First family trip to DLR this June. Questions!

[Dr.Mickey]

Hello Disboard friends. My family of 5 will be visiting DLR for the first time from the east coast in June. We had tentatively planned this trip a year ago, with the hope to see DLR, Sequoia and Yosemite. But, we took DLR off of the plan because of the "early summer" date for SWGE and my fears of a Disney apocalypse. Well, I couldn't stand the fact that we would be 200 miles from DLR, so I reconsidered (especially once Disney announced the "reservation" access for early June). We have been to WDW during crazy spring break and Christmas, so we are not scared of normally bad crowds, and we are keeping fingers crossed that this will be somewhat manageable. We don't even need to see SWGE, we just don't want to miss everything else too. Anyway, I was able to take a solo DLR trip 9 years ago (1 week before Cars Land opened), and I loved it. Thank you HydroGuy for all of your great tips, then and now. So here are a couple of questions:

1. If we buy our park tickets through Undercover Tourist, how do we connect this to Maxpass. I read much of the Maxpass, but I want to make sure I've got it down before I order tickets through UT.
2. We are staying at Disneyland Hotel. I know there is hotel-only access to DCA through the GF lobby, and I know it is for on-property guests only (I found that out the hard way 9 years ago). Are Disneyland Hotel guests allowed to use it as well?
3. Any tips about staying at Disneyland Hotel? What do you like about it, etc?

Here's hoping for a manageable weekend and a great time!
Thank you!

 

[HydroGuy]

1. If we buy our park tickets through Undercover Tourist, how do we connect this to Maxpass. I read much of the Maxpass, but I want to make sure I've got it down before I order tickets through UT.

1. Enter the tickets into the DLR app (or use the camera feature in the app)
2. Make sure you give a name (of the person) to each ticket as you enter it - you cannot go back and add names later, which makes it super confusing to figure out which ticket is whose
3. When you enter either DL or DCA, and your ticket is scanned, each morning, you can buy MP. To be clear, you have to buy it for each person, each day, and only after every person has entered one of the two parks.

See "Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" by @Skyegirl1999 - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/

2. We are staying at Disneyland Hotel. I know there is hotel-only access to DCA through the GF lobby, and I know it is for on-property guests only (I found that out the hard way 9 years ago). Are Disneyland Hotel guests allowed to use it as well?

It is the GCH lobby not GF - a frequent mixup with GF for WDW vets - and yes, you can use that entrance. However, if you are coming for rope drop it is often better to use the main park entrance. Even if you are staying at GCH. It depends whether they scan guests into DCA before opening - to be held at a rope or not. If they do, the GCH entrance is fine. If not, it is usually a lot slower. And once it hits 11AM or noon, they allow anyone to use the special DCA entrance.

3. Any tips about staying at Disneyland Hotel? What do you like about it, etc?

If you want a view of the parks, especially, DL, and be closest to DTD, try and get into the Adventure Tower. You can request that, and to make it more likely, show up early for check-in if possible. You can see DL fireworks from here and Disney pipes the soundtrack into your room on the TV.

 

[CableKC]

I can only help to answer the 1st question and the 3rd Question:

1 ) I think that MaxPass is tied to your Ticket. I could be wrong; but when you buy the tickets ( even if it's through a 3rd Party ), you are issued a formal ticket at the gate. When you download the app, I think you have the option to scan your ticket and then have the option to upgrade to MAX PASS through the App on your phone. I haven't done this over the last year, but I think that I am in the ballpark in regards to MAX PASS. Everything is basically scanned and handled by the DL App itself.

3 ) Try to book a Character Breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen. It's worth having a nice character breakfast in the morning before going. Be sure to book 60 days before so that you can get an early reservation and take advantage of the Early Morning entry.

If you are going to be visiting in this first 3 weeks of June and did book your Hotel stay at the DL resort and have the Star Wars Reservation to get into Star Wars Land, you should go regardless of the crowd. As my Disneyland Reservation Agent said, a Star Wars Reservation is the golden ticket. At a minimum; given that it sounds like you don't have the chance to visit DL that often ( especially since you are from the East Coast ), I would want to go to Star Wars Land if you have the chance ( especially with your "Golden Ticket" ). Why? Go just to go cuz you never know when the next time you will go. Of course, it's up to you. But if one can judge how cool Cars Land turned out to be ( which you haven't seen yet ), Star Wars Land is going to be AMAZING!

Another tip, go to Disney California early in the morning. Once you get to the rope drop when it opens, HEAD STRAIGHT to Radiator Springs Racers to get a Fast Pass. The standby time for that ride can be up to 2 hours and the Fast Pass for all rides for the day are gone can be gone within 90 minutes ( if not sooner ).

 

[wench]

1. Enter the tickets into the DLR app (or use the camera feature in the app)
2. Make sure you give a name (of the person) to each ticket as you enter it - you cannot go back and add names later, which makes it super confusing to figure out which ticket is whose
3. When you enter either DL or DCA, and your ticket is scanned, each morning, you can buy MP. To be clear, you have to buy it for each person, each day, and only after every person has entered one of the two parks.

See "Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" by @Skyegirl1999 - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/

It is the GCH lobby not GF - a frequent mixup with GF for WDW vets - and yes, you can use that entrance. However, if you are coming for rope drop it is often better to use the main park entrance. Even if you are staying at GCH. It depends whether they scan guests into DCA before opening - to be held at a rope or not. If they do, the GCH entrance is fine. If not, it is usually a lot slower. And once it hits 11AM or noon, they allow anyone to use the special DCA entrance.

If you want a view of the parks, especially, DL, and be closest to DTD, try and get into the Adventure Tower. You can request that, and to make it more likely, show up early for check-in if possible. You can see DL fireworks from here and Disney pipes the soundtrack into your room on the TV.

Can you really use the GCH entrance to DCA at rope drop when staying at DLH? I know that they used to let all on property guests use it....but the last time we stayed at DLH, in May 2017, they were only letting GCH guests use it. It kind of sucked because we were the 1st people in line. After waiting 30+ minutes they made us leave the line & walk to the main entrance. Then in Oct of that year we were staying at GCH (so it didn’t matter anyway), but I believe the CMs were still saying only GCH guests were allowed.

If that’s not the case anymore, that’s great news. I much prefer that entrance for rope drop & we’re back at DLH for our upcoming May/June trip.

 

[HydroGuy]

Can you really use the GCH entrance to DCA at rope drop when staying at DLH? I know that they used to let all on property guests use it....but the last time we stayed at DLH, in May 2017, they were only letting GCH guests use it. It kind of sucked because we were the 1st people in line. After waiting 30+ minutes they made us leave the line & walk to the main entrance. Then in Oct of that year we were staying at GCH (so it didn’t matter anyway), but I believe the CMs were still saying only GCH guests were allowed.

If that’s not the case anymore, that’s great news. I much prefer that entrance for rope drop & we’re back at DLH for our upcoming May/June trip.

Thanks for clarifying this! I have not tried it since 2014 (last time I stayed at DLH) and assumed that had not changed. Sounds like it has. I 100% believe your experience, but it would be nice if others have had similar experiences on different days to confirm this is now the rule generally and not just sometimes.

Anyone?

 

[Diszona]

1. Make sure you give a name (of the person) to each ticket as you enter it - you cannot go back and add names later, which makes it super confusing to figure out which ticket is whose

I cannot emphasize this enough, I screwed this up last week and it was a pain to keep straight all week.

 

[avalon451]

I cannot emphasize this enough, I screwed this up last week and it was a pain to keep straight all week.

This. I screwed it up with a large group of students I was chaperoning last May. I had to make them memorize the last four digits of their ticket numbers so I could figure out who to add to what FP group.

 

[avalon451]

If we buy our park tickets through Undercover Tourist, how do we connect this to Maxpass. I read much of the Maxpass, but I want to make sure I've got it down before I order tickets through UT.

Incidentally, I just purchased tickets for next September through Last Minute Travel, and it appears to beat UT by a good margin. I'm seeing 5 day parkhoppers at LMT for $339.54, while UT lists the same for $364.95. Might want to check for your dates?

 

[Batstang2000]

On a similar note, my wife and I have purchased 5 Day Park Hoppers w/Maxpass. We have individually opened the app on our phones and scanned in our own barcode ticket info. My questions are: How can the dining reservations my wife made be seen on my app? (how to link reservations) and Can one of us make Fastpass plans for the other? We are WDW veterans but DLR newbies. THANKS

 

[stagemomto3]

Our last trip was July 2018, at which time they were only letting GCH guests in through the hotel DCA gate in the morning. I agree with other posters that it was often quicker to go around to the main entrance, however.

As for Undercover Tourist tickets, we have used these several times, and found that the most efficient way is to give the print-outs to the front desk CM when you check into the hotel. They can print out your tickets there, which you can then scan before you get to the parks. Although the gate agents at both parks are quick, it is less cumbersome not to have to get out the paper confirmation (one per person, so for us is 5 different full sized pages), and then deal with putting them away along with the tickets once you get through the gates. Just a little time saved can make a difference, particularly during an early entry morning. (And you don't have to take the full print-outs to the park.)

 

[HydroGuy]

On a similar note, my wife and I have purchased 5 Day Park Hoppers w/Maxpass. We have individually opened the app on our phones and scanned in our own barcode ticket info. My questions are: How can the dining reservations my wife made be seen on my app? (how to link reservations)

I always manage dining for my group so I do not know. Hopefully someone else does.

Can one of us make Fastpass plans for the other?

Yes. If you are linked into each other's DLR account, you can see and manage everyone's FPs.

Also, when someone wants to leave the park early or stay on a longer break, this makes it easier to use their tickets to get more FPs for you or your group.

 

[dieumeye]

Also, when someone wants to leave the park early or stay on a longer break, this makes it easier to use their tickets to get more FPs for you or your group.

Is this frowned upon or considered fair game?

 

[HydroGuy]

Is this frowned upon or considered fair game?

No one cares. You have the tickets and FPs right there on your phone. Use them.