12 Tips for Your Disneyland Trip

Heading to the “Happiest Place on Earth”?  Not if you go bankrupt as a result of bad planning or end up with crying children.  Take a minute to review our 12 tips for a successful Disneyland experience.  This list is an excerpt.  For the full story, see our article titled “Destination Disneyland”.

1.  Use the ‘ART’ bus system.  Generally much faster from hotel room to park.  Less hassle with the stroller and bags.  No stressful driving.
2. Pack your own lunches.  Eat when you want.  Avoid the high prices in the park.  Save your money for the turkey legs, churros and frozen lemonade.
3. Bring your own water.  And use the savings to pay off your mortgage early.
4. Book a large room with breakfast included.  Many of the hotels offer an extensive hot breakfast buffet.  If not included in your room, these meals can be costly.  But if your room is booked correctly, you can start your day with everyone fat and happy.
5. Book your trip with Get Away Today for extras.  Usually breakfast is included through the Get Away Today site.  Great prices on multiple day passes to the park.  Ask about other perks.
6. Use FastPasses and parent passes.  If you are traveling with little ones, the parent passes allow everyone to enjoy the rides.  FastPasses are critical if you are enjoying the park on a busy day.  If you want to get real technical, TouringPlans.com has analyzed the traffic flow and created a mathematical model to help you make the most of your time.  There is a small subscription fee to access the information.
7. Use backpacks to organize your belongings.  Use bags instead of throwing everything in the bottom of the stroller.  Getting on and off the bus and through security will be a much more pleasant experience.
8. Know the height requirements of the attractions.  Avoid the disappointment when you get to that ride and your young one is too short.  Platform shoes anyone?  See our post on height requirements at Disney and California Adventure.
9. Plan your show schedule in advance.  There are some great shows in both parks but often they only run once or twice each day.  Plan ahead so you don’t miss that must see show.
10. Get your treats in advance from the dollar store.  Just an easy cost cutting trick.  Add those lunch extras and snack time treats for a fraction of the price.  But save room for the good stuff (see above).
11. Choose the right stroller.  Inevitably even the older kids are going to wear out and collapse.  Even if your kids don’t normally need a stroller, by night time at Disneyland they will.  A few of our favorites you ask…Joovy Ultralight, Baby Jogger City Mini (single or double) and the Bob Revolution (single or double).
12. Find the local restaurants where kids eat free.  Many of the restaurants surrounding Disneyland offer free kids meals on specific days or times.  Couple of good resources include Kids Eat For and The Orange County Register.

 Again, this is just a quick list.  See the full article for more details.  Have a wonderful time at the “Happiest Place on Earth”.