If you only had time for two of these DCA rides ...

Thanks! Did people ask why only two and I missed it?

It's possible that we will be able to do all four (except Goofy's, I think we're taking it off-off), but I'm trying to plan conservatively knowing that my son HAS to have a midday nap and we can't be in the park later than 7:30. So, I've already identified 8 attractions in DCA that we want to do more than these four, so if we have time I'm prioritizing which of these we would want to do.

Also, I had no idea that EW wasn't open yet. That explains why there are no ride-through videos!

Will your son meet all height requirements?
 
GSS is brutal. It is rough, spinning and not fun at all to me. Even my kids hate it, and they literally ride every single ride in DCA over and over. You may need a chiropractic adjustment after riding it! I look forward to the EW, as my kids giggled on Flick’s Flyers, even when they were way over the Bugs’ Land target age. I will second OP who recommended Jumpin’ Jellyfish. For some reason, my girls still love this even at 11 and 13 years old. It is just easy fun, and you get a neat view. It is not too high for those who hate heights. The line can look short but take a while because it doesn’t hold many folks. I literally count folks off in pairs in the line to see how many “rounds” of the ride we will have to wait through. My kids ride this alone now, and we have a drink and watch them! Maybe that has more to do with me recommending the ride than the ride itself ha ha!
 
We love Goofys Sky School! I’ve never found it painful. The swings are ok, but personally make me dizzy. The Inside Out attraction will be a rethemed Fliks Flyers. It’s fun, but not as fun as GSS imo.

Funny story - back in 2002 my sister got in the “hot seat” at Millionaire at MGM Studios. The host found out she was from CA and asked what her favorite attraction at DLR was. She said Mulholland Madness (GSS before it was rethemed) and then there were seconds of awkward silence since nobody knew what it was. Lol, still makes me giggle.
 


Will your son meet all height requirements?
Yes, I think so. He's a hair over 42" now and so will be probably 44ish" by next year. He's approximately as tall as the average child one year older than him.
 
I don't know if it's already on your list, but have you considered Mater's Junkyard Jamboree? I think it's just as exciting as Goofy's Sky school without the feeling that you're going to fly off the track.
 
I don't know if it's already on your list, but have you considered Mater's Junkyard Jamboree? I think it's just as exciting as Goofy's Sky school without the feeling that you're going to fly off the track.
Yep! That one is on our high priority list. Our main priorities are:

Red Car Trolley (my son wants to ride this because Daniel Tiger rides a trolley. I hope its open by then.)
Monsters Inc.
Toy Story
Little Mermaid
Mater's Junkard Jamboree
Radiator Springs Racers
Soarin'
Mickey's Philharmagic
 


When are you going?

There is a high probability that you can do EVERY ride in DCA in a day even with a midday nap and leaving by 7:30. I think you are overestimating wait times. My kids don't ride GotG Mission Breakout or CA Screamin, but they ride everything else in the park, and on numerous occasions, we have done every single ride in the park before 4pm.

Looking at your list, if you arrive at or even within an hour of park opening, you can do all those things by 1pm. Easily.
 
When are you going?

There is a high probability that you can do EVERY ride in DCA in a day even with a midday nap and leaving by 7:30. I think you are overestimating wait times. My kids don't ride GotG Mission Breakout or CA Screamin, but they ride everything else in the park, and on numerous occasions, we have done every single ride in the park before 4pm.

Looking at your list, if you arrive at or even within an hour of park opening, you can do all those things by 1pm. Easily.
Really?! We're going the first week of March 2020. We are early birds and will be at the gate well before rope drop, plan to leave from 12:30-3:00 or thereabouts for a nap, and then done for the day at 7:30. Regardless of time/availability, we won't ride GotG, Incredicoaster, Pal-A-Round, or Grizzly River Run, and I know many of those are priorities for others.

I've had a really difficult time getting a handle on what realistically can be done in a day (especially with a break in the middle), so I've been trying to plan conservatively and if we have time left over then that's a bonus! There was one very helpful member who sent me her exact touring plan with her five year old, and I worked off of it for estimations, but it looks like they did not have a nap and might have stayed later. If we DID have extra time at DCA, any of these four rides, plus Jumpin' Jellyfish and the Explorer Camp would be fun too.
 
I agree with DLgal on being able to accomplish a lot. Especially if you have MaxPass. Adults would rather pass on GSS (I'll go once per trip) but my kids LOVE it! It's a great "big kid" ride when they aren't quite ready for GotG or Screamin yet.
 
Really?! We're going the first week of March 2020. We are early birds and will be at the gate well before rope drop, plan to leave from 12:30-3:00 or thereabouts for a nap, and then done for the day at 7:30. Regardless of time/availability, we won't ride GotG, Incredicoaster, Pal-A-Round, or Grizzly River Run, and I know many of those are priorities for others.

I've had a really difficult time getting a handle on what realistically can be done in a day (especially with a break in the middle), so I've been trying to plan conservatively and if we have time left over then that's a bonus! There was one very helpful member who sent me her exact touring plan with her five year old, and I worked off of it for estimations, but it looks like they did not have a nap and might have stayed later. If we DID have extra time at DCA, any of these four rides, plus Jumpin' Jellyfish and the Explorer Camp would be fun too.

If you get Maxpass, you can do all the rides in DCA in a day with an afternoon break, VERY easily. In fact, you will likely be able to repeat rides. Start with a Fastpass for Soarin, then get one for Toy Story, and grab a RSR one for the late afternoon/early evening.

The Soarin FP will be "immediate" and when you get off that ride, get the next one for Toy Story, which will likely be an hour or 2 out. Ride everything without fastpass in the meantime. Grab the RSR one when the return time suits you.
 
If you get Maxpass, you can do all the rides in DCA in a day with an afternoon break, VERY easily. In fact, you will likely be able to repeat rides. Start with a Fastpass for Soarin, then get one for Toy Story, and grab a RSR one for the late afternoon/early evening.

The Soarin FP will be "immediate" and when you get off that ride, get the next one for Toy Story, which will likely be an hour or 2 out. Ride everything without fastpass in the meantime. Grab the RSR one when the return time suits you.
This is incredibly helpful, thank you! Our tickets already have MaxPass on them!

Question: Are RSR fastpasses likely to “sell out” still?
 
This is incredibly helpful, thank you! Our tickets already have MaxPass on them!

Actually, just FYI, with Maxpass, you can get the next fastpass after you SCAN into your first FP ride, not after you finish riding it. So, scan in for Soarin and IMMEDIATELY book the MP for Toy Story.
 
I laugh hysterically at Goofy's Sky School. Very enjoyable for me and my teenage son. My husband is a taller, bigger guy and he doesn't like it as much.
 
My DD would tell you Luigi's and Silly Symphony Swings. She absolutely loves the swings and often gets off those and gets back in line. I would put Goofy's absolute last. We only ride it if DD makes us. To us- it is pretty much just a little state fair/ local amusement park kiddie section type roller coaster. It is a very rough ride too. DH absolutely hates it, and is not beyond trying to bribe DD away if she shows any interest. It is 50/50 as to whether it is on her radar-- really it depends on the length of the line. If it is short- she wants to ride--- if it is over about 15 minutes, she walks on by.
 
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I also agree that you will likely be able to ride everything plus your list of 4 (well 3 now with GSS off the list) even with the nap and early exit. I can't remember if you're staying on site or not but if you are and can go to DCA on an EMH day you can finish the Pier and most of Carsland before the park even opens. Even without EMH you will still get quite a bit done early in the day.

Keep an eye on the Red Car Trolley so you can set expectations accordingly. It's currently down until "Spring 2020" due to Marvel Land construction. Usually "Spring" means later than early March but you never know. Also be prepared that your kiddo's desires might change between now and your trip since it's almost a year away. That is a long time in terms of kid development at that age and what they're "in" to (not to mention that nap could be a thing of the past by then...).
 
I also agree that you will likely be able to ride everything plus your list of 4 (well 3 now with GSS off the list) even with the nap and early exit. I can't remember if you're staying on site or not but if you are and can go to DCA on an EMH day you can finish the Pier and most of Carsland before the park even opens. Even without EMH you will still get quite a bit done early in the day.

Keep an eye on the Red Car Trolley so you can set expectations accordingly. It's currently down until "Spring 2020" due to Marvel Land construction. Usually "Spring" means later than early March but you never know. Also be prepared that your kiddo's desires might change between now and your trip since it's almost a year away. That is a long time in terms of kid development at that age and what they're "in" to (not to mention that nap could be a thing of the past by then...).
Yes, thank you! Right now everything is a tentative plan, to be re-evaluated probably in January. I will definitely let him know if the Trolley is not running. There is also the possibility that attractions we are hoping to see will go down for refurb. As to lodging, we are staying at BWPPI. He still naps two hours daily, so even if he’s not actually napping next year, I will take him back for a rest. He is ordinarily charming, easy going, and patient... until he’s tired, and then it’s like traveling with an incendiary Jack Jack.
 
This is incredibly helpful, thank you! Our tickets already have MaxPass on them!

Question: Are RSR fastpasses likely to “sell out” still?
RSR fastpasses are usually gone by 11am or noon. So keep a close eye on the return times in the app and snag one as soon as you can. I would make sure to get one a FP for that right after Toy Story.

Also, the monsters inc line can get ridiculously long so I would try to ride that as early as you can or be prepared to wait 30-45 minutes. It’s a fantastic ride though and worth the wait!
 
Also, the monsters inc line can get ridiculously long so I would try to ride that as early as you can or be prepared to wait 30-45 minutes. It’s a fantastic ride though and worth the wait!

You can use the Buddy pass on this one if the line is long. Same for Toy Story...
 
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You can use the Buddy pass on this one if the line is long. Same for Toy Story...
Is the Buddy Pass just for two people? I suppose we could do a Buddy Pass and a single rider. DH and I don't mind splitting up, as long as someone is with the boy :)
 

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