By Brisa Velazquez
Disneyland is the place to be year round, but sometimes long lines and unexpected weather can make a trip to the ‘happiest place on earth’ a little hectic. Here are some tips to make your visit a little less stressful.
1.Plan on being there for the majority of the day. Disneyland is definitely not the cheapest past time, so try to get your money’s worth, especially if you are only going for the day. If you are only purchasing a day ticket plan to be there from open to closing hours. Late April and early May are usually the less crowded times of year. As for parking, the Mickey & Friends parking structure is your best bet, only having to pay $18 and being able to come and go as you please for the day. Downtown Disney District is not recommended if you’re staying for the whole day because you will only be allowed 2 free hours of parking.
2.What to pack.
A jacket and water bottle are probably the most important things to take when going to Disneyland. In Southern California it is often cooler at night, or windy in the afternoon, or even both. So take a sweater tied around your waist or in your backpack. As for water you can take one water bottle and refill it at one of the many drinking fountains around the park. Don’t forget to bring snacks, sure you are going to want to buy Disneyland churros or pretzel but you also want to have money for souvenirs. Money for lockers is also a good investment, because you can leave your sweaters or a packed lunch to eat later and not have to worry about carrying it around the entire day.
Below you can find an extended list of things to pack for your trip.
- Dress for unexpected weather.
Pants are your safest bet when planning on what to wear for the day. Light jeans or leggings allow you to get on water rides and not feel soaked the entire day. They also keep you warm in the early morning and late at night. If you’re going on an extremely hot day shorts are are a good idea, just pack a pair of pants for later. A jacket is always a must when visiting the park, not only does it keep warm at night but if you do not want to get wet on water rides a jacket is a great alternative to a poncho.
- Apps & Fast passes.
Wait time apps: A wait times app will give you an overview of posted and predicted wait times around the park without having to go to the Tip Board or wasting time running around looking at the marquees in the park.
FastPass:Get as many FastPasses as you can. You should grab a new FastPass as soon as your window to do so opens, new Fast Passes are available about every 2 hours. Also get FastPasses for the bigger, more popular rides in the park. Rides like Hyperspace Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure,Star Tours, Splash Mountain, Grizzly River Run, Radiator Springs Racers, and The Tower of Terror are recommended rides to get FastPasses for.
If you do end up having to wait in a really long line here are some recommended games to pass the time.
Games to play in line:
- Heads Up! (Or Charades! Free)
- Mad Libs
- Mindcraft PE (or Clash Royal)
- 1010!
- Fun Run
- Candy Crush
- Monopoly
5.Do not skip California Adventures
There is always more people in Disney than in California Adventures so do not skip it. It is also best to go at night, with tons of lights, and a neat light show with dancing water, but be sure to get a spot early. Take a stroll down Radiator Springs located in Cars Land or get your pulse racing on California Screamin’ located on Paradise Pier.
What To Pack List
- Wallet
- Ticket/Pass
- Cell Phone
- Phone Charger
- Sweater
- Hat
- Mickey ears
- Sunglasses
- Lunch
- Snacks
- Water bottles (2)
- Gum
- Camera
- Sunblock
- Deodorant
- Extra Pair of Sock
- Advil
Last tip do not forget to take a lot of photos.
Now that you have the know how to survive Disneyland, check back to find the perfect outfit for your Disney trip.