How We Checked Off Fantasyland During Morning Extra Magic Hours at Disneyland

We had 4 days to tour Disneyland Park—Magic Kingdom.  Out of those 4 days, we knew we could be a rope drop for 3 of them.  One of those Extra Magic Hours mornings was dedicated to Fantasyland. 

It didn’t take us long to realize a recently re-opened Peter Pan’s would need to be an early morning target.  Wait times shortly after park opening hit 70-90 minutes and stayed that way throughout the day and at Disneyland, this attraction is not a Fastpass attraction.

So, we were a part of the pack that walked through Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and wound our way through the queue for Peter Pan’s Flight.  We were in the first 30 or so people to make it onto the attraction.  The crowd was behind us as by the time we exited the ride, the wait times had hit 70 minutes.

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was next as the entrance was right next to Peter Pan’s exit.  No wait!   Loved how the beginning of this ride makes an extra turn for the car on the left.  You think you’re going a different direction, but it is really just a U-turn.  Funny!

Momentum was with us at this point and we paced across the courtyard to Snow White’s Scary Adventures.  I vaguely recall this now closed attraction from Walt Disney World and the Disneyland version is better. 

Pinocchio’s Daring Journey was next.  The crowd really was behind us, or so we thought.  It wasn’t until we went around the corner to Alice in Wonderland that the lines were starting to form. 

The boy and the husband rode Mad Tea Party then we settled in for what was a reasonable wait for Alice in Wonderland.  This attraction has recently undergone a renovation and includes some interesting technology.

It wasn’t 8:00 am by the time we exited Alice in Wonderland.  Storybook Land Canal Boats were our next target, but they didn’t open until 8:00 am.  So we headed to “It’s a small world” where there was no line. 

We then queued up for Storybook Land Canal Boats and other than Jungle Cruise, it was one of the longest lines we waited in during our visit.

But, we had done it.  All of the attractions we wanted to ride, including the boy hopping into the single rider line of Matterhorn Bobsleds.

The Inevitable When Do We Go and Crowd Levels Questions

When planning a trip to Walt Disney World Resort, the question just after whether to stay on property or off is when do we go.  Somewhere in the “when do we go” conversation is the “what will the crowds be like” issue, as the answer about the crowds may change when you decide to go.

For some folks, school and work schedules dictate when to go—during holiday and summer vacations.  And, since this is when many other folks are able to go, crowds can get quite large during these times.

Others have the flexibility to go at various times of the year, taking advantage of “slower” times, discounts, and specials.

At one time, Walt Disney world experts could definitively give you an answer to “when is the best time to go?”  Now, the answer is more of “it depends.”  Since Disney wants their parks to be busy year round, they have devised special discounts and special activities—such as the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT, to draw crowds year round.

We have been to Walt Disney World twice during the second week of November.  Our first time in November 2009, a free dining special was offered that we took advantage of and we found the crowds to be quite reasonable.  The weather was great—not too hot and not too cold.  The next November—2010, another free dining event was offered and we made our way back to the World.  This time, the crowds were. . . thicker.  Especially at the Magic Kingdom.  We managed and were able to do everything we wanted to do, but the expansion of the crowds as compared to the same time the year before were noticeable.

Putting the crowd variable into your equation about when to go, etc. makes the equation even more complex, as Disney adjusts park hours, attraction availability, and dining choices as crowds expand and contract.  For example, if your family makes its way to the World in July—a hot and crowded time—the park hours will most likely be expanded both in the morning and late into the night (early morning) to allow guests more time to tour.  Seasonal dining locations, such as the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station would likely be open and all attractions would be up and running—barring any emergency or unforeseen situations.  If your family made that same trip in January, some attractions may be closed for rehab or refurbishment, certain dining locations would be closed, and you would find shorter park operating hours along with smaller crowds.

Note:   Parks can close—limit more quests coming in—at anytime due to crowd levels.  This most often happens at the Magic Kingdom during peek travel times—holidays, spring break, etc.  Guests staying at the Walt Disney World Resort will not be affected by the park closings, as park access is guaranteed as part of your stay.  Another reason to stay “on property,” especially during peek travel times.

So, if you want longer hours, more dining choices, and access to all attractions, you may have to be willing to brave the crowds.  If you want to go when the parks may be less crowded, be ready for attraction closings, less dining choices, and shorter park operating hours.  A complex Disney equation.

No matter when your family chooses to go, know that you can have a magical time.  Adjust your expectations—you can’t see and do everything even when the crowds are smaller.  (Yeah, I said we got to do “everything we wanted” previously in this post—that’s different that doing everything!)  Prioritize—give everyone a #1 choice and once that’s done, the rest is gravy or icing on your vacation.

Good luck making the decision and. . . have a great time!

In Every Walt Disney World Vacation A Little Rain Must Fall

In a previous post I espoused the importance of ponchos and rain gear during a Walt Disney World vacation—click here to read more.

Us in an almost empty Magic Kingdom after rain.

Since a little rain must fall in most Walt Disney World vacations, it may be valuable to have a game plan should your plans get rained on or out. We could call it a rain plan!



A rain plan could fall into a couple of categories. . . having rain gear or not having rain gear.



Let’s start with having rain gear. If you have read the post about the ponchos, then you have planned accordingly and are prepared for the almost daily afternoon showers the Floridians enjoy and have ponchos, rain gear, and/or umbrellas in the bag you are carrying while at the parks. So, when the rain does inevitably fall, you are prepared. The plan then is to keep touring! You may take in more indoor attractions such as the shows or almost any attraction in EPCOT and save Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for later, but you keep going! You might look for attractions with covered queues such as Peter Pan’s Flight or It’s a Small World, but you keep going!



You may even find that you get to more shows and attractions because of the rain, as those who do not come prepared will seek cover and not keep touring. Stories abound about often coveted dining reservations at, say, Cinderella’s Royal Table, sometimes becoming available due to cancelations because of rain.

Very few guests out and about after the rain at the Magic Kingdom--

and more leaving than coming in!

So, if you find yourself in a near deserted park due to the weather, it may be a great time to try for those hard to get Advanced Dining Reservations or openings at various table restaurants.



We have toured in the rain—as you could have guessed. We enjoy the parks and attractions no matter the weather and have taken advantage of near empty parks.



The second category would be for those not prepared for the weather with rain gear. The rain plan would then be to either get supplies quickly or head for cover—in a car, a shop or any shelter, or at your resort. One might do this, too, if the weather becomes extreme.



One time, we did head back to our resort, but didn’t go to our room. Instead, we headed to the main building and spent time looking in the resort shop, playing in the arcade, and hanging out at the food court. It was much more spacious than our room and had more to do! When the weather did let up a bit, we dried off and headed back to the parks!



Another fun thing to do at the Walt Disney World Resort in the rain is swim. Yeah, that’s right, swim. As long as there is no lightening in the vicinity, which will actually close the pools and water parks, it is safe to swim. We enjoyed swimming in two resort pools on a rainy day. We were getting wet anyway!



Some folks head to Downtown Disney during inclement weather for a movie at the giant AMC theater or to whittle away the hours at Disney Quest—a multi-story virtual amusement park.



So, when a little rain does fall on your vacation plans, have a rain plan! In the meantime, look for those 88 cent ponchos at Wal-Mart!

An Unglamorous Topic

I want to talk about ponchos. While not a glamorous topic, ponchos and Walt Disney World, go together like peanut butter and jelly; like salt and pepper; like Wills and Kate (I couldn’t resist!).




Inevitably in the most magical place on Earth, a little rain must fall. Therefore, it might behoove guests to be prepared for that rain. Hence, the ponchos. . . or any rain gear for that matter.



Our rain battling supplies include several disposable ponchos. They can be had for 88 cents at your local Wal-Mart store in the camping section. Almost each time I find myself at my local Supercenter, I grab 3. Our entire supply goes with us each trip to Walt Disney World with 3 of the ponchos in our day bag or backpack each day. (The one day I didn’t put them in our backpack, it rained!)



We also have a couple of small umbrellas that fit into our day bag while at the parks. They can be used for both rain and sun, if one is in need of a little shade while waiting for a parade, show, or in an uncovered queue.



We have also picked up some reusable ponchos that come in their own colorful carrying case—one color for each of us, and the boy’s is a child size. These get packed in our luggage as well and head to the parks with us.



We also have in our, now extensive, collection of ponchos, ones that were given to us on our Adventures By Disney tour that we didn’t use. The day we were at Arches Nation Park—click here to read more—it began to rain (I would call it a sprinkle) and our ever prepared guides whipped out the prepackaged ponchos and passed them out to us, the guests. They are sturdy ponchos with the Adventures By Disney logo. Cool! We have packed these, but haven’t used them.



OK, so let’s say that ponchos and umbrellas don’t make it on your packing list and you find yourself in the most magical place on Earth experiencing that, almost daily, afternoon rain. What should you do?



Well, one thing would be to pay for the Disney ponchos that you will easily find in stores, especially when it starts to rain. While these ponchos can be a bit expensive, they come with an exclusive Disney guarantee. If your ponchos gets ripped or torn, just take it to any store on property that sells ponchos and return it for a new poncho. It’s like L.L. Bean!



If you don’t want to pay for gear that will keep you dry, you have the option to wait out any rain. Stores are a great place to do this, but caution—others are thinking the same thing and the stores can get crowded. You can also make your way to your car or resort for shelter.



The best bet is to make sure that rain gear does make it on your packing list, so you can enjoy the potentially uncrowded touring of the parks that rain and preparation for rain produce. But more on touring in the rain in another post!