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Disneyland Resort (DL, DLR, DCA) Discussion Thread

p. 393 - Pixar Place Hotel transformation will be completed on January 30th, 2024!

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Hello all,

My long-awaited trip to Disneyland (the first ever for my daughters) is coming up in just a few weeks (Tuesday and Wednesday, February 11-12). We'll be staying at the Disneyland Hotel. I was wondering if anyone could give me advice, as I'm clueless when it comes to this park.

 

1. What is a good option for breakfast? We won't go to Goofy's Kitchen, as we want to make Magic Hour, and their earliest reservation option was for 9:00. We don't want to waste too much time on breakfast (though we would like something substantial, not just coffee and doughnuts). Any other suggestions for lunch and dinner?

 

2. Any strategies for the park itself? I'm hoping that the days will be quiet (mid-week in winter, no schools have those days off), but a strategy can't hurt.

 

Thank you in advance!

-Doug

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Hello all,

My long-awaited trip to Disneyland (the first ever for my daughters) is coming up in just a few weeks (Tuesday and Wednesday, February 11-12). We'll be staying at the Disneyland Hotel. I was wondering if anyone could give me advice, as I'm clueless when it comes to this park.

 

1. What is a good option for breakfast? We won't go to Goofy's Kitchen, as we want to make Magic Hour, and their earliest reservation option was for 9:00. We don't want to waste too much time on breakfast (though we would like something substantial, not just coffee and doughnuts). Any other suggestions for lunch and dinner?

 

2. Any strategies for the park itself? I'm hoping that the days will be quiet (mid-week in winter, no schools have those days off), but a strategy can't hurt.

 

Thank you in advance!

-Doug

 

It's pricey, but I highly recommend the brunch at Storyteller's Cafe. It's a character meal so you get to see the characters and it's a buffet too. They had Mickey waffles and prime rib so I left very happy.

 

Based on what happened today, make sure you are ready to reserve Rise of the Resistance when the boarding goes live at park open. As for touring the park, you have an advantage staying on-site with the early morning hours.

 

Will you have MaxPass? I highly recommend it. You will get way more fastpasses and free photos. The most important thing for me is to get a Radiator Springs fastpass for the earliest return time. If you're in the park for Early Magic Hours, you should have no problem doing this. It'll allow you to get ahead of the FastPass curve since that's the first FastPass many pick no matter the return time. You can then start getting rides like Toy Story with instant return times before their reservation windows increase later in the day.

 

Of the rides not on FastPass, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Smuggler's Run get the longest queues from my experience. I recommend hitting them towards the end of the night if you aren't going there at rope drop.

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I was surprised (and then again, I wasn't) that people showed up so early to get into the park. With the Boarding Groups being a first come first serve digital service that went live at 8:00 am, as long as you were in the park just a few minutes before, you'd have an equal opportunity to snag a boarding pass as the person who showed up at 4am.

 

I hope the ride operates well today for everyone trying to join the resistance!

 

Anyone heard about the paper boarding group assignments that were supposedly available at the Star Tours FP machines, and GR kiosks for those unable or unwilling to use the phone app? Curious how fast those went, or if anyone even had a chance of success through that route.

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Orange County Register reported it today, so apparently it's real.

 

but it looks like screenrant got some of the story wrong for "clickbait". . he didn't actually successfully remove the sword, but rather broke it accidentally.

 

https://www.ocregister.com/2020/01/18/burly-disneyland-visitor-pulls-excalibur-from-sword-in-the-stone/

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Stupid question and I'm not encouraging this at all, and this is purely out of curiosity, but is there any protection to stop people spoofing their location and tricking the app to think they're in the park? Just thinking back to when Pokemon GO was popular in Korea (still is I guess, even today I saw a guy with 5 phones all playing the game in an A4 sized case full of phone pockets doing a raid by himself), the Koreans like to play their games hardcore and there'd be so many times a gym would be taken or people would join a raid and yet no-one was around.

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Stupid question and I'm not encouraging this at all, and this is purely out of curiosity, but is there any protection to stop people spoofing their location and tricking the app to think they're in the park? Just thinking back to when Pokemon GO was popular in Korea (still is I guess, even today I saw a guy with 5 phones all playing the game in an A4 sized case full of phone pockets doing a raid by himself), the Koreans like to play their games hardcore and there'd be so many times a gym would be taken or people would join a raid and yet no-one was around.

 

Even if you spoofed your location, you still need to have your ticket scanned for entry at the ticket booth in order to get a boarding group.

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Well. I nearly missed this one...

 

Happy National POPCORN DAY, Everybody!

 

Enjoy your popcorn(s), where ever you all are, at a Disney Park, or any other park, in the world!

PopcornVarietiesALTER.jpg.c2ca904d96fa5ff1d9f6683d4ee754a9.jpg

What's possible at Tokyo Disneyland. (o: BTW - this is an old pic. Prices have increased.

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What's also coming to TDL this Spring - a Unique POPCORN Shop of it's own!

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Stupid question and I'm not encouraging this at all, and this is purely out of curiosity, but is there any protection to stop people spoofing their location and tricking the app to think they're in the park? Just thinking back to when Pokemon GO was popular in Korea (still is I guess, even today I saw a guy with 5 phones all playing the game in an A4 sized case full of phone pockets doing a raid by himself), the Koreans like to play their games hardcore and there'd be so many times a gym would be taken or people would join a raid and yet no-one was around.

 

Even if you spoofed your location, you still need to have your ticket scanned for entry at the ticket booth in order to get a boarding group.

 

This is correct. Think of it as two factor authentication: Ticket Scanned and Geo Location unlocks the ability to get the boarding group.

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So this past Saturday I headed down to Disneyland to take a stab at riding the new Rise of the Resistance.

 

While it wasn't a completely successful outing, just going through the whole process required to even have a chance was an experience itself. Managed to snag a boarding group in the few minutes they were available, was granted entry towards the evening, sat through a 1hr+ delay, and made it almost to the vehicle boarding area before the worklights came on and the ride was busted for good for the rest of the night. By then it was pushing 9:30pm, I was dead tired, and ended up going home a bit disappointed. What I did see though was absolutely incredible.

 

Here are some photos of the morning crowds, Rise queue and pre-shows for anyone interested.

 

 

 

 

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Arrived at the gates a tad before 5am. The crowd started gathering shortly thereafter.

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At about 7am, there is quite the crowd eager to have their tickets scanned in time.

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Even just a momentary hiccup in the process of obtaining a boarding group kicked us back to Group 99.

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Fortunately the ride had a pretty good day and we were called in to ride despite being in a backup boarding group.

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The entrance is hidden in a forest, and so the journey through the queue begins.

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Then we move into a series of caves carved into the hills of Batuu.

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The interior should be VERY familiar to Star Wars fans who recognize the usual look of a hidden Rebel/Resistance base.

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Familiar looking gadgetry helps establish setting.

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The queue route is mostly dictated by various objects sitting around the base. Here we go around some supply lockers.

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Rebel/Resistance pilot uniforms. Sharp eyed fans will know what suit is for the pilot of what type of fighter.

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Various helmets, uniforms and supplies are here. Fans will enjoy being close to what look like the real thing, if there was a real thing.

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There are several of these cave rooms with stuff sitting around. If the ride happens to breakdown as you're waiting, you could be spending an hour or more in one of these rooms.

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More stuff...

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All throughout the rooms there are various conduits and wires hanging about.

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As the group files into the first pre-show room and our experience begins, an animatronic BB-8 peeks in and out from behind the display screen.

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We see you BB-8!

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Rey appears as a holographic communication explaining how our help is needed against the First Order.

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Next we go OUTSIDE, yes the real great outdoors, to board transport 28.

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Poe's black X-wing is also here and lifesize for anyone who wants a quick selfie.

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Our Mon Calamari pilot soon whisks us away from Disneyland/Batuu and out into space.

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In this transport, your group is freely standing, just like in a Star Wars movie. No seats or seat belts here.

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After capture by the First Order, the transport is taken onto this Star Destroyer. Everybody exits into this absolutely incredible life size hangar bay.

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First Order agents are here to shuffle us Resistance scum to where we need to go next.

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They are NOT AMUSED by your shenanigans!

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Oh, that transport you were just on? Well it's right here, because, you know, it was captured, by the First Order, along with you, in outer space...

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Next up, more waiting. This time in a narrow corridor of a Star Destroyer.

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If spending time with the First Order is a dream come true, you'll have plenty of time to soak that in.

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Noted!

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In this chamber is where groups are formed to board the ride vehicles, after we are properly interrogated of course.

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Keep your eyes on them. You can be sure their eyes are on you.

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We have located the computer outlet, sir.

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Sadly here, right before we were to enter another preshow, is where the long odyssey of the day came to an end. The ride broke down. Work lights came on. Suddenly hard nosed First Order agents became apologetic employees directing us through backstage areas we should not have seen back to the outside world.

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So that was that, but hey, I got this far. I'm sure I'll see the rest later on when everything calms down and it isn't such an ordeal to ride. Rise of the Resistance will certainly be wowing crowds for years to come!

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It's nice to see a TR where things went wrong that comes out positive like 'Shame it broke down but what I saw looks awesome and can't wait to come back to try it another time' compared to the usual who would be 'New experimental ride was busy and had downtime at opening. DISNETY SUXS now!11!!' (Emphasis on smashing of keys on keyboard)

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Thanks!

 

Don't get me wrong, I was disappointed and frustrated that time/effort spent to get through a challenging system in order to ride went up in smoke, but I knew exactly what I was walking into. One big advantage of being relatively local is this didn't impact any once-in-a-lifetime vacation, or possibly devastate kids' one chance of seeing this amazing ride. Had that been the case, I probably would have had a much more negative impression of the whole situation.

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This is correct. Think of it as two factor authentication: Ticket Scanned and Geo Location unlocks the ability to get the boarding group.

 

i didn't even realize gps had anything to do with it until i watched a video where the guy failed to get a boarding group because his location services was off.

 

also, for anyone interested in my technique to getting a boarding group, here's what i've been doing. i've never done rope drop at disneyland until last friday. now i've done it every day since.

 

i have locked on to this technique. the last 4 days i've gotten group 6, 6, 14 and today, 11.

 

i start with the app open on the home page. i don't think it's super important, but i've been counting down the seconds on my watch. right at park opening, which has been either 8am or 9am, click "find out more". the next page will have "join boarding group". if it's already red, touch to join. or, touch, "my status". by this time on the next page, "join boarding group" should be highlighted and you can touch the button. it will then scan tickets, then allow you to hit the final button at the bottom of the page to join a boarding group. another second or so and you'll find out what your group is.

 

i have opened up the app fresh at park opening and was able to snag group 47. imo, it takes too long and people around you will already be cheering. lol also, there's been many times that the app doesn't log you in immediately, which will just kill your chances at any decent boarding group.

 

a few other things to note.

 

make sure you only have who's in your group that day linked to your account. if you have others, you'll have to uncheck them after the app scans for tickets. this takes valuable time and you'll end up being pushed back. it's good to check by trying to make a fastpass before park opening. i've had friends who were in the park, but the app wasn't seeing them.

 

see if you can find an area where you know your data works great. i have a spot where i have full bars and the connection works great doing anything. not easy to say around the disneyland resort. so, i haven't moved from this spot since i found it.

 

anyway, just thought i'd post my personal tips that have worked excellent for me. obviously i'm not the only one in the early groups so there are other ways to get there, but this is mine. hope it helps someone.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Trying to decide between visiting on March 29th, 30th, or 31st. Realistically, is there going to be any major difference in crowds between these 3 days?

 

As others have said, Sunday will probably be the busiest of those days. However, is Fantasmic a priority for you? For me, it would be since I love that show. In the slower times, they tend to only run the show Friday-Sunday.

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Trying to decide between visiting on March 29th, 30th, or 31st. Realistically, is there going to be any major difference in crowds between these 3 days?

 

As others have said, Sunday will probably be the busiest of those days. However, is Fantasmic a priority for you? For me, it would be since I love that show. In the slower times, they tend to only run the show Friday-Sunday.

 

Nah, my only priority really are the two Star Wars rides. I was waiting for RotR to open before visiting, but this boarding group stuff is honestly making me nervous. I'm hoping by the time my trips rolls around, they won't be doing the boarding groups anymore, or at least they won't fill up as quick as they are currently.

 

Also: would there be likely any difference in crowds between that Monday and Tuesday?

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As others have said, Sunday will probably be the busiest of those days. However, is Fantasmic a priority for you? For me, it would be since I love that show. In the slower times, they tend to only run the show Friday-Sunday.

For what it's worth, it appears they will be running Fantasmic on that Monday and Tuesday, as you are able to reserve the dinner packages for them on those dates.

 

I'm hoping that's the case when I visit two weeks later on the 13th-15th of April; they haven't yet released those dates or reservations. (Yeah, I ended up springing for the three day tickets after all. It ended up actually being cheaper for my son's ticket for 3 days instead of 2 by like a couple of bucks.)

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