What I Wish Someone Told Me Before Planning a Trip to Disneyland
1. Standing Room Only- The biggest thing that I wish I knew before going to Disneyland was how much standing I would have to do. For most of the shows, fireworks, Fantasmic!, World of Color and parades you will be standing. There are no bleachers or seats, unless you count sitting on the ground. At the end of a long day in the parks just know that you won’t have a seat to rest in and you will be standing to watch the nighttime shows or parades.
2. Walkability- Disneyland Resort has a compact layout so it is easy to walk to from the on-property resorts and several Good Neighbor Hotels. Just be sure to check the distance from the hotel to the resort, because some of the Good Neighbor Hotels say that they are within walking distance, but a 5 minute walk and a 30 minute walk are quite a difference, especially at the end of the day. Also, walking from Disneyland to Disney California Adventure and to Downtown Disney is easy as they are connected by a promenade.
3. Park Reservations- When you visit the Disneyland Resort, you are still required to make park reservations in advance. This is for Disneyland Park as well as Disney California Adventure. Once you have purchased your park tickets, you will need to make park reservations. This can be done on the Disneyland app. You will choose the days you are visiting and which park you would like to visit on each day. This is important to do early, especially if you will be visiting at a busier time of the year, as the parks may fill up quickly.
4. Park Hopper Tickets- Park Hopper tickets are an add on to the base ticket and they allow you to visit more than one park in a day. These are especially beneficial in Disneyland because the parks are so close together, as mentioned above. You will still need to make park reservations for the park you would like to start your day in, but after a designated time, you will be able to “hop” to the other park. This gives you a lot more flexibility in your day to switch to a different park if the one you are at gets too crowded, if you want to spend the day in one park but really want to try a restaurant in the other or if you just don’t want to miss a thing on your trip. You are allowed to “hop” between parks as many times as you would like to throughout the day, however, keep in mind that hopping is subject to park capacity. This is rarely an issue unless you are visiting during the busier times, like holidays.
5. Castle Walkthrough- Inside the castle in Disneyland there is a walkthrough experience that retells the story of Sleeping Beauty. You will see 3-D dioramas, special effects and hear music. There is something special about being able to walk around inside the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Something to be aware of is that the exhibit has dim lighting and there are many stairs that you will be climbing and descending. If there is someone in your party who has challenges with mobility or needs a quieter experience, there is a mobility-friendly, sensory-inclusive alternative to the walkthrough and they will still be able to experience the Sleeping Beauty story.
6. Monorail- The Disneyland Monorail is a high-speed transportation system that travels between Tomorrowland in Disneyland Park and Downtown Disney near the Disneyland Hotel. It's a great option for guests looking to bypass the crowds at the main park entrance or quickly reach Downtown Disney from the back of the park. To board the monorail at the Downtown Disney station, you'll need a valid Disneyland Park ticket and reservation.
One thing I wish I had known before my first trip is that the monorail typically stops operating about 30 minutes before Disneyland Park closes. If you plan to stay until park closing, don't count on using it to get back to Downtown Disney. Learn from my mistake—I walked all the way to Tomorrowland at the end of the night only to discover the monorail had already closed, leaving me with a long walk back to the front of the park and then through Downtown Disney! Pro tip: You can ride in the front car of the monorail with the conductor. You just need to ask a Cast Member at the station if you can ride up front. You may have to wait for a little bit until you can have your turn and the maximum number of guests that are allowed to ride in the car is 5.
7. Rides- There are a few rides that are worth mentioning so you will know what to expect before riding them.
The first one is Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage in Disneyland Park. This is a family-friendly ride in Tomorrowland where you board a yellow submarine and join Marlin and Dory on an underwater adventure to find Nemo. While this ride has many of the characters from the movies, inside the submarine itself it is very close quarters. You will have your own porthole to look out of, but you will be sitting very close to other guests on the ride. Because of this, some guests may experience the feeling of claustrophobia. If you believe that this may be the case for you or if you have mobility challenges and can’t do stairs, when you get to the ride, you can ask a Cast Member to show you to the observation area called the Marine Observation Outpost where you will be able to watch the entire underwater journey on a porthole style screen.
The second one is Pixar Pal-A-Round in Disney California Adventure. This is a 150 ft. tall ferris wheel located on Pixar Pier. The most important thing to know about this ride is that there are 2 very different types of gondolas! One type is fixed to the rim and goes around with the wheel. It doesn’t move. The other type is the swinging gondolas. These are in the interior of the wheel and slide inward and outward as the wheel goes around which results in a more intense experience. There are 2 separate lines for this ride so you can choose which type of gondolas you would like to ride.
The last ride is the Matterhorn This is a classic, high-speed steel roller coaster where riders board bobsleds to race through a snow-capped Alpine mountain while dodging a snarling Yeti. While this is a must do ride at least once, be aware that it is rather intense as it whips you around corners and can be much rougher than other rides in the parks.
8. Lightning Lane Multi Pass- If you are a fan of rides, then the Lightning Lane Multi Pass is for you. It is an add on to the base ticket that lets you skip the standby line and wait in much shorter lines for the rides. You can only hold 1 Lightning Lane at a time but you can book another Lightning Lane after you scan in to your current one or after 2 hours. If you have a Park Hopper ticket, you can use the Lightning Lane Multi Pass in both parks. The best part of adding this to your base ticket is that you get unlimited downloads of the Disney PhotoPass digital photos, including from the rides.
9. Cars Land Sha-Boom- If you have seen the Cars movie, then you have seen all of the lights turn on in Radiator Springs at twilight. If you are in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure around twilight, you will be able to see the Sha-Boom for yourself. At sunset, the song “Life Could Be a Dream” plays and all of the lights in the land turn on. The best place to see this is at either end of Route 66 so you can see all of the lights turn on. However you will be able to see the lights anywhere within Cars Land.
10. Blue Bayou- Have you ever wanted to eat dinner near pirates? You can do just that in Disneyland. The Blue Bayou is located inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. This is one of the neatest restaurants that I’ve ever eaten at. You will be surrounded by overhead strings of colorful balloon lanterns that cast an enchanting glow, dotting the darkness while crickets chirp, frogs croak and fireflies wink in the dark. The menu is inspired by New Orleans cuisine and you will need a reservation to dine here. This is a definite must do in my book!
11. Roaming Characters- You will notice characters roaming throughout the parks. Sometimes there will be lines to wait in, but other times, you will just see characters walking down the path. You will be able to take photos with them, but they will not stay in the same location and will keep walking around. Use your Disneyland app to see when and where characters will be appearing, but also keep your eyes peeled while you are just walking throughout the park. You will be able to see characters in Disneyland Resort that are considered “rare characters” in other parks, like Walt Disney World. Take advantage of these interactions and be sure to have your camera or phone ready.
12. Tour Walt’s Apartment- When Walt Disney was building Disneyland, he wanted to be able to stay close to supervise daily operations and it helped him cut down on his commute. He liked to sit by the window in the apartment and watch the crowds as they enjoyed the park. He also observed ways that he could improve the overall guest experience. When he and his family would stay in the apartment, he would turn a light on in the window and this let the Cast Members know that he was there. Now, the light in the window stays on all of the time because Walt’s spirit and vision will always remain in the park. If you're interested in seeing this for yourself, there is a tour that will resume in August 2026 called Walk in Walt’s Footsteps Guided Tour that takes you around Disneyland and into Walt's apartment.
Bonus: If you are a Super Fan like I am, Disneyland will just hit differently. Walt Disney was actually in this park. You can walk where he walked, you can ride the rides that he dreamed into creation and rode himself, you can try his favorite drink (Mint Julep) and eat chili that is his own personal recipe at the Carnation Cafe and you can visit his apartment that he had built above the Fire Station. You can still feel his spirit around the park and yes, I may have cried when I got to see his apartment and ride in the Main Street Fire Truck, which is the last vehicle Walt was photographed in.
Planning a trip doesn’t have to be overwhelming, click the link below to get connected with an advisor to help make the planning process smoother.
