How to have a relaxing crowded summer afternoon at DL?

[KatieCharlotte]

We have five-day tickets and are treating our first day as a bonus. We won't be able to arrive at the park until around 1 p.m., as a very rough estimate, and will be ready to crash by 7 p.m. at the latest. This is the only day that we plan to be in the parks during the afternoon. My plan is to request the DAS that my son needs at City Hall, put one family-favorite ride like Jungle Cruise on the DAS, and then be as relaxed as possible. My questions:

(1) Will a trip around the railroad and a sail on Columbia still be relaxing, with short wait times, even though both will have reopened only a few days before our trip? Does it matter which station we start from?

(2) We want to explore Main Street windows and other secrets, as well as walk through the castle. How might the parade affect that? Should we do all of that first, before it gets closer to parade time?

(3) Is there a better time to eat at the Plaza Inn, if we want to eat between 3 and 6 p.m. and not fight crowds?

(4) What is the typical summer afternoon availability of Indiana Jones fastpasses? If our goal is to not rush to any attraction and only stay in the park a few hours, are we better saving this for another day and maybe grabbing FP for my kids' favorite Haunted Mansion?

(5) Any other advice for a stress-free afternoon?

 

[figment_jii]

It's hard to say at this point what the crowds will be like for the railroad and Columbia/Mark Twain. My guess is that they will be popular, but they also have a fairly high capacity, so hopefully that means the lines won't be super long. Before the closure, I would have said the busiest stations tended to be Main Street and New Orleans Square. My guess (and it's just that, a guess) is that NOS might be the most popular station initially as guests get on there to see the new track segment. Toontown wasn't too bad normally, except right after Mickey and the Magical Map lets out.

I don't think the parade impacts the castle walk through (fireworks will). I would avoid walking down Main Street around the time of the parade time. CMs (and the guests behind you) won't really want you to stop and look in the windows because it will make it hard to navigate up and down the street (plus it's harder to cross the street). I would try to look at Main Street either well before the crowds show up for the parade or wait until afterwards.

Personally, I would eat closer to 3 and try to avoid prime dining times.

Have you downloaded the official Disneyland App? If you do that, you can check the FP return times for Indy and HM when you get there and then decide which one will work better for you.

 

[Winnowill]

Indy FPs should still be available when you arrive - they typically last well into the afternoon.

 

[cruisehopeful]

(1) Will a trip around the railroad and a sail on Columbia still be relaxing, with short wait times, even though both will have reopened only a few days before our trip? Does it matter which station we start from?

I suspect the wait times will be long, but the rides themselves will be very relaxing. I read something about a month ago that said only one train would be running for a while when it opened back up. If that is true, there's normally 3 trains, so having only one would make the wait time much, much longer. I'd ride it all the way around once and then decide where you want to get off.

(2) We want to explore Main Street windows and other secrets, as well as walk through the castle. How might the parade affect that? Should we do all of that first, before it gets closer to parade time?

Avoid during parades and also right before parades or right after parades.

(3) Is there a better time to eat at the Plaza Inn, if we want to eat between 3 and 6 p.m. and not fight crowds?

3:00 - 4:00 is probably best as it is late for lunch and early for dinner.

(5) Any other advice for a stress-free afternoon?

Easy to have a non stress afternoon. Don't be attached to anything and always have a backup plan. Be prepared for rides being down. You can check the status on the Disneyland app. There are some very kick back things to do such as Great Moments with Lincoln, Tiki Room, Mickey and the Magical Map and It's a Small World is always a very long, relaxing ride.

 

[arichau]

If you have hoppers you could do Animation Academy in DCA or hang out in the Redwood Creek Challenge area. Or maybe just focus on meeting characters?

 

[KatieCharlotte]

If you have hoppers you could do Animation Academy in DCA or hang out in the Redwood Creek Challenge area. Or maybe just focus on meeting characters?

Part of my relaxed touring plan is no park hoppers, which also helped me justify the fifth day. We will definitely be doing Animation Academy and Redwood Creek on our DCA days when we need a break from rides.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Part of my relaxed touring plan is no park hoppers, which also helped me justify the fifth day. We will definitely be doing Animation Academy and Redwood Creek on our DCA days when we need a break from rides.

If you're all day park people, I'd rethink hoppers. My number one tip for having a relaxing day at DL is have park hopper so you can take breaks in DCA. It takes like five minutes to walk from park to park. Just my 2 cents!

 

[SteveMP]

We sometimes leave the park, head to GCH and grab lunch at whitewater snacks, then headback feeling relaxed and refreshed.

 

[KatieCharlotte]

If you're all day park people, I'd rethink hoppers. My number one tip for having a relaxing day at DL is have park hopper so you can take breaks in DCA. It takes like five minutes to walk from park to park. Just my 2 cents!

I would park hop and stay in the parks all day if I was traveling alone, but the plan on this trip is to take long afternoon breaks at the hotel. We'll only be at the park in the afternoon on the first day because we won't arrive in Anaheim until after noon, and I thought it would be nice if our first introduction to DL wasn't rushing to Fantasyland during 7 a.m. early entry.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I would park hop and stay in the parks all day if I was traveling alone, but the plan on this trip is to take long afternoon breaks at the hotel. We'll only be at the park in the afternoon on the first day because we won't arrive in Anaheim until after noon, and I thought it would be nice if our first introduction to DL wasn't rushing to Fantasyland during 7 a.m. early entry.

Makes sense.

As much as I love DL...have you considered doing DCA that first day? And then you could catch the DL fireworks outside of the gates. DL in the afternoon can get super cramped and the bottlenecking can really get to me. DCA is designed to handle the crowds and while it has fewer cutesy rides, it has a fantastic ambiance.

But on the other hand, my family doesn't get DAS either and that probably makes a difference in terms of wait times...

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Check the entertainment guide or the app for the schedule of live music performances. One thing DLR does best is live music. We find it very relaxing to watch the different music groups perform. Grab a cold drink and watch the ragtime pianist at Refreshment Corner. The Dapper Dans are always fun. There are several groups that play in NOS. The Disneyland Band has so much history behind it. Try catching the flag retreat ceremony (been happening around 5:15 pm these days). There are so many things to see and do at DL on a summer afternoon.

 

[arichau]

Check the entertainment guide or the app for the schedule of live music performances. One thing DLR does best is live music. We find it very relaxing to watch the different music groups perform. Grab a cold drink and watch the ragtime pianist at Refreshment Corner. The Dapper Dans are always fun. There are several groups that play in NOS. The Disneyland Band has so much history behind it. Try catching the flag retreat ceremony (been happening around 5:15 pm these days). There are so many things to see and do at DL on a summer afternoon.

This is such good advice. I usually see most of the above for a second or two while my group is going somewhere but the next time I go to DLR I want to take the time to stop and watch - and truly appreciate - some of this live entertainment. I don't think I've ever seen the flag retreat ceremony either.

 

[Nevada Jen]

Hitting the flag retreat on the first day would be perfect! Battling into the Indy side of the park at that time is pretty horrible in my opinion. Maybe get Haunted Mansion (or indy) put on your DAS when you get it and take the train over that way for the ride? Dole whips and the TIKI room?

 

[PHXscuba]

Don't try to ride the train during the parade times ... I got stuck at New Orleans Station one time during the afternoon parade.

The castle walk-through is easy any time as long as you get on the correct side of the parade route before it starts. Maybe get a DAS pass for a Fantasyland ride, do the walk-through, then the ride.

I think if you got FPs for Indiana Jones soon after you entered the park you could easily ride by dinnertime.

Maybe Tom Sawyer Island if the raft line isn't too long -- room to roam after traveling in the morning.

The Tiki Room is usually uncrowded (and air-conditioned). You can bring your Dole Whip in (but the line to get one will be long in the afternoon).

The Star Wars Launch Bay and Tarzan's Treehouse are also great afternoon activities to do at your own pace.

PHXscuba

 

[KatieCharlotte]

Thank you for all the advice. DS gets to choose the ride for the DAS, so probably JC or HM. It sounds like we should make a full circle on the train and then stay on to New Orleans station to minimize battling crowds?

I really like the idea of getting something cool and watching some live entertainment that we would normal race past, as long as DS doesn't feel too crowded in. I'm trying to keep Tom Sawyer for when we need an escape on one of our other DL days, but I will keep it in mind if we need some space to move around.

 

[Aladora]

We have five-day tickets and are treating our first day as a bonus. We won't be able to arrive at the park until around 1 p.m., as a very rough estimate, and will be ready to crash by 7 p.m. at the latest. This is the only day that we plan to be in the parks during the afternoon. My plan is to request the DAS that my son needs at City Hall, put one family-favorite ride like Jungle Cruise on the DAS, and then be as relaxed as possible.

What time are you starting out on your travel day? We used to fly early in the morning so we could arrive in DL around noonish but that meant getting up around 4am (flying from Victoria, BC) and that ALWAYS resulted in DS having a total meltdown within 2 hours of getting into the park. Depending on how long your travels take, 6 hours in the park might not happen. We now book later flights and even though this means less time in the parks on the first day, the time we do spend there is much more enjoyable!

By the time you get to City Hall to request your son's DAS, there will likely be a fairly long line. I know you want to go right into DL on your first day, but we have always found the line at DCA's Chamber of Commerce to be shorter so going to DCA your arrival day might be a better choice.

 

[disneychrista]

If you want a relaxed afternoon, go in with that attitude. You already know you won't be getting a ton done, so don't try. Take it slow & easy.

 

[KatieCharlotte]

What time are you starting out on your travel day? We used to fly early in the morning so we could arrive in DL around noonish but that meant getting up around 4am (flying from Victoria, BC) and that ALWAYS resulted in DS having a total meltdown within 2 hours of getting into the park. Depending on how long your travels take, 6 hours in the park might not happen. We now book later flights and even though this means less time in the parks on the first day, the time we do spend there is much more enjoyable!

By the time you get to City Hall to request your son's DAS, there will likely be a fairly long line. I know you want to go right into DL on your first day, but we have always found the line at DCA's Chamber of Commerce to be shorter so going to DCA your arrival day might be a better choice.

We're flying from the east coast, leaving at a reasonable hour in the morning EST. I expect that we'll at least be able to make it until it starts to feel like about 9 p.m. our time, so about 6 p.m. local time, especially if we take things slow. Even my little one is a night owl in the summer, so I will probably be ready to crash first.

I have heard that the Chamber of Commerce line is shorter, but I was hoping City Hall wouldn't be terrible. I do want to go right in DL, but I also think that we'll appreciate having our bonus day at DL more because two full days with breaks seems just right for DCA. There are several rides at DCA that my girls and I are really looking forward to, but we will have to use FP and keep DS occupied with things he enjoys (food, raising his TSMM score) because he doesn't do those types of rides.

If the line at City Hall is long, that raises another question -- what sort of fun mission could I send my kids on while I'm in line, so DS isn't stuck in a stressful line for a long time but makes it back when I get to the front of the line? They need a DAS for the DAS line.

 

[GeneralTso]

You're gonna have to play it by ear. It's summer, it's hot, it's Disneyland.
A lot of it is mindset too. If you want to have a chill time, you will. You (by choice) won't be running from one thing to the next. Just take it in stride. You have plenty of days there, you have plenty of time to see and do what you want. Warning--it's hard not to get caught up in it though! It's very exciting and next thing you know, you want to do MORE!

I'd also rethink Park Hopper---it is so easy to do at Disneyland and CA Adventure.

You will hit lines, big ones. It's summer. No escaping it.