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D15
03-21-2006, 08:37 PM
Hi all :)

The family and I have decided upon the first week of July as our vacation this year, including the 4th. There'll be 6 of us, plus my niece (18mo when we're there). I thought I would take advantage of the plethora of knowledge here and seek advice- anybody who's been there on the 4th, what are your tips for getting throught the day (heat and crowds included? ;) ) I'm assuming this 4th will be particularly crowded (being the 50th), yeah?

So far, I know this much: we're taking it at baby's pace, and there's no rush to get things in/done/ride everything, and we aren't expecting short lines- we expect HEAT, crowds, and we (weird I know) love it :fez:

So fire away with any advice, I'm looking forward to soaking up the tips and putting them to good use :)

Malcon10t
03-21-2006, 08:42 PM
Hi all :)

The family and I have decided upon the first week of July as our vacation this year, including the 4th. There'll be 6 of us, plus my niece (18mo when we're there). I thought I would take advantage of the plethora of knowledge here and seek advice- anybody who's been there on the 4th, what are your tips for getting throught the day (heat and crowds included? ;) ) I'm assuming this 4th will be particularly crowded (being the 50th), yeah?Expect a capacity gate closure. Do lots of shows to stay cool. We've spent a few 4ths there, and its fun, but you have to take it slow and easy. Drink lots of fluids and enjoy the Tiki Room, the Opera house, and the HISTA shows. Hopefully, the JC misters will be on and you can go on that to cool down some.

D15
03-21-2006, 08:49 PM
Expect a capacity gate closure. Do lots of shows to stay cool. We've spent a few 4ths there, and its fun, but you have to take it slow and easy. Drink lots of fluids and enjoy the Tiki Room, the Opera house, and the HISTA shows. Hopefully, the JC misters will be on and you can go on that to cool down some.

Great advice, thanks! I thought it'd probably hit capacity. Ah- one thing I want to double check on: if (when) it closes, would it be possible that we exit and re-enter later (assuming we'll have fresh APs when we get there and are staying at the DLH)? Grandma & Grandpa might want to take baby back for a nap in the blazing mid-day heat. I thought I read this before somewhere but wanted to check again. And then we just have to draw straws to see who gets to sit all day staking a spot for the fireworks :p

ktrm
03-21-2006, 09:10 PM
Expect a capacity gate closure.

Typically when do capacity gate closures occur on busy days like this? 11:00am? and when do the gates typically reopen? 8:00pm? DCA has never closed due to capacity crowds even during the busy season have they?

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
03-21-2006, 09:34 PM
I have a friend who goes with her family once a year, they have 4, now 5, children and they go on the 4th every year. She loves it. I tell her to try one of the times during the off season and she will really love it. But that is when they like to go. No tips, I have never, and will never, be at Disneyland on the 4th.

Malcon10t
03-21-2006, 09:42 PM
Great advice, thanks! I thought it'd probably hit capacity. Ah- one thing I want to double check on: if (when) it closes, would it be possible that we exit and re-enter later (assuming we'll have fresh APs when we get there and are staying at the DLH)? Grandma & Grandpa might want to take baby back for a nap in the blazing mid-day heat. I thought I read this before somewhere but wanted to check again. And then we just have to draw straws to see who gets to sit all day staking a spot for the fireworks :p

There are differnt "levels" of closure. When they hit a certain number, they close the ticket booths. Next, they stop allowing new arrivals, and finally when they hit a certain number (no one ever knows the number, its up to the fire marshall) no one, including APs and reenters, can enter. At this point, they will wait for exits and once every hour or so, based on teh Fire Marshall, they will allow guests in til the FM says stop again. A couple summers ago, on the 4th, the gate closure lasted from 12:30pm til 4:30pm. And even then, they were restricting guests entering different lands. My son got seperated from us and was unable to enter Frontierland to catch up to us.


Typically when do capacity gate closures occur on busy days like this? 11:00am? and when do the gates typically reopen? 8:00pm? DCA has never closed due to capacity crowds even during the busy season have they?I've seen them as early as 11am and thru 4 pm. Generally, you can get back in after 4 as the crowd thins after the first parade. But, while I haven't seen this happen, it could close again when everyone starts coming back in for fireworks. DCA has never had a "closure". Closest would have been last July 16th/17tham, probably had more people in there than ever before while they used it to line everyone up to enter Disneyland on the 17th!

ktrm
03-22-2006, 11:07 AM
There are differnt "levels" of closure. When they hit a certain number, they close the ticket booths. Next, they stop allowing new arrivals, and finally when they hit a certain number (no one ever knows the number, its up to the fire marshall) no one, including APs and reenters, can enter. At this point, they will wait for exits and once every hour or so, based on teh Fire Marshall, they will allow guests in til the FM says stop again. A couple summers ago, on the 4th, the gate closure lasted from 12:30pm til 4:30pm. And even then, they were restricting guests entering different lands. My son got seperated from us and was unable to enter Frontierland to catch up to us.

mmmm......now when they reopen the gates do they open them in the exact reverse, in other words,.... first they let in APs and reenters, then they let in new arrivals, then they reopen the ticket booths? Also if I want to sleep in one day and I decide to go over to DCA during the busy time and then try to "hop" over to Disneyland am I considered a "new arrival" or a "reenter"?

I guess one good lesson of all this is that you should definitely buy your tickets ahead of time. You skip the line to buy a ticket, you have priority in getting into the park over people who buy at the gate, and you get it for a cheaper price.

adriennek
03-22-2006, 11:14 AM
It seems to me that in the past year or so, on the occasions when they've closed the gates, they've left it at a low enough number of people so that they could still guarantee admission to DL Hotel guests (DLH, PPH & GCH.)

Adrienne

D15
03-22-2006, 12:42 PM
There are differnt "levels" of closure. When they hit a certain number, they close the ticket booths. Next, they stop allowing new arrivals, and finally when they hit a certain number (no one ever knows the number, its up to the fire marshall) no one, including APs and reenters, can enter. At this point, they will wait for exits and once every hour or so, based on teh Fire Marshall, they will allow guests in til the FM says stop again. A couple summers ago, on the 4th, the gate closure lasted from 12:30pm til 4:30pm. And even then, they were restricting guests entering different lands. My son got seperated from us and was unable to enter Frontierland to catch up to us.

Ah, ok. Thanks for that info, too- we'll be sure to stick together! Especially since I know sis & her DH will want to wander off :p


It seems to me that in the past year or so, on the occasions when they've closed the gates, they've left it at a low enough number of people so that they could still guarantee admission to DL Hotel guests (DLH, PPH & GCH.)

Adrienne

This is what I remembered reading, thanks Adrienne :) Here's hoping they do so on the 4th!

Koala Gurl
03-22-2006, 12:50 PM
I would recommend bringing in some snacks & water for yourselves to avoid long waits for food.

Get in early, and get a locker to store stuff like extra water, etc.

Take advantage of Innoventions (and the other indoor attractions mentioned) for some time out of the sun & heat. (Over in DCA, the Animation building is dark and carpeted if you need to let the 18 month old out of the stroller.)

Take advantage of the 11 - 4 capacity crowd and head back to the hotel for lunch, naps, swimming, etc.

I think you already have one key for success...the right mindset. That is going to be 80% of the battle. :) Have a great time!

D15
03-22-2006, 12:56 PM
I would recommend bringing in some snacks & water for yourselves to avoid long waits for food.

Get in early, and get a locker to store stuff like extra water, etc.

Take advantage of Innoventions (and the other indoor attractions mentioned) for some time out of the sun & heat. (Over in DCA, the Animation building is dark and carpeted if you need to let the 18 month old out of the stroller.)

Take advantage of the 11 - 4 capacity crowd and head back to the hotel for lunch, naps, swimming, etc.

I think you already have one key for success...the right mindset. That is going to be 80% of the battle. :) Have a great time!

Awesome, thanks Koala Gurl! :)

bassett1976
03-22-2006, 01:41 PM
My wife and I have braved four 4th of July's at DL.

My suggestions:
1) Arrive in the morning at opening. This is the time you'll be able to get on the rides and do the things you want to do. My wife and I have done 9 rides in 2 hours on the 4th of July when we got in line just before park opening.
2) Use FastPass. I would suggest getting one for Splash for the afternoon and the use it to cool you off.
3) Plan on where you want to be for the night and camp out early. If Fantasmic! is your thing, then get there even earlier than a busy day. If the Fireworks are your thing then find a spot early. My wife and I went to Small World the last time and were there for 1.5 hours and had to "protect" our spot.
4) Get into line for dinner really early. One year, we were in line about 5:30 pm and everyone was in line already. It took us an hour to get our food. Might also want to head out a little earlier and try somewhere outside of the park.
5) Usually, if they close the gates they reopen. The signs at the parking structures will tell you DL is closed but we've gotten in with our APs and usually they allow resort guests to come back in also.
6) MOST IMPORTANT!!! After the fireworks, DO NOT TRY TO LEAVE DL. Go find a ride or just relax somewhere. Main Street is a MESS. We've spent an hour trying to get out of the front gates, spent 20 minutes waiting for a tram that never arrived and walked back to get stuck trying to get out of the parking structure for an hour or so. After about an hour or so you should be able to make your way down Main Street. My wife and I did get a chance to go on a few more rides after the fireworks on the Fourth since a lot of people leave.
7) Another important one: Make sure you bring the COSTCO size of PATIENCE. If you don't have any that day you should think about leaving since everyone is just going to make you mad.

Hope these help...

Koala Gurl
03-22-2006, 02:46 PM
Oh, good one, bassett...the fireworks! Even on a non-busy day, it can be hard to move anywhere on Main Street after that! If you don't *need* to be on main street to see them, I would avoid it. (I am not a huge fireworks person, so I usually skip it.) I am sure others can recommend some alternate viewing spots. (I have heard using the train can also help you move around the park during parades / fireworks.) If it is your thing, just be prepared to duck into a store or just wait it out. I tried once during Christmas holiday to get down to Its a Small World from main street after fireworks. HUGE mistake!

Oh, another thing...leave about 1/2 hr - 1 hr before you really think you want to leave. It can take a while to get out of the park, to the parking structure, etc. (If that is the way you are going.) Otherwise, you can walk to most hotels.

Malcon10t
03-22-2006, 04:40 PM
mmmm......now when they reopen the gates do they open them in the exact reverse, in other words,.... first they let in APs and reenters, then they let in new arrivals, then they reopen the ticket booths? Usually when they first reopen the gates, it will be for reentry and APs. When it drops to a certain level, they will allow new entry. I have never seen them reopen the ticket booths.

D15
03-22-2006, 10:56 PM
My wife and I have braved four 4th of July's at DL.

My suggestions:
1) Arrive in the morning at opening. This is the time you'll be able to get on the rides and do the things you want to do. My wife and I have done 9 rides in 2 hours on the 4th of July when we got in line just before park opening.
2) Use FastPass. I would suggest getting one for Splash for the afternoon and the use it to cool you off.
3) Plan on where you want to be for the night and camp out early. If Fantasmic! is your thing, then get there even earlier than a busy day. If the Fireworks are your thing then find a spot early. My wife and I went to Small World the last time and were there for 1.5 hours and had to "protect" our spot.
4) Get into line for dinner really early. One year, we were in line about 5:30 pm and everyone was in line already. It took us an hour to get our food. Might also want to head out a little earlier and try somewhere outside of the park.
5) Usually, if they close the gates they reopen. The signs at the parking structures will tell you DL is closed but we've gotten in with our APs and usually they allow resort guests to come back in also.
6) MOST IMPORTANT!!! After the fireworks, DO NOT TRY TO LEAVE DL. Go find a ride or just relax somewhere. Main Street is a MESS. We've spent an hour trying to get out of the front gates, spent 20 minutes waiting for a tram that never arrived and walked back to get stuck trying to get out of the parking structure for an hour or so. After about an hour or so you should be able to make your way down Main Street. My wife and I did get a chance to go on a few more rides after the fireworks on the Fourth since a lot of people leave.
7) Another important one: Make sure you bring the COSTCO size of PATIENCE. If you don't have any that day you should think about leaving since everyone is just going to make you mad.

Hope these help...

Those are super helpful, bassett, thank you!! Especially about dinner, that'll be a killer otherwise.


Oh, good one, bassett...the fireworks! Even on a non-busy day, it can be hard to move anywhere on Main Street after that! If you don't *need* to be on main street to see them, I would avoid it. (I am not a huge fireworks person, so I usually skip it.) I am sure others can recommend some alternate viewing spots. (I have heard using the train can also help you move around the park during parades / fireworks.) If it is your thing, just be prepared to duck into a store or just wait it out. I tried once during Christmas holiday to get down to Its a Small World from main street after fireworks. HUGE mistake!

Oh, another thing...leave about 1/2 hr - 1 hr before you really think you want to leave. It can take a while to get out of the park, to the parking structure, etc. (If that is the way you are going.) Otherwise, you can walk to most hotels.

Awesome, thanks again Koala Gurl :) That was another of my questions- has anyone seen the 4th fireworks from multiple places? I'm thinking we'll try for Main Street (zooey as it may be), but are there other places to consider that are nice?

NetworkDad
06-28-2006, 06:35 PM
thanks for all the tips ! See you next week DC15 :)

Malcon10t
06-28-2006, 07:00 PM
Those are super helpful, bassett, thank you!! Especially about dinner, that'll be a killer otherwise.



Awesome, thanks again Koala Gurl :) That was another of my questions- has anyone seen the 4th fireworks from multiple places? I'm thinking we'll try for Main Street (zooey as it may be), but are there other places to consider that are nice?
We will be seeing you there! Secret to braving the fireworks from Main Street, dont be in a hurry. We get there early, sit around listening to the iPods, kids play cards, discuss what we've done, plan, enjoy people watching, talk to the Crowd Control crew, etc... After the fireworks are over, we move away from the center area and relax for 10-15 mins. During this time, the crowd disperses and you can move around. The 4th fireworks will go off right after Remember... Another good spot would be ROA, however, be prepared for the Fantasmic! crowd. We've seen the 4th fireworks from ROA and Main Street, both are good.

ILovePoker
06-28-2006, 07:58 PM
DCA has never closed due to capacity crowds even during the busy season have they?
Actually it has. Near the end of April, during the end of Spring Break and the 2fers, California Adventure did hit capacity and they were sending people to Disneyland instead. They hit capacity atleast a couple times that week.


DCA has never had a "closure".

I believe they did.

Malcon10t
06-28-2006, 08:04 PM
Actually it has. Near the end of April, during the end of Spring Break and the 2fers, California Adventure did hit capacity and they were sending people to Disneyland instead. They hit capacity atleast a couple times that week.



I believe they did.
Right, I had posted that in March, and as of March, they hadn't, but April 23, they did close briefly.

I Heart Disneyland!
06-28-2006, 08:08 PM
Bring your sunscreen and cozy shoes!!! And, enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

hbquikcomjamesl
06-29-2006, 06:28 AM
1. Bring industrial-strength sunscreen (I recommend Ozone #70, by Hawaiian Tropic [a brand, paradoxically, based in Florida], because I'm still waiting for somebody to come out with a #90), and a hat.

2. Arrive as early as possible, and try to book your dinner before you eat breakfast.

3. Take the Walt's Footsteps tour. It's not especially busy that day.

4. Plan on spending a lot of time in relatively low-traffic attractions. Innoventions may be a laughingstock, but it's air conditioned.

Malcon10t
06-29-2006, 07:58 AM
Bring patience. We've done the tours on the 4th and they are fun. Relax and take your time. Drink plenty of water.

Gone2Disneyland
06-29-2006, 10:05 AM
6) MOST IMPORTANT!!! After the fireworks, DO NOT TRY TO LEAVE DL. Go find a ride or just relax somewhere. Main Street is a MESS. We've spent an hour trying to get out of the front gates, spent 20 minutes waiting for a tram that never arrived and walked back to get stuck trying to get out of the parking structure for an hour or so. After about an hour or so you should be able to make your way down Main Street. My wife and I did get a chance to go on a few more rides after the fireworks on the Fourth since a lot of people leave.
Good advise. Also, I don't think these have been mentioned yet on this board.

A) They may stop the tram service to the Mickey and Friends parking structure at 9pm. They did the last time I went on the Fourth of July. I received a mini flyer as I pulled in at 2pm telling me so. So after hanging around the park after the fireworks show, I make the long walk back to the structure, ironically next to seemingly their entire fleet of trams parked along the way.

B) There are two fireworks shows on the Fourth of July. The first is "Remember..." Then immediately following is a second, shorter patriotic-themed fireworks show, which includes stars and stripes projections on the castle.

disneyperson
06-29-2006, 10:34 AM
Make sure everyone uses the restroom before going on POTC.

Frogberto
06-29-2006, 10:51 AM
I think you've received great advice on this message thread. I would also urge you to check out either the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, or Ridemax, both of which have great tips for busy days, and can help you see what you want to see more efficiently.

I'll also add a few, even if just to emphasize advice you've been given:

1. Get there early! 30-40 minutes before the park opens is perfect. When you see how much you can do in those crucial first two hours, you'll be thankful.

2. Take it EASY during 11 to 5pm. The lines are longest, and the crowds highest, during these times. If you can, take a break at the pool at your hotel, or take a nap. If you can't, cool down in the Tiki Room, Golden Horseshoe, or in Tomorrowland, much of which is air conditioned attractions.

3. Make sure to drink plenty of water, wear comfy shoes, and be patient.

Have a great time (and I am sure you will!)