We LOVE a Disney Day! But unless you are prepared, it can be a daunting task with a small child. So here are my best tips and tricks to have the BEST time at Disneyland or California Adventure.
1- Use the My Disney app - Get to know the app ahead of time. It can be confusing at first so trying to figure it out in the park can be stressful. Getting to know the Genie and Genie+ are going to save you time and energy.
2- Make dining reservations & Mobile Order. - We love to have at least one sit down meal while visiting the park. This allows everyone to rest, eat, and recoup. Most of the restaurants book up ahead of time so the sooner you can reserve the better place you’ll land. If all are booked, while in the park, check walk-up lists and add as early as possible. Ps. Kids under 3 eat free at sit-down restaurants. Mobile order is now available throughout the park and easy to use. It comes in very handy when you’re in a pinch or even pre-ordering can help skipping the lines.
3- Pack snacks!!- We pack as many snacks for our son as possible so that we avoid any “hangry” meltdowns and it allows us to ride as many rides as we can before our sit down. Disney allows food and drink so take advantage.
4- ROPE DROP- I don’t think we will ever do a Disney day without Rope Drop again. This means arriving at least 45 min earlier than park opening to get through parking and security. They will let guests in the gate 1/2 hour before and all head to their desired “land” to wait at the ropes. When the clock strikes, we run to our first destination with NO lines (usually ROTR or Space Mountain in DL or Radiator Springs, Webslingers, Guardians of the Galaxy in DCA). Then the first hour is a breeze with significantly less people. It truly is a game changer.
5- Genie + Lightning Lanes- This is the new “fast pass” and as controversial as it is, we will pay for the convenience with small children. NO ONE wants to stand in line for an hour, and with a toddler is my personal nightmare. Purchasing the Genie + Lightning Lanes is always worth it. Combined with Rope Drop, we have spent many mornings hitting all the favorite rides and having a leisurely afternoon because of the convenience we payed for.
6- Baby Center- This saved us so many times when our son was an infant, with rockers for nursing mamas, changing tables, and high chairs for feeding. We still love the baby center for their “little potty” for potty training and there supplies have literally saved me when I once forgot the diaper bag!! There is a baby center at the end of Main Street next to the Plaza cafe, and one in DCA located near Ghiradelli shop next to Cars Land.
7- Nap Time hacks- We still have a napper, thank goodness, so we have scoped out several of our favorite spots to sneak in a stroller nap. 1) The waterfall near the Rapids in DCA. There is a lovely barely used walkway that travels by a wonderful and loud waterfall. This has been our “white noise machine” on several instances and given us time to grab a bite while the little one sleeps. :-) . 2) Presidents hall in DL has a cool place that you can wheel your stroller through. It’s usually pretty quiet and there are some benches for seating. 3) Animation Academy is also a lovely place to rest, watch clips from your favorite movies, and get some shade or zz’s.
8- Hotel Guests - If you are staying at a hotel on property or near by, I strongly suggest utilizing the time in the morning and evening for park time and the afternoon for pool time and/or nap time. The parks tend to be busiest during the hours of 12-4. It’s also the hottest time of day so cooling off and re-energizing will do you all some good.
9- Playgrounds- Disneyland and California Adventure both have areas for kiddos to run, play, explore! Tom Sawyer Island is a great place in DL, just take the rafts over and let the kids roam. In DCA, the Redwood Creek Trail is another play area with slides, things to climb and sometimes a meet & greet.
10- Shows and Meet & Greets- One of our favorite things to do is follow the Disneyland Band. They perform several times a day and sometimes the characters join them. Best place to find them would be at the start of Main Street. You can find their performance times on the My Disney App. Other fun and easy shows are Disney Jr. Dance Party in DCA. It’s a great place to sing, dance, see characters and get out of the sun.
I truly hope this helps make your Disney dreams come true. We always find a bit a Disney Magic when we go and hope you do to!