I guess I am still in Disney-mode, because I keep thinking about the little tips I have picked up on our trips to Disneyland with the kids the last two years - and a few things I learned this time that I will do next time. So, hopefully you can use these tips on your next trip:
1. Timing - If at all possible, make your trip on a weekday, but try to include Friday as your last day because certain shows only happen on the weekend. We went on Thurs, Fri, Sat this last time, and the crowd on Saturday seemed double the crowd on Thursday. Friday was a happy medium between the two.
2. Plan ahead - Check Disney's calendar in advance to find out about ride closures and construction - when we went, there was a lot of construction. The entire area over by Splash Mountain and the Pooh Bear ride was closed. If you know about the closures in advance, you can either avoid mentioning those rides to your kids or let them know in advance that you won't be able to go on them - depending on how your kids usually respond to disappointment.
3. Don't pay for drinks - Bring in as many drinks with you as you can - as long as they aren't in glass containers, you can bring them into the park. We save a lot of money by having juice boxes for the kids, and we don't buy the kid meals (they come with drinks) - we just all split adult meals. And this might sound totally cheap, but I bring powdered drink mix with us and ask for a kid's cup with water to mix up the juice. Saves about $2 per kid per meal, which can add up over 3 days of Disneyland. We also had some sodas for us, and would just ask for a cup of ice from the kiosks - not from the restaurants.
4. When I did research on Disney tips, I found a few worth passing on. When you go into Disneyland, head over to Adventure Land and New Orleans Square first, and then work your way around the park going clockwise. Most people go counter clockwise, starting in Tomorrow Land - so you avoid some of the crowd, and get to rides like Pirates and Indiana Jones first. Here is a
map of the park.
5. Bring your own glow sticks/bracelets - I stopped in at Target and bought several packs of the glow bracelets for $1 each. At night, the vendors bring out all their glow stuff and it is really expensive for just a few hours of fun. Also, the glow bracelets make it easier to spot your kids while walking around the park.
6. Buy your own Disney t-shirts (or make one) before you go - I am not that into character t-shirts, but the kids want to wear them in the park. Target or WalMart have very affordable shirts with Disney characters on them.
7. My friend Stephanie let me in on this tip - give your kids their snacks only when waiting in line for the rides. That way you can actually give them something to look forward to and it might make the long lines go faster.
8. Check the times in advance for the special shows or character visits - knowing when the parades, princess visits, etc are, you can save some money on the character breakfasts and lunches (though we did decide that Ariel's Grotto was worth it, the one thing I didn't like was having other diners in the background of all our pictures).
9. Our new favorite restaurant is Cafe Orleans - we used to go to the Blue Bayou for their Monte Cristo sandwich. We found the exact same sandwich at the Cafe Orleans, it costs less and it is available for lunch AND dinner. I found out the hard way that it is only a lunch item at the Blue Bayou. And it has outdoor seating so you can watch the Princess Tiana show on the weekends.
10. Ride the train around the park at least once - it's a nice break and it might show you parts of the park that you will want to go back and see again.
11. Photo Opps - If your kids are into the characters and you want to get their photos taken, show no hesitation and just jump into the line as soon as you see one. When we got our photos with Mickey and Minnie, I just saw a line in New Orleans Square, but no characters yet. And I just got in the line and then asked what it was for :) If there is a line, something good is going on!
We got really lucky this trip and always got to have our photo taken with the characters, but we saw many other people turned away from the line. The characters only stay out for so long, and then their attendants close the line. And then your kids have a meltdown...
12. Best places for naps - We left our schedule open to either go back to the hotel for naps, or nap on the go if Miles cooperated in the stroller. He did end up falling asleep for an hour or so, and I would wander around trying to find a quiet spot for a nap. The best place I found was right inside Toon Town - there is a round sitting area with plenty of shade, and though it is near the monorail tracks, it doesn't make too much noise.
