Going to Disneyland in 2 weeks

[kangaroo11]

I've not spent a full day at Disneyland since I went with my middle school band. Lol I have no idea what I'm doing as far as Disneyland for my daughter. She's 3 and we're staying one night at the Disneyland Hotel and going to the park the next morning. She loves the princesses, but Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Ariel are her favorites. Tell me what to do because I'm overwhelmed!

[alleinesein]

First thing you need to do is check the calendar for the day you plan on going to Disneyland.  That will give you an idea of how you should plan your day.

Since you are staying at the Disneyland Hotel you will be able to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours.  Disneyland EMH days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  California Adventure EMH days are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.  

Park hopper- yes or no?  You will have more flexibility with a park hopper and there is stuff for kids at both parks.  

Princess stuff- there is a small princess area next to the castle.  They do princess meet and greets and they have a small theater for storytelling.  You can also hit up the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique so your little one can get princessified.

When you check into the hotel ask if you can get a room in the Adventure tower facing Downtown Disney.  You will be able to see the fireworks from your room on the night you check in. The headboards in the room are interactive so be sure to turn off the lights and turn on the headboards.

The pool area at the Disneyland hotel is pretty nice.  If the weather is warm you might want to plan some pool time.

If your visit to Disneyland does happen to coincide with an EMH day you will want to head over to the main gate at least 30 minutes prior to park opening.  This allows for time to walk over, get through security and get in line.  The monorail is scheduled to be down in 2 weeks so wear comfy shoes and plan on walking a lot!  Once you get into the park make a beeline straight for Fantasyland.  Most of the rides will be open so you can easily hit up 3-5 rides in an hour.  Peter Pan always has the longest line so try to hit that one first.  

Character meals- you have a few options.  You can dine with Minnie and friends in Disneyland at the Plaza Inn.  It is a buffet and it tends to be quite hectic at times.  Ariels Grotto at DCA also has character dining for breakfast and lunch.  Goofy's Kitchen is another option; you can always grab a light snack in the morning and then do Goofy's for lunch. You can check out of your room and have lunch and then head back into the park for the afternoon.

[kangaroo11]

We are going into Disney on Wednesday, so no EMH. We're not going to do park hopper, since I figure we'll be coming back soonish (we live on the opposite side of LA).

Is Peter Pan scary? I just want to let DD experience Disneyland and meet some princesses. Lol Are there fast passss I need to do, like people talk about for Disney World? What is the best option for breakfast?

[Deleted]

Peter Pan is not scary it's a slow story book ride. The line gets very long. I don't think there are much you can fast pass if she's less than 40 inches although you can take advantage of ride swap if you want to ride the bigger rides. Use one fast pass for the ride then ask for a ride swap. You can "double fast passes" that way. Fast pas rides are buzz light year, Indiana jones, space mountain (they do run out), star tours, and one more I can't think of. The princess hall is the best way to meet princesses pixie hollow near buzz has tinker belle and another fairy friend

[rootbeerfloat]

If you stick to Fantasyland and similar type rides, most don't need a fast pass. Buzz Lightyear might, and that one is fun. To get one, stop by the ride early in the day, scan your tickets at the machines, then come back at the designated time and go through the fast pass line (which basically lets you cut).

A few of the little kid rides are in the dark (or partially in the dark), so that's something to consider if she's afraid of the dark.

Winnie the Pooh in Critter Country is trippy lol. And It's a Small World is a classic, IMO.

[TBM]

Apr 27, 2016 14:21:19 GMT -5 Loco Coco said:

My 2 and 4 year old love Winnie the Pooh, Small World, Dumbo, and Peter Pan the most. Most things in fantasyland really. And riding the train around the park. Lol. 

Add in Casey Jr. (preferably the monkey car-lol), Buzz Lightyear and The Enchanted Tiki Room,  and that about covers the kids in our family (the grandkids and ours when they were little) too.

[alleinesein]

Apr 27, 2016 12:00:45 GMT -5 kangaroo11 said:

We are going into Disney on Wednesday, so no EMH. We're not going to do park hopper, since I figure we'll be coming back soonish (we live on the opposite side of LA).

Is Peter Pan scary? I just want to let DD experience Disneyland and meet some princesses. Lol Are there fast passss I need to do, like people talk about for Disney World? What is the best option for breakfast?

There are no rides in Fantasyland that have a FP; those are still limited to the bigger rides (Space Mountain, Star Tours, Buzz, Big Thunder, Indiana Jones, Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain).

If you want sit down breakfast in the park you are limited to breakfast with Minnie at the Plaza Inn or Carnation Cafe.  Everything else will be quick service.

The best place to meet the princesses is going to be eating at Ariels Grotto in DCA.  There are no lines to stand in and the princesses stop at your table.

Since you plan on returning you should look into getting an annual pass.  The SoCal Select pass is $329 and it works out to be $19.50 a a month on the payment plan if you put $95 down. If you come back to visit at least 2 more times it will pay for itself and it will allow you to explore both parks.  It does have block out dates (weekends and holidays plus a few weeks in the summer) but if you are already going to be spending $184 for one visit with another one planned soon you might as well get an AP.

[alleinesein]

Apr 27, 2016 14:21:19 GMT -5 Loco Coco said:

My 2 and 4 year old love Winnie the Pooh, Small World, Dumbo, and Peter Pan the most. Most things in fantasyland really. And riding the train around the park. Lol. There are different princesses on different days at Royal Hall to the left of the castle. Get the Disneyland app so you can see ride times and where characters are and what times they'll be there.

The train is closed right now  But they do have an engine parked at Main Street station and you can talk to the conductors and they have a coloring activity area for kids.

[kangaroo11]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I'll probably buy passes next year so we can go more often. This time, a few of us have free passes, so we won't do the annual one yet.

[demofea01]

We just got back from Disneyland with our two year old. He enjoyed the Fantasyland rides; Peter Pan, Pinocchio, etc. He LOVED the damn carousel and also got a kick out of Pirates of the Caribbean. We took him on the Haunted Mansion as well. He's young enough that he doesn't get "scary" like an older kid does. They have a fast pass for it and you can usually ride Pirates and then go right over to the Haunted Mansion for your Fast Pass.

[demofea01]

Apr 27, 2016 22:20:29 GMT -5 Loco Coco said:

Apr 27, 2016 21:08:24 GMT -5 demofea01 said:

We just got back from Disneyland with our two year old. He enjoyed the Fantasyland rides; Peter Pan, Pinocchio, etc. He LOVED the damn carousel and also got a kick out of Pirates of the Caribbean. We took him on the Haunted Mansion as well. He's young enough that he doesn't get "scary" like an older kid does. They have a fast pass for it and you can usually ride Pirates and then go right over to the Haunted Mansion for your Fast Pass.

OMG, yes, the carousel. I'm always thinking, "dudes, we can ride a flipping carousel at the mall, mmkay? Let's do something else!" But they love it so much.

All the live long day. "Ride horse? Ride horse? Ride horse!" I was calling it Satan's carousel at one point. There was a 20 minute line and I got yelled at about riding the horses the whole time. Why was there a 20 minute line for the carousel? Satan's horses.

[livinitup]

You might like a reservation at the Plaza Inn for lunch. It's a good way to break-up your day and the Plaza Inn has characters - and is close enough to Fantasyland to be convenient for your day. Dining with a 3 year old is so hit or miss - but it might be nice for YOU to have a break.

Will the hotel let you go back for a dip in the pool? I'd ask. You might want a break in the afternoon and staying on-property (the night before) might get you a courtesy key to the pool. Just pack a separate swim bag and leave it at the front desk. Disney folks might be able to handle this. They are usually so nice.

[kangaroo11]

I'm not worried about the pool much, since we have one and my parents have a really sweet "hotel style pool" with a slide and cave. lol