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View Full Version : MadasaHatter braves August! Help!



MadasaHatter
08-16-2007, 09:47 AM
Hey gang!!!

This just in....meeting SIS and MOM AND DAD at a wedding in Costa Mesa. Dad said, "We should ALL go to Disneyland!" so the four of us are going again as adults. NOW we have all been many times (sis and I are AP from SF and Oregon!) BUT and here is the big BUT we are agoraphobics and have very rarely gone during the heat of the summer!!!!!! We are just there for one day (sis and I are staying at the GC in October for Hallowe'en time) sooooooooooooooooo my major questions....

1) Anything specific about summer that we should catch????? Avoid??? (Why no FANTASMIC on a Monday in SUMMER???? Might they add it???? Mom has never seen it!)

2) Going on Monday AUgust 27th so any tips for NEMO? Morning? Night???

3) Tips on some family pics option. (We are buying the BLACK TRADITIONAL MOUSE EARS with all of our names on it!!!)

4) We are good on the food as we are all adults and avoid busy times etc.

Thanks gang!!! I know I am going to get the best advice here!!!!! Of course I am also mad.......

DianeM
08-16-2007, 10:24 AM
I'm not going to give advice for handling summer crowds. Personally, I deal with them by going in the fall/winter. But we did get a terrific family picture a while back. We all wore our blue 50th anniversary shirts to the park and went on Splash Mountain, sitting shortest to tallest. We had the front seats both times. The first picture wasn't terrific, but the second had all of us smiling and holding our arms up and looking very happy with all of our faces showing. We even splurged for the more expensive frame option (although we copied the picture so we'd each have a copy). It's a great memory picture that I'll always treasure.



3) Tips on some family pics option. (We are buying the BLACK TRADITIONAL MOUSE EARS with all of our names on it!!!)
...

Bytebear
08-16-2007, 10:28 AM
Bottled water. Lots of bottled water.

Get PhotoPass and have the CM's take your pictures.

Rest in the cool buildings or under shade and do some people watching. Avoid the Hub during the fireworks, or get a spot early on, near a cross rope so you know you have an escape route from the crowds. Only go through crowded areas if you absolutely have to. I would avoid Adventureland until well into the evening. Leave the park well after the fireworks or before them, but do not try to escape with the stampede. Instead head to a far corner of the park for a rest or a quick ride on one of the shorter line attractions.

ktrm
08-16-2007, 11:39 AM
I just came back last week and had a wonderful time. Of course I lucked out on the weather...it was unseasonably cool. A couple of suggestions for the crowds.

1. I skipped Nemo. The wait was 2 hours and the people that finally got on the ride did not think it was worth the wait. I am waiting for the crowds to slow up because I don't want to feel like this when I ride. If you have only one day in DL, I think you should save it for another trip because they are so many other fun things to do. You don't want to waste time in line.

2. Decide if you want to do Space Mountain or Splash Mountain and get your fastpass first thing when arriving in the park. I never do both on one day because I don't like to waste my day, running all over the park getting fastpasses. The other rides with fastpasses don't seem to run out so these you can get just as you are walking by.

3. If you go to Space Mountain be sure to hit Innoventions in Tomorrowland and go and talk to Stitch on the Second floor. No one knows this is there and although the park was extremely crowded last week there was a 10 minute wait for stitch. It is hysterical, especially with a family. This was a highlight for my family. The building is also nice and cool. The virtual trip in Innoventions is ok too but it is kindof like a tacky infomerical, but you might as well try it if you are in there.

4. Small World and Pirates lines move fast even though they can look intimidating. Haunted Mansion line moves a bit slower but not too bad..

5. Skip Autotopia in my opinion. Even with the fastpass, the line takes forever!!!!!! This ride is a constant source of frustration for me and of course my kids love it and can't live without it. EEEEKKK!

6. Decide at night if you want to see the Electrical Parade the Fireworks. Don't try to see both or you will be running around like insane people. Personally I'd pick the fireworks and get a spot at least 30 minutes before the show starts maybe more. Just realize that the fireworks can be cancelled due to wind but the electrical parade rarely cancels. They threatened to cancel the fireworks many times last week but it always went off.

7. If everyone is an adult, the wine tasting in Ca Adventures is fun with little wait.

8. Remember, all the restaurants I visited give you free complimentary ice water(not the Dasani water) if you ask. I don't like lugging around huge, heavy water bottles everywhere. This was a big money saver for us.

9. We stayed after the fireworks and hit every ride except Peter Pan in Fantasyland in less than one hour.



Got to go. I'll try to think of other things.

nvmom
08-16-2007, 08:26 PM
If you've never talked to Stitch.... you should. As the above poster said it's rather a hidden gem in the park. And air conditioned. :) We did it with our kids during our first trip in Mar 05 and again in Mar 06. It's very fun!!

nvmom

PanFan
08-16-2007, 08:33 PM
Going on Monday AUgust 27th so any tips for NEMO? Morning? Night???

If you're set on riding it, go at night. Monday has EE, so everyone with EE will beat you to it and the line will be 1 1/2 hours before the park even opens. If you go during the fireworks, it tends to be shorter, but the daily average has been between 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you can stay up that late, get in line just before park closing. Personally, I'd wait until the off season.


Tips on some family pics option. (We are buying the BLACK TRADITIONAL MOUSE EARS with all of our names on it!!!)

I like to get family pictures with Mickey in his house (just try to have them take the picture so you're facing or are away from the mirror--if it's behind you, you'll get a big flash spot in the background). That would be especially cute with all of you in your mouse ears!

Be sure to say hi to me in Fantasyland!

MadasaHatter
08-17-2007, 01:56 PM
Thanks gang!!!

I knew this would be helpful. My folks know that me and my sis are the experts and I think they will want to wait for NEMO since it is new SOOOOOO we have seen the fireworks so many times and waiting in the heat sounds icky so I think we will queue up around fireworks time so we can watch while we wait in the cool of the evening!!!! I was afraid of that EE and now I KNOW!!!

How is the Carnation Cafe for luncheon???? I haven't done that in a long time and I bet it is reasonable. I am going to let my Ma and Pa decide if they want to buy a pass into DCA as they HAVE been there and we may want to take a Loooooong pool brake in the afternoon and just do DL!!!! So I am concentrating on DL restaurants. I think we have been to BB too many times and I know that it is spendy so Carnation could be fun.

Are there lots of street shows? Bands? I have not seen that FRONTIERLAND comedy show???? SHould I check at CITY HALL??? Let me know. Thanks again!!!

annieb727
08-17-2007, 03:09 PM
Make sure if you want lunch at Carnation cafe to do PS ressie - that way you're not waiting an hour just to get seated - that line can be horrible! I love being able to walk up to the check-in and get seated while there's this huge long line of people waiting (am I horrible, or what?).

MinnieMomma
08-17-2007, 07:39 PM
Just a side note, Monday August 27 is Admissions Day and my daughter's school is out. I have no idea if that will effect the crowds that day or not. Most of the local schools don't go back until after Labor Day, her school is just on a weird schedule. I know she and her friends want to go that day.

PanFan
08-17-2007, 10:56 PM
How is the Carnation Cafe for luncheon????

Their baked potato soup is to DIE for!


Are there lots of street shows? Bands? I have not seen that FRONTIERLAND comedy show???? SHould I check at CITY HALL??? Let me know. Thanks again!!!

Pick up a Times Guide when you walk in (next to the maps at the turnstiles). That should list most of the street shows. If there's ones on there that you're interested in but don't see listed, ask any CM. They should have a reference guide on them with show times. There's the Laughing Stock Co. (the Frontierland comedy show you were talking about), the Disneyland Band, and the Dapper Dans (Main Street). Oh, and the trash can drummers (I don't know their official name). They're often in Tomorrowland, but also come over to Fantasyland between Storybook and IASW before the 6:30 parade. And there's the Mardi Gras singers in New Orleans Square as well as Jambalaya Jazz (a small band). In front of the castle, the Pearly Band plays a selection of numbers from Mary Poppins and Mary and Bert come out and dance. Sometimes they ride the Carrousel as well.

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. You're bound to run into some of them as you traverse the park. Have fun!

MadasaHatter
08-19-2007, 08:49 AM
Thanks for all of the info again....I would love to see Mary Poppins and MAIN ST. USA is my favorite so I will look into all of the performers there. It really helps that we have all been to DL so there will not be much WE HAVE TO DO THAT attitude. I will defininetely make resis for a restaurant. I think that we will go on SUNDAY afternoon to purchase the tickets and I will update my AP so it will be good. WE will be bottled water ahead of time to give us a jump start. Just a week from today!!!!! Thanks everyone...