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View Full Version : Mini Trip Report - Sat. Dec 30



SoCalTinkerbelle
12-30-2006, 08:39 PM
So my friend and I did not make a trip on Christmas.. but decided to go today.. Not too bad a time, we left by 3 this afternoon.
We got in the park before 8 (I've never done that!), went into Blue Ribbon Bakery and got pumpkin bread and muffins, and by the time we were out of there, Main Street was all opened up. Headed toward Indiana Jones, only to find it was not up yet. And no fastpasses availible. Bummer!
So we went back across the park to Space Mountain, where the line to just get a fastpass was around 10 minutes, so we just went for standby. The wait wasn't bad, maybe 30 minutes. We then hit Buzz Lightyear, and pretty much walked onto it.. My friend had never been on it, so she was holding the gun backward! LOL. She was wondering why I was beating her score!
Went back to Adventureland, got a FP for Indiana Jones. By this time they were doing the one way traffic through Adventureland and Frontierland.
The wait to POTC ended up being 30 minutes or so, the line kept moving, which was nice. But after we exited, the line was already looping up and down alongside the bridge. Haunted Mansion only had a 15 minute wait, which was great.. as later the wait looked to be upwards of an hour.
We tried to get lunch (clam chowder in a bread bowl) at the Royal Street Veranda but after waiting close to 30 minutes in line, got to the front, and the girl said they only had gumbo!! We were NOT happy about that.. So we ate at the place just a bit past the treehouse/POTC.. Ahh can't remember the name.
By that time the line to POTC had wrapped up and over the bridge a couple times. Wow! Never seen that!
We also hit Big Thunder and rode the railroad, and that was about it. It got pretty crowded, so we did a lot of walking around, hung out along the sides of the castle (and I do beleve I saw Malcon10t's black lab right near the middle of the castle in the early afternoon!) and just enjoyed the sights rather than scrambling on rides.
We knew it would be crowded, that's why we went early, and we had also planned on leaving pretty early, so we kept to out plan.
I have honestly never seen the park that crowded. It wasn't *horrible*, I mean, they had the crowd control down pretty good, but the lines we saw for POTC, HM and Big Thunder were longer than I would have sat in. I'm so spoiled, I usually go odd days or when it's raining! although I did go the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year and it was pretty empty. But that was luck!
It was beautiful out, we were shivering almost in the shade at points, which is better than sweating!
Anyone else there today? What was your impression on the crowds?

ThemeParkAddictOfOC
12-30-2006, 10:06 PM
I went today with a friend, and it may have been the best trip ever.

Parked in Timon Lot (my favorite!). Arrived at about 9:45 am.

2 min wait to get through security.
2 min wait to enter DL.

Got a FP for Space Mountain.

10 min wait for IASW.
(I got a FP for Roger Rabbit while she waited.)

Other highlights:
3 min wait for Rail Road
5 min wait for Jungle Cruise
FP for Splash.
FP for Mulholland at DCA.
Saw 50 Magical Years (1st for her) and Golden Dream (1st for her)
Great spot for Block Party Bash.
Got accosted twice by cheerful old disney freaks over friend's Stitch Santa Hat. Do we know these people? Thanks for the hugs... and you are???
Went "behind the scenes" right before holiday parade and ended up in front of the fire station, which was where we were headed anyway. Found a spot right away. People in front sat down. We had a perfect view.
Called Disney Dining at 11 am and got a prioroty seat at 1 pm for lunch.

I felt as though we had an invisible VIP tour guide. What was up? Great Magical Karma today for us. Was it crowded? I did not notice!

rentayenta
12-31-2006, 07:09 AM
Thanks for both reports! It's your tr's that are keeping me fairly sane with having to miss our trip to Disneyland during the holidays! :)

disneyhound
12-31-2006, 07:15 AM
Great reports! Shows that DL is possible when crowds are crazy!

Malcon10t
12-31-2006, 07:30 AM
Went yesterday too. Entered the park about 10. Headed straight to Indy. Then went to Fantasyland. After finishing the rides there, we went to Hungry Bear for some lunch. Wandered around some, headed back to the hotel about 230p. At 6, we went to DCA, hit TOT, Bugs Life, Screamin, Maliboomer, Mulholland, grabbed an ice cream and went back over to Disneyland before the Electrical Parade started. There we did Matterhorn, stopped to watch the fireworks, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, then Jungle Cruise before heading back for the night (about 11pm.) Getting ready to leave for the park now, so more next year!

PanFan
12-31-2006, 09:07 AM
Yes, yesterday (and the whole week prior) was insanely busy (can't wait to go to work today--NYE!). But if you time things well, DL is definitely possible with enormous crowds. I was working at IASW yesterday from 3:30-7:30 and watched people wait 45 minutes to an hour most of the time, but right before and during the parade, no longer than 10 minutes. As long as you think ahead and are mentally prepared for the crowds, you can totally have a great day.

ThemeParkAddictOfOC
12-31-2006, 10:30 AM
Really, if you know what you are doing, it is fine.

Example:

Arrive at Roger Rabbit at 10:30 am.
Posted wait is 30 min.
FASTPASS Return time is 11:00 am.
I can think of no reason not to FP that attraction and do something for 30 minutes besides stand in a queue. Yet, 95% of the guests do not comprehend how to efficiently use FP, so they will get in line. I spent my 30 minutes on IASW instead of standing in line. :cool:

Same thing with Space Mountain and Spalsh Mountain. I could have waited for 75 minutes in the queue (thanks but no thanks).

I could not get over the non-existant wait to get into DL! Plus, calling from the park to the dine-line to get a Priority Seat for lunch less than two hours later that same day was awesome. I needed somebody to pinch me. I could not have planned it any better.

BTW, we got the extra tickets the night before and bypassed the ticket booths, which looked like they were about an hour wait. :D