Southern California and Disneyland Adventure

[OrangeBirdGirl]

I just booked this today for March 31-April 5th next year. I kept asking the Vacationista about Lightning Lanes and Genie+ and she really didn't give me any answers. How many lightning lanes can you do during the days that are part of the tour? Will they let you go on rides like Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain, etc? Or is it just kinda the big show stoppers like ROTR and Radiator Springs Racers? Any info you can give me would be helpful, because my husband scoffed and claimed that "Disney was being cheap" by not giving us Genie+ included.

The other benefit on what ABD gives you is that it’s not a timed pass. At least not for Our trip in 2023. They loaded them onto our tickets and we could use whenever we wanted.

 

[jimmymc]

So we didn't realize they were going to give us ANY lightning lanes so that's where the "cheap" comment was coming from. Are they generic LL that you can use for any ride? How's it actually work?

They are any time, almost any ride lightning lanes. You can see them in the app, and either scan your ticket or phone to use them. For us, the only rides we couldn't use them on were Rise of the Resistance and Runaway Railway.

The only time you would possibly need Genie+ is the final day, where you only get one lightning lane.

 

[Rowlf the Dog]

They are any time, almost any ride lightning lanes. You can see them in the app, and either scan your ticket or phone to use them. For us, the only ride we couldn't use them on were Rise of the Resistance.

The only time you would possibly need Genie+ is the final day, where you only get one lightning lane.

As of last Thursday (10/12), Runaway Railway is now included in the Multiple Experience LLs they give to you. Our VIP Guide who brought us backstage to Indiana Jones, said as much.
Rise is the only one excluded now.
I really enjoyed this trip and can only recommend it. Pretty interesting things to see and learn, I left almost all my money at the stores like Mickeys of Glendale and I met fantastic people and some great friends.
Kind regards to all who were there from 10/8 - 10/13 from Fozzie and the "Crazy German"

 

[MaleMadMadameMim]

How many kids on your tour? I hope my 9 year old has as much fun as I'm planning on having.

We didn't have any kids in our group. We did, however, have a guide dog. A black lab named Centaur. He was the most popular member of our entourage.

 

[jimmymc]

As of last Thursday (10/12), Runaway Railway is now included in the Multiple Experience LLs they give to you. Our VIP Guide who brought us backstage to Indiana Jones, said as much.
Rise and Radiator Springs are so the only one excluded now, but for the last one you will get an extra LL.
I really enjoyed this trip and can only recommend it. Pretty interesting things to see and learn, I left almost all my money at the stores like Mickeys of Glendale and I met fantastic people and some great friends.
Kind regards to all who were there from 10/8 - 10/13 from Fozzie and the "Crazy German"

Weird that Radiator Springs is gone. In 2022, Rise was the only excluded ride.

I also highly recommend the trip. If you've ever thought "How can I make Disneyland a week-long vacation?", this is the answer.

 

[jimmymc]

How many kids on your tour? I hope my 9 year old has as much fun as I'm planning on having.

Last year was one kid, this year was one kid and two teens.

 

[Rowlf the Dog]

Weird that Radiator Springs is gone. In 2022, Rise was the only excluded ride.

I also highly recommend the trip. If you've ever thought "How can I make Disneyland a week-long vacation?", this is the answer.

My bad, you are right. I just confused it with the Multiple Experience LL I get on saturday as a compensation for ride closure and false CM-informations.
Will just edit my earlier post.

 

[jimmymc]

My bad, you are right. I just confused it with the Multiple Experience LL I get on saturday as a compensation for ride closure and false CM-informations.
Will just edit my earlier post.

Oh I see, that makes more sense.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Last year was one kid, this year was one kid and two teens.

Did the kids have fun too?

 

[jimmymc]

Did the kids have fun too?

The teens loved it, the kids seemed to have fun but could get a little bored during the studio tours.

 

[Steven G]

I just booked this today for March 31-April 5th next year. I kept asking the Vacationista about Lightning Lanes and Genie+ and she really didn't give me any answers. How many lightning lanes can you do during the days that are part of the tour? Will they let you go on rides like Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain, etc? Or is it just kinda the big show stoppers like ROTR and Radiator Springs Racers? Any info you can give me would be helpful, because my husband scoffed and claimed that "Disney was being cheap" by not giving us Genie+ included.

On the two full days, you get 5 multiple experience VIP lightning lanes. This includes EVERY single attraction, even attractions that are not normally lightning lane (for example POTC, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Alice, etc.). For the attractions that are not normally lightning lane, you have to find (or better ask a CM) the entry location. This is usually the DAS entrance.

On those two full days, you may get one additional lightning lane for a specific attraction on TOP of the 5 (for example, Indiana Jones). You may go with the entire group on this one, or you may need to go with just your family.

On the first evening that you arrive, I believe you get two lighnting lanes, one typically for Haunted Mansion only, and one additional VIP lightning lane.

On the last day that you are there (where some go straight to the airport), you get 1 VIP lightning lane.

I call them VIP lightning lanes, because they act very much like what you get on a VIP tour, but without a guide. You don't need to reserve a time (you can go anytime), and you can go on the ride multiple times if you wish. They do expire on the day that they are assigned to, so you would need to use all of them on that day, or you lose them.

They are similar to the multiple experience LL that people get, when the ride is down during their lightning lane return time.

Note that you still need to wait in the lightning lane queue, however long it is.



The only rides that are not included in these VIP lightning lanes are some of the rides that are ILL purchases. However, for whatever reason, Radiator Springs which is ILL is included in the VIP LL that you get. So I think that for right now, only ROTR is excluded.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

On the two full days, you get 5 multiple experience VIP lightning lanes. This includes EVERY single attraction, even attractions that are not normally lightning lane (for example POTC, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Alice, etc.). For the attractions that are not normally lightning lane, you have to find (or better ask a CM) the entry location. This is usually the DAS entrance.

On those two full days, you may get one additional lightning lane for a specific attraction on TOP of the 5 (for example, Indiana Jones). You may go with the entire group on this one, or you may need to go with just your family.

On the first evening that you arrive, I believe you get two lighnting lanes, one typically for Haunted Mansion only, and one additional VIP lightning lane.

On the last day that you are there (where some go straight to the airport), you get 1 VIP lightning lane.

I call them VIP lightning lanes, because they act very much like what you get on a VIP tour, but without a guide. You don't need to reserve a time (you can go anytime), and you can go on the ride multiple times if you wish. They do expire on the day that they are assigned to, so you would need to use all of them on that day, or you lose them.

They are similar to the multiple experience LL that people get, when the ride is down during their lightning lane return time.

Note that you still need to wait in the lightning lane queue, however long it is.



The only rides that are not included in these VIP lightning lanes are some of the rides that are ILL purchases. However, for whatever reason, Radiator Springs which is ILL is included in the VIP LL that you get. So I think that for right now, only ROTR is excluded.

Thanks for info! Didn't know you could ride the same ride multiple times. How did you go about that?

 

[jimmymc]

Thanks for info! Didn't know you could ride the same ride multiple times. How did you go about that?

You can use two of the VIP LL's on the same ride in the same day. So you have to use 2 of the 5 passes, you don't just get a reride.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

You can use two of the VIP LL's on the same ride in the same day. So you have to use 2 of the 5 passes, you don't just get a reride.

Gotcha thanks!

 

[Steven G]

yeah, I didn't mean to imply that you could ride multiple times on one LL just that, if you so wished, you could use the 5 LL to ride radiator springs racers (for example) 5 times that day, and then you would be out of LL for that day!

 

[vakamalua]

Leaving this Friday for the November 12 adventure (after a 7-day California Coast Cruise). Any last minute tips from veteran adventurers would be much appreciated! Thanks

 

[jimmymc]

Leaving this Friday for the November 12 adventure (after a 7-day California Coast Cruise). Any last minute tips from veteran adventurers would be much appreciated! Thanks

See if there's anything you'd like to do in Hollywood on Monday night and book it. I suggest seeing a movie in the TCL or El Capital Theater. You probably won't be very hungry after lunch and ice cream.

If you want to make reservations for meals at Disneyland, I would do it for lunch or dinner on Wednesday, or after the trip ends on Friday.

 

[lauritagoddess]

The new Tiana restaurant, that’s quick service, right? I asked my son if there’s any place he’d like to eat in Disneyland, and he said he’d definitely want to go there. Just checking because I thought I recalled that it wasn’t table service. He also wants to eat in San Fransokyo, so more quick service there.

 

[jimmymc]

The new Tiana restaurant, that’s quick service, right? I asked my son if there’s any place he’d like to eat in Disneyland, and he said he’d definitely want to go there. Just checking because I thought I recalled that it wasn’t table service. He also wants to eat in San Fransokyo, so more quick service there.

It is quick service.

 

[tgeorge]

I'd definitely talk to your guides before buying any tickets to a movie Monday night. We were surprised with tickets to the 730 4D showing of 'Nightmare Before Christmas' that evening at El Capitan. We had some fellow adventurers who bought tickets to the 530 show before it was announced and our guides told us to always check first .

I believe one of your guides will be Michael (he was our guide for our trip last week and the trip I took in 2017)- so you're absolutely in good hands. He's fantastic. Not sure who the other guide will be, but they are all great.

We ended up taking an Uber after lunch back to the hotel so we could go see Jimmy Kimmel, but that's because my Mom has always wanted to see a taping and this worked out well. She didn't mind not seeing Walt's Barn.

Also highly recommend going into the Roosevelt Hotel- the lobby is what they used to model Tower of Terror after and I always love going in to check it out.

You're going to have a great time- enjoy your trip!