My family and I (husband and 4 kids ages 15, 12, 10 and 3) have just completed an entire year of having annual season passes to Disneyland and California Adventure. You could say we are a bit of Disney Fanatics!!! I have been asked by several people to share some of my tips that I have learned over this past year. We have had the privilege of a family member with a time share in Anaheim, CA that we were able to use for the entire year so unfortunately I have no idea about hotel accommodations. Sorry :( Although, I do have a lot of great tips to share so, I decided to write a blog about my experiences to share with all of you. Here is what you all have been asking for:
Tip #1 - Get to the parks early!
Plan to be at the parks at least a half hour before it actually opens. This will give you enough time to park your car, ride the shuttle bus(if this is what you choose to do), get through the baggage check at security and to get in line.
Tip #2 - Park at the Toy Story parking lot and take the shuttle to the parks.
We have found this to be the least stressful way to get to the parks. You park your car at the Toy Story parking lot (Harbor Blvd) and ride the shuttle bus to the parks. You will have to pay a fee for your car/van for parking for the day if you do NOT have an annual season pass. I believe the cost is $15/ day. There is always plenty if buses coming and going so you never have to wait very long. You can also take the ART (Anaheim Resort Transit) buses if you have a stop outside or near your hotel. This is also very convenient for a small daily fee ($5/ adult and $2/ child). When leaving the parks they are easy to get to and again, there are plenty of buses coming and going back to the Toy Story parking lot.
Tip #3 - Plan out your day before arriving at the parks.
Decide on which rides you and your family would like to ride. Be sure to check for any height requirements or restrictions before arriving. The worst is when you have an upset child, or adult who cannot ride a ride for one reason or another. :) My three year old daughter was so upset to find out she was not tall enough to go on the Matterhorn. Oh well, maybe next year!
Tip #4 - Use the Fast Passes!
This is the only way to ride all of the major rides in your day at the parks and not waste all of your time standing in long lines. Fast Passes are only available for the highly popular rides. Be sure your return during the times listed on your Fast Pass or you will not be allowed to ride. As of recently, they are starting to enforce the times. In the past, you could use your pass at anytime during the day if you had one. I felt this last time when we went to Disney, that the Fast Pass lines went much faster than they did in the past. I think this is mostly to do with the parks now enforcing the times. Way to go Disney! I have listed the following rides where the Fast Pass is available:
Disneyland:
Star Tours - If you are a Star Wars "geek" like my husband and boys, you will love this ride
Space Mountain - One of my favorite rides! A super fast roller coaster that is in the DARK.
Indiana Jones - Love it!!
Autopia - Rode in a car being driven by my 10 year old was a little scary.
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin - Fun!
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Closed right now but due to reopen in the Fall of 2013
Splash Mountain - Believe it our not this was my 3 year old's favorite ride! She couldn't wait to go on this ride over and over. She is so little in the picture below, but she is sitting next to me in the tandem seat. I love that she can sit right beside me on this ride and I can keep a hand on her at all times. You will get wet on this ride!!
California Adventure (DCA):
Radiator Spring Racers - The BEST ride in the whole park!! It is so worth the wait of standing in the long line to get the fast passes. You MUST get there at the opening of the park or you may miss out on this awesome ride! Grab a Starbuck's coffee and/ or breakfast at the Fiddler's Cafe on Buena Vista Street while you husband stands in line for the fast pass tickets. That's what worked for us! Fast Pass kiosk is located near A Bug's Life entrance.
Soarin' over California
Grizzly River Run - You WILL get soaked on this ride!! As evident by the picture of me below. Wear shoes you don't mind getting wet that will dry quickly. There is nothing worse than having walking around the park in soaking wet shoes! Bring a poncho (don't buy at the parks, too expensive) or a change of clothes with you if you do not want to be soaking wet for the rest of the day. Great ride and so much fun!!
California Screamin' - The fastest roller coaster in the park! My boys and I LOVE this ride!! Thanks to some friends of our family we now make silly pictures for the photos on the rides. Don't eat prior to going on this ride you will be sure to lose it after this ride.
World of Color - Another Fast Pass you need to get early for the best sections for this amazing water show. Tickets and seating are on a first come, first serve basis. We have found that the yellow section is the best one to sit in. You need to get there early when seating is available to get the best spots. So, grab a snack and find a spot. It fills up fast! Fast Pass kiosk is located near Grizzly River Run ride.
Tip #5 - Bring snacks and water with you into the park.
The snack and drinks in the park are so over priced! We brought a small cooler with some ice and put it in the bottom of our stroller. It was so convenient and saved us a ton of money! Having snacks on hand too was very helpful when the kids got hungry. I didn't even need to buy my three year old dinner because we brought everything she likes to eat with us (Uncrustables, crackers, string cheese, yogurt, and fruit) and didn't have to spend the 7 or 8 dollars on a kids pack for her to eat each meal. Although, I HIGHLY recommend getting a Dole Whip outside of the Tiki Room. The line is long but it is worth it on a hot day at Disneyland!
Tip #6 - The best spot for the parades is at the very beginning of the parade or at the end of it. Our favorite spot in Disneyland is near the entrance to It's a Small World. Then after the parade ends, you can jump in line for the ride ahead of everyone else who has the same idea as you. There is virtually no line on this ride while the parade is going on until it is all over. You can also plan ahead and stake out a spot of the curb on Main Street if you want to stay there at least an hour before the parade begins and then fight with the people who try to move in on your territory once the parade begins or you can try my way. It is much less stressful I found my way :)
Tip #7 - Use the baby care center (located across from the Corn Dog stand in front of the Plaza Inn).
This is the perfect spot to feed your baby or change a diaper. It is quiet and the ladies inside or so nice and helpful. They even have toddler potties in there for your little ones who are learning to use the potty. I swear my daughter learned to use the potty because she loved going in there to use the toilets that were just her size. We have used them a lot over the last year!
Tip #8 - You have to do a Character Meal!
In my opinion, the best one is the Minnie and Friends breakfast!! It is a little pricey but the experience is worth it!! My kids are still talking about the Minnie and Friends breakfast and we have been home for 4 days now. My growing boys also loved the fact they could eat as much as they wanted. When we go we plan on this meal covering both breakfast and lunch because you are STUFFED after it is all over! The characters are wonderful and do a GREAT job interacting with the kids and the adults too. Have your camera ready and character signature book ready to go on the table!
If you plan on going to Disneyland or California Adventure more than twice in a year, get a season pass! Just having the season pass saved us hundreds of dollars this year while at the parks. You can save money on parking, merchandise and FOOD! We probably saved the most money with our season pass on food! You can even get a discount with your season pass at The Cheesecake Factory on Katella Ave. at the Anaheim Garden Walk outside of the park.
Tip #10 - Check out the fireworks.
To see the fireworks don't waste your time staking out a place on Main Street to watch them. When they begin, you can easily find a spot in the middle of Main Street to see them. You can also watch them from many other places around the park. The area between Disneyland and California Adventure is also a great spot to see them too!! If you are lucky enough to be eating at one of the restaurants (Plaza Inn or Jolly Holiday Bakery) you can see them from there too.
Tip #11 - Go check out the new Princess Faire.
It is located to the left of the castle. There is a Meet and Greet with the princesses and even live stage performances. My little girl loved meeting Ariel, Cinderella and Aurora. If you have a little princess of your own you don't want to miss this!!
Tip #12 - Eating at the Parks. This certainly depends on your tastes, but try and eat at off hours if you can. It can be very difficult to find a place to eat at your typical meal times. There are some restaurants that you need to make a reservation for so finding place to eat isn't too difficult. Our favorite places to eat with a family, without a reservation are Village Haus (DL), Taste Pilots Grill (DCA), Jolly Holiday Bakery(DL), Flo's Cafe (DCA), Rancho del Zocalo Restaurant (DL) and Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney are just a few of our favorites.
Tip #13 - Need a place to relax that is cool.
We like to go to the Animation Academy in DCA. It has comfortable seating with several large screens for you to watch clips from your favorite Disney movies. I love to go here when my daughter has fallen asleep in her stroller. It gives you something to do while they sleep. Another good place to go is Innoventions at DL. Just like at the Animation Academy, it is cool and has plenty of places to have a seat all while your kids are exploring a home of the future and much more. Also, check out the Aladdin show at the end of Hollywood blvd. It is worth it!! For the little ones, check out Disney Jr. Live. They get to dance and sing in an interactive show with their favorite Disney characters.
Tip #14 - Bring things to keep your kids entertained in long lines.
If you do get stuck in a line waiting for your favorite ride be sure to have something to keep the kids occupied during this time. I always had an iPod, coloring books, drawing paper, snacks readily available for my kids while waiting. It made waiting in line a more pleasant experience. Trust me!
Tip #15 - Bring your cell phone charger.
For some reason my cell phone battery drains rather quickly while I am at the parks. Maybe because I am on it too much or my daughter is playing with it while standing in line. The cell reception is not great in the parks so my husband and I did a lot of text messages to each other when we were apart. There are several place around the park you can plug in and charge your cell phone if you need to throughout the day.
Tip #16 - Use Photo Pass +.
For $99 you can get all the pictures that you and your family have taken around the park by a Disney Photo Pass photographer around the parks. This also includes all the ride photos that were taken and any pictures you have done while at the character dining experiences. This is SO worth it because these pictures can be rather costly to purchase them separately. You also get a CD with all of the pictures to take home after your trip!
Tip #17 - Buy at least a 3 day Park Hopper ticket.
You can't do Disneyland or California Adventure in just one day!! It is just not possible. If you can't afford the annual passes, use the park hopper tickets and spend at least 3 days at the parks to get the best memories your kids will never forget!
Tip #18 - You must see....
California Adventure -
You can't miss seeing Cars Land! It is the most amazing area of California adventure! You honestly feel like you are in Radiator Springs, especially at dusk when the lights come on. It is a MUST see! Check out DJ's Dance Party too! So much fun for the kids to dance to. Have your video cameras ready for this too!
Toy Story Mania - One of the funnest rides in the park!! Unfortunately, there are no Fast Passes for this ride but the wait is worth it. If you are a competitive person this is the ride for you! Several carnival style games you play in 3D. So much FUN!
Mad T Party - If you are a child of the 80's and 90's you are going to love the music the band plays. The whole area is based on the Alice in Wonderland theme.
Pixar Play Parade - There is really not a bad place in the park to catch a glimpse of this parade. Kids love the popular characters from Toy Story, Monsters Inc., the Incredibles and so much more.
World of Color - I mentioned this above, it is certainly on the must see list of things to do!!
Disneyland -
You can't leave Disneyland without seeing Sleeping Beauty's castle. It is just a quick walk through but you have to experience it at least once.
Take a boat ride with the Pirates of the Carribean. In my opinion, the best themed ride. It is a must see when you go to Disneyland!
Go on It's a Small World ride. You will have the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day but you wouldn't be doing Disneyland justice if you did not go on this ride. I love it at Christmas time!!
Go and see Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln! It is located on Main Street at the Opera House. Voices of Liberty group sing some amazing patriotic songs prior to the show beginning. It is hard to believe that it is an animatronic replica of Abraham Lincoln speaking the words from his famous Gettysburg Address.
Take a ride on one of the Main Street Vehicles, the Monorail or the Disneyland Express Train. These are sure to be a fun experience and you can give your feet a break too!
Tom Sawyer Island is another place my boys love to go and run around.
I think that does it for now. I will add more later if I can think of anything else. This is a pretty comprehensive list!! Please feel free to add your tips and suggestions to the comments. I would LOVE the hear them!!
