10 Tips for a Successful Disneyland Trip

“To all who come to this happy place, Welcome!” -Walt Disney

After working at Disneyland for over eight years you would think I would have known everything to do at the parks, but I think it’s safe to say I’ve learned more being a magic key holder, or for us old timers, an annual pass-holder. It’s a whole new world being on the other side of the magic carpet, so to say. Now that we have become “regulars” I want to share all our favorite tips for your next trip to Disneyland.

And before we even get to the tips for the park, I want to make sure you check out Get Away Today for discounted tickets and use code PRINCESSMOM. They are a great service for Disneyland (or other theme parks as well) and even have people you can talk to if you have any questions.

Ok, now on to my top 10 tips for a successful Disneyland Trip…

tip 1: Download the Disneyland App

You can make dining reservations, check show times, find out wait times for rides, check to see where your favorite characters will be, locate bathrooms, guest services, tours, hotels, park times, and even see your pictures from photo pass. It’s pretty much essential to your trip!

tip 2: Consider adding Genie+

You may be rolling your eyes at me now, but if you only have 1-2 days in the park, this will help you get on more rides in a shorter amount of time! The Disney Genie+ is a feature that is similar to the old system of FastPass with Photo Pass all on your phone. You have to PURCHASE this separately from your ticket; $20 per ticket per day (I know, not cheap, trust me, we weren’t too excited about this recent change).

Once purchased and added to your ticket (which you can do all on the app), as soon as you enter the park you can choose one ride from the list of options, then select a time frame to return to that ride and enter the “Lightening Lane.” After two hours (or after you ride that particular ride) you can book your next Genie+ ride. You also get unlimited downloads of any photo pass pictures you take throughout the day.  Here are the rides that are available for Lightening Lane at Disneyland…

• Autopia
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• Haunted Mansion
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• “it’s a small world”
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Millennium Falcon
• Roger Rabbit’s Toon Spin (currently closed during Toon Town refurbishment)
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Star Tours

Here are the rides available for Lightening Lane at Disney’s California Adventure…

• Goofy’s Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Incredicoaster
• Monsters, Inc.
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Toy Story Midway Mania

Additional A La Carte Lightening Lanes (prices vary per park per day)…

• Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland
• Radiator Springs Racers at DCA
• Web Slingers: A Spider Man Adventure at DCA

tip 3: Mobile Order your Food on the disneyland app

Assuming you downloaded the Disneyland App, you can now mobile order your food, which is going to save you lots of time! All you need to do is open the app, click on the plus sign at the bottom of the screen, then hit “order food.” You can choose from the list of restaurants accepting mobile orders and select a time frame you want to pick up your order.

There are options at the top to select “seasonal offerings,” “allergy friendly,” “kids meals,” etc…You will link a credit card and any annual pass discounts will be automatically applied. Once your time frame has opening you can click “I’m here” and they will get your food ready. Then the app will notify you when your order is available for pick up and even give you a number window to go to.

I like to mobile order food while in line for a ride then we can pick it up after we get off and there is no waiting. The trick is to say “I’m here” about 5-10 minutes BEFORE you are actually there otherwise you will be waiting. There are only a few pre-made/pre-packaged items that don’t need prep time so they will be ready as soon as you hit the “I’m here” button.

tip 4: Make a “TOp 5” list

Make a list of the top 5 rides and the top 5 shows/characters you want to see, then you can plan your day accordingly. If you only have a day or two, you want to make the most of your time, so having a schedule is a good idea. Look up show times or character appearances on the Disney App (because you downloaded that after step 1), then map out where your top 5 rides are located. Try to stick to one park for at least half the day before switching to the other.

tip 5: The early bird gets the worm

I am not a morning person, but there is something very valuable about getting to the park for opening or what we also call “rope drop.” Let me be clear, we have never done this because we live so close and don’t feel the need to get it all done in 1-2 days, but I know for a fact that you can get at least 2-3 rides in BEFORE the majority of the crowd gets into the park.

If the park opens at 9:00 am, you should be at the gates by 8:00 am, which means you are in the parking garage by at least 7:30 (if not earlier). Usually the park lets you in 30 minutes prior to opening, then you can head down Main Street to the land that you want to get to first. Then at exactly 9:00 they will drop the rope letting you in to all the lands.

Once that rope drops you head straight to the lines you know will be the longest later in the day; Space Mountain, Matterhorn Mountain, Thunder Mountain at Disneyland or Guardians of the Galaxy, Radiator Racers, Web Slingers at California Adventure.

Tip 6: Visit characters before sunset

Most characters are out in the morning, afternoon, and early evening, not too many stay past dark (if they do your photos probably won’t be the greatest). So if your daughter really wants to see Tinkerbell do not wait until 6pm to find out she has flown back to Neverland for the night. Again, check the app for the character appearances, but also know they are subject to change slightly if Snow White catches a cold from Sneezy.;)

Tip 7: Time your disneyland trip

There used to be something called “peak” and “non-peak” times during the year, but I hate to break it to you, slow times do not really exist anymore. It is now “busy” and “more busy.” Most people are able to take vacations during spring break, summer, and winter break. Just know that if you are on vacation during those times, chances are most of the United States is also on vacation, so it is going to be “MORE BUSY.” I am not saying don’t go during those times, but if you can try to plan it during a “busy” time, that would be more ideal.

Weekdays can be better in comparison to weekends, although there may be less options for show times or fireworks. The least crowded months tend to be mid January to beginning of March (minus any Presidents Day Holidays or Ski Weeks), then again after spring break is over until June. July and August are the hottest and busiest months, then slows down again after school starts back up in September. October used to be a slow month, but Halloween has become more and more popular time to visit. Then once the Christmas decor goes up it gets pretty busy again. So choose wisely and know whenever you decide to go don’t be shocked if you are not the only ones that had the same idea!😉 LOL

Tip 8: Pack snacks & water

We NEVER leave the house for a Disneyland day without snacks and water bottles! Because things do add up quickly, we like to save a little money by eating some of our own food. I usually have one lunch box for just cold food and one for crackers and granola bars. It’s also super nice to give the kids some applesauce or fruit while waiting in line for a ride. It distracts them and also allows you more time to play before having to sit down for a meal. Water bottles can easily be refilled at a water fountain or restaurant, which also saves you a little money. If you want to know what other things I pack in our bag, go HERE.

tip 9: Whistle while you wait

Ok, maybe not whistle, but play games while you wait in lines. We like to play “thumb war,” “rock, paper, scissors,”  and “I spy” with our kiddos if they start to get antsy. We’ve also played the “heads up” game in line and that is always a good one (you can get that app on your phone). There is also the Disney Play app (free to download) and certain games even coincide with the ride that you are in line for. If you turn everything into a game then the waiting goes by so much faster.

tip 10: Utilize “Parent Swap” & “Single Rider”

If you have one child that is able to go on a ride but the other is too little, or doesn’t want to go, don’t worry about one parent always missing out. As soon as the first parent gets in line ask an employee for a “parent swap.” Usually the employee will scan the ticket on your phone so that after the first parent finishes the ride the second parent can then go back into the “lightening lane” line, scan the ticket again and that child gets to ride the ride twice. A total bonus!

If you are there by yourself, OR your group is all over the age of 7 and doesn’t mind riding separately, then you can also try the single rider lane. You can ask a cast member for the entrance if it is not obviously posted. Not every ride has single rider lane (and some can be closed unexpectedly if the stand by line gets too long), but here is the current list for Disneyland…

• Matterhorn
• Millenium Falcon
• Splash Mountain
• Space Mountain

Here are the single rider lanes for California Adventure…

• Goofy’s Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Incredicoaster
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Webslingers: A SpiderMan Adventure

Bonus Tip: Be Flexible when visiting disneyland

Things happen; rides break down, characters get switched, rose gold ears get sold out. It’s all part of it…so roll with the punches! Disney is a magical place for those that choose to see the magic. If you are a party pooper and hate standing in any lines then maybe theme parks aren’t for you. There will be lines, even on the least crowded days, but if you plan ahead there will be less waiting.

What do you think of my top 10 tips to have a successful Disneyland trip? Did I leave any good tips out? Do you have any secret advice you think I should add? Let me know below!