[Question] What do I do in ONE DAY??

[ampiparedes]

My family and I are going from CHILE to DL and DCA, we are going one day to each park. We are going on September 19 and 20th, is this a good time of the year to visit? We are 7, 4 adults and 3 kids/teens of 17, 12 and 9. What could/should we do or see? It's gonna be our first visit! Any recommendations of any kind?

I'm TOO Excited!

[ssaamm]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

Depends what your into, although you should be able to get all of the major rides done in one day. If you can get there at opening and stay until closing that would be helpful, if abit tiring.

As far as I know September is a quiet time to visit so you probably picked good dates.

[Quarar44]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

In Disneyland make sure you don't miss Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Caribbean. I would say Haunted Mansion as well but I'm sure it's going to be closed to put on the Haunted Mansion Holiday. If you've never been on Peter Pan I would say do that as well. I really recommend seeing The Magic, the Memories, and You, which I think is probably one of the most underated things in the park. For fast food I really love the Hungry Bear Restaurant by Splash Mountain and the Pizza Port by Space Mountain. At CA Adventure you should definitely check out Cars Land but don't wait over 30 minutes for Luigi's Flying Tires-it really isn't worth it. Toy Story Mania is also really fun and World of Color is a must-see at night! Hope you have a nice trip!

[ampiparedes]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

That's great, we thought September could be a nice time to go...

---------- Post added 06-25-2012 at 08:32 PM ----------

In Disneyland make sure you don't miss Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Caribbean. I would say Haunted Mansion as well but I'm sure it's going to be closed to put on the Haunted Mansion Holiday. If you've never been on Peter Pan I would say do that as well. I really recommend seeing The Magic, the Memories, and You, which I think is probably one of the most underated things in the park. For fast food I really love the Hungry Bear Restaurant by Splash Mountain and the Pizza Port by Space Mountain. At CA Adventure you should definitely check out Cars Land but don't wait over 30 minutes for Luigi's Flying Tires-it really isn't worth it. Toy Story Mania is also really fun and World of Color is a must-see at night! Hope you have a nice trip!

Thank you so much!

[planetsix]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

Depends if you wanna go see CarsLand which you probably will.. In that case, hit Carsland as early as possible, and if it's available, grab a Fast Pass for Radiator Springs Racers. Now that Carsland has opened, it adds another thing to plan around; especially in the morning. It'll be up to you whether or not you wish to remain in DCA for the morning or head back to Disneyland, but I'd honestly suggest Disneyland, even if it means an extra trip. Oh, and ride Splash Mountain towards night-time if possible to beat the afternoon lines. Have Fun my friend! :thumbup:

[ampiparedes]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

Is DCA fine for a WHOLE day? Or is a day too much? Should I do park hopper?

[planetsix]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

Is DCA fine for a WHOLE day? Or is a day too much? Should I do park hopper?

Oops. Sorry, I assumed you were getting a park hopper.

In that case, I think DCA can be done in a day. Take your time in Carsland, catch the parade, Aladdin, World Of Color, and the other major attractions and such.

[ampiparedes]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

Haha it's ok, thanks

[AcmePunched]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

Disneyland -
As far as rides go, it's really whatever strikes your fancy. Though if you're like most people you're probably going to spend most of your time waiting in line for the "E-tickets" such as Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Carribean, or any of the Mountains. My personal favorite is Indiana Jones. On the other hand, if you decide you don't want to spend most of your time standing and waiting, I highly reccommend the smaller rides, such as Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.

Not an actual reccomendation per say, but I know a lot of people come and go from the park numerous times and never know that there's a petting zoo in Frontierland behind Thunder Mountain. It's got goats, sheep, and the turkey that gets pardoned by the president on Thanksgiving.

But my main advice for you is to not forget these two things-
1. The Disneyland Railroad -- One of the first things Walt decided on was that Disneyland should be encircled by a train. Just go for a round-trip, relax, and take in the gorgeous themeing.
2. Fantasmic! -- The light/water/live show that takes place on the Rivers of America in Frontierland. It's epicly amazing. The best viewing spots usually get snatched up two hours before the show, but if one of your group gets tired and wants to bring a few picnic blankets to stake out a spot for the group after dinner, I highly recommend it.

California Adventure -
As anyone will tell you, not as great as Disneyland, but DCA definitely has good things going for it. Aside from exploring the beautiful new Buena Vista Street as you walk in, I reccommend -
1. Carsland -- Of course it's something you're going to want to check out. Hopefully by September the line for Radiator Springs Racers has died down a little. Hopefully.
2. Animation Building in Hollywoodland -- My personal favorite place in the whole resort, so I have to reccommend it. The lobby itself is worth spending a few minutes in, but it's got the Sorcerer's Workshop which includes making your own animation, trying out voiceover acting, and a fun Disney character personality quiz. And an art lesson. And Turtle Talk with Crush, which I find really charming but I'm also a dork..
3. World of Color -- Again, a wonderful water show to end the day. It's also epicly amazing. In order to see it, you need to get a "fastpass" from the Grizzly Peak Mountain ride sometime in the morning.
4. Sourdough Bread Factory -- A very interesting walk-through where you can watch the process of sourdough bread being made. You also get a free piece of said delicious bread. There used to be an equally delicious Tortilla Factory across the walkway, but it's recently been replaced by...
5. Ghiradelli Ice Cream -- No words can describe its deliciousness. Portions can get really big, so it's best to share.
6. Soarin' Over California -- DCA rides aren't nearly as plentiful as in Disneyland, so you'll probably be able to hit them all in one day. But if by some chance you don't ride them all, this one should be at the top of your list.
7. Aladdin: a Musical Spectacular -- Not shown every day, but it's 40-minute musical and worth a watch!

[trueBruin86]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

I love DCA and go there most of the time since I got my AP. My recommendation would definitely be Cars Land first thing it opens. Radiator Springs Racers is really fun. I think the whole family would love it. I agree that Luigi's is not worth anymore than a 30 min wait, but otherwise it is fun ride! Mater's Junkyard Jamboree shouldn't be missed also but only if it's less than a 20 min wait.

Other attractions at DCA that shouldn't be missed: Soarin', California Screamin', Toy Story Midway Mania, Ariel's Undersea Adventures (sometimes around 5 min wait), Grizzly River Run to cool down if it's hot (you will get wet tho!), and catch Aladdin for a break. Monsters Inc. ride is worth it if the wait is under 5 minutes.

At park closing, make sure to watch World of Color and check things out at Mad T Party. The kids seem to love watching the squiggly "Who are you?" creature at the House of Cards stage.

[ampiparedes]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

Thank you all, you guys are the best.

[sailor310]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

I would encourage you to do a lot of research on this site. You can be your own Disney expert. In the last couple of days there was a guy from Italy with only one day and someone else with 4 days, you'll get ideas from their responses.
Read "the Joy of Fastpass" thread here, so you understand how to work the system to get the most fun for the least waiting. I hosted a group from Oregon a month back. I sent them through the single rider line on Indiana Jones while I took their tickets and ran over to Tomorrowland to get fastpasses for Star Tours for them. One of the partners of this site is Touringplans. If you join that (I think it's $6/year), they have a step by step plan for the day that will minimize your wait times based on years of statistical data.
Look over this: Disneyland Resort Menus to get an idea of where you want to eat.
I like going on the Mark Twain riverboat to relax and look at the beautiful trees.
I think I understand you there for two days? One night you can watch Fantasmic! and then the fireworks at DL and the next night see World of Color at DCA-get your fastpass for the show over by Grizzly Rapids early in the day.
When you get in the park and forget everything you've read here you can always look at your park map. It has a little logo for all the fastpass rides (FP?) as well as a blue "S" on all the rides with a single rider line. Even though you will probably want to keep everyone together, think about using the single rider lines for rides that have one and that you don't have a fastpass for. You can all stay together while you wait in line, split up to ride the ride, then come together at the end to share your experiences--and save hours of waiting in the standby line.
In July, you can go on the Disneyland site calendar to to see when the fireworks, etc.. are scheduled for that day.
Someone else has said, with all the planning, take time to walk slowly down Main Street, ride the train, the Mark Twain riverboat, enjoy the magic that is Disneyland!

PS: I just went to the DL site. They have an interactive map of the park that is somewhat helpful. They may be shutdown by Sept, but I like going on the Davy Crockett canoes. Where else can you paddle a canoe in the wilderness in the middle of Anaheim?

[LacyBelle]

Re: What do I do in ONE DAY??

The OP indicated they were visiting September 19 & 20 (a Wednesday & Thursday). That may change some of these responses/advice, as I believe DL will be reverting to weekends only showings of Fantasmic! at that time.
On the upside, Haunted Mansion should be back up at that time, although with the Nightmare overlay. Halloweentime starts September 14 this year.

It is overwhelming with all the planning, but since you are coming mid-week you should have low crowds and wait times (although Cars Land patterns at that time of year are unknown at this time). Have fun with the planning. There are a lot of great resources and conversations here to assist you.