Your Number One Favorite Hint

[Babystitch]

Hello! I was a fan of this board back in 2008.. which was the last time I was able to go to Disneyland! I went a ton when I was growing up in southern California, but (I can't believe this).. now it's been over ten years! We are finally able to return.. and this time, I have a nine year old with me! In fact, we are going this upcoming weekend for her birthday.

I know the ropes when it comes to the 'basics' of Disneyland.. after all, I went often from age 0 to about 25. But so many things have changed! So, I thought I would ask on this board I used to know and love: What is your number one favorite tip/hint/advice for visiting Disneyland right now?

I would appreciate ANY fun advice at all! But, especially- tips for visiting in early October? Tips for visiting with a child with a birthday? Tips for visiting with a child (around age 9) at all?! Or just.. any tips! What is the new Fantasmic! like? Tell me about touring the new Star Wars stuff! Are Tigger Tails still amazing (shyea I know that already!). I would be so thankful for any advice you can share. I love to read stories about Disney adventures!

PS: We are going to be at Disneyland from October 5 and 6th. We are NOT going to do California Adventure this time. We ARE staying at Paradise Pier (so any tips about that would be cool, too!) and checking out downtown Disney on the 4th.

Thanks all !!

 

[Skyegirl1999]

If I only get one tip, it’s to take advantage of EMH/rope drop each day.

Can I ask why you aren’t doing DCA? The EMH there is of particular value.

This weekend is Gay Days, so it’s probably going to be pretty busy. You’ll get more done in the first couple of hours than you can do in most of a day if you start at 10!

 

[mentos]

Do a grocery delivery to your hotel or a Target drive up pickup the day of your stay. You’ll be glad to have cheap provisions waiting for you at your room ($4 bottled water gets old).

Also, I know GCH has a water bottle filling station in its fitness center, but see if they have them at PP (and bring a nice big container!)

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

If you are willing to spring for the extra cost, I've found MaxPass to be absolutely amazing for getting our FP. Having the photos is a great bonus, too, but we really maximized our time by using MP. Add in mobile ordering, and we really eliminated a lot of our standing in line. Honestly, I would get the park hoppers even though you're only there for 2 days - it's just so easy to go between the parks and when you're using MP it's even better. Cars Land is seriously amazing, even if you aren't a fan of the movies. Some of our favorite rides are over in CA now!

My DS is now 11, but we did go to DLR when he was 9. He was super excited to be tall enough for all the big rides then, so we hit all the roller coasters. He was (and still is) a great travel buddy - able to pull his own rolling bag through the airport, wore his own backpack in the park and carried his own water bottle, snacks, autograph book, etc. He didn't have a phone, but he did have his own camera and liked taking pictures of things.

One thing we have always done on our trips is we take pictures of anything we think we might want to buy for souvenirs. I take a picture of DS holding the toy/shirt/hat/pin/etc., then I take a picture of the price tag, and then we take a picture of the store name so we remember where we found it. When we're standing in line waiting for a ride, we scroll through all those pictures and decide which thing we like the best. Then I delete the price tag pictures (and sometimes the store name pictures) for everything else. At the end of the day/trip, we buy the one item we decided we liked the best out of all the pictures we took. This method not only has saved us money by getting rid of our impulse purchases and the "but I really want it!!" pleas, but it was also super helpful on the one time we went back to a store and couldn't find the sweatshirt we wanted to buy. Because I had a picture of the price tag, a CM was able to quickly look it up in the system and could tell me where else it would be. She even called ahead to that store and when we arrived, they had the sweatshirt we wanted in the size we needed waiting for us at the checkout counter.

 

[Babystitch]

Thank you so much for all of the advice!! We are definitely going to take advantage of the EMH and we purchased the MaxPass, too. Thank you very much for reminding me to try to schedule more toward the morning. And I never thought about having a grocery delivery!! Things have changed so much in ten years, haha! I LOVE the idea of taking pictures of all of the 'maybe' purchases! We will definitely do that- thank you!! My daughter is a pretty good travel buddy as well, and that's a good point- she will probably have a lot of fun taking her own pictures now.

We really liked California Adventure when we visited in the past (just myself and my husband then!) and I have heard it has changed a ton! We just decided, for this particular trip, that we should probably take it a touch slower and focus only on the one park this time. My kid tends to be the type that prefers to take things at a very... thoughtful (slow, haha) pace.. and she hasn't been to a legit theme park in awhile (we lived in the wilderness for the last few years). But we plan on going much more now that we live closer to Disney, again, and will definitely hit DCA next round! I really do want to see Cars Land, and 'Soarin' and the entire Grizzly area were some of my favorites.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

For information, tips, and advice on SWGE: New SWGE Superthread! Now Open to All! (6/24/2019) -- ask all questions there!
For information, tips, and advice on Halloween Time at DLR: Halloween Time Superthread 2019: "Oogie Boogie Bash" Party to Be Held in DCA ONLY! and Other Halloween Time Information -- read the first post for an overview, then ask all questions there!
Will you have MP? This can help you get a lot done during busy times, like Gay Days: Maxpass/Fastpass Superthread: an overview and some strategy -- read the first post, then ask all questions there!
Don't forget to get your DD a birthday button -- should be available at the PPH front desk when you check in (and at City Hall, shop registers, some restaurants, some CMs, etc.)
F! was revamped in 2017. In addition to some changes to the actual show, the biggest change that you'll notice will be the viewing area. You are no longer allowed to camp out for your viewing spots. There are free FPs, but the viewing areas are not great -- and with a child, you might have to invest a good chunk of time waiting for a good spot. Better to get a F! Dining Package (BB, RBT, HB -- $$$ to $ in that order) for the best viewing with the least amount of wait time. The HB package is the most economical because you can order off the Package menu or the regular menu (you'll still pay the same Package price). Dining Package viewing is centered, at the waterfront, on the ground seating -- no shoulder kids in front of you, no one standing or walking in front of you. Great show, great viewing. If you see the first F! show, you'll be invited to stay in your viewing area for the fireworks afterward.
This thread might have some helpful info for you: First trip since October 2015 - what's new?.
Have you downloaded the free DLR app? If not, do so now -- make sure you have the latest version (it recently updated) -- and start playing around with it to get used to it. Check wait times, FP return times and availability, restaurant menus and Mobile Ordering, etc. You'll have an easier time in the park if you are already used to the app.

 

[DizMe]

Be flexible and enjoy the little things; be aware of the atmosphere, the music, the smells (well, most of them), the flowers, etc and don't worry if you don't get on every ride or you miss out on something that wasn't running during your trip.

 

[Plip]

Be flexible...

This has to be my "number one favorite hint."

It's good to have a plan going in, but I think too many people get so locked in to their plan that they can't get away from it if it turns out not to be the best approach for them and their group. And flexibility is especially important when you're going to the parks with someone new.

The first time we took our daughter, I thought character meet-and-greets and autographs were going to be a big hit with her. I know they are with a lot of kids. But she was kind of "meh" about it. I don't know if she was kind of overwhelmed by it, or if she never really believed the guy in the big mouse suit was really Mickey. She humored us, but it wasn't her thing.

On the other hand, she couldn't get enough of pin-trading. She scanned every cast member we saw for a pin lanyard and insisted we stop and trade with anyone who had one. To my way of thinking, she was just trading for someone else's cast-off pins. But, of course, I never told her that. She was having a blast, and that was the whole point of us being there!

So our touring strategy changed accordingly. We didn't work in as many character experiences as I had anticipated we would (although she still liked the Princesses, so we did those). And we stopped way more often to trade pins that I ever thought we would.

She also had more stamina than I thought (so the breaks that I'd planned never materialized), and she liked thrill rides more than I thought (so we did more of those). And because we were flexible, and changed our approach on the fly, our trip turned out much better than if I had had been more rigid in following through on our plans.

 

[crystal1313]

My kids are 11 and almost 10. They love going to the parks and ride everything. I would say the biggest tip is to keep everyone well hydrated and have snacks on hand. My kids get hangry, so snacks on hand usually stop that from happening. We bring a whole bag dedicated to snacks! LOL.

Also, we have big talks with the boys about their expectations. They need to verbalize what they want to do while we are in the parks. They will usually go with the flow, but we like to have them talk with us about what they really want to do or see while we are there. We also assure them if we try to do something and the line is too long or the ride is down at that moment, that we will come back to it at another point in the day. That seems to help a lot!

Make sure to get your daughter a birthday button! Everyone will say happy birthday to her. I bet you can ask at the PPH when you check in and see if they have one for her.

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Lumpy1106]

Outside of SWGE, DL has not changed that much since 2008 - but DCA sure has! I'd do a day in each park or park-hopper if you can afford it.

My favorite tip is to take advantage of the picnic area under the monorail beam in the esplanade between parks. There are lockers and plenty of available seating there, plus it's just a really nice place to chill for a while - not to mention the $$$ you'll save bringing your own food. This area is even better now that they moved security over to the parking lot. You used to have to go through security to get back into the park from here - not any more.

 

[VandVsmama]

I would appreciate ANY fun advice at all! But, especially- tips for visiting in early October? Tips for visiting with a child with a birthday? Tips for visiting with a child (around age 9) at all?! Or just.. any tips! What is the new Fantasmic! like? Tell me about touring the new Star Wars stuff! Are Tigger Tails still amazing (shyea I know that already!). I would be so thankful for any advice you can share. I love to read stories about Disney adventures!

PS: We are going to be at Disneyland from October 5 and 6th. We are NOT going to do California Adventure this time. We ARE staying at Paradise Pier (so any tips about that would be cool, too!) and checking out downtown Disney on the 4th.

Thanks all !!

My favorite tips (which I got off of this awesome board over the years and has worked really well for our family) in no particular order:

1. Get a birthday button at check in at PPH.
2. 2-days just at DL park is great. If that's what you want to do, do it! DCA will always be there for next time.
3. Take advantage of EMH at DL, which will only be on Sat 10/5. EMH on Sun 10/6 will be at DCA. Be there at the main gate at the start of EMH. Head straight to Fantasyland first. Do NOT take the monorail into DL first thing for EMH. Takes too much time.
4. If your kid is on the slow side, skip Peter Pan entirely. During EMH in Fantasyland, go on these rides in this order: Dumbo, Alice, Matterhorn (if your kid wants to, otherwise skip), Mr Toad, Carousel, then Pinocchio or Snow White.
5. Storybook Land Canal Boats open at regular park opening.
6. Purchase Max Pass and use it. Totally worth the extra $$.
7. When you get a FP using Max Pass, set an alarm on your phone for the time that MP tells you that you can grab another FP. When the alarm goes off, go on the app and get your next FP. Continue doing this throughout the day in order to maximize FPs and minimize your wait times.
8. Toon Town opens 1 hour after regular park opening. To take photos w/Mickey w/minimal wait, go to Mickey's House when Toon Town opens. Then go on the Roger Rabbit ride.
9. Kids can play musical chairs with Alice and the Mad Hatter at Coke Corner in the afternoon. Ask at Coke Corner for the time frame.
10. Try to get on Autopia before 10 am to minimize wait times.
11. There's an elderly Asian man named Peter who goes to DL every single day during the 1st two hours of the day. You'll hear him before you see him. All of the CMs know him. He does a special handshake with them. He's always clapping. He's great. Every time we've been at DL during the 1st two hours of park opening, we always at least hear him clapping. There's Youtube videos of him.
12. Have your child pick THE #1 ride/attraction they want to go on/see for each day. Make sure you then go on that ride at some point that day.
13. Best spot to take a breather & soak in some atmosphere is at the Hungry Bear on the 2nd "floor/story," sitting at a table along the edge so you can look out over Rivers of America and watch the boats go by.
14. Some characters roam around Fantasyland in the morning. Usually without PP photographers. It can make for some awesome & spontaneous character interactions. I bowed to the Evil Queen once as she was walking by and the queen really loved it.

 

[VandVsmama]

Thought of a couple more:
- you can get free cups of ice water at any quick service restaurant. Just ask.
- Rancho del Zocalo and Pizza Port I believe both have filtered water dispensers. SWGE has a water bottle filler thing which dispenses filtered water, too.
- if any of the adults w/you have small appetites, adults can order kids' meals at any quick service restaurant and nobody bats an eye at it.

 

[chickapin parterre]

........it has been a 11 years and you have a nine year old child......memorize the locations of the bathrooms.

 

[NewbieMouse]

Just echoing what many have already said:

• Get there at rope drop - you can get so much done in those first couple hours - early bird really does get the worm at Disney.
• Be flexible - use the tips and super threads here as a guideline to create some general principles of what to ride when, but don't create a regimented itinerary that will make you feel like you've failed if something doesn't go according to plan.
• Purchase Max Pass and set alarms so you've always got at least one in the queue.
• Stay close by - at the end of a day at Disney, that walk will seem much longer than you thought.
• Make sure everyone has a one "must do" and you get it.
• I am a huge cheerleader for park hoppers, but if you want to focus on just DL, that's OK too - it's your trip!
• Make room for lots of food - that's the best part... waistline be damned! There's only so much damage you can do in two days.

 

[azdisneylover]

Bring more $$$$$ than you think, because the prices have gone up! You have been given many great tips!
Download the Disneyland app to your phone and check it out so you know how to find things quickly (like wait times).
Check out the menus on the Disneyland website to see what is served where and the cost of the items. Many foods are large enough to share. (This way, you can try something and not feel as guilty if you do not care for it).
When going back to your room at PP, you can cut through the GCH. It will save you a little bit of time, especially at the end of the night. Your feet will thank you too.
Currently, the Monorail closes from 11am to 6pm, so, if you want to ride it to get you closer to your hotel, make sure you are in line before that. Ask to ride in the very front or back. Such an awesome view!
Make sure you get yourself some treats from Marcelines to take home with you. Trust me, it makes the ride home less sad.
Hope you have a great trip!

 

[Megan27ist]

My number 1 tip would be use the single rider line as much as possible, a week ago my BF and I were there and I wanted to ride RSR, but there was a 65 minute wait and no more fastpasses. We went single rider, and were on and off of the ride in 10 minutes. If you think your 9 year old can handle the possibility of riding without you (and with strangers), I would highly recommend it. You'll stay in line together until boarding the ride, so you're only appart for the length of the ride.

And to echo everyone else, go at rope drop. I'm a night owl and forced myself to go that early and it's the best time to go for little to no waits. Also, to save money (and if you have Amazon Prime), order from Amazon Prime Now. There's no delivery charge if you order over $35, if it's under that I think it was a $6 delivery fee. We ordered a case of water and sandwich making stuff. Even if you only order a case of water, you're looking at a steal compared to buying water bottles in the parks.

 

[azdisneylover]

My number 1 tip would be use the single rider line as much as possible, a week ago my BF and I were there and I wanted to ride RSR, but there was a 65 minute wait and no more fastpasses. We went single rider, and were on and off of the ride in 10 minutes. If you think your 9 year old can handle the possibility of riding without you (and with strangers), I would highly recommend it. You'll stay in line together until boarding the ride, so you're only appart for the length of the ride.

And to echo everyone else, go at rope drop. I'm a night owl and forced myself to go that early and it's the best time to go for little to no waits. Also, to save money (and if you have Amazon Prime), order from Amazon Prime Now. There's no delivery charge if you order over $35, if it's under that I think it was a $6 delivery fee. We ordered a case of water and sandwich making stuff. Even if you only order a case of water, you're looking at a steal compared to buying water bottles in the parks.

When you ordered from Amazon Prime Now, how long did it take to arrive? Did you have to be there when the order arrived?

 

[Megan27ist]

When you ordered from Amazon Prime Now, how long did it take to arrive? Did you have to be there when the order arrived?

What I did was get a hold of the hotel I was staying at (Desert Inn and Suites) about a week before our trip and asked if they could hold the items for us if we hadn't checked in yet, they said yes, they would do that as long as we would be there later that day. So I ordered it the night before our trip, and scheduled a 2pm-4pm delivery window (for the day we checked in). We landed in SNA at about 3:30pm, but didn't get to the hotel until 5pm. Our order was already sitting behind the counter. When we checked in, we asked about it and the lady at the counter gave it to us. When you check out on Amazon, they give a lot of delivery options, I just told them to leave it at the front desk of the hotel.

 

[azdisneylover]

What I did was get a hold of the hotel I was staying at (Desert Inn and Suites) about a week before our trip and asked if they could hold the items for us if we hadn't checked in yet, they said yes, they would do that as long as we would be there later that day. So I ordered it the night before our trip, and scheduled a 2pm-4pm delivery window (for the day we checked in). We landed in SNA at about 3:30pm, but didn't get to the hotel until 5pm. Our order was already sitting behind the counter. When we checked in, we asked about it and the lady at the counter gave it to us. When you check out on Amazon, they give a lot of delivery options, I just told them to leave it at the front desk of the hotel.

Thank you for your quick response!

 

[jfk4]

I agree with the previous posters that getting to both parks early is a huge benefit. I would add that you need to be careful about getting over-tired, especially with a child in tow. Don't be afraid to head back to your hotel in the afternoon for a break. You can get so much accomplished at the beginning of the day that you won't miss much, and pacing yourself will pay off in the long run.

If you do take an afternoon break keep your phone with you and start piling up fastpasses for your later return using MaxPass. You can book additional fastpass every 90 minutes, so if you know when you're heading back you can get 2-3 queued up and ready to use. Don't let yourself get stressed out about this, though. The whole point is to relax and enjoy.