So if I'm understanding this technique correctly it will only work for those staying at a DL resort hotel when those guests have EE, such as a Sunday morning? We are staying offsite and only have one day to spend at DLR and the top priority is CL. We planned on visiting on a Sunday and from what I'm reading DCA opens at 8am. We planned on being at park by 715am. Is that too early? And since it is an EE day at DCA, should we just go for fast passes to RSR or will the standby not be too bad at that point? Sorry for all the questions but this is our first trip to DCA. Any insight/tips are welcome
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Thanks!
Wide right will still get you ahead of all the other folks who are joining you for regular entry. But you will be behind everyone who was there for EE. So you will not get the full benefit of wide right. But if you want to ride standby, it is better to do wide right than nothing. On a busy day, the standby line will probably already be an hour long.
For me personally, I prefer to get RSR FPs when I don't have EE. I get there between 7:15-7:30am and get in line as soon as possible for RSR FPs. I then send out folks for Starbucks and get breakfast while waiting. If I am getting in line by 7:30am, I expect about 15-20 minute wait for FPs.
Unfortunately the technique won't work if it's an EE day and you're not able to attend the EE. You could try for fast passes but from what I saw when I was there 2 weeks ago was the fast pass line was so long it wrapped around to Tower of Terror and the machines were at the entrance to Bugs Land (across from the big waterfall). I heard it was like a 2 hr wait just to get a FP and they do run out. So you could still line up early and a family member who is a fast runner run straight for the FP line. There will be people lined up from EE but they do not open machines until the actual regular park opening.
I have never heard of a 2 hour wait for RSR FPs except for the first week it was open. I have stood in the RSR FP line 10+ times and if you are back by the Tower of Terror it is about a 30 minute wait for FPs. Considering the standby line for RSR is often 3x that long, I don't think the FP line is that bad.
As long as you are in the RSR FP line by around 7:30am, you will get a RSR FP. They do run out quickly, but you will be fine.
I have asked this and been told if you don't have EMH, you can still do wide right in order to at least be ahead of all of the other regular entry folks. There will already be EMH people in line, so there will be a wait, but it will be better if you are at the front of the regular entry people.
I haven't decided for sure on our strategy- our days are Sun-Tues, so Tuesday is the only day that CA doesn't have EMH. But it's also the only day we could use our MM at DL. We'll play that morning by ear since it's our last day. But on our Sunday- first day- I don't know whether to head straight for FP, do wide right to standby and hope for a shortish line, or do wide right to the single rider line. Our kids are okay with SR.
Anybody know how the single rider line would be if we did wide right at regular entry on an EMH day? Also does wide right still have you end up near the SR line?
The single rider line works pretty much the same. When you approach RSR, there are three lines. The single rider line is the leftmost line, the FP line is in the middle, and the standby line is on the right. If you are doing wide right, you will have to get out of the general herd line and move to the left. It isn't that hard, though, as all three lines are fairly close to one another. On a busy day, the line for RSR standby can easily approach one hour when the park opens and then increase steadily throughout the day.
If you want to ride together as a family, I would probably suggest getting RSR FPs.
