Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California is the "Happiest Place on Earth". There everyone can be a kid. Planning a trip to Disneyland can be a fun experience too. July is the best time to go because the weather is usually beautiful. It is more expensive to go in July but most of the time all attractions are open and the park stays open late. When riding the wet rides it feels good to get wet.
The first thing to think about when planning a trip to Disneyland is where to stay. You have to decide what is most important, cost or convenience. The hotels in the resort are nice but they are very expensive. There are Good Neighbor hotels that meet Disney standards and are a lot less expensive. Some of them also offer complimentary breakfast so that is one less expense for your trip. Another thing to consider is parking. If you do not wish to pay for parking at Disneyland, find a Good Neighbor hotel that is close enough to where you can walk to the parks every day. Also some people like to go back to the hotel in the middle of the day for a swim or to rest, it is very convenient being able to walk back to your room. We like to stay at the Carousel Inn just across the street from the resort entrance. We’ve found that it is just as close as the Disneyland Hotel at half the price. It is a very clean property with a friendly staff. They also offer a complimentary breakfast, which saves a lot of money.
It is best to purchase your room and hotel in a package. Be sure to check around though, some hotels do offer lower rates if you book directly through them.
Food is a huge expense at Disneyland resort. It is best to go online and find out what the restaurants offer and their cost. If you want to go to a fancy restaurant such as Blue Bayou, be sure to get reservations ahead of time so that you are sure to get a table. They are expensive, but worth it. Big Thunder BBQ is another fun restaurant to visit and it is best to call ahead of time to reserve it as well.
The resort does have a lot of counter service restaurants. Those are the best places to eat and not break your budget. One thing to keep in mind is that most of the meals are very filling so there may be times it is most beneficial to share a meal. Kids meals are great for everyone. They come with a drink and are filling if you are not real hungry.
Our favorite places to eat in Disney’s California Adventure Park are Taste Pilots Grill, Award Wieners and Pacific Warf Café. Taste Pilots Grill has great hamburgers and kids meals, all at a reasonable cost. Award Wieners have good hot dogs and chips and is not real expensive. Pacific Warf Café is a little more spendy but it offers sandwiches and soup in a bread bowl.
Disneyland has a lot of great restaurants. We like the food in the Golden Horseshoe. There you get chicken or fish sticks with fries and if you are there at the right time you get a show. Another good place to eat in Disneyland is Pizza Port. They offer pasta, salad, and pizza ate decent prices.
Be sure to bring a water bottle too. Drinks are expensive but all of the restaurants with fountain drinks will give free cups of ice water.
If you wish to enjoy a character breakfast experience be sure to call ahead and get a reservation. We tried the Plaza Inn Character Breakfast and it was a lot of fun. It is a bit expensive but well worth it.
Disneyland Resort offers a lot of wonderful tours too. The Walk in Walt’s Footsteps tour will educate any Disney visitor on what Walt had in mind when he built the park. Call ahead and book the tour. It is well worth it. They have other tours for first time visitors.
If anyone has a birthday be sure to stop at City Hall on Main Street and get a birthday button. You can celebrate the whole month of your birthday at the Disneyland Resort.
A really fun thing to do is pin trading too. If you book through some travel agencies you’ll get pins and lanyards with your packet. You can keep or trade your pins. You can buy more at the park and then trade them with cast members or other guests at the park. It’s a fun hobby.
One really important thing NOT TO Do is to put your tickets in your lanyard. The end thing has been known to fall off and then your tickets are gone. I wear a fanny pack and keep all of our tickets in there. Just found it’s easiest for one of us to keep them.
All of the rides and attractions at both resorts are a wonderful experience. It is best to take advantage of the fast pass since lines can be long. If a wait time on rides such as Splash Mountain is 35-45 minutes it is best to wait because you may wait that long even with a fast pass.
The Tiki Room is a must see experience too. You can get Dole Whip while you wait to see the show. If you are not done before the show begins you can take the Dole Whip in with you.
Disney’s California Adventure Park now has World of Color. This is an amazing experience. If you want Premier seating, reserve the package at Aerials Grotto or Wine Country Trattoria. By reserving this ahead of time you will ensure that you get a ticket for the show. Another way is to purchase a picnic lunch online or while at the park. If you purchase it online though you ensure yourself a spot at the show. However it is not premier, your ticket will get you viewing with everyone else. The third way to get a ticket is to go to Grizzly River Run fast pass area and get one. This takes about 30 min but it is free and you get to see the show from the same viewing area you do if you purchase the picnic. All viewing areas for the show are great. You can get the soak zone with any ticket.
A trip to Disneyland is a lot of fun, planning the trip can be fun too. Be sure to ask friends who have been there questions too. You can not experience the magic through them but their knowledge and experience can help your experience to be more magical.