| Be sure to check your driver's license and make sure it is not expired. If it is, get it replaced before heading to the airport to save yourself a lot of hassle. You might not be allowed to fly without a current license. |
| If you are staying at one of the Resort Hotels, use Vacation Planning for your Priority Seating reservations. |
| If you are staying at one of the Resort Hotels and want to do balcony or riverside seating for Fantasmic! have Vacation Planning do your reservations. If Vacation Planning does them then you get your tickets upon hotel check-in instead of having to stop at Guest Relations to get them. |
| Be very specific on the meeting place and time when your party separates. Saying: 'I'll find you in Fantasy Land around 9:00' is not good enough. Saying: ' I expect you to be waiting for me at the Dumbo queue line between 9:00-9:15. If somehow we miss each other then lets meet at the by the Partner Statue at 11:00' will work much better. |
| Every member of your party needs a way to tell time. Not many clocks around Disneyland. Buy a cheap $10 watch if you normally do not wear one. |
| Disneyland Resort is not just for children. It is for the young and young at heart. Whether you enjoy rides or just looking around, this is an incredible place to be. |
| If you are there during the Christmas Season, be sure to take the Holiday Tour. This is one great experience that will also give you the opportunity to ride both Haunted Mansion Holiday, and Small World Holiday with no wait. You will then enjoy the Christmas Fantasy Parade from reserved seating, right in front. |
| The Disney Art Gallery, above Pirates of the Caribbean is a wonderful place to visit, away from the crowds. The art is incredible, and fun to look at, especially the concept art for the classic Disney movies |
| The Disney Art Gallery has a courtyard inside that most people don't know about. This is a great place to sit and relax inside Disneyland, yet away from the noise and the crowds. |
| Before riding Grizzly River Rapids at Disney's California Adventure, take advantage of the free lockers near the attraction entrance. Place items there that can't get wet, and pick them up when exiting the attraction |
| Don't let the motion sickness warning for Soarin' Over California scare you. I have severe motion sickness, and use the transdermscope patch to help while at Disneyland. While it helps, I still have problems on some rides (roller coasters, mainly). I have never had a problem at all on this ride, and I also have a fear of heights. Instead I see beauty and greatness each time I enjoy this attraction. |
| The transdermscope patch which is wonderful for severe motion sickness, and is available by prescription. |
| When riding Soarin' Over California, smell the oranges when going over the orange groves, pine when going over the forest, and saltwater when going over the ocean. This is a wonderful feature to this attraction. |
| When you are allowed into Main Street before opening, stay on the right side of Main Street, and walk through the shops to get to the front of the rope drop outside the photo shop. You can also do this to access the Plaza Inn for a Character breakfast. Then, once the park opens, you can quickly go to Fantasyland or Tomorrowland before the crowds arrive. |
| If staying at one of the Disney Resort Hotels, ask at the desk upon check-in to see if Early Entry into ToonTown is available. This is an unadvertised perk of the three hotels, and not well known at all. It is not offered every day of the week, so do ask when you arrive at the hotel. |
| The biggest difference between Baby Swap and Single Rider is that with Baby Swap, you must wait in the stand-bye line or Fastpass line (when holding a Fastpass for the ride). Single Rider allows you to bypass those lines, and wait in a much smaller line for Single Riders. Check with the first Cast Member you see at the attraction for your Single Rider pass. |
| If you are there for multiple days, plan on spending the mornings at Disneyland, and the afternoons either at California Adventure or doing something else. The crowds at Disneyland can be astronomical in the afternoon, and it is a good time to take a break. |
| Upon arriving at Disneyland, go to lines 13, 20, or 21 to enter the park. These have been found to be much faster and less crowded for quicker entry. |
| If you plan on using the Monorail to enter Disneyland, remember that the first Monorail does not pick up at Downtown Disney until Disneyland Opens. If you are there early enough to get to the gates before opening, this may be a better option for you, especially if you want to see characters immediately upon entering Disneyland. |
| Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the least crowded days at Disneyland. Saturday is the most crowded. If you are going in the off season, do keep in mind that much of the evening entertainment will only run on weekends, so plan accordingly when scheduling your vacation. |
| Take advantage of Fastpass! It is there for your use, so make yourself familiar with how it works, and use it often. Fastpass will save you an incredible amount of time in queues. |
| You can take small snacks and bottled water into Disneyland. You can't take a picnic lunch, but can store it in lockers outside of the park for later enjoyment. |
| If you are celebrating a birthday while at Disneyland, stop by Town Hall upon arriving at Disneyland (near the Fire Station in Town Square) for your birthday button. |
| Package Express is a wonderful feature of Disneyland. You can have any purchase you make while in the park sent to the Newsstand (right near the exit) for pick up later in the day. Do this is you will be at the park for at least 2 more hours. Also, keep in mind that if you are going to stay until closing, the lines to pick up packages can be very long. Use this service if leaving several hours before closing. If you are staying at one of the Resort Hotels, your packages can be sent to the hotel for pickup the next day. |
| Wear comfortable shoes! You will be walking, walking, walking, and if your shoes are not comfortable you will be in a great deal of pain. Wear what is comfortable to you, be it sandals or tennis shoes, because foot comfort is very important. Don't buy new shoes for a trip to Disneyland, and if you do, make sure they are broken in well before going. If by chance you do have horribly painful feet, do not soak them in hot water. Use cold water! I found that hot water makes the pain worse; cold water is refreshing and makes them feel better. Bring bandages and moleskin to take care of your feet and protect any blisters early. If doing a water ride, bring extra shoes and socks. Walking around in wet shoes causes blisters! |
| Take advantage of Single Rider (Single Rider/Baby Swap Guide) during the busy periods if you don't mind riding alone. |
| Stay in the Resort Hotels if you can afford it, because they are worth the extra expense. Grand Californian is the closest hotel to Disneyland and California Adventure, and is a beautiful hotel. |
| If staying at the Grand Californian, request a refrigerator that you can use! If you even MOVE an item in their refrigerator, you will be charged for that item. |
| No matter how busy Disneyland is expected to be the lines are always short at opening. While it is nice to sleep in on your vacation it is best to always be at the park as soon as the gates open. Use the afternoons to nap and relax at the hotel. |
| Late evenings when there is a lot of entertainment is also a great time to ride some rides without long waits. |
| Lockers are available at the Disneyland Resort just outside the main gate of the Disneyland Park or inside on Main Street U.S.A. |
| Indoor attractions such as the Enchanted Tiki Room and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln are great places to be on those hot, crowed afternoons. |
| There are air-conditioned pet Kennels located on the main Esplanade outside of the Disneyland Parks main entrance. |
| Main Street U.S.A. usually opens about ½ hour before the rest of the Park. |
| So, you are taking someone to Disneyland who doesn't carry a wallet. A teenager, adult or older child, it doesn't matter. Everyone needs a place to put that all-important Disneyland Ticket, also known as the passport to Fastpass. If this ticket is lost, you are stuck with buying a new one to get back into the parks the next day. One form of protection for these tickets, and the Fastpasses you collect, and even the Disney Merchandise Card, which can be given to a teen instead of cash, is the lanyard with a Fastpass holder. These are a very small expense for a lot of security. Each time you open your purse or wallet to pull that ticket out, you are in danger of losing the ticket, or something else in your purse or wallet. If it is instead kept in the Fastpass holder, it is easily accessible at all times. After your trip is over, then you also have a nice keepsake souvenir. In addition to being a Fastpass holder, these lanyards hold the new Disney craze, Disney Pins. Basically, you can 'customize' your lanyard with your personal preferences for the whole world to see, or you can leave it empty. The choice is yours, but I do recommend getting a lanyard very quickly after arriving at the Disneyland Resort. They can be purchased outside the parks at the World of Disney Store in Downtown Disney if you would like to purchase ahead of time, or inside stores in Disneyland and California Adventure. |