8.21.2010

How to Avoid Disneyland Crowds

There are many theories on how to avoid crowds. But with each theory, there are flaws. The true theory is this: Disneyland is always crowded. Period. There is no possible way to avoid all the crowds. But my advice to you is this:

1. Avoid Fridays and Saturdays. These days are the days they get the most attendence of the average week.

2. The farther you are from the weekends the less crowded it is LIKELY to be. This is one of those theories that has many cracks: Summer, Holidays, and Special Occasions. Recently, when I went with my family of 15, we went on Sunday and Monday. We found that Monday was more crowded than Sunday. For this one, I suggest Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

3. Sundays are often the least crowded day of the weekend.

4. Avoid holidays. Especially Christmas, Fourth of July, New Years, and Easter. There are often the most crowded day of the year.

5. My suggestion is to try and not go during the summer. Summer months are also extremely crowded. If you want to come for the park to see everything. Come during the down months: January, Febuary, and March. One year I went of Saturday, January 7th and it felt like there was not a single person there. My uncle and I thought everyone was at Matterhorn, when we headed over there, there was not a single person in line. This was the same case for absolutely every single ride. No ride exceded the 20 minute wait mark. It really is the luck of the draw.

6. You should always make sure you take my advice on how to get on a ride when it is crowded by using the following oppurtunities: Fast Pass, Rider Switch Pass, and Single Rider. See "Rides" Page

Hope these Tips help you the next time you go to Disneyland.

8.20.2010

How to see World of Color

Do you want to see the Nighttime Spectacular World of Color? Every time you try and get fast pass do you come up short? We say goodbye to those failures. I am going to tell you how to get a ticket in the first available area.

1. 9:15. Be at Disney's California Adventure's Park Gates.

     -Every day now Parking is getting worse and worse. If I were you, depending on what day of the week it is, I would try and get there at about... 8:50- 9:00. If you're already at the park's entrance a little early... so what. At least you're not late.

     -They will let you through the gates at approximately 9:30 or 9:45 (Pretty sure it's 9:30). IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE PERSON IN YOUR GROUP, EVERY SINGLE PERSON MUST ENTER CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE TO GET A FAST PASS. If you're in line and your friend is on the freeway but you have his/her park ticket or pass, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET A FAST PASS FOR HIM/HER. Another example: If your friend is in Disneyland, but you have his/her pass, YOU CAN NOT GET A FAST PASS FOR WORLD OF COLOR FOR THAT PERSON. The reason: The ticket/pass holder must enter with his/her ticket/pass to get a fast pass for World of Color.

3. 9:15-9:29. When your whole party is with you, select someone who can run/speed-walk while holding all of the passes to get in the front of the fast pass line. Let me explain. When your whole party enters the park, have everyone pass their tickets/passes to the person who will be able to run/speed-walk to the front of the crowd. The rest of you won't have to worry about running to the line or getting a fast pass period. As long as all of the tickets/passes have been scanned at the front gate, the person operating the fast pass machine will accept all of them.

4. 9:30. The gates will open. Once the whole party enters, hand off all of the tickets/passes to the "runner". "Runner": Try to maneuver your way through the rushing crowd. *WARNING*: RIGHT NOW THERE WILL BE A MAD RUSH TO THE GRIZZLY BEAR RAPIDS FAST PASS LINE. Only have 1 Person run as fast as they can to the line. The rest can just walk to grizzly and wait for the runner after he/she gets the passes. 

5. 9:31-10:00. At this time, after we have our passes, I head over to the area where they are building the new Little Mermaid Ride. If you're unfamiliar with the area, you can ask a cast member or use your map to head to Paradise Pier. They will stop you before you get to the actual Paradise Pier. They will let you go at 10:00.

6. 10:00- ???. At this point I would normally run to Toy Story Midway Mania, California Screamin', or wherever I wanted to go, but the key here is this: when I went with my family and I sped ahaid so I could save a spot in line, half of them didn't get to ride with us because I was too fast. Either you can stay with your family and only have to wait 15-30 (Toy Story- 10-15 California Screamin'), or you can try timing it right and being able to get everybody on. That's a little harder. 

     -From here, you havethe rest of the day to go on rides, eat, collect fast passes, etc. etc. Just make sure you are in California Adventures around 6:30 and you have already eaten dinner (Unless you want to eat after the show).

7. 7:??-8:59. If you want the best spot, get to the World Of Color Seating Area at the time it says on your fast pass. If it says 7:00, be there at 7:00. (It either says 7:00 or 7:30... I can't remember) If you want to be in the Wet Zone, you might need ponchos. It really depends on where your standing and what way the wind is blowing.

They have a little pre-show that starts at about 8:45. It's cute, the young ones get to see colorful characters sing and dance. A good way to start the show. Trust me on this one: The show is AMAZING. You will be glad you saw it.

Ways to Use

Now I know there are going to be a wide variety of readers out there someday so I want to make this very clear. My blog is not just for the readers who have no experience with Disneyland at all. It is for everyone. All ages. You see if there is a new attraction or ride- let's take World of Color for example- and you really want to see it but don't know how. Come to me. I have seen the show twice and have "gotten away like a bandit". I use this phrase a lot because i believe it tbest describes my adventures. I got 15 people into the 9:00 showing of World of Color one night in the first available area. We were practically front row. All 15 of us. If you have had failed attempts at going on new rides, seeing new shows, or just a bad day in general- come to me and I will give you tips.

Disneyland Tips

Are you heading to Disneyland any time soon? Are you coming to Disneyland and/or California Adventure Theme Park for the first or second time? Do you want to get on all of the rides you and your group want to go on? Well now you have the chance to SCAM DISNEYLAND. What I mean by this is to do everything you planned.

am a pass-holder at Disneyland. I have gone there all the time since I was 2 years old. The plan was to have as many of our family members together at Disneyland. Now the majority of our family were pass-holders but my father's cousin, my father's cousin's wife, and my father's cousin's baby were all coming, too. And it was the little baby's first time there. My goal was to get 15 people on all of the rides. Crazy, I know. But we did it. We did everything we wanted to. Any popular ride or show you can mention, we rode or watched it.

My point here is this: If you are going to Disneyland for the first time and you know it will be crowded but you still want to get on ALL of the good rides without waiting in ridiculous 55-90 minute lines- LISTEN TO ME. Cause I know what I am talkin' about.