Itinery advice needed (desperately)

[Runey]

My wife and I are doing a whirlwind tour of Disneyland this August...

Unfortunately we don't have alot of time there and we know it will be our last chance to visit for several years (we're from Australia)...

We arrive early afternoon on Saturday the 12th.. Even though we would have just got off the plane, we'll stuck straight into it... We then have a full day Sunday and Monday... Then we had planned to do Knotts on Tuesday... Finally out last day we have to be at SNA airport for a 3:00PM flight... So I guess we can go till midday...

Firstly can ask about the various parades and shows... How long beforehand do you need to stake out a position for each show? The reason I ask was we are thinking of doing the 50th Anniversary tour on our arrival day and am not sure whether to book the 4:30PM (for the parade) or the 6:00PM (for the fireworks)... It will depend on which is the hardest to find a good spot for...

We are probably going to try and get the Fantasmic Dessert Buffet as well... Do you think that's a good idea to reduce time waiting for the show, or is it not worth it?

From what I've been reading, a FULL day (from park opening till closing) for CA should be plenty... Will 1 night, 1 FULL day and 1 morning be enough for MK?

Sorry about the avalanche of questions... I've just got no idea

 

[Judy from Boise]

I think it is a much bigger advantage to get special seats for the fireworks, than the parade. If you don't mind standing, you could get a perfectly adaquate view of the parade with a 15 minute wait.Since this is a special trip, I think spending the money on Fantasmic buffet would be well worth it.
Instead of planning "full days" at the park, it usually is a good idea to "hop" between both parks each day.If you were going to spend a full day in DCA I would reccomend Saturday as it is always very bust at DL then.

 

[Runey]

Thanks Judy... The 6PM tour it is then

That's good news about the parade I don't mind waiting around for 30 minutes, but 2 hours would have REALLY bitten into our trip

Our only full days are Sunday and Monday (and possibly Tuesday if we skip Knotts)... So I figured CA would be best for Sunday as I heard DL can be nuts on the weekends and therefore Monday should be quieter for DL...

We may spend out first day there, Saturday afternoon / evening only, hopping between the parks to catch as many of the shows and parades as we can... That way the other days can be spent concentrating on the rides... Sound feasible?

Thanks again

 

[Judy from Boise]

I think it would be well worth going in on Saturday night if you have no agenda except to wander and soak in everything.You could even play a little "game" on Saturday, that anything with less than a 15 minute wait you go on whether or not it is on your "must do" list. If you can get to Dl at opening on Sunday you may want to hit some rides prior to going over to DCA. On the parade, I have found it easiest to get good viewing for little wait closer to Small World, than Main st.

 

[Runey]

Going into DL for an hour or so before CA is a good idea... I'm panicking that I won't have enough time to see eveything, so every minute counts

We're definately going to go in Saturday night... Probably get to our hotel about lunch time... So we'll head to DTD and have a big lunch and a few coffees to keep us awake... Then a relaxing stroll through one or both of the parks... Maybe catch a parade, maybe do a few rides... Then 6PM for the 50th tour and finishing off with the fireworks... We'll probably go and crash right after that even though the park would still be open...

I'm going to get Ridemax once the park hours come out and see if that helps me out too...

Thanks for your input...