Navigating DLR, Pixar Pier Opening, and AP Blockouts June 18-30

[Christina-B-Na]

I know the block out lifts begin today, but I wanted to share that the crowds yesterday were not too bad for a Sunday. The morning was very pleasant, as mornings often are. We returned in the evening with 2 goals, ride Indy and watch Fantasmic. We had to standby Imsy but it wasn't too bad (it had closed for a while shortly before). Fantasmic was way less sardine packed than when we went last July. I'm not sure if Disney has made tweaks to the number of FP per show or what, but we could actually breath.

I'll update again on crowds this week later.

I really look forward to hearing your take on the crowds this week. The lifting of AP blockouts and the additional bring a friend @ 40% off promotion is the thing that has me the most spooked about our upcoming trip (in park 18th-22nd). Im praying it wont be as bad as the nightmares I am currently conjuring in my mind! Lol!

 

[HydroGuy]

I really look forward to hearing your take on the crowds this week. The lifting of AP blockouts and the additional bring a friend @ 40% off promotion is the thing that has me the most spooked about our upcoming trip (in park 18th-22nd). Im praying it wont be as bad as the nightmares I am currently conjuring in my mind! Lol!

I do not expect crowd "nightmares". Those do not happen very much in summer months. I do expect it will be more crowded than it would have otherwise been.

 

[azdisneylover]

Ok. I really think this was done because they had no choice. I was there yesterday and the entire area from the coaster station to the Silly Symphony Swings is a MESS of a construction zone. They look (to my untrained eye) to be way behind schedule for an opening in just 2 weeks. Honestly, I don't know how they will pull it off. There weren't any construction workers there yesterday either (maybe they don't work Sundays?) which I found surprising. I thought they would have people there round the clock at this point. I suspect they will need to have full access to the area with no walls, thus why they have to close Toy Story. It just wouldn't be safe to have guests over there.

It stinks for guests, but I don't think it was something they had planned in advance.

If the construction crews are union, the only way they will work on Sundays is if double time will be paid.

 

[DizneyMommy]

So I’m looking at the wait times in the app and it is definitely nothing close to nightmares crowds. Looks about average for a summer weekday honestly. In DL only 3 rides are over 60 minutes and only barely. In DCA there is plenty of fun to be had under 20-30 minutes or even less. RSR is only 75 minutes. I’d call it a pretty good day, AP’s unblocked and all!

 

[HydroGuy]

So I’m looking at the wait times in the app and it is definitely nothing close to nightmares crowds. Looks about average for a summer weekday honestly. In DL only 3 rides are over 60 minutes and only barely. In DCA there is plenty of fun to be had under 20-30 minutes or even less. RSR is only 75 minutes. I’d call it a pretty good day, AP’s unblocked and all!

The problem historically is right before the blockout ends and the SCAPs try to fit in one last visit.

Also, I just got the email today from Disney about the Unblocked dates and special 40% deal. So many SCAP and SCAP Select holders may not even know yet.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Oh man, I just looked at the wait times in WDW. We are SPOILED by wait times at DL. There are more than one 120 Minute waits!

 

[HydroGuy]

Oh man, I just looked at the wait times in WDW. We are SPOILED by wait times at DL. There are more than one 120 Minute waits!

LOL, one of the areas that is better about DLR is wait times for rides.

 

[DizneyMommy]

LOL, one of the areas that is better about DLR is wait times for rides.

Oh my gosh if you guys are used to WDW and you are worried about crowds at DL, you have nothing to worry about! It is going to feel like a dream here!

 

[HydroGuy]

Oh my gosh if you guys are used to WDW and you are worried about crowds at DL, you have nothing to worry about! It is going to feel like a dream here!

Well, I never wait in 120 minutes lines (or 60 minutes lines for that matter) at DLR or WDW. So it does not matter to me. I use FP+ at WDW and MP DLR to the max to limit my wait times. On occasion I end up in a 45 minute line but not very often. Usually 30 minutes is max for me at either resort.

And if you want to compare wait times, folks in Tokyo do not seem to have a problem with 3 hour wait times.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Well, I never wait in 120 minutes lines (or 60 minutes lines for that matter) at DLR or WDW. So it does not matter to me. I use FP+ at WDW and MP DLR to the max to limit my wait times. On occasion I end up in a 45 minute line but not very often. Usually 30 minutes is max for me at either resort.

And if you want to compare wait times, folks in Tokyo do not seem to have a problem with 3 hour wait times.

3 hours!?? That’s some Harry Potter level madness. It was 240 minutes open to close on our trip to USH in January.

 

[wendow]

Oh man, I just looked at the wait times in WDW. We are SPOILED by wait times at DL. There are more than one 120 Minute waits!

My dh has been having fun checking the DLR wait times before we go. So, we are used to WDW wait times...he keeps getting all excited cause Soarin is 30 mins vs the 120 mins we frequently see (even in Sept!!) and even POTC was like 20 on Saturday at what seemed like should be a crazy time. Even in Sept, POTC at WDW is much longer than 20 mins.

I'm not sure what the VidCon and unblocking and 40% off are going to do to the crowds, but at this point, we are feeling like the waits will still be less than what we are used to at WDW

 

[wendow]

Well, I never wait in 120 minutes lines (or 60 minutes lines for that matter) at DLR or WDW. So it does not matter to me. I use FP+ at WDW and MP DLR to the max to limit my wait times. On occasion I end up in a 45 minute line but not very often. Usually 30 minutes is max for me at either resort.

And if you want to compare wait times, folks in Tokyo do not seem to have a problem with 3 hour wait times.

We use FP+ also at WDW. Never wait more than 25-30, if that, but those long waits certainly are present a lot!

 

[DreamtheImpossible]

I'm getting so excited. <3 If Disney is offering the 40% off, maybe crowds won't be so insane. I've gone in October for a Halloween parade and omgoodness. That was packed! We'll be there the 20-24th with park hoppers, and I think we'll just try to avoid DCA on the 23-24th. (At least the pier side.) I was never in love with CS anyway. I am a little bummed about WOC though, that was my husband's favorite! But....we get PTN, so really, of the two, I'm super glad it's not PTN!

 

[DizneyMommy]

Keep in mind, that 40% off only applies on days the AP can get in. So any blackout dates for a level, that level can't bring any guests either. The lowest passes are the locals only, and once they are blocked out, I would not worry too much about the 40% having a huge impact. A lot of high level AP's are not local and can't run down to get a friend in.

 

[DreamtheImpossible]

That's a really good point. I think they released the block dates for the couple days I'm there before Pixar Pier opens, but even still if they're willing to do that, they can't expect crowds to be too intense.

I think Disney really dropped the ball by not having the entire pier ready at one time. That would have drawn much bigger crowds, in my opinion.

(And I do wonder if a lot of people who aren't AP holders are skipping this year to wait for SW:GE)

 

[asunnydayinmay]

Disney should have just re-themed CS and premiered it in time for incredibles 2 and then refurbished the rest of the pier so that the rest of the pier opens at once (instead of doing phase 1 and 2)

 

[RunningPrince]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories...ixar-pier-on-june-24-at-california-adventure/

Any thoughts on how this new event affects DCA rope drop for 7 am EMH on 6/24? Breakfast for event starts at 6:30am and D23 ticket holders then escorted to Pixar Pier before park opening for Imagineering guided tour and ride access...perhaps Pixar Pier won’t open until 8am that morning?

 

[DizneyMommy]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories...ixar-pier-on-june-24-at-california-adventure/

Any thoughts on how this new event affects DCA rope drop for 7 am EMH on 6/24? Breakfast for event starts at 6:30am and D23 ticket holders then escorted to Pixar Pier before park opening for Imagineering guided tour and ride access...perhaps Pixar Pier won’t open until 8am that morning?

So that article is completely wrong. They get escorted in at 6:30am, ride TSMM, CS, and take character photos and escorted back out, and then have breakfast. I think it will conclude prior to 7am since no park admission is required. It also seems to be a very limited small group, I don’t think you need to worry!

If you click the link at the very bottom to go to the D23 page it has the accurate info ;-)

 

[agamble]

It WAS busy today. Space Mountain and Splash were 100 min wait mid afternoon. That is significantly busier than last June. They extended hours at DCA to 11 and a CM said they will be extended tomorrow and the next night too.

The day was hard on my mom and her sister. They were discouraged because Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and a few other rides were all 45 to 60 minutes.


ETA: Roger Rabbit had an 80 min posted wait early evening when they thought they'd try that. They waited the 45 min each for Pirates and Haunted Mansion, but not for RR.

 

[limace]

It WAS busy today. Space Mountain and Splash were 100 min wait mid afternoon. That is significantly busier than last June. They extended hours at DCA to 11 and a CM said they will be extended tomorrow and the next night too.

The day was hard on my mom and her sister. They were discouraged because Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and a few other rides were all 45 to 60 minutes.


ETA: Roger Rabbit had an 80 min posted wait early evening when they thought they'd try that. They waited the 45 min each for Pirates and Haunted Mansion, but not for RR.

Ouch! Do you guys have Maxpass?