maui last year which still gives me nightmares and survivor's guilt. 

[CooterBrown 18002]

11 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

I also assume we can leave and come back in the evening if we want to get lunch outside the park? Any tips on food scene? 

Tons of chains on South Harbor within a half mile or so.  

I am a man of simple tastes. My two favorite after the park places are Sabrosada for carne asada fries and Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles.

[CooterBrown 18002]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Satisfyingasfuck/s/tr4vJK7b3b

[Baboontyme 2809]

Just saw a rumor as I'm sitting on my 2.5+ hour delayed Delta flight that they may be opening the HM early at Disneyland with a virtual queue and holiday overlay. The rumored date would be this Friday. We will be there Sunday. Might I actually get lucky on something for once?

[mdmost 42999]

I've seen that it's Monday but you may get lucky. It will be a virtual queue since the normal queue line is still under construction. Those come online at 8am I believe. You have to be scanned into the park which would work for you if you're doing rope drop since you'll get there before 8am. There are two times, 8am and 1pm. You go to your Disneyland app and click on the 3 bars on the bottom right. Scroll down to Virtual Queues. If it's going to be open the day you're there, it will be listed there. 

I would not change your plans to try to be there on Monday. It will be a shitfest with all the vloggers and Disney passholders cramming the area to get to ride it again. It also could be really frustrating as you have mere seconds to book the ride or miss out entirely. I had to do this for Rise at WDW at 7am and it was very frustrating as I sat there refreshing over and over until it gave me a boarding group. 

And it won't be Haunted Mansion. It will be the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay which is cool but I much prefer the original. If you're on Twitter, I would follow Fresh Baked and Scott Gustin. If it reopens this week, they'll both talk about it. 

And you lucked out, the cast members strike has been averted. A very good outcome because I don't see how you can afford to live in LA or Orange County and work at Disneyland for low wages.

 

Edited July 24 by mdmost

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

Todays day 1 of the post genie + era. Every vlogger praises it so they have video content to make now that everybody was kinda sorta getting the hang of G+