Jenn's Ten Tips for Making Disneyland and Disney California Adventure an Awesome Experience

With all that has happened in the last week, I needed to go to a happy place today.  And one of my favorite happy places is Disneyland!

My family and I are definitely Disneyland enthusiasts.  We go every year when we can!  We love everything from the decadent aroma of New Orleans Square to the nerdy thrills of Tomorrowland.  We are pretty much diehards, arriving in the park as soon as it opens and not leaving again until well after the spectacular fireworks.  This last August we drove down to southern California and purchased 5-day Park Hopper passes for our entire family of seven and immersed ourselves in the Disney experience for five straight days.  We were excited to experience several  attractions that were newly opened in the last year including: the newly renovated Star Tours, Arial's Undersea Adventure, and of course the new addition of Cars Land.  Even though it had only been a mere sixteen months since our last visit, a lot had changed, and so I'm sharing what we learned this last trip to make things easier and more enjoyable for those of you that might be planning a trip sometime soon.

1.  GET TO THE PARK EARLY!  Whether you are entering either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park get there as soon as the park opens.  The shortest lines are definitely in the morning before 10:30 a.m. and so the sooner you get there, the more rides you will be able to take advantage of.  With the new addition of Cars Land in Disney California Adventure, Disneyland is less busy than usual, especially in the morning.  We were able to take in Star Tours, Buzz Light Year and Space Mountain several times just in the first hour with wait times of less than 10 minutes.  It's also a great time to take advantage of those rides that tend to always have long lines like Peter Pan and Finding Nemo.  Also, if you have park hopper passes with a Magic Morning early entrance take advantage of it.  A Magic Morning pass allows you into the park a full hour before the park opens.  Generally Magic Mornings are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.  If your 3 to 5 day park hopper tickets don't automatically come with a Magic Morning you can go to Guest Relations at City Hall on the West side of Main Street in the park and ask if they will include one with your passes.  They were very good to add a Magic Morning to our 5 day passes this last trip.

2.  GO TO THE PARKS ON WEEKDAYS WHEN POSSIBLE.  Monday through Wednesday are the best days to go to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure as long as those week days don't fall on holidays. (We learned from past experience to avoid Veteran's Day)  The closer it gets to the weekend, the busier the parks get.  We avoid Saturdays and Sundays if we can.

3.  TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FAST PASS SYSTEM, even if the lines are short!  Fast passes allow you to capitalize on the maximum number of rides during your time in the parks.  There are actually four different fast pass systems between the two parks.  Disneyland's Fast Pass System is separate from Disney California Adventure's and within these two parks Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin and The World of Color  are on their own Fast Pass systems.  Most websites tell you that you can only have one Fast Pass at a time, but it's possible to be holding 2-3 at a time.  We always make a point to do just that!  You can actually get a second Fast Pass for a different attraction two hours from your first Fast Pass issue time or at the first return time on your first Fast Pass, whichever comes first.  You can also be potentially holding a Fast Pass from The World of Color or Roger Rabbit. 

*Special note:  You have to be in the park to be issued a fast pass.  For example:  You can't send Dad with all of the passes into Disney California Adventure to get fast passes for the Cars Land while the rest of the family stays in Disneyland.  A Fast Pass will only be issued to someone who is actually registered to be in that particular park.   

4.  MAKE SURE YOUR HOTEL HAS A GOOD BREAKFAST.  We've found that we save the most by staying at a hotel that serves a real hearty breakfast.  Now, I'm not talking about a Continental Breakfast.  I'm talking about eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, and the works.  By eating a large breakfast, we find that we spend a lot less money on food in the park, which can get quite expensive.  Even if you have to spend a little more money on a hotel room, we find that it is well worth it.  Our favorite hotel for breakfast has become any of the Ayres Hotels in southern California.

5.  BRING SNACKS AND WATER BOTTLES.  You can't bring meals into the Disney parks, but they let you bring in snacks.  If you have a hearty breakfast and bring in munchies you can usually get by with only one meal in the park.  Stock up on granola bars, Gogurts, string cheese, crackers, and water bottles.  There are drinking fountains located all over the park and so hold onto those empty water bottles and refill them along the way.  It will save you a lot of time and money.

6. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PARK TRANSPORTATION.  Many visitors don't realize how easy it is to use the Monorail in and out of Downtown Disney.  You can ride the Monorail round trip from Tomorrowland or one way into Downtown Disney.  The monorail entrance is between the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Autotopia.  If you ask you may even be able to ride in the front car. Make sure you get a hand stamp if you plan on returning to the park.  If you go into Downtown Disney, don't miss the giant Lego store just as you disembark.  The Lego creations are amazing. The Rain Forest Cafe is also well worth a visit if you want a great dining experience.   If you are tired or just need to rest your legs upon entering and leaving Disneyland take advantage of the horse drawn trolley service, omnibus, horseless carriage or the fire engine up and down Main Street.  The fire engine is the fastest, but all are fun.  You can pick up any of these forms of transportation near Sleeping Beauty's Castle or City Hall on Main Street.  This last trip we also used the Disney Parking for the first time.  Usually we walk from our hotel into the Disney parks, but I have to say that the Disney parking, although a little pricey at 15 dollars a day turned out to be a very pleasant experience.  Having the parking shuttles right there to take us back and forth from the parks straight to our car and vice versa was incredibly easy and a nice break for tired feet.

7.  BOOK YOUR SPECIAL DINING IN ADVANCE .  My husband and I never miss the Blue Bayou.  It's the best food in Disneyland!  It's a beautiful, romantic restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean that we generally don't share with our children.  Our kids are old enough to take care of themselves for a meal and they know mom and dad like their date night at the Blue Bayou.  The kids like to wave at us from their boat on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride as they drift lazily by.  We've never had a problem booking a table for the Blue Bayou as long as we book it before we go.  A week in advance is generally enough time.  The food is pricey, but definitely worth it!  Another great place that you probably want to reserve ahead of time is the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney.  We take the kids with us, of course.  It's like eating in a rainforest complete with waterfalls, vegetation, animals, and even the occasional thunderstorm.  It's really a lot of fun.  But if you just want a good place to eat inside Disneyland without a reservation, we recommend Rancho de Zocolo or Cafe Orleans.  The portions are good and there is often enough to share, especially if you're sharing with a little person.  Some other great restaurants nearby the Disney parks are Bubba Gumps at the Garden Walk and Mimi's Cafe just northeast of Disneyland.   

8. *KNOW HOW TO BEST NAVIGATE THE NEW CARS LAND IN CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE: With the new additions of Cars Land, Disney California Adventure has become a vastly different park.  I have to say that I find this part of the park completely delightful.  You really feel as though you are in Radiator Springs. But if you don't pay close attention you can miss the opportunity of riding on the Radiator Springs Racers, which is the star attraction of the park these days, unless of course you want to wait in a 2 to 3 hour line in the hot sun.  Now, if you can be one of the first people at the gate when Disney California Adventure opens I would immediately make a run for this ride, afterwards I would jump into the fast pass line for the Radiator Springs Racers located near the Bugs Life entrance for a second ride.  Otherwise I would just acquire fast passes as soon as I came into the park.  The fast passes for this ride go extremely fast and so if you don't pick up a fast pass within about the first hour and a half of the park opening you are just out of luck. The line for the fast passes for the Radiator Springs Racers is often at least a half of an hour long and stretches all the way down into the movie lot.  The line moves quickly and you often get a bonus pass to another attraction with your fast passes to Radiator Springs Racers.  If you are not able to acquire fast passes, your next best bet is to get in the single rider line.  You won't be able to go as a family, but the wait time is significantly shorter than 2 hours.  The other two rides in Cars Land are Luigi's Flying Tires and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree looks like a kiddy ride, but is actually fun for the whole family and so don't miss this one.  It will really have you smiling.  Luigi's Flying Tires is just an average ride with a fairly slow line, and so go when the wait times are under 40 minutes if you can.  Make a stop at Flo's Cafe for a decent meal.  Eat outside on the south side for a great view of the Radiator Springs Racers.  It will truly make you feel like you are in the Cars movie.  Make a point to be in Cars Land at sunset .  That is when they turn on all of the Neon lights, set to the Sh-Boom song from the movie.   It's really fun to watch all of those Neon signs, light up in Radiator Springs. 

*Special Note:  After getting your fast passes for Radiator Springs Racers head to the entrance of the Grizzly River Run to get your fast passes for the World of Color.  Remember World of Color is on a different fast pass system.  The earlier you get tickets, the better your viewing will be 

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9.  KNOW WHERE THE BEST VIEWING IS FOR THE DISNEY SHOWS:  My favorite Disney show is always the Fireworks Spectacular.  The best place to see the fireworks is smack dab in the middle of Main Street about twenty feet behind the statue of Walt Disney facing Sleeping Beauty's Castle.  You don't have to wait there all night to get a decent view.  Just wait until people starting sitting down in the middle of Main Street and go and join them, about a half an hour before the fireworks start.  Another great place to view fireworks, if you are going to view them more than one night, is on the river front in Adventureland.  After getting  a great spot for the first show of Fantasmic, just along the riverfront west of the Pirates of the Caribbean entrance, stay put after the show and enjoy an awesome fireworks show from the same location.  It's not as grand as right over the castle, but it's an amazing fireworks show from a different viewpoint.  Disney pipes in the music for the show and so you don't miss much and you can stay seated for the entire show, unlike on Main Street. 

We're not big parade people, but If you want a great view of the parade without camping out for hours, we've found that the Train Station on Main Street is  best.  We get great unobstructed pictures by being above the crowd. \

In Disney California Adventure you might have to wait a little bit for a good seat to the World of Color.  (See above note on getting your fast passes at Grizzly River Run.)  Arrive at Paradise Pier as soon as your section is open an hour before the show and get a spot at close to the front and center of the pier as you can even if you're in the splash zone.  It's more like a heavy mist, anyway, even if you are on the front row.  This is a great time to have family members make runs for snacks or hot chocolate while you save your coveted spot.  And this show is definitely not to be missed.

10.  FINALLY DON'T MISS THESE EXTRAS!:   Don't miss the Aladdin Show at the Hyperion Theater in Disney California Adventure.  It's like a mini Broadway show with lots of laughs.  Best seats are probably at the very front of the balcony section.  Also don't miss the Animation Academy in the Disney Animation Building where you can learn to draw your favorite Disney characters.  Take time to see Turtle Talk while you are there and learn what Disney character that you are most like in the Beast's Library in the Sorcerer's Workshop.  It's always a highlight of our stay!  

In Disneyland don't miss Billy Hill and the Hillbillies.  It's a fun show!  Watch for Disney Characters to come and interact with you.  Another don't miss is the Storybook Land Canal Boats.  You get to see settings from Disney movies created in miniature.  And finally for a touch of patriotism go see Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at the Opera House on Main Street.