Disney Land Dos and Dont

From Tip Sense

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1 About
2 General Checklist
3 Tips
4 Sources
5 Authors

About

Travelling to disneyland is a perhaps one of life's little wonders for prople of all ages. By following this article, you will ensure to have a much more enjoyable trip!

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General Checklist

Check the Disneyland website or call the park hotline (714-781-4565) for park hours and activities for the date you want to visit.
Plan ahead if you want multi-day tickets. Multi-day passes are available at the gate; however, they’re available at a significant discount online if you can plan ahead. Check out specific prices for the length of your desired visit on the Disneyland website.
Plan your day as much as possible before you arrive. Park maps are available at the Disneyland website and recommended itineraries for youngsters can be found online as well.
Try to plan your visit for a less crowded day, if possible. In general Monday – Thursday will be far less crowded than Friday – Sunday, except on holidays.
Locate all of the restrooms on your map when you arrive. Bring a highlighter and highlight them, as you won’t want to have to search for them when you’re in a hurry!
Check the boards at the ticket huts when you arrive to see which attractions are closed. It’s nice to know ahead of time if something you were planning on is being refurbished, so you can re-schedule your time and prepare your toddler, if necessary, for the disappointment.
Remember that a lot of kids are afraid of the characters when they meet them in person. Be prepared that your child may cry when s/he meets Goofy in person, even if this is their favorite cartoon in the whole world! Accept it and let them watch from afar, if necessary, to avoid unnecessary tears and frustration (yours and theirs!).
Sunscreen and Hats for both you and your child (available in the gift shops if you forget!) Apply sunscreen ahead of time to decrease your child’s frustration when you arrive. Hats will help keep the hot sun off your child’s head and face, as well.
Camera and extra film – also available in the gift shops if you need it, as are extra batteries.
Drinks and snacks to give your toddler while you wait in line – sold throughout the park, but it’s expensive and a baggie of pretzels or fishy crackers and juice box can save the day if you’re stuck in line for an hour!
A stroller – Strollers are available for rent for about $7 in the park; however if you have a comfortable stroller save the money and bring your own.
A few diapers and wipes. Diaper supplies are a must; in an emergency you can check out the Baby Center across from the Carnation area on Main Street (marked on the Disneyland Map).
Flat shoes for everyone! You’ll be doing a lot of walking, and some of the kid’s attractions have climbing and jumping. Closed toe shoes are recommended.
A Change of Clothes for the Kids – if your kids go on any water rides, or want to run through the water fountain in Tomorrowland they’ll probably get soaked. This is a great way to cool off; however, you’ll want a change of clothes for them to put on afterward (including shoes, since shoes are required in the fountain). Of course with toddlers, carrying a change of clothes is always a good idea anyway!
A large shoulder bag to carry your items in. It’s nice to have a large shoulder bag to stick them in so you can leave this with your other supplies in the bottom of the stroller while you go on rides. Take your keys and valuables with you, of course!
Sweatshirts or Light jackets are recommended if you’re going to be at the park through dinnertime. Even in Southern California, the breeze can make the evening air chilly quickly!

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Tips

Many attractions have lines that split into two. As a general rule, the left side moves faster. Humans are animals of habit, and there are many more right handed folk then left handed folk.
Write down where you parked your car...and don't lose the paper it's written on.
Many of the "thrill" rides have faster speeds at night; at least they feel that way. Space Mountain is a great example.
The Matterhorn has two lines, one that wraps around the Tomorrowland side of the mountain, the other that wraps around the Fantasyland side. Generally, the Tomorrowland side track feels like a longer ride, while the Fantasyland track feels faster.
1. Speaking of the Matterhorn, the line for the Matterhorn that wraps around the Tomorrowland side is almost always shorter.
The Monorail operator can let a handful of people ride with him/her in the front Monorail cabin. As the operator as soon as you begin to board. It is a great ride, with full surrounding windows. Plus you can talk to the driver, which can be entertaining in and of itself. The very last cabin can also be fun.
Sometimes the Mark Twain operator will let you up into the wheelhouse and "steer" the Mark Twain. You even get an official certificate and it's great to see the park from way up on top.
If you dine at the Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square, ask specifically for a table by the water. You may have to wait a bit longer, but the view is worth it for your dinner.
If you want to eat at the Blue Bayou go straight to it when the park opens to get a reservation.
Dress in layers and bring a sweater. Even summer evenings in Southern California can be a bit chilly. You can always rent a locker on Main St. and leave them there until you need them, or even leave them in the car and go get them.
Adventureland is generally desserted at night.
An hour and a half before closing, New Orleans Square has short lines.
Most people eat dinner between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. That is one of the best time to go on attractions, due to the shorter lines.
You can pay to eat a dessert buffet in the Disney Gallery patio overlooking The Rivers of America for each Fantasmic! show. *Tickets are currently around $39 per person and can be purchased at a special window at the Main Entrance before the park opens. On busy days, that line forms before the regular Disneyland ticket lines do. However, if it is not very busy and you didn't buy tickets at the Main Gate, check at the Disney Gallery. They sell extras, I believe. It's the best way to view Fantasmic!, enjoy a great dessert, and not have to battle the huge crowds saving a spot hours in advance of the showtime.
Always check the board! Located just a bit southwest of the castle, on the end corner of Main Street is a large board with info on ride closures due to mechanical problems, plus other info. Check the board before you scurry all the way to one corner of the park to find the attraction you walked all that way for is closed for repair unexpectedly.
Use the train! The Disneyland Railroad can be your best friend on crowded days...many forget that the train does a complete circle around the park, and that the wait to board is hardly ever very long. You can move from one end of the park to the other in relaxing style rather than worming through crowds on your feet.
Use the Single Passenger line for the Rocket Rod's. If there's 4 people in your group, walk up as if you don't know eachother. You'll each be handed a Single Rider pass, which allows you to skip the regular line (often hours long) and board with very little wait, if any. The chance is good that you'll even ride with your party anyway.
The waiting lines for Tomorrowland attractions generally die down around 4 or 5:00 pm.
Generally, it is best to ride the Fanstasy Land rides around lunchtime (11:00 to 2:00-ish).
Try the Jungle Cruise at the end of the day; the line most likely will be shorter.
The queue building for the Jungle Cruise is decieving, if it looks full the wait is a long one.
If it's your birthday, go to City Hall, (first building on your left as you enter Main Street from the Main Gate) and you'll get a sticker and sometimes special treatment (ie: front of line status)
For the fireworks shows, stand in front of the Castle, near or on the large compass/legend in the cement. Perfect view. Too many trees block your view if you are by the Partner's statue.
Pay particular attention to start times of parades even if you do not wish to view them. Many people line up 30 minutes (or more) prior to the start time of the parade. Good time to eat in areas away from parade route. Also many ride lines are much shorter. Just be sure you don't find yourself trapped on Main St. by a huge parade crowd if you are trying to make your way to another part of the park.
The best time to go shopping in the summers are the hot afternoon hours...while the majority of guests are sweating in attraction lines, you can be inside the airconditioned stores doing some fun browsing or shopping.
And speaking of shopping, you can have any purchases sent Package Express, so you don't have to carry it around for the rest of the day. You can let the cashier hold on to your purchase, and then take your claim ticket you'll receive to the Main Gate Newsstand (just west of the Main Gates) on your way out of the park and pick up your package waiting for you. This service is free...Remember, the packages are available for pick up 2 hours after you purchase them.
And speaking of Package Express, if you stay at one of the Disney hotels (either the Disneyland Hotel, or Disney Pacific) they will deliever your packages to your room for you. No need to pick them up at the Newsstand.
Tom Sawyer Island, in the late afternoon, or early morning is very empty. Always more fun with less people there...Just be careful, because the Island closes at dusk, so you won't want to visit and then get caught short on time.
Use the back entrance to the Disney Gallery for fun. They are the isolated stairs in the back corner of New Orleans Square (on Royal Street.)
The Disneyland Railroad begins running about 15 minutes prior to the rest of the park opening. You can ride around the park nonstop then before the rest of the park is even opened.
Let's talk food. As lunch or dinner goes, the Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square must be tried. The clam chowder in a Mickey-shaped bread bowl is wonderful (and a good deal too!) In the drink department, you have to get one of their mint juleps. They are dynamite, and also not too pricey.
If you're looking for a good place for dinner try Red Rockets Pizza Port, its hardly ever crowded, there are plenty of seats, and the food is good.
The shop by Pirates of the Caribbean a lot of the time has free samples of candy-pralines-by the cash register and if you ask nicely, sometimes they'll open a box for you.
If you talk to a character or a character host, you'll most likely get an even better experience with your favorite character! The character host is the Disney Cast Member who helps each costumed character travel around the park.
Lines at rides are often much shorter when a parade, or light show is nearby. These seem to have a particularly strong effect on Space mountain, the haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Carribean.
If you get caught on main street during a parade, you can usually catch the train out of there. Check in advance that the stop you want is open though.
Speedpasses can be useful on big rides. Get the pass, and see if you can go on a nearby smaller ride, or do some sightseeing. At several times, it takes longer to get through the line than to wait for the speed pass.
rides involving water are always much emptier once sunset starts.