All Things Disneyland.

On the blog today:

disneyland.

Okay... I'll admit it. I've got Disneyland on my mind. My dad called me this morning and gave me the official dates for our family vacation to Disneyland this year. July can't come soon enough. So, I wanted to share my advice on Disneyland. I know I'm not the only Disney fanatic out there. Maybe you're going to Disneyland soon or you've been a million times & want to try something new there. You may know a lot already, but this is just in case!

• First thing... If you are planning your trip to California
  & Disneyland is the highlight... Stay within walking distance of Disneyland. We usually stay within a block or two. It's so convenient to have your hotel so close. If you aren't within walking distance, my advice? Use your hotel shuttle. You will save a TON of money on parking at Disneyland.
• Get there early. If you get there early, you can get a fast pass to the rides that are normally insane waits & you can ride the big rides first instead of standing in huge lines later on in the day. My advice? Have a plan of the rides you want to go on & when you want to go on them. SOO much easier instead of spending your day in lines. 

•  Buy a Park Hopper. Disneyland is amazing, but I recommend spending some time at California Adventure too.
• Watch the fireworks at least one night. They do fireworks every night. Make sure you get a good seat & enjoy. They are AWESOME.
• WORLD OF COLOR. I highly recommend this. You will want to get into California Adventure right when it opens and get a fast pass to World of Color. Such an amazing show. It is SO worth it.
• Get a Disneyland App. I have an Iphone & the app that I have is called "Disneyland Magic Guide. I'm pretty sure in all the app stores it's titled the same thing or something similar. This app gives you wait times, where to eat, a map of the parks & the hours/events.
• Hungry? My favorite place to eat at California Adventure... Pacific Wharf Cafe. I absolutely LOVE their Clam Chowder. Favorite place in Disneyland... Big Thunder Ranch BBQ. Family style BBQ is amazing. Want something quick? Disneyland Turkey Leg... The best!
• Sweet Tooth? On main street there is a place to get pretzels filled with cream cheese. Ohhh myyyy goshhhh. In Adventure Land, there are Dole Pineapple Whip. Be sure to stop by there. Want something quick? Churro stands all over Disneyland & California Adventure.
• Parades. At least watch one of the parades. It's getting harder to see all characters, so going to the parade's, your little ones will definitely see everyone! The app I told you about earlier will be able to tell you all the times of the parades.
• If you have already seen the parades. This is the perfect time to ride the long wait time rides.
• Animation Academy @ California Adventure. There is a great big building in California Adventure called the Animation Academy. We just barely started doing this a few years ago. When you go inside they have "Turtle Talk with Crush" (For the little kiddos), they have a show that you are able to go into and they will teach you step by step how to draw Disney Characters & they have a video game that asks you questions to tell you which Disney Character you are most like. We had a blast doing this. If you are there during the summer months, its a good way to cool down inside.
• Character Dining. This is a MUST. It's a little bit pricy, but if you have little ones... They will LOVE it. While you are eating an AMAZING meal, the Disney Characters will come up to you, sit with you, take pictures, etc... Here is a link to the different places that offer Character Dining. 
• Pin Trading. We just started doing this a few years ago as well. One year we went down & my Aunt Wendy had bought a ton of cheaper pins on Amazon for us to trade. If you buy cheaper pins from Amazon before hand, then you wont be spending $8-$10 per pin at Disneyland. When you get to Disneyland, find the Cast Members that have the fanny pack with pins on it. You get to pick which pin you want from them & you trade...FOR FREE. I did it with Jaxson not too long ago & we were able to get him a whole bunch of his favorite Disney Characters! It's crazy what kind of pins you can find from all the trading being done.

Character Dining Link 

My random Advice:

• Take LOTS of pictures. If you are planning on buying Mouse ears, buy them your first day so they are in all your pictures!
• Take a backpack that will close tightly. That way if you take in on a ride it won't get wet or open when you're upside down! Make sure you put snacks & waters in your backpack. It's A LOT cheaper.
•  If you are celebrating something when you go to Disneyland, stop by City Hall. I've had a "Birthday" pin & a "Just Married" pin. It's fun to have ALL the cast members wish you a Happy Birthday or Congratulations.
• On the rides that take your picture, have some fun with whoever you are with & plan your picture. It's hilarious to show people what you've come up with.
•  If it's raining while you are on vacation, don't hesitate to go. A lot of people will leave the park. Less people = less lines!
•  If you have kids, do the kid stuff. Nothing beats seeing your little one have the time of their lives!

Alright, who is ready to go to Disneyland?

 

Enjoy!