Welcome to Ask The Duchess – Vol. 105, a monthly Q&A post covering a variety of resort-related topics. Ask The Duchess answers questions submitted by readers. If you have a question you’d like answered, send me a message here.
1. What are the worst crowd bottleneck spots to keep in mind when trying to navigate the park? (submitted by Cassady)
There are some BRUTAL bottleneck spots, and for some reason Disneyland seems to be way worse about this than California Adventure. Aside from fireworks/parade times (when the parks become bottlenecks by default), these are the toughest areas to get through:
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- New Orleans Square/Adventureland/Frontierland junction – the space by Pirates where these three lands intersect is an absolute nightmare on a crowded day. Agree where to meet your party and just find each other on the other side of the madness.
- Fantasyland’s back walkway – the stretch of walkway between the Storybook Land Canal Boats and the Mad Tea Party can be a mess of strollers and big groups, especially in the evening as the area gets darker (the lighting isn’t great in this spot)
- The Cars Land entryway – for some reason, massive groups love to stand at the front of Cars Land and block access to the land and the pier beyond it. This can become quite the traffic jam on crowded days.
2. Can you eat food in lines? (submitted by Georgia)
Yes, you can generally eat in line so long as you dispose of it before reaching the loading area. For shows, you typically have to get rid of food before entering the building, though there may be further lines inside.
3. Which rides are the most different at night vs. during the day? (submitted by Chad)
For me, the Astro Orbitor and Dumbo are perfectly okay during the day, but 100x more special at night when the park is glowing. In terms of thrill rides, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is the absolute best at night. It feels like it goes so much faster in the dark.
4. What do you do when the park feels overwhelmingly crowded in the middle of the day? (submitted by Meghan)
This depends on my circumstances. If I’m staying at a hotel nearby, I am a big fan of the “sorta nap”. I am not a napper, but laying down for even an hour is a major recharge for me. It gets me out of the hot sun and away from the craziness, and then I’m ready to venture back in. If I drove in for the day and have no hotel, I like to grab a drink or a snack and people watch for a while. Some of my favorite spots for that kind of break are Centrico, and Lamplight Lounge.
5. How long does it take to hop between the two parks? (submitted by Keleigh)
The gates are only about 100 yards apart, so the walk is maybe 5 minutes. The rest is up to the mercy of the entry lines!