Disneyland/DCA/Universal in 2022

[Jessicajealousy]

Hi all,

Been quite a while since I posted here - but after any tips/tricks/advice for visiting Disneyland and DCA in current times.

Husband and I are travelling just after Christmas, and have four days at Disneyland/DCA and two day at Universal.

 

We have pre-booked Genie+, as well as a few dining options (Goofy's Kitchen, World Of Colour Dessert Party, etc).

I have NEVER been the American Disney parks (only HK as a kid), but I have done A LOT of research into Disney parks and would like to say I'm fairly comfortable in planning our days. That being set, both of us have never been to the US, and especially after changes to the parks with covid, we would love to hear any tips, tricks, suggestions or advice.

Or just general advice for being in California in general is welcome!

 

We are both plus size as well - I'm around a 90kg and 163cm - I have had no problem fitting on any gold coast rides. My husband did struggle, he is about 180cm and around 140kg (or thereabouts) - he hold most of his weight in his belly. He struggled at our recent trip to movie world/sea world - I think the only ride he got on was wild west falls. For any fellow larger size people, I would welcome your advice on disney/universal rides - i would rather go with my expectations low than be disappointed there.

 

Thank you everyone for your help

[aussienetman]

A YouTuber I follow is PammiePlusParks

https://youtube.com/@PammiePlusParks

A great resource for plus size people visiting florida

[New display name]

23 minutes ago, Jessicajealousy said:

I have NEVER been the American Disney parks (only HK as a kid), but I have done A LOT of research into Disney parks and would like to say I'm fairly comfortable in planning our days. 

My number one tip is don't make plans and if you can't help yourself, make your plans brief and flexible.  Also, a trip to CAL is never complete without a trip to Knotts.

(and if you're a coaster nut. a 6 flags)

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

At the start of June this year I was around your Husband's size. Not an #Ad but I got on some meal replacements before I went to Singapore in September and dropped over 20kg in under 4 months. I know you don't have that much time, but some short term effort could pay off in spades (I know there are more forgiving restraints in places like Disney but other places (I found Knott's was a little restrictive in some places last time I visited).

(I haven't been to California in about a decade, and literally booked our next LA trip this morning, so i'm keen to follow this thread for hints and tips from other recent travellers too)

I would repeat the above comment - you shouldn't miss Knotts at the very least, and if coaster, then Six Flags.

I am keen to hit up California's Great America after recent announcements, so that might be worth a look in too.

[downunder]

I concur on Knott's, it's fun and near Disney, and Magic Mountain if you love coasters (might work well if you are staying in the Universal area) - you probably haven't allocated time, but if you have time to spare I recommend. I did a park trip after Christmas in 2017 in the LA area, and the parks were packed, but I see you've given yourself plenty of time to do them.

In Hollywood, a local mate took to this exhibition on Hollywood Blvd just down from the Chinese theatre called Icons of Darkness in September, if you love actual props from movies (incl full sized Dino animatronics from Jurassic Park), your mind will be blown. Also, Runyon Canyon accessible from the Hollywood strip is a cool hike to get some great views of LA, and a lot of stars walk their dogs there too lol.

[Jessicajealousy]

49 minutes ago, New display name said:

My number one tip is don't make plans and if you can't help yourself, make your plans brief and flexible.  Also, a trip to CAL is never complete without a trip to Knotts.

(and if you're a coaster nut. a 6 flags)

As much as I was desperate for Knotts, we only have 10 days and some of that includes seeing LA/catching up with friends - so we prioritised Disney/Universal

17 minutes ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

At the start of June this year I was around your Husband's size. Not an #Ad but I got on some meal replacements before I went to Singapore in September and dropped over 20kg in under 4 months. I know you don't have that much time, but some short term effort could pay off in spades (I know there are more forgiving restraints in places like Disney but other places (I found Knott's was a little restrictive in some places last time I visited).

(I haven't been to California in about a decade, and literally booked our next LA trip this morning, so i'm keen to follow this thread for hints and tips from other recent travellers too)

I would repeat the above comment - you shouldn't miss Knotts at the very least, and if coaster, then Six Flags.

I am keen to hit up California's Great America after recent announcements, so that might be worth a look in too.

Thank you!

 

We have both been walking everyday, to lose some weight but also just build up our fitness. Though I've heard Disney is more forgiving walking-wise than Magic Kingdom

Thank you! Hope your trip goes well

9 minutes ago, downunder said:

I concur on Knott's, it's fun and near Disney, and Magic Mountain if you love coasters (might work well if you are staying in the Universal area) - you probably haven't allocated time, but if you have time to spare I recommend. I did a park trip after Christmas in 2017 in the LA area, and the parks were packed, but I see you've given yourself plenty of time to do them.

In Hollywood, a local mate took to this exhibition on Hollywood Blvd just down from the Chinese theatre called Icons of Darkness in September, if you love actual props from movies (incl full sized Dino animatronics from Jurassic Park), your mind will be blown. Also, Runyon Canyon accessible from the Hollywood strip is a cool hike to get some great views of LA, and a lot of stars walk their dogs there too lol.

Thank you!

 

Sadly no time for Knotts or other parks (only 10 days total) but love the tips on LA, I'll add Icons of Darkness - that's the kinda cool stuff we want to see!

[New display name]

As much as I love Disney, I only ever do 3 days and Universal I tend to do in a day.  If you haven't got kids, it shouldn't be too hard.

[Jessicajealousy]

1 minute ago, New display name said:

As much as I love Disney, I only ever do 3 days and Universal I tend to do in a day.  If you haven't got kids, it shouldn't be too hard.

Nope, no kids, just the two of us. A massive Disney and HP fans, I wanted 4 days at disney purely so we didn't feel rushed, since it's not an affordable place to come back to regularly  and universal seems to have 2 days passes, even if we did a day and a half

[downunder]

FYI Icons of Darkness is only $20 and they take you on a tour that takes about a half an hour, hopefully it's open when you're there. It's some Hollywood director's private collection that he put on public display. 

[New display name]

48hrs in 3 days at Disney is enough fill for me.😂

 

And if you're grabbing a subway on the walk back to your hotel at 1am.  Don't ask for carrot on you sub. 

Edited December 8, 2022 by New display name

[Gazza]

Why no carrot?

[New display name]

Because this is the reaction you get.

 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Well this took a turn...

[New display name]

I wish somebody told me not to ask for carrot at subway.🤷‍♀️ 

Trying to explain yourself at 1am after 16hrs in Disney is not an easy task.

[Jessicajealousy]

20 hours ago, New display name said:

Because this is the reaction you get.

 

But I really like carrot on my subs!

21 hours ago, downunder said:

FYI Icons of Darkness is only $20 and they take you on a tour that takes about a half an hour, hopefully it's open when you're there. It's some Hollywood director's private collection that he put on public display. 

Thank you! I found their website, I think it will still be on - my husband is a massive star wars fan, so hopefully we will be able to squeeze it in!

[downunder]

10 minutes ago, Jessicajealousy said:

But I really like carrot on my subs!

Thank you! I found their website, I think it will still be on - my husband is a massive star wars fan, so hopefully we will be able to squeeze it in!

Yeah they have an impressive Star Wars collection, I'll post some photos here if you want a preview.

[Jessicajealousy]

1 hour ago, downunder said:

Yeah they have an impressive Star Wars collection, I'll post some photos here if you want a preview.

yes please!

[Whombex]

Have an awesome time - you know we would love a trip report if you have the time after you have returned.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Whombex

[downunder]

6 hours ago, Jessicajealousy said:

yes please!

 

[Jessicajealousy]

On 09/12/2022 at 9:34 PM, downunder said:

 

That's incredible - the model of Tarquin looks so real! Hopefully we will get a chance to see them in person

On 09/12/2022 at 5:27 PM, Whombex said:

Have an awesome time - you know we would love a trip report if you have the time after you have returned.

I'll try too! In all my years on Parkz I've never done a trip report - I've put a reminder in my calendar for when I'm back

[downunder]

10 minutes ago, Jessicajealousy said:

That's incredible - the model of Tarquin looks so real! Hopefully we will get a chance to see them in person

I'll try too! In all my years on Parkz I've never done a trip report - I've put a reminder in my calendar for when I'm back

They are pretty much all actual props used in the movies, with a few exceptions.

[Guest 239]

How exciting! Around Christmas is generally a pretty whacky time for crowds so to get a good idea of what to expect I highly recommend checking out IsItPacked.

I've got some general tips for Disneyland that have saved me a lot of time and made the trip a lot easier.

• Get there early. Stay late. A lot of families can't afford to do open until close because their children will turn into demon spawns. Use this to your advantage and you'll be able to do a ton of attractions as it gets later in the day. If you need a rest and you're nearby I recommend a midday nap as that's when it's generally the busiest.
• The shows, fireworks, and parades are worth it. Some people will recommend skipping them and using the time to get on more rides but it hardly matters when you're there for 4 days. I highly recommend the Fantasmic On-The-Go DIning Package as well because it gives you a guaranteed sitting spot in a premium position which means you don't have to battle the crowds. 
• Watch the nighttime parade near Small World and follow it to Main Street afterwards. I have no idea whether they're doing a nighttime parade at the moment, but if they are it's generally a good idea to watch it near Small World and then follow it down Main Street to plant yourself for the fireworks. We timed our Fantasmic package with the Electrical Parade and Fireworks and were able to do all three in one night by follow the above plan.
• Rise of the Resistance closes early. This throws off a few people but you can use it to your advantage. Generally it closes 2 hours before the rest of the park, but you can get in line literally one minute before it closes. If you do this you can generally get a really short wait.
• Wear high-quality, reliable shoes. This is a general tip for all theme parks but please wear good shoes. Disneyland and DCA are surprisingly large and with Genie+ you will be doing A LOT of walking. Last time I was there we averaged 30KM a day. Myself and my friend go harder than most, but you will generally find yourself hoping around the park taking advantage of Genie+.

I'll add some more as I remember them but these hopefully help out a bit. Have an amazing time!

[Jessicajealousy]

55 minutes ago, Guest 239 said:

How exciting! Around Christmas is generally a pretty whacky time for crowds so to get a good idea of what to expect I highly recommend checking out IsItPacked.

I've got some general tips for Disneyland that have saved me a lot of time and made the trip a lot easier.

• Get there early. Stay late. A lot of families can't afford to do open until close because their children will turn into demon spawns. Use this to your advantage and you'll be able to do a ton of attractions as it gets later in the day. If you need a rest and you're nearby I recommend a midday nap as that's when it's generally the busiest.
• The shows, fireworks, and parades are worth it. Some people will recommend skipping them and using the time to get on more rides but it hardly matters when you're there for 4 days. I highly recommend the Fantasmic On-The-Go DIning Package as well because it gives you a guaranteed sitting spot in a premium position which means you don't have to battle the crowds. 
• Watch the nighttime parade near Small World and follow it to Main Street afterwards. I have no idea whether they're doing a nighttime parade at the moment, but if they are it's generally a good idea to watch it near Small World and then follow it down Main Street to plant yourself for the fireworks. We timed our Fantasmic package with the Electrical Parade and Fireworks and were able to do all three in one night by follow the above plan.
• Rise of the Resistance closes early. This throws off a few people but you can use it to your advantage. Generally it closes 2 hours before the rest of the park, but you can get in line literally one minute before it closes. If you do this you can generally get a really short wait.
• Wear high-quality, reliable shoes. This is a general tip for all theme parks but please wear good shoes. Disneyland and DCA are surprisingly large and with Genie+ you will be doing A LOT of walking. Last time I was there we averaged 30KM a day. Myself and my friend go harder than most, but you will generally find yourself hoping around the park taking advantage of Genie+.

I'll add some more as I remember them but these hopefully help out a bit. Have an amazing time!

This is amazing, thank you!

Yes, I've heard midday naps are ideal, and with no kids we can go all day and night!

We couldn't get a fantastic dining package (I looked, but sold out) - we did get a world of colour dessert package at DCA thought. And we can still see Fantasmic

Didn't know ROR closed early, thank you for that! We are thinking of buying individual lightning lane once for it (so we are guaranteed a ride) and then if we get on it again as standby, it's a bonus!

I've got two fabulous pairs of sketchers that are worn in, and they can't wait to walk 30km every day  

[rappa]

Have a look and see if you can get the hungry bear restaurant Fantasmic dining package.

You don’t actually eat at the show But collect quick service food earlier but then get a ticket to a reserved area for the show and get seated before everyone else. So even if you don’t take the food into account it’s basically buying a ticket to a reserved area. It’s unusual for this to be sold out so have a look. 
 

No doubt you’ll spend a pretty penny on Genie+  and individual lightning Lane tickets, that’s so worth the money.

Just make sure you’re inside the park for opening as the ROR tickets sell fast. 

[New display name]

If you or your partner have medical issues that make it hard or extra painful to stand in queues, Disney has a free virtual queue system, you can apply for.  It's called DAS.  People think the program is only for people with major disabilities, but it isn't.