Rope Drop Strategy for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure with Lightning Lanes and Individual Lightning Lanes

[Markonefive]

is Web Slingers scary with the mini spiders and all? Thanks for the single rider idea. I might go on it on my own using single per your suggestion and recon it for the rest of our party, who would want to all go together, I think.

 

[starlite_]

is Web Slingers scary with the mini spiders and all? Thanks for the single rider idea. I might go on it on my own using single per your suggestion and recon it for the rest of our party, who would want to all go together, I think.

They are robot spiders. Honestly they are cute. (I dislike real spiders too)

 

[Ladyslug]

Here's an example of what the robot spiders look like (from one of our Avengers Campus Magic Shots, but they look basically the same in the Webslingers ride). Hope this helps.

 

[NorCalDisFan]

There seems like an update regarding EE. This is a log of my family today morning. Hope this helps.

As guests of DLH, my family left the hotel at 6:45 AM for EE. The bag check station to Disney downtown was not yet open at that time so 100s people were lined up. The station was open right after 7 am. Walked to the DL main entrance but the entrance was not open at 7:15 AM and there were alreday hundreds people waiting. In my line there are 30s people and the entrance was open a couple of mins after 7:30am. We were disappointed since we were not able to start to ride on a first ride at 7:30am sharply but we were lucky today afterwards. We finished Space Mountain at 7:50 am with almost no wait even though app said 10 mins wait, and walked to the waiting gate to Rise near dumbo at 7:55 am. There’re about 100 people. The door opened right after 8:00 am and power walked to the Rise competing each group. At gate the app said 45 mins wait but there seemed no wait We just kept walking inside the building to the ride. Finished at 8:30am and then big thunder(10 mins wait) indiana jones(opened right before we arrived), splash mountain(10mins wait per app), winnie the pooh (5mins wait), hunted mansion (opened around 10:00am, we joined the line right at the time). so all done before 10:30am and then had lunch and back to the hotel for chilling due to too hot today.

 

[katyringo]

There seems like an update regarding EE. This is a log of my family today morning. Hope this helps.

As guests of DLH, my family left the hotel at 6:45 AM for EE. The bag check station to Disney downtown was not yet open at that time so 100s people were lined up. The station was open right after 7 am. Walked to the DL main entrance but the entrance was not open at 7:15 AM and there were alreday hundreds people waiting. In my line there are 30s people and the entrance was open a couple of mins after 7:30am. We were disappointed since we were not able to start to ride on a first ride at 7:30am sharply but we were lucky today afterwards. We finished Space Mountain at 7:50 am with almost no wait even though app said 10 mins wait, and walked to the waiting gate to Rise near dumbo at 7:55 am. There’re about 100 people. The door opened right after 8:00 am and power walked to the Rise competing each group. At gate the app said 45 mins wait but there seemed no wait We just kept walking inside the building to the ride. Finished at 8:30am and then big thunder(10 mins wait) indiana jones(opened right before we arrived), splash mountain(10mins wait per app), winnie the pooh (5mins wait), hunted mansion (opened around 10:00am, we joined the line right at the time). so all done before 10:30am and then had lunch and back to the hotel for chilling due to too hot today.

So you went to the turnstiles from the DTD side and when you arrive people were already lined up? Was this because harbor side security had already opened?

 

[DLRExpert]

There seems like an update regarding EE. This is a log of my family today morning. Hope this helps.

As guests of DLH, my family left the hotel at 6:45 AM for EE. The bag check station to Disney downtown was not yet open at that time so 100s people were lined up. The station was open right after 7 am. Walked to the DL main entrance but the entrance was not open at 7:15 AM and there were alreday hundreds people waiting. In my line there are 30s people and the entrance was open a couple of mins after 7:30am. We were disappointed since we were not able to start to ride on a first ride at 7:30am sharply but we were lucky today afterwards. We finished Space Mountain at 7:50 am with almost no wait even though app said 10 mins wait, and walked to the waiting gate to Rise near dumbo at 7:55 am. There’re about 100 people. The door opened right after 8:00 am and power walked to the Rise competing each group. At gate the app said 45 mins wait but there seemed no wait We just kept walking inside the building to the ride. Finished at 8:30am and then big thunder(10 mins wait) indiana jones(opened right before we arrived), splash mountain(10mins wait per app), winnie the pooh (5mins wait), hunted mansion (opened around 10:00am, we joined the line right at the time). so all done before 10:30am and then had lunch and back to the hotel for chilling due to too hot today.

I already did this, but I HIGHLY recommend that Disney hotel guests complain to the hotel that they no longer have a Early Entry Only entrance open. You really have to be there early in order to get close to the front of the entrance to maximize your EE time.
Not sure why Disney is not doing it as they did it before with Magic Mornings.

 

[dieumeye]

I already did this, but I HIGHLY recommend that Disney hotel guests complain to the hotel that they no longer have a Early Entry Only entrance open. You really have to be there early in order to get close to the front of the entrance to maximize your EE time.
Not sure why Disney is not doing it as they did it before with Magic Mornings.

Yeah. We got in the long DL Hotel / DTD security line at 6:45. It was 7:21 before we were in a long line at the gate. Gates opened 7:30 and by the time we got thru and walked to the EE checkpoint at Plaza Inn it was 7:42. (And then of course you have to walk to an actual attraction. The 30 minutes disappears really fast!)

If you want to maximize the 30 minutes, you really need to be right at the front of the gate line. Which means being right at the front of the security line and walking quickly through DTD.

They’re promoting the monorail as an EE entrance. It’s easier for Disneyland Hotel guests to get there. If you can catch the first monorail of the day, it might not be a bad option. I never would’ve thought that in the past, but I’d like to hear from somebody who did it.

 

[DLRExpert]

Updated to included Haunted Mansion Holiday and GOTG: Monsters After Dark.

 

[Jack_Burton]

Updated to included Haunted Mansion Holiday and GOTG: Monsters After Dark.

We were able to do both, really fun. Haunted Mansion was a mad house every day it seemed, no pun intended...Granted, that was the first time at HM, so we had nothing to compare to in the past.

 

[DumboLover111]

They’re promoting the monorail as an EE entrance. It’s easier for Disneyland Hotel guests to get there. If you can catch the first monorail of the day, it might not be a bad option. I never would’ve thought that in the past, but I’d like to hear from somebody who did it.

We are just back from a stay at DLH and can report that the monorail works perfectly as an EE entrance if you get the first one out of the gates. We lined up at the DTD security line around 6:55AM. By 7:10AM, we were in line for the monorail. They started boarding around 7:20AM and it left for the parks at 7:25AM. This meant we were able to bypass the madness at the front gates and waltz right into Tomorrowland at 7:30AM, maximizing our EE time. We did this twice and it worked perfectly both times!

 

[katyringo]

We are just back from a stay at DLH and can report that the monorail works perfectly as an EE entrance if you get the first one out of the gates. We lined up at the DTD security line around 6:55AM. By 7:10AM, we were in line for the monorail. They started boarding around 7:20AM and it left for the parks at 7:25AM. This meant we were able to bypass the madness at the front gates and waltz right into Tomorrowland at 7:30AM, maximizing our EE time. We did this twice and it worked perfectly both times!

oooo.... this is helpful.

 

[dieumeye]

We are just back from a stay at DLH and can report that the monorail works perfectly as an EE entrance if you get the first one out of the gates. We lined up at the DTD security line around 6:55AM. By 7:10AM, we were in line for the monorail. They started boarding around 7:20AM and it left for the parks at 7:25AM. This meant we were able to bypass the madness at the front gates and waltz right into Tomorrowland at 7:30AM, maximizing our EE time. We did this twice and it worked perfectly both times!

Neat. Under the current system, if they keep rolling the monorail out prior to 7:30, and as long as you catch the first trip, this is likely going to be faster than main gate for DLH and PPH guests going to DL. It's nice to see them actually utilize the monorail for this purpose. For too long the monorail has been slow or inconsistent to open so the advice for EE/rope drop has been to not use it.

 

[DLRExpert]

Neat. Under the current system, if they keep rolling the monorail out prior to 7:30, and as long as you catch the first trip, this is likely going to be faster than main gate for DLH and PPH guests going to DL. It's nice to see them actually utilize the monorail for this purpose. For too long the monorail has been slow or inconsistent to open so the advice for EE/rope drop has been to not use it.

As good as this sounds. I currently wouldn't trust any Disney attraction to open on time or at capacity.

Easier fix is for Disney to offer a special turnstiles at the entrance for EE guests like they used to do and how they currently do at WDW.

 

[Jack_Burton]

We just got back from 4 days at the GC and we used EE a couple of the days at DL and CA along with some strategies suggested over these last 2 pages. Happy to offer suggestions for anyone with questions. I can honestly say everything worked out perfect and we were able to ride everything we wanted (except matterhorn which was closed). We even were able to squeeze in Haunted Mansion the first night of the nightmare before christmas takeover along with catching a Fantasmic show that ended at ~ 9:30pm and still being able to get over to Guardians in CA to ride it before 10 (it was "monsters after dark" in the evenings). I don't think we waited in a line longer than 15 minutes (Smugglers). We did stand by for Thunder and it was like 10 minutes (was one of our faves).

Can provide feedback on dining as well, we went to quite a few places. We even somehow were able to get into the "secret" room at Lamplight (I had just read about it that day and had no idea it existed under the pier with a steel/safe door.

 

[MinnesoTristan]

I made a mistake at Disney California Adventure! Not sure if this is the right thread, so point me in the right direction if not.

My friends wanted to sleep in and have a pool day, and I wanted to be in the park by 3:00 pm since we had Lamplight Lounge at 4:30 pm. We made it to the park by 3:00 pm, rode Soarin, and then made it to Lamplight Lounge by 4:30 pm. So far, so good.

Here's where the mistake happened: after Lamplight Lounge, we decided to go clockwise around Pixar Pier to take advantage of low wait times, instead of doing Cars Land first. We wasted time on Jessie's Critter Carousel, Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, Pixar Pal-A-Round, and Silly Symphony Swings, when we should have been riding Radiator Springs Racers. This was my mistake, but after Silly Symphony Swings, I was starting to get impatient and we decided to split up. One of my friends and I went on Little Mermaid while the other went to Hollywood Blvd to walk around and take pictures.

We reconvened at Soarin' for a second ride (when we should have rode Radiator Springs Racers instead), before I ventured off on my own to ride Radiator Springs Racers as a single rider. After Radiator Springs Racers, my goal was to ride Luigi's next but it was down.

Then I texted them to ask if they would hold my bag while I went on a water ride, so I met them at Ghirardelli to drop off my bag, and rode Grizzly River Run. Once I got off the water ride, it was basically 10:00 pm and the park was closed. Then when it was time for World of Color, the Disneyland app wasn't working and I was getting crabby.

Don't do what I did! Seven hours is not enough time to do DCA justice, and especially not worth riding spinning rides on a half day. It felt like such a rookie mistake.

 

[Scandie14]

Once you scan into the monorail is it like you are in the park? Can you get lightening lanes at that point?

 

[DLRExpert]

Once you scan into the monorail is it like you are in the park? Can you get lightening lanes at that point?

yes

 

[NorCalDisFan]

So you went to the turnstiles from the DTD side and when you arrive people were already lined up? Was this because harbor side security had already opened?

I'm back from the trip.

Last Monday experience was better. We were at 6:40 AM in front of DTD security check and there're 50s people. The check station opened right before 7:00 AM. Walked to the entrance of DCA around at 7:10AM and we were at the second group of a waiting line. I checked if the harbor blvd side security check was open at that time, but it's not. It opened at 7:15AM. Right before 7:30AM the main entrance gate was open and we quickly headed to GOG passing Hollywood blvd side early entry check and took the ride 3 times in a row as we love GOG. For the third ride we managed to enter GOG with headliners of a massive group of rope drop people right after 8:00 AM.

 

[Chereya]

Forgive me, I didn't read through the entire thread yet. Thank you first off to DLRExpert for the very comprehensive first posts chock full of detailed information.
My question is about GotG:MaD and LL. I got a little confused as you mentioned doing LL for this ride twice - in the AM and in the PM after the Halloween theme change over. Does this count as a brand new LL ride once the theming changes?

 

[DLRExpert]

Forgive me, I didn't read through the entire thread yet. Thank you first off to DLRExpert for the very comprehensive first posts chock full of detailed information.
My question is about GotG:MaD and LL. I got a little confused as you mentioned doing LL for this ride twice - in the AM and in the PM after the Halloween theme change over. Does this count as a brand new LL ride once the theming changes?

Normal Guardians and Halloween Guardians is considered 2 separate attractions and are shown separately within the app.

However, Halloween Guardians becomes available around 11am-12pm. So if you book Guardians in the AM you should be able to easily book an additional LL and a Halloween Guardians LL. Before the Halloween Guardians LL sells out.