My top Disneyland Tips:
(Please keep in mind my tips are geared towards being prepared in order to reduce stress, and saving $ in order to do more things. If any of those don't apply to you feel free to skip the tip)
More tips can be found in my travel packing tip list (coming soon)
BEFORE:
Have a family meeting prior to entering the park. It helps to know what each family members top "to-do's" are. These items should be top priority in order to prevent upset family members. You will also want to strategize shows near rides, times, parades, meeting characters, etc.
Look at the park's daily itinerary for the days you're going to be there (this helps plan what to see & when) You can find this on their website https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/day/
Make any specialty dining reservations to restaurants of your choice (can be done up to 6 months prior)
Find out where the fast pass distribution areas are ahead of time so you can get them. Remember, you can only get one fast pass at a time, so plan accordingly.
A popular thing to do is to have color coordinated or matching family outfits. If this is something you want to do, allow time to design and have them made. Or, you can purchase already made items. *Bright clothing is an excellent way to find family members that may have drifted away, recommended for little ones.
Princess dresses are popular to wear at the park, bring them with you as dresses in parks are a bit pricer.
If you have a princess in your family, you may want to consider advance reservations for "Bippity Bopity Boutique" where they will inherent a fairy godmother for a day who will give your princess a makeover. Included is VIP entrance to meet the princesses.
Look around house for small light up toys that you could bring with you when it gets dark (saves money from having to buy the ones they sell there)
If you want to save money on souvenirs consider buying them ahead of time. You can find mouse ears, etc on eBay. One thing you can do is have them waiting for your child when they wake up. Hopefully they'll be surprised and not have the desire for more things in the park ;)
Be sure your items are labeled with phone numbers in case someone else should find them.
Download the Disneyland Park app to track show times, ride wait times, and more
BRING INTO PARK:
Portable Phone Charger- your phone battery charger will drain quickly in the park.
Snacks & Beverages (I pack my hydroflask, bottles of water, and ziplocks of ice from hotel), I also pack packets of hot chocolate and tang.
Stroller- the ones Disneyland rent out do not recline. Strollers are useful for holding everyones stuff as well as tired kids lol. One tip is to cover your stroller with a bright towel or pareo so you can easily find your stroller amongst the sea of others.
Light toys
Extra clothes (if you plan to get wet)
Warm Clothes (if its Fall/Winter, days could turn cold once the sun sets)
Sun Protection: Sun Screen, hat, sunglasses
Ziplock Bags- These are useful for food left overs, keeping phones dry, portioning snacks for kids each other, etc.
Sharpie- Useful to label items newly bought items, label drinks with each other's names, etc.
Lavender Oil- Helps to calm everyone down. (Another one of my favorite items is Rescue Remedy by Bach)
AT THE PARK:
Fast passes- You will want to get a fast pass for the ride of your choice (you've figured out in planning) first thing you get to a park. Usually they are an hour or two (sometimes longer) after you request them.
Play games while waiting in line: Charades is a good one, or download the "Heads Up" phone app game. Very fun to play while waiting in line.
Also know that you can hold spots for family waiting in line. Example: If the kids want to take pictures with a character, another person could be waiting in line for a ride to hold the spot for everyone.
OTHER TIPS:
Coming from Hawaii there is a time difference, California is ahead of time. So you will usually find yourself waking up later than normal. This is why we could never take advantage of any "magic hour" (where hotel guests can enjoy the park an hour before the public)
Downtown Disney is the free part of Disneyland that has shops, restaurants, and sometimes entertainment. One cool feature is the Starbucks there allows the kids to draw on an interactive screen that allows you to see people at the Orlando Starbucks.
The area in between Disneyland Park and California Adventure Park is a great place to watch the fireworks. We usually watch them the night we land in LA, then try to rest up for the next day.
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