No day at Disneyland is the same as the any other, and all you can do is plan well, be ready to adapt, and make sure you enjoy yourself. I don’t have kids of my own yet, but i’ve been there plenty of times with kids that range from toddlers to pre-teens and each need their own supplies. These are beyond things you probably already know what to bring.
10. Extra Clothes
The mornings may be nice, the afternoons may be hot, and the evenings may become freezing so having jackets and sweats may be helpful to keep your family warm if the winds pick up or weather takes a turn for the worse.
If you plan on going on any water rides, especially Grizzly River Run you’re going to get wet, and i’ve seen some kids breakdown once they’ve become soaking wet, so entire wardrobe change may be necessary.
You have some options when it comes to storage as Disneyland now has all day use lockers which you can open and close all day without having to put more money into the machines. If not you can always just put them in your car and come back if need be.
9. Sundries
Pretend like your trip to Disneyland is like going to the beach so pack anything you wouldn’t want to pay double the cost to buy on the fly. There’s nothing worse than getting a headache during your day in the park, or coming home with a face and back burnt from being in the sun for 10 hours of the day.
- sun block
- sunglasses
- chap stick
- tylenol
- bandaids
- wetnaps
8. Pre-purchased Souvenirs
Save some time and money and pre-purchase your autograph books, and glow in the dark necklaces that you can get at the dollar store instead of shelling out extra cash for disposable things. If you want to start pin collected start off by checking eBay for people tying to get rid of their extras.
7. Phone Apps
MouseWait is a handy app available for both the iPhone and Android phones which will be invaluable if you’re trying to get on as many rides as possible. Its a social based tool which will give you the most up to the minute wait times for rides and the availability of FASTPASS around the park.
FourSquare allows you “check in” at venues throughout the day. The most important check in is the one at the parking lot so you’ll remember what floor and what column you’re parked on. There’s nothing worse then ending your day and having no idea where you parked at. It can also keep track of your day so you can remember how your day progressed.
6. Phone Chargers
If you’re anything like me, your phone will be dead before lunch if you don’t bring a charger with you for all your phones. Between taking pictures, using MouseWait, and checking football scores you’re going to be constantly on your phone. It also doesn’t help that for reason that may include too many people within a certain cell phone tower, or just being in a bad reception area your phone is constantly looking for a signal to connect to which of course drains the battery even faster.
Disneyland have new Phone Charging Lockers available for rent. Disney is pretty good at hiding open power sockets but MouseWait also has a handy guide to where you can find available outlets.
5. A Plan
A little research can go a long way when planning a trip to Disneyland and DCA. Its better to know ahead of times about which rides you need to go on, and what rides will be closed.
You can make an advanced dining reservation up to 60 days before your visit at select restaurants by calling (714) 781-DINE or (714) 781-3463.
Plan for afternoon breaks whether to take a nap, or just time to reset yourself in an air conditioned lobby of the Grand Californian.
Watching a outdoor show? Bring blankets to sit on and mark your space. As a kid my mom would camp out in front of the Fantasmic show saving our spot while my sister and i would continue running around the park. When we would get back we would have plenty of space to lay down and wait for the show as well.
Have a meeting spot if you ever get separated from your group. My family’s spot was at the Lost Parent Sign in front of City Hall.
4. Snacks and a Water Bottle
While i personally think that dining in the park is part of the experience, snacking on churros, ice cream and popcorn all day aren’t particularly necessary. Sometimes you just need something to munch on in line that wont get messy, or make you full before dinner. I really recommend a trail mix of nuts and dehydrated fruits that wont melt, or get sticky while you eat. Its also very important to keep hydrated throughout the day, and bringing a water bottle you can constantly refill is a lot better than having to buy it in the park.
3. Shoes
You’ll be tempted to wear sandals into the park, but unless you can do hikes in them then leave them at home. Make sure you bring comfortable running/walking shoes that you don’t need to break in, or mind getting dirty. You’re body will thank you after 12 hours of walking on the hot asphalt, and countless times of being stepped on, or being run over by a stroller.
2. Kids Info Cards
Kids can get separated really easy in crowds or wander off before you realize it so if you may want to pin an info card of your mobile phone number so a kid can reach out to any cast member to help get them back to you. Cast Members are really diligent of connecting lost kids to their parents so if you’re worried about them not being able to get back to a meeting point then you should have a way for them to reach out to you.
1. Right Attitude/Patience
Disneyland may bill its self as the Happiest Place on Earth, it could also be name the Busiest Place on Earth, most Stressful Place on Earth, or Hottest Place on Earth and if you’re in charge of the day then it’ll all be put on your shoulders. Disneyland is suppose to be fun, so just know there are things you have to deal with and everything should be fine. Knowing these things will help you enjoy your day in the park:
- It gets crowded, so make sure you can deal with stupid people.
- You wait in lines all day, so make sure your kids know that sometimes you have to wait for an hour.
- Its expensive, as long as you know you’re going to be spending money it wont surprise you on how much things costs when you’re there.
- Give yourself enough time, because the more you rush throughout the day the more you’ll end up missing
