I’ve been Disneyland-spoiled and done it too many times to count – with family, with friends, with my husband, and now our kids – it truly is fun for all ages and you can change the trip to look however you want it to. It can involve rides, or visiting characters, or chowing down on midway food…or a combination of all those things!
Activities
Accommodations & Park Tips
My favourite hotel (if you want to splurge) is the Grand Californian Hotel (or one of it’s sister hotels, like the Disneyland Hotel). It has a great pool, it’s right in Downtown Disney, and you can walk directly into the park. If you want to save a little, check that the hotel you are at has a shuttle to the parks!
Download the Disney app – it has a good map of everything, along with wait times.
The Genie Pass ($30 a day per person) is only worth it if you’re doing the big rides, in my opinion – it allows you to “fast pass” some of the lines. You can only pay for the Genie Pass after you’ve entered the park for the day.
Park hopper passes allow you to visit both parks in one day, but if you have more time, you may want to break up the parks.
Now…Let’s Talk Rides
Disneyland Park – rides worth doing:
- Space Mountain (my fav in this park)
- Star Tours (3D Ride that makes me sick, but J loves it…use your Genie pass for this one)
- “New” Star Wars Area (includes another 3D ride and the Cantina)
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Haunted Mansion
- It’s a Small World (because it’s classic)
- Peter Pan’s Flight (it’s cute!)
- Rise of Sky Walker
- Other: Launch Bay (Star Wars walk through area) & Paint the Night (Parade and Fireworks)
Disneyland Park with Young Kids
Did you know you can “rider switch” so whoever stays off with a baby can ride the ride after with little to no wait times? You just have to talk to the ‘cast member’ at the front of the line entrance. Then your other kiddo will get to ride the ride twice, and each adult gets a chance. That being said, we found that so many of the rides in Disneyland Park were great for the whole family, even our baby!
- Dumbo (Collins’ ultimate favourite, of course)
- It’s a Small World
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Winnie the Pooh
- Jungle Cruise
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
- Mickie and Minnie Railroad
- Play Yard (a great playground area for kids to run their boundless energy!)
California Adventure – rides worth doing:
- Radiator Springs Ride (use your Genie Pass for this one)
- Soarin’ Around the World (use your Genie Pass for this one)
- Incredicoaster (my fav in this park)
- Grizzly River Run (you’ll get wet)
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- The Little Mermaid (it’s cute)
- Toy Story Midway Mania!
- Other: Check out the musical playing & World of Color (show after dark)
California Adventure with Young Kids
Did you know you can “rider switch” so whoever stays off with a baby can ride the ride after with little to no wait times? You just have to talk to the ‘cast member’ at the front of the line entrance. Then your other kiddo will get to ride the ride twice, and each adult gets a chance. California Adventure was less great for babies, the way that Disneyland Park was, so this feature may be used more often here!
- Radiator Springs Ride (use your Genie Pass for this one right away!!)
- Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
- The Little Mermaid
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- Turtle Talk with Crush (available every half hour…Collins’ fav thing in this park!)
- Monsters Inc.
Other Things to Do
- Head to any of the beaches – we loved Newport Beach to enjoy the beach and grab a bite at Beachcomber Cafe at Crystal Cove (BabyQuip is always a fav for renting gear from wagons, to beach toys, and double strollers for the parks!)
- Hike at Oak Canyon Nature Center (great for the kids!)
- Visit Discovery Cube – a great Children’s Museum if you need an indoor activity – we loved it on our checkout day to hide from the rain, so we didn’t smell like wet dogs on our plane ride home!
- Head out of Disney, and check out Universal Studios for more rides and movie adventure
- Head into LA to do the city thing!
- Walk around Downtown Disney for food and shops
- My friend and I did the Disney World Half Marathon, and it was wildly busy, but so much fun! Disneyland might have the same thing going on!
Now to the Food…
Restaurants
- Napa Rose – one of my favs! (at the Grand Californian Hotel)
- Jazz Kitchen – my hubby’s favourite (Downtown Disney)
- Plaza Inn or Storytellers Cafe (in Disneyland Park) – you get to meet a ton of characters while eating breakfast and it was our daughter’s favourite way to interact with the characters – make sure you book ahead of time, and be prepared for a very expensive bill…you’re paying to see the characters…!
- Lamplight Lounge (in California Adventure) – get a Moscow Mule!
- River Belle Terrace (in Disneyland Park) – if you book a reservation, you get plus reserved viewing for the Paint the Night Parade and Fireworks
- Tortilla Jo (Downtown Disney) – decent Mexican food
- Naples (Downtown Disney) – decent pizza
- Earl of Sandwich (Downtown Disney) – easy to grab a quick soup and sandwich
- Cafe Orleans (in Disneyland Park) – a good spot if you want a sit down meal in the park
- Beachcomber Cafe at Crystal Cove – right on the beach in Newport Beach
- True Food Kitchen (Newport Beach) – I’ll never pass up an opportunity to eat at True Food
Other Restaurants that I didn’t get a chance to try, but were recommended and/or researched:
- Carnation Cafe (in Disneyland Park)
- Blue Bayou – if you book a reservation, you get plus reserved viewing for the night show (in Disneyland Park)
- Top park food suggestions from others – Churros, Pretzels, Pineapple Dole Whip, Spicy Pickles, Frozen Minute Maid, Beignets, Corn Dogs
Hope you ride a rollercoaster, see your favourite character, and eat some park grub!!