Considering a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth? Are you intimidated by the planning? Or dreading the crowds, meltdowns and astronomically long lines? As a child travelling to Disneyland, I didn’t have to be bothered with those concerns. And lucky for me, as an adult I haven’t either, thanks to Our Travel Idols, the Disney Gurus. I’ve had the pleasure of accompanying them on a few magical adventures. I can tell you from experience, the way they plan their trips ensures the stress and waits are minimized and the fun is totally maximized so you can be a kid with your kids. I recently sat down with the head of the Disney Gurus fam, Linda, a former Disney Parks Moms Panelist, to ask some of the most common questions about planning a Disneyland adventure.
OtT: How long in advance should you plan your trip to get the most of what you want?
Linda: It depends. I recommend anywhere from 3-6 months. If you are a diligent planner, like me, planning 6 months out will exponentially increase your chances of getting everything you want including hotel choices, tickets to special events, and eventually dining reservations. If you are looking to save money or plan closer to your trip, Disney often releases packages and deals only a few months in advance. Be sure to book any experiences or sit-down dining services 60 days prior. For those of you that are more spur of the moment travelers, Disneyland (unlike Disney World) is casual enough that you can plan a last minute experience and still have a great time.
OtT: Does it make sense to purchase travel packages vs. purchase flights, hotel, tickets a la carte?
Linda: It depends. Sometimes packages through the resort or travel agencies don’t really save you money in total, so always price and compare your options diligently. During certain times of the year (like January and February) Disneyland does offer last minute packages that can save you some cash.
OtT: Can you enjoy a trip to Disneyland on a budget?
Linda: Potentially. A Disney trip is the kind of trip you need to save up for to have the best experience possible. It is soooo not cheap, but there are ways to save. Consider staying off site at a Good Neighbor Hotel or limiting your trip to just a few days. To save money on meals and snacks, you can also pack and bring your own food and drinks to the parks (see official park rules). If you happen to have a Target Red Card, you can save 5% off Disney Gift Cards that you can use nearly everywhere in the parks (food, merchandise, tickets, and even your hotel stay at a Disneyland Resort Hotel). It’s a small savings, but it can certainly add up if you purchase several Disney Gift Cards prior to your trip.
OtT: What is the best length of stay at Disneyland?
Linda: Ideally 4-5 days. That allows you to see everything at a leisurely pace, revisit some of your favorites and spend some time at the hotel pool. After 5 days, you’ve nearly seen it all.
OtT: What times of year are the best to go to Disneyland?
Linda: All times of year! Just accept it’s always gonna be hopping (especially over holidays), so go when it’s best for your schedule and plan diligently.
OtT: What’s special about travelling to Disneyland during the holidays?
Linda: If you can embrace the crowds, Disneyland amps up the magic factor around the holidays. The Holidays and Halloween Time are especially wonderful with the themed decor, events and parties, entertainment, parades, costumes and seasonal food offerings. Disney takes their celebrations to a whole new level and you are immersed all over the parks. Recently they’ve added special event celebrations for Valentine’s and they continue to offer fun events during Easter. If you have a favorite holiday, it’s worth planning a trip to embrace what Disney has to offer.
OtT: Now for the most burning question. What’s the best age to bring your kids to a Disney park? Why?
Linda: Any age! There is literally something for everyone at all ages and your kids will get something different out of the experience depending on their ages when they visit. But plan your first trip based on your comfort level. Here are some considerations by age group--my daughter has visited at least one Disney park yearly since she was 18 months old.
Ages 0-3: The best news...kids under 3 are free! A visit for kids at this age is wonderful as everything is new to them. Surprisingly, there is a lot for them to do with over 40 attractions with no height requirement! Disney parks go to great lengths to make sure parents and their littles are comfortable and have the resources they need. As a parent, you can still enjoy the thrill rides by taking advantage of the Rider Switch option where you and your companion can take turns riding without waiting in double the lines. There are strollers for rent and baby care centers to rest, nurse or change diapers. As usual, just pay attention to your child’s cues, it can be sensory (and sugar) overload! If you stay at a resort hotel, it’s a quick walk back to your hotel for naps.
Ages 3-5: This age is so fun as the kids are incredibly curious and will now connect with the characters and themes they’ve seen on tv and in the movies. It’s fun to see their faces as their imaginations connect with the visuals and experiences around them. Character meet and greets and character dining experiences are great for kids this age. As your child’s height reaches the 40 inch mark, there will be even more rides for them to enjoy. It’s also helpful that kids at this age are much more vocal about their needs, but patience might be at a minimum, so be sure to use tools at your disposal to minimize wait times and be flexible.
5 and up: After the age of 5, more and more of the park is at their disposal. They know what they like, who they want to meet, what they like to do and can even help you plan your days. There are more and more rides as kids approach 42” and 44”, and 48” is the magical number where even the biggest thrill rides (Incredicoaster and Indiana Jones Adventure) are available to them. Disneyland’s nighttime events like Fantasmic!, fireworks and World of Color might be something the kids can now stay awake long enough to enjoy.
Teens and tweens: The Disneyland Resort remains a magical destination! In addition to being able to ride all the thrill rides, older kids might also enjoy experiences like The Void in the Downtown Disney District which is like a virtual reality escape room or earning badges and special accomplishments on the Play Disney Parks app as they venture around the park. At this age, you may feel comfortable letting your teen or tween explore the parks on their own a bit. At 14 years old or older, kids don’t have to be accompanied by an adult to enter the theme park and kids 7 years old or older can ride attractions by themselves.
OtT: Are certain Disneyland Resort Hotels more appealing to a particular age group?
Linda: All of the hotels are great. I would say that the Grand Californian is probably the least appealing to younger kids, but might be nice for teens. I think the Disneyland Hotel is the most fun for kids because the of the fantastic pool and character dining experiences.
OtT: Million dollar question...how do you avoid standing in lines at Disneyland (food, rides, transportation)?
Linda: Several keys here...
Go early (be in line before the park opens).
Use Extra Magic hours (for resort hotel guests only) and Magic Morning hours ( for guests with 3+ day park tickets).
Use FASTPASS for rides and pay to upgrade to MaxPass.
Use the Disneyland app to place a mobile order for Quick Service food.
Make dining reservations in advance for table service restaurants (60 days prior for best result).
Use the Disneyland app to look up wait times before heading to attractions.
OtT: How does FASTPASS and MaxPass work at Disneyland?
5 year old Millie (because she wanted to get in on the interview action): So um, usually you go in a special line. You have to have an electronical FASTPASS, and you can cut the people that are in line so you don’t have to wait too long.
Linda: FASTPASS is Disney’s method to manage lines and get you in and out in a much shorter amount of time. Traditional FASTPASS is included with your ticket and is available for many attractions. You must visit a FASTPASS distribution kiosk to get your assigned ride time. Do this first thing for the ride you are most excited to experience and check the Disneyland app for FASTPASS availability. During your assigned time window, head to the ride or attraction, scan your ticket and head into the marked FASTPASS line. You can usually only hold 1 FASTPASS at a time, but you can get a new FASTPASS as soon as the window opens for your last one.
Although FASTPASS is a nice feature, it is also a bit time intensive traveling to all of the kiosks. I HIGHLY recommend purchasing MaxPass for each member of your party each day of your trip. This makes is so much easier to get your FASTPASSES by allowing you to select them through the Disneyland app, saving a ton of time walking around the park to locate the distribution kiosks. You can even select your next FASTPASS while in line for another ride.
OtT: How do you make sure you meet your child’s favorite character?
Linda: The Disneyland app will be your best friend! You look up where they are, when they are available and just queue up. The great thing about Disneyland is that lots of characters also freely roam, so you might meet several as you are strolling along. My daughter loves to go to Pixie Hollow to hang out with Tinkerbell. The other option is to book a character dining meal. Character dining is available at restaurants in all three Disneyland Resort Hotels or at the Plaza Inn in Disneyland Park fro breakfast. During a character meal you will get dedicated time with your child’s favorite characters as they visit tables for autographs and photo ops.
OtT: Are there special experiences offered that aren’t obvious to novice Disney travelers?
Linda: Yes, there are several experiences. Some are offered daily and others are more seasonal, check out Disneyland Events and Tours for complete info. The “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” tour is great and even shows you where to find Walt’s former apartment within Disneyland park.
Kids will love the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique if they want to get their princess makeovers. Or they can visit Mickey’s Toontown’s opening ceremony each morning where kids might be greeted by characters and help open this special part of the park.
Aside from holidays, the other big event is The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival (held March-April), which provides a bit more entertainment for those who enjoy culinary and liquid adventures.
Thanks, Linda (and Millie)! I still don’t know if I’ll ever plan a Disney vacay without you, but I’m feeling more confident by the day!
Meg, Our Tiny Traveler
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