Carter and Kennedy with Dakota Lotus and Ruby Rose Turner from Coop and Cami Ask The World
Disney Fan Fest returned to DCA today. This is only the second year. Carter and Kennedy are HUGE fans of Coop and Cami Ask The World so this was our first year attending Disney Fan Fest and it was nuts! I am here to share everything with you that you need to know so next year you will be ready, and hopefully I will be more prepared!
DCA opened up at 8am. I set our alarms for 6am and we were out of our hotel room by 7am. We needed to be in DCA right when they opened because they started distributing the bracelets for meet and greets and the main stage sessions when the park opened. We stayed at Howard Johnson and it is my FAVORITE hotel ever. Click here for more info on the Howard Johnson. From what I read online and was told by a few employees, lining up around 7am (an hour before the park opens) should be just fine and secure me a good place in line for meet and greet bracelets for Coop and Cami Ask The World.
Once the gates opened in DCA and you got in, people started running to Hollywood Land where the bracelets were going to be distributed. It was crazy! They started having everyone form one line. The line started at The Hyperion Theater where Frozen takes place and it went all the way to Soarin'. Once you got closer to The Hyperion Theater you could either go in one line to get a meet and greet bracelet for whichever Disney Channel Show cast you wanted to meet OR get in a different line to just see the main stage sessions with one of the particular shows. The main stage sessions was a question and answer session with each different show, but they don't allow the audience to ask questions. There are hosts who lead the discussions with each show and cast.
Of course we made shirts for this festive day!
Within minutes of being in line a big announcement was made that the meet and greet bracelets and main stage sessions for the Descendants were all handed out. There were so many people dressed as Descendants characters and people were so sad that the bracelets were gone so quickly. It was obvious that most of the people were there for Descendants. So if you are a big Descendant fan next year make sure you get there super early!
Blake and I had a plan. The line for the main stage sessions was much shorter than the line for meet and greets. So I took the kids and went to the main stage session line while Blake stayed in the meet and greet line. We quickly got bracelets for Coop and Cami Ask The World main stage session. When we got back with our bracelets for the main stage session, Blake went and got a bracelet for the main stage session. Once we were back together we continued to wait in the line for meet and greet. For the meet and greet there was one line and once you got to the front they had different colored bracelets for each Disney Channel TV show. By the time we got to the front Coop and Cami Ask The World meet and greet bracelets were gone. I was told they only gave 100 bracelets for each show (which personally I don't think is a lot). We decided not to take bracelets for another show's meet and greet because we were there for only Coop and Cami Ask The World. So we were sad we had no meet and greet bracelets, but we did have bracelets for the main stage session.
At 11am there was a Disney Channel Street Party Cavalcade and fans were able to see all the Disney Channel stars on decorative trolleys and cars. They waved and interacted with the fans watching. It was actually really cute. There were dancers, music, Mickey and Minnie and we really enjoyed this. We watched this from Hollywood Land. We were able to secure a bench and watch the cavalcade.
After the street party cavalcade we decided to head to the Palisades Stage to find out more information about when we should line up to make sure we got a good seat for the main stage session with Coop and Cami Ask The World. We saw several of the Disney Channel stars just walking around by the Palisades Stage. They were taking photos with guests and they all seemed really nice. We just kept waiting and sure enough the entire cast of Coop and Cami Ask The World walked up! The kids were so excited and I was just so happy. Dakota and Ruby Rose took the time to talk to Carter and Kennedy and they loved their shirts. Dakota even took a photo of them with his own phone. They were just so nice. So, I HIGHLY recommend if you don't get bracelets for the meet and greet just literally wait by the Palisades Stage, or wherever they have the main stage sessions next year.
At 1pm we were allowed to go into the Palisades Stage for the Coop and Cami Ask The World main stage session. We had front row and we were all so excited. An employee came up to Carter and asked him if he would like to ask the cast of Coop and Cami Ask The World a "would you rather" question since that is what each episode is based on. Carter said yes and during the main stage session Carter got to stand up and ask, "would you rather eat a worm or do the worm dance?" It was so cute!
Albert, who plays Fred on Coop and Cami Ask The World
We left after the main stage session with Coop and Cami Ask The World. I was just so happy with how the day ended up. We did not get meet and greet bracelets, but ended up seeing the entire cast and probably got more quality time with them anyway! We got main stage session bracelets with front row seats and Carter got to ask a question to his favorite TV show cast, so it really ended up working in our favor and being an awesome day.
Navia Robinson and Sky Katz from Raven's Home
My advice to you, and to myself, for next year is get in front of DCA early. I am thinking like 6am next year. That way I am literally the first person at the gates so when they open I can make a mad dash to wherever the bracelet distribution place will be. That way I am guaranteed meet and greet bracelets and main stage bracelets and I won't have to stress. I don't mind getting up early and waiting, so this does not bother me, though many people might think no way I am not doing that. Also, if you are there super early and in the front of the line you will be guaranteed meet and greet and main stage bracelets and you can enjoy the day.
Annual pass holders got special buttons
Overall, it was so much fun and the kids have not stopped talking about today. I hope this information helps you for next year and I am happy to answer any questions you might have.
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