No one was more surprised than me that I thoroughly enjoyed Disney. I thought I was the type who would not like it. The crowds, the long days, the lack of relaxation time. However, it turns out I was wrong. I liked it. I saw it through the eyes of my little one and loved watching the enjoyment and wonder on the face of someone who felt it was all magical. Here’s how our first ever, mini Disney experience went. We tried to share some of the tips we learned as well.
When We Visited
We went in July, which I don’t think we’d do again if we had a choice. We happened to need to be in CA that time of year for a relative’s wedding, but if we had gone on our own apart from an event, I’d steer clear of the dead of summer. It was HOT. Standing in hot heat for hours waiting for rides with hundreds of strangers was miserable. Some products we found ahead of time made our days a little more comfortable. You can read more about these toward the end of the post in the Overall Advice section. If it hadn’t been for my husband being a miserable bear anytime he’s overheated (I say that with affection), I don’t know that I would have thought to bring these things. I am sure glad we did. I’d bring them again if going anytime when the weather will be over 80 just because I’d want my other half to be cool, calm, and collected – and these products definitely helped with that.
Where We Stayed
We did not stay in the resort itself. We know some people who swear by it and think it’s the best way to go. We did not want to pay the price, and for the most part, were okay with our choice. Since we wouldn’t be spending any time other than sleeping time in the hotel, we didn’t think we’d get the most of a Disney hotel experience. In hindsight I would echo this approach. If only staying a couple days and planning to spend all day every day you’re there at the parks, it maybe doesn’t matter as much where you stay. If you plan to use your accommodation as a home base and be in and out of the parks over the course of several days and/or have a small child who won’t nap anywhere but in the quiet, then yes, you may want to be closer. We ended up in an Embassy. We tend to like these for the nice breakfasts that we fill up on at the beginning of the day and the suite rooms which allow us some separation from the little. This choice also had a shuttle to Disney, see more on that below.
Getting To and From the Parks
We used the hotel shuttle to get to and from Disney on both days. Our particular hotel did a nice job not overcrowding their shuttles and offering frequent enough shuttle times that we could always find something. That said, if you want to get one of the first shuttles get in line early as they tend to be the most crowded earlier in the day. We heard this from folks staying at other hotels as well. Our particular hotel did not share a shuttle with other hotels (at least not at the time we stayed). We heard from others that some offsite Disney experiences were not so great, reporting multiple stops before they were let off at their hotel at night. In some cases this could add an hour to the beginning of the day or the end of the evening. When towing little ones, this could be less than ideal. Interview your chosen hotel if staying off Disney check to be sure the shuttle options and mealtimes (if applicable) will work for you and your family before you book.
While we had a car we could have used, the shuttle ended up being nice as they drop you off where you can walk a short distance to the gate versus having to park and walk from the huge parking lots. In addition we saved on parking fees.
Timing Your Park Visit
You will need to time your arrival. If you have ride times already set, account for travel time to the park, waiting in line to enter the park, as well as time once in the park to make it to said ride reservations. These parks are big. It will be the rare occasion that you are walking right in and up to a ride. One day we waited in line over 25 minutes just to get in and we were there before the park opened. Then we still had to walk to the ride itself. Give yourself plenty of time! Depending on the time of year you are there, there is no guarantee you will be able to “make up” a ride you miss, so it’s worth early arrival after all your planning and effort to make sure you get the experience you want and planned for. More on planning next.
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Planning Advice
If you have done any looking into Disneyland, you know that you can use MaxPass, which I absolutely advise. I also think downloading the app is one of the best things you can do to navigate the park and your ride times. (Some advice included in a moment related to use of the app on your cell phone.)
We never booked character visits. I know, shocking. We got to see everyone we wanted, including Mickey and Minnie. I think part of the reason for this is because we got to the park early and headed straight to the back little kids area. We had a little one who couldn’t ride all the rides anyway so this worked for us, and we were some of the first people in line for the first Mickey and Minnie visits of the day. We liked this also because it felt like we then had accomplished something big and other characters from that point forward felt like a bonus. By the time our reserved rides outside of Toontown were coming up, we had seen Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Captain Hook.
Later in the day we waited to see Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, and Eeyore. We were not expecting to do any more than this and were happy with the big smile on our little one’s face. Depending on what your child is into, you may need to go about this differently, but ours talked non-stop about Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and his Winnie friends with complete satisfaction.
We did not plan special dinners or need to do princess experiences. We tend to be a little more flexible with how we spend our days so we did not plan around these types of events. That said, we took in a day-time street dance party and an evening light and music parade and are glad we noted the times for these.
Trip Summary
Disneyland – In terms of rides, our little one loved the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and Peter Pan’s Flight best.
One of the evenings we stayed for a light show but left early as our little one was not only exhausted but a little scared by the loud, dramatic music and flashing lights during some ‘scarier’ parts of the show. In hindsight this was great because we were all tired from the full day and beat traffic out of there.
California Adventure Park – We didn’t expect it but this was our favorite of the two. Our little enjoyed almost everything, especially Cars Land. Oh my. So much energy for Cars Land. It was pretty neat. Some of the rides there are booked almost all day or fill up quickly depending on the time of year you are going, so be sure to at least reserve Radiator Springs Racers. It was a ton of fun for all of us. The evening parade was amazing at the time we went. (The events change from time to time so check out the current offering on Disney’s website.) We also enjoyed the Soaring Around the World ride so much we rode it twice.
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Overall Advice
- Look at all of your options and talk in advance with everyone going with you about what you want to do/see to make at least a loose plan. I actually mean to encourage you to make a plan, but don’t be so married to it that if something goes wrong you or your family can’t recover. You spent too much money on tickets and those darling ear headbands to not enjoy yourselves so do the appropriate amount of planning that will help you and your party get the most from your visit.
- Use your resources. Disney’s own websites have good info for you, but Pinterest or blog searches for Disney travel or prep will return a plethora advice, tips, and tricks.
- Book ride times, entertainment, and character visits you want as early as you can – think of where they are in the park to account for travel times and/or to group reservations near other attractions on your list. This is especially important if you have little ones who may not have the stamina to schlep back and forth across the park several times in a day. We loved the MaxPass to keep our ride references handy and also to get real time photos from the rides.
- If you don’t want to have to carry around photo cards or buy individual photos where park attendants take them, and aren’t using MaxPass, you can also opt for the PhotoPass.
- Character dining is expensive, but another way to see characters while having a meal at the same time if you’d rather use park time for other things.
- Use the Disney app. It’s helpful for electronic ticket storage, navigating the park, checking ride times and locations, and signing up for new ride times as you are able.
- Pack hand held fans or coolie towels (or both like we did in the dead of summer!) if going in the summer. I’m sure the opposite is true in colder months at the start or end of the day, and you likely want to pack a layer.
- Bring items you think you will make you more comfortable. These are long days. If possible, bring one light bag that you and another adult can take turns carrying. Miniaturize everything to fit. We packed a mini sunscreen we all could use, slimmed down to one wallet, brought a water bottle to share, etc. Sharing the load, especially in the hot summer months, gives each of you times of reprieve.
- Bring a battery charging pack and charging cord as the app, combined with all the pictures you will be taking, drains your battery very quickly.
- Bring tissue and hand sanitizer. By mid-day the bathrooms are not all that clean, and sometimes sticky things are on ride bars or a railing – sanitize after touching!
- Unless your family eats a lot, consider starting the day with a large breakfast if your hotel offers a free one and split a meal at the park where possible (or share, though some restaurants have a per person charge). We didn’t drive to the park and also didn’t want to carry snacks after having traveled halfway across the country, so we opted to do this and were fine! The meals tend to be on the larger side inside the park. If you make a big enough plate of food for breakfast, you might be able to take it easier inside the park with one meal and a snack versus multiple meals and snacks. Every family has a different way though – just our experience.
- That said, eat at least one meal and snack in the park. Doing this gives you a more full Disney experience as they are known for some of their treats and dining experiences.
- Parades and shows are usually worth it. We debated if we should stay up late with the little both nights and ended up not regretting it either time, though it did mean everyone was a little more tired than usual and the third day we all slept in from exhaustion.
- I debated getting into the consumerism of Disney because I wasn’t sure ahead of time how much we would even like it. I ended up getting Etsy t-shirts and Mickey/Minnie ears for us and don’t regret it. Though you may wonder about it in advance the first time, you won’t feel as silly wearing them as you think you might because many people will be doing the same thing.
- Finally, we don’t recommend more than 2 full days in a row in a park. You, and your park buddies, will be tired. People’s initial enthusiasm may give way to complaining, short tempers, etc. when running on fumes. Replenish.
Hope this helps! Disney World has now been added to our bucket list. Who knew?!
Not Tomorrow 