I’ll be going back early May and will be a hotel guest so will check out early entry for the first time! Not sure how to get from Fantasy Land to Haunted Mansion at rope drop after early entry…
I think you should just make a road drop video every time you go. They're so informative and things change all the time so it really helps people strategize.
For sure! Rope Drop strategies also change based on what your goal is. If you don’t do thrill rides, Fantasyland has a lot of appeal at rope drop. And that takes a different approach.
First time my wife and I with going to Disney land and I was behind you in line at Rise of the resistance that same day. I said "that's So Cal Dad". Awesome seeing you.
Around 12:48, the worker stated you'll be going into the room for interrogation and then you replied, "I love this room". I laughed because that's not usually the normal response but disney makes it so fun you want to join in! I love watching you both! Going soon and I've never knew what the whole ordeal was for rope drop but now I do!
I acted like Kylo was choking me when he did the hand thing… and the kids in the room thought I was probably part of the attraction because they were a bit shocked the game Could hurt you lol
I just love your videos. I especially love how your whole family is involved. It really makes the experience relatable. Thank you so much for all the awesome info
My family is going to Disneyland for the first time the end of December (normally a Disney World family). We are really enjoying learning about California through you! You two are so high energy and fun! Thanks for sharing!!!!
My son and I also usually go to WDW in Dec but are going to Disneyland this year. I'm watching so many videos trying to figure out some strategies! Hope you have a great trip.
Thank you for all your Disneyland videos. We watched a lot of your videos prior to our trip. Your tips and tricks were perfect! We used them and had a great time, can’t wait to go back!
Hey there! My husband, Phil, and I ran into you guys on Smugglers Run on Friday.😊 We thought it was so random and funny because we had literally just watched your video the night before. It was fun riding with you guys. It was our first Disney trip since before the pandemic. Thank you for helping make it a memorable one. Keep making awesome videos!
This is Craig Dennis did you have a nice weekend i watch your new videos all the time i in joy all of your videos all the time you have a nice safe evening 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Shared your videos with a fellow Australian tourist headed to Disney soon. Very helpful for trip planning. Thanks indeed - I’m sure you’re going to save me a lot of time
Thank you for all the helpful tip over the last 9 months I’ve been watching your Channel. I was at Disneyland yesterday at rope drop and I was able to get in 15 rides that day (almost everything in Fantasyland and all the other popular rides I wanted except The Star Wars ones). I took a break mid day and got back 10 minutes before the magic Happens parade and ended up getting a great seat on the curb on Main Street. I was also lucky enough to snag a virtual que for World of Color. I didn’t stress, I only rushed when I was stuck in a line and almost missed my window to pick up my mobile order lol smh. I did DCA today for the first half and got about 6 rides in, watched the Avengers shows and had lunch at Lamp Light around 1. I wasted about an hour relaxing because my reservation was coming up and all the rides at the time were too long to wait and I didn’t want to end up late for my reservation. I switched back to Disney and rode a few more rides that weren’t must do for me. Everything turned out great because I was prepared. My 2 year old had the best time and that means so did I 😊
We’ll be around! Haven’t booked my hotel yet. But that’s the final hurrah for my family before their passes are blocked out for the summer so we should definitely be going.
I completely agree with waiting for the currently most popular rides until 9 or 10 AM. That first rush totally dies down! I also rope drop Alice on my east side rope drop day. They just reopened single rider for space Mountain, so I do that whenever I feel like it during the day. I’m not currently in shape to run with the bulls to space Mountain in the morning. Hoofing it all the way up there at that pace is just too much for me 😂 On my west rope drop day, I start with Indy or big thunder mountain.
Perfect timing for this! I’ll be there this Sunday and Monday so I need all the rope drop tricks and tips I can get 🎉 Edited to add we also have a reservation for the Blue Bayou on Monday! So excited for that!
Nothing like rope dropping at Disney. It's the only way to go. And you have great tips on what to do. All these videos makes me want to go to Disneyland. Not sure if I can work it in my solo trip to San Diego.
Great video as always. I’m always working the app at Disney all day and I get a headache but the app is so essential - and every day is so different with rides down.
Remember the days you didn’t need an app? It was nice not to be glued to a phone all day. At the same time, checking wait times is the most useful thing ever. And mobile ordering is way better than standing in line for food. The pictures just help you make your decisions and I wouldn’t go back.
Planning to rope drop soon with Genie+ (I’ll look out for your upcoming video!) - what do you think about this strategy? Focus on fantasyland for rope drop since the rides aren’t on Genie+, pick up the LL rides based on the return times (targeting a 9:30 window for Indiana Jones to start), then circle back throughout the day for some of the longer non-LL rides when I have gaps. Specifically pirates, Nemo, and storybook boats. My thought is I’d be more willing to stand in line for a 10+min experience vs Snow White or Pinocchio.
That sounds like an excellent plan. Fantasyland attractions weren’t our goal, all the high intensity rides were. But if you want to Fantasyland, then, yes, they’ll be at their lowest at rope drop. Do Alice in Wonderland first. That’s going to be the one to get the longest lines as the day drags on (not longer than Peter Pan, but unless you are at the very front of the line, Peter Pan will be 30 minutes no matter what). After that, I find the ones that are a drag to wait for are Casey Jr and Storybookland Canal Boats because of the slower loading. Pinocchio, Snow White, and Mr. Toad are nearly continuously moving lines. If you hit them all before 10 AM, you won’t wait much for all of them. But I get your plan to wait 20 minutes for the 10 minute ride and wanting to Snow White first. That’s a valid plan if that’s what works for you!
I’ve watched so many of your videos in the last couple days that I can’t remember if this is the right one, but somewhere you said you’ll be in the park on June 5 and I’m so excited because we’ll be there that day too! I’ll keep my eyes open for you guys! 😁 Thanks for the awesome videos!
Yes! I believe in this one I mentioned we have a Blue Bayou reservation for that day. We will be there both the 5th and 6th as it’s the last opportunity for my family to visit until the end of summer (their passes are blocked out), so we are doing a two-day excursion.
Love your videos - been binge watching all of them the past week in preparation for my trip this upcoming week haha. Something I would like clarification if you don’t mind answering - if I plan on rope dropping but not staying at a hotel, what time should I head there by? I was under the assumption 7:30 is for early entry, but it seems a good number of people are let into the gates already? I’m getting confused on the timing between rope dropping and early entry. Thanks again for all the tips and guide videos!
The gates open at 7:20 AM for all guests. But non-resort guests are held at ropes in the Hub area until 8 AM. The earlier you arrive, the closer to the front of the rope drop line you are. Whether you choose to arrive at 7:20 AM, 7:55 AM or even 8:10 AM is really up to you. We’ve done all of those times for various reasons in the past. It just depends on whether your chosen rope drop attraction is very popular (Rise of the Resistance) or less so (Big Thunder Mountain). The more popular the attraction you plan to rope drop, the earlier you should arrive.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit WDW in Orlando many times, but I’ll be visiting Disneyland in Anaheim for the first time in a month. I’m SO excited and your channel has been a HUGE help in my planning and just general hype. THANK YOU! 🎉
So, a while later, it went wonderfully! It was hot, but honestly loved it. As someone primed for like WDW experiences the wait times were great. The FOOD was SOO good! Pirates was SO COOOL (superior IMO). Unfortunately missed mansion because they were putting on the holiday skin. Overall an awesome park. I'd definitely go again. @@sub7se7en
The entrance, primarily because I don’t think you can even go through the turnstiles in Downtown Disney until after 8 AM. And then you have to wait for the monorail, ride it, get off, etc
I’m traveling from Australia to America for the first time in October this year for a Disney holiday. I’ve been watching all of your videos and they have been super helpful!! Is there any advice you’d give regarding the Halloween season?
Halloween is one of the most popular times of year. Not necessarily most crowded, that goes to Spring Break and Christmas Week. But it's a fantastic time to visit. If you don't mind shelling out extra cash for exclusive experiences, try to go to Oogie Boogie Bash. This sells out VERY fast, so keep an eye on Disney news to know when they start selling tickets. You can meet a bunch of unique characters, go trick or treating (they hand out lots of candy), enjoy an exclusive parade, and Villain's Grove is just awesome. The food at Halloween is some of the best the whole year. There will be dozens of new food options all around both parks. They're worth checking out. Haunted Mansion receives a special overlay at Halloween/Christmas that is super popular. You'll definitely want to check that out.
I’ve never been to Disneyland before and I’m going for the first time the 1st of July! But I’ve been to WDW my whole life. So I’m really excited to go. My son will be 6 months old during our tip. What are your suggestions? Especially for rope drop?
For you, I’d suggest heading up to Fantasyland. I actually plan to put together a Fantasyland rope drop video in about two weeks time. So hopefully that will be helpful for you. I plan to start off with Alice, then we are going to do Matterhorn, but your 6 month old won’t be able to so you could skip that. After we plan to go to Dumbo, Casey Jr, Mr. Toad, Snow White, Pinocchio, and Storybookland Canal Boats. The other 3 fantasyland attractions (Peter Pan, small world, and the carousel) could reasonably be done whenever. If you organize it right, I think it’s possible to do all 12 fantasyland rides before 10 AM. But that’s what I will find out in a few weeks.
I have a question, my gf and I are making our first trip up to Disneyland next month! We’re both excited but off all the Land vs World rides which would you recommend for newcomers?
All of them. 😂🤣 Disneyland’s versions of every ride is ALMOST unanimously better. The notable exceptions off the top of my head are Ariel’s and Pooh’s, but those are mostly just because of the queue being amazing at WDW. The rides themselves are the same. But our Space is better, our Big Thunder is better, our Pirates is better, our small world is better. Make sure you ride our two unique e-ticket rides, Matterhorn and Indiana Jones.
When I was there for St Patrick's day the longest wait times where an hour. For rise and Indiana Jones. I thought they would be way longer but it was so much fun I can't wait until next time,I'm from Las Vegas so it's a little drive to go down there.
What strategy would you use if you want to do Toontown and Fantasyland? Would you suggest Mickey and Minnie's first then Fantasyland or a combination of both? Trying to figure out the best strategy for these two lands when going at the end of July. Thanks! You're videos have been so helpful!
Enjoying all your videos! Do you think the first day of Hyperspace Mountain would be crazy to try to rope drop if not near front? Or not too much different than regular Space? Oh - and any idea if Space would be down/close early on April 30 for the switchover? Or something that just happens after hours?
That’s hard to say. I’ve not observed Hyperspace rope drop in some time. I would assume it’ll be crazy. Especially the first day. They will definitely have to close Space for a little while. They have to add tie fighters and things to the ride. I don’t know how long it’ll be closed though. It’s not listed on the refurb schedule, but I would count on it being closed at some point that day either early in the morning (most likely) with a soft launch of Hyperspace later that day or later in the evening (to do the switch through the night). I don’t know how long it takes them to switch. So it might even be down the whole day.
Question: if you had one day with a hopper pass (and Genie+) , which park do you recommend to rope drop first to do the most rides that day across the two parks? We're quasi-expert WDW vets but this will be our first trip out west so I'm learning all about DL and DCA from your videos!
Disneyland. It’s got more rides overall, so it’ll be the likely place to start to knock out more rides first thing. All the good rides in DCA are on Genie+ with the exception of Radiator Racers which is ILL.
@@eliseg0001 np! And going to DL did work for me. I did a combo of his plan and the guy from FreshBaked. Both were most helpful. I rope dropped space mountain and went from there. Using genie+ worked so much better than in WDW where it's so much more crowded
I plan to go to DCA on May 7th and Disneyland on May 8th with my sister and her two kids. We might be staying at a hotel nearby. I’m hoping when I arrive in Disneyland, we can try out Galaxies Edge most of the day. Including getting in Oga’s cantina for the first time too. Any tips, for a casual Star Wars fan (myself), on how to approach our day at Disneyland on a Monday? And, to fit space mountain & Star tours in the mix too?
You’ll have plenty of time to do all that. If you rope drop Space Mountain and Star Tours you’d knock both of those out in the first 20-30 minutes. Then you can leisurely enjoy Galaxy’s Edge the rest of the day if that’s what you wanted to do. I’m assuming you don’t have reservations for Oga’s, so you’ll want to join the waitlist pretty early (like don’t wait until 7 PM, but you don’t need to be there right at 8:00 AM, unless of course Breakfast was what you wanted).
@@SoCalDisneyDad like how early for Oga’s cantina? We were thinking of doing that near lunch/dinner hours of that afternoon. For just us 4 people I mean.
@@Burmhaven010 I think I did around 2-3 PM. That’s in that flux between meal times. I just worry if you hold out till prime dinner times (6-7 PM) that there won’t be any space left. I don’t know that for certain as I rarely try to go there. But it’s better to go early than too late.
I should add that MMRR is not open for early entry. But you could position yourself to be at the front of the line at 8 AM by joining the early entry rope drop for Toontown.
Another great video traver. I keep trying to figure out when gate & rope drop was for Tues June 27th. I was guessing 7:30 and 8. Our idea was spot on with your route here with space, thunder, pirates, and haunted before trying to tackle rise. We were curious as to what to expect in the lines regards to fans or whether there was AC inside waits like the older rides of fantasyland. Basically, is it a sweat box? Coming from Phoenix, we are always comparing heat aspects of things. A day in the low -mid 80s late June there is still better than here. Also, is everything cashless in the park? Thx again.
June won't be overly hot. I mean, anything is possible. I recall one June that reached 113 degrees. BUT we usually experience June Gloom, which is a coastal phenomenon that sees overcast skies until after noon most days. This keeps the temperature pretty well regulated and moderate. It doesn't usually get sweltering until end of July. Coming from Phoenix, you'll think Anaheim is refreshing. To answer the direct questions, no, there aren't really fans or AC anywhere except Rise of the Resistance and Mickey and Minnie's. But this won't affect your overall enjoyment. In fact, I find the cold more bothersome at Disneyland than the heat. Someone commented and said that gates open at 7:20 AM due to early entry guests. So it's 10 minutes earlier than I thought.
Copy that. We have a couple disposable ponchos at the ready. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. Looking forward to seeing how your blue bayou experience will be. Ive got 10 days before I can start making reservations there, docking bay 7, cafe Orleans, etc. I know the menu is more varied at Orleans and cheaper but have to weigh that with the ambiance of BB since never been. Whats your off-beat meal recommendation times? Was thinking 11 lunch, 5 dinner?
@@wesgover261 Those are the time we usually do. Yes. First thing when places open for lunch, and then dinner, sometimes we do a bit early around 4:00-4:30 depending on how hungry we are. But around 5:00 usually
You're rope drop line video's are awesome. Since Space Mountain is temporarily closing, what would you change in yor strategy? Also dop you have tips for what to do 10 pm - midnight?
You can pretty much do whatever at 10 PM. The park empties out. Even if the app says 55 minutes. It’s a lie. They post those high wait times to make you want to go home so cast members can leave earlier and Disney doesn’t have to pay them longer (for real). Because if you hop in line at 11:59 PM, you get to ride the ride, even if it’s an hour wait. So Disney tries to discourage long lines from forming late at night. Without Space Mountain, I’d probably rope drop Indiana Jones or Mickey and Minnie’s. Keeping in mind there’s a line of early entry guests queuing up outside of Toontown for rope drop and regular guests are stuck back at the Hub. So Indiana Jones may be the safe bet.
Do you try and stay in one area and ride as many rides in that area be fore moving to different area? Thank you for your videos. We plan on going in Oct and your. Videos are giving me so much good info! We would love to attend boogie bash but I hear they sell out quickly. Do you know which park boogie bash is in?
We generally hop all over the park and go where we want and follow the low wait times. But you can do what’s best for you. OBB is in DCA. Mix-in begins at 3 PM. Park closes to regular guests (and the event officially begins) at 6 PM. The event ends at 11 PM.
Thanks so much for this video! We are heading to Disneyland (from New Zealand) at end of 28th August, we have two teenagers, so they love the exciting/thrill rides, what would you recommend as the best rides for them and what should we rope drop?
Space mountain, Matterhorn Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Then see how long the line for Rise of the Resistance is around 9am. Also think about doing Indiana Jones in there unless it’s over 50-60 minutes.
Hi! Thanks for the great video! Does anyone have a suggestion for 30min early park entry and then a rope drop? Is Runway railway a good choice? or Even resistance?
The only rides open for early entry are Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. I imagine there’s a rope drop like for Mickey and Minnie’s up by small world that you could wait in. But I’d recommend Space Mountain and Peter Pan during early entry.
Thanks for this video!! Really enjoy watching your videos even if I’ve seen the same ones 10x or more. But I wanted to ask if the App shows that the rides were closed? Like haunted mansion was closed during the golden hour but did the app show that it was open?
The app is 100% trustworthy and reliable. The app and posted wait time will never disagree. Not that I've seen anyway. You're not the first person to ask this, which I find strange. I wonder who is out there telling people the app is wrong. Because I've never known it to be. I'm pretty positive the system that controls wait times is connected. If the posted wait time gets updated, the app does too. So to answer the direct question, yes, when Haunted Mansion was closed, the app said it was closed, too.
If we are going to get Genie+, do you advise that we don't use Genie+ in the first hour in the park? Not sure if the wait times are so low that early in the morning, if it's worth it to use Genie + on the rides.
My Genie+ video will be out on Friday! I address this in more detail. But I’d recommend booking your first lightning lane for 9 AM. The first ride to reach this mark will be Indiana Jones. The rest of them take a little while to build up, but yes, it’s better to standby rides the first hour.
Just curious, if you were going to be Single Rider but not buy Genie+, would you go to Indy first, then Pirates, then Haunted Mansion? At DCA, would you advise going to Guardians first? I’m thinking I need to maximize the rides without single rider, and those are all generally in the same area
That sounds like a good plan to me to hit the rides you are most interested in without single rider. Space, Smuggler’s, Splash, Matterhorn, Radiator Springs, Web Slingers, and Incredicoaster all have single rider. An article online says Indy has one (you have to ask a cast member and they’ll send you through the exit). Same with Star Tours. But I cannot confirm this for 100% certain.
Loved this! What would you recommend rope dropping if space mountain was out of the question and we had Genie+? I’m trying to decide between fantasy or toon town. Or should we stick to pirates and haunted? Lol
Alice in Wonderland, hands down. Up in Toon Town, Chip ‘n Dale has been having historically high lines due to being “newly rethemed” (it’s not any different) and is not really worth the wait. Roger Rabbit is on Genie+ so there’s no need to rope drop it. Mickey and Minnie’s is either better to pay for it or go at 10 PM after it reopens from fireworks (upcoming video will cover this strategy).
@@SoCalDisneyDad will definitely do that. A friend told me Peter Pan but I wasn’t sure if it was worth it. I’m definitely adding that cinnamon roll to my list
@@kjc_cal2112 Unless you are at the front of the line (and don’t have a stroller, parking those and maneuvering them loses a lot of ground at rope drop), Peter Pan will be too long right away. I’ve rope dropped it 3-4 times in the past and I can never get up there fast enough to avoid standing there for at least 20-25 minutes.
@@kjc_cal2112 They are very helpful if for no other reason than to be a place to keep your stuff. We’ve been parking our stroller in one spot for a few hours and just walking around without. We move it from time to time just so it’s not looking like it’s been abandoned.
The 2 hour stacking rule applies to Genie+, which since it’s your first time I recommend purchasing. This video explains how genie+ works and the stacking rule. 26 Best Genie+ Tips to SKIP the Line like a PRO at Disneyland th-cam.com/video/jh8E6N5V12M/w-d-xo.html
Hi, I love your content and is very helpful. Im a Disney World girl and I can do it with my eyes closed 😂 but I’m going for the first time to CA to Disneyland and DCA, we will do 1 park per day (2 days trip), I bought Genie+ and will buy Individual Lightning for Rise and Radiator. My question is: Should I stacking the “big rides” with Genie+ and rope drop Fantasyland (the ones don’t have Genie)? Or rope drop SpaceMountain, stacking the big rides for later and then run to Fantasyland? Thank you.
Stacking isn’t really possible at Disneyland, unless you constantly keep modifying later and later. LLs do not disappear nearly as fast here and you’ll find that Genie+ is much easier to use here. I would avoid engaging the 2-hour rule if at all possible here. I would rope drop Space and then head to Fantasyland, selecting your first LL sometime around 9:30. You’ll actually have to wait for it to push out this far, but if you book anything earlier, you’re wasting it because there are no lines to skip early on in the day.
I went last week and I noticed a few things. Rise of the resistance said 60 minutes and we waited and i timed it, 20 minutes! So maybe they say a high wait time to encourage buying the lightning lane passes. We didnt rope drop but instead got on the monorail at downtown Disney and cut through the heavy traffic. Many rides estimated wait times werent accurate. Unfortunately splash mountain kept breaking down and really wanted to ride it before it closed down.
I believe Rise of the Resistance is timed until you get on the ride, not until the Rey Room. Because it said 45 for us and we timed it. 20-25 to the Rey room, but it was 40-45 until we physically got on the ride. 60 is reasonable for that. It means the line was higher and it might have gone done a little later or they didn’t send a Red card through to update the time. Or they did, but they were spaced out further and it was back to 60 again. Disneyland’s times tend to be fairly accurate BECAUSE of the red card system. The waits are what actual families waited. They get scanned in when a family enters the line, and scanned out at whatever designated point the CMs have for collecting the red card. Then the time is automatically updated to the nearest 5 minutes based on what those folks waited.
This is the plan I had in mind for my trip next week. Space Mountain rope drop, then try for Big Thunder, and see what my third option will be during the golden hour. I hope I can do Indiana Jones. I'll leave Star Wars Rise for the 9-10 hour like you did.
I didn't quite rope drop, but showed up right before 9am the other day and was able to ride Big Thunder, Pirates, and Jungle Cruise with little to no waits before 10am. Same deal another day with my 4 year old we hit up Pinocchio, Mr Toad, and Small World in around the same time frame. Maybe these are more like C-D tickets but that's why I really don't feel like waiting long for them later.
Big Thunder and Pirates can get long waits, the rest don’t really ever go above 30 minutes, so I would put them at a slightly lower priority, but they are still excellent options for Rope Drop.
@@SoCalDisneyDad when I’m with my kids we end up prioritizing fantasyland because there’s no way to skip those lines later and my kids’ have very little patience. I save Alice for later because it’s great during the parade time. The wait is lower during the parade because everyone pauses to watch it. But if you do have to wait some. you can just watch the parade the entire time.
I’d say Hyperspace. Lately, Mickey and Minnie’s hasn’t been getting too long of lines. I think the newness hype is dying down a bit among the annual passholders. But I’m assuming you’re talking Memorial Day weekend, so conventional wait times are a bit out the window there. You might consider Mickey and Minnie’s because it’s still an ILL, so you’re saving money rope dropping that ride. Whereas Genie+ will get you on Hyperspace.
For sure! In some situations. So if you rope drop something like Radiator Springs Racers over at DCA, the single rider will bypass the 60 minute wait it instantly gets. But at a ride like Matterhorn? Not really. No. Because the wait is 5 minutes in the morning.
You could if you wanted, though I personally wouldn't. I think the coaster is pretty lame (unless you have an 18 month old) and I strongly dislike Roger Rabbit. And Mickey and Minnie's has had decent standby waits later in the day lately that rope dropping there just isn't worth it to me. My goal is usually to aim for the rides with an excess of an hour wait later in the day. Space Mountain and Indiana Jones being the primary two with Big Thunder and Matterhorn being secondary options. At Halloween time, Haunted Mansion is actually our normal rope drop because Haunted Mansion Holiday often sees 45-60 minute waits as well.
Yes, my graphical skills with editing are somewhat limited. I could put up a still image, but no idea how to do the fun special effects I've seen on other channels. And I'm not quite large enough to be able to add professional video editing to the budget yet. For sure, if I can remember the next time wait times come up, I can add a "posted time/actual time" text at least.
Hey there, enjoying your channel! Rope drop question: would you still recommend heading for Space Mountain first in the morning if you are traveling solo? Since they have single rider would it be better to shoot for another ride first? Thanks!
@@SoCalDisneyDad hey there, just wanted to say I implemented a multitude of your tips on my visit this week and had an absolutely excellent day- many thanks!!
Hi Traver! We want to do Rise as our number one thing to do on Sunday 2nd and Monday 3rd of July…. So you say to try and do it between 9-10am after the rush has died down from rope drop. When would you aim for if you started in DCA on the 3rd…. Ie when from 11am should we aim for?? So when you did it with a 45 minute wait time, is that a 45 min wait for the standby line or is that a 45 min wait if you have the LL? And if we have genie+, when do you buy an individual LL… when you first get into the park and then choose a time for later? Or how? And if you book an ILL for later in the day, eg. Now it’s 12.30 and it says ILL for 5pm, do you have to wait to do that first or can you do other experiences first through normal lightning lane that are within 30 mins or less of your booking time?! I think I understand how to do LL, but the ILL is a different kettle of fish! Thanks so much! 🙏🌈🥳
So the 9 AM to 10 AM thing might not apply on your weekend. I tracked wait times for 2 straight weeks and Rise was lower about 80-90% of the time at 9 AM. But not ALWAYS. And being a holiday weekend most conventional wait times can get thrown out the door. Your best bet is going to be to keep an eagle eye on wait times on the Disneyland app. The first thing I’d rope drop in DCA would be Toy Story or Spider-Man. A lot of people go to Guardians, and it’s not a BAD strategy and MOST will be going to Radiator Springs Racers. But fewer go to Spidey and Toy Story, making it a better choice for quick turn around. When we did Rise, it was 45 minutes standby from stepping into line until sitting down on the ride vehicle itself after 3 preshows. You can buy an ILL right away as soon as you enter the park. You don’t even need Genie+ to buy an ILL. Anyone can buy those. If it’s like Disney World, you can schedule a time. But I haven’t bought an ILL so I don’t know for 100% certain. ILL and Genie+ aren’t connected. So they don’t impact each other. You can book Genie+ and ILL at the same time.
@@SoCalDisneyDad thanks Traver this is such awesome advice! So is it worth just maybe going in the standby if it’s a 45 minute queue for Rise, and then booking an ILL for later on to do it twice??!!! ☺️ Let’s hope for 9am ish on that first day and see how we go! I’ve got to keep doing more TH-cam watching of your videos and planning! Thanks so much for taking the time to write me such a detailed message 🙏
@@fionapaterson3747 Yes! That’s a valid strategy! Definitely try to ride it twice if you can. It’s the best ride in the Disneyland park. If everyone in your party is older than 7 years old, I’d highly recommend utilizing single rider when possible. This includes Radiator Springs Racers, the most popular ride in DCA. Single Rider will literally cut the standby line 75%. So if it’s posted 60 minutes, single rider is generally around 15 minutes.
Indiana Jones or Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. MMRR has cooled down in popularity since I made this video and it’s a solid rope drop option these days.
plan is to rope drop Space Mtn, Star Tours, haunted Mansion and pirates.. should I split this between two days or is it possible .. your videos have been VERY helpful. thank you!
I think you could do all four of those in the first 90 minutes or so the park is open. With one exception, if you're coming between September 1st and January 7th, Haunted Mansion will get a line really fast. So be aware if you save it till last, it might have a 45 minute wait by the time you get there. But if you rope drop Haunted Mansion, Space will likely be the same by the time you get there. So if you will be doing two rope drops at Disneyland, you might start with Space one day and Haunted the other.
we will be there 10/7 and 10/8. Yeah weekend, but we do have genie plus. and if i understand it right, i can use it for mansion in the am and the wife can use it later in the day? also can you pm me a link for the "selfiestick" you use. thanks! @@SoCalDisneyDad
In a few weeks, I’m planning to see if I can do all 12 Fantasyland rides within the first two hours of park opening which we’ll call our Fantasyland rope drop strategy. I think we are going to aim for the 30th for this visit. But reservations are all gone so I’m kinda just hoping something opens up the night before.
Been making plans with my family to go to Disney and we have been watching all your videos, i heard you mention you are going june 5 and we have debated june 5 or 6, but we werent sure of the crowds since there is grad days, do you follow a calender to see which day out of the 2 will be most packed?
I usually look at the pricing of 1-day tickets on their website. Both the 5th and the 6th are Tier 0 (cheapest) days. That means Disney is not expecting high crowds. They reduced the cost to entice more people to visit. That doesn’t mean it will be empty. It just means it’s more likely to be less crowded.
If you like Space Mountain, I’d ride that first. At that point in the morning, it’ll be so low you could literally ride it 2-3 times if you wanted. But otherwise, yes, Peter Pan’s Flight should be first on your list and then wipe out as much of fantasyland as possible.
Can I ask you a silly question? Is this your full time job? If do I'd like to have it. You guys get to go everywhere and I'm assuming you get free tickets or severely discounted tickets?
TH-cam makes up about half of my income. But only recently so. Within the last 4-5 months. I’m self-employed in marketing, so I have flexibility to go whenever. Through the school year, we generally stick to weekends. Once a week. I film multiple videos each visit, so though I may post 3-5 videos a week, I’m really only in parks 1-2 days/week. We have annual passes, so have one big expense once a year, and then it costs maybe $150/week in gas and in-park food purchases. All of my expenses for anything related to TH-cam are tax deductible as a business expense. So plane tickets, hotels, rental car (all when necessary of course. I can’t write off any plane ticket, like to visit family. It has to be business related). I’m actually not large enough to get discount tickets. I have seen larger vloggers get comped an entire cruise from Disney etc, but we aren’t there yet. So I pay for all this stuff out of pocket. TH-cam earnings cover 100% of my expenses with a little left over. And my self-employed business pays for our living costs. So you could say I’m a full-time vlogger, but if I lost my other income source, this would not be enough. Not yet anyway. Perhaps another year or two.
Yes! But you’d have to get the wrap, so that takes a little bit of time, meanwhile the line is filling up. At which point, you’re probably better off waiting until 9ish to hop in line and let the initial rush die down, like we did in this video. But it is totally an option.
@@SoCalDisneyDad got it ..thanks for the tip .:so essentially we are better off finishing rides in adventure land during first hour before shifting to galaxy’s edge
@@ph090583 For sure. Unless you plan to pay for Rise, at which point you could reasonably go whenever you wanted. You’d just need to keep an eye on Lightning Lane return times before purchasing.
Rope drop strategy with two adults seems to involve walking from land to land to ride the longer wait rides early. Does this strategy change with young kids? My daughter is in kindergarten, walks slow and will want to stop and look around constantly
We have two kids, age 9 and 6. And we usually cart them around to ride the bigger rides early with low wait times. Even when we visit WDW, parks they are less familiar with. There are times to enjoy the sights and sounds after lunch time when you want to take it slower and the park is starting to get busier. But we usually recommend making the most of the lower wait times in the early morning if you can.
What’s the best advice to be able to ride Rise of the Resistance ride during our trip. We’re going to be there for two days. Our last two trips, we weren’t able to ride it.
The BEST way is to pay for individual lightning lanes. If the ride breaks, they'll issue you a multi-experience pass to come again later. They'll do this even if you don't pay for it if you're far enough along, but if you've purchased an ILL, they will for sure. If Rise breaks, which it often does, it's down for a minimum of 40-60 minutes because that's how long it takes their system to reboot. If you're still in the main standby queue, your choices are to wait it out (huge waste of time) or leave and try again later (restarting the line from the very beginning). This is a huge gamble. Buying an ILL avoids this gamble. But if you don't want to pay for it, riding it standby between 9 AM and 10 AM is routinely the lowest point in the day for wait times for Rise of the Resistance.
All of them are open except Storybookland Canal Boats, Casey Jr Circus Train, and it’s a small world. I’d say it would be possible to knock out at least 5 Fantasyland rides during early entry if you’re moving quickly from attraction to attraction.
No, you’re better off going there around 9 AM. The wait times are routinely lower than rope drop at 9 AM, but they go back up by 10. So somewhere in that second hour is my suggestion.
Yes! He loves it. On this visit, we were without the kiddos (I filmed A LOT of content and they only tolerate so much 😂. They just want to ride rides). The only ride he doesn’t like is Big Thunder. For some strange reason he doesn’t like the goat.
Fantasyland is probably going to be a high priority for you. We will have a video out, probably tomorrow, highlighting this rope drop strategy. In DCA, you’ll want to do both Monsters Inc and Toy Story Midway Mania before they get too busy.
That really depends on what you're hoping to accomplish and how many times you've visited Disneyland in the past. If this is a first visit, a single day in both parks is really rushed and you're better off staying with Disneyland. If you've been several times before, a park hopper with Genie+ is great.
There are a lot of videos where he goes to space mountain first thing. It would be nice to see him do some of the things he doesn’t recommend just to see.. like going to Peter Pan. We find that rope drop wait is definitely shorter than the rest of the day.
Yes, it’s shorter at Peter Pan in the AM. But the problem is that it still takes awhile and takes away from other things. We opt for maximizing the first hour with as many high powered rides as possible, instead of merely riding the most popular rides when they are at their lowest in comparison to themselves. What do I mean? Well, 30 minutes for Peter Pan in the AM might be better than 60 minutes in the afternoon, but I could ride both Space Mountain (80 minutes in the afternoon) and Big Thunder (50 minutes in the afternoon) in the same amount of time it took me to ride just Peter Pan.
I'm going to be using a mobility scooter (chronic low back pain), how are things as far as accessibility now? Last time we went, some rides gave a time to come back later and others had alternate entrances (usually going in the exit).
Those situations will still be the same. Unless you qualify for DAS pass. You’d have to look that up. DAS (Disability Access Service) is basically just like Genie+ but better.
@@AlexandraUtschig Yes, it’s easier to apply in the park from what I’ve heard too. Just wasn’t sure if you could figure out what the qualifications were ahead of time. I’ve not looked into it to any great depth.
Rope Drop is the moment the rope preventing you from entering the park “drops” and allows guests to go and get on rides. It’s just a term meaning to arrive at park opening instead of 1-3 hours later. Since most people sleep in or don’t show up until almost lunch time, some of the most valuable ride time is first thing in the morning. You generally don’t want to waste Genie+ during this time because you won’t be skipping any of the line as there is no line for most rides.
The fantasyland video that I put out about a week or so ago with regards to rope drop will be most helpful for this. Additionally, I’m putting together a full list of rides toddlers can ride and that should be out later this week. Characters is also another video that’s on the to-do but I’m not sure when it’ll come out.
I've heard that the Disneyland app intentionally shows wait times for popular rides to be longer than they really are, to encourage people to go on other rides (or shop!). Have you found that the wait times on the app are generally correct, or really exaggerated??
The app is no different than the actual ride numbers. They won’t disagree. Generally, the lines are accurate throughout the day. But late at night, they intentionally list them high so you go home. Big Thunder said 50 minutes at 11:45 PM Friday Night. It was a walk on.
Not sure if you have ever tried the cinnamon bun at Gaston’s Tavern, but would love to know your thoughts on how it compares to the one at the Jolly Holiday! Another great vlog! Definitely helps us more with our planning!
Yes!!! We were comparing the two to ourselves off camera. It’s been a year since Gaston’s. And I really want to get it next week on my quick trip, BUT my intent for the visit is to film food I HAVEN’T eaten before. So I’m torn. But it’s sooooooo good I might make a single exception for the Gaston’s cinnamon bun.
@@SoCalDisneyDad You should get one at Gaston’s, especially since it’s been a year! That way both are fresh in your mind! We are definitely going to try it from Jolly Holiday!
I feel like hopping from land to land you waste a lot of time that you could have just done standing in line. Pick your rope drop line then do the rides nearby and make your way across the park riding things. Also why were never get Park Hopper tickets. You waste a ton of time walking from park to park
In Disney World we follow less of a bouncing around schedule, but in Disneyland it really doesn’t take long to walk across the park, so we tend to save more time finding the shorter lines.
Headed to California for our very first trip to Disneyland! So excited. Thanks for the tips. So nervous we won’t get to ride everything in the short time we will be there. So used to WDW
@@Thetaylorsonthego Three is perfect! My first two visits to Disneyland were 3 day trips. You’ll have plenty of time. Something to consider is adding a hopper. At WDW, they charge you per day for the hopper. But at Disneyland, it’s $60/person flat rate and it applies to the entire length of your stay. The two parks are steps apart. You may not need it the first day. Or the second. But the third day it would allow you to hit both for anything you wanted to do again or might have missed. And if you think you’ll use it even on one day, as I said, it applies to the whole length of your tickets. On your DCA day, it would allow you to go into Disneyland after DCA closes for some amazingly low wait times if you’re up for staying out till midnight.
@@Thetaylorsonthego Also, be aware that Disneyland closes early on the 8th for Star Wars Nite. So a hopper would allow you to go to DCA when Disneyland closes at 8 PM until DCA closes at 10 PM.
Hello Traver and Amy?? Sorry, just subscribed. Don't know your channel yet. You two are great together. Fantastic energy. Please correct me on your names. Are you married, dating, friends. Either way, great chemistry, great channel. All the best.
Yes! We are married, 12 years this June, and have two kids (8 and 5). This was a “date” visit for us. The next couple of videos will be without the kids (I filmed a lot of different content that day).
so not been to disney, but it seems you are running around like headless chooks. do you not do disney like a zoo? like you want to be at the seal show at 11 and the elephants at 2 so you plan the day going in the direction of the seals and then making you way to the elephants. trying to be mindful of double tracking/extra walking. so say i want to mickeys ride i would stay there and do that section, then the star ways stuff etc. is it better to walk back and forth and round and round to get the best use of your day? seems rather tiring!!!! 🙂
You can totally go land by land if you want, it’ll just be slower going, waiting in line for a ride that maybe be 20-30 minutes shorter an hour later. We chase the lower wait times. Always have. We are the type of people that want to maximize every minute. If you have more time (3-5 days), you can absolutely take a slower approach.
thank you! i will take your approach as i don’t like wasting money and standing in lines is sure a waste! does not seem logical but you dont want to spend a day in a line 🙂
makes me sick that anyone can even return to disneyland more than once then keeps returning (not including 4-5 day organized trip). My trip was horrible, there was WAY 2 MANY GODDAMN PEOPLE, and the cause of this is because of repeat people constantly returning to the park.
When we were there in December the front gates opened at 7:20 (Disneyland Park)
Thanks for the info!
Turnstiles now open at 7:20 so that early entry guests can actually rope drop rides at 7:30
@@RandomAccount21415 That makes sense!
I’ll be going back early May and will be a hotel guest so will check out early entry for the first time! Not sure how to get from Fantasy Land to Haunted Mansion at rope drop after early entry…
@@barbns2 Only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open at Early Entry.
You two are seriously the sweetest
I think you should just make a road drop video every time you go. They're so informative and things change all the time so it really helps people strategize.
For sure! Rope Drop strategies also change based on what your goal is.
If you don’t do thrill rides, Fantasyland has a lot of appeal at rope drop. And that takes a different approach.
First time my wife and I with going to Disney land and I was behind you in line at Rise of the resistance that same day. I said "that's So Cal Dad". Awesome seeing you.
Around 12:48, the worker stated you'll be going into the room for interrogation and then you replied, "I love this room". I laughed because that's not usually the normal response but disney makes it so fun you want to join in! I love watching you both! Going soon and I've never knew what the whole ordeal was for rope drop but now I do!
I can’t ever get enough of that room. I could stand there all day. 😂
Thank you!
I acted like Kylo was choking me when he did the hand thing… and the kids in the room thought I was probably part of the attraction because they were a bit shocked the game
Could hurt you lol
I just love your videos. I especially love how your whole family is involved. It really makes the experience relatable. Thank you so much for all the awesome info
Thanks to all your videos we had the best time visiting from the UK and waited no longer than 40mins for rise. Best rope drop tip ever.
Awesome! That’s what I like to hear. Thanks for sharing!
Great video, thanks for sharing your visit with me and my family.
My family is going to Disneyland for the first time the end of December (normally a Disney World family). We are really enjoying learning about California through you! You two are so high energy and fun! Thanks for sharing!!!!
We have to be with two energetic boys! Gotta keep up. 😂
I’m glad you’re finding the videos helpful!
My son and I also usually go to WDW in Dec but are going to Disneyland this year. I'm watching so many videos trying to figure out some strategies! Hope you have a great trip.
Thank you for all your Disneyland videos. We watched a lot of your videos prior to our trip. Your tips and tricks were perfect! We used them and had a great time, can’t wait to go back!
I’m so glad to hear this. Thanks for sharing!
Hey there! My husband, Phil, and I ran into you guys on Smugglers Run on Friday.😊 We thought it was so random and funny because we had literally just watched your video the night before. It was fun riding with you guys. It was our first Disney trip since before the pandemic. Thank you for helping make it a memorable one. Keep making awesome videos!
Thank you guys for riding with us! I’m glad to hear you had an awesome trip.
This is Craig Dennis did you have a nice weekend i watch your new videos all the time i in joy all of your videos all the time you have a nice safe evening 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Shared your videos with a fellow Australian tourist headed to Disney soon. Very helpful for trip planning. Thanks indeed - I’m sure you’re going to save me a lot of time
I’m so glad to hear this. I hope you both have an awesome visit.
Thank you so much for this video! Exactly what I needed as my family and I plan to rope drop Disneyland in a few weeks 😃
I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL TREVOR!!!!!!!
Thank you!
Great video! We are going tomorrow and I will use that strategy!
Peter Pan is also a notorious long line ride. You have an awesome channel
Thank you! Yes, it’s rare to see Peter Pan lower than 35 minutes at any point throughout the day.
Thank you for all the helpful tip over the last 9 months I’ve been watching your Channel. I was at Disneyland yesterday at rope drop and I was able to get in 15 rides that day (almost everything in Fantasyland and all the other popular rides I wanted except The Star Wars ones). I took a break mid day and got back 10 minutes before the magic Happens parade and ended up getting a great seat on the curb on Main Street. I was also lucky enough to snag a virtual que for World of Color. I didn’t stress, I only rushed when I was stuck in a line and almost missed my window to pick up my mobile order lol smh. I did DCA today for the first half and got about 6 rides in, watched the Avengers shows and had lunch at Lamp Light around 1. I wasted about an hour relaxing because my reservation was coming up and all the rides at the time were too long to wait and I didn’t want to end up late for my reservation. I switched back to Disney and rode a few more rides that weren’t must do for me. Everything turned out great because I was prepared. My 2 year old had the best time and that means so did I 😊
I’m so glad to hear this! Thank you for sharing your awesome visit. 😃
Thank you for your tips and tricks! :)
Hi Guys 6:24 my family and me will be visiting Disneyland on june 5th like you! I hope we can see you there! Keep on the great content.
We’ll be around! Haven’t booked my hotel yet. But that’s the final hurrah for my family before their passes are blocked out for the summer so we should definitely be going.
I’m going in late August. Maybe I will try your strategy.
I completely agree with waiting for the currently most popular rides until 9 or 10 AM. That first rush totally dies down! I also rope drop Alice on my east side rope drop day. They just reopened single rider for space Mountain, so I do that whenever I feel like it during the day. I’m not currently in shape to run with the bulls to space Mountain in the morning. Hoofing it all the way up there at that pace is just too much for me 😂 On my west rope drop day, I start with Indy or big thunder mountain.
Yeah, we saw the single rider line during our Genie+ ride through later that night. It’s a weird setup, but I guess it works?
@@SoCalDisneyDad I’ll find out in a week and let you know 😃
Perfect timing for this! I’ll be there this Sunday and Monday so I need all the rope drop tricks and tips I can get 🎉
Edited to add we also have a reservation for the Blue Bayou on Monday! So excited for that!
Nice! Hope you enjoy Blue Bayou!
Great tips as usual
Thank you!
Nothing like rope dropping at Disney. It's the only way to go. And you have great tips on what to do. All these videos makes me want to go to Disneyland. Not sure if I can work it in my solo trip to San Diego.
Great video as always. I’m always working the app at Disney all day and I get a headache but the app is so essential - and every day is so different with rides down.
Remember the days you didn’t need an app?
It was nice not to be glued to a phone all day. At the same time, checking wait times is the most useful thing ever. And mobile ordering is way better than standing in line for food. The pictures just help you make your decisions and I wouldn’t go back.
Planning to rope drop soon with Genie+ (I’ll look out for your upcoming video!) - what do you think about this strategy?
Focus on fantasyland for rope drop since the rides aren’t on Genie+, pick up the LL rides based on the return times (targeting a 9:30 window for Indiana Jones to start), then circle back throughout the day for some of the longer non-LL rides when I have gaps. Specifically pirates, Nemo, and storybook boats. My thought is I’d be more willing to stand in line for a 10+min experience vs Snow White or Pinocchio.
That sounds like an excellent plan. Fantasyland attractions weren’t our goal, all the high intensity rides were. But if you want to Fantasyland, then, yes, they’ll be at their lowest at rope drop.
Do Alice in Wonderland first. That’s going to be the one to get the longest lines as the day drags on (not longer than Peter Pan, but unless you are at the very front of the line, Peter Pan will be 30 minutes no matter what).
After that, I find the ones that are a drag to wait for are Casey Jr and Storybookland Canal Boats because of the slower loading.
Pinocchio, Snow White, and Mr. Toad are nearly continuously moving lines.
If you hit them all before 10 AM, you won’t wait much for all of them. But I get your plan to wait 20 minutes for the 10 minute ride and wanting to Snow White first. That’s a valid plan if that’s what works for you!
Awesome. Thanks for your video and insights!
I’ve watched so many of your videos in the last couple days that I can’t remember if this is the right one, but somewhere you said you’ll be in the park on June 5 and I’m so excited because we’ll be there that day too! I’ll keep my eyes open for you guys! 😁 Thanks for the awesome videos!
Yes! I believe in this one I mentioned we have a Blue Bayou reservation for that day. We will be there both the 5th and 6th as it’s the last opportunity for my family to visit until the end of summer (their passes are blocked out), so we are doing a two-day excursion.
So excited I have a three day trip in july, im gonna make my boyfriend rope drop for this exact reason
Love your videos - been binge watching all of them the past week in preparation for my trip this upcoming week haha.
Something I would like clarification if you don’t mind answering - if I plan on rope dropping but not staying at a hotel, what time should I head there by? I was under the assumption 7:30 is for early entry, but it seems a good number of people are let into the gates already? I’m getting confused on the timing between rope dropping and early entry.
Thanks again for all the tips and guide videos!
The gates open at 7:20 AM for all guests. But non-resort guests are held at ropes in the Hub area until 8 AM.
The earlier you arrive, the closer to the front of the rope drop line you are. Whether you choose to arrive at 7:20 AM, 7:55 AM or even 8:10 AM is really up to you.
We’ve done all of those times for various reasons in the past.
It just depends on whether your chosen rope drop attraction is very popular (Rise of the Resistance) or less so (Big Thunder Mountain).
The more popular the attraction you plan to rope drop, the earlier you should arrive.
@@SoCalDisneyDad Awesome! Thank you for taking the time to clarify and give tips. Hopefully I can fully utilize the golden hour via rope drop.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit WDW in Orlando many times, but I’ll be visiting Disneyland in Anaheim for the first time in a month. I’m SO excited and your channel has been a HUGE help in my planning and just general hype. THANK YOU! 🎉
How'd it go?
So, a while later, it went wonderfully! It was hot, but honestly loved it. As someone primed for like WDW experiences the wait times were great. The FOOD was SOO good! Pirates was SO COOOL (superior IMO). Unfortunately missed mansion because they were putting on the holiday skin. Overall an awesome park. I'd definitely go again. @@sub7se7en
Thanks for the tips! Why do you like the back row on Pirates?
Oh, nothing to do with anything special on Pirates. It’s just the back row. 😂
I get equally excited about the front row of things.
Just gained a subscriber ❤!!
Thank you!
Which would be a faster way to get to Space Mountain?
Rope Drop Monorail into Tomorrowland, or ropedrop in the hub at the Tomorrowland entrance?
The entrance, primarily because I don’t think you can even go through the turnstiles in Downtown Disney until after 8 AM. And then you have to wait for the monorail, ride it, get off, etc
I’m traveling from Australia to America for the first time in October this year for a Disney holiday. I’ve been watching all of your videos and they have been super helpful!! Is there any advice you’d give regarding the Halloween season?
Halloween is one of the most popular times of year. Not necessarily most crowded, that goes to Spring Break and Christmas Week. But it's a fantastic time to visit.
If you don't mind shelling out extra cash for exclusive experiences, try to go to Oogie Boogie Bash. This sells out VERY fast, so keep an eye on Disney news to know when they start selling tickets. You can meet a bunch of unique characters, go trick or treating (they hand out lots of candy), enjoy an exclusive parade, and Villain's Grove is just awesome.
The food at Halloween is some of the best the whole year. There will be dozens of new food options all around both parks. They're worth checking out.
Haunted Mansion receives a special overlay at Halloween/Christmas that is super popular. You'll definitely want to check that out.
Thank you so much!
I’ve never been to Disneyland before and I’m going for the first time the 1st of July! But I’ve been to WDW my whole life. So I’m really excited to go. My son will be 6 months old during our tip. What are your suggestions? Especially for rope drop?
For you, I’d suggest heading up to Fantasyland. I actually plan to put together a Fantasyland rope drop video in about two weeks time. So hopefully that will be helpful for you.
I plan to start off with Alice, then we are going to do Matterhorn, but your 6 month old won’t be able to so you could skip that. After we plan to go to Dumbo, Casey Jr, Mr. Toad, Snow White, Pinocchio, and Storybookland Canal Boats.
The other 3 fantasyland attractions (Peter Pan, small world, and the carousel) could reasonably be done whenever.
If you organize it right, I think it’s possible to do all 12 fantasyland rides before 10 AM. But that’s what I will find out in a few weeks.
I have a question, my gf and I are making our first trip up to Disneyland next month! We’re both excited but off all the Land vs World rides which would you recommend for newcomers?
All of them. 😂🤣
Disneyland’s versions of every ride is ALMOST unanimously better.
The notable exceptions off the top of my head are Ariel’s and Pooh’s, but those are mostly just because of the queue being amazing at WDW. The rides themselves are the same.
But our Space is better, our Big Thunder is better, our Pirates is better, our small world is better.
Make sure you ride our two unique e-ticket rides, Matterhorn and Indiana Jones.
When I was there for St Patrick's day the longest wait times where an hour. For rise and Indiana Jones. I thought they would be way longer but it was so much fun I can't wait until next time,I'm from Las Vegas so it's a little drive to go down there.
Mid-March is the very early beginning of Spring Break. The worst of it was from March 27-April 10.
I’m glad you had a great trip!
What strategy would you use if you want to do Toontown and Fantasyland? Would you suggest Mickey and Minnie's first then Fantasyland or a combination of both? Trying to figure out the best strategy for these two lands when going at the end of July. Thanks! You're videos have been so helpful!
Enjoying all your videos! Do you think the first day of Hyperspace Mountain would be crazy to try to rope drop if not near front? Or not too much different than regular Space? Oh - and any idea if Space would be down/close early on April 30 for the switchover? Or something that just happens after hours?
That’s hard to say. I’ve not observed Hyperspace rope drop in some time. I would assume it’ll be crazy. Especially the first day.
They will definitely have to close Space for a little while. They have to add tie fighters and things to the ride. I don’t know how long it’ll be closed though.
It’s not listed on the refurb schedule, but I would count on it being closed at some point that day either early in the morning (most likely) with a soft launch of Hyperspace later that day or later in the evening (to do the switch through the night).
I don’t know how long it takes them to switch. So it might even be down the whole day.
@@SoCalDisneyDad Thanks! Yeah - Would be fun to catch both versions on back-to-back days…will see what happens :)
Question: if you had one day with a hopper pass (and Genie+) , which park do you recommend to rope drop first to do the most rides that day across the two parks? We're quasi-expert WDW vets but this will be our first trip out west so I'm learning all about DL and DCA from your videos!
Disneyland. It’s got more rides overall, so it’ll be the likely place to start to knock out more rides first thing.
All the good rides in DCA are on Genie+ with the exception of Radiator Racers which is ILL.
@@SoCalDisneyDad That makes sense, thanks for the reply! Keep up the great content.
Thank you for asking this bc I’m planning for this exact scenario! 1 day park hopper with Genie+
@@eliseg0001 np! And going to DL did work for me. I did a combo of his plan and the guy from FreshBaked. Both were most helpful. I rope dropped space mountain and went from there. Using genie+ worked so much better than in WDW where it's so much more crowded
@@TheRealOne24 glad to hear it! curious, were able to stack LLs for DCA while you were in Disneyland?
I plan to go to DCA on May 7th and Disneyland on May 8th with my sister and her two kids. We might be staying at a hotel nearby. I’m hoping when I arrive in Disneyland, we can try out Galaxies Edge most of the day. Including getting in Oga’s cantina for the first time too. Any tips, for a casual Star Wars fan (myself), on how to approach our day at Disneyland on a Monday? And, to fit space mountain & Star tours in the mix too?
You’ll have plenty of time to do all that. If you rope drop Space Mountain and Star Tours you’d knock both of those out in the first 20-30 minutes.
Then you can leisurely enjoy Galaxy’s Edge the rest of the day if that’s what you wanted to do.
I’m assuming you don’t have reservations for Oga’s, so you’ll want to join the waitlist pretty early (like don’t wait until 7 PM, but you don’t need to be there right at 8:00 AM, unless of course Breakfast was what you wanted).
@@SoCalDisneyDad like how early for Oga’s cantina? We were thinking of doing that near lunch/dinner hours of that afternoon. For just us 4 people I mean.
@@Burmhaven010 I think I did around 2-3 PM.
That’s in that flux between meal times.
I just worry if you hold out till prime dinner times (6-7 PM) that there won’t be any space left. I don’t know that for certain as I rarely try to go there. But it’s better to go early than too late.
Have you ever stayed at one of the hotels and went in for that early hour? How were wait times on things like MMRR?
I have not done early entry yet. I want to. It’s just not something we’ve done yet. I’m hoping sometime in the next 3 months maybe?
I should add that MMRR is not open for early entry. But you could position yourself to be at the front of the line at 8 AM by joining the early entry rope drop for Toontown.
Another great video traver. I keep trying to figure out when gate & rope drop was for Tues June 27th. I was guessing 7:30 and 8. Our idea was spot on with your route here with space, thunder, pirates, and haunted before trying to tackle rise. We were curious as to what to expect in the lines regards to fans or whether there was AC inside waits like the older rides of fantasyland. Basically, is it a sweat box? Coming from Phoenix, we are always comparing heat aspects of things. A day in the low -mid 80s late June there is still better than here. Also, is everything cashless in the park? Thx again.
June won't be overly hot. I mean, anything is possible. I recall one June that reached 113 degrees. BUT we usually experience June Gloom, which is a coastal phenomenon that sees overcast skies until after noon most days. This keeps the temperature pretty well regulated and moderate. It doesn't usually get sweltering until end of July. Coming from Phoenix, you'll think Anaheim is refreshing.
To answer the direct questions, no, there aren't really fans or AC anywhere except Rise of the Resistance and Mickey and Minnie's. But this won't affect your overall enjoyment. In fact, I find the cold more bothersome at Disneyland than the heat.
Someone commented and said that gates open at 7:20 AM due to early entry guests. So it's 10 minutes earlier than I thought.
Copy that. We have a couple disposable ponchos at the ready. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. Looking forward to seeing how your blue bayou experience will be. Ive got 10 days before I can start making reservations there, docking bay 7, cafe Orleans, etc. I know the menu is more varied at Orleans and cheaper but have to weigh that with the ambiance of BB since never been. Whats your off-beat meal recommendation times? Was thinking 11 lunch, 5 dinner?
@@wesgover261 Those are the time we usually do. Yes. First thing when places open for lunch, and then dinner, sometimes we do a bit early around 4:00-4:30 depending on how hungry we are. But around 5:00 usually
You're rope drop line video's are awesome. Since Space Mountain is temporarily closing, what would you change in yor strategy? Also dop you have tips for what to do 10 pm - midnight?
You can pretty much do whatever at 10 PM. The park empties out. Even if the app says 55 minutes. It’s a lie. They post those high wait times to make you want to go home so cast members can leave earlier and Disney doesn’t have to pay them longer (for real). Because if you hop in line at 11:59 PM, you get to ride the ride, even if it’s an hour wait. So Disney tries to discourage long lines from forming late at night.
Without Space Mountain, I’d probably rope drop Indiana Jones or Mickey and Minnie’s. Keeping in mind there’s a line of early entry guests queuing up outside of Toontown for rope drop and regular guests are stuck back at the Hub.
So Indiana Jones may be the safe bet.
@@SoCalDisneyDad Thank you!
Do you try and stay in one area and ride as many rides in that area be fore moving to different area?
Thank you for your videos. We plan on going in Oct and your. Videos are giving me so much good info! We would love to attend boogie bash but I hear they sell out quickly. Do you know which park boogie bash is in?
We generally hop all over the park and go where we want and follow the low wait times. But you can do what’s best for you.
OBB is in DCA. Mix-in begins at 3 PM. Park closes to regular guests (and the event officially begins) at 6 PM. The event ends at 11 PM.
At rope drop I like to ride the Fantasyland rides during the golden hour.
Thanks so much for this video! We are heading to Disneyland (from New Zealand) at end of 28th August, we have two teenagers, so they love the exciting/thrill rides, what would you recommend as the best rides for them and what should we rope drop?
Space mountain, Matterhorn Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Then see how long the line for Rise of the Resistance is around 9am. Also think about doing Indiana Jones in there unless it’s over 50-60 minutes.
@@SoCalDisneyDad Thank you so much :)
Hi! Thanks for the great video! Does anyone have a suggestion for 30min early park entry and then a rope drop? Is Runway railway a good choice? or Even resistance?
The only rides open for early entry are Tomorrowland and Fantasyland.
I imagine there’s a rope drop like for Mickey and Minnie’s up by small world that you could wait in. But I’d recommend Space Mountain and Peter Pan during early entry.
Thanks for this video!! Really enjoy watching your videos even if I’ve seen the same ones 10x or more. But I wanted to ask if the App shows that the rides were closed? Like haunted mansion was closed during the golden hour but did the app show that it was open?
The app is 100% trustworthy and reliable. The app and posted wait time will never disagree. Not that I've seen anyway. You're not the first person to ask this, which I find strange. I wonder who is out there telling people the app is wrong. Because I've never known it to be.
I'm pretty positive the system that controls wait times is connected. If the posted wait time gets updated, the app does too.
So to answer the direct question, yes, when Haunted Mansion was closed, the app said it was closed, too.
If we are going to get Genie+, do you advise that we don't use Genie+ in the first hour in the park? Not sure if the wait times are so low that early in the morning, if it's worth it to use Genie + on the rides.
My Genie+ video will be out on Friday! I address this in more detail.
But I’d recommend booking your first lightning lane for 9 AM. The first ride to reach this mark will be Indiana Jones. The rest of them take a little while to build up, but yes, it’s better to standby rides the first hour.
Just curious, if you were going to be Single Rider but not buy Genie+, would you go to Indy first, then Pirates, then Haunted Mansion? At DCA, would you advise going to Guardians first? I’m thinking I need to maximize the rides without single rider, and those are all generally in the same area
That sounds like a good plan to me to hit the rides you are most interested in without single rider.
Space, Smuggler’s, Splash, Matterhorn, Radiator Springs, Web Slingers, and Incredicoaster all have single rider.
An article online says Indy has one (you have to ask a cast member and they’ll send you through the exit). Same with Star Tours. But I cannot confirm this for 100% certain.
We always rope-drop Indiana Jones, followed by Pirates, then Haunted Mansion.
Good strategy!
Loved this! What would you recommend rope dropping if space mountain was out of the question and we had Genie+? I’m trying to decide between fantasy or toon town. Or should we stick to pirates and haunted? Lol
Alice in Wonderland, hands down. Up in Toon Town, Chip ‘n Dale has been having historically high lines due to being “newly rethemed” (it’s not any different) and is not really worth the wait. Roger Rabbit is on Genie+ so there’s no need to rope drop it. Mickey and Minnie’s is either better to pay for it or go at 10 PM after it reopens from fireworks (upcoming video will cover this strategy).
@@SoCalDisneyDad will definitely do that. A friend told me Peter Pan but I wasn’t sure if it was worth it. I’m definitely adding that cinnamon roll to my list
@@kjc_cal2112 Unless you are at the front of the line (and don’t have a stroller, parking those and maneuvering them loses a lot of ground at rope drop), Peter Pan will be too long right away.
I’ve rope dropped it 3-4 times in the past and I can never get up there fast enough to avoid standing there for at least 20-25 minutes.
@@SoCalDisneyDad makes sense, and yes I’m taking a stroller but now I’m rethinking it. He doesn’t use one but I keep hearing they’re necessary.
@@kjc_cal2112 They are very helpful if for no other reason than to be a place to keep your stuff.
We’ve been parking our stroller in one spot for a few hours and just walking around without.
We move it from time to time just so it’s not looking like it’s been abandoned.
I'm coming next week to Disneyland so I am a bit confused still about the 2hr wait and stacking rides. Any videos about this? Thanks
The 2 hour stacking rule applies to Genie+, which since it’s your first time I recommend purchasing. This video explains how genie+ works and the stacking rule.
26 Best Genie+ Tips to SKIP the Line like a PRO at Disneyland
th-cam.com/video/jh8E6N5V12M/w-d-xo.html
Hi,
I love your content and is very helpful. Im a Disney World girl and I can do it with my eyes closed 😂 but I’m going for the first time to CA to Disneyland and DCA, we will do 1 park per day (2 days trip), I bought Genie+ and will buy Individual Lightning for Rise and Radiator. My question is: Should I stacking the “big rides” with Genie+ and rope drop Fantasyland (the ones don’t have Genie)?
Or rope drop SpaceMountain, stacking the big rides for later and then run to Fantasyland?
Thank you.
Stacking isn’t really possible at Disneyland, unless you constantly keep modifying later and later.
LLs do not disappear nearly as fast here and you’ll find that Genie+ is much easier to use here.
I would avoid engaging the 2-hour rule if at all possible here.
I would rope drop Space and then head to Fantasyland, selecting your first LL sometime around 9:30. You’ll actually have to wait for it to push out this far, but if you book anything earlier, you’re wasting it because there are no lines to skip early on in the day.
Big Thunder at 35 min means it’s actually at 20, 25 at most from entry to rear-end on the seat of the coaster.
I went last week and I noticed a few things. Rise of the resistance said 60 minutes and we waited and i timed it, 20 minutes! So maybe they say a high wait time to encourage buying the lightning lane passes. We didnt rope drop but instead got on the monorail at downtown Disney and cut through the heavy traffic. Many rides estimated wait times werent accurate. Unfortunately splash mountain kept breaking down and really wanted to ride it before it closed down.
I believe Rise of the Resistance is timed until you get on the ride, not until the Rey Room. Because it said 45 for us and we timed it. 20-25 to the Rey room, but it was 40-45 until we physically got on the ride.
60 is reasonable for that. It means the line was higher and it might have gone done a little later or they didn’t send a Red card through to update the time. Or they did, but they were spaced out further and it was back to 60 again.
Disneyland’s times tend to be fairly accurate BECAUSE of the red card system. The waits are what actual families waited. They get scanned in when a family enters the line, and scanned out at whatever designated point the CMs have for collecting the red card. Then the time is automatically updated to the nearest 5 minutes based on what those folks waited.
Hi again!!! Where can I see the waiting times? Please😅
If you download the Disneyland app, select the pin drop looking icon at the bottom of the app and you'll see their wait time map.
@@SoCalDisneyDad I got it!
This is the plan I had in mind for my trip next week. Space Mountain rope drop, then try for Big Thunder, and see what my third option will be during the golden hour. I hope I can do Indiana Jones. I'll leave Star Wars Rise for the 9-10 hour like you did.
Indy is a good possibility. It was 25 minutes at 9 AM on Friday. Which was about 20 minutes lower than it was at rope drop. So that’s ideal.
I didn't quite rope drop, but showed up right before 9am the other day and was able to ride Big Thunder, Pirates, and Jungle Cruise with little to no waits before 10am. Same deal another day with my 4 year old we hit up Pinocchio, Mr Toad, and Small World in around the same time frame. Maybe these are more like C-D tickets but that's why I really don't feel like waiting long for them later.
Big Thunder and Pirates can get long waits, the rest don’t really ever go above 30 minutes, so I would put them at a slightly lower priority, but they are still excellent options for Rope Drop.
@@SoCalDisneyDad when I’m with my kids we end up prioritizing fantasyland because there’s no way to skip those lines later and my kids’ have very little patience. I save Alice for later because it’s great during the parade time. The wait is lower during the parade because everyone pauses to watch it. But if you do have to wait some. you can just watch the parade the entire time.
We are going to DL on a *busy* weekend. Got Genie+ and plan to ILL Rise. Question is do we rope drop Mickey and Minnie or Hyperspace?
I’d say Hyperspace. Lately, Mickey and Minnie’s hasn’t been getting too long of lines. I think the newness hype is dying down a bit among the annual passholders.
But I’m assuming you’re talking Memorial Day weekend, so conventional wait times are a bit out the window there.
You might consider Mickey and Minnie’s because it’s still an ILL, so you’re saving money rope dropping that ride. Whereas Genie+ will get you on Hyperspace.
Does rope dropping a single rider line make a difference?
For sure! In some situations.
So if you rope drop something like Radiator Springs Racers over at DCA, the single rider will bypass the 60 minute wait it instantly gets.
But at a ride like Matterhorn? Not really. No. Because the wait is 5 minutes in the morning.
What about rope dropping toontown? We’re going for oogie boogie bash Oct 10 and doing Disneyland the day before on the 9th❤️
You could if you wanted, though I personally wouldn't. I think the coaster is pretty lame (unless you have an 18 month old) and I strongly dislike Roger Rabbit. And Mickey and Minnie's has had decent standby waits later in the day lately that rope dropping there just isn't worth it to me. My goal is usually to aim for the rides with an excess of an hour wait later in the day. Space Mountain and Indiana Jones being the primary two with Big Thunder and Matterhorn being secondary options. At Halloween time, Haunted Mansion is actually our normal rope drop because Haunted Mansion Holiday often sees 45-60 minute waits as well.
You need an on-screen clock! You did mention the time throughout, but visuals can be helpful.
Yes, my graphical skills with editing are somewhat limited. I could put up a still image, but no idea how to do the fun special effects I've seen on other channels. And I'm not quite large enough to be able to add professional video editing to the budget yet.
For sure, if I can remember the next time wait times come up, I can add a "posted time/actual time" text at least.
Hey there, enjoying your channel! Rope drop question: would you still recommend heading for Space Mountain first in the morning if you are traveling solo? Since they have single rider would it be better to shoot for another ride first? Thanks!
The single rider at Space is super convenient and yeah, I’d definitely go somewhere else. Probably Indiana Jones?
@@SoCalDisneyDad awesome- thanks for the advice!
@@SoCalDisneyDad hey there, just wanted to say I implemented a multitude of your tips on my visit this week and had an absolutely excellent day- many thanks!!
@@Stevojay So glad to hear this! Thanks for reporting back.
Hi Traver! We want to do Rise as our number one thing to do on Sunday 2nd and Monday 3rd of July…. So you say to try and do it between 9-10am after the rush has died down from rope drop. When would you aim for if you started in DCA on the 3rd…. Ie when from 11am should we aim for??
So when you did it with a 45 minute wait time, is that a 45 min wait for the standby line or is that a 45 min wait if you have the LL?
And if we have genie+, when do you buy an individual LL… when you first get into the park and then choose a time for later? Or how?
And if you book an ILL for later in the day, eg. Now it’s 12.30 and it says ILL for 5pm, do you have to wait to do that first or can you do other experiences first through normal lightning lane that are within 30 mins or less of your booking time?!
I think I understand how to do LL, but the ILL is a different kettle of fish!
Thanks so much! 🙏🌈🥳
So the 9 AM to 10 AM thing might not apply on your weekend. I tracked wait times for 2 straight weeks and Rise was lower about 80-90% of the time at 9 AM. But not ALWAYS. And being a holiday weekend most conventional wait times can get thrown out the door.
Your best bet is going to be to keep an eagle eye on wait times on the Disneyland app.
The first thing I’d rope drop in DCA would be Toy Story or Spider-Man. A lot of people go to Guardians, and it’s not a BAD strategy and MOST will be going to Radiator Springs Racers. But fewer go to Spidey and Toy Story, making it a better choice for quick turn around.
When we did Rise, it was 45 minutes standby from stepping into line until sitting down on the ride vehicle itself after 3 preshows.
You can buy an ILL right away as soon as you enter the park. You don’t even need Genie+ to buy an ILL. Anyone can buy those. If it’s like Disney World, you can schedule a time. But I haven’t bought an ILL so I don’t know for 100% certain.
ILL and Genie+ aren’t connected. So they don’t impact each other. You can book Genie+ and ILL at the same time.
@@SoCalDisneyDad thanks Traver this is such awesome advice!
So is it worth just maybe going in the standby if it’s a 45 minute queue for Rise, and then booking an ILL for later on to do it twice??!!! ☺️
Let’s hope for 9am ish on that first day and see how we go!
I’ve got to keep doing more TH-cam watching of your videos and planning! Thanks so much for taking the time to write me such a detailed message 🙏
@@fionapaterson3747 Yes! That’s a valid strategy! Definitely try to ride it twice if you can. It’s the best ride in the Disneyland park.
If everyone in your party is older than 7 years old, I’d highly recommend utilizing single rider when possible. This includes Radiator Springs Racers, the most popular ride in DCA. Single Rider will literally cut the standby line 75%. So if it’s posted 60 minutes, single rider is generally around 15 minutes.
Hi! 👋 Space Mountain will be under refurbishment when we are going next Friday. What is another ride you would recommend rope dropping? Thanks! 😊
Indiana Jones or Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. MMRR has cooled down in popularity since I made this video and it’s a solid rope drop option these days.
Thank you!
plan is to rope drop Space Mtn, Star Tours, haunted Mansion and pirates.. should I split this between two days or is it possible
.. your videos have been VERY helpful. thank you!
I think you could do all four of those in the first 90 minutes or so the park is open. With one exception, if you're coming between September 1st and January 7th, Haunted Mansion will get a line really fast. So be aware if you save it till last, it might have a 45 minute wait by the time you get there.
But if you rope drop Haunted Mansion, Space will likely be the same by the time you get there. So if you will be doing two rope drops at Disneyland, you might start with Space one day and Haunted the other.
we will be there 10/7 and 10/8. Yeah weekend, but we do have genie plus. and if i understand it right, i can use it for mansion in the am and the wife can use it later in the day? also can you pm me a link for the "selfiestick" you use. thanks!
@@SoCalDisneyDad
@@SoCalDisneyDad looks like i wont have to worry about Space Mtn.. lol.. which tripod do you have? thanks
@@markhurley983 It’s a Manfrotto. amzn.to/47Z5an3
So I have a 6 and 5 year old; what would be your recommended plan of action for rope drop?
If they like thrills, follow this plan. If they like tamer dark rides, head to Fantasyland.
Thanks for the fantasyland tip at the end! Because 30 minutes is still a lot with a toddler 😂 definitely rope dropping the train and Alice!
In a few weeks, I’m planning to see if I can do all 12 Fantasyland rides within the first two hours of park opening which we’ll call our Fantasyland rope drop strategy.
I think we are going to aim for the 30th for this visit. But reservations are all gone so I’m kinda just hoping something opens up the night before.
@@SoCalDisneyDad that’s a great idea!!
Been making plans with my family to go to Disney and we have been watching all your videos, i heard you mention you are going june 5 and we have debated june 5 or 6, but we werent sure of the crowds since there is grad days, do you follow a calender to see which day out of the 2 will be most packed?
I usually look at the pricing of 1-day tickets on their website.
Both the 5th and the 6th are Tier 0 (cheapest) days. That means Disney is not expecting high crowds. They reduced the cost to entice more people to visit.
That doesn’t mean it will be empty. It just means it’s more likely to be less crowded.
What day of the week was this? I plan on taking my kids there in May on a Tuesday and Wednesday
Friday, April 14th.
Tuesday or Wednesday is definitely better than a weekend for low crowd levels.
I am staying at Disneyland Hotel, do you think heading to Fantasyland and knocking out as much as I can in that early half hour a good plan?
If you like Space Mountain, I’d ride that first. At that point in the morning, it’ll be so low you could literally ride it 2-3 times if you wanted.
But otherwise, yes, Peter Pan’s Flight should be first on your list and then wipe out as much of fantasyland as possible.
Can I ask you a silly question? Is this your full time job? If do I'd like to have it. You guys get to go everywhere and I'm assuming you get free tickets or severely discounted tickets?
TH-cam makes up about half of my income. But only recently so. Within the last 4-5 months.
I’m self-employed in marketing, so I have flexibility to go whenever.
Through the school year, we generally stick to weekends. Once a week. I film multiple videos each visit, so though I may post 3-5 videos a week, I’m really only in parks 1-2 days/week.
We have annual passes, so have one big expense once a year, and then it costs maybe $150/week in gas and in-park food purchases.
All of my expenses for anything related to TH-cam are tax deductible as a business expense. So plane tickets, hotels, rental car (all when necessary of course. I can’t write off any plane ticket, like to visit family. It has to be business related).
I’m actually not large enough to get discount tickets. I have seen larger vloggers get comped an entire cruise from Disney etc, but we aren’t there yet. So I pay for all this stuff out of pocket.
TH-cam earnings cover 100% of my expenses with a little left over. And my self-employed business pays for our living costs.
So you could say I’m a full-time vlogger, but if I lost my other income source, this would not be enough. Not yet anyway. Perhaps another year or two.
Awesome tips again! Qq…if you do rope drop Rise , can you eat while waiting in line (ronto wrap) 😂
Yes! But you’d have to get the wrap, so that takes a little bit of time, meanwhile the line is filling up.
At which point, you’re probably better off waiting until 9ish to hop in line and let the initial rush die down, like we did in this video.
But it is totally an option.
@@SoCalDisneyDad got it ..thanks for the tip .:so essentially we are better off finishing rides in adventure land during first hour before shifting to galaxy’s edge
@@ph090583 For sure. Unless you plan to pay for Rise, at which point you could reasonably go whenever you wanted. You’d just need to keep an eye on Lightning Lane return times before purchasing.
Rope drop strategy with two adults seems to involve walking from land to land to ride the longer wait rides early. Does this strategy change with young kids? My daughter is in kindergarten, walks slow and will want to stop and look around constantly
We have two kids, age 9 and 6. And we usually cart them around to ride the bigger rides early with low wait times. Even when we visit WDW, parks they are less familiar with.
There are times to enjoy the sights and sounds after lunch time when you want to take it slower and the park is starting to get busier.
But we usually recommend making the most of the lower wait times in the early morning if you can.
What’s the best advice to be able to ride Rise of the Resistance ride during our trip. We’re going to be there for two days. Our last two trips, we weren’t able to ride it.
The BEST way is to pay for individual lightning lanes. If the ride breaks, they'll issue you a multi-experience pass to come again later. They'll do this even if you don't pay for it if you're far enough along, but if you've purchased an ILL, they will for sure.
If Rise breaks, which it often does, it's down for a minimum of 40-60 minutes because that's how long it takes their system to reboot. If you're still in the main standby queue, your choices are to wait it out (huge waste of time) or leave and try again later (restarting the line from the very beginning).
This is a huge gamble. Buying an ILL avoids this gamble.
But if you don't want to pay for it, riding it standby between 9 AM and 10 AM is routinely the lowest point in the day for wait times for Rise of the Resistance.
How many rides can you do in Fantasy Land during early entry for hotel guests
All of them are open except Storybookland Canal Boats, Casey Jr Circus Train, and it’s a small world.
I’d say it would be possible to knock out at least 5 Fantasyland rides during early entry if you’re moving quickly from attraction to attraction.
@@SoCalDisneyDad thank you
Is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway worth rushing to at rope drop?
No, you’re better off going there around 9 AM. The wait times are routinely lower than rope drop at 9 AM, but they go back up by 10. So somewhere in that second hour is my suggestion.
Does Benjamin go on Space?
Yes! He loves it. On this visit, we were without the kiddos (I filmed A LOT of content and they only tolerate so much 😂. They just want to ride rides).
The only ride he doesn’t like is Big Thunder. For some strange reason he doesn’t like the goat.
*ROPE DROP REQUEST* :) going on may 5th..
5 adults 2 kids (1&5) I would love any rope drop advice for my situation. I’m open to anything thank you! :D
Oh and if you can help wi DCA too that would be great!
Fantasyland is probably going to be a high priority for you. We will have a video out, probably tomorrow, highlighting this rope drop strategy.
In DCA, you’ll want to do both Monsters Inc and Toy Story Midway Mania before they get too busy.
@@SoCalDisneyDad thank you so much! I’m looking forward to it!
What if we have 1 day. Should we buy park hopper & genie+?
That really depends on what you're hoping to accomplish and how many times you've visited Disneyland in the past. If this is a first visit, a single day in both parks is really rushed and you're better off staying with Disneyland.
If you've been several times before, a park hopper with Genie+ is great.
@SoCal Disney Dad it's first time and I really wanna visit Avengers Campus especially Guardians of the galaxy
@@ansarakanayev2888 Then go for it! Do what you guys wanna do. The important thing is you have a good time.
How about Indiana Jones? When is the best time of the day for that ride?
Before 9 AM if no Genie+
There are a lot of videos where he goes to space mountain first thing. It would be nice to see him do some of the things he doesn’t recommend just to see.. like going to Peter Pan. We find that rope drop wait is definitely shorter than the rest of the day.
Yes, it’s shorter at Peter Pan in the AM. But the problem is that it still takes awhile and takes away from other things. We opt for maximizing the first hour with as many high powered rides as possible, instead of merely riding the most popular rides when they are at their lowest in comparison to themselves.
What do I mean? Well, 30 minutes for Peter Pan in the AM might be better than 60 minutes in the afternoon, but I could ride both Space Mountain (80 minutes in the afternoon) and Big Thunder (50 minutes in the afternoon) in the same amount of time it took me to ride just Peter Pan.
I'm going to be using a mobility scooter (chronic low back pain), how are things as far as accessibility now? Last time we went, some rides gave a time to come back later and others had alternate entrances (usually going in the exit).
Oh, and what time is early hotel entrance?
Those situations will still be the same. Unless you qualify for DAS pass. You’d have to look that up. DAS (Disability Access Service) is basically just like Genie+ but better.
Early entry is 7:30 AM.
@@SoCalDisneyDad Thanks! I'll look into the DAS thing too, but heard it's better to do that in the park.
@@AlexandraUtschig Yes, it’s easier to apply in the park from what I’ve heard too. Just wasn’t sure if you could figure out what the qualifications were ahead of time.
I’ve not looked into it to any great depth.
I'm so confused what is rope drop? Are you not using Genie+?
Rope Drop is the moment the rope preventing you from entering the park “drops” and allows guests to go and get on rides.
It’s just a term meaning to arrive at park opening instead of 1-3 hours later.
Since most people sleep in or don’t show up until almost lunch time, some of the most valuable ride time is first thing in the morning.
You generally don’t want to waste Genie+ during this time because you won’t be skipping any of the line as there is no line for most rides.
Can you do a “Best Rope Drop Strategy for Toddlers” or a “Disneyland with Toddlers” video with must have items, character info, ride switch, etc.
The fantasyland video that I put out about a week or so ago with regards to rope drop will be most helpful for this.
Additionally, I’m putting together a full list of rides toddlers can ride and that should be out later this week.
Characters is also another video that’s on the to-do but I’m not sure when it’ll come out.
👍
Wait is space mountain 2 seater ?
It’s a side by side 2 seater in Disneyland, but in Disney World it’s 3 single seats behind each other like Matterhorn.
@@SoCalDisneyDad great so you can go with a daughter/son . So they won’t be scared my son first time lol.
@@SoCalDisneyDad I’ll be there March 21-23 . Am watching your videos . Am rope dropping Disneyland . Am nervous .
I've heard that the Disneyland app intentionally shows wait times for popular rides to be longer than they really are, to encourage people to go on other rides (or shop!). Have you found that the wait times on the app are generally correct, or really exaggerated??
The app is no different than the actual ride numbers. They won’t disagree.
Generally, the lines are accurate throughout the day.
But late at night, they intentionally list them high so you go home.
Big Thunder said 50 minutes at 11:45 PM Friday Night. It was a walk on.
@@SoCalDisneyDad That makes sense. Thanks for your quick answer. I love your videos! We'll be in Disneyland on May 9,10,11, can't wait!!!
What day of the week did y’all go on
This was this past Friday, April 14th.
@@SoCalDisneyDad gotcha
Not sure if you have ever tried the cinnamon bun at Gaston’s Tavern, but would love to know your thoughts on how it compares to the one at the Jolly Holiday! Another great vlog! Definitely helps us more with our planning!
Yes!!! We were comparing the two to ourselves off camera.
It’s been a year since Gaston’s. And I really want to get it next week on my quick trip, BUT my intent for the visit is to film food I HAVEN’T eaten before.
So I’m torn.
But it’s sooooooo good I might make a single exception for the Gaston’s cinnamon bun.
@@SoCalDisneyDad You should get one at Gaston’s, especially since it’s been a year! That way both are fresh in your mind! We are definitely going to try it from Jolly Holiday!
I feel like hopping from land to land you waste a lot of time that you could have just done standing in line. Pick your rope drop line then do the rides nearby and make your way across the park riding things. Also why were never get Park Hopper tickets. You waste a ton of time walking from park to park
In Disney World we follow less of a bouncing around schedule, but in Disneyland it really doesn’t take long to walk across the park, so we tend to save more time finding the shorter lines.
Headed to California for our very first trip to Disneyland! So excited. Thanks for the tips. So nervous we won’t get to ride everything in the short time we will be there. So used to WDW
How long are you planning to be there?
@@SoCalDisneyDad we have 3 park days
We figured 2 in DL and 1 in DCA. All weekdays
May 8,9,10
@@Thetaylorsonthego Three is perfect! My first two visits to Disneyland were 3 day trips.
You’ll have plenty of time. Something to consider is adding a hopper. At WDW, they charge you per day for the hopper. But at Disneyland, it’s $60/person flat rate and it applies to the entire length of your stay.
The two parks are steps apart. You may not need it the first day. Or the second. But the third day it would allow you to hit both for anything you wanted to do again or might have missed. And if you think you’ll use it even on one day, as I said, it applies to the whole length of your tickets.
On your DCA day, it would allow you to go into Disneyland after DCA closes for some amazingly low wait times if you’re up for staying out till midnight.
@@Thetaylorsonthego Also, be aware that Disneyland closes early on the 8th for Star Wars Nite.
So a hopper would allow you to go to DCA when Disneyland closes at 8 PM until DCA closes at 10 PM.
@@SoCalDisneyDad thank you so much for the advice.
Hello Traver and Amy?? Sorry, just subscribed. Don't know your channel yet. You two are great together. Fantastic energy. Please correct me on your names. Are you married, dating, friends. Either way, great chemistry, great channel. All the best.
Yes! We are married, 12 years this June, and have two kids (8 and 5).
This was a “date” visit for us. The next couple of videos will be without the kids (I filmed a lot of different content that day).
Congrats on 12 years. My wife and I are celebrating 32 years. It all goes by in a blink. God bless.
Trying to convince my husband that rope dropping Rise is not the best plan. We shall see.
You are better off showing up at Rise at 9 AM and using the first hour to hit up other rides.
that cinnamon roll doesnt sound too good
so not been to disney, but it seems you are running around like headless chooks. do you not do disney like a zoo? like you want to be at the seal show at 11 and the elephants at 2 so you plan the day going in the direction of the seals and then making you way to the elephants. trying to be mindful of double tracking/extra walking. so say i want to mickeys ride i would stay there and do that section, then the star ways stuff etc. is it better to walk back and forth and round and round to get the best use of your day? seems rather tiring!!!! 🙂
You can totally go land by land if you want, it’ll just be slower going, waiting in line for a ride that maybe be 20-30 minutes shorter an hour later.
We chase the lower wait times. Always have. We are the type of people that want to maximize every minute.
If you have more time (3-5 days), you can absolutely take a slower approach.
thank you! i will take your approach as i don’t like wasting money and standing in lines is sure a waste! does not seem logical but you dont want to spend a day in a line 🙂
makes me sick that anyone can even return to disneyland more than once then keeps returning (not including 4-5 day organized trip). My trip was horrible, there was WAY 2 MANY GODDAMN PEOPLE, and the cause of this is because of repeat people constantly returning to the park.