Opening day strategies?

[Malcon10t]

This time it will be my DH and DS13 and DS11 with me. So I don’t think they will want to get in line much earlier than 7 . I’m half tempted to just get up early and get in line but I’m not sure how difficult it would be to have them join me later.low. Just happy to be back!

A couple thoughts, for TOD, they did a hold up in the lines entering the security area while lines decreased in the esplanade. If you got there early, it could be very difficult for them to catch up to you. My GUESS is they will open the queue to the security tent about 700a, but they will simply fill in the bus route switchbacks, and my guess is they will have it ready to fill in on the ART tram side also. Then open security at 730 or 8. On the DTD side, they won't have the Grand self parking area to put in switch backs, so will be curious where they will do it.

This is all me guessing.

 

[crystal1313]

A couple thoughts, for TOD, they did a hold up in the lines entering the security area while lines decreased in the esplanade. If you got there early, it could be very difficult for them to catch up to you. My GUESS is they will open the queue to the security tent about 700a, but they will simply fill in the bus route switchbacks, and my guess is they will have it ready to fill in on the ART tram side also. Then open security at 730 or 8. On the DTD side, they won't have the Grand self parking area to put in switch backs, so will be curious where they will do it.

This is all me guessing.

Great info! Thank you!! I will just drag them along with me then. Haha!! I’m thinking we will try to get over there around 7. We are staying at hojo the first night. Looking forward to it!!

 

[BlueRibbon]

Can you park elsewhere and Uber in? Maybe check the hotels across the way? Or even garden walk?

I think folks will have to think of alternatives for sure.Luckily, I'm close enough to catch a ride from someone who can drop us off. Not ideal, but definitely better than the alternative of sitting in line at M&F when the gates open up!

 

[californiamomof4grls]

I'm so curious what it will be like in the park. How they will Que rides for instance in Fantasyland where there isn't much realist to begin with you know what I mean. I am such a planner I usually learn from others experiences and then figure it all out. I'm really confused about the ordering of food through the app. When I looked last week it looked like if you pulled out the app because you were hungry you were waiting an hour to hour and half for a pick up time. But I wasn't sure if I was reading it right for ToD. I'm anxious and nervous too. I can't let my blood sugar get too low so I'm just bringing my lunch and snacks with me...

 

[mlggator22]

I'm so curious what it will be like in the park. How they will Que rides for instance in Fantasyland where there isn't much realist to begin with you know what I mean. I am such a planner I usually learn from others experiences and then figure it all out. I'm really confused about the ordering of food through the app. When I looked last week it looked like if you pulled out the app because you were hungry you were waiting an hour to hour and half for a pick up time. But I wasn't sure if I was reading it right for ToD. I'm anxious and nervous too. I can't let my blood sugar get too low so I'm just bringing my lunch and snacks with me...

If they set up the food ordering like WDW, when we were there, its best to try to plan a little ahead. In the beginning, we would pull out our phone and mobile order once we got hungry, which was clearly when everyone else in the park got hungry and we would have an hour wait for our window to show up, then another 15 minutes or so once we showed up to get our food.
We also struggled with the limited menu and picky eaters. We had to to try to order there a few times to get modifications. Sometimes they let us and other times they did not. They do have some modifications that you can make on the app, but not a lot.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Just in case you are able to wake up early and care about a chance to see a reopening ceremony at gate opening (this is typically earlier than the listed park opening time):

1. Shanghai had a reopening ceremony that was visible from the turnstiles.
2. For Hong Kong's first reopening, the director of park operations came out with Mickey and Minnie to greet guests at the turnstile. For the third reopening, the director of park operations picked a family at one of the turnstiles to give gifts to (the band and Mickey/Minnie also came out to the turnstiles but this happened again on subsequent weekends). For all three reopenings, the line started at about 6AM when the park official opening time was 10:30AM.
3. Tokyo had a reopening ceremony at the castle.
4. The reopening ceremonies for Paris and Hong Kong's first reopening were not visible to ordinary guests.
5. For all the above reopenings, cast members lined both sides of the street to high five guests as they walked in but left by rope drop.

I don't know if there was anything special for WDW reopening.

 

[Ismo]

If they set up the food ordering like WDW, when we were there, its best to try to plan a little ahead. In the beginning, we would pull out our phone and mobile order once we got hungry, which was clearly when everyone else in the park got hungry and we would have an hour wait for our window to show up, then another 15 minutes or so once we showed up to get our food.
We also struggled with the limited menu and picky eaters. We had to to try to order there a few times to get modifications. Sometimes they let us and other times they did not. They do have some modifications that you can make on the app, but not a lot.

I agree with this. I did TOD last month and I only had 50% luck with mobile ordering. I was able to get some things early on in the day. But I faced 2 major issues.

1.) I ordered a mimosa flight and when my window came up, I went and waited outside the line since it normally only takes a few minutes from there to go to "order ready". Well, I waited 10min and nothing came up and there were only 2 people in line. So I asked a CM outside the booth and he said I can't get in line yet since I don't have an order ready notice but that it should be called soon. Well, 15 more minutes went by and there were zero people in line and all of the CMs were just chatting so I asked the CM again and he checked my order number and apologized saying he moved that order to "order ready 25min ago...when my window first became available. But, for whatever reason, it never pushed to my app.

2.) Later in the day I desperately wanted a hot drink because it was FREEZING (for a SoCal local anyway). I went to order a hot chocolate from the coffee stand just before Pixar Pier and the earliest I could order it for was 2hrs from then!!! That makes ZERO sense! So, I didn't get my hot drink and got so cranky by that point I ended up leaving for the day.

So yes, definitely think about what you want ahead of time. And if you plan on eating during lunch or dinner hours, order as soon as you get in the park. Otherwise, you might find one of two things. Either A, you won't bet able to get your food for over an hour and you're already starving. Or B, you might be starving and none of the food you can eat is available for 2hrs.

I'm a vegetarian and it was a little frustrating at TOD that I had trouble getting one of the few items I could eat without a long wait.

If you get hangry like me, bring snacks with you just in case!

 

[mlggator22]

I really wonder at what time they will open security? I know the M&F parking won't open until 1/2 hour before opening. Do you think that will also be true of the security checks. We are actually staying at the Grand Californian and will be coming through security there.
Anyone have any idea about when they will open security for DTD, GC, and Harbor sides?
That will likely be the driver for when when we can line up at the gates more than when parking garages open.

 

[crystal1313]

If they set up the food ordering like WDW, when we were there, its best to try to plan a little ahead. In the beginning, we would pull out our phone and mobile order once we got hungry, which was clearly when everyone else in the park got hungry and we would have an hour wait for our window to show up, then another 15 minutes or so once we showed up to get our food.
We also struggled with the limited menu and picky eaters. We had to to try to order there a few times to get modifications. Sometimes they let us and other times they did not. They do have some modifications that you can make on the app, but not a lot.

Agree to plan ahead. I would recommend mobile ordering as early as possible. At WDW we would mobile order lunch as soon as we entered the parks. Then mobile order dinner at lunch time. Time slots fill up fast!

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I really wonder at what time they will open security? I know the M&F parking won't open until 1/2 hour before opening. Do you think that will also be true of the security checks. We are actually staying at the Grand Californian and will be coming through security there.
Anyone have any idea about when they will open security for DTD, GC, and Harbor sides?
That will likely be the driver for when when we can line up at the gates more than when parking garages open.

We will also be at the Grand. It’s tricky not knowing what to expect. I’d like to be close enough to see any special reopening thing that might happen/see the CMs lined up to welcome people in/etc. But I also don’t want to be up and ready to go at 6am if we can’t even line up anywhere until 7:30...

 

[californiamomof4grls]

Agree to plan ahead. I would recommend mobile ordering as early as possible. At WDW we would mobile order lunch as soon as we entered the parks. Then mobile order dinner at lunch time. Time slots fill up fast!

So, am I understanding this right? You pick where you want to eat when you get to the parks by opening the app and going to mobile ordering section and say I picked the Plaza Inn. I pick two fried chicken dinners, am I picking a time slot to get my food? Can I modify the order at all or everything comes as it's made. My husband doesn't eat veggies so he does double mashed potatoes. Will there be a place to modify? Do we do the same thing if we think we will want a snack because if we don't we won't be able to get them because the time slots will fill up?

 

[crystal1313]

So, am I understanding this right? You pick where you want to eat when you get to the parks by opening the app and going to mobile ordering section and say I picked the Plaza Inn. I pick two fried chicken dinners, am I picking a time slot to get my food? Can I modify the order at all or everything comes as it's made. My husband doesn't eat veggies so he does double mashed potatoes. Will there be a place to modify? Do we do the same thing if we think we will want a snack because if we don't we won't be able to get them because the time slots will fill up?

I’m not sure if you can modify since we never did that before. We plan on mobile ordering beignets and mint juleps, but other snacks like churros and things I do not think you will need to mobile order for that. The time slots for typical lunch and dinner times fill up fast. We tried to get a snack at woodys in HS after the lunch rush and the only time spot available was 3 hours later. So they can fill up quickly. But also, I’m pretty sure WDW had a higher percentage of guests when we were there compared to what Disneyland will have when they open.

 

[VandVsmama]

So, am I understanding this right? You pick where you want to eat when you get to the parks by opening the app and going to mobile ordering section and say I picked the Plaza Inn. I pick two fried chicken dinners, am I picking a time slot to get my food? Can I modify the order at all or everything comes as it's made. My husband doesn't eat veggies so he does double mashed potatoes. Will there be a place to modify? Do we do the same thing if we think we will want a snack because if we don't we won't be able to get them because the time slots will fill up?

At WDW, mobile ordering allows hardly any substitutions. For example, we stayed at Pop Century in January. I mobile ordered breakfast from the Everything Pop food court. Ordered a Mickey waffles plate, which comes with bacon and sausage. If I'd wanted to swap out the sausage for extra bacon instead, there was no option to do that.

If you want to substitute something, you have to order in person.

Also, if you're ordering off of the allergy menu, you have to order in person

 

[audrey2580]

So, am I understanding this right? You pick where you want to eat when you get to the parks by opening the app and going to mobile ordering section and say I picked the Plaza Inn. I pick two fried chicken dinners, am I picking a time slot to get my food? Can I modify the order at all or everything comes as it's made. My husband doesn't eat veggies so he does double mashed potatoes. Will there be a place to modify? Do we do the same thing if we think we will want a snack because if we don't we won't be able to get them because the time slots will fill up?

You can play with it on the Disney World app. You can go all the way to check out and then just exit out.

 

[ycsteves]

We are definitely going to get there as early as we can. With the reduced hours and possible longish waits due to the new protocols, we want to make the most of the trip! After opening weekend we will not be back for a while. I need to ride everything atleast 3 times

 

[midnight star]

Not sure what thread to post this, so feel free to share it to others if it applies. New merch for opening I want that tumbler!
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...bZF5lXSLMW_N_99y171lvr-fmp5eqbAkaVJiU9jEx6a3M

 

[amyg1975]

I NEED that tumbler too!

 

[evilmommie]

Not sure what thread to post this, so feel free to share it to others if it applies. New merch for opening I want that tumbler!
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...bZF5lXSLMW_N_99y171lvr-fmp5eqbAkaVJiU9jEx6a3M

Thanks for sharing this link! Awesome merch info. Love the retro Disneyland lettering!

 

[DL1WDW2]

On Sale April 30 at DisneyLand

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Not sure what thread to post this, so feel free to share it to others if it applies. New merch for opening I want that tumbler!
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...bZF5lXSLMW_N_99y171lvr-fmp5eqbAkaVJiU9jEx6a3M

Me too! I just hope there is some in stock when I go in June!