August 2017 Disneyland Check-In & Chat!

[NorthernCalMom]

You will need to use your park tickets to ride the monorail. The DTD station counts as an entrance to DL. Maybe you could see a movie in DTD at the AMC? Or spend some time in the arcade upstairs at the ESPN Zone? You can also do another character meal since 3 of them are outside the parks in the on site hotels.

My two daughters love going to the LEGO store as one of our DTD activities. Lots of fun stuff to see, and they usually have bins with bricks for the kids to play & build.

 

[BriannaRuth]

Would love to get some input from DLR veterans on our possible itinerary! Group of 7, DS is 4, DD is 5. Pretty much this is all our first time at DLR.

We have 4 day single park tickets so can utilize one early morning at DL.

My 1st thought was 2 park days (DL and CA), day off, then a 2nd day at each park. We will be doing a breakfast at Minnie and friends (10:30ish) so I want that to be on a day when we can get in to DL early which is Tues and Thurs. Based on my initial itinerary, the day that would work for us is Thurs, but I wonder if we want to do a character meal on the last day? Or we can push through 3 days of parks (Sun, Mon, Tues). Or we can swap park days to Mon/Tues and Thurs/Fri (the con with that is it leaves less time for packing).

Sat, Aug 12: flight from San Francisco
Sun, Aug 13: park day
Mon, Aug 14: park day
Tues, Aug 15: day off
Weds, Aug 16: park day
Thurs, Aug 17: park day
Fri, Aug 18: day off
Sat, Aug 19: fly home!

We are also considering dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. I am thinking put that on a day off.

I'd also like to sign my daughter up for Anna and Elsa's Frozen Boutique! Ideally that'd be a day before we see lots of characters so I can get lots of pics of her hair. Any one do this? We did BBB in WDW and her hair stayed up for at least 2 days!

I am basically the planner in my family so the only people to bounce my ideas off are you folks on the board! Thank you!

You will be there the same days we will. Only we're staying at the DLH so we have EE every day and 5 day hoppers.

I would definitely start on Sunday AM at DL. That's a DCA EE day and our experience has been that Sundays are a great day to be at DL, especially if you can be there for rope drop. Although we are staying at the DLH and have EE every day, we are choosing to start out Sunday at DL without EE because we've had such good luck on Sunday mornings there.

We always try to take a mid-week break.

 

[jcc0621]

Yes, fairly certain people will race to get these we want the second show, so will probably try to pull ours after 9am

Is the second show less crowded. My son has sensory issues, so we try to go to the shows that are less crowded.

 

[22Tink]

so this morning I booked all 3 packages for F! -- i am going to see what we end up doing based on the reviews that come in....we may keep one or cancel all three!
$$$$ is a factor for us as well, we are from Canada and have to add about 30% to the cost of everything for the exchange rate so $100 US for dinner = $130 CAD for us!!!

Fellow Canadian here and I did the same. I booked a BB package and a Premium Seating RBT package and am waiting for the reviews. The phone call alone to book the Premium Seating one probably cost me $15 because I was on hold for so long.

 

[dec2009mama]

Looks like big thunder is down for a few days in August...

 

[dec2009mama]

Fellow Canadian here and I did the same. I booked a BB package and a Premium Seating RBT package and am waiting for the reviews. The phone call alone to book the Premium Seating one probably cost me $15 because I was on hold for so long.

i think we will keep RBT (not premium) but I am waiting for all the reviews to start coming before making a decision!

 

[22Tink]

Looks like big thunder is down for a few days in August...

View attachment 251616

This makes me so sad!! We're there Aug 13-19 and Big Thunder will be closed for most of our park days. It's one of our absolute favourite rides.

 

[disneymouse16]

Looks like big thunder is down for a few days in August...

View attachment 251616

Big Thunder is a bummer! This is my DD's first 40" trip the rides she has been excited to do are Splash Mountain and Big Thunder. I wonder if I could talk my DH into doing an additional park day before we are supposed to just for this ride.

 

[caflygrl]

You will be there the same days we will. Only we're staying at the DLH so we have EE every day and 5 day hoppers.

I would definitely start on Sunday AM at DL. That's a DCA EE day and our experience has been that Sundays are a great day to be at DL, especially if you can be there for rope drop. Although we are staying at the DLH and have EE every day, we are choosing to start out Sunday at DL without EE because we've had such good luck on Sunday mornings there.

We always try to take a mid-week break.

What are your thoughts on days for DCA? I feel like the days they open at 10a to the general public (Mon and Weds) will be more crowded because even late risers can get there at 10. 10 just seems so late to open!!

 

[tammytam]

Looks like big thunder is down for a few days in August...

View attachment 251616

Nooooooo! I wasn't expecting Space to be down.. as I'd wrapped my head around missing out on Haunted Mansion. I wonder how long it'll be down for... We're there from Aug 27-30. I was looking forward to riding the original (not hyperspace) version.


Question for anyone with any insight... I was checking out the dining reservations and I noticed with Fantastmic that you can choose Sunday, Aug 27.. but not Aug 28, 29, or 30. But then it lets you choose Sept 1, 2, 3 and so on. Do you think this means that Fantasmic won't be showing on Aug 28, 29 or 30?! I've never seen the show.. and I'm really hoping it's showing more than just on our first park day. In the past, was it an every day/night show?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... Question for anyone with any insight... I was checking out the dining reservations and I noticed with Fantastmic that you can choose Sunday, Aug 27.. but not Aug 28, 29, or 30. But then it lets you choose Sept 1, 2, 3 and so on. Do you think this means that Fantasmic won't be showing on Aug 28, 29 or 30?! I've never seen the show.. and I'm really hoping it's showing more than just on our first park day. In the past, was it an every day/night show?

In the past, F! (and fireworks) only showed on weekends (Fri.-Sun.) during the low season. WOC was the only show that went on every night unless it was being refurbed. People on the boards have reported that Aug. 27th will be the last night of the summer schedule, then the hours will go to low season (with the exception of Labor Day Weekend). Also, F! didn't show on MHP nights, even if those nights were Fri.-Sun. Right now, we don't know for certain what Disney is planning for F!'s return schedule, but so far it does look like it will stick to the way it was before the hiatus.

 

[GlitteryOtters]

Nooooooo! I wasn't expecting Space to be down.. as I'd wrapped my head around missing out on Haunted Mansion. I wonder how long it'll be down for... We're there from Aug 27-30. I was looking forward to riding the original (not hyperspace) version.

Unfortunately, it is down through September 14th. I am bummed, too, as it goes down the day we arrive. This is my husband's first trip to Disneyland, I really wanted him to get a chance to ride it.


~Meg

 

[Frozen2014]

In the past, F! (and fireworks) only showed on weekends (Fri.-Sun.) during the low season. WOC was the only show that went on every night unless it was being refurbed. People on the boards have reported that Aug. 27th will be the last night of the summer schedule, then the hours will go to low season (with the exception of Labor Day Weekend). Also, F! didn't show on MHP nights, even if those nights were Fri.-Sun. Right now, we don't know for certain what Disney is planning for F!'s return schedule, but so far it does look like it will stick to the way it was before the hiatus.

That sucks. We come August 28 - September 1 so that means our only fantasmic day is Friday Sept 1. That day alone is supposed to be busy due to the marathon. We're already getting the WOC dining package so was thinking of just trying for Fastpass for Fantasmic. Do you think Fastpass will be hard to get? We'd be there near park opening if not rope drop.

Too bad about Space Mountain. My son wouldn't ride it at WDW but maybe he'd be more interested now that he is a few years older.

Sad that Haunted Mansion will be closed as DD and I live that one, but as poster above, I already accepted we'd miss it.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I think you should have a good chance for FPs since you'll be there at park opening. All the more reason to be in the parks early! If the F! schedule changes (and it could, so keep checking), then you'll have more chances to see the show.

 

[Frozen2014]

I think you should have a good chance for FPs since you'll be there at park opening. All the more reason to be in the parks early! If the F! schedule changes (and it could, so keep checking), then you'll have more chances to see the show.

Thanks. I'm sure there will be reports on FastPass once it starts but just that week the shows will stop showing every night.

 

[ChloroformSdxn]

Bad enough that Space Mountain is closed (does it really take that long to do the Ghost Galaxy overlay? I thought it wouldn't go down until after Labour Day), I'm glad we'll at least be there for Big Thunder. That is definitely one of the favourite rides for the kids, and it would almost be worth moving the dates were that the case.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Bad enough that Space Mountain is closed (does it really take that long to do the Ghost Galaxy overlay? I thought it wouldn't go down until after Labour Day),..

SM is going down for safety upgrades. The GG overlay only takes a few days to put up.

 

[tammytam]

In the past, F! (and fireworks) only showed on weekends (Fri.-Sun.) during the low season. WOC was the only show that went on every night unless it was being refurbed. People on the boards have reported that Aug. 27th will be the last night of the summer schedule, then the hours will go to low season (with the exception of Labor Day Weekend). Also, F! didn't show on MHP nights, even if those nights were Fri.-Sun. Right now, we don't know for certain what Disney is planning for F!'s return schedule, but so far it does look like it will stick to the way it was before the hiatus.

This makes sense.. based on the dining package reservations I'm seeing. Bummer! Will be interesting to see if they end up adding shows that week. Not sure I want to deal with the craziness of seeing the show during the first week or so of passes not being blocked .

Just checked the August calendar (goes up until Aug 23 now).. and it still doesn't say Haunted Mansion will be closed. My fingers are crossed that it's open for at least our first park day on the 27th! (but I won't hold my breath ).

 

[ixmnrs]

Just checked the August calendar (goes up until Aug 23 now).. and it still doesn't say Haunted Mansion will be closed. My fingers are crossed that it's open for at least our first park day on the 27th! (but I won't hold my breath ).

Same here! I get there on Aug 22; SM goes down Aug 21

 

[Butterfly123]

We usually vacation in June or July. I am feeling like August is NEVER going to get here!!!! Time is slowly inching by. Inching, my friends!