These Printable Disneyland Coupons are the perfect way to help manage your budget at Disney. Give your kids each an envelope of coupons for the day and they can trade them in for treats and gifts!
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These Disneyland Shirt Designs are the perfect way to take your Disneyland trip to the next level! Four of the five designs work for Disney lovers of all ages and one design is perfect for when it’s a Girls Trip!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
Hey friends (and happy Friday)! I’m so excited to share this yummy Copycat Disneyland Mac N’ Cheese Pizza recipe! This recipe is a favorite of our families! The last two times we’ve gone to Disneyland California we’ve scheduled a dinner down at Goofy’s Kitchen and my kids always go straight for their Mac N’ Cheese Pizza! Goofy’s kitchen is a favorite of ours for a couple of reasons: a) their food is awesome and they have SOOO many options and b) you get to see most of the main characters and get all their signatures all while eating dinner! It’s a win-win!
Copycat Disneyland Mac N' Cheese Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Crust
- You can purchase a premade pizza crust at your local grocery store or you can make your own if you have a favorite recipe. I really like to use the 8" individual sized pizza crusts but you could also use a full size pizza crust!
Homemade Mac N' Cheese
- 8 oz uncooked Macaroni Noodles
- 2 cups of shredded Colby-Jack Cheese or your favorite kind of cheese
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 2-3 tablespoons Flour
- 2 - 2 1/2 cups of Milk
Topping
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 sleeve of Town House or Ritz Crackers
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
- To start get your crust ready - so that means you can purchase a premade pizza crust or you can make your own!
- To make your macaroni and cheese, start by boiling your macaroni noodles until al dente. Place in a large bowl.
- Once the noodles are cooked, make your cheese sauce. Start by melting 1/4 cup Butter in a medium sauce pan. Add 2-3 tablespoons flour to create a roux. Add milk slowly (and I mean slowly) to the roux. You will need to stir constantly! Next, add the cheese one cup at a time! Stirring until the cheese incorporates to the milk sauce!
- Stir the cheese sauce over the noodles.
- Take your pizza crust and spread the homemade Mac N' Cheese over the crust.
- Now layer some of the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the mac n' cheese.
- Next, take 2 tablespoons butter and melt it in the microwave. Place your 1 sleeve of crackers in a large ziplcock bag and use a rolling pin to crush the crackers. Place the crackers in the bowl of melted butter to create a good crumb.
- Lastly, sprinkle the crumb on top of the pizza!
- Cook the pizza for 15 minutes at 400 degrees fahrenheit.
- ENJOY!
Now that you’ve seen how I make my favorite Copycat Disneyland recipe at home, make sure to check out how a few of my blog friends make their favorites too! Also, don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end!
Hand Dipped Corndogs from Dessert Now, Dinner Later | Clam Chowder Bread Bowl from Kleinworth & Co. | Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Treats from Tastefully Frugal | Monte Cristo Sandwich from See Lindsay | Churro Funnel Cake from Artsy Fartsy Mama | Pumpkin Mickey Mouse Beignets from Clarks Condensed | BLT Waffle Fries from Old House To New Home | Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwiches from Love To Be In The Kitchen | Carrot Cake Cookies from Cupcake Diaries | Caramel S’mores from My Latina Table | Mickey Marshmallow Wand from Liz On Call | Dole Whip Popsicles from Bite Of Delight | Dole Whips from Girl Loves Glam | Mint Julep Slush from As The Bunny Hops | Frozen Chocolate Covered Bananas from Pretty Providence | Mickey Mouse Cake Pops from Play Party Play | Mickey Mouse Beignets from Housewife Eclectic
I am so excited to be a part of the Month of Disney with R&R Workshop. Today we will be sharing Disney Princess Silhouette prints with you.
There are 12 Princess prints available. They look good as a solo print or in a grouping.
Each print is in a color that represents the princess.
These prints are for personal use only. You may not sell them in digital or physical form.
Be sure to check out all the other fun Disney ideas.
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As we were preparing for our last trip to Disneyland I saw this quote.
It occurred to me that the best way to make the happiest place on earth more happy was to do some fun service with my boys. Because really, what is more magical than doing something nice for someone else. I created these fun good deed cards for us to leave around the park attached some money to make some random guests day even more magical. We tried to leave them in places where we had a couple minutes to hide and watch. Although after waiting once, we didn’t do that again. 5 years olds are not stealth! We did $5 bills but you could paperclip them to any amount.
If you don’t have money to spare how about sacrificing a set of fast passes.
Download Good Deed Cards
You can see the rest of our Disneyland series here.
One of the best parts of Disneyland is the food…it all smells and tastes so delicious. There are two reasons for this. One Disneyland pipe smells throughout the park to make you hungry. And two, you will be exercising more than you realize so its easy to work up an appetite. We definitely have some favorite places to eat and here they are!
Blue Bayou Restaurant
(New Orleans Square)
Nothing quite beats the atmosphere of eating in Pirates of the Caribbean. Its pretty amazing. You can make reservations up to 60 days in advance, and if you want to go you WILL need to make reservations as soon as you can. I think this is more fun when you don’t have small toddlers. Its dark and our toddlers always got a little freaked out. The food is good, not amazing in my opinion but come on – your eating in a ride so its worth it!
Hungry Bear Restaurant
(Critter Country)
This is one of our favorites. The food is really good. We love the sweet potato fries. We also love the seating here. Its right on the water and has great shade. There are lots of ducks around and you can see the steamboat and train come by while you eat. Really the ambiance of this restaurant can only be beat by the Blue Bayou in my opinion.
Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante
(Frontierland)
As far as flavor goes, this is probably the best food in the park. A little southwest and Mexican mixed together. There are A LOT of options. They also have heaters so if you are there on a cold day find a seat under the heater and its a wonderful way to heat up.
Corn Dog Cart
(End of Main Street)
This will be the BEST corndog you have ever eaten! I don’t even like corndogs and I will wait to get my hands on one of these. Hand dipped and huge, they are worth the wait. This is a great parade meal. A couple of us will save seats for the parade while the other few run to grab corndogs to bring back for a picnic while we wait.
Harbour Galley
(Critter Country)
Do you like clam chowder? Because if so, you will love the chowder here served in a bread bowl! They also have a lobster roll that is amazing.
Here are some sweet treats around the park you don’t want to miss!
Dole Whip
(Tiki Room – Adventureland)
Oh heavens! Nothing beats a Dole Whip float on a hot day! A Dole Whip Float is pineapple soft serve with pineapple juice. They are delicious!
Ice Cream
(Carts throughout the whole park)
They are ridiculously expensive but sooooo good!
Mickey Shaped Beignets
(Mint Julep bar – New Orleans Square)
If you haven’t ever had a Beignet, you definitely should! They are similar to donuts but so much better. They are served with a vanilla bean creme anglaise and raspberry coulis. In the fall they have pumpkin flavored beignets too!
Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor
(Main Street)
This is an old fashioned Ice Cream parlor that is both fun and yummy!
There you go, now you are prepared knowing some of the best places to eat. I think its important to keep food in mind when planning your day. You don’t want to end up on the opposite side of the park at lunchtime from the restaurant you want to eat at. For example I think the majority of the best food is on one side of the park. So we hit Fantasyland or Tomorrowland in the morning and then head over to the other side of the park around the time we are ready to eat. We once ate at the Tomorrowland Terrace thinking it was a good plan to eat our food during the Jedi Training Academy. Bad plan! It was just like a cafeteria hamburger. Not worth it. If you are going to spend a ton of money – you want to be eating something worthwhile!
And that is the bad part of all this delicious food – the price! It is expensive! You can bring food into the park so that helps. We usually eat a huge breakfast before coming. That way we can snack a little and not have to eat until 1:00-2:00 when the lunch crowds are thinner. The portions are huge so we usually eat a late lunch and then just snack and have a treat before we leave the park on an early close night like 8:00 or 9:00. But if we are planning on staying until 11:00 or midnight we definitely need to eat a second meal. If you want a good snack mix check out our Disneyland trail mix recipe. It helps tide us over between meals.
If you have a favorite place to eat or meal inside the Disneyland park please let us know in the comments. I’m always up for trying new things!
You can see the rest of our Disneyland series here:
Fantasyland Guide: Ride by Ride!
Frontierland & Critter Country – Ride by Ride!
Adventureland and New Orleans Square – Ride by Ride!
Last time we were at Disneyland the tram driver told the funniest jokes on the way to the car. My boys were laughing so hard and told me they would make good lunchbox jokes. I decided that for our trip coming up in the fall I would make a countdown with 14 great Disney jokes.
There are 14 printable jokes that you can use as lunch box jokes. Or you can print the easily foldable “envelopes” to create a fun countdown.
All you have to do is download, print, and cut them out, and fold the envelopes in half.
Put a joke in each fold and shut.
Then clip to hold the joke inside.
There are two printable Mickey Ears on the joke cards that you can use to string a ribbon between the two and clip the cards to.
Check out the rest of our Disneyland Series!
Fantasyland Guide: Ride by Ride!
Frontierland & Critter Country – Ride by Ride!
Adventureland and New Orleans Square – Ride by Ride!
California Adventures and Cars Land
If you are looking for a way to save some money on your next vacation be sure to check out Get Away Today for some HUGE savings!
Headed to Disneyland? I have the best trail mix for your bag that my sister in law Kate created. This will keep your energy up, can easily be eaten in line, and most of all it fills that sweet tooth. Disney actually pipes delicious sweet smells all through the park that makes you want to buy churros and ice cream all day long! This trail mix has just enough sweet, so you can resist all the treats and save your waistline and your wallet. It also will not melt on hot days which is great! If you leave it in direct sun the butterscotch chips will melt but in our backpacks on a 90 degree day it was fine.
Here is what you need:
- Corn Chex
- Goldfish
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Dried cherries or craisins
- Butterscotch chips
- M&M’s
If you have a Trader Joes by you these coconut cashews are amazing, but regular cashews work great too!
I just throw it all in a bag and mix it up. I prefer to put it in a tall round Tupperware before putting it in our backpack before Disneyland, so the Chex and Goldfish don’t get smashed.
I also make a variation for my son who is allergic to nuts.
I use almost the same ingredients.
- Corn Chex
- Goldfish
- Dried cherries or craisins
- Banana chips
- Goldfish pretzels
- Coconut chips
- Butterscotch chips
- M&M’s
Again if you have a Trader Joes these Roasted Coconut Chips are amazing!
Throw it in a Ziploc bag and mix.
Want to get even more prepared for Disneyland? Be sure to check out our other posts to make your day magical:
Fantasyland Guide: Ride by Ride!
Frontierland & Critter Country – Ride by Ride!
Adventureland and New Orleans Square – Ride by Ride!
California Adventures and Cars Land
Disney lunch box jokes and 2 week countdown
If you are looking for a way to save some money on your next vacation be sure to check out Get Away Today for some HUGE savings!
Are you considering a trip to Disneyland and wondering if CA Adventure is worth your time? I am here to tell you YES it is! A couple years ago I might not have said that, but since they did their overhaul I honestly like it as much as Disneyland. I am going to break the whole park down for you today. I cover all my overall strategies in our Disneyland Planning Guide. I’m not going to repeat all of those same ideas, so be sure to read them here.
Radiator Springs is a really fun ride but the line gets looong! I really recommended getting a fast pass. Toy story Mania is also a great ride for all ages and the line gets long fast and it does not have a fast pass. This is usually why we hit it first. Then we hit up California Screamin’ because that line is not very long either first thing in the morning. If we want a pass for the World of Color I usually run and grab those on my way down. So here is how our morning looks: I wait with our tickets to get fast passes for Radiator Springs. My husband waits at the front where they have blocked the crowd. When they open the park he goes straight to Toy Story mania with our kids while I run to get the fast passes for Radiator Springs. Then I run down to meet them and we usually ride Toy Story a second time. If we want a pass for the World of Color I usually run and grab those on my way down. The fast pass line is fast, so I am usually on my way within 5-10 minutes. If you get there early you can get this all done very fast. But be aware that if you are some of the 1st in the fast pass line you will have an early fast pass. Sometimes I purposefully wait a few minutes so that we have a little more time down by Toy Story Mania and CA Screaming before we have to head up to Cars Land. As of May 2014 a fast pass for Radiator Springs and World of Color did not count against you. World of Color fast passes are distributed at the Grizzly River Run fast pass machines first thing in the morning. After the World of Color fast passes are distributed the fast pass machines are converted back to Grizzly River Run. You can have both Radiator Spring fast passes and World of Color fast passes and they don’t count against you. Meaning you can also get a fast pass for another ride while holding those. If you don’t understand fast passes you can read all about them here.
Now let me break down the rest of the park for you!
Cars Land!
It is such a fun place to explore. They did a great job turning Radiator Springs into real life.
There are 3 rides in Cars Land.
– Radiator Springs Racers. It is awesome! Best part, if you are pregnant you can still ride! It is so smooth! The line for this gets long – so long! We think its worth it to get there early and get fast passes. We like to think of it as getting to stand in line before the park opens. We did try once to go straight there. Mater does a good job of keeping the crowd going so slow that its hard to really get ahead of the crowd. For us we would rather get the fast passes and spend our morning on other rides and return later for a shorter wait.
– Maters Junkyard Jamboree – Fun ride for little kids and it is right at the entrance to Cars Land.
– Luigi’s Flying Tires – This ride is a little hidden but we really love it. Its like a huge air hockey table and the tires are like the pucks.
You use your body to lean and that makes your tires go in that direction.
There is still a lot to do in Cars Land but it mostly revolves around food and shopping. It is a great place to stop to eat just because of the atmosphere.
Hollywood Land
– Turtle Talk with Crush – This is a located inside near the Animation Academy and is so worth your time. Its an interactive discussion with Crush from Nemo. It’s a great time to relax and is so magical for kids and fun for adults too. Here is my son Caleb asking him a question.
– Animation Academy – is interesting but not a must do in my opinion. There are a lot of things in that area that are interesting but my kids would rather be doing other things.
– Monsters Inc. – Fun ride straight through Monstropolis. They use smells to give it a real feel. Great for all ages and does not have a height requirement.
– Twilight Tower of Terror- Must be 40″ to ride. Super fun thrill ride. My 5 and 7 year old don’t like it because they think its creepy but my 10 year old loves it.
– The Aladdin Show – This is a show worth seeing! It doesn’t show every day so check your schedule before choosing which days to spend in CA Adventures. Plan on getting there about 30-45 minutes before the show time. We usually grab a snack and take a rest in line while we wait. It is like a full Broadway production that is only 45 minutes long and geared to entertain kids. It is truly spectacular and hilarious!
The best place to sit is in the bottom section. They will make you choose outside. You want the most bottom level. Then you want to sit behind the dividing wall.
Here is why! The characters come out right in front of you!
Condor Flats
– Soarin’ Over California – This is a great ride! Another ride you can ride while pregnant! Children must be 40″ to ride but if they meet the height requirement I think they will like it. They use smells in this ride too and it is just a really smooth fun ride for everyone!
– Grizzly River Run – It’s a fun rapid rides and kids must be 42″ to ride. Great ride on warm days because you will get wet!
– Redwood Creek Challenge – This is a great place to let the kids run around and have fun. All sorts of slides and things to explore. This is especially a fun area to play if the lines are really crowded.
A Bugs Life Land
This is a great place for toddlers. There are 4 or so great little kids rides in here. They used big leaf vegetation all throughout the land, so you feel small and like a bug. When our kids were toddler/preschooler age we use to bring their bathing suits because there is a great water play area.
Paradise Pier
– California Screaming’ – One of the best roller-coaster ever (and I’ve been on a lot!) It is so fun and so smooth! Kids must be 48″ or taller to ride. For those parents that want to ride it but your kids are to small you can use the single rider line. You enter from the exit and and they place you on when there are spaces. So the kids can wait with Mom and watch Dad shoot off. Then when he gets off they can switch. There is also King Triton’s Carousel which is a fun thing to do while Mom or Dad use the single rider line.
– King Triton’s Carousel- Carousel where kids ride on sea creatures.
– Toy Story Mania- One of our favorite rides. It is fun for all ages. It is like virtual carnival games and the ride keeps a tally of your score. This line gets long and does not have a fast pass. It is best to hit it first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
– The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure – Another great ride for toddlers and younger kids. Its slow moving, but really enjoyable. Plus the line moves really fast!
– Mickey’s Fun Wheel- Worth the time to do in a stationary car. I don’t get seasick, but we rode in a rocking car and I got so queasy. It was fun though and unlike anything else I’ve been on before!
– Silly Symphony Swings – This is great for kids, but if you get carsick I would opt out! Younger rides have to go in a tandem swing with an adult so maybe take some less drowsy Dramamine if you need it.
– Golden Zephyr – Another ride that is fun for kids but not great for adults with queasy stomachs!
– Jumpin’ Jellyfish – Must be 40″ to ride but it’s a great ride for preschool/young grade school
– Goofy’s Flight School – Small roller coaster that kids must be 42″ inches to ride.
– World of Color – A nighttime show where they use the water as screen. You must get a fast pass early in the morning if you want to get into one of the viewing areas. It is worth getting them in opinion. The best spot we have found for viewing is to sit right behind a planter or railing. This way when the show starts there is no one right in front of you.
Food
Where to start!?! There are a ton of great food places and lots of healthy options too. I will just give you a few of our favorites. You can see the full list and menus here.
– Corn Dog Castle- Best corn dogs EVER! We love to grab one and sit along the parade route, watch the parade, and juice our phones up a little bit (see below).
– Flo’s V-8 Café – Great food and great atmosphere!
– Tastes Pilot Grill – Great typical kids food, but has good choices for adults too!
– Wine Country Trattoria – Great place to eat if you are a couple without kids. The food is good and the atmosphere is very relaxing!
Charging your Phone
There are two great spots in CA Adventures to charge your phone. The first is in the waiting area for Turtle talk with Crush. They have a big room you wait in and there are a lot of outlets. I just juice my phone up a little while we wait. Just don’t try to plug it in inside the show room- it makes the workers very cranky! The other place is along the parade route in front of the World of Color viewing area. They have green poles that have plugs on them. Most of those plugs will work in the yellow block. When you get farther down by Goofy’s flight school the outlets don’t seem to work.
So there you go! Now you have a good overview and start to planning your day and knowing what is available for you in CA Adventure!
You can see the rest of our Disneyland series here
Fantasyland Guide: Ride by Ride!
Frontierland & Critter Country – Ride by Ride!
Adventureland and New Orleans Square – Ride by Ride!
Disney lunch box jokes and 2 week countdown
If you are looking for a way to save some money on your next vacation be sure to check out Get Away Today for some HUGE savings!
I originally posted my Tips and Tricks for Disneyland in 2012 in our Insiders Guide to Disneyland. We have annual passes again this year and we have updated insider information. Even if you have read our tips before I have added a lot of information! So get ready, I am not holding back any of our secrets here. Even this week when the lines have been packed we have made it on 6-8 rides within the first 2 hours. These are not platitudes I’m giving here, these are actual specific things that will help you get the most of your day. With a little planning you can take a good day and make it magical!
When is the best time to go?
I definitely recommend going on the off season. My favorite times of year are September and February. I think one of the best indicators is the Southern California Select passes schedule. They block out the days when their attendance is the highest so they don’t have all the So Cal residents flooding the park either. Here is a link to the pass where you can view the blackout days: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/southern-california-select/
If you can, go on the day they allow people with the pass to go. Statistically it has the lowest attendance. I would NEVER go in the summer. It is a waste of your money. I always take my kids out of school for a couple of days and we get the entire park done in a day. People in the summer can buy a 5 day pass and not come close to doing what we can do in those two days when the attendance is low. Plus think of all the money you save on food and hotels by going for less time.
3 days is by far enough if you go on the off days. Spend 1 whole day in Disneyland, 1 whole day in California Adventures, and then on the third day hit anything you haven’t hit yet or go back to your favorite rides. Thursdays and Fridays are more crowded than Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Get there early!
This is the number 1 thing you can do to make the best of your day. If the park opens at 9:00, be pulling in no later than 8:15! It takes time to park, ride the tram, and get through the front gates. They open the gates before the park opens and block the crowd off at the end of Main Street. It’s a great time to explore Main Street while not using ride time. You can take pictures, browse the shops, and I have even seen some characters out signing autographs before the park officially opens. One of us usually saves our place near the front of the crowd while the other takes the kids potty 10 minutes before it opens. There is nothing worse than having to take a potty break 20 minutes into your first line! When they open the park you are already in the middle of Disneyland ready to roll! This is the best time to get on rides for the entire day.
I get it, sometimes things happen to make you late. If you get to Main Street and the crowds are already half way down Main Street all is not lost! On the right side past the fruit stands you can enter the store and each store connects to the previous store. That means you can cut through the stores and then come out at the end and be ahead of all those people. This is a last minute save and is not near as good as getting there first. You are still behind a lot of the crowd so don’t count on this as your first choice.
Check Magic Mornings and show schedule before you decide which park to start in!
Magic Mornings are days that they allow the hotel guests to get in the park early. They switch back and forth between Disneyland and California Adventures. For example yesterday was a Magic Morning for Disneyland so we planned to be in California adventures. Its is so frustrating to get there early and on time only to realize that there are already a ton of people in the park! I know many people get hopper passes but I think they waste a lot of time. It is about an hour of walking (at least) to get from one ride in Disneyland to a ride in CA Adventures. It wastes time and wears you out! Also check the schedule for the Aladdin show in CA Adventures or Fantasmic in Disneyland. These shows only play on certain days so you don’t want to miss them by being in the other park. The Aladdin show is spectacular and worth your time. Plus its a great way to take a break and rest.
Where should you park?
Our favorite place to park is the Disney and friends Parking structure. Its a huge parking garage! I feel it is the most convenient and easiest. Again get there early! Stay in the left two lanes. Usually (but not always) those two lanes will go left after the booths where you pay. That means you get to park in either Pinocchio or Chip and Dale. Those sections are on the ground floor which means you don’t end up on those huge escalators behind a lot of people. It is also the best for exiting at the end of the day. By about 8:45 the right 4 lanes (if not all of the lanes) are being sent upstairs.
Pick a priority ride with no fast past to go on first!
When our kids were younger our family always hit Peter Pan and Casey Junior first. Peter Pan always has a huge line but its totally cute and worth doing! It was always our first ride to hit. Casey Jr only has one train and the line is slow so we hit that second. If you have the chance to do the Magic Mornings, do Peter Pan first! Now that our kids are older we choose Space Mountain. Its another line that gets long fast and usually stays long all day long. We usually get in line at Space Mountain plus fast pass it. That way we can do it twice with very minimal wait. If we are going to California Adventures we hit Toy Story Mania first. This is a little more complicated because of Radiator Springs now. I usually run and fast pass Radiator Springs to get fast passes. Meanwhile my husband waits at the front where they have blocked the crowd. When they open the park he goes straight to Toy Story mania while I get the fast passes. Then I run down to meet them and we usually do Toy Story a second time. If you get there early you can get this all done very fast. But be aware that if you are some of the 1st in the fast pass line you will have an early fast pass. Sometimes I purposefully wait a few minutes so that we have a little more time down by Toy Story Mania and CA Screaming before we have to head up to Cars Land. As of May 2014 a fast pass for Radiator Springs did not count against you. Meaning you can fast pass Radiator Springs and then a seocnd ride at the same time.
Fast pass!
You can have 1 fast pass at a time. (With the exception of World of Color and Radiator Springs in California Adventures. Radiator Springs Fast passes are distributed by Bugs Life land. World of Color fast passes are distributed at the Grizzly River Run fast pass machines. After the World of Color fast passes are distributed the fast pass machines are converted back to Grizzly River Run.) Fast passes allow you to use a shortcut in the line for that specific ride. Not all rides have fast passes, but most major rides do. To get a fast pass you scan your ticket outside of the ride and it gives you a pass with a time listed on it. That time is when your fast pass is valid for that ride. They only give so many out for each hour, so as the day goes on the time to return gets later depending on how many people are fast passing that ride.
Not everyone has to be there to get a fast pass, but every ticket has to be checked into the park. For example I cant go early in the morning by myself with 5 tickets and get fast passes. The ticket has to be scanned in at the front gate to get a fast pass. But one person can take all the tickets to get fast passes. My husband and I take turns running and fast passing rides while the other waits in line with our kids. This way we are not wearing our kids out as much. What a lot of people don’t know is that as soon as your fast pass is valid you can get a new one. For example if your fast pass is good from 12:20-1:20 you can get a new fast pass at 12:21. Plan ahead and figure out which rides are most important for you and fast pass those. Good rides to fast pass are Star Tours, Indian Jones, and Splash Mountain. Those passes really put you ahead of the line. Thunder Mountain and Autopia’s lines move pretty fast, so fast passes are good, but not as necessary.
Make your phone last the entire day!
With smart phones its great to have your phone and camera in one but the battery can be a huge issue, especially if you have an iphone. I know there are compact portable chargers you can take with you but I have never invested in one and have made my phone last all day. Here is how! First turn your wifi off when you get there. If you want to do something that requires wifi just turn it back on, do it, and then turn the wifi back off. This way your phone isn’t constantly trying to connect to a network. Also turn your brightness down too because that can be one of the biggest drains on your battery. Make sure all your programs are closed.
I always bring my phone charger too just in case. I have yet to find a great spot in Disneyland to charge but I have found two great spots in CA Adventures. The first is in the waiting area for Turtle talk with Crush (a must see in my opinion). They have a big room you wait in and there are lots of plugs. I just juice my phone up a little while we wait. Just don’t try to plug it in inside the show room- it makes the workers very cranky! The other place is along the parade route in front of the World of color viewing area. They have green poles that have plugs on them. Most of those plugs will work in the yellow block. When you get farther down by Goofy’s flight school the outlets don’t work.
Download a ride wait app
There are a lot of apps that will show you how long the wait is at certain attractions. They seem to be fairly accurate. I use Disneyland Wait Times – free. If my kids really want to go back to a ride and its on the other side of the park I can check if its worth going that way. You can also utilize these to check different times of the year you are thinking of going to the park.
Wait for attractions right after the first showing!
If you want to see Fantasmic, show up when the first show is ending. As people move out you can move in and get a perfect seat! On really busy days this can be a good idea for the Jedi Training Academy too. If you want to see Aladdin get there about 40 minutes early.
How to get Picked for the Jedi Academy
To increase your chances of being picked for the Jedi Academy wear something Star Wars and sit in the front of the box. They choose all along the entire front. I actually don’t think the very center is the best. We tend to sit about 1/3 of the way from the center to the end. Do sit in the very front! There are obviously no guarantees but I know this helps.
Incorporate food into waiting
Eat lunch or dinner while waiting for the Parade or Fantasmic. You can bring a tray from any restaurant with you and set it on any trash can in the park and they will return it to the correct restaurant for you! One of us usually waits in a good spot while the other gets the food and then we have a picnic! The best place in my opinion to sit for the parade is the little strip that runs between the Matterhorn and the Castle. What I love about this area is that you have front row seats and no one can stand behind you, so when the parade comes by they look right at you and you get the full show without worrying too much about other people. Be ready to defend your spot though! People will keep trying to squeeze in! This spot is also great because some lines in Fantasyland are closed during the parade and when the parade gets past you, you can jump right into line and not have to wait!
Don’t wear yourself out!
Try to plan ahead, so you don’t jump all over the park, rather work your way thought the park. Finish one section of the park and then use the train to get to the other side of the park and start on that side! The train and monorail are different! The train is an actual steam engine train that has 4 stations – Main Street, New Orleans Square (near the Haunted Mansion), Toontown Depot (next to Small World), and Tomorrowland Station (behind Autopia). It’s nice to sit and its interesting to see parts of the park that you can only see on the train. You can get on and off at any of the 4 stations. Most days the line is minimal and trains come every 5 minutes. We have gone between California Adventures and Disneyland on the same day but it wastes a huge amount of time. If you are going for multiple days, plan a day in Disneyland and then another day in California Adventures. You will be able to see more and you won’t be so worn out! Even with doing these tricks I guarantee you will walk more than you have a long time! This is not the day to go for the cute shoes! Wear your running shoes. They may not look the best but you wont be miserable by 3:00 that afternoon either!
Child swap!
If you have kids that are too short for certain rides you can take turns without all the waiting. How it works – the whole family has to go to the line entrance. Find a Disney worker and ask them for a child swap pass. One parent and any kids that are tall enough to ride then wait in line normally, while the other parent stays out of line with the children that are too short to ride. The second parent then can use the child swap pass anytime that day to go through the exit or the fast pass line (depends on the ride) and not have to wait in the whole line. It is good for two people, so you can take another child back with you. For example, our 8 year old can ride the ride with me (we stand in the line normally) and then when my husband goes to ride, the pass will get him and our 8 year old back on. We find this really handy when we can’t get a fast pass. If you have fast passes, it’s pretty much the same thing since both parents can use the fast pass line. But if you can’t get a fast pass and are going to wait in the whole line – take advantage of this for sure!
Use the single rider line.
Many rides have a single rider line – Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure, Grizzly River Run, Soaring’ Over California, California Screamin’, & Goofy’s Sky School. Usually there is a sign directing you, or you enter through the exit. When a single space opens up they put you into that spot. This means you can take turns if the line is so long that you don’t want to wait. You just won’t get to sit together, but it’s worth it on a busy day!
Pack light!
They have lockers, but we just pack light, so we don’t waste time going to and from lockers. Here is our list of essentials that we pack:
• Easy snacks – fruit snacks, granola bars, and our kids favorite Dum-Dum-Pops ! Perfect for keeping kids in line happy without too much mess! We pack our favorite Disney trail mix too (http://lisascooking.blogspot.com/2008/07/disney-trail-mix.html) Food is expensive, so we usually eat a HUGE breakfast and get full before we get there. We snack until the afternoon when we have a big lunch at one of the Disney restaurants, and then we snack for the rest of the day. A churro makes a great dinner 🙂 Our favorite restaurants – The Hungry Bear Restaurant is our all-time favorite. It’s tucked away over in Critter Country by Splash Mountain. There is tons of shade and it is right on the Rivers of America. It’s very relaxing and picturesque, plus we like the food. Our second choice is the Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland. Great food and great environment! This is usually the place we hit if we are picnicking it while waiting for the parade. Dinesyland also has the best Corn Dogs ever! In Disneyland it is on a cart on the end of Main Street. In CA Adventures they sell them at the Corn Dog Palace down by Goofys Flight School. If you want to eat at the Blue Bayou (in Pirates of Caribbean call to get reservations before you go on your trip! I don’t know how long in advance you have to make them but its far!)
• We freeze a water bottles and let them melt. As the day goes on we just keep filling the melted space up at water fountains. This way we have cold water all day without too much weight to carry and without spending tons of money on water. Stay hydrated! You will feel better and have more energy. You can request free water at any restaurant but that means one more line to wait in. Now that we don’t take a stroller we usually don’t even take water, we just drink out of fountains.
• A deck of cards for times when you are waiting for parades or shows. Its light and will keep you busy and make the waiting time go faster! Don’t forget eye spy can be a great ride waiting game! We also use the maps to play eye spy on.
• A cheap tube of glow sticks. Trust me you will thank me for this one! When it gets dark Disneyland has such fun light up toys for so much $$$. We pack our own tube and our kids are happy! We usually find them at the craft store in the dollar section, but you can buy lots of them online.
• Sunglasses, sunscreen, and chapstick!
• Headache medicine. Heat, dehydration, walking all day, the motion of the rides – it’s a headache waiting to happen! Not only do I pack it, I usually take 2 Excedrin on the way to prevent a headache. My hubby takes a non-drowsy motion sickness pills too, so he can enjoy the rides more.
• If you are taking a stroller pack it light! Our favorite is an umbrella stroller with a basket. Don’t underestimate the power of piggybacks while in the park for little ones.
• Camera!
• Autograph book and Pen. There are some great tutorials out there on how to make your own!
Save souvenirs for the end of the day!
There is nothing worse than having to haul around toys that kids are sick of carrying. To keep our spending in check we allow our kids 1 souvenir. They look all day long and then at the end of the day we purchase it as we are leaving at the Emporium. The Emporium is a giant Disney store located at the end of Main Street. It has most of the items that are available all over the park, but you buy them on your way out and you only have to carry it to the car! If you want a specialty item ask the store clerk if the Emporium carries it, so you know ahead of time. The Emporium stays open later than the rides so you can shop after the rides are closed. Saving their toy until the end also helps them in that cracnky tired mood as you make your way back to the car.
Don’t let anything spoil your day!
You have planned this trip and spent so much thought on picking the perfect date only to show up and see 50 middle school busses full of kids 🙁 Bummer. This has happened to me and I let it ruin my day. Don’t – you will regret it! You may not get on every ride, but you can still have fun! Fun things to do on really packed days – Ride the Double Decker bus around Main Street, Mark Twain Ferry Boat, Play tag on Pirates Island or play Hide and Go seek in Toon Town (play on teams so kids are not unsupervised), Ride the train around the whole park, Ride the monorail and wait to sit in the very front, get great seats for parades or shows, look for hidden Mickey’s, play in the water in Bugs Life Land, Tarzans Tree House, King Arthur’s Carousel, and the Tiki Room. Whatever you do – have fun! Let the stress go and just roll with the day!
Have fun!
I cannot tell you how many parents I have seen yelling at their kids and being grumpy! What a waste of money! Don’t forget you are taking this vacation for your family and to have fun! Most of us go to Disneyland for our kids. Don’t forget about them! Make their day special and go with their flow and do what’s important to them. We have a rule in our house – you have to try every ride one time. If they don’t like it, then they don’t have to do it again. Make sure you make the day fun! I love being the coolest Mom at Disneyland! We tell jokes and my kids for one day have my undivided attention. I play like I’m a kid again and it does so much for my relationship with my kids. Don’t forget why you wanted to take the trip!
You can read through our Questions and Answers post for a lot more specific information. If there is a question that you did not see answered here you can write to me at lisa@overthebigmoon.com. I don’t have information on hotels since we get to stay with Grandpa when we visit.
You can see the rest of our Disneyland series here:
Fantasyland Guide: Ride by Ride!
Frontierland & Critter Country – Ride by Ride!
Adventureland and New Orleans Square – Ride by Ride!
California Adventures and Cars Land
Disney lunch box jokes and 2 week countdown
If you are looking for a way to save some money on your next vacation be sure to check out Get Away Today for some HUGE savings!
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