Audra's (Very Basic) Guide to Disneyland

Because our family goes to Disneyland frequently people often ask me to help plan their trip to the park. I don't mind helping at all. It's fun to share some of the tips that we've picked up along the way. Save this for when you are planning your next trip, or forward it to a friend who is planning to go! If you do have questions, please ask me. It is honestly so much fun to give others helpful tips so that they can have the most magical day, too.

So, here’s “A (Very Basic) Guide to Disneyland.” It can’t cover everything (it’s Very Basic, you see), but it’s enough to get you started.

Arrive early

We always get to the park in time for “rope drop.” The gates open an hour before the scheduled park opening time, during which guests pass through the main turnstiles and head down Main Street. People spill into the central circle at the entrance to each of the various lands in the park where Cast Members hold ropes to prevent further entry. When the park officially opens the ropes drop and you can head to your first attraction. Getting into the park early helps you get on several high demand attractions without waiting in long lines. It’s also a fun experience to be there right when the park opens. The energy is so fun!

If you only go to Disneyland once or twice a year, consider purchasing Genie+. It adds a little bit to your ticket price, but it will save you an enormous amount of time waiting in lines and each professional picture that you have taken by a Cast Member will be free for you to download.

It takes longer than you might think to get inside the park in time for the official rope drop. We have found that the easiest parking is the Mickey and Friends parking garage because you can quickly go through security and board a tram that takes you right to the park. The time it takes from entering the garage to standing ready for rope drop is at least 30 minutes—more if you need a restroom break—so plan accordingly.

Pick your "must rides" in advance

Before your scheduled Disneyland day, make a list of the rides and experiences that are most important to the members of your party. It’s not possible to get on every single ride in one day, so make a list of the ones that are the most important. Download the Disneyland app to look at the park map. Group your list by area of the park. Make a note if your attraction is eligible for Lightning Lane (more on that later). Also note any height restrictions if you are traveling with smaller kids. Disneyland is a stickler for height restrictions. They will not budge no matter how much you plead. (Believe me, I have tried. And failed. Multiple times.)

Disneyland recently introduced “Genie,“ a free itinerary building service. At the time of this writing (April 2022) I do not recommend using this service. It does not get you to the rides that matter most and constantly suggests things you didn’t want to do. It also constantly tells you to go to a restaurant. It will leave you frustrated.

As you wait for the rope to drop, decide which land you will enter based on your list of must-see attractions. Head there first. If you’re using Disney’s new Genie+ service, be sure to make your first Lightning Lane selection when it becomes available. It’s smart to tackle this while you’re standing in your first line of the day. This is a great guide for how to use Lightning Lane, Genie Plus, and Individual Lightning Lane.

Generally speaking, try to avoid walking clear across the park between attractions. For example, if Space Mountain is our first ride of the day, we usually take a ride on the nearby Autopia or Star Tours next. We know we’ll get to other parts of the park as the day moves along. I suggest you use this strategy throughout the day. By using Genie+ to guide you on your Lightning Lane times, you can then layer in the rest of your "must ride" list in between.

Most people have Rise of the Resistance on their “must ride” list. If you didn’t purchase an additional Individual Lightning Lane pass for this ride, you will need to get in the standby line. In our experience if you see the wait time is at 75 minutes or less, get in line. This is about the shortest that the line will be—however we have found 75 minutes often means 60 minutes. Generally we do not cross over into this land until after 10AM which allows us to knock out many of our other “must rides” while lines are still shorter.

Bring your own food

Disneyland allows you to bring in your own food and beverages. Ensure that each person in your party has their own water bottle. There are water fountains throughout the park. If you do happen to forget a water bottle, you can get water for free from any vendor that offers fountain drinks. You just have to ask! Each member of our family wears their own backpack and carries their water and food with them. Backpacks are allowed with you on all rides and in all lines. Strollers are not allowed in any line and will need to be parked in designated areas.

We have found that bringing our own food in not only saves us a lot of money, but it also saves us a lot of time. Food lines are often very long. It's nice to be able to eat while you wait in line for an attraction without having to also wait in line for food. Some great (easy) food ideas that we keep in our backpacks are: hard boiled eggs, celery, granola bars, fig bars, PB&J sandwiches. None of these require refrigeration. You can also bring in a small cooler and stash it inside a locker if you want to keep things chilled. While we do bring in our own meals and some snacks, we will sometimes get a treat while there. Gibson Girl for ice cream or a frozen lemonade from a street vendor are great treats for hot afternoons.

If you want to really save some money, bring some of your own candy. You can buy large lollipops from the grocery store for a fraction of the cost and they are literally the same thing as what your kids will beg for on Main Street. We also like bringing in Tootsie Pops and dole them out throughout the day.

Notable Favorites

• Fantasyland is the prettiest at night. Even if you don't ride the rides, make sure you take a stroll through at night!
• Mickey's Mix Magic is just as magical viewed from Main Street (we like to stand right in the middle of the street near Gibson Girl). Most people wait for hours to stand in front of the castle to see the show and fireworks, but you could save yourself some time and opt for Main Street.
• Parades are so awesome at Disneyland! I would recommend getting a seat for them at least one hour before they start. We always use that hour as a resting time. Sitting on the benches between Alice in Wonderland and the Castle is our favorite spot. In some areas there is no curb on the other side so all the cast members in the parade look right at you and wave to your kids. It's pretty magical!

TummyGize

We have had upset tummies at Disneyland. Not too often, but every once in a while the combination of too many treats, too hot days, and all those rides just don't mix. I always have this in my backpack at Disneyland (along with a few other favorites!) It may say “KidScents” on the label, but don’t let that fool you. This is one of my favorite oils to use when my stomach isn’t feeling the greatest.

Since TummyGize is prediluted, I snap an aroma glide fitment roller (from Young Living) right on the top. To use, we roll directly onto the hurting tummy in a circular motion. Since TummyGize has Tangerine in it, the smell is slightly sweeter than other essential oil blends that help with upset stomachs and digestion. TummyGize has been a lifesaver too many times to count after we’ve been out to eat. I always keep one roller at home and one roller in my purse for when we are on the go. I’ve never regretted using it!

Thanks for reading! Do you have a Disneyland tip to share? I would love to read about it! (When you hit reply, your message goes directly to my email. It’s a private conversation between just us.) I read all your messages and try to respond, but not always in a timely manner. Sorry! And if you enjoyed this email, you’d be doing me a favor by forwarding it to someone else who might like it.