As a heads up the lines to buy tickets for Disneyland and California Adventure can get really long. especially right at opening. Save yourself the time, and emotional drama of standing in line for ages with your kids by buying your tickets online before you go.

Additionally Buying your Tickets in advance (online) can save you a lot of money. Check out the best deals available and get your tickets now --> HERE <--

When planning a Disneyland Vacation for your whole family every dollar counts. Saving money on your tickets or hotel rooms makes it so you can either have a longer vacation or makes it easier for you to indulge in those extras (like the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique, Character Dining or even making your own lightsaber) that make your Disneyland vacation that much more magical and memorable.

Yes, there are lots of places you can get your Disneyland tickets at a discount. Costco, Citypass, friendly travel agents. However, If you are looking to get the best prices on your Disney Vacation I highly recommend booking through Get Away Today. Not only do they offer exclusive deals on tickets and accommodations that can't be beaten, but they also have a great layaway program where you can lock in your vacation for just $175 down. If you are booking a Southern California Vacation with tickets as well as 2 nights hotel stay use code: THEQG to save an extra $10.  -->Book HERE<--

Unless you live nearby Disneyland or have a season pass allowing you to go multiple times a year I highly suggest planning your Disneyland Vacation for three or more days. There are two main reasons for this:

1. There is just too much to see and do to realistically pack it into just one or two days. Oh, you can try but you will get overwhelmed doing so which can spoil your experience. It's way better to break your Disney vacation up over several days to pace yourselves so you can soak it all in and enjoy your experience to the fullest.

2. Disney has this amazing thing where the daily price of your passes goes down if you stay for more than 2 days.

While Disneyland is a popular destination all year round, there are still days and seasons that are way more busy and crowded than others. While sometimes you don't have a lot of control when you can go on your Disneyland Vacation (spring break, summer break, fall break, and winter break) you can still see which days are best to go for the least amount of crowds.

A great resource for planning your Disneyland vacation is this Disneyland Crowd Forcast Calendar.

Both the Disneyland and California Adventure Parks are massive with soo much to see, do and experience. While this means there is no end of family fun you can enjoy on your vacation, it also means that it's important to have a PLAN for your visit. Otherwise, you can end up over exhausted at the end of the day and frustrated that you didn't make it to all the rides and attractions you really wanted.

I totally recommend paying to get a Disneyland plan over at the Happiest Blog on Earth. for 1 low price, you can get a special Disneyland plan bundle with multiple 1-day Ittenaries perfect for every member of your family.

Use Code: GROVE for 5% off! -->HERE<--

I know when you are on vacation the last thing you want to do is wake up early. Yet It is well worth it to arrive early to make sure you are near the front of the line when the park opens. It will still take time to scan your tickets and go through security and the sooner you are inside the park the happier the kids will be.

I recommend aiming to arrive an hour before opening if possible.

Save yourself a lot of frustration in trying to find where you parked at the end of the day (or midday if you have to go back to your car for any reason) by taking a quick photo of where you park.
Personally I do this any time I have to park in a large parking lot. This trick has helped me more times than I care to admit. 🙂

Even if you are utilizing your Maxpass there will be some lines you will have to wait in as well as downtimes where you will want to distract your kids. Small lightweight printable games like my GUESS WHO SAID It (DISNEY Edition, Pixar Edition, & StarWars Edition) trivia games are perfect for this.

I recommend printing them on cardstock for more durability. You can also laminate the cards to really make them last.

The Maxpass allows you to use the free Disneyland mobile app to select your FastPass without having to physically go to the kiosks! That means as soon as your ticket is scanned at the park entrance, you may begin choosing your first FastPass. This way you get to enjoy all your favorite rides while saving lots of time by avoiding those long lines.

MaxPass also comes with Disney PhotoPass. The PhotoPass is a way to keep all your photos that are taken by a Disney photographer together. This includes pictures that they take of you in popular photo spots, photos were taken of you at character dining meals, and attraction photos captured on select rides.

For more information about The Disney MaxPass check out my article --> HERE <--

Generally speaking, once you have a Fastpass you won't be able to get another one until after the return time for your current pass unless your return time is over 2 hours away then you can grab another pass in two hours (even if you have used that first fastpass). So you will want to make sure that when reserving a fast pass that you get the soonest time available.

That's right, Disneyland has it's own app. You really want to download this app before you leave for your Disneyland Vacation. It is totally free and had tons of real-time information to help you during your visit. Including park hours, character meet and greets, parade and showtimes, bathroom locations, ride requirements, etc)

You can also link up your tickets and Maxpass for use at the parks. Get the App-->HERE<--

Of course, you never plan to get separated from your kids while at Disneyland or California Adventure. Especially if they are young. However, the reality is that with big crowds it can happen. (I know every mother's nightmare.)

If the worst should happen and you are separated having a photo taken that day of your kids in what they are wearing will be very helpful to security in finding your child.

Before you leave your Hotel, write your Contact Info on your kid's arm in pen and then cover with clear nail polish or liquid bandaid. (this will keep it from rubbing off)
This way if they get separated from you whoever finds them as a quick way to contact you.

If you are taking multiple young kids to Disneyland you want to be able to spot them easily. Dressing them in bright matching shirts makes this easier.

Lots of people dress in neutrals so bright colors stand out. If you want to still look Disneyesque you can easily make custom Disney vacation shirts with a fun design on them with a Cricut.

If you are planning on buying a pair of Mickey or Minnie Mouse ears to wear around the park during your Disneyland Vacation, I highly recommend buying them ahead of time online for a couple of reasons:

1. If you buy them ahead of time you can wear them before you even arrive at the park. You will also save time having to find them at one of the many stores.

2. You can find a larger selection of Mickey and Minnie ears online (on like Amazon) than at the parks.

3. You can buy Mickey and Minnie Ears for a lot less online making it so you can get more than one pair to match your different outfits (girls this is for you!)

Check out the great styles and deals for Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears on Amazon --> HERE <--

Throughout Disneyland and California, Adventure Disney has Professional Photographers ready to take your photo. With the Maxpass for just $10/day you can have as many photos taken as you want (even ride photos.) you can also get free digital downloads of those photos.

However, you can also ask these Disney's Professional Photographers to take photos of you with your own phone or Camera free of charge! Don't worry about asking them, really they are asked to do this ll the time and don't mind at all.

When visiting Disneyland with kids you may discover that there are certain rides that some of your kids either aren't tall enough to go on or don't want to go on. In those cases, Disney's got your back in the form of their rider switch program.

The parent (or supervising guest over 14) that will be waiting with the child or children not going on the right gets their ticket is scanned to show they are doing the rider switch. Then after the others enjoy the ride the parent who stayed behind gets to go to the designated entrance (usually the Fastpass or attraction exit) where they have their tickets rescanned and then they get to go on the ride without waiting in the long line.

I know as a rule you want to avoid lines wherever possible (especially with kids.) However since you can only use soo many fast passes in a day, lines are going to be a reality of your trip to Disneyland And California Adventure. This is not a bad thing.

Know how hard waiting in line can be, Disney has done a phenomenal job of providing shade and theming their ride line areas to make it more enjoyable for you and your family.

Waiting in lines is also the perfect time to break out your snacks and drinks to refresh a bit. This is also the perfect time to pull out one of those printable games I recommended you bring to play.

Going to Disneyland is more than just enjoying some thrilling rides. It is all about making magical memories. One activity that kids love is meeting their favorite Disney Character's found throughout the parks.

When they meet these characters it only takes a moment to snap aa fun photo with these characters and get their Autograph so your kids can remember this experience better.

There are a lot of autograph books that you can buy (online and at the park.) However, I also have a fun free printable you can enjoy. Get it -->HERE<--

In order to make a plan for your park visit and being able to take advantage of Fastpasses and Rider Swaps is to know which rides you are most interested in then finding out important information about those rides:

*Where in the Park the rides you want to enjoy are found.

*Which rides do and don't offer fast passes.

* Which rides are closed for refurbishment.

*Which rides are most popular and you need to get a fast pass early before they are sold out.

*Which rides have a height requirement not met by someone in your party.

If you are planning on going on any wet rides I would recommend wearing clothes that dray fast without lots of discomfort, (aka not denim) and as an added protection, invest in Dollar store ponchos to wear. They fold up light and small so they won't be easy to take with you.

As an added bonus if the weather changes while you are at the park ad if it starts to rain you can pull out your ponchos to keep dry.

Nothing is worse than hangry kids. So why not outfit each kid with their own fanny pack filled with small lightweight snacks that they can snack on as they get hungry? It's amazing what a granola bar or raisins can do for keeping kids happy while out at the park between meals.

While I am normally a backpack kind of person and I even have travel backpacks for each of my kids, when spending time at an amusement park where you will be getting off and on rides all day a Fanny Pack is the way to go. They are small can snap around your kid's waists. That way they don't have to take them off to go on rides.

In addition to snacks, you can pack a small lightweight poncho, their autograph book and even those fun Disney Pins kids love to trade!

Disneyland Vacations require a lot of walking. While this isn't normally a problem for older kids, youth and adults (as long as you pace yourself) it can be quite difficult for younger kids.

Have a stroller on hand for when your younger kids start to get tired can make a huge difference. Disney understands the need for strollers and has convenient stroller parking outside most rides where you can park your stroller and grab it again after your ride. (I have even let my kids nap in their stroller when I haven't wanted to go back to our hotel for naptime)

If you don't want to bring your nice stroller with you, you can always rent one when you get there. Disney has strollers for rent but you can also rent non-disney strollers in California to use that might even be more comfortable.

As a reminder: If you are bringing a stroller to Disney that you have brought from home or rented make sure it fits the NEW DISNEY PARKS STROLLER RESTRICTIONS. Your stroller has to be smaller than 31"x52" to be allowed into the park.

Not everyone knows this but all Disneyland and California Adventure tickets have free re-entry for the same day. So if you want to head back to your hotel for naptime, or take a break from the busy park and visit Downtown Disney for shopping and food you can do so before heading back to the park for more rides and fun!

Sometimes waits and lines for food at Disneyland can be long. However, a way to cut down on your wait time is to use your Disneyland App to order your food before you even get to your desired Disney Eatery. (This includes yummy treats like dole whip)

All you have to do is:

Open Your Disneyland App

Click Order Food.

Select your desired restaurant and click 30-minute arrival window.

Sign into your account.

Make your food selections. 

Click View My Order. Make sure it is correct then select purchase

When you arrive to the Mobile Order Pick Up area tap I’m Here, Prepare My Order.

The App will keep you updated on the status of your order and will notify you when it is ready.

Disneyland is known for amazing food and dining experiences. However many of their restaurants (like the Blue Bayou) book up fast. If you want to guarantee your spot you will need to make a reservation.

You can book your reservations -->HERE<-- up to 60 days in advance.

Let's be real here for a moment. Disney has a lot of fun things available that you can buy while at Disneyland and California Adventure. I'm not just talking about in their shops, but everywhere you turn. They have Mickey Balloons, bubbles, ice cream bars, ears. Fun toys and merchandise for Disney characters, Marvel and Starwars.

And the fun items aren't just for kids. With the new Starwars land, you can build your own lightsaber or droid. (I know my husband is dying for one.)

Needless to say, while you totally want to set aside money to spend at Disneyland, you can end up spending a ton of money if you aren't careful. I would advise that before you go, set a budget for how much you are wanting to spend each day on treats and merchandise (you can even check prices on bigger items that you want so you can know how much to budget.) Then let your kids know what/how much you are able to purchase each day so they can set proper expectations. Like you can have x # of treats and merchandise each day up to $$

There is nothing worse than getting back from a magical family vacation and then not having any good photos to remember it by. Whether you decided to bring an actual camera or just want to use the one on your phone you will want to make sure you keep it out as much as possible.

In addition to taking group family photos, photos of the rides, attractions, park and of course food, you don't want to miss capturing your family members in those candid moments that are priceless.

Additionally, there are lots of beloved Disney Characters who are roaming the parks who love to entertain and look for fun photobombing opportunities.

When it comes to taking family photos on vacation you often use selfie sticks. However, you may or may not be aware that Selfie Sticks are strictly banned from Disney Parks.

If you try to bring one in it will be confiscated. If you manage to smuggle one in, it will be confiscated as soon as you try to use it. They have even shut down attractions and rides to do so.

Trust me it is not worth it. If you want a really cute photo taken of you and your family, just ask one of the many Disney Photographers at the park to take it for you. Again, you can even have them do so with your camera or phone.

Did you know that for just $10 you can rent a Cell Phone Battery pack and charging cord to charge your cell phone? When the battery is dead you can then exchange it for free at any of the many kiosks throughout the park.

This way you always have a charged phone to use to take photos, post on social media those photos that make all your friends and family jealous that they aren't there with you, and of course it lets you utilize the Disneyland App. Remember with the Disneyland App you can get info about the rides, check wait times, order food, and if you pay for the max pass you can digitally set up fast passes and keep track of all the professional photos taken of you and your family.

There is soo much to see and do at Disneyland that if you aren't careful you will find yourself running from one thing to the next. If you do this you can end up overdoing it on your first day and then struggling to make it through the rest of your Disneyland Vacation.

If you take your time you can still see and do a ton of things and you (and your kids) will have a much more enjoyable time.

If there are favorite Characters you want to meet (and get autographs & pictures with) then don't leave it to chance. Disneyland publishes a schedule of times and locations for some of their more popular character which you can pick up a paper guide when you arrive at the park as well as find the information on the Disneyland App (which shows you the info real-time.

Disney Lockers are well worth the price. You can use them to stash warmer clothes for later in the day, snacks and drinks you don't want to carry around with you throughout the day and even those fun souvenirs you purchase at one of the many shops but don't have time to drop off at your car or take back to your hotel. They are also great to stash valuables like watches, phones and cameras before going on wet rides.

Lockers come in different sizes ranging from $7-$10 a day with unlimited use.

No matter how you plan your time at Disneyland you will spend a lot of time on your feet both walking and standing in lines. Heels, Flip Flops, and strappy sandals may look cute with your outfit but they are not worth the pain come the end of the day. Your feet will thank you for choosing comfortable shoes for this trip.

When traveling with kids it is important to be prepared. Kids fall, get blisters, scrape themselves and adults get headaches. Here are a few items I recommend packing for such emergencies.

Bandaids

Moleskin (in case of blisters)

Neosporin

& your preferred headache meds (ibuprofen, Advil, etc)