Someone at work asked me about Disneyland tips. I think I'll attack this post from that perspective.
Tip #1: Fly if you can. With the new Provo airport, and both Breeze and Allegiant flying down to the John Wayne airport, flying for us has become an affordable option. Lori and I flew down a few days early to enjoy some couple time. When it was time to fly back, we traded our luggage and carry-ons for Bella, a car seat and a stroller. What a win! Flying back with her was amazing!
Tip #2: Purchase Genie Plus service. I worked the Disneyland app like a boss. We constantly had an attraction booked via the Genie service. When our times were hours out, the service would let us hold multiple bookings. And when attractions such as Indiana Jones and Roger Rabbit crashed, those passes converted to "wild cards" which we could use on any attraction available via Genie. We rarely waited in line.
Tip #3: Work against the flow. Let me explain. We rope dropped every day. It's a fact that morning crowds are lower than afternoons and evenings. But we came in towards the end of the rope drop madness. That way, we didn't spend hours waiting for the park to open. When we did go in, we would head to rides that typically don't experience rope drop madness. While hundreds of people flocked to Rise of the Resistance, we headed to Pirates. With an insane amount of people migrating to Radiator Springs, we did Soarin'.
Tip #4: Accept the fact that Peter Pan permanently has a 40 minute wait.
Tip #5: Use mobile order for food and merchandise.
Tip #6: Don't be afraid to split up your group. Braden, Jason, Mason and Parker left us for a bit to build light sabers. Bella needed naps. Honestly, one of my favorite moments was walking Bella until she fell asleep, then hanging out with her in a quiet place. It's good to slow down and just appreciate how lucky you are to be where you are!
Tip #7: This one saddens me, but accept the fact that you might have some in your party that are a pain point. When someone gets moody, just give them space. I suppose this applies to any family vacation. Don't let one fool ruin things for you.
Tip #8: Mix things up. You don't have to ride with the same person each time. Everybody brings something new to each experience. Build core memories with every one you can.
Tip #9: Enjoy your time in line. Share stories. Make plans. Order food. Plot your next Genie plus reservation.
Tip #10: Be water. Things will change. Problems will come up. Just go with the flow, and adjust as needed.
Tip #11: Jungle Cruise and Tiki Room are freaking awesome. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise! And the Disneyland Railroad. I might have taken multiple laps on it.
Tip #12: Mickey Pretzel with jalapeño and cream cheese is a snack that must be enjoyed often.
Tip #13: This is a reminder for me, and it's outside of the park, but Coco's restaurant has taken a serious nose dive. Don't go back!
Tip #14: The local Walmart has a ton of Disney and California merchandise.
Tip #15: A vacation rental is superior to a hotel room(s). We played card games, ate together on down days, did laundry, etc.
Tip #16: RunDisney puts on some amazing races. We LOVED running through the parks. I highly recommend experiencing this at least once.
Tip #17: Create a shared photo album and go crazy! We had so much fun sharing photos, and now have a large bank of them to fall back on for memories and stories.
