There’s a lot happening in
the Disney universe right now – so much so that I have had a hard time deciding
what exactly I should write about first. Should I talk about Merida, Disney’s
new and Pixar’s first princess? Should I talk about the Avengers film as being my must-see film for the summer? Or should I
mention the curious placement of some classic 80s arcade games, formerly seen
in Flynn’s Arcade at eclecTRONica, now in the unused second level of the
Starcade?
Oh sure, I have known that I
have had to deal with the obvious juggernaut that is today, June 15th
– the day that Disney California Adventure formally re-launches, along with the
Matterhorn finally coming out of its long refurbishment. But I didn’t want to
do the obvious. There are so many articles and resources from various websites
regarding what to expect from the new offerings – I felt that I myself needed
to provide a new offering of information myself.
I don’t have any secret
information that is not already available online about what is coming June 15th.
I am, however, a viewer and analyzer. I like making things easier for people to
understand and use.
That was when I realized that
what we need is a plan of attack. It’s no secret that crowding and lines are
going to be borderline nightmarish this summer at certain points. There is a
lot to see and a day at a busy theme park can leave you in the dust if you are
not properly prepared.
So here, today, I hope to
give you a good, safe guideline to make it through your day at the Disneyland
Resort. I can’t promise that it will be easy (if you want easy, you’d better
wait until January to see any of these new offerings), but it should at least
make things go by a bit smoother.
So, before we get into this,
let’s look at what days you would be best to avoid Disneyland Resort
altogether:
Today, June 15th
– Disneyland California Adventure re-opens, and introduces Buena Vista Street
and Cars Land to the public. If you have to go…well, I wish you the best of
luck. Right now it’s not too bad, but like One More Disney Day, things will
probably get intense once people get off from work. Carpool!
Sunday, June 17th
– due to the Annual Passholder demographic spiraling to an out-of-control
number, this date is deemed to be so busy (busier than 4th of July
even) that Cast Members do not even get to use their own parking garage. Those
spaces will be given to guests, while Cast Members must park at Angel Stadium
and Honda Center. Sundays are generally busier than Saturdays now, mainly due
to blockout dates.
Sunday, June 24th
– see above.
Okay, so now you know which
dates to avoid. I’m not saying that any other dates this summer won’t be busy,
but the above are projected to be the most crowded.
Prices for tickets have gone
up. You are going to want to make the most out of your day, right? And the
purpose of this makeover is not only to make Disney California Adventure a
great park that is worthy of sitting across the esplanade from Disneyland, but
also to make the park worthy of a full day of offerings.
If you consider yourself a
tourist that is planning on making a visit, you will want at least two days to
experience both parks…three or four would probably be more relaxing. To get
even more time, if you stay at one of the Disney-owned hotels, they offer
special Magic Morning hours that allow you to enter the parks before they open
to the general public at 8 a.m. (yes, Disney California Adventure is now set to
open at the same time as Disneyland, but is supposed to end normal operating
hours at 11 p.m. – we’ll see if that actually lasts).
Annual Passholders, you can
take advantage of Magic Morning hours too, but you only get one day to do it,
and you have to reserve that date ahead of time by going to Disneyland.com.
My advice would be to hit
Disney California Adventure first thing in the morning and grab fastpasses for
Carsland’s Radiator Springs Racers. However, you won’t be heading to Carsland
to pick up those fastpasses – head to A Bug’s Land instead. The machines are
located at It’s Tough to be a Bug’s former fastpass location and meet and greet
area. Because Radiator Springs Racers has some really cool lighting that is
best viewed at night, it is recommended that you try to ride the attraction
when it is dark. Aiming for a ride time of at least 8 p.m. would be ideal, but
one might have to come back to the fastpass machines later to get the ride time
they want. Worse comes to worse, while waiting in a long line, send someone
from your party with your Disneyland Resort tickets to get your fastpasses.
By the way,
fastpasses are free. Anyone that
tries to tell you otherwise is lying and is possibly thinking of Six Flags (or
they were just too lazy to actually look into information on Disney’s Fastpass
system at all). All you do is insert your Disneyland Resort ticket into the
fastpass machine (there is an image at the slot to show you how to insert it
properly) and a fastpass will pop out. There will be two return times listed to
return in-between to ride. Cast members will not let you in line early, but
they generally are not concerned if you don’t make it by the finishing time.
Attractions break down, issues arise – they are fairly understanding. Try to
make it between the times listed though, as the fastpass system works most
efficiently when you do. Once you get a fastpass for an attraction, you cannot
get another one until either two hours have passed or you have hit your initial
return time for the fastpass you got before, whichever comes first – so you can
get multiple fastpasses throughout the day. Also, fastpass times do not
interfere with each other from different parks, so if you got a fastpass for
Radiator Springs Racers, you could immediately get a fastpass for Big Thunder
Mountain Railroad if you wanted.
At 450 riders per hour, Luigi’s
Flying Tires is going to have the slowest and longest line, so if you want to
ride it, I suggest doing that first, or at least ASAP. The reviews on this one
are mixed and there is a learning curve, but at the end of the day you will be
sitting in floating tires, which is pretty cool. Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
would be a great attraction to ride next (be aware that it will swing you
roughly and small children might bang their heads against the side of the ride
vehicles).
You might want to see World
of Color while visiting the resort. It is a great show and is still very
popular – it sees updates quite regularly, too. You can get a “fastpass” for
this one, though it is not really a fastpass and does not interfere with any other
fastpasses you might get. The machines are located at Grizzly River Run’s
fastpass area, and you might as well head over here anyway because it is
summer, it is hot and this ride gets long lines too (be prepared to get wet or
possibly soaked if you ride). However, Disney California Adventure also offers dining
packages for World of Color, so with your special meal you also get World of
Color tickets for everyone in your party. The food at Wine Country Trattoria is
already great – the World of Color dining package is even better. For more
information, you can look at Disney’s official information page here: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneys-california-adventure/world-of-color/dining/
Something that you’ll definitely want to check out is the
new Carthay Circle Theatre on Buena Vista Street. The place has fine dining,
but if you like, you could just go for a classic cocktail. It is gorgeous and
luxurious – exactly what classic California luxe is all about.
Carsland has a lot of new great dining offerings, from
smoothies to sit-down American diner fare. The reviews have been mostly
positive (though be prepared that the specialty drinks will have their
artificiality). A great snack or more affordable lunch/dinner would be the
chili “cone” queso. Grab one and just enjoy strolling through Carsland – the new
land is simply stunning. John Lasseter was very particular about the
authenticity and look of the land in relation to the film franchise, so no
detail has been spared.
Other food offerings I would like to encourage you to check
out are the new Ghirardelli location (YUM!) which has some cool details and
amazing ice cream, and the Boudin Bakery which has a menu that never
disappoints.
Give yourself time to walk around Buena Vista Street as
well, which is just as stunning. Starbucks has come to a Disney park for the
first time and is located at the Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Café (named after
the three little pigs), so if you need a caffeine boost, you can pick up a
drink and explore.
One thing that I cannot stress enough is that you need to
keep yourself hydrated. People generally forget that Southern California is a
desert, so it is hot and arid during the day (but can drop in temperature
significantly at night). Bring several bottles of water and possibly invest in
one of those water spray fan bottles. Bring some snacks with you – fresh fruit and
nuts are healthy and full of vitamins and protein to keep you going. You can
bring food into the park as long as it is cold, so yes, sandwiches are
perfectly fine!
If your pockets are not reliable to properly hold things,
get a proper bag to carry your things in – but know that if you do lose
something, a visit to Disney’s Lost and Found in the esplanade usually will fix
everything. I’ve known people who have lost things like their wallets and cell
phones and have had them returned just as they were before (being the Happiest
Place on Earth, I think people are generally more kind, honest and generous about
getting things returned to their proper owners, as everyone is on vacation and
spending a pretty penny as it is).
But back to rides. Tower of Terror, Soarin’ Over California
and California Screamin’ all have fastpass and are must-sees. My favorite
attraction, however, does not have fastpass and does not need it because its
hourly capacity is so high. The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is
a fantastic, fun and family-friendly ride that generally has the most
reasonable wait throughout the park because of its efficiency. If the crowding
gets unbearable, head here for some relief and a good time.
If you enjoy funky nightlife, you might want to check out
the Mad T Party. I miss elecTRONica personally, but you can still purchase
cocktails and visit an arcade (well, more of a carnival arcade) with some
nighttime entertainment. Be prepared, though – it is loud, crowded and not
necessarily the best place for little ones. If you go, though, give the DJs
your love! They’re pretty awesome.
As for the original park? Matterhorn has re-opened with a
taller height requirement and lower capacity, so lines for this ride will get
longer – but it will still be worth it. Try grabbing fastpasses for Splash
Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, Space Mountain,
and Roger Rabbit (which is actually disconnected to the rest of the fastpass
system, so sneak in an extra fastpass here!). Pace yourself, but try to get the
bigger rides (and/or the Fantasyland ones) done in the morning first before the
heavy crowds descend. New Orleans Square gets pretty busy in the afternoon, so
try to do Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion in the morning or at
night (and when Fantasmic! is getting prepped, be prepared for heavy crowding).
Disneyland has plenty of great food options. If you are
really hungry, Plaza Inn has really large platters of food (fried chicken or
pot roast) that one may feel comfortable sharing with another person, plus
pasta and salads. Hungry Bear has delicious country fare, like a fried green
tomato sandwich or a chili burger (they even have sweet potato fries!). I also
recommend every restaurant in New Orleans Square – if you enjoy gumbo (or heck,
even if you don’t), theirs could make you fall in love. Finally, Carnation Cafe has opened back up after a very long and extensive refurbishment. There is more space now, which should make getting a table that much easier (staff also give you pagers to walk around Main Street while you wait for your table, which is a major improvement to the line one used to have to wait in). If you are there, make sure to say hello to Chef Oscar, Disneyland's longest tenured cast member and the head chef of the restaurant!
If you want to meet characters, you can generally ask Cast
Members on Main Street when certain characters come out to meet, but if you
want to meet Rapunzel or Brave’s Merida, they both have their own individual
locations. The waits are always rather long but there is a reason why so many
want to meet these lovely ladies. Rapunzel is located next to Pinocchio’s
Daring Journey and Merida is next to it’s a small world. Merida’s meet is extra
special because the three black bears are with her (really cute interactive
audio-animatronics) and you get to learn a little bit of archery and shoot.
If you want to see Fantasmic! and/or Magical (the fireworks
show), you should know that Fantasmic! gets two showings with Magical
in-between. I’d recommend getting a spot for the fireworks first (as it fills
up fast) and then trying to catch the Fantasmic! showing afterwards (bring your
patience with you making it through the crowds), as many visitors often leave
the park after the fireworks are over. Both Dumbo and Tinkerbell fly in the
show, so it is really worth seeing at least once.
If you appreciate a fun bar environment, want some tropical fare or a break from the heavy crowds, one more location I have to recommend is Trader Sam's/Tangaroa Terrace at the Disneyland Hotel (you can walk here quite easily from Downtown Disney, or even hop aboard the Monorail from Tomorrowland and have a much shorter distance to trek). Delicious food and drinks, a fun and interactive tiki bar chock full of inside jokes and nods towards all the things you love about Adventureland, and a place to get real souvenir tiki mugs, it is a must-see for those who appreciate the Polynesian and/or retro scene.
Past that? Make sure your cell phone is fully charged, bring
and put on sunscreen, bring your patience and wear a smile! The parks will be
busy but you are there to have fun, so for goodness sake, allow yourself to enjoy it! Everything is sure to dazzle this
summer, so go out there and have fun!
