by M. Vogelvang

Created on: January 29, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

For those of us planning a vacation to Disneyland here are a few tips to make the most of our time and money.
The first aspect to consider is to decide when to go. If at all possible avoid going during the summer or any holiday seasons. This is for obvious reasons the busiest time to visit and it will take a toll on your patience. Good times to visit are mid September to the week before Thanksgiving, the second week of January to spring break, and then only a few scattered times from spring break to summer. Keep in mind that it is during these slow times that Disneyland repairs its' rides and so some of them may be closed. It is well worth it to visit even with some of them closed though because you will experience so many more rides.

Closed rides can put a damper on your vacation if you weren't expecting it. The Disneyland.com web site posts what rides will be closed for repair and when. It is generally updated a couple months in advance. Viewing the site before going could tell you if it is worth going or not. The most important thing to remember in regards to rides closures is that if one is closed that you didn't expect, let it go and move on to something else. Getting upset isn't going to get the ride to open so don't waste your vacation being unhappy. With that in mind I would suggest to parents that they don't build up a lot of hype for a certain ride to their kids until they are in the park and see that the ride is open. Can you imagine the let down to your child?
Once you are at the park grab a park map and a show time schedule. Immediately head off to one of the bigger rides and get in line. While you are in line it isn't a bad idea to begin looking at the map and the show times to begin planning your day. If you've gone during a busy season most of your planning should be done while you are in line (since that is where you'll spend most of your day).
Make it a point to see some of the hidden gems in the park. There are plenty of fun shows that get seen by only a small portion of park visitors. One of the most overlooked parts of the park is the well designed queues. On many of the Disneyland rides the queue (line) that you wait in is themed to the ride and is actually a part of the story. If you were to blow right through the line without paying attention you could be missing part of the story.
Other tips to keep in mind: 1) Food is expensive in the park. You can bring some of your own food but it is very limited. There is a picnic area available outside the park if you really want to bring your own stuff. I would suggest that you either grin and bear it and pay the price (for pretty good food inside the park) or you bring food and leave it in the car. 2) If you are really interested in the history of the park, take a tour. They can be a bit pricey but well worth it to the true enthusiast. 3) Most importantly, have fun!

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