We have talked about food, lodging, tickets, and making magic. Now let’s get to the fun stuff. The rides and entertainment!
We went to Disneyland during a notoriously busy time-Utah Spring Break. This time is so busy that Disney blocks it out for California residents and you will have a hard time finding a hotel with a vacancy. But we went with some tried and true tips to make our visit a success.
Go Early!
Disney has an incentive for buying multi-day passes: Magic Morning. You are allowed to enter one of the parks (Disneyland or California Adventure) an hour before the park officially opens. You only get one and the website shows which parks have Magic Morning on which days. We decided to hit Disneyland. Disneyland was open from 8 a.m. to midnight the days we were there. We arrived at 7 a.m. and went immediately to Tomorrowland. We got straight in line for Star Tours. Do not miss this ride! Star Tours has a *Fast Pass, but the Fast Pass machines do not spit out Fast Passes until the park officially opens. Star Tours has several different versions, so ride it more than once. We then headed to Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and then the Astro Orbiter. While we were in line for the Astro Orbiter, my husband ran to get a Fast Pass to Autopia. We were able to hit most of Tomorrowland in one morning. We did have to come back and do Matterhorm another day. The line was 90 minutes long and has no Fast Pass, so we went there first the next morning we went to Disneyland.
Eat Early!
The best time to eat lunch is at 11 a.m. I know that is early for most people, but if you and you kids have been standing in lines and walking around the park for several hours, you will want to recharge. And you will also find almost no lines at restaurants and cafes if you eat early.
Take a Break!
Kenny Rogers had it right-Know when to walk away, know when to run! When your kids start getting out-of-control cranky and the lines start getting long, head for the hills…or your hotel. By 2 p.m. the line for Matterhorn was over 90 minutes and we were starting to get tired from our early start. It was time for a break. We went back to our hotel for some pool time and a snack. We had an early dinner before heading back to the park. We were able to ride several rides and see Fantasmic. Realize that with Fantasmic, you are standing in roped-off areas. This can be a little tough with little ones who are too big to put on shoulders, but may have a hard time seeing around adults. The show is a lot of fun and worth seeing if you can bear to stand that long with your kids.
Split Up
My 6-year-old daughter wanted to go to Fantasy Faire to see the princesses. We had done this when we went 2 years ago and the line was insanely long. Disney has revamped this attraction and the lines move much faster-Cast Members told us the line is never over 45 minutes long. The older kids went with my husband and used our Fast Passes for Space Mountain while I stood in line with our 6-year-old. With my kids being a bit older, I sometimes forget the awe that is still a part of my daughter’s experience when we visit Disneyland. She loved chatting with Cinderella, Ariel, and Sleeping Beauty. I will fully admit that I wasn’t super excited about standing in line for this, but seeing my daughter’s face was a priceless memory that I will cherish forever!
Another fun activity is something we discovered for the first time on this trip- outside the Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique is a small door that leads up a staircase inside Sleeping Beauty’s castle. You can go in the castle! You walk a short way and see small vignettes about the Sleeping Beauty story. It was so simple and so magical! Be forewarned that this activity is not stroller or wheelchair friendly and is pretty dark which might be a little scary for little ones.
On Day Three, we had headed back to the hotel and my 6-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son were wiped out and just done. I stayed at the hotel with our exhausted kids while my husband headed back to California Adventure. They had a blast! My husband and 9-year-old son rode California Screamin’ 3 times while my 13-year-old went to ride some rides by herself that we hadn’t been able to get to earlier. They also were able to catch Color of Wonder. Everyone was able to get what they wanted.
It’s OK if It Isn’t All Perfect
We had a couple of our kids get freaked out on Indiana Jones Adventure. The ride is pretty bumpy, but it was the spiders and creepy crawly things on the wall that freaked them out. The 2 kids who were freaked out actually put their heads down so they wouldn’t see anymore. We knew not to attempt it again. Not every person needs to go on every ride.
We also have several photos of at least one of our 4 kids frowning. And I don’t mind. My kids aren’t perfect. And while I did everything I could to eliminate problems, kids are kids. They are going to pout and whine and complain. Don’t let it ruin your trip. We made a photo book after a Disneyland trip 4 years ago where our toddler had a mind-blowing 20 minute throwing-herself-on-the-ground tantrum. And I took photos of that tantrum and they are in the book. That is life with kids.
Be Flexible
While I was not looking forward to Fantasy Faire, it ended up being a highlight of our trip to see the expression on my daughter’s face. We also would jump on rides that had really short lines whenever we got the chance. It might have taken us off of our schedule, but it was worth it! We also tried to be flexible and then knew when we had to put our foot down, especially when it came to long lines and whiny kids.
Deals on Souvenirs
One of my favorite souvenirs at Disneyland is at the Silhouette Shop on Main Street. For only $9, a cast member will hand cut a silhouette of your child. It is a sweet way to freeze time and I have one from when my parents took me to Disneyland when I was about 18 months old. Having one for each of our kids in addition to mine is a sweet family tradition that I hope is carried over for generations.
Don’t Forget the Entertainment!
Sometimes we are so focused on the rides that we forget about the entertainment. From a shoot-out on the street of Frontierland to the fireworks show to the Main Street Parade, there is a ton of entertainment. We watched a shoot out while we ate our lunch of corn dogs. My kids loved it! We also had an experience on our trip 4 years ago where Jack Sparrow tried to snatch my daughter’s sippy cup. Sometimes the unexpected and unplanned moments are the best!
Although Jungle Cruise is a ride, I consider it pure entertainment. I love Jungle Cruise and I consider the schticky script to be very entertaining. I loved when my 11-year-old son told me at the end of the ride how funny the Cast Member was. I didn’t tell him that it was a script. Those are the moments that make Disneyland the happiest place on earth!
Another activity off the beaten path is Innoventions in Tomorrowland. They have some cool activities where kids can get out some energy. There are several Kinect games they can play on the upper level and explore a house of the future on the first level.
Disneyland is what you make it. Make it a phenomenal experience!
*A Fast Pass is only available at Disneyland on the following rides: Autopia, Indiana Jones Adventure, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Star Tours.
Learn the secrets of Main Street U.S.A. in Disneyland.
Learn more about Disneyland Parks.
My name is Julie and I am a stay-at-home mom with 4 kids. With four kids ages 6, 9, 11, and 14 we have to be careful how we spend money to make vacations like this possible. Check out how we were able to make our magical vacation a reality!
Alexis says
HAHA – I love the tantrum photos. The best memories of our trip (ok, not best, but funniest) are the kids tantrums. 1 kid kicking daddy in the shins (because she knew mommy wouldn’t stand for it) and then KISSING alading smack on the lips (poor guy turned purple in embarrassment). 1 kid freaking out from the drop of water that touched her princess dress from the MISTER overhead! They had a great trip overall – but those area the memories that keep :)
PS – one of our stories includes the stuffed lamb won in the first hour of our trip on the Boardwalk that she carried in and out of the park for the next 3 days. Captain Jack Sparrow tried to take it from her as we left Pirates of the Carribean. Every seen a 3 year old give the stink eye while fighing for a stuffy? Even Jack backed away ;)
melissa says
ive enjoyed reading your input (and Ethan has enjoyed seeing his soccer teammates picture on the internet haha).
Shannon says
Thanks for this series Julie! I wanted to add that there is a room at the base of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, near the exit, that has a digital tour of the castle. This room is air conditioned and is wheelchair/stroller friendly. A great place to experience the castle!
Shonna says
Ok, I want to clarify something. There are two types of early entry, Magic Morning and Early Entry. Magic Morning is for Disneyland and is available for anyone that has a pass for 3 days or greater. Early Entry is only available for California Adventure and is only available to Disney Resort Guests. Magic Morning and Early Entry alternate days. So if you staying at a Disney Resort you can use MM and EE every day you are there but if you are staying off site you can only use MM at Disneyland and it is only good for one day.