Your Touring Style

[disneychrista]

How do you tour the parks? Do you go land by land? Chase the low waits? Go from rope drop to park close? Do you take mid-day breaks from the park? Do you go from attraction/ride to attraction/ride or do you stop & smell the roses, drink in the atmosphere and minor sites?

 

[SgtTibbs]

Rope-drop wave rider. Go, go, go....

 

[DizMe]

It depends on why I'm there and who I'm with.

In general, I don't try to hit all the rides. I'm there often enough that it doesn't matter if I miss something this trip. I also tend to go with the flow and I enjoy experiences more than back-to-back rides.

If I'm with my kids (all adults, but we never all go at the same time), we like to have certain dining reservations. If my youngest grandson is there, it's more about the things he wants to see & do. If I'm with my friends or my sister, we are usually there for something like Dapper Day, a holiday or birthday, etc (and we like to dress up).

I try to do/see/try something new to me.

I like to observe the little things that most people overlook.

 

[ClaraOswald]

We rarely, if ever, rope drop. We like to get up early but not super early. Then we take our time having breakfast before heading into the parks. We definitely look for lower wait times. But we do try to hit up several things in one area, when possible. We have DAS so that definitely has an effect on our touring style.

We do rides for a few hours. Then we grab lunch at QS (using mobile order, when possible.) Then we usually hit up a couple more rides before heading to the hotel for an afternoon break. Break can last an hour or a couple hours. Just depends on our moods. We might swim during this time.

Then it's back to the parks for dinner (QS again) and a few rides. We never stay late because our son is usually ready to go back to the hotel by 8:00.

Sometimes we also like to wander Downtown Disney before/after break or in the evening.

 

[Tinkaboo]

I’m usually solo so I rope drop, do Fantasyland then go have beignets and Starbucks. I don’t have any rhyme or reason for doing anything, I go where the mood takes me. That’s why I usually log upwards of 40 miles in three days. I just tell DH Disneyland is part of my workout plan!

If there’s a special parade or Fantasmic is going, I usually do Hungry Bear dining cause I can eat early, go take my nap and then close the park.

Otherwise, I can be found over in AC, just hanging with the boys! Love my Thor, Loki, Cap, and Dr. Strange! C’mon, bring back Rogers the Musical!

And naps are generally part of plan in summer..I need to get out of that midday heat!

 

[smartlabelprint]

We get there when we get there. Never actual rope drop, but arriving at security right around 8 isn’t unheard of.

We also utilize DAS. Our touring style is 3 rides, QS lunch, hotel for a long break. Then whenever they’re ready we come back for dinner and a couple of rides. We aren’t always land to land but we like to see attractions that are close to one another. I try to see small world when we plan to eat at Troubador tavern and pop into toontown for example.

I always want to be a stop and smell the roses, notice the details kind of person. But it’s just not my personality. I’m usually moving!

 

[Lisa24jks]

All of the above? At least since I got a Magic Key. That affords me more time to do all of the above.

Prior to having a Magic Key, I was rope drop til we drop and don't stop because we felt we had to pack it all in and get every penny's worth. I'm still a go-go-go kinda person, because that's just my nature, but I have been trying to to take in more details and do things that I wouldn't normally do or haven't done in many years.

 

[MonocularVision]

There’s the Touring style I would have if I ruled the world and the Touring style I actually have to do because of family.

I would love to be a rope drop to close person that’s maximizing every LL opportunity while I fly through the parks at high speed. I would make it my personal mission to do everything if I could so I can check things off in my head.

In reality, I have teenagers and a large enough family that we generally roll in later in the day and have bathroom breaks approximately every 8 seconds.

 

[Pluto468]

My style has changed since I moved out of California. When I lived near Santa Monica and had an annual passport I went at least once a week and it might be a full day, or just to have dinner and go on a ride or 2. It was more relaxed because whatever I didn't do that day, I'd do next time. I always made time for parades and shows but didn't worry too much about fireworks.

Nowadays...I'm coming from out of state and make it down every few years so there's more pressure to do everything. We don't make official rope drop but arrive as close to opening as possible. With kids, the main focus has been rides.

My personal preference is relaxed, stop-and-smell-the-roses type visits to Disneyland. But traveling with the family I go along with what they want. We usually go early, take a hotel break in the afternoon and then go back until 9 or 10. I like to do at least one character meal per visit.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Yeah...those AP days were so different for me too. We only lived about 10 minutes from the parks and would go several times a week. Sometimes just to eat and wander or shop a little. Much different now that we're 1500 miles away!

 

[Pluto468]

Yeah...those AP days were so different for me too. We only lived about 10 minutes from the parks and would go several times a week. Sometimes just to eat and wander or shop a little. Much different now that we're 1500 miles away!

Those were the days!

 

[ClaraOswald]

Those were the days!

Yep! And back then, my AP had no blockouts, free parking, and cost under $400.

 

[Pluto468]

Yep! And back then, my AP had no blockouts, free parking, and cost under $400.

My first AP was the SoCal one and it was $95 a year. It had blockouts, but since it was busy times I didn't mind. I had that for like 2 years and then upgraded to the premium, which was like yours.

 

[VandVsmama]

How do you tour the parks? Do you go land by land? Chase the low waits? Go from rope drop to park close? Do you take mid-day breaks from the park? Do you go from attraction/ride to attraction/ride or do you stop & smell the roses, drink in the atmosphere and minor sites?

I tour DL like this:

• preferably in line for rope drop
• go to Fantasyland first. Ride Dumbo, Mr Toad, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Pinocchio, Mad Tea Party, Matterhorn in that approximate order.
• then go to Tomorrowland. Ride Star Tours, Autopia, Buzz Lightyear. if purchased Genie+, then set alarm for every 2 hr to pick the next return time for a ride. We usually pick Indiana Jones or Space Mtn first.
• After that, go to Adventureland. Go on Jungle Cruise, then over to Pirates of the Caribbean, then Haunted Mansion. If HM Genie+ available, do it w/Genie+. If wait is ~15-20 min, then get in line for it in regular queue and save the Genie+ to use later.
• Stop to eat lunch.
• Go on BTMRR (aka Fast Choo Choo) if wait isn't long. Otherwise, ride it w/Genie+ instead.
• Use train as transportation to get around the park, save our feet so we can rest.
• Take train from New Orleans Station to Fantasyland station. If Roger Rabbit wait isn't bad, go on that. Then go on IASW.
• If the husband is w/us, then he usually whines right about this time (1-1:30 pm-ish) about wanting to take a break at the hotel. My kids have more stamina than him, so he heads to hotel and I stay w/the for however long they want.
• If my kids want to stay and not take a hotel break, then in mid-afternoon, we do things that are not as crowd dependent. Great Moments with Mr Lincoln, river boat, Columbia sailing ship, Davey Crockett canoes, stop and rest and eat some snacks and hang out, maybe watch one of the shows in Fantasyland.
• usually we eat dinner early, like around 5 or 5:30-ish.
• earlier in the day, using the "set an alarm on my phone every 2 hr as Genie+ reminder," we've started to use Genie+ rides here and there. After dinner, we focus on repeat rides. Favorite rides to repeat are Fast Choo Choo, Space Mtn, POTC, HM, anything in Fantasyland. If ROTR wait is ~45 min, then we get in line for that w/o indiv. lightning lane or Genie+. We all really love the Millennium Falcon ride, so we go on that one, too.
• my kids always want to shop in Galaxy's Edge (huge Star Wars fans), so this day includes some browsing and shopping too.

Using this method, even if we DO take a 3-4 hr hotel break, we've often been able to get on about 16 rides in a day. But my kids are all about the rides. I could also easily do a "stop and smell the roses" kind of day, too. You just go at a slower pace and go on fewer rides.

Usually in a day like I've described above, we end up walking about 9-11 miles.

 

[Peachy0118]

Depends who I am with. When I am with DH we are just two of us and rope drop - park close people and go go go pretty much the whole time - 5 day park hoppers typically, and it is always during holidays so extended hours. We are planners and love the app and hit up our favourites multiple times. We like Genie+ and are also comfortable pivoting our plans if necessary.

We slow down a bit mid-day but really go for it in the morning and late at night.

We typically breakfast at the good neighbor hotel we stay at, then rope drop security and the gate and everything. Snacks throughout the day or a meal mid-afternoon. (Or both! Hahaha)

It's like a game. We love it.

We also absolutely embrace all the cheese and magic.

This coming trip since there are more of us we will likely be a bit slower and we will wander a bit more.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Wake up whenever we wake up...usually had for the parks 9-10 depending on how late previous night was...get some breakfast at Starbucks or other quick serve...pick a park then bounce around but try and set up a flow but totally flexible based on conditions...grab and go or light quick serve lunch...park hop if needed depending on conditions...always book a table service dinner to kick back and take an extended break leaving enough time to get to WOC/F!/ or Fireworks depending on night...close out parks still strong.

If we do an early AM park entry we had back to the hotel later afternoon for a few hours to change, shower, and rest for a bit coming back strong.

I love parks at night and the final hours of operations...can often get just as much done as rope drop but too many folks think they can do rope drop to park close with no substantial breaks on the longer days and I don't care how good of shape you are in majority of folks are physically and mentally miserable if they attempt that then leaving them absolutely wrecked for the next day of the trip...pace yourself!

 

[BellaandMickey]

Always rope drop. Take advantage of Lightning Lanes and short lines, then always a long, sit-down meal mid-day to take a break from heat/weather and crowds. Then always close the parks at night.

 

[disneychrista]

Figured I would answer my own question.

I am a rope drop and go land by land type of tourist. I will also go back to the hotel mid-day for a rest, shower, etc. I would like to have more time to be able to focus on things other than rides. I do try something new each time I visit. This time it is Trader Sam's and of course the entirety of Galaxy's Edge & Adventures Campus.

 

[xApril]

Depends on who I’m with.

My current travel buddy is a big entertainment fan like me. We were just there for 3 days and we ended up with 9 rides for her and 10 for me. She sat out on Matterhorn. We pretty much exclusively saw the Dapper Dans, the parade, Royal Theatre, and ate food. We woke up early each day so while it was a little more relaxed in the park it was still a go go go trip.

We usually try to set the expectations of each day the night before- when do we want to get there and what are some goals for the day?We aren’t usually rope droppers but some of the recent trips have had early dining (we usually don’t do dining but we brought someone with us in January who wanted to, and we decided to try Carnation this trip) which brought us into the park early. Once we’re in, we don’t leave until we’re done for the day. Our hotel is a close enough walk, probably about 10 mins but we will usually see a night time show each evening. This trip, it was both Wondrous and World of Color each night before heading back.

So most of our park days were over 12 hours long but they always fly right by!

We’ve met a lot of the current slew of characters but we have a few we always like to meet so we will stop if it’s a necessity. Usually we only ride things if it’s early morning/in between entertainment things at night or if something gets cancelled. We had a good chunk of rain this trip so that allowed us a few more things we might’ve missed. We also have a tradition to get lobster nachos and donuts once a trip so that’s usually a guarantee for one of our nights.

We are big into nostalgic so hitting things we hit on our first trip is always special to us- shboom in Carsland, Main Street vehicles, wondrous journeys, magic happens, lots of dapper dans, flag retreat, etc. ends up becoming the focal points of the trip and anything else is a bonus.