We live in Germany and it will be our first visit to Disneyland, so there are some questions and I hope that someone can help:
My biggest concern is, where do we get the tickets? We will be there on Friday, August 3. I know that I cannot buy tickets on the internet beforehand. Do I have to buy the tickets at the Entrance or are they available somewhere else, so that we can buy them the day before and do not need to queue in the morning?
Will it be very crowded on a Friday in August? Unfortunately, no other date is possible.
I read about Fast Passes. How does this work?
We have two children (age 5 and 8) with us. What are the most important things to do with them in one day? What are the must see / must do attractions? How should we best structure our day in Disneyland?
These are the most pressing questions, I am looking forward to any input.
Thanx
fraugast
Disneyland - first time visit, many questionsYou can purchase tickets at the main entrance and some hotels will also have tickets available.
Summer is crowded everyday regardless. Bring plastic water bottles, hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. If possible, you may want to take a break in the afternoon and go back to the hotel to relax. It%26#39;s going to be very tiring, long day and night (don%26#39;t forget the fireworks!).
Fast Passes are available for major/popular attractions (there%26#39;s a list online disney.com). There will be machines near the entrance for each ride, you scan your ticket and will receive a ';Fast pass'; to come back at a later time (about 1 hr block) AND you get to go in the Fast Pass line which is shorter. You can only get 1 Fast Pass per ticket per ride per a certain time period.
Try to go to the popular attractions early in the morning or later in the evening, lines will be a little shorter and/or collect Fast Passes. But definitely take advantage of the Fast Pass system! If the lines are long, there is usually a sign indicating how long is the wait.
There are attractions geared for younger children (small world, toon town, etc) and they%26#39;re all around the same area. Your guidemap will indicate height restrictions for each ride.
If the adults want to do the older kids rides (Space mountain, Indiana Jones, Thunder Mt., Matterhorn), I THINK parents can switch off and need only line up once. Others may know more. If not, you can take turns taking care of the kids. Your 8 yr old may be able to ride these as well depending on how tall he/she is.
Enjoy your trip!
Disneyland - first time visit, many questionsTickets:
I%26#39;m assuming you want tickets for only one day. You can get one day park-hopper tickets on the Internet. One day single park tickets (if you want to go to DL only) are not available on-line, but Disney does have a phone number you can call for them. Look at this link for more information.
…go.com/disneyland/…
And, yes, you can buy your tickets at the DLR tickets booths the day before. Park-hopper tickets are also sometimes available at area grocery stores and Disney Stores (except the one in Downtown Disney). The best thing for a one day visit in the summer is a single park ticket and visit Disneyland only. Buying them at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths the day before would be a very good idea and will also give you a little preview of what the area looks like before going early the next morning. And for that day you should go very early, at opening if possible, to be there before most of the crowds.
Crowds in August:
I live an hour%26#39;s drive from DLR and visit DL each summer for one day, always a Saturday, around the first or second week of August. I don%26#39;t have children, though, and often go solo. My days are typically from 9am to around 1 am (the next morning). So I would say I have first hand knowledge of what a weekend day in August is like.
Yes, it will be crowded on a Friday in August. But, take heart, it is not as crowded as July . It is managable. Pack your patience, though. And tell the kids what to expect - lines. Bring books and/or little games for them to occupy them in line. You can store them in a backpack. I met a mother who brought a joke and riddle book and they read these aloud so the whole family could participate.
Expect heavy crowding before, during and after parades, fireworks, and Fantasmic. You must get to the show areas to claim a space at least one and a half hours prior to the shows - sometimes longer for Fantasmic. And this will involve sitting on the ground and waiting. Disney has ';crowd control'; castmembers (employees) who determine the allowable walk through areas before and during shows. For your best time at DL it is good to expect to be told where you can and cannot go during a show like the fireworks (castmembers are polite) and expect crowding and pushing. This is why it is a good idea to get to the show area very early if you wish to see the show and to wait a little bit to let the crowd disperse after a show. If you do not wish to see a certain show (like Fantasmic), attempt to stay out of the area or that land where the show is and concentrate on another area. This will give you the most pleasure and least hassle.
Some must sees and rides for kids:
Best thing about a Friday in August, IMHO, is there should be a swing dance party at the Plaza Gardens near the Castle. Even if you don%26#39;t swing dance it is fun to watch the couples and children seem to really enjoy the music and getting out onto the floor. The bands they have are wonderful. I have enjoyed the big band music at DL since the 1970%26#39;s when the big names used to play, like Count Basie.
With your two children the most important rides to see would be the rides in Fantasyland, It%26#39;s a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Jungle Cruise. Also, I suggest going on the Horse Drawn Trolley up Main Street after you arrive. It is a great way to start the day and gives you a chance to take in the sights without worrying about walking through the people on Main Street. You may also want to check into the times that the Disneyland Marching Band plays in the morning because they often do shows with the characters on Main Street or in front of the Castle. Make sure to also take a ride on the Mark Twain Steamboat during the day (it closes at night). And the Davy Crocket Explorer Canoes are fun for the whole family. (you must row and kids can get life jackets.) The entire family may also enjoy Big Thunder Mt. Railroad.
Fast Pass:
Fast Passes are passes obtained at machines just outside some of the big rides. You insert your ticket into the machine and it gives you a ticket that has a return time window. You can come back and get into a special ';fast'; line. The fast pass system is only tied to certain rides such as Pirates, Indy, Splash, Space Mt., Big Thunder Mt., Haunted Mansion.
In August I have found that fast pass stations are not always up and running for all those rides. But most reliable fast pass stations are at Indy. With Big Thunder the regular line is usually okay and you won%26#39;t need a fast pass usually. You can basically walk right onto the ride at night during one of the Fantasmic shows.
How to structure the day:
Many people will say that the first thing you should do in the morning is head right down Main Street and get as many fast passes as possible. This would not be a good experience for you and your family, though. This is your first time, you have one day, you are in a foreign county. It is all going to be new to you. And believe me, in August there are lines at the fast pass stations themselves and crowding around them. You should take it slow and easy and just get to know the place and enjoy yourself. Let it unfold. Expect lines, but if the line for a ride you want to do looks too long for all of you, try another ride and come back later. It has worked for me. Also, eat lunch and dinner early to avoid lines, as people all hit the restaurants at the same time. For example: plan for your lunch to be around 11 am and that will be just about the openning times for some restaurants. I recommend The French Market in New Orleans Square.
Hope this helps and I%26#39;m sorry it%26#39;s so long. You are sure to get many more responses! I hope you and your family have a great time.
judogirl and redlandsRedhead: Thank you very much for these thorough answers. This will really help.
I am still a bit worried about the crowds, but we can%26#39;t go there on any other day, as we are on a tight schedule. However, we will try to make the best out of it. Since we are German, our children do not even know something like Disneyland exists and they are not very familiar with the Disney characters, I am afraid our son could not name a single one. Therefore, expectations are non- existent on the children%26#39;s part, it will rather be a pleasant surprise for them to be taken to a theme park. We, the parents, know what to expect and will ';sacrify'; ourselves for the children%26#39;s sake (as we are bound to school holidays we cannot go on a less popular time of the year). Thanks to your advice we will at least be able to give the day some structure, so that I am sure we will enjoy it, crowds or no crowds.
Regards
fraugast
fraugast
I took my 10 yr. old son to Disneyland last year, the Monday- Wednesday after Easter. The crowds were unbelievable. I actually hoped for rain, thinking that might get rid of some of the people. No luck. Perfect weather all 3 days.
I had prepared for the crowds, and we were able to ride everything my son wanted to ride (except for Splash Mountain) that first day. Everyone says to get there about an hour before the park opens, but we didn%26#39;t get there until about an hour after opening. And it was fine.
We took full advantage of Fastpass. It really will make or break your trip. Get a good guidebook to determine what are your ';must'; rides and things to see. There are usually ';sample'; itineraries in these books, too. Some people have used ridemax.com to come up with a plan for the day.
My son had no desire to see any shows, parades, or characters. So, it was all about the rides for us. The first thing we did was to head over to Space Mountain to get our Fastpass. Then we would get in line for the Star Wars ride (a favorite of my son%26#39;s). After that, we%26#39;d check out the line for the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
The lines go very quickly. I was very impressed with how the employees keep the line moving. So, even though a line might look very long, it usually moves very fast.
Use the Fastpass for Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Indiana Jones every time you ride it. You can get a Fastpass for a ride every 2 hours. You can also get another Fastpass once you reach the time to ride your attraction.
For example, you get a Fastpass for Space Mountain at 10 a.m. and it states to come back to ride at 11 a.m.-noon. You can get another Fastpass for another ride anytime after 11.
Or if you get a Fastpass for Space Mountain at 10 a.m. and it states to come back to ride at 1 p.m.-2 p.m. At noon, you can get another Fastpass for another ride.
Get your Fastpasses as early in the day as possible since there are a limited number that will be given out that day. Space Mountain Fastpasses go quickly.
The Haunted Mansion is a great attraction if only because it%26#39;s air conditioned. The lines look long, but they move quickly.
It%26#39;s going to be hot in August, so drink plenty of water. Also, just come to grips with the fact that food is expensive in Disneyland. But what I found was that a lot of the portions are big. My son and I would split a meal most times. That cut down on costs for us.
Have a wonderful time. It%26#39;s easy to get stressed out trying to plan everything and see everything. Believe me, I know. I found that all of the pre-planning I did really paid off. I knew what to expect (the crowds, food cost, etc.), and it was as stress free as a Disney vacation could be.
For your children, at their ages...go directly thru the Castle and try the rides in Fantasyland first.
Peter Pan
Dumbo
The Carousel
Tea Cups
Alice in Wonderland
Mr Toads Wild Ride
Then go down the hill to ride ';Its a Small World';
and into Toon Town *which opens after 10 am*
To ride Roger Rabbit,
and get achance to meet Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in their homes -if the lines aren%26#39;t terribly long
Then head over to Autopia let them drive their own cars, and get some food at the Tomorrowland Terrace. They have music there and let the kids dance and sing.
If they find themselves feeling brave, two rides I would recommend are Pirates of the Caribbean and the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
All of that makes for a very full day ! Make sure you DO purchase your entrance tickets the day before , and be at the gates by 8 am to get a good start, and, be flexible. Make changes, follow your hearts!
Thank you for all the extra information. I am sure, with this kind of preparation nothing can go wrong.
One more question though: We will spend the night before we go to Disney at L.A. Airport. Is there any chance to buy one-day tickets in that area, as it would be a big hazzle to drive over to Anaheim. I read some information that tickets are sold in supermarkets. Is this correct?
Thanx
fraugast
I have an almost 9 year old son, 5 year old daughter and an infant. We try to get to Disneyland at least once a year. A couple of things, I would skip Dumbo as the line tends to be long and is one of the SLOWEST moving lines in the park. My kids love Peter Pan, Mr Toads Wild Ride and Small World. The Small World lines moves very fast. Buzz Lightyear is also a lot of fun and you can e-mail a picture of you on the ride for free at the end of the ride.
My kids love rides so we always get fastpass for Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain (there favorite). We also try to eat lunch early (before hunger meltdowns occur) and then kit the Matterhorn when everyone else is eating lunch.
Unless your 5 year old is tall, they won%26#39;t be able to go on Indiana Jones (mine is tall and was devastated that she missed the cut-off).
Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Carribean are great fun. I let the kids watch the Pirate of the Carribean movie last time before we went (I found the sequel to be to violent for them, but the first one was fine) and they enjoyed the ride even more.
Personally, Toon Town is very cute, bit the lines are really long and slow. I would put it last on your list that if you have time visit, otherwise skip.
Also, there are stores every where so you do end up with the - ';I want that....'; To avoid this, each of my kids are given a $$ amount at the beginning of the day, but are not allowed to buy anything until after dinner. This allows them to look around and decide what they REALLY want, not what they think they want. It also saves you from having to carry it around. It has worked great for us.
Also, stop my the town hall when you arrive and tell them it is your first visit. The kids will get first visit pins and all the cast members will welcome them, and make it even more special.
You%26#39;ll have a great time, even if you aren%26#39;t able to go on everything. The other deal we make with our kids is that they each get to pick one ride that they HAVE to go on and we will wait in line for it no matter what.
When they feel like they are part of the planning they are much more cooperative if they can%26#39;t go on something or get something.
Have a wonderful trip!
I found a phone # you can call to order your one day tickets.
714-781-4400
I found it at this website:
…about.com/cs/disneyland/a/distickets.htm
I%26#39;m assuming that you order your tickets over the phone, and you pick them up at the ';will call'; booth.
If worse comes to worse, and you can%26#39;t get your tickets early, don%26#39;t worry about it. Get there as early as possible and have a great time.
Are you flying into LA the day before you go to Disney? Are you renting a car from LAX? There is a Disney shuttle bus that picks up at LAX and drops off at many hotels around Disneyland. Maybe that would work for you and your family, and then you could rent a car from Orange County/John Wayne airport when you need it.
http://anaheimsightseeing.com/
You will need to get a VERY early start from LAX on a Friday morning to get to Disneyland early. LA traffic is notoriously horrible. I%26#39;ve spent many hours sitting on the 405 highway.
If I were you, I would try to stay at a hotel close to Disney the night before you go to the park. You don%26#39;t want to be stressed out from the traffic before you even get there.
Getting a hotel room near Disneyland is a smart idea. I%26#39;m going this January and staying near the park to avoid the freeway and get an early start. Most offer free parking and run a shuttle.
I also found out Disneyland has lockers outside the park so you can pack a lunch or snack to avoid the high cost of food and water.
You can buy tickets at most of the local hotels near the park. Have fun! I love going to Disneyland.
Here%26#39;s a better link for the Disneyland Express shuttle service:
http://anaheimsightseeing.com/anaheimairport/
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