Planning for a Disneyland® trip can be overwhelming. How many days do you need? When should you go? If it is crowded, what is the best way to do as many rides as possible? Where should we eat? Should we stay at a Disneyland® Resort Hotel? Should we use an agent to book the trip or book it yourself?
Here are a few tips as you start to plan:
- Disneyland® and California Adventure are frequently visited by “locals” on Saturday and Sunday. This can make the park very crowded. If your plans are flexible, try planning a trip where you spend time in the park on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
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- The Disneyland ® Resort Hotels – Paradise Pier, Disneyland® Hotel and Grand Californian – are adjacent to Disneyland® California Adventure. In fact, the Grand Californian has a private entrance to California Adventure right there at the hotel. All three of these hotels tend to be a bit pricier than the Good Neighbor Hotels. However, if you stay at one of these three properties you will get into the parks early. At the Good Neighbor Hotels you will get one early morning entry with a 3-day park hopper. With Radiator Springs Cars Land being so crowded, getting in early for a fast pass is extremely helpful.
- The Disneyland® Hotel just received a major “overhaul” and is worth staying at if you can swing it. What’s Up With The Mouse readers really like the size of the rooms and the special something that is now in theheadboards. The pool is a big hit for many guests.
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- If you are limited to 3-days plan to spend 2 days in Disneyland® and one day at California Adventure. Be sure to get a fast pass for Cars Land – first thing – as they can run out quickly.
- If you are traveling with a young one, check out the Baby Centers at both California Adventure and Disneyland®. Here you will find a quiet place where you can feed a baby or get baby supplies (in a limited capacity) that you may have forgotten. It is also a place to slip away if you are trying to get a young one to fall asleep away from the hustle and bustle of the park.
- If you like the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride and are looking to get a scoring advantage there is an invisible 50,000 point target between Zurg’s breast plates. You can aim for the “Z” on his chest and most likely hit it.
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Whether to book your trip yourself or use an agent is always a question. Unfortunately there is not a definite answer to this question. If you have the time to explore the possibilities and take care of all the details, you can definitely book it yourself.
However, if time is scarce then you might want to consider using a travel agent. And, if you do use one, you might want to look for one that specializes in Disney® travel. Many agencies offer complimentary concierge level planning services. This can save you a great amount of time as well as provide you with restaurant and ride advice that is invaluable.
Do you have your own tips that others might find helpful? Please share those here so we can add them to our list.
