How I Did Disneyland in a Day

Mickey Mouse. Disneyland. Disneyworld. Minnie Mouse. All in my 3 year old son’s vocabulary ever since we took him on his first Disneyworld trip when he was just 11 months old. I have been a handful of times during my adulthood and I think Tony and I have a pretty good system down for making the most of a Disneyland trip.

This time around there were two things that made this trip for me very different than what I am use to. One-I did not go with Tony or Donovan and had the pleasure of going with my sister and her 2 year old son. I did, however, catch myself thinking, Oh, I wish D was here to see that or Tony would really appreciate this moment right now. Two-instead of going for 5-7 days like we usually do, I only went for one day, so I knew that I had to have the best game and time efficient plan in order to make the most of my trip.

I know he didn't come with me, but I just HAD to share this picture of this little cutie!

The nice thing about this time’s trip was that I felt like I was going to have the chance to just “be” and relax. Tony’s and my main focus when going is to catch as many rides as we possibly can every day and all day. Parade watching and shopping or walking around aren’t really a priority for us. Stuffing our faces with the over-priced (but totally worth it) Disney treats and riding Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain over and over again is where you will catch us. And of course waiting in line for hours for the Peter Pan, Dumbo, and meeting Mickey Mouse is where you will catch us with D.

To be honest, I was a little leery about only taking one day at Disneyland and even thought, would it even be worth the money and time? But after eliminating and planning, the trip was worth every moment and I hope that this may help some of you if you plan a one day adventure in Disneyland:

Planning Before You Go:

·         Where to stay? We LOVE the Grand California Hotel in California Adventure, however, I could not justify staying there only one night being that it is pricey. Another option that we love staying in is the Candy Cane Inn. Yet again, we wanted to find somewhere cheaper because we only needed a place to sleep. Air BNB was PERFECT and we found THE BEST host, Minh. Check her place out because it’s only 2 miles from the park (we had a car to drive) and she made our stay so smooth and easy!

·         Pick only one park to go to. We decided not to go to California Adventure and although I WAS going to miss cocktails, lobster nachos at the Cove Bar , and Cars Land, I knew that we would benefit more out of Disneyland because of who we were with. If it were only Tony and I going we probably would have done California Adventure. 

·         Even though reservations at some of the restaurants are already booked months in advance, just double check! We were able to make reservations for Café Orleans for lunch at 12:40 PM.

·         Download the Disneyland APP!!!!!! IT IS A MUST!!! This will be your life while you are in the park!

Parking:

·         $20 for the whole day.

·         You can catch the tram that is only about a 10 minute ride into DownTown Disneyland.

Once we were in the park:

·         Figure out the hours of the park. During the summer they, open at 8:00 AM and close at midnight. Our goal was to be there as early as we possibly could. We did get there at 7:00 am and waited in line. They let us through the main entrance at 7:30 and then let us through the castle at 8:00 am. During that last half hour of waiting there was great photo taking opportunities on Main Street!

·         Since we were there so early, the park was not nearly as busy, surprisingly to Tessa and I. Like usual, once we got in, we went straight to Peter Pan being that we had her son (okay, okay, I actually do love this ride). It only took us 20 minutes to get through the line and then we were able to walk right into the other 3 Fantasy Land rides (Snow White, Mr. Toads ride, and Pinocchio).

·         Throughout the day, we got fast passes to the rides we knew for sure we wanted to ride on. Thunder Mountain is by far my FAVORITE ride and Indiana Jones.

·         I was actually able to enjoy and ride the train that toured around Disneyland! This train gives you so much information and history about Disneyland itself and it’s a great way to rest your feet from all of the walking!

·         We prioritized parts of Disneyland we wanted to spend most of our time. Toon Town and Critters Country unfortunately did not make the cut, but research the different parts and figure out what meets your needs.

Food (because that is the best part, right? At least for me J)

·         New Orleans is, by far my favorite part of Disneyland. The intricate and beautiful designs of the buildings are so interesting to look at and walk through and it houses the coveted Club 33 that take up the entire upstairs of the square. 

• The Mint Julep Bar sells the infamous Mickey Mouse Beignets are a perfect breakfast treat while you are on the go.

I WISH I was on the other side of that door!!!

·         Café Orleans is also right in the New Orleans square and serves the famous Monte Cristo sandwich. We opted for the Pommes fries and chicken sandwich; be sure to know that you will share these item with at least another person because they are very large sized servings.

·         The best place for ice cream is The Gibson Girl Ice Cream Shop right on main street!

At the end of the day:

·         Disneyland provides the most entertaining and beautiful shows that I have ever experienced. When the sun sets, there are a couple of different options that you can experience during the evening. This time, we chose Main Street Light Parade. This parade starts at 8:45 and 10:30 and runs about 20-25 minutes. If you truly want to enjoy this beautiful display, plan to start staking out a spot 2 hours early. Usually, Tony and I take turns guarding our spot while the other takes D on rides. It worked out perfectly for Tessa and I being that we were on the go all day and just wanted to rest. We bought our dinner and ate right there while we waited and I urge you, that it is WORTH the wait!

·         Immediately following the light parade, the gorgeous fireworks show will light up the sky. Make sure you make your way towards the castle right away to get a good spot. We opted to not stay for the fireworks because we knew how hard and long it would take to get back to the tram to the car. Just keep in mind, if you stay for the fireworks, know that it will take some time getting out of the park.

There are so many more experiences and things I could write about Disneyland, however, because I only had a day, that is all I have for now! Our next trip will definitely involve Donovan and will be yet again, a magical experience.

Have a great week friends!

XOXOXO

Tiff