When I think back to my first few visits to the Disneyland Resort, I’m amazed at how much I missed out on by making just a few basic mistakes. Disneyland has TONS to see and do, and knowing where to start can sometimes be overwhelming. With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of the Top 5 Disneyland Rookie Mistakes. If you can avoid these traps, your trip to the Disneyland Resort will be that much more magical!
5. Limiting yourself to staying on property.
The Disneyland Resort is embedded right in the middle of Anaheim. Disney World visitors may be used to the “Disney bubble”, where staying off-property can be frustrating and time consuming. That is not at all the situation on the west coast. The Disneyland Resort bumps up right next to Harbor Blvd., which is FULL of discount to mid-range hotels. The best part? These hotels are virtually the same exact distance from the park gates as the Resort Hotels, which are on the other side of the property. So if you don’t want to blow your budget on a hotel, don’t limit yourself to the Disneyland Resort’s pricey rooms. Some of the nearby hotels are “good neighbor” hotels, which means they sell park tickets and sometimes offer discounted room rates.
4. Counting on standby for nighttime shows.
Daytime shows are almost exclusively standby, you hop in line and hope for a good seat. But nighttime shows are completely different. World of Color and Fantasmic! are both water shows, which create a kind of bottleneck blocking the view from most of the park. If you want to see either one, you need a dining package or a fast pass in order to see much. Otherwise, you’ll have a partially obstructed view at best. Fast passes are available day-of in the park, and you can book dining packages ahead of time. If you’re willing to pay for the packages, they are the best option. Packages include a special dinner and a preferred viewing area for the shows!
3. Not using fast pass or single rider lines.
Fast passes are the worst kept secret among Disney Parks fans, but many people still don’t use them! They are free, easy to grab, and will save you TONS of time. The other time-saver is the Single Rider line. You do get split up from your party on a ride, but you can meet up at the end. That intimidates a lot of people, but honestly, it’s not like you can really talk on a roller coaster anyway. (And if you want a group photo on a ride, you can use fast pass!)
2. Skipping the smaller attractions.
Any Disneyland visitor would be remiss not to ride the world famous Pirates or the various Disney mountains, but a lot of Disneyland newbies develop a kind of tunnel-vision in the parks. Of course you should visit the big rides, but don’t forget about the smaller attractions, shows, and themed dark rides. Disneyland does nostalgia and storytelling like nobody else, and attractions like Mr. Toad and the Storybook Land Canal Boats are the kings of both. If you ask me, these rides are what really make the magic come alive in Disneyland.
1. Being ruled by your touring plan.
Most visitors have at least a rough idea of what they want to see and do in the park, but remember that a touring plan is a guide, not a mandate. Flexibility is key. Facing a long line or overcrowded show? It’s OK to deviate from the plan. If you’re too bogged down in getting from Point A to Point B in a certain window, you’ll miss opportunities for magical moments. During my last visit to the parks, I wandered into the square in Frontierland while my family took a bathroom break. A cowboy was playing the fiddle, and he posed for me while I took pictures and gave me a fantastic bow and wink after his song. I would’ve breezed right past him if I didn’t stop to smell the roses. Those little moments are what you’ll remember, and what give you that Disney feeling you can’t quite describe.
The coolest cowboy in town.
There’s no right or wrong way to visit Disneyland, but these simple tips will save you time and a little stress. Remember this mantra: leave room for magic. Take the time to look around, check out the little things, interact with cast members. You never know what might happen.
What are your Disneyland tips? What rookie mistakes would you avoid in the park? Let me know in the comments below!
Try to catch the flag lowering ceremony at the end of Main Street about a half hour before sunset. There’s a marching band, performance of patriotic songs by the band and the Dapper Dans barbershop quartet, and a musical tribute to each branch of the military. While they play the service anthems, they ask guests who served in the military to come forward. Then everyone sings the Star Spangled Banner. Very stirring. We just happened to catch it when coming back from a late lunch. Will make a point of it in the future. I assume there’s a raising ceremony in the morning.
Not that I’ve ever experienced! Unless I’m mistaken, I believe the flag has already been raised when the gates open to the public. But you’re absolutely right; the flag retreat ceremony is very cool and worth seeing at least once.
I like what you said about not being owned by your plan. But I only get to visit the park once every few years, so I don’t like wasting time looking around because there are so many rides to see.
That’s an excellent point, Anthony. Of course you should make the most of every second you have in the parks. What I mean by taking time to smell the roses doesn’t just mean dropping everything and wasting time. It could be as simple as really taking in your surroundings while waiting in line for a ride, looking for Hidden Mickeys as you pass from land to land, or just taking a different path to get to a show. Even little things like that add up to discovering new things in the park. I hope that helps!
Good tips, especially #2.
This is awesome! Will write these down.
Thanks, Oscar! 🙂