What are your Disneyland "traditions"?

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Eating at French Market and people watching
Churros are a must eat
Silhouettes of the kiddos..since they're not coming this time I guess we'll be skipping it tho lol

 

[mabdallah]

We always
1. Have to go to Disneyland park first and walk through the castle
2. Eat at the Plaza Inn
3. Eat a dole whip / float while waiting for the Tiki room show to start.
4. Go on Splash mountain both in the day & night

These are our musts !!!!

 

[Carolynleanne]

*On day one, first place we go is Indiana Jones.

*Always eat at the Golden Horseshoe ad enjoy Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at least once.

*Mickey ice cream sandwhiches

*Big Thunder Mountain at night

 

[wvnative]

We always get our pic taken in front of the Mickey Floral.
I always take a pic of the kid on the stairs in the Court of Angels
When we arrive mid day, we start with a Corn dog for lunch.
The kid and I always take a ride in a purple teacup.
Saturday breakfast is always Carnation Cafe. Well, it was. That may change now that they've changed the menu.
I also always send postcards to a select group of people.

 

[carisa81]

We always eat at the Blue Bayou our first day. We usually do three days there. The middle day, we spend much of the day at the pool and in downtown disney. We always stay onsite, so that makes things much easier.

 

[wendylady36]

Breakfast at River Belle Terrace.
The Grand Circle Tour on the Disneyland RR.
Lunch at BB.

Those three things are almost always guaranteed when I go to Disneyland with my family.

 

[spellhex]

We always go to Disneyland first, walk through the right-hand side tunnel. Although that second part is more habit than tradition.

We have many a churro break throughout the day - my parents found that we tend to get crabby when we're hungry, so churros allow us to open and close the park.

This tradition has since been retired now that my brothers and I are grown, but it used to be that every time we'd go to Disneyland, we would stay in the Disneyland Hotel and get a visit from the Disney Fairy. On the last night of the stay, the Disney Fairy would visit us while we were sleeping and leave under our pillow a souvenir that we had picked out/had our eye on earlier that trip.

Once, after I was fully aware that my parents played the role of the Disney Fairy, my dad promised to get the Disney Fairy to get me the Disneyland Barbie if I rode on Indiana Jones with him (I was finally tall enough, and he didn't like riding alone). I agreed, only to absolutely HATE it - I remember being extremely mad at my dad for looking into the eyes because I was sure he was going to die. But I got the Disneyland Barbie, so I was okay in the end. Did take another few years for me to ride it again, and to this day I don't look into the eyes, haha.

 

[Avery's mom]

I guess we are a non-traditional tradition family! After multiple trips (as a kid, couple and now mom..) we choose to do something that we haven't done before. Every trip there has to be something new, this way we keep DL fresh and there's always the excitement of the unknown in every trip.

Granted, this is easier at WDW, where I could live a lifetime and never do it all...but we find this easier than you might think at DL as well. Even with multiple trips per year, there is always something new to experience. Whether it's a new restaurant to try, ride, show or parade to experience, or new hotel, guided tour, etc...

For our trip in December, our new-to-us things were - Ralph Brennan's (fantastic), saw the Holiday Parade (also great!) and stayed at the Anaheim Hilton (a very nice surprise!)

For my daughter's birthday weekend (March 2nd/3rd) we are trying Trader Sam's for cocktails, Ariel's Grotto for breakfast, the Fantasmic Dessert Seating and the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour.

Anytime we feel like we are missing out on an old favorite we tell ourselves - we can always come back!

 

[Amommy21]

Visiting 1st aid used to be a main tradition! Don't ask! Lol!

Our most fav is to get your hand stamped on the way out your last day so you always feel like your going back!

My auntie and uncle take us to Napa Rose for Christmas.

We also never miss blue bayou story tellers and dole whips and mickey bars.

I am always trying to get that perfect photo from the back of the castle.

The magic shop.

DS always chooses the pink tea cup with a heart just for me.

Plaza inn greasy fried chicken while watching fireworks.

I'll have to come back with more as I think of them...

 

[DizMe]

Our DL tradition is to go to Disneyland. Other than that, we take it as it comes every trip!

 

[fctiger]

For me, some of the things are (but not necessarily every trip):

-Ride Splash Mountain around midnight or the every end of the night.

-Ride DLRR full circle once.

-USE to ride the PM first ride of the day.

-Must do trip on ST to see the galaxy at least once in the day.

-Usually try to include Soarin also at least once in the day.

 

[Caseystigger]

Usually stay at GCH...it feels like going home and the first morning eating at Storytellers for Breakfast.

Must...
- have a Mickey pretzel.
- Ride BTMRR at night
- Ride POTC three times in a row while waiting to take our seats for our dessert and drinks before Fantasmic
- Get Mickey Head Beignets from Mint Julip Bar and ride DLRR around the park.
- See Mickey and Minnie in TT
- Get Fire and Ice Pedi's at Mandera Spa

Now I really can't wait till October!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I guess we are a non-traditional tradition family! After multiple trips (as a kid, couple and now mom..) we choose to do something that we haven't done before. Every trip there has to be something new, this way we keep DL fresh and there's always the excitement of the unknown in every trip.

Granted, this is easier at WDW, where I could live a lifetime and never do it all...but we find this easier than you might think at DL as well. Even with multiple trips per year, there is always something new to experience. Whether it's a new restaurant to try, ride, show or parade to experience, or new hotel, guided tour, etc...

For our trip in December, our new-to-us things were - Ralph Brennan's (fantastic), saw the Holiday Parade (also great!) and stayed at the Anaheim Hilton (a very nice surprise!)

For my daughter's birthday weekend (March 2nd/3rd) we are trying Trader Sam's for cocktails, Ariel's Grotto for breakfast, the Fantasmic Dessert Seating and the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour.

Anytime we feel like we are missing out on an old favorite we tell ourselves - we can always come back!

For my birthday weekend, also on March 2nd/3rd, I am also going to Trader Sam's, trying the F! dessert seating and the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour. Great minds think alike

 

[CheshireGato]

Mine is to ride Jungle Cruise first. Not sure what I would do with myself if it was closed during a trip!

 

[tdhickey]

Some real good and unique one's here, the purple tea cup one is awesome (how did that start?).

Another one I personally look forward too every trip is the White Chocolate cookie from Pooh's Corner (aka triple chocolate) - best cookie I can recall ever having.

I actually had one for awhile at the Blue Bayou...I would ask for a second Gumbo with my meal, got denied 5 trips in a row and on the 6th trip I finally got one. Even when I offered to pay, they said they had no way to charge it. Needless to say they server who did cave in got a great tip! 6 years of persistence paid off, now I need a new challenge.

 

[isisisme]

We always ride POTC and HM first.
Big Thunder at night
Many Mickey Pretzels
Grab popcorn on the way back to our room to rest (I snack on it in the hotel)
At least once: I get a coffee also on the way back to the room. I like coffee then naps. Lol
We always go for our wedding anniversary.
Dinner at the Blue Bayou on the night of our anniversary.
We always eat sometime at BTRBBQ (it is DH's favorite)
F! Dessert one night
We get a waffle cone at Gibson girl our last night and watch people leave the park. We used to sit at carnation cafe as we ate, but we were not allowed to last time.
I get teary as we leave the park the last time.

 

[Pesky]

* listen to the party line in the general store
* POTC, BTMRR, HM
* walk through the castle
* visit the wishing well
* ride the DLRR
* take advantage of the great photo ops in ToonTown
* get popcorn, sit on a bench near ROA and watch the ducks and birds

I'll be curious how all this changes considering I haven't been to DLR is about 10 years and will be coming with DH and the kids for the first time!

 

[Eclectic Goddess]

We have a few:

~ Stay at Grand Californian

~ First ride: Haunted Mansion.

~ Second ride: Pirates

~ First rope drop ride: Peter Pan (We usually arrive later in the morning on our first day so do rope drop the second.)

~ First (and sometimes second) night nightcap: Carthay Circle Lounge (Previously UVA Bar)

~ At least one caramel apple, with nuts

~ Mickey head beignets (pumpkin in the fall!) from Mint Julep Bar on one of our early entry mornings

~ Breakfast at Steakhouse 55


Gay Days Specific
~ Ride at least one ride with another mass of "red shirts"

~ Sit with red shirts for the Soundsational Parade and follow end of parade to Main Street with same, singing and clapping along with "Step in Time".


We also have a tradition that sort of happened by accident, but is essentially my DF and I splitting up so I can ride ToT and California Screamin' while she shops, then meeting back up to go to lunch. We've never planned it that way, but it happens almost every trip!

 

[KateDrake]

Skip and sing along with the music on Main Street as we make our way into the park.

Use Magic Morning to go on nearly empty Fantasyland rides.

Eat a Dole whip, Mickey Pretzel and Mickey Premium bar at least once each trip

Make a wish in Snow White's well

Make sure we wander down Main Street after dark to take in the magic

Over in DCA, make sure we see WOC at least once, hopefully more.

Ride Soarin' every time we are in the park

Mostly we just play it by ear, so we don't have a first ride every time. We usually try to end on a classic though, like HM, Space, etc. I guess our other tradition would be feel sad when we leave for the last time!

 

[tdhickey]

We have a few:

~ Stay at Grand Californian

~ First ride: Haunted Mansion.

~ Second ride: Pirates

~ First rope drop ride: Peter Pan (We usually arrive later in the morning on our first day so do rope drop the second.)

~ First (and sometimes second) night nightcap: Carthay Circle Lounge (Previously UVA Bar)

~ At least one caramel apple, with nuts

~ Mickey head beignets (pumpkin in the fall!) from Mint Julep Bar on one of our early entry mornings

~ Breakfast at Steakhouse 55


Gay Days Specific
~ Ride at least one ride with another mass of "red shirts"

~ Sit with red shirts for the Soundsational Parade and follow end of parade to Main Street with same, singing and clapping along with "Step in Time".


We also have a tradition that sort of happened by accident, but is essentially my DF and I splitting up so I can ride ToT and California Screamin' while she shops, then meeting back up to go to lunch. We've never planned it that way, but it happens almost every trip!

It's funny, I have accidentally planned 3 trips during Gay Days. Always makes the park quite a fun experience, albeit very busy.