With all the buildup and excitement leading up to a vacation at the “happiest place on earth”, sometimes it’s easy to forget planning for actually being in the Disney park! Here are 5 tips on how to maximize your time at Disneyland so that your experience is truly magical.
1. Have a General Game Plan for Your Day
As soon as you scan your ticket at the turnstile, you enter into a world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy. All of the sights, sounds, and smells will quickly put a smile on your face and bring you to an incredibly large dilemma: what do I do first? It’s easy to get distracted by all of the wonderful things inside Disneyland and if you go into your day at the park without a general idea of what you are hoping to accomplish, you may spend a lot more time figuring out what you want to do then actually doing it.
Although there is so much to see and do that it may take you more than one day to do it all, you can still get a lot done if you think through a general game plan for your day depending upon your main focus. Start off with some of the tips below to help plan out your day.
Enjoy All The Rides
If you are looking to fit in as many rides as possible, get to the park early and hit the big ones (Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones, and the Matterhorn) first thing before the crowds get too large. Once you hit about 11:00 am, start working through the rides by each land (Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland) to avoid wasting time walking all over the park. You will also want to make use of the Fast Pass or MaxPass system that we will talk about below and the Disneyland App to keep track of wait times to jump on a ride when the timing is right.
Meet The Characters
Looking to get some great photos and fill your autograph books with all the characters that Disneyland has to offer? You will once again want to get to the park early as a plethora of characters are out to greet you on Main Street right as you enter the park. You can easily get through 3-5 character greeting opportunities alone right away.
After the initial meetings on Main Street, you will want to utilize your Disneyland App (more info below) to see when and where other characters will be throughout the day. Characters will be spread out all over the park and you don’t want to find out that your favorite character only has 10 more minutes to greet visitors but you are on the complete opposite side of the park!
The final thing you will want to do is take advantage of the locations where characters are meeting with visitors throughout the entire day. This will be mainly in Toontown with Mickey and Minnie, and just outside of the castle in areas like Pixie Hollow with Tinker Bell. These areas
will give you the opportunity to meet a character almost whenever you have the time to so that you don’t have to work around a smaller window like with most other characters.
Eat All The Food
To be completely honest, this may be my favorite part of going to Disneyland. There are so many unique snacks and treats that often times I never end up eating a full meal but rather just snack throughout the day. Everyone has their favorite treats, and we could spend the rest of this post arguing which one is best, but instead, we will just highlight some of the most sought after treats and where to find them.
Dole Whip – This is probably the most talked about a treat at any Disney property, especially since there are very few places outside of Disney you can get this delectable treat. This used to be one of the biggest headaches to get because there was only one little stand near the Tiki Room that you could purchase it. All that has changed though, and now there is an entire section near the Tiki Room specifically for Dole Whip and a few other new treats. You no longer have to plan out 30 minutes of waiting in line but can get in and out within 5 minutes typically at The Tropical Hideaway.
Mickey Beignets – Tucked into the back of New Orleans Square you will find the Mint Julep Bar where for about $5.00, you can enjoy the Mickey Mouse-shaped Beignets. These doughy snacks come dusted with powdered sugar (and other flavors during holiday seasons), and make for a great treat and a fun Instagram photo.
Pooh Corner – Okay so this one is technically a location, but it is filled to the brim with delicious items to satisfy your sweet tooth. From marshmallow treats called Tigger Tails, uniquely crafted and designed candy apples, and the best Rice Krispy treats you may ever have, there is something here for everyone.
2. Disneyland App
This may seem like a no-brainer, but many people still do not take advantage of the incredibly helpful Disneyland App. This is your most essential tool regardless of what you are trying to accomplish during your day at Disneyland. As mentioned above, not only can you see the wait times for every ride, you can also see locations and menus for food, where the closest restroom is located, where your favorite characters are at for a photo op, and so much more. You can also store your ticket information, manage your MaxPass (if you choose to purchase this upgrade), and keep track of all the photo memories the friendly staff takes of you around the park.
3. Disneyland MaxPass
If your focus is to maximize your park time and ride as many rides as possible, the MaxPass system is something to strongly consider. Disneyland has the free-to-use Fast Pass system throughout the park on major rides such as Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones, and more. This system allows you to book a time to come back, skip the line, and almost hop directly onto your favorite rides.
The downside to the free Fast Pass system is that you have to use your Disneyland ticket at a physical kiosk located near the main ride entrance to receive your Fast Pass. So, if not planned out well, you may find yourself walking across the entire park just to grab one Fast Pass for another ride.
With MaxPass, you pay $15 to essentially have the digital version of the system on your phone through the Disneyland App. This allows you to book your entrances in advance to some of the biggest rides and not require you to be standing at a kiosk outside of the ride entrance. You are able to manage it all directly from your phone wherever you are in the park. You can also link your friends and family that you are traveling with to create a group so that no one is left out of a ride when booking each fast pass.
It is a bit of a financial commitment on top of the already high price of a park entrance ticket, but the amount of time it saves and the ease of use make it something that I highly recommend taking advantage of.
4. Know the Parade Route and Time
I bring up this point for two reasons –
1. If you want to sit and enjoy a really awesome parade, knowing the route ahead of time will allow you to get a good spot to view and enjoy the parade. If you want a front row view of the action, you typically want to be in a spot 30 minutes ahead of time at the absolute latest. You will see diehard parade viewers sometimes lining up over an hour in advance, so prepare accordingly if this is something you really want to view.
2. If you aren’t the parade-watching type, this is the perfect time to go back and hop on some of the rides that typically have longer waits. Thousands of people will watch each parade which means that thousands of people will also now not be in line. Be aware of the parade route though, as it cuts across the park from north to south or vice versa and can restrict which rides you can get to until the parade passes by. Plan on getting stuck on the side of the park that you want to hop on the most rides with to maximize this time.
5. Plan on Staying for the Daily Firework Show
Fun Fact: The Walt Disney Company is the second largest purchaser of explosives in the entire country. Who are they behind? The U.S. military.
With that kind of firepower, you can bet on a pretty incredible show each and every night. Similar to the parade information above, this time can be used to either enjoy a spectacular
show or get in some additional ride time depending on your preference. If you have never seen a Disneyland evening show though, I cannot recommend enough enjoying it at least once!
Words cannot do justice to the incredible technology that goes into the Disney fireworks show. The music playing as fireworks light up the night sky and a state-of-the-art projection system turns Sleeping Beauty’s castle into an incredible display of your favorite childhood memories.
With these helpful tips, you’ll be sure to have a memorable & magical time at Disneyland!
——————
Interested in experiencing this for yourself? CLICK HERE to join us on our Explore Los Angeles tour!
