Travel. It’s my thing. It calls to me. Does it to you? Pretty sure that everyone knows this about me. My husband likes to travel too. We like to take our kids on trips to places they’ve never been. To see the surprise on their little faces. So yeah. We’ve already well established that I like to travel. I’ve traveled near and far. I’ve been to foreign countries. I’ve been to the world of mouse in Florida several times. Lots of times. Times with kids. Times without kids. Even multigenerational family travel times. Traveling in general is just so fun. It’s always an adventure. I can’t get enough of it. Now get ready to be shocked. I’ve never been on a Disneyland vacation. True story.
Image source: Disneyland
Isn’t that crazy? That I’ve never been to Disneyland? How is that even possible? I’ve been to California too many times to count. And yet have never been to the land of mouse. Only ever been to the world. The Wonderful World of Disneyland has been around for quite a while. For over 60 years. I’ve had plenty of time to go…
The time has come to think about going to see the castle at Disneyland. My kids would love it and my husband hasn’t been since he was a teenager. It’s time. It’s time for our kids to see the mouse again.
But this time in California.
At any rate I guess I should get back to planning… If you have any Disneyland suggestions then feel free to let me in on all the secrets! Thanks in advance. 🙂
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If you are planning a Disneyland vacation (or one to Disney World) then perhaps you might want one of these Disney tees:
I know I’ve got my eye on that blinged out Minnie one.
Get ’em and so many more HERE.
Happy vacation planning!
Where to start?! Well congrats on your first trip, I’m sure it will be epic. Be prepared that Disneyland is very different from WDW and your experience will be totally different. Visiting WDW is much more resort focused and the majority of guests are staying on propert for extended periods of time. At DL there are tons of locals and 1 day visitors. You’ll be shocked how small it is too, but don’t worry, we pack a lot of punch into a small space out in CA! I would love to hear your impressions after your trip. A couple of years ago we made the trek to FL and it was so different for us.
We are really excited! Planning on possibly this September? Is that a good time to go? Which do you enjoy better? Disneyland or Disney World? Do you have a favorite?
Oh goodness, where to start. Send me a PM when it’s closer. I’ve got tons of tips, from what rides to hit first to avoid long lines, what Fast passes to grab first thing in the morning otherwise they’re gone, where to eat/not to eat, etc. The one thing I don’t know is character meet ups. My boys don’t care about that, so we never do it.
I for sure will! Is September a good time to go? Less busy?
I grew up about 5 miles from Disneyland. I have been going there regularly since it opened in 1955. There are a lot of things I have learned from experience, but I will just mention 3 things: 1)Arrive early 2)Arrive early 3)Arrive early. For some people/families this is the most difficult thing to do. You’re on vacation. You want to sleep in. But the reality is: On any given day, Disneyland gets pretty crowded after 12 noon, sometimes after 10am. You are paying lots of money & you want to go on lots of rides to make it worth while. What does “arrive early” mean? For example: Let’s say Disneyland “opens” at 8am. Then you start counting backwards: You should enter the park at 7:30am. That means you should arrive at parking at 7am. Main Street is already open & you can look around there if you wish. But by 7:45am you should head towards the Land where you want to start going on rides. There will already be people waiting at the entrance of each Land. At 8am (sometimes earlier, but they don’t tell you!) the Disney employees will “drop the rope” & let the people into each Land. You don’t have to run around, but you should keep moving from ride to ride till your lunch break. After that, just resign yourself to the fact that many rides have a wait of 1 hour or so for the rest of the day. At that point you will be glad that you got up early & you will not feel quite so bad for paying all that money!
Such great advice. Thank you! We are planning to go the middle of September. Good time?
I love DL just as much as WDW, but for different reasons. I have some tips on my blog for when it gets closer. Character meet ups, ride tips, FPes, dining, etc. Hit me up girl!
We are so excited! Have you stayed in the Disneyland hotel?