16 Ways to Make the Most of Your Disney Park Vacation Travel

Here are some travel tips from our recent experience at Disneyland.

1. Bring a backpack with snacks and activities for your little one.

It might seem strange to bring activities to Disneyland or Disney World, but you might need them in case your little one needs to calm down.  Coloring helped our daughter when she needed to rest or get through a tantrum.  If you forget your crayons, you may be able to find coloring stations at near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland or Pleasure Pier at California Adventure Park.

2. Spend less time in line by taking advantage of single rider lines and FastPasses.

3. Download a park map or app to your smartphone to plan each day.

4. Decide where you will eat.

There are lots of dining options at Disney Parks, but it's best to decide where to eat based on your (family's) dining preferences, interests, and dietary restrictions.

Restaurants at Fantasyland at Disneyland and Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park provided a variety of dining options.

5. Get a hand stamp to leave the park for lunch.

At Disneyland, there are several dining options across the street from the park.

6. Take the Monorail from Disneyland to Downtown Disney for more food options.

7. Decide where you will spend most of your time based on your children's interests and age levels.

If you have toddlers, you might consider spending most of your time in Fantasyland and ToonTown at Disneyland or A Bug's Land and Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park.   If your child loves Disney Junior shows or Frozen, he or she will really enjoy California Adventure Park.  Keep in mind that you will be sitting on the floor for about half an hour for the Disney Junior show.  Older kids might want to ride the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, and Splash Mountain at Disneyland or Soarin' Over California and the California Screamin' Roller Coaster at California Adventure Park.

8. FastPasses aren't just for rides.

We used the FastPass at Disney California Adventure Park to schedule a meet & greet with Anna and Elsa.

9. Disneyland's Tom Sawyer Island and California Adventure Park's Redwood Creek Challenge Trail are great ways for your child or children to walk, play, expend energy, and discover.

10. If your child is afraid of the dark, the dark rides may not be much fun for him or her.

While we (the parents) enjoyed Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Mike and Sully to the Rescue, and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, I think our little one didn't enjoy them as much as we did.  She was also frightened inside Sleeping Beauty Castle.  However, she really enjoyed the Casey Jr. Circus Train, Fantasyland Carousel, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, and It's a Small World at Disneyland and Flik's Flyers and Heimlich's Chew Chew Train at California Adventure Park.

11. Travel to Disney Parks during the holidays to experience holiday-themed rides.

12. Avoid travel to Disney Parks during the holidays to avoid long wait times.

Wait times above an hour for popular attractions like the Haunted Mansion and Pirates at the Caribbean were common during our holiday visit to Disneyland and California Adventure Park.

13. Rest your feet in the Enchanted Tiki Room in the Adventureland section of Disneyland.

14. Buy mult-day tickets upfront or keep your first day single-day tickets so you can purchase multi-day tickets to save money on Disney Park Tickets.

15. If you visit Disneyland, stay at a hotel along the Anaheim Resort Transportation (ART) Shuttle Route.

16. Buy the all-day or multi-day pass for the Anaheim Resort Transportation Shuttle to save money.

Question: What tips do you have for travel to Disney Parks?  
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