Managing your time at Disneyland Part II

Yesterday’s Disney blog introduced admission, parking, and planning for large groups and children. Today’s will be on organizing time for Disneyland attractions, dining, and shopping.

Attractions:

• Use Fast passes ( Disneyland resort homepage, Mouseplanet)

  This is a way for you to do other things, while a ride time is reserved for you. All you have to do is go to the select rides with Fast pass areas, insert your admission ticket and return at the time on the ticket.

• Ride Max Software

  Allows you to schedule your attractions so that you spend the least amount of time in line.

• Rider Switch if you have little kids-Lets one adult ride while the other waits with the child, then lets you switch places without having to wait in line all over again.

• Shortest line/ Longest Ride: Pirates of the Caribbean during the Fantasmic show

• Generally better to go on Fantasyland attractions during 4-6 PM

• Disneyland railroad starts running 15 minutes before park opening.

• Look on the boards for information about attractions that day. There are cast members that usually stand next to the boards. The boards are regularly updated.

• Generally Jungle Cruise is more open during the end of the day.

• Many attractions have lines that are split into two. As a general rule, the left side moves faster. Although I have found that on Pirates of the Caribbean, sometimes the left side is actually a longer line. It takes you around the Tarzan attraction area.

• Ride popular attractions during the morning and also during parades or fireworks/ Fantasmic shows.

Dining:

• Get reservations or priority seating for many restaurants by calling Disney Dining at (714) 781-DINE (3463) up to 60 days in advance.

• Avoid meals during peak hours between 11:30 AM-1:30 PM and 4:00 PM-6:00 PM

Shopping:

• Send purchases to Package Express located at the Main Gate Newsstand, west of Main Gates. If you stay at the Disneyland hotels, they will deliver packages to your room. You don’t have to carry it and the service is free.

• Best time to shop in the summers are hot afternoon hours, when everyone is standing in lines for the attractions.

Hope that you enjoyed the Disneyland series. I would love to hear about your Disney experience!