#disneytrips

Yay! You’re ready to start planning your first Disney trip! Well, maybe you’ve gone before as a kid, but it’s time to get serious. Disney planning can get exhausting if you’re not too experienced with the parks. There are so many tips and tricks that I can give, but here is a crash course on simply planning the trip, specifically Disneyland. In this post we’ll go over the best time to go, how long you should stay and where to plan to spend your time, and planning ahead to maximize your time and why! If you’d like to just skip ahead and get the info, I’ll bold all the important info to get right down to it. I’ll be doing a series of first Disney trip posts covering the different aspects on how to make your Disney trip as magical as it can be!

Best Time to Go

Disneyland is a very popular destination for people all over the world, it’s important to be mindful of when you go so you can really enjoy it. While it may seem exciting to go during the holidays like Halloween and Christmas time, those are the busiest and most crowded times and the time of year you do go effects how much your tickets will cost. Hotel and travel fares will also be very high. Putting cost aside, during the holidays, the parks are decorated and there are different shows, attractions, even the characters are dressed differently! Definitely go during this time, but not for the first time. Without all the dazzle of the holidays, Disneyland is still a very magical place with many surprises and magical moments! Try avoiding any times the California districts are on school breaks as well. The locals love getting as much Disney as they can whenever they can! January, February, April, May (right around Mother’s Day), and early September are the ideal times to book your trip!

How Long to Stay & Where to Go

If you spend any less than three days at the parks, you’re really missing out! One day at Disneyland, one day at California Adventure, and one day to get in everything you missed or want to try again! Let’s be real, you are not going to be able to experience everything Disney has to offer the first trip. It’s just not possible. But give yourself a chance to take it all in and the time to do it. You’ll want to see all the shows, meet all the characters, and get all those classic pictures! That’s where those Park Hopper tickets really come in handy! Park Hopper tickets do cost more, about $50 more, but they allow you to “hop” back and forth from either park to get the most out of your Disney experience. More than worth it!

Where to Stay

If you’re looking to save money, Priceline, Trivago, and Kayak are great to compare costs! No matter where you end up staying it’s very important to consider what you would be more comfortable with when going to and from the parks. Parking at the park costs $20 each day and using a ride sharing app would probably end up costing just as much if not more pending on how close you are. My personal recommendation is to stay close. There are many hotels within blocks of the parks that are reasonably priced and it’s more than worth it to get that extra time at the parks and not spend them in the car a lot of them even offer a free shuttle to and from for those of you with kiddos. I definitely recommend staying at the Hilton Anaheim Convention Center. It was amazing being close enough to see the fireworks from our hotel window! It’s by far the nicest hotel we’ve stayed at during our Disney trips. The hotel is so clean, beautiful, and comfortable and there’s a Starbucks right in the lobby! A must!

Maximizing Your Time

Definitely more to come on this topic, but here are a few very important tidbits. Download the Disneyland app. This will allow you to scan right into the park with your phone, get photos from the rides, view wait times for rides, see when characters will be available for meet and greets and where, and literally so much more. This app is a must have! Maxpass will also make your life much easier and will allow you to truly maximize your Disney experience. It costs $15 extra per ticket per day. It allows you digital access to all the photos from any ride or photographer (that’s right, all those super cute castle photos!) additionally, you can plan out all of your FASTPASSES not only as soon as they’re, but as soon as you scan your ticket into the park so you don’t have to go to the FASTPASS stations to get them.

Planning a trip to Disney? You have most things packed, but want to know some insider tips on what “other” things to pack? Well, here they are...

1. Heated Lunchbox

I know, seems random...Why do you need this when there is food a-plenty at Disney? Because: Leftovers. Let’s say for example, you go to a restaurant at Disney Springs, and you want to box up your food. You get back to the hotel to realize you don’t have a microwave in your room. Welp, toss your food in this box in the refrigerator, and when you’re ready to eat, take it out and plug this up! Warm, delicious food right from your room! Note: Please always read safety instructions.

2. Solar Charger

This one, I gotta give cred to my husband. He’s always finding handy gadgets! This is the most convenient way to charge your phone while in the parks. As we know, there’s commonly plenty of sun in Florida, so it works well! We set it in the cupholder on the stroller, and when our phones begin to die (and we risk not capturing memories or cool pics of Disney snacks), we plug our phones into this. It charges quickly too! You can find this gadget here, and we highly recommend it.

3. Stroller Light

This is a product of Etsy Genius, StrollerSpotter! At Disney, you cannot take your stroller into attractions or rides. You have to leave it in a parking sea (no, ocean) of strollers. And, then the kicker, it’s night time and pitch black out. This light is clever, and allows for your stroller to illuminate amongst the other strollers. It can attach via an antenna or just the bulb itself can strap to the stroller handle (that’s how we do it). It comes in a variety of colors too!

4. Stroller Tag

This goes right in-line with #4. So, you also need to find your stroller in the day time. This stroller tag solves that! You can customize it with your family name, thread colors, and more. We chose lime green, because we thought it was likely not a popular color and would stand out.

5. Glow Sticks Jewelry

I know, another random packing item. But, these gems really are a hit! So, at night when you are scrambling to find a spot for the fireworks show, and there are a million people around, you want to be able to see your family. We pass the bracelets, necklaces, and headbands out to the kiddos (and adult kiddos too), and it’s a fun way to enjoy the show and not lose anyone. This photo featured here has a ton of pieces, but featured it here as it had a pretty neat Mickey Mouse-esque ears’ headband.

6. Quarters and Pennies

These coin pressing machines are all over Disney, and are such fun items to collect. You can even purchase books that save your pressed coins’ collection. With that said, your kiddo is likely to want every coin at every coin machine there is. It’s so fun to crank the machine, and get your prize! I recommend packing a coin purse with quarters and then also the shiniest pennies you can find. Then, you’ll be ready to go!

7. Ziploc Bags

I’m not posting a photo of a ziploc bag, as it’s pretty likely you know what they are. :) But, I pack a few ziploc bags for our Disney Snacks (which, I did post a photo of because they are delicious). We all know Disney Snacks cost a pretty penny (hey, save that penny for #6). And, sometimes the snacks are so big, you can’t finish it all in one swoop. I carry a few ziplock bags to stash our yummy snacks in. It keeps them fresh, and then they are not wasted.

8. Straws

We always pack a few plastic straws, as the straws given with Disney Drinks are paper. I am one, to totally respect the concept of a paper straw, the thing is, the weather in Florida makes a drink melt and sweat so quick. Then, the paper straw is floating around in tiny particles inside your drink. And, who wants to swallow paper chunks? So, simply pack a couple plastic straws, and you’re good to go.

Disclaimer: Please be responsible, please recycle, and please properly dispose of your straws. 

9. Large Bandaids

So, at Disney...you walk a lot, and sometimes run if your kiddo bee-lines for a character. After all that exercise, even with the grandest, most comfortable shoes, you can get a blister. And, once you get one, it’s hard to not think about it on your trip. And, that’s not magical. We stash a few of these in our bag, and we’re all prepared.

10. Crossbody Wallet and Phone Case

I love, love, love, love this thing! This case snugly holds and protects your phone, still allows you to take photos, holds cash and cards, and more. You wear it crossbody style, so it’s snug and close to you. You can adjust the strap, so it’s easy to pull your phone up and take a pic while wearing it. Knowing that these valuable items were safe gave me much peace of mind. It allowed for me to not have to worry about carrying around a purse. This is one of my favorite items!

Beyond excited!!!

My best friend and I were able to get an appointment on the same day.

We are the first and second official appointments with an amazing artist after her big move from NY.

Can’t wait!!🌸