It’s Spring Break and you know what that means: you can take advantage of our week off and go to Disneyland! Disneyland can get really hectic since it is smaller in size compared to the other Disney theme parks. As an annual pass holder of three years, I know a few tips and tricks for planning a day at Disneyland. So, here are some ideas that might be helpful for your Disney Day!
1. Download the Disneyland App
The Disneyland App will show you wait times, show times, and character appearance times, all in the palm of your hand. It’s also the home of MaxPass. Photo from tumblr
2. Go on a rainy or cloudy day
Take a cap and go on a rainy day. Anaheim is known to be sunny 355 days of the year, therefore it rarely rains. When it does rain however, people tend to stay away from the parks. I’ve waited in line for Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, for only 15 minutes while it was misting in the morning!
3. Peak Hours are from 1-8 pm.
Those 7 hours will be packed with tourists and annual pass holders! So, plan to ride popular attractions such as Indiana Jones from 8 am-1 pm. You can do so much in 5 hours if you plan accordingly. From 8 pm-12 midnight, the first showings of World of Color and Fantasmic will be shown around 8:30 pm. Therefore, go on popular attractions at that time too. If you want to see these shows, there is usually a second showing, so check the Disneyland App. During the peak hours, you can see all the different shows like Mickey and the Magical Map, ride the Fantasyland rides (I know you want to), get a Dole whip, and hang out. Image from tumblr
4. Request the front row or the best seat in the ride
You can ask the cast member working at the attraction for the best seat on the ride. So, if you want to be the driver of the vehicle in Indiana Jones, you can definitely ask. My favorite seat in Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, is actually in the back middle seats of the gantry lift. It’s more thrilling and you can enjoy the music without the screaming.
5. Get the Maxpass
The Maxpass is a virtual system where you pay $10 per person and you can get fastpasses from your phone. It’s really easy and super convenient, especially if there are way too many people in the park and you’re only moving inch by inch. It is the best 10 dollars you will spend at Disney. The Maxpass will save you time walking from one place to another! A tip if you’re traveling with a group is to keep the maxpasses on one phone. It also includes a photopass for the whole day. Therefore, you can instantly get photo downloads from your phone!
6. Get a Corn Dog at Stage Door Cafe
Stage Door Cafe is a hidden quick service restaurant that serves the famous Disneyland Corn Dogs. They are in Frontierland, adjacent to the Golden Horseshoe stage. Stage Door also sells Mozzarella sticks!
7. Get the Cars Fastpass first, then the Guardians
Radiator Springs Racers Fastpasses sell out way faster than Guardians fastpasses! I’ve seen all of the Cars fastpasses run out before 4 pm. So come early and line up for those fastpasses! picture from tumblr
8. Affordable food does exist at Disney
Not all food at Disney is expensive! My favorite cheap thing to eat is the Baked Potato at Troubadour Tavern in Fantasyland. There, you can eat and watch “Mickey and the Magical Map.” Another tip is to get a kid’s meal because it offers something to eat, veggies, and a little drink. You can always trade in a little drink for a bigger drink!
9. Sit
I love sitting at Disneyland because you can people watch, see a show, or just hang out for a bit with your friends. My favorite areas to sit are in the Fantasyland Theatre, the train, at the Frozen show, in the Animation building, and at Flo’s!
Disneyland is a special place because of its groundbreaking history of being the first ever family theme park. Therefore, it is an important place in American culture, so enjoy the detail of the place and the epic scenery all throughout the park!
Header Image from Tumblr