Summer opening strategy

[brenda1966]

I'm preping for my July 22-25 trip to DL and CA.

I know to get there before opening, but I'm wondering how much before. What opening strategy are they currently doing during the busy summer season? Anyone been there for opening recently? Do they do any morning show (like they do at WDW with the train bringing all the characters)?

The park opens at 8am. EE would be 7am. What time do I need to be lined up? Is 7:30 good enough for an 8am opening? Will they keep us at the gates until 8 or less us onto main street? For the 7am EE I'm guessing I should be there by 6:30 (if I can drag us out of bed that early).

Also, CA opens at 10am. Are they still opening gates at 9:30 to let people ride Soarin'? That's what they were doing when I was there in the fall. Do they open any earlier in the summer season?

Thanks a bunch. I'm SO excited to ride Pirates!

 

[HydroGuy]

I know to get there before opening, but I'm wondering how much before. What opening strategy are they currently doing during the busy summer season? Anyone been there for opening recently? Do they do any morning show (like they do at WDW with the train bringing all the characters)?

The park opens at 8am. EE would be 7am. What time do I need to be lined up? Is 7:30 good enough for an 8am opening? Will they keep us at the gates until 8 or less us onto main street? For the 7am EE I'm guessing I should be there by 6:30 (if I can drag us out of bed that early).

Also, CA opens at 10am. Are they still opening gates at 9:30 to let people ride Soarin'? That's what they were doing when I was there in the fall. Do they open any earlier in the summer season?

Our last multi-day trip to DLR was Aug 1-4 last summer. We were shooting for 6:30AM on an EE day, and the reality turned out to be gate arrival at 6:45. We were about the 10th group in our line and thru the gates by probably 7:01 or 7:02. We headed straight to FantasyLand and walked on to Peter Pan and then Dumbo. We did 7 rides during EE.

On a non-EE Wednesday we got to the DL gates 30 minutes early and were a little closer than on the EE day.

It is my understanding that when the park opens at 8AM they hold everyone at the turnstiles. That is what happened to us. The "letting people in early" is done when the DL opens at 9 or 10AM.

Neither day was there a ceremony. There was a "family of the day" selected who went in behind the turnstiles and helped shout out the countdown and then right at park opening yelled "Let the Fun Begin!".

We used the 9:30AM entry into DCA one day to ride Soarin Over CA, and from what I have heard they are still doing this.

 

[iceskatejen]

Sometimes the Disneyland Band comes out and plays at opening (sometimes they're a bit late). Usually the Alice in Wonderland characters join them. But if the park opens at 8, they will hold everyone at the turnstiles until then.

 

[brenda1966]

Thanks! This is exactly what I needed to know. It's a shame they don't do more of an opening ceremony like at WDW, but perhaps there just isn't the room. I do remember Alice in Wonderland being there for opening last fall.