Rope Dropping Radiator Springs Racers: Mistake or Not?

We went against our own advice to see if maybe we've been wrong all this time: we rope dropped Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure. Was it a mistake? Let's find out.
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#DisneyCaliforniaAdventure #RopeDrop #DisneylandResort #Disneyland2023 #Disneyland #DCA

[@mi9nguyen]

burrito video YES please! thanks as always for all your thoughts and tips!

[@taylourhudson]

My family and I roped dropped radiator spring racers over the summer. We were staying at the paradise pier and went straight there and they made us line up outside the ride. Once the park opened they let us into the actually queue. It worked out great and we moved steadily and got on in 10 minutes. We ended up riding it THREE more times that day using single rider! Our party never got split up completely so two people always rode together and we never waited longer than 20 minutes!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Yes! If you have early entry that's a great hack because you can get right up close to the entrance of the ride where everyone else is held back to the entrance of Avengers Campus. Single rider is our preferred way to ride. Once Benjamin is 7 it will be perfect for our whole family.

[@beastmode3370]

Geniue pass and tightening pass is a lifesaver for me because I don't go as often. 😊

[@Amberlys94]

I didn’t even know there were lockers there!! Or at least I never noticed them, and I’ve been a passholder for 7 years!

[@michele3964]

Yes on a burrito video please ❤

[@HastSkull]

I was one of those rope droppers with you. We got on RSR quick, but then web slingers was down... Dance party was canceled for the first showing for some reason. It was basically a "What can we do for two hours before the second disney junior dance party showing?" because our 6yo was all about it. We ended up doing Crush -> philharmagic -> shopping -> award weiners -> finally second showing of dance party. WEB Slingers went back up so we jumped on it then cooled off at the hotel. Thank you and your family for being as kind in person as you are on the videos!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

The final showing of Dance Party was closed too. We got there at about 3:54 or so for the 4 PM showing and it said all shows had concluded for the day. Glad to had a good day all the same!

[@HastSkull]

@@SoCalDisneyDad Is that going to be in a video??? Can't wait.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

@@HastSkull We missed out on it. So no, unfortunately.

[@ramirez4307]

Nice to meet you brother! I had on a Santa Hat and was telling you how we always knockout Pixar pier first. My family and I split in groups of two because we have toddlers and chose single riders. Both of our groups ended up in the same car but different rows. Our total wait time for our first group was 15 minutes. I would definitely rope drop single rider line again, not sure I would do the regular line.

[@hollybabyyy]

I did grizzly twice on my trip. Def worth it. Yes i got absolutely extremely soaked both times it took forever to dry even tho it was hot

[@Rin____s]

We just came back from DCA and Disneyland, 2 days each at both parks. We didn't bother rope dropping Radiators because the wait was about 40-60min at rope drop and the crowd was so busy. We ended up going to the Pixar Pier instead as you recommended. My 2 daughters and dad did Goofy 12 times( we rope dropped Goofy lol), Toy Story twice, Pixar Pal Around once, swing twice without even lining up. After 3rd time doing Goofy with my daughters, I went incredicoster 3 times by myself afterwards (my daughters aren't tall enough for incredicoster)and it was a walk on. We got on other rides with Lightning Lanes. We even watched the toy drummers and parade around there while kids ate frosted treats. One day, Radiator and Grizzly were down most of the day so we couldn't even get on(sad). It was great advice to go to Pixar Pier first! Thank you!!!

[@kristenhoskin5822]

Yes burrito video😂😂

[@cmunoz810]

Mexican grocery stores have some good home-made salsas.

[@marcuscheng2507]

I was there on December 4th, 2023!! I only had to wait a minute & a half!!!!!

[@hudsonchristmas7864]

I would love a burrito video

[@GangaKris]

Going in a couple weeks for 2 days with park hopper and Genie for both. Going to try it on day 2. Mostly doing holiday stuff that day with a few rides so it works out.

[@peresrafaelperes]

I love your videos!! Thank you for the great content

[@matthewchrzan7074]

galactic grill burrito is pretty solid.

[@daniellemateo8422]

Can you do the single rider tip with just a party of two?

[@alisonhenry2397]

I'm glad that you showed this rope drop strategy. I have never rope dropped Radiator Springs Racers, but my kids love the ride and aren't old enough for single rider and I hate waiting in the 70-80 minute line so I will definitely think about rope dropping it next time! Thanks! Great video!

[@SergSpace]

I guess now single rider line will match up with 70-80 minutes line so there will be no difference

[@ecahillbierwirth9672]

Would you recommend doing single rider at rope drop? Would it be better to wait until later to SR? We will have G+. (3 day tickets - 8/7-9) We are a party of three. Two 40-something adults and a 15 year old. I’ve been enjoying your videos! You have a lovely family! Thanks!

[@jennifercurry3689]

Do you have a video that explains how rider switch works?

[@tanandwiz]

Yes a burrito video!

[@rsebigyoshi13]

Traver, your videos have been very helpful for our 1st trip coming up Christmas week. Coming from Philadelphia and wondering how weather usually is? Shorts and hoodies/jacket? Or pants? Thank you

[@Joel_Funk]

We went to DCA on Tuesday. We were going to rope drop RSR but the line looked like it did in your video and we passed. I did single rider line 3 times and the most I spent in line was 30 minutes.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Single rider is the way to go.

[@ReezA.MP3]

BURRITO VIDEO ☀️☀️

[@MasonsTurtle]

Rope drop for Radiator Springs IS the worst thing you can do. We went and it jumped to 70min so we went to incredicoaster instead and then at around 8:30 Racers got closed. We ended up doing Incredicoaster 5 times within the first hour.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

We rode Incredicoaster twice this morning ourselves! Definitely the better option in my opinion.

[@kristenhoskin5822]

When would you recommend riding radiator springs racers? Last year we got to the front of the line and it broke down we ended up missing it. Also what time would you recommend toontown? We like to be opposite the major crowds 😆

[@laurabryant4918]

How does your rope drop strategy change for busy times (like the week before Xmas when there's no school)? Do you change which rides or which order for the 1st 2 hours in each park? FYI: we're all adults and do have Genie+ but want to maximize time in the AM.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Nope. Rope drop has the same amount of people at it whether it’s a busy time or not. Most people don’t show up in the morning. The park doesn’t get busy until about 10 AM. So that’s why the first two hours are so crucial. Disney also doesn’t really have a slow time anymore. And the only truly crazy time is Spring Break. Also, the week before Christmas ALL passholders are blocked out. Even the highest level pass. So there won’t be any locals in the park unless they paid for a one day ticket. I expect Christmas to be less crowded this year than usual. That doesn’t mean it’ll be dead. I’m sure there will be people. But this is the first year all pass levels are blocked.

[@kals4945]

Hi Traver! Currently planning a trip to Disneyland for August 2024 - been using your channel for all the travel advice and was hoping you could provide some insight on a more specific question. I realized that my desired dates for the trip would fall right at the start of the official “Halloween time” dates in the celebration dates Disney just released, which is making me nervous that they might start scheduling Oogie Boogie Bashes during that last week in August (as opposed to mid-September like they started this year). I definitely want to avoid Oogie Boogie crowds/the park hopping logistical haggle of all of it, so with your Disneyland expertise, do you think that they will schedule an Oogie Boogie Bash right at the beginning of the official Halloween dates? Would it be better to try and go a week earlier to just avoid it altogether or is it just being the start of “Halloween time” not a big deal? Thank you!! 😊

[@xavriax]

Don't know the answer to your question but it may be good going on an event night! We went to WDW during the Halloween season and on one of the event nights they closed early... 7 I want to say. But there was NO ONE. I mean No. One. We rode everything we wanted- sometimes twice! It was really nice. We missed out on fireworks and some shows but we were staying multiple days so it didn't matter to us. So just saying, depending on how long you're there, it might be a good idea to go on an event night! Only, I'm not sure if it's different in CA than in FL.

[@420hotbox36]

You can simply go on the website and check when they're doing it. If you go during the oogie boogie bash and you don't have tickets for it then they'll kick you out. They're separate tickets.

[@lujack1801]

Hello, a quick question about genie plus, we are going to Disneyland for 2 days this December 26,27. Do we need genie plus in order to ride everything? We plan to rope drop it and stay till midnight

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Probably not, but it does really help. It just makes it so you aren’t quite as stressed. Everyone who has purchased it at our suggestion has never regretted it. And when compared to Knott’s or Universal, it’s cheap too. We are talking $30/person vs $150/person. Can you get by without it? Sure. We do all the time. I buy it once a year for a video about Genie+. But we also don’t care if we miss something because we will be back next week. Think about it this way, if you’re prone to impatience like me, then the worst feeling in the world is watching Disney ignore the standby line in favor of lightning lane guests. But if you ARE a lightning lane guest, then you get this dopamine kick of “I just walked past all those people. Yes! This feels great.”

[@lujack1801]

@@SoCalDisneyDad thanks for answering my question. I think we would buy genie plus since it’s my son first time to Disneyland and we want to make sure we get most of rides without stressing out.

[@xavriax]

​@@lujack1801I went to WDW with my 1 year old and 10 year old. Having a baby we definitely didn't want to wait in long lines. There aren't as many rides on genie + at Disneyland but I'm still getting it for our upcoming trip. It was so nice to just walk onto rides. It's not so much how many can you get it, sometimes it's just having a more relaxed line experience. Have a great trip, I know your son will have an amazing first trip!

[@xavriax]

​​@@SoCalDisneyDadI responded to the OP but also wanted to mention to you- it's invaluable if you have a baby or really young kids who can't be in long lines. I haven't been to Disneyland yet with genie+ but it was amazing at WDW just getting on and seeing all the people in the regular line and going, oh jeez I'm so glad I didn't wait 40 minutes for Goofy's Sky School!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

@@xavriax Yup. This is me when we go to WDW too. You technically don’t need Genie+ at either EPCOT or Animal Kingdom. Both of those parks we always feel it was sorta unnecessary, but it’s always a good feeling walking past a line you don’t have to wait in regardless of what park you’re in.

[@mrswhite808]

Where is the line for DAS pass holders?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

I’m not sure. You’ll need to speak to a cast member at the front of the attraction. I know that guests who need extra assistance have a separate loading zone. But if you don’t quite fall into that camp, I’m not sure how it all works. I wish I could try it so I was more knowledgeable on it, but I don’t know anyone who has DAS.

[@rayrommy8113]

does anyone know if the car on the left always wins? went in October and believe I was on the left car and won as well

[@hub310]

I went in July & was the right lane, we lost

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

It's random as far as I know. But whichever vehicle pulls out of the corner first will win. That I have observed.

[@dondurgan427]

DCA is not worth rope dropping, too few rides and too many break downs

[@katiefitbrit]

We literally walked onto cars at 9.40am last Monday the 27th. It was dead in the park until lunch time! But I have waited 2 hours rope dropping it before.

[@marcosespinoza6791]

Burrito video pls

[@derek-furuichi]

Great salsa can always be found at Mexican/Hispanic supermarkets, not the Gringo ones!

[@mandy900812]

I rope dropped Racers in June 2023 (against all advice, but I needed to see for myself) and I waited almost 2 hours! It was nuts. I feel like Rise moved way quicker at rope drop than Racers.

[@mandy900812]

And we got to the park at 7:35

[@hollybabyyy]

I rope dropped gotg in august and it was kind of worth it bc later it broke down and then loadsss of LL people came thru and the wait was 100 min and i had NO other chance to ride it all day which sucked as im from the uk and wanted to ride at least twice. But on the other hand even tho we rope dropped it still took a whole hour of our golden hour away

[@anastaciaburdette3345]

Burrito video!!! Yes!! 🌯

[@ZannaRussell]

Renting a scooter made all the difference in my ability to enjoy the park! Get there early, or they will be gone, as they're on a first come, first serve basis. There cheaper, more comfortable options than renting one from the park, but they were booked well in advance. Another lesson learned to be applied next time!

[@rickbarrerah]

I understand you have kids but: Single rider is the hack! 🤘

[@whatifdisneyworld]

We are Disney Worlders (is that a term?!) planning our first Disneyland trip and your videos are so helpful! Happy to find your channel! Thanks for all the tips! And I would love a burrito video! Haha

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

That is definitely a term! And we're Disneylanders. Glad you're planning a trip to the West Coast! If you have any questions, feel free to ask on any video. I'm always happy to help.

[@ganeshjasminepersaud6449]

Yes! This is what I wanted to see, thanks for doing this video.

[@burlingtonhighsociety5499]

In Ontario Canada, Old El Paso medium and Paul Newman brands are both excellent grocery store salsas. Thanks for the swell tips!

[@jerrod7361]

DCA rides just....load differently. At DIsneyland you can have all the Fantasyland dark rides and the Matterhorn done by the time you can get GOTG or Racers Done, its kinda insane. I'm going next week and just plan on using single rider on this and enjoying my morning at Disneyland getting a ton of rides finished.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

You can do that in DCA too, over in Pixar Pier and Paradise Gardens. It's a bunch of little rides, but you can knock out Incredicoaster, Toy Story Midway Mania, Jessie's Critter Carousel, Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, Silly Symphony Swings, Goofy's Sky School, Jumpin Jellyfish, the Golden Zephyr, and Ariel's in about 90 minutes first thing in the morning. I skipped the Ferris wheel because that one is so slow at loading it takes a good 15-20 minutes to ride it.

[@jerrod7361]

True but GOTG and Racers are the ones I feel like most people want to walk on and it's almost impossible to, while only Star Wars ROTR is the only ride you can't just walk on from a rope drop at Disneyland @@SoCalDisneyDad

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

@@jerrod7361 Very true.

[@rakutenshi7]

Hubby and i went in November and we rope dropped Radiator Springs, we got on it in 20min, it was great, but we got to the park SUPER early, it was before 7am (we were not staying at a Disney Resort Hotel) Since we had only one day for each park, we wanted to try and do as much as possible (we are not from the states) We also roped dropped Rise of The Resistance, and it was also about 20 min, but same thing with the time, it was before 7am so we were standing right next to the rope. Hope this helps! Your channel helped SO much with our trip. THANK YOU!!!!

[@AN-jw2oe]

Del Real’s green salsa is delicious! Also, the Casa something brand at Costco is decent if you add your own minced onion to them!

[@eboyjisung7358]

trader joe’s has some really great salsa’s!

[@lisabostrack24]

Why, didn't I know about the free lockers by Grizzly River Run. When I go, my goal is to try all your tips and tricks. Just for fun. I have already done quite a few. But still. I want to rope drop Radiator Springs for sure. And yes all the burritos at Disneyland . That would fun.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

We only really just learned about them maybe 3-4 months ago. We hardly ever ride that ride because we don’t want to get soaked.

[@lisabostrack24]

@SoCalDisneyDad I used to. But now it spins going down that hill. So now I can't. Discovered that in 2019. Didn't feel so great afterward. And I love water rides. 💧

[@amyrogalsky6983]

I’m glad you tried it out! Our first trip we tried rope dropping radiators and the line was clear down to in front of cozy cone 😳 we also saw lightning doing meet and greet so we said screw it and went over to do pictures. We ended up buying an ILL. My thoughts: for a family visiting out of town maximizing riding rides, I would say it just depends if you want to buy genie+ and rope drop radiators, or buy radiators and bypass getting genie+, cause with the time you waited for radiators wouldn’t be a big deal if you’re able to stack your lightning lanes for other rides while you wait. It evens out in the end. Me personally, I’d rather buy ILL and rope drop other rides, purely because ILL is currently cheaper than genie+ and we can knock out the rest of the rides pretty easily in the golden hours