Welcome to Ask The Duchess Vol. 13, a monthly Q&A post covering a variety of resort-related topics. Ask The Duchess answers questions submitted by readers. If you have a question you’d like answered, send me a message here!
1. What time does guest relations close? (Submitted by Angelina)
The guest relations buildings are open as long as the park is open! If you need further assistance when the parks are closed, stop in any of the Disneyland Resort hotels and they’ll be able to help you 24/7.
2. Are Disneyland and California Adventure connected? Like can I get from one park to another without going through the turnstiles? (Submitted by George)
No, Disneyland and California Adventure are completely separate parks. To cross from one to the other, you’ll need to exit, cross the promenade, and enter the other. But you don’t have to go through bag check when you hop parks, which is super convenient!
3. Do I need dining reservations for my trip, or will I be ok without them? (Submitted by Andrea)
That depends on the kind of dining experience you want. If you are fine with quick service for every meal, don’t bother. But if you want a table-service meal, I’d recommend making reservations.
4. What’s your go-to Disneyland snack? (Submitted by Carrie Ann)
I don’t have a single answer to this one; it depends on the day! I pretty much snack all day when I’m at Disneyland, and I probably have churros, cake pops, and popcorn the most.
5. Why is Disneyland’s castle so much smaller than the one in Disney World? (Submitted by Kenny)
Disneyland’s castle was one of Disney’s first attempts at forced perspective. At the time, there were no mountains or massive attractions to dwarf the castle, so the trick worked! By the time Walt Disney World began construction in the 70s, Disney anticipated the arrival of bigger, more dramatic things in the park. They adjusted the height of their new castle so it would still loom over the rest of the park, a feature Disneyland unfortunately doesn’t share.