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Charging your phone is possible…but tricky.

by Jayger
(Las Vegas)

I found 2 places to charge my phone in Disneyland…
you have to be careful to make sure you don’t get spotted.
1st- just outside of the Kodak store at the end of main street… there is a “hidden” power outlet on an outside wall. it right by the AWESOME Corn Dog stand. you might want to sit on the ground, leaning against the wall and obscuring the view of the outlet. I used this outlet many, many times without any problems.

2nd- there is a little pay phone hut in frontier land on the back side of Big Thunder Mtn, near Big Thunder ranch. if you look under the pay phones, there are power outlets hidden there.
Be careful with this one… I was spotted by a cast member but left before he reached me.

Extra City Pass Perk

by Candie
(Reno, NV)

If you buy your City Pass from Universal Studios, you get an additional day free at Universal Studios. So, for the same price you get 3 days at Disneyland, 2 days at Universal Studios and 1 day at Sea World.

Fun attractions for our little ones

by SukHwan
(Mountain View, CA)

I would like to start out by saying thank you for the wonderful collection of tips you have in the website. The amount of information was JUST ABOUT RIGHT… Not too much or not too obvious. Whenever I asked around for the “best” or “worst”, it was almost impossible to get meaningful answers but your website had good info that I knew how to use.

We just returned from two full days in Disneyland. I have two sons (5 and 6 years old) and I wanted to share what they liked. We first went through the recommended list for Toddlers (e.g. Flying Dumbo, Casey Jr Train, railroad and etc) but I realized they were a bit bland for my sons. Those rides were relatively empty when we did them in the morning. I guess it would have been better if we did them in the afternoon when other popular rides are so full. Anyways, we upped it a bit after the morning rides and they really started to get into it…

Here are the list of rides that they liked. Maybe it’d be good to have a section for Kinder-gardeners as opposed to toddlers…

* Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
– They LOVED shooting at the markers and we really liked the fact that this one had fast moving lines. I think we ended up doing this one more than five times.

* Autopia
– We did this more than four times too. They just loved driving the car. I guess they felt empowered.

* Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
– This is my favorite. One of the coolest rides we’ve ever done.

* Gadget’s Go Coaster
– This roller coaster was just about right for my little ones. For example, Space Mountain was way way too much for them.

* It’s a small world
– Disney classic. What can I say.

* Other rides my sons also liked
– Winnie the Pooh
– Alice in Wonderland

Disneyland Has Great Baby Centers!

by Annette
(California)

The Baby Centers were really helpful the last time we had to take an infant to Disneyland. I could nurse and change a diaper in a nice, clean, quite and cool environment.

Here’s where you can find them:

Disneyland Park
The end of Main Street, U.S.A., next to First Aid.
Disney California Adventure Park
Next to The Bakery Tour in the Pacific Wharf.
Downtown Disney District
There is no Baby Center in the Downtown Disney District. Lost children found in the Downtown Disney District are taken to the Lost Children location inside Disneyland Park.

Easier Disneyland Restaurant Reservations

by Kira
(California)

If you want to make a reservation for one of the Restaurants in the park, inside City Hall on Main street is a special phone that connects you to someone who can help with that. It saves you the trouble of actually walking to the restaurant to make the reservation first thing in the morning, since so many fill up fast.

Scavenger Hunt!

by Kira
(California)

A REALLY good activity to consider within the Disneyland and DCA parks is a scavenger hunt. It’s especially good for families or groups that go frequently or are planning a trip that is several days long (I cant imagine having that much money!).

My girlfriends and I go every fall and in addition to our other tradition of making matching t-shirts with an annual theme such as “Favorite Princess”, we usually do a Scavenger Hunt.

Ideas are online if you search hard enough, but every year I make them myself. An easy way to search is to look for Disneyland trivia, and adjust the facts into things your group can look for.

You can adjust your hunt to fit the needs of your group. Small kids? Make simple questions such as “What color is Mickey’s house?” and maybe some harder ones for adults like “Find the oldest thing at the park. It’s 75 million years old, by the way.” (Answer: The petrified tree in Frontierland by the Rivers of America.)

Get creative, give out prizes, assign points, or just use it as something to do while you stand in those lines!

Girls’ Only Vacation

by Lisa
(Idaho, USA)

I just returned from Disneyland with my two girls, a teen and tween, from a “Girls’ Only Vacation” (we left my hubby at home this time).

While I was remembering the good times as a young girl growing up in southern California and going to Disneyland quite often, the girls were looking forward to their first memories of Disneyland. We had an awesome time!

Tips we found:
Pay the $14 for parking; it’s worth it to be able to go and come back, even though we stayed in the park the entire day. Knowing we could leave if we were exhausted or famished beyond our budget was a relief.

Pay the $10 or whatever for the locker. I cannot tell you what a relief it was to store our backpack of warm clothes, comfy shoes, snacks, and water bottles. Let’s just say it was worth every penny! Just don’t lose the combination you get for your locker…commit it to memory or write it on your arms.

Totally get the ice cream sundae for $6 and an iced mocha to sit and watch the parade!

Plan your dramatic reaction as a family before you go down the hill on Splash Mountain–those faces are priceless and we saw some great characters!

Go on fast rides early, hit the indoor exhibits like the future home and Lincoln around lunch time, watch the parade, go over to the shops, take a break at New Orleans to listen to some singing, and as the families head home, hit the fast rides again until dark.

We went on a Monday the end of March and didn’t hit the “fast pass” tickets or need to any time during the morning or evening; although we did experience the rides opening both “stand by” and “fast pass” for everyone to ride at some points during the rides because of no waiting at the fast pass lane. The rides went well and nobody complained.

If you have to wait for a ride, make friends with your line waiting partners. We met some of the most wonderful and interesting people from all over the globe. We even brought home a picture with a cute couple who shared the Splash Mountain ride with us.

The Disney staff is very friendly and welcoming. We had an experience of having to leave the lines and crawl off the boat at It’s a Small World because the ride was “experiencing technical difficulties”. We complied and the staff was quick, professional, and had authentic smiles of thanks for the patrons. So, when you go, just know, you may have this experience… just go with it. It’s Disneyland! Go find something else to do… there’s tons to experience!

Thanks for your website! It’s a great help as we plan a return trip to Disney this summer, and with my husband.

Carry A Map!

by Tiffany Ruess
(Denver, Colorado, USA)

Pick up a map when you walk into the park! You may think you know where things are but if you’re even a little wrong, it will cost you.

My family and I recently visited Disneyland and my Dad wanted us to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. He said, “Follow me it’s right over here.” He took us the wrong way and said, “Wait it’s over here.” It took him 30 minutes just to find the ride!

Traveling with Teens

by Emily
(Canada)

Traveling with teens can be a hassle so here are some tips!

1) Get walkie talkies so that you can communicate with them if they go off by themselves.

2) Let them look up stuff and get involved with the planning. They’ll love it!

3) Plan together and respect each other’s ideas.

4) Have fun and enjoy yourself!

The first thing to do when you arrive.

by Megan
(San Diego, CA)

It’s been a family tradition for as long as I can remember to ride the Disneyland Railroad for the entire duration as the very first ride of the day.

Once you enter the park, go straight up the steps to the station and ride throughout the park to build up excitement of visiting each of Disneyland’s themed sections. You can hear the history of Disneyland’s favorite rides and have a chance to sit with your family and plan out your day.

It only takes an extra 15 minutes and you certainly won’t regret it. Plus, there’s never a line for the railroad so it’s easy to hop right on.

Best viewing of Fantasmic!

by Brittany Meyer
(Manteca, CA )

This is the bridge where the spots are the best!

One of the best places to view Fantasmic! is on the bridge that is directly over the Pirate of the Carribean Entrance. What my family and I do is one of two things:

1. Go and grab a bowl of gumbo or clam chowder from the Royal Street Veranda and eat it at one of the benches in the alleys in the square. This allows us to relax and get away from both the crowds and the noise of the first Fantasmic! showing.

OR

2. Ride the rides, starting all the way in Critter Country with Winnie or Splash. The lines are almost always shorter during shows so you should be able to do at least 2 rides or Splash Mountain depending on the wait. *If you are going to ride the rides, grab a fast pass for Splash Mountain ealier in the day so if the line is not shorter you can still ride it, but not miss the second showing of Fantasmic!

Then, about three quarters of the way through the first Fantasmic! walk up to the where the Royal Street Veranda is and wait until the cast members stop waving people with their light wands to keep moving. This is usually after they have removed the rope also. (about 5 minutes before the show ends) Once you see that the rope is removed and no light wands are out go towards the railing of the bridge and wait behind the audience from the first show. As soon as the show is over the crowd will leave and you snag their spots.

This spot will also allow you to see some of the Fireworks that happen right after the first Fantasmic!

Even though this seems to bother some just for a spot to watch the show, it is really worth it for first time veiwers and children because they can see everything.

*NOTE: This is standing room only so make sure that you have your stroller ready for your little ones to sit in before the show starts. This is one of the only spots that you can have your stroller with you during the show. The seating by the water does not allow you to bring you stroller, you must park it in a stroller section before taking your place.

DVD with Secrets

by Linda
(Huntington Beach, CA)

Before you go to Disneyland, I suggest watching the DVD “The Secret Tour of Disneyland” which is available on Amazon.

The video contains some interesting history about the park but also points out some extra things to do such as asking if your kids can captain the Mark Twain (they can pull the cord for the whistle and get a cute certificate) or ride up front with the engineers on the train and watch the fire burning in the engine. Plus, watching it after your vacation will remind the kids of all the fun things they did!

Buy your Halloween tickets well in advance.

Decide if your going to go before tickets go on sale. Plan a day and then buy them online as soon as they go on sale. There are limited number of tickets and they sell out fast!

My friends and have made the Halloween Disney party sort of a yearly tradition and more than once someone has missed out because they didn’t buy their ticket soon enough. Luckily the year I missed out I had a season pass so I hopped on over to Disney California for The Mad Tea Party. My friends were kind enough to snag an extra trick or treat bag so I didn’t miss out on the candy.

Beat the Line for the Dumbo Ride

by Melissa
(South Gate, CA)

My daughter loves Dumbo! We watch the fireworks right in front of the Dumbo ride and we are usually one of the first ones in line right after fireworks.

Avoiding the long line at Space Mountain

by Holly
(San Ramon, California, USA)

Space Mountain is everyone’s favorite and gets extremely crowded during the day.

To spend the least time in line for this ride, walk briskly to the ride first thing in the morning when the park opens. In my experience, the wait has only been 10 or 15 minutes at that time. Then as you are leaving the ride, get a Fastpass for it so you can go on it a couple hours later again.

Space Mountain is definitely a ride you’ll want to go on more than once.

A Whole Day of Fastpasses

by Caty
(California)

They definitely do not enforce the end time on the Fastpasses.

What I usually do is get a Fastpass for of the big rides such as Space Mountain early in the day, then go do other rides, but don’t return to Space Mountain until much later. Along the way you can gather other Fastpasses to other big rides. This means that you can hold a Fastpass to Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and California Screamin all at once, and use them when you please.

It is a good feeling to know that you have a whole day of Fastpasses in your pocket!

Get Mickey’s ToonTown done early!

by Gabby
(Northern California )

Go to Mickey’s ToonTown early in the day if you plan on spending time there. It closes much earlier then the park itself due to the fact that they set off fireworks from there. So I believe they close it about an hour before the fireworks start! I learned that the last time I went!

More about ToonTown from the Disneyland website:


Attractions


There’s so much to climb, ride and run around, it could even make a toon doggone dizzy! Hop into Lenny the Cab in Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin for a madcap ride through the streets of Toontown. Meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse at their adorable houses. While you’re there, tour the entertaining homes of other classic Toons. Zip around on Gadget’s Go Coaster, the ingenius invention of a very clever mouse. And don’t forget to talk to the mailbox — you never know which one might talk back.


Shopping


Laugh it up at the Gag Factory, chock full o’ hilarious goodies featuring Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto. If your sides don’t ache too much, spend some time next door at Toontown Five & Dime for fanciful Toon merchandise.


Dining


The Toons work up quite an appetite from all those gags and laughs, so they’ve made sure there are plenty of quick bites to grab. If pizzas and salads are your taste, have a delicious meal as you sit outside at Daisy’s Diner. The hotdogs at Pluto’s Dog House are also barking good! And for dessert, there’s nothing mooo-re refreshing than a swirly chocolate and vanilla treat from Clarabelle’s.

Combine fast pass and “stroller” pass

by Jen
(Seattle, WA)

I don’t think it was meant to work this way but it does! My husband and I go with our 3 year old frequently, and here is what we do…

get your fast pass for a ride, just one (then the other person get a fast pass for something else) as you exit the ride ask the attendent for a stroller pass, it will be a colored piece of paper that allows you (and another person) to wait in the fast pass line.

So now we’ve both ridden the big ride, and niether of us has waited in a long line and it’s on to the other fast pass ride!

works just fine at Disney and Cal Adv, although, again, I still don’t think they are technically meant to be combined.

another tip: my daughter gets an amazing amount of attention when she’s dressed as a princess- I think it’s going to her 3 year old head!

Line tip

by Joy and Ruth
(Los Angeles)

Many rides have a long line, such as Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, and Splash Mountain. A good way to stay relaxed is to take some snacks to munch on while the wait also a drink.

Also, always use the restroom before getting in a big line! It is awful when you are in line for 60 minutes and all of the sudden you realize you have to go to the restroom.

Take the line to the right for Pirates

by Miss Anderton
(California)

The two lines for Pirates of the Carribbean may look the same, but the one to the left is longer.



Additional DisneylandVacationTips.com Notes:

  • The best time to ride this is within the first 2-3 hours after the park opens.
  • The ride takes 14-1/2 minutes.
  • There is no height requirement to ride.
  • The darkness and skeletons may frighten some
    children.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Go Right

Use the right line even if the left is shorter. The left one goes around the left side of the building then back then inside. The right one is more direct.

Single parent with one child can get some extras

by Kari
(Santa Monica)

If you are a single parent with one child, ask cast member(s) very nicely for help/assistance and you may get special perks like seating in or near VIP areas for shows and parades, switch pass to get on the other ride side of the Matterhorn without waiting in line, free stickers and buttons.

Beating the lines with an injured guest

by Sarah
(California)

If you have a member of your group who is injured and can walk but doesn’t want to be on their feet all day at Disneyland and is skipping out on the trip to avoid the embarrassment of a wheelchair, bring them along!

I recently went with my dad and sister, and my dad had had surgery on his foot a year prior. He could walk but wasn’t sure if he could make it all day. We got a note from the doctor and went to City Hall for a “Wheelchair Pass”. This gives you the advantages of a wheelchair (walking up the exit of each line and skipping the wait) without actually having one!

Avoiding Crowds

by Kari
(Santa Monica, CA)

Look up LAUSD and other local school district calendar school days. Furlough days and pupil free days can become crowded.

One day I found to be not crowded is Mother’s day (Father’s day is the opposite). Also, Jewish holidays seem to be less crowded (only if it is not a pupil free day and/or furlough day).

FastPass Tip

by Gabriela
(Sacramento, CA)

The FastPass is only available in the daytime. In the evening most rides do not have a FastPass available.


Read more FastPass tips here

Ride Line Tip

by Amanda
(California)

Get the Hidden Mickey book and figure out where the Hidden Mickeys are in your area. They’re not always on rides; sometimes they’re scattered around the park. Looking for them distracts you from waiting.

If you make it a game to see who can find them all first, it’s even more fun. I always try to do this and it often makes the wait time seem like 5 minutes when it’s 25 🙂

SINGLES LINE

by Ally
(Tucson, AZ)

Great tip for families without small children:


The big rides, such as Splash Mountain or California Screamin’, have singles lines where you can ride without your family or group. You don’t get the pictures with your group, but it is amazingly short. I waited 5 minutes in the singles line while everyone else waited 3 hours.

Enter Disneyland through Downtown Disney

by Lisa M.
(Clarksville, NY)

If you already have your ticket or you are an annual pass holder (like me), take a right instead of a left off of the parking tram and use the monorail entrance.


This is especially good if you’d like to go on Space Mountain first, before it gets crowded.

Tips for Waiting in Line for Indiana Jones

by Brett Gwyn
(Fairview, OR)

As you are walking through or waiting in the line for Indiana Jones, you can pull on certain items to make them make sounds.

I forgot a couple of them but I do remember pulling on one of the bamboo rods that looks like it may be holding up the ceiling and it sounds like the ceiling is falling on top of you. Also in the room with the video playing there is a well with a rope in it, and if you pull it you’ll hear a man say something.

Dream Passes

by Kris
(Eureka, Ca, USA)

Even better than the FastPass is the “Dream Pass.” It lets you go through the Fastpass lane anytime, with no specific time requirements. Watch for the Disney employee handing out the lanyards with the special cards.

I had one and it was awesome. No one-hour window to get back to a ride. Just use the Dream Pass and go. You have to be in the right place at the right time to get one, so be observant.

If some of your family gets one and the other half misses out, the Disney staff at customer relations are AWESOME and will give the rest of your family a Dream Pass so that all of you can stick together. The Disney employee who helped us said, “NOBODY should feel sad at the happiest place on Earth.” They were very kind and helpful.

Fireworks mean short or no line time

by Kevjn
(Utah)

I have been to Disneyland several times (every other year for 20 years) and have seen their outstanding fireworks show countless times as well.

Even though I enjoy the fireworks, it is also the best time to ride the rides since there are short waiting times or no lines at all for rides such as Indiana Jones,Splash Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion. For example, my kids and I rode Splash Mountain 3 times in a row without ever getting off the ride and that would never happen any other time. I was very shocked but it was a nice surprise. Plus, while at the top of Splash Mountain we could easily see the fireworks going off.

Don’t Hold Places in Line

by Anne
(Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)

Having half of your pack go for coffee while the other half holds their places in line is not polite and we have seen people get upset at this. Do you time in line and have fun. When the coffee pack comes back it can disappoint those behind (ah man bigger line!) or be deemed cutting in line. It’s a big no no where I’m from and people I saw grumbled over this. I just grinned and carried on (different cultures I suppose).


Bring the game “Jacks” (the ball and little metal things), skipping rope when waiting in the outside line, “I Spy”, etc.


I can understand washroom breaks or one person running off for something…


Tip: Try and do your “jail” time and have fun. You might meet someone nice in line!


Great site… I’m coming back here for more tips and ideas! 🙂 Keep it up.


Cheers.

Anne from Canada.

Fastpass Order!

by Ava Zorn
(California)

If you are going to both parks, the best order to get your Fastpasses is like this:

1. Radiator Springs Racers. (This ride is not connected to the other rides, so you can still get Fastpasses.)
2. World of Color (This one’s not connected either.)
3. Space Mountain
4.Indiana Jones
5.Big Thunder
6. Splash Mountain
7. Star Tours
8. Soarin’
9 Tower of Terror
10. Screamin’

Hope it helps!!!!

Welcome!

Corn dog

I’m Kathy! I collect all the Disneyland tips in one place for your next trip so you can spend MORE time having fun, LESS time in line, and get the BEST deals. I live in California with my husband and labradoodle. My 2 sons in the photos here are now in college.