More Questions from someone that hasn't been to DL in 8 years.

[dshimel]

I will be visiting DLR Oct 26-28 (Fri, Sat, Sun).

I'd guess Friday morning/afternoon at the end of October will be fairly uncrowded. I'm allocating this time to Disneyland. I'd also guess that Saturday will be most crowded, so I should plan to spend most of this day at DCA. Is this accurate?

Is there no Fantasmic! in Oct.? Disney.com doesn't list it. :-(

Is Splash Mt. Closed (DIG says it was to go into rehab for Sept-Oct-Nov)?

Is Parade of the stars any good? No kids, just a couple 30-something adults. Would we enjoy this parade or would time be better spent on rides?

Does DL empty out after the fireworks? I'm wondering if I should plan on staying until midnight Friday then sleeping in, or leaving at 10 Friday and getting up for Magic Morning on Saturday.

Finally, how early should I plan on reserving a spot for a parade or show at DLR? At WDW, you had to be in line for Fantasmic! 3 hours before show time, and for MSEP you had to claim a good viewing spot 2 hours before the parade. Is any parade/show at DLR like this?

Thanks,
Darrell

[merlinjones]

>>Is Parade of the stars any good? No kids, just a couple 30-something adults. Would we enjoy this parade or would time be better spent on rides?<<

It's not one of the best parades, but there are some great characters in it (if that appeals to you). The girls selected to play Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora are lovely and very well chosen. Tarzan is hot. Clarabelle Cow is in the parade (nice costume)!

You don't have to wait to see the parade with current crowds. Just walk up and watch until you stop.

With three days, you have plenty of time to see everything at Disneyland. Don't miss the fireworks whatever you do - - get a spot at the front of the hub, across the street from the drawbridge (the Wonderful World of Disney view) about a half-hour before. The castle has special lighting and effects to compliment the show, so its much better to see here than anywhere else.

[Maleficent0]

Have fun on your trip!!

Spending time at DCA on Saturday is a good bet, and while I like DCA more than most, you will absolutely spend more time at the Magic Kingdom.

The Parade of Stars is fun to watch, once. It actually does have a ton of characters which is the main draw. Main Street seems to fill up pretty quickly with parade viewers, but it seems to be less crowded by the park entrance and up by It's a Small World. You may want to figure out which side of the park the parade starts on so you can see it immediately instead of waiting 20 or so minutes for it to wind its way to you. You can see the first float over the fences on either side of the parade route, so you can tell where it's starting. Parade route gate is just to the left of the Hall of President's and just to the right of It's a Small World.

I don't know what's going on with Fantasmic! If you do get to see this, I'm afraid even on slow days, it's much more annoying than WDW. Unlike WDW, the only place to sit is on the ground. I *highly* recommend brining a blanket in to "mark your territory." If you want front row center seats for the first show, be prepared to start your wait no later than 5:30 p.m. You can still get excellent seats up until 7 p.m. or so, then it starts getting nutty. In my humble opinion, the Disneyland Fantasmic! is MUCH better than WDW so don't miss it!

Yes, a steady stream of folks take off after the fireworks. Most little kids are wiped out by then, not to mention their parents. I'm of the opinion that Disneyland at night is incredible, and I'd rather spend as many hours there in the dark as possible.

And you're right, I believe Al mentioned that pretty much anything past the Haunted Mansion is going to be closed this winter. The great news is you get to enjoy the Haunted Mansion Holiday!

Have fun!

[EandCDad]

The parade is worth seeing, a nice relaxing spot is on the benchs by the main street train station. You don't need to line up for the parade but the spots on main street are usually taken up 30 minutes before. Get a spot near It's a Small World or the Train station benchs.

I would stay late after fireworks, the people with kids tend to stream to the exits. The problem with Magic Mornings is they don't always open everything in the park. It would likely be easier to get on Indy (say) at 11pm on Friday then 7am on Saturday.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

You don't need to save a seat too early for the Electrical Parade either. We were at DCA on a Sat recently and there still was a ton of room to see it. Maybe 15min early would do it, just to be sure you get a front row view.

See the Parade of the Stars. It's a really good parade - the first time. We only complain so much because it's been going for so long. Even adults love seeing that many characters.

I must echo others and say SEE THE FIREWORKS no matter what. I get emotional every time I see them. Awesome stuff. Get the classic castle view for best results. Set up early, it's worth it.

Yes, people leave after the fireworks, so you should immediately head for rides. Do not head to Main Street after the fireworks. The lines at every shop and food place will be ridiculous for hours afterwards. Make sure to snack before the fireworks to avoid the "gosh I really need some ice cream right now" pitfall.

Late Oct. plus fastpass plus 3 full days equals a happy vacation. Have fun and don't forget to tell us how it went!

[jslivinski]

Disneyland after the fireworks is great, everyone starts leaving and you can all but walk through the cues. I'm not a fan of Parade of the Stars, but it is worth seeing once, only last 20 minutes at the most. We love watching the fireworks from the pier by the Matterhorn, although from discriptions I have heard this area may now be the cue for Matterhorn. As far as Splash Mountain goes, I believe it was decided to keep it open until after Christmas, when it was decided to do the Mansion make over.

5:00, have to run, have a fun trip.

[Wackokid]

"Does DL empty out after the fireworks? I'm wondering if I should plan on staying until midnight Friday then sleeping in, or leaving at 10 Friday and getting up for Magic Morning on Saturday."

yes, but everyone who decides to stay runs to the rides, and the lines get long quick... so you might want to go to a ride before it is almost over and get in line before everybody rushes in