We have been sharing a lot about our latest Disney trip and today I am sharing just some general tips for Disneyland. I have to tell you, now that we have made this trip a second time as a family I feel like I am really learning the ropes. Hey, I am no Disney expert but I am getting there. Guess we just need to book another trip soon so I can work on my Disneyland travel tips education!
Disneyland Travel Tips
Download The Disneyland App
We first experienced the Disneyland App back in 2016. While we used it a bit we knew that we could use it even more this visit. It is a free download to your smartphone that literally made our visit so much easier. This app has everything you need to make sure you see everything and everyone you want to see while visiting Disneyland. The app has an interactive map of the whole park marking all the rides, attractions, dining options, events, shops and characters in the park.
This app is also where you can purchase the MaxPass daily and reserve Fast Passes. Super easy to use too! Even if you haven’t made your reservations yet, download this app I promise you will be pleased with all of the information it can help you with.
Make A Park Plan
I am usually a person that has to have a plan for everything. I am a planner addict so having a plan for a vacation is not a big issue for me at all. That being said, when on vacation I am not one that wants every second mapped out but to be honest, I found that having a good idea of what your few days in the park might look like really does help with kids. For us that includes having meal reservations and an idea of which of the two parks we are planning on being in for most of the day.
Make Meal Reservations
Our first visit, I totally messed this up. We only made one reservation and it was a nightmare trying to get into a place for lunch or dinner. So, this last visit we decided to be a bit more planful when it came to our meal plans. You can make your reservations on the Disneyland App and it is so easy! Our first night in town we just made all of our reservations at once and got it out of the way.
Stay Close
For our most recent visit we stayed at The Castle Inn and Suites. This was an easy walk to the park and the rooms were nice and clean. There was a nice market at our hotel that came in handy for snacks and drinks. We have also stayed at the Fairfield Inn by Marriot which was also a great location. No matter where you stay, stay close! Do not waste time on commuting to and from the park! One tip is to make sure the hotel you stay in, is a Good Neighbor Hotel so you get the Magic Hour option as well.
Book A Character Dining Experience
Sure those character meals are pricey but I would reserve one again. It gave us the up close and personal experience of a number of different characters while enjoying a delicious breakfast. We didn’t have to wait in line for autographs, hugs and pictures because the characters came right to our table while we ate! It was a guarantee that the kids would get to see some characters up close!
That being said, make sure you purchase an autograph book for your kids. They will love looking back at those signatures and pictures the characters left for them!
Take Pictures
Be that person, take a TON of pictures. These are memories people! I decided to leave our big camera at home and use our phones for all of our photos. It worked well and we have already created a photo book of our trip! Cast Members will use your own camera or phone for you if you ask them to take your picture as well.
MaxPass
I am so happy we opted to do the MaxPass every day we visited. Yes, it is an additional cost but it allowed us to enjoy so many more attractions without waiting in line. This was a blessing on our rainy day as well. We basically went from ride to ride which allowed us to get out of the downpour! Disney MaxPass is an optional, paid program. It allows guests to book Disney FASTPASS reservations through the Disneyland Resort Mobile App and allows unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads for the day. The price for Disney MaxPass is $15 per person, per ticket, per day.
Bring Snacks
We brought trail mix, crackers and cookies with us in our back packs each day. These snacks came in handy while we were in lines or when dinner was running late. This was a handy way to cut out some of the time to go to a food line rather than just getting in line for another ride. This is also a great way to stay on budget when it comes to the food costs. It isn’t surprising that food in the park is pricey but that being said, you must also indulge in some of the Disney favorites like a Mickey pretzel, Dole Whip or a Churro!
Utilize The PhotoPass
If you purchase the MaxPass you will have complete access to the PhotoPass and even if you decide not to do the MaxPass I would highly recommend the PhotoPass. We would hunt down the professional photographers just so we could get some great family shots. It was easy and made making our photo memory book super easy when we got home.
Bring a Charging Block
There are not a lot of outlets in the park and who wants to spend their time sitting on the bathroom floor waiting for their phone to charge instead of enjoying Disneyland? (true story! Ladies sitting on the bathroom FLOOR – GROSS) I used my phone a lot for the camera which meant my phone did loose charge pretty quickly. I simply kept a charging block in my backpack to give it a little extra juice at the end of the day.
Take Time For Events and Parades
Look at the schedule and find out when and wear the parades are. They are so much fun and probably the best parades I have seen. My kids both LOVED seeing all of the characters, especially those that they hadn’t seen in the park yet. It is so fun to see how the parades change over the years too. This visit there was a lot of Aladdin and The Lion King.
Ask For Help
Have a question? All cast members will have on large name tags. They have been hired to help people, so feel free to ask them questions! It’s in their job description to be friendly and helpful, so use that to your advantage! Also, tell your kids to find a cast member with a name tag if they get lost. They will assist your child to the lost and found near the front gates of each park. All of our cast member experiences were amazing.
Good Walking Shoes
We walked over 11 miles each day we were at Disneyland. I am so proud the kids. We walked and walked! ROCKSTARS!! Bottom-line, you need shoes you can walk in and stand in. No matter how in shape you are, your feet will be killing you if you do not have good shoes on. We went into this trip with a mission, see all we can. Which meant we were going none stop…my feet knew it!
Extra tip – bring band-aids in case of blisters!
Wear Layers
No matter what season you are heading to Disneyland it is probably smart to go with layers. Mornings can be chilly, afternoons HOT and once the sun goes down the temp drops as well. We have not been to Disneyland in the heat of the summer but I can imagine that being in the sun all day can lead to being a bit chilly after dark. If you do not want to carry layers around with you, make sure you check out the lockers on site.
Magic Hour
Each hotel (Good Neighbor and Disney On Property) have Magic hours. Use them! Basically you get to enter the park an hour before everyone else. This meant we got to the park at 6:45am and we were sleepy walking over to the entrance but it was so worth it. We saw SO much before 10am that day. Planners, this is where you come in – figure out which rides you want to go on but that might have long lines by mid day, go to those rides during your magic hour!
Keep in mind that Magic Hour is for Disneyland ONLY! Extra Magic Hour is for guests staying at Disneyland properties only, and is for California Adventure Park. We learned the hard way! HA!
Let It Go and Have Fun!
I know I have been telling you to plan but the most important tip I can give you all is to Let It GO! Have fun, enjoy the moment, soak in the memories and take time to enjoy the people you are with. This is the happiest place on earth – enjoy the magic!
Well there you have it. Ready to book your next trip? I sure am!! Please leave your Disneyland Travel Tips in the comments below. I want to add them to my next planning list!
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