It’s impossible to do it all.

[Disney Adventure]

I’ve been going to Disneyland my whole life (nearly a half century) and I know it very well. I read about it often and I’ve learned a lot of great tips from fellow members here at micechat. And I feel like no matter how prepared you are you just can’t do it all at the DLR on a trip. I just got back from DLR and we went four full days, rope drop to nearly closing on the first day and rope drop to close the last three. We were efficient, we were really motivated because it had been two years since we’d been and it will probably be another few years now because WDW is up next for us, and we still didn’t get to everything we wanted to do. Now part of that is that we did a few attractions we love multiple times, but what it comes down to mostly is that there is just A LOT to do there. Here was our days in order:

Day 1:

Pinocchio
Mr. Toad’s
Peter Pan
Jungle Cruise
Indiana Jones
Pirates
Winnie the Pooh
Tarzan Treehouse
Thunder Mountain
Millennium Falcon
RotR
Splash Mountain

Day 2:

Star Tours
Space Mountain
Finding Nemo
Mad Tea Party
Alice
Matterhorn
RotR
It’s a Small World
RotR
Pirates
Thunder Mountain
Jungle Cruise
Indiana Jones

Day 3:

Racers
Luigi’s
Racers
The Little Mermaid
Soarin’
Guardians
Turtle Talk
Toy Story Mania
Jessie’s Carousel
Monsters Inc.
Meet Elsa and Olaf
The Little Mermaid
The Incredicoaster
Inside Out
Grizzly River Run
Mater’s
World of Color

Day 4:

Dumbo
Storybook Boats
Casey Jr.
Astro Orbiter
Space Mountain
Buzz Lightyear
Autopia
Tiki Room
Tom Sawyer’s Island
BTMRR
Pirates
DLRR
RotR
Fireworks
Fantasmic!


We missed the Monorail, the Mark Twain, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, didn’t step foot in Toon Town, didn’t do any Main Street vehicles, didn’t see a show at the Royal Theater, didn’t see Mickey and the Magical Map, didn’t see Frozen at the Hyperion because it wasn’t playing the day we were at DCA, we didn’t get on Goofy’s Sky School, the Silly Symphony Swings, or the Golden Zephyr, we didn’t go to the Redwood play area, didn’t get caricature drawings of the kids (which I really wanted), didn’t do the canoes, and we couldn’t do the Haunted Mansion because it was closed.

And some attractions that I would have loved to do more than once I didn’t, and some attractions that I like to do at least three or four times in a three or four day trip I wasn’t able to.

This is a long post to say that the Disneyland Resort has so much to offer that you can do vastly different amazing things for several days in a row, which is totally awesome.

Basically I’m saying I really wish I had an annual pass and the means to be there once or twice a month to really get to do EVERYTHING.

[MrGoat]

You had some really busy days! I only get to go every couple of years, but I find the place so reinvigorating that I just won't rush from attraction to attraction lol. I don't want to miss anything in between! I just love the atmosphere, the other happy guests, the excitement, even the Cast Members (well, the ones who are memorable anyway -not all cashiers are so engaging lol). Don't get me wrong- a trip to DLR without riding certain rides is just not complete (Pirates, Peter Pan, Storybookland Boats, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Matterhorn, etc), but it wouldn't be complete without the Dapper Dans, Mickey, or the live music in NOS either.

Just add all that to the list of rides! I can't even imagine how long it would take me to get bored there, or tired of DL itself. If I ever even could!

[BillFraser29]

This is why we always come back for more! Like yourself, we only visit every few years so when we come we try all the new stuff, do all of our favorite stuff, and then let the ambiance lead us and whatever happens in between happens and is usually the parts of the trip we remember most. It's part of the magic that you always discover something new no matter how many times you visit, but not visiting too often that you take it for granted.

Good luck with your WDW trip (and all the planning that goes into that) and be aware that unless you're spending a month in Orlando you won't do it all there either (starts looking into a second trip for my family).