7 Travel Tips for Your First Disneyland Family Vacation
Taking our kids to Disneyland for the first time was nothing short of magical. Both the Disneyland and California Adventure parks were amazing. From all of the planning to the very last night and watching the World of Color show, there was SO much excitement! All the years of saving up for this long-awaited trip were more than worth it. Disney can definitely be expensive and overwhelming, but here are some of the ways that helped make our trip a little easier and that much more memorable.
1. Let your kids count down the days until Disney in a fun and memorable way.
Some people prefer to surprise their kids on the way to the airport, however I would NOT be able to keep it a secret and contain my own excitement for that long! You can still make it fun by counting down the days to your Disney vacation with a countdown you can do together as a family. When we went on our vacation I actually made a countdown with my Cricut machine, wrapped it up, gave it as a present to my kids and let them know we’d be leaving for Disney in 30 days. There’s so much anticipation before a trip to Disneyland, and this was such a fun way to make the most of that excitement. Each day they would remove one of the Mickey balloons until the day we left. If this is something that you’re interested in (and you don’t want to make your own), I sell this countdown in my Etsy shop! Click below to access my shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AnnabelleDesignCo?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
2. If you have Disney gift cards, they count towards any of the three Disneyland Resort hotels!
For years we had received a ton of Disney gift cards as Christmas and birthday presents. I was so excited when I realized that these didn’t just have to be used for things inside of the park. They also work for booking a Disney hotel. The three hotels at Disneyland include Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Pixar Place Hotel and The Disneyland Hotel. The thing I love most about this is that all three on-site hotels are within an easier walking distance to the parks than some of the other good neighbor hotels. Not to say that other good neighbor hotels aren’t good! My husband and I had both stayed at a good neighbor hotel before we had kids and it was a very nice stay. But if your budget allows, or if you have a crazy amount of gift cards and can stay on the property, it’s very much worth it with kids! Another perk of staying at one of the three on-site hotels is guests recieve one complimentary Lightning Lane entry per stay to use on a select attraction. We stayed at The Disneyland Hotel, and it made our trip that much more magical. The headboard on the bed lights up and plays the tune “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”. Look how cute this is!
3. Don’t forget to stock your hotel room’s mini fridge!
Speaking of budgets- bringing your own snacks is a must to save some money! When we arrived in Anaheim, I looked up the nearest grocery stores to our hotel and had a grocery order ready to be picked up. We had a rental car so this made it super easy. However if you plan on taking the airport shuttle or an Uber, you could also have your groceries delivered to your hotel. We stocked our fridge with mostly breakfast and lunch items plus snacks and some easy dinners, then only ate in the park once at day at most so we weren’t eating every single meal in the park. You could also check with your hotel to see if they offer a free continental breakfast, as many of them do.
4. Buy your Disney gear ahead of time to save yourself some money in the parks.
My daughter was obsessed with Disney princesses when we went on our trip and she couldn’t wait to dress up as Cinderella for the day. To save some money I bought a Cinderella dress ahead of time that we packed in our suitcase. The morning before we headed to Disneyland, she got all dressed up and her older brother helped her get ready. It was the cutest thing ever! She and I also wore these adorable Minnie ears and purchased them on Etsy before our trip. It was a great way to get into the Disney spirt, and all for a fraction of the price!
5. Make sure to take breaks.
Visiting both Disneyland and California Adventure is so exciting with so many fun things to see and do, but can also be SO exhausting. There is A LOT of walking at these parks, and taking breaks is a must, especially if you have small children. This can obviously look different for all people and families. Some may want to start early, go back to their hotel mid-day for a nap, and then come back to the parks for the evening. While for others it may simply be starting later in the day to be able to last all day in the parks. Either way, you won’t regret pacing yourself so you don’t burn out.
6. Upgrade your tickets to Lightning Lane if your budget allows!
This ticket add-on can be a little expensive, but so worth it, and honestly a must in my opinion. Upgrading to this allows you faster entry into select rides and attractions. Make sure you have the Disneyland app to use this! The way it works is when you enter the park you select which ride or attraction you want using the Disneyland app, then it gives you a window of time when you can come back to it and by-pass the regular line. It only works for one ride at a time, so once you’ve used Lightning Lane on a ride you can then select another one. The obvious perk of this is being able to have shorter wait times for rides throughout the day, but I think my favorite thing about this perk is the Disney Photo Pass lenses and downloads. This feature offers augmented-reality effects throughout the park and you have access to unlimited downloads of the pictures you take. And let’s be honest, you won’t ever regret having too many pictures to capture all of the magical memories you and your family make together!
7. Don’t miss out on the World of Color show
Out of both Disneyland and California Adventure, my family and I are big fans of California Adventure. The streets are a tiny bit less crowded and there’s just something about this park that is so much fun. One of the best things is the World of Color show at the end of the night. The World of Color features dazzling water fountains and light effects all bringing Disney stories to life, and is definitely unique and very special. You can join the virtual queue on the Disneyland app by noon on the day you plan to see the World of Color show if you wish to have front row seating. You could also do stand-by viewing, but you should plan to arrive at least 45 minutes before the show starts to ensure you have a place to stand or sit. My family just did stand-by seating, and even though we had to get there a bit early and camp out, it was still just as magical and the perfect way to end our trip!
If you’re serious about planning your first trip to The Disneyland Resort, I can help you book it! I’m an official Disney Travel Agent which means I have completed Disney’s college of knowledge, and I have access to lots of amazing deals on tickets and surrounding hotels. If you’re interested, check out my Facebook page, Happily Ever After Hours, for more info!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590922852145
I would love to help you plan your dream Disney vacation! This was hands-down one of our favorite family trips we’ve ever been on, and the memories we made are enough to last a lifetime. I hope you found at least one of these 7 tips helpful, and that you’ve been inspired to plan a trip to The Disneyland Resort!
~Annie
