[WishUponAStar]

I got my copy of "the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2006" in the mail today, which I found "used" (it's TOTALLY brand new) on Amazon for $8.50 btw.

Anyway, I am mulling my way through it and was wondering your thoughts and opinions on their "touring plans?" My last two trips to DL were fairly
"willy nilly" b/c I've never been much for itineraries and such. ALTHOUGH, I am going with my Dad who has NEVER been there and I want to get the most of it.

We will be arriving on a Tuesday around noon to the DL Hotel. We will then have 3 full days there following. We are leaving DL Friday night.

I am just wondering how I should plan my days, especially that first "1/2" day or if using one of the Unofficial Guide's "touring plans" will be beneficial to us? Or should I just throw it to the wind and enjoy "in the moment" like I've done in DL in the past?

Any thoughts on them would be greatly appreciated.

It sounds like if we spend the first "1/2 day" at DCA, the following TWO days at DL (Wed & Thurs which accourding to the guide are the LOWEST attendance of the week, even in June), then the last day Friday at DCA it might work pretty well. What do you think?


Thank you!!!

[The Goof Father]

Use the tour plans! In the summer those will help a lot!

Also abuse the Fast Pass system as much as you can. Get new FPs every 2 hours (if not sooner when you can)!!!


I would also consider doing DCA on Friday, because the crowds will spike up on Friday in DL in particular, but also a bit in DCA. Be sure to see the Aladdin show in DCA's Hyperion theater! Two thumbs up and two big toes up on that cool show!!!

[Peppertink]

Oh...don't forget that you can now learn to draw a character in the Animation building:) I learned how to draw Pooh :)

[Princess Tessa]

For me, since I've been to DL soooo many times and usually with my mum, we have a total routine and we love doing it "our way"
We have a plan 'guide' but it's mostly just little things, maybe a dinner planned and we usually do a movie in the middle of our trip, things like that we plan. But as for what rides when we totally wing it, I like to be able to find the short lines and do it that way, we of course do use FP's though, and do things like line up for Soarin' FIRST thing and get a FP for later on again.

I'd love to help you plan rides though hehe, just PM me or we'll chat on MSN

[The Goof Father]

I used the tour plans on my first trip to DL, but since then I just fly by the seat of my pants through the park. I use my own wacky strategies and aim to get in some of the big ticket rides as early and quickly as possible and then lolly-gag the rest of the day with the help of Fast Passes...

[WishUponAStar]

Yeah, I am glad we will most likely be in the DL park on Wednesday and Thursday, the guide makes it sound like even in summer those are the slowest days... ESPECIALLY at park opening. And then we'll do DCA on Tuesday & finish up on Friday at either park.

I know I could follow the "2 day" park touring option but I think it's gonna be hard with my dad, he is NOT going to understand why we are jumping around and he'll stop EVERY two seconds to do one of three things... 1)go to the bathroom 2)stop for a diet coke 3)ask CMs questions like "excuse me, have you ever heard of these touring plans my daughter is trying to use, do you think they work?"

hehe, god bless him and he's my best friend in the WHOLE world but it's SO hard getting things accomplished with him sometimes. I am REALLY going to have to leave the "control freak" wiring of my brain at home!

[The Goof Father]

I am sure you both will have a lot of fun!

Yeah, some folks are not into the plans at all... I admit that I struggled with it myself a bit when I did it.

There are always so many reasons to get off track on those tour plans. Food! Drink! Restrooms! Tired legs! Shopping! Characters! I now have to stop and trade pins every so often, which only makes me move more slowly from ride to ride. Oh, and you never know when you will see some unique circumstance at DL that you just cannot pass by. The New Orleans Square jazz bands always suck me in too!

And both me and my wife have some mild control freak wiring, so we have to be careful to not cross our wires and short circuit our good times. We sort of take turns "controlling"!

[Princess Tessa]

haha yeah, I guess you'll have to think of this trip as a go-with-the-daddy-flow one

Just relax about running around and enjoy that daddy-daughter time You guys are going to have a wonderful time!

(I'm so jealous of how many trip you have planned for next year Wish! wowzers!)

[daisyd]

I haven't used them, but I have been so many times I have my own routine down as well for DL, not so much for DCA.

FWIW, I'd find it hard to spend a WHOLE day in DCA and not go into DL (I like DCA, but DL is RIGHT THERE, lol). I can appreciate your dad not wanting to bounce back and forth, so maybe you could make your own tour plans based on visiting the different lands, and plan your dining to fall inline. You could combine one or two lands and a bit of Main Street USA in the am, and spend the rest of the day at DCA, ending with the Electrical Parade.

Don't forget you can use the Disneyland Rail Road to get from Main Street to the lands, it can help cut down on the things that may distract.