Disneyland and DCA in a Day???

[GDUL]

My wife and I will be visiting Disneyland later this month. Currently, we have a 1-day pass for the park. I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to get a parkhopper for the day and try to see DCA too. We would there on a Saturday so I know that it will be crowded but we'll have from about 9 AM to 6 PM to visit. If we were to do "E Ticket" rides, is it possible to see both parks and still "do it right?" Factoring into our decision is that we have no idea when, or even if, we'll return to the area. Thanks in advance!

 

[iceskatejen]

Saturdays are absolutely crazy busy right now and will be throughout the month. I'd just do DL, especially with you only having until 6. As it is, you will be hard pressed to get in all of DL's E-tickets. Lines will be long for both rides and food. While using FP will get you through some of the ride lines faster, there's not a thing you can do about the food lines. And when it's really busy, you'll be wishing there was FP for the restrooms.

 

[honeymom]

Saturdays are absolutely crazy busy right now and will be throughout the month. I'd just do DL, especially with you only having until 6. As it is, you will be hard pressed to get in all of DL's E-tickets. Lines will be long for both rides and food. While using FP will get you through some of the ride lines faster, there's not a thing you can do about the food lines. And when it's really busy, you'll be wishing there was FP for the restrooms.

I don't know. I'm thinking that DL will be a zoo, but if you start out early and use fast passes you might be able to do some CA, too. Also, if DL gets too crazy, you'd be able to go over to CA where you might get on more rides since it is usually less busy.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

It depends on which rides you want to go on, but we have found that even with FP, it takes about 1 hour per ride. It is really hard to navigate through the park when it is so busy. You could possibly "commando" through maybe 4 rides at DL, get a quick snack (nothing is quick), and then get 3 rides in at CA. The thing is.... it's really hard to take in the magic when you are frantically running from place to place. In order to use those FP, you will have to criss-cross the park and obtain them one at a time to come back later.

I also would say just to enjoy a day at DL, take in the magic, and remember what you did Have a great time!

 

[Pooh's Purple Pal]

Yikes, I wouldn't recommend trying to do both parks in 9 hours on a Saturday in December. You won't enjoy it very much if you're trying to fight your way through the crowds to get to the rides and like everyone else said, there is no such thing as "quick" anything on a December Saturday. We are going later on this month and are actually staying a few extra days to make sure we can do everything wilthout killing ourselves.

I would say, pick one park and enjoy it.

 

[Albort]

Id spend my time at Disneyland from opening to 11AM... then hit DCA, run back for the parade at 3:30, and spend the rest of the day at DLR...

 

[JRDisneyClan]

Since I think you'll be out for the Rose Bowl, don't forget the rest of your fellow Michiganders with families will be here, also...in the middle of Christmas vacation with family holiday trips to DLR & any Premium APH (busy enough that all other AP are blacked out). Crazy busy & 9 hours isn't very much time at all when it will be that busy.

Pick the 1 park you'd like to enjoy, take in the magic, enjoy the scenery & the rides and expect crowds & lines.

I doubt you'll have time for this, but if you decide you've seen everything in the one park while you're there, you can always upgrade your ticket to a PH & go to the other park. The lines at the ticket booth will probably make that quite prohibitive, though...uggghhhh.

Good luck in the Rose Bowl!

 

[GDUL]

Thanks for all of the information! We've decided to visit Disneyland and skip DCA this time around. Hopefully, we'll get back sometime in the future!