For Disney people like me, taking your child to Disneyland for the first time is a monumental occasion. Although this is not her official first trip to a Disney Park this is the first trip where she can walk/run, has developed full fledged opinion and voices it regularly, and is in the middle of potty training. I consider myself a Disneyland professional but tackling the parks with a toddler is a whole different beast. I admit I did a fair amount of research during the week prior to my surprise trip to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure so some of these tips aren't my own but they are the ones that benefitted my toddler the most.
- Measure your toddler at home - Rides are a huge part of the Disneyland/DCA experience and we wanted to take our 2 year old daughter on as many rides as possible. Although there are a lot of rides that anyone can ride, there are some with height restrictions. If you measure your kids at home you can get a general idea of the rides that your child can go on and try different shoes to see if there's a pair that gives them a little height advantage. You can then use that information to plan your trips itinerary and avoid running around measuring your toddler at the attractions themselves. If the Cast Members suspect that your child doesn't make the requirement they will ask you measure them in front of the attraction and then once more before getting on the ride itself.
- Prep your toddler for Characters - We have all seen the kids that are terrified of meeting their favorite characters. I didn't want to risk the screaming and crying scenario, and the best way I found to prepare my daughter was to show her videos on YouTube of small children meeting different characters at the Parks. I showed her the size difference and explained that they are a lot taller and their heads are a lot bigger when you meet them in person. For a small person who is used to watching Mickey or Minnie on TV or playing with their plush characters, seeing them in person might be a little intimidating but I have to say my girl handled the photo ops like a pro.
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| Top row: Toon Town Bottom row: Jingle Jangle Jamboree - on the path behind Big Thunder Railroad |
- Bring your own souvenirs - I've written about how to save on Disney souvenirs before and if you want to read more on that click here but when it come to toddlers I think this tip is especially important. As parents we all know that it is hard to keep our kids occupied and we also know that it's too easy to spend tons on trinkets to keep them happy, especially at a place like Disneyland. In order to keep this trip as thrifty as possible I tried to pick up little toys the week prior to our trip to bring with us. My plan was to pull them out when my daughter wanted something that was out of our price range and also to keep her occupied while waiting in long lines. I spent $10 on tons of glow sticks at the local Dollar Tree (we still have a bunch left) for our nighttime adventures and another $12 on a small toys. We did buy some special merch from the Parks to remember our first family trip but overall we spent under $100 on glow sticks, 5 small toys, a book, an Eeyore plush, a Disneyland Pin, and a wooden Disney Parks train. That total could have been lower had we inspected our receipts but more on that later.
- Bring a ton of snacks - Disneyland and DCA have no shortage of things to snack on but they aren't always the cheapest or healthiest options. We drove to Disney so we were able to bring a lot of goodies with us, from drinks to fruits and veggies and even some chocolate. Little baggies of carrots and grapes saved us from a melt down more than once. As a mother of a toddler I usually bring at least one snack with us wherever we go, why should this trip be any different? Make sure you pack your snacks in accessible area so you don't have to unload everything to reach them. Also, keep in mind all bags will be checked prior to entering the Parks, so remember to leave all alcohol and glass containers at the hotel.
- Take in all the Magic! - We wanted to do everything that we could during this trip so that meant catching shows and parades like "Fantasmic" in Disneyland and "Disney Jr. Live" and "The Play Parade" in Disney's California Adventure. Check the show and parade schedules for both parks during your trip dates, once you decide which ones you want to catch and you can figure you when you might want to watch them and plan the rest of your day around that showtime. My daughter is in love with all the Pixar films so "The Play Parade" was perfect for her and we watch "Fantasmic" regularly on YouTube so I knew she would love to see that in person.
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| The Play Parade - in front of Carthay Circle Theater, to the right of the doors. We got there 10 mins before the parade started and we still got an amazing view, which got even better when we made friends with the family sitting on the curb. |
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| "Disney Jr. Live" a 30 min show that features The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. The show is located in Hollywood Studios near Off the Page. |
- Attend Rope Drop at least one day of your trip - Rope Drop is the ceremony that officially opens the Lands. The Park opens at 8 am if you don't have Magic Morning hours, get there around 7:30 it you can, take Sleeping Beauty Castle or Disneyland Railroad pictures, take in all the wonderful details around Main St. U.S.A., then head over toward Fantasyland about 10 mins till 8 am. Listen you the announcement welcoming you to Disneyland and wait for the ropes to drop! The lines are considerably shorter and there are always a few characters wandering around to greet guests. While in Fantasyland wait for Toon Town to open at 9 am., Mickey and Friends walk to the gate pick one or two special kids each to walk with them to their picture spots. We are able to visit with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Goofy within 30 mins, it was a perfect start to our day. Not to mention the photo ops are countless.
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| The majestic Big Thunder Mountain |
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| Practically deserted Fantasyland |
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| Toon Hole Cover in Toon Town |
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| Mini dance party with a Matterhorn backdrop |
- Ask the PhotoPass Photographer to take pictures with your camera - If you are the family photographer like I am then the PhotoPass Photographers can be very helpful. The PhotoPass Photographers are positioned near all the iconic photo spots like, Sleeping Beauty's Castle, throughout Radiator Spring, and are present during most character meet and greets. If you run across a PhotoPass Photographer and you want a picture of the entire family, ask them if they'd mind taking a few pictures with your camera and they will be happy to help. They will also snap a few shot with their camera and scan a plastic PhotoPass card to give to you, hold on to it and give it to the next PhotoPass Photographer you use. The card has a code on the back specific to your photos and you can access them online later on. Not only will the PhotoPass Photographers give you the chance to be in some vacation photos but if you choose to use the PhotoPass you may get some great pictures that you may have missed during the character meet and greets.
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| Being silly with the Goof! Photo courtesy of a Disneyland PhotoPass Photographer |
- Baby Care Centers are your best friends - If your toddler is potty training then you know that consistency is key and that fact still rings true at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. The Baby Care Centers are a great Disneyland/DCA secret that's not so secret. Not only are they climate controlled but they have areas to breastfeed and change diapers, and they have toddler-size toilets, high chairs, microwaves, an area for the rest of the family to while Mom or Dad is with the baby. They also have a fully stocked area of nothing but baby products for purchase if need anything. Not to mention the BCC Cast Members are lovely women who are happy to lend you an extra set of hands if you ask. The Baby Care Center in Disneyland is located behind the Corn Dog cart near the Plaza Inn and there are 2 in Disney's California Adventure, one is located next to the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate shop and the other is across from The Baker Tour in Pacific Wharf.
- Read your receipts - This is a tip that we didn't learn until it was too late. I don't know about you guys but when I'm at the Parks I hardly ever look at my receipts unless I think that I was charged incorrectly. Once we were home we and collected all the receipts, we noticed that our Quick Service meal receipts had coupons for merchandise at certain stores at the bottom. The coupons did expire the same day at 1 pm but who doesn't want a coupon for Disney merch?! The Cast Members never mentioned it once, so look at those receipts folks!!
- Do your research!! - If you are reading this I can only assume that you are already using this tip but the more research you do prior to your trip the better. If you are planning the trip start to finish and you are new(er) to Disney (or you're just obsessed with Disney like me) then I suggest reading as many Disney blogs as possible, some of my favorites are disboards.com, disneyfoodblog.com and my most favorite is freshbakeddisney.com,. I also highly suggest looking into crowd predictor websites like www.isitpacked.com, download wait time apps like MouseWait, and look into Good Neighbor Hotels. Looking up showtimes and reviews, reading ride descriptions, looking into food options and checking out the Parks layout are all great things to look into before a trip but they can be even more important if you have a small child.
- This isn't really a tip, it's more FYI, parents generally respect the needs of other parents - If your toddler is in need of a time out while at Disneyland then you should address the issue. If you need to exit a line handle the issue then return to your spot, please do so, just make sure it's okay with the people around you first. Nine times out of ten they are happy to oblige and hold your spot, in fact, they might be secretly hoping you address the issue too.
Although I usually avoid the busy Christmas/ New Year season at Disneyland because the crowds are out of control but both parks are especially magical when they are decorated for the holidays and this trip was a surprise from my husband. These tips can really helped during this crazy trip but they are certainly just as handy any time of year. I hope that at least some of these tips and tricks will help you make your trip to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure a little bit more magical for you and your toddler. Enjoy!
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