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DizMagic
02-03-2005, 10:23 AM
Possible First timer to DL, East Coast gal here, mostly get to WDW. Looking at a possible trip in May or June. 2 adults. My questions are:
1. When will all of the festivities and new attractions/shows in conjunction with the 50yrs celebration be completed?
2. Can I see most everything (we don't do thrill rides) in 2 days, including CA and DTD, or could we cram it in 1, or would we need 3?
3. Any special recommendations, not be missed things (restaurants, shows, rides, etc?
Thanks all.

bradk
02-03-2005, 10:39 AM
Possible First timer to DL, East Coast gal here, mostly get to WDW. Looking at a possible trip in May or June. 2 adults. My questions are:
1. When will all of the festivities and new attractions/shows in conjunction with the 50yrs celebration be completed?
2. Can I see most everything (we don't do thrill rides) in 2 days, including CA and DTD, or could we cram it in 1, or would we need 3?
3. Any special recommendations, not be missed things (restaurants, shows, rides, etc?
Thanks all.

i'm in the exact same boat you are, except i'm going by myself. so i can't speak from experience, only research (which is what i'm doing virtually 24/7).

I think it's possible to do MOST everything (particularly if you exclude the dumbo-type rides) within 2 days. DCA takes far less time and the parks are right next to eachother, so you'd do one day completely at DL, do the next at DCA and then hop over to DL (some people even go back and forth throughout the day depending on the crowds - DCA should always be far less crowded). But obviously 3 days is a far better option.

The key factors are the time of the year. It's best to go when kids are still in school and on weekdays. Weekends are generally bad (altho I hear Sunday is good for DCA) and Labor Day weekend is definitely out. The other factor is the hours that the park remains open. Check the website before choosing dates because the hours can range dramatically. Right now, they have hours posted through May.

Most of the 50th anniversary stuff, barring some additional celebrations sure to happen in july and space mountain (probably in november), should be in place by the kickoff date of May 5.

Also, something else to consider is a program called RideMax (http://www.ridemax.com). which is subscription based and updated fairly constantly with ride closesure information, wait times, park hours, etc. Basically you choose which rides you want to go on and the system uses qualified data to determine your best order to go on with the most minimal amount of waiting time.

I've read a lot of reviews and mostly people who have used it seem to like it, saying that it appears to save a lot of time, or at least doesn't hurt. I've seen opponents say it takes away from the fun and spontaneity by providing a schedule, but I think I'd have a lot more fun going on all of my favorite rides rather than trying to guess which one I'll get on next and end up missing out on some.

It's like $21 for a year, or they have a 3 month subscription for I think half that. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but if you're uncertain, it probably doesn't hurt to try it out.

as far as recommendations, my coworker, who is an absolute crazed fanatic and tells me he hates me every day because i'm going, swears i must go to the blue bayou restaurant in pirates of the caribbean, even just to get a drink as an excuse to get inside. based on the mentions of it i've seen on here, his enthusiasm is justified, so it's probably worth going there for dinner. i guess the thing to do there also is to ask for a window seat which overlooks the ride.

sambo
02-05-2005, 10:08 PM
...I think it's possible to do MOST everything (particularly if you exclude the dumbo-type rides) within 2 days. DCA takes far less time and the parks are right next to eachother, so you'd do one day completely at DL, do the next at DCA and then hop over to DL (some people even go back and forth throughout the day depending on the crowds - DCA should always be far less crowded). But obviously 3 days is a far better option....

It's nearly impossible to do everything in three days. ( OK you can do everything in DCA in one day, but that's another story) Many popular DL attractions can have very long lines - 60 minutes or more. Plan on only skimming the surface and running from attraction to attraction if you spend two days in DL. To really absorb the richness and detail of DL, It takes at least four days IMHO.

splash
02-06-2005, 12:39 PM
I think that you should go for 3 days. The first day, you are busy trying to get the lay of the land (as it were). At Disneyland, be sure to ride Pirates of the Carribean, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, Small World and then anything else that strikes your fancy. Utilize the fastpasses as much as possible as they speed up your time waiting in line. Definitely go to the Blue Bayou restaurant. You can do California Adventure in a day if it isn't overly crowded, but you should probably get there when they open. If it is warm, go on water rides early or get a fastpass early as they fill up by 1:00.

I would say don't waste your money on the Maxride stuff. Most of this is common sense - Indiana Jones is busy, likewise Splash Mountain, etc.....hit them early or else fastpass them. You can check out ride waiting times at the central hub in Disneyland and plan accordingly. I like to let the park dictate where I go, just sort of go with the flow..... Absorb the magic, if you will.