Best Advice You Were Ever Given

[Aladora]

Speaking of water, am I correct in assuming you can get free ice water at DLR, like you can at WDW? And I know water is a little different no matter where you are, but Florida water has it's own special funk. How's the water at DLR?

Compared to the water we have up here is BC, Anaheim water is undrinkable. The only non-bottled water we can drink in Disneyland is the free fountain water you can get at all cs locations.

 

[lalasmama]

Speaking of water, am I correct in assuming you can get free ice water at DLR, like you can at WDW? And I know water is a little different no matter where you are, but Florida water has it's own special funk. How's the water at DLR?

Correct, you can get free ice water. We say the water is "thick" even though it's filtered. Just can't explain it, but it's never the right consistency.

 

[nikkislaght]

Start at the back of the park and work your way back to the front of the park..

 

[longboard55]

like everyone says, go early, we have APs to disneyland and often take trips to Disneyworld. Disneyworld people are mostly on vacation and get up real early, but most of disneyland traffic is annual passes and people do not show up unitl about noon. Get there before it opens and hit the good rides and load up on fast passes. After lunch the place is pretty much out of control

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Have a plan. But don't set it in concrete. Go with the flow.

 

[Congo Queen]

Lots of good advice shared already. Here is another one. ALWAYS BE HOLDING A FASTPASS! As soon as you are eligible to get another one, get it. This will maximize your rides per day.

 

[sheetz]

like everyone says, go early, we have APs to disneyland and often take trips to Disneyworld. Disneyworld people are mostly on vacation and get up real early, but most of disneyland traffic is annual passes and people do not show up unitl about noon.

The caveat to that is that DL stays crowded later than WDW as well.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Skip snacks like Churros & cotton candy as much as possible. Get a meal to share instead.

2 average adults can share a meal most of the time to save money. I've never felt hungry in the parks.

 

[sunshine1]

Get there for opening.

 

[grammakelly]

Some of this has already been said:

- Start early. If you have early admission, use every minute of it.
- Stay hydrated
- Bring drinks and get cups of ice (free) - saves a ton of $ especially if you drink soda. But if you drink soda, make sure you also drink water.
- When you feel tired, take a break, especially if you have kids - for there will be much misery if people get tired and cranky
- Use FP to their full potential - which means always have at least one "connected" (so WOC doesn't count) FP in your possession at all times. Better yet - hold FP for E-tickets from both parks at the same time (but requires a runner)
- Hit fireworks as early in your stay as possible. They get cancelled at the slightest wind (e.g. tinker bell farts)
- Don't wear new shoes - this isn't a time to break in new shoes. We walked 30k+ steps / 15 miles per day.
- Sunscreen and hats
- Wish people wearing happy birthday buttons a happy birthday. Spread some love.
- Use the Disneyland app to get wait times and FP return times.
- Bring a battery tank AND run your phone in low-power mode
- Get a Disney VISA card. Use it before the trip to get the promotional gift cards ($250). Use it during the trip for M&G and store/food discounts.
- Fire hydrant (blue FP zone) view for WOC
- If you have young kids, bring them to a cast member, show them the CM badge, tell them if lost, find someone with one of these badges
- Take photos of your park admission cards (card ID numbers) in case they get lost

On one of our trips, we "rapped" a Happy Birthday song to every person we saw wearing a badge. Most thought it was so cool. There were some who just scowled at us, but we had fun doing it, so whatever!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Skip snacks like Churros & cotton candy as much as possible. Get a meal to share instead.

2 average adults can share a meal most of the time to save money. I've never felt hungry in the parks.

Plus you'll be better fueled for the day. I recommend a healthy breakfast and a good meal between lunch/dinner.

 

[longboard55]

The caveat to that is that DL stays crowded later than WDW as well.

when we go to Disneyworld we sleep in and go to the pool and hit the parks late, because as you say late at night the ride lines go way down.

 

[Winnowill]

Plan to arrive a good 45 minutes before park opening. Getting there just as it's opening is almost as bad as getting there two hours later.

Good shoes are huge. I'm not a fan of athletic shoes and I NEVER wear socks, but I wore both for Disney (I got good, moisture-wicking athletic socks, and they were great). As someone else said, a change of shoes is helpful, too.

I'll reiterate the FP rule, too - always have at least one.

 

[Purrkins]

Don't forget to look up.

 

[courtneybeth]

Pull your next fast pass as your fast pass time window opens. For example, if you have a Big Thunder fast pass for 1015, at 1015, go to Indiana Jones and grab that before going off to Big Thunder. Typically the times align pretty well that you can minimize the lull between passes!

 

[crazydad123]

Let's see--this thread started on Saturday, and today is Thursday, so I'm guessing that you've been there and done that! Please respond and let us all know how the collected tips and advice worked out for you!

 

[rentayenta]

I am scheduled to arrive tomorrow for my first ever stay at the Disneyland Hotel and my first visits to Disneyland and California Adventure.

Your challenge should you choose to accept it: Give me the one BEST piece of advice you have been given or have gleaned from the Disboards about anything related to the Disneyland Resort.

Go.

Just one? No can do.

Share meals. My family finds the portions to be large enough to split. The five of us consist of 2 adults and 3 teens and for example, 3 Plaza Inn chicken dinners can easily feed the five of us. We do double mashed on two instead of green beans.

Rope drop is your friend. It makes touring so enjoyable.

Spend time at the resort if you're staying on property. It enhances the whole experience. Sit by the pool, order drinks, check out the grounds.

 

[fantasia73]

I just finished up my last day. We took advantage of Magic Mornings and then took off for the other park after the magic had worn off. It was just me with a good buddy, so we didn't have to worry about kids! The crowds were very large, especially on Monday and Tuesday, but using Fast Pass and single rider lines helped a lot. I think we rode Radiator Springs Racers 8 times in the single rider line and never waited more than 10 minutes. Besides the crowds, it was HOT (90 degrees or higher) on Monday and Tuesday, so we had that to contend with too. Drinking water and finding places to cool off were top priorities.

I definitely went more with the flow than I have on my WDW vacations and found it very enjoyable. I'm a music teacher, so catching the live musical performances was a real treat.

My best advice - ask for Disney gift cards for gifts well in advance of your trip. I barely had to spend any $$ out of pocket. I still have money for Steakhouse 55 tonight.

 

[offwithyourhead]

When eating, resting, waiting, whatever, LOOK AROUND. There are insane levels of detail in EVERYTHING. Light fixtures, benches, door handles, flower beds....

You're REALLY missing out if you're looking at your phone every time you stop for a moment.

Those details are what really suck you into the magic.

 

[cmpeter]

Get there at least 30 minutes before park opening...rope drop, but rope drop early!