Are you planning a trip to Disneyland, but you’ve never been there before? My family and I live in Arizona and Disneyland is one of our favorite vacation destinations. When people find out we are going to Disneyland, they usually ask “Disneyland, again?” Yes. Disneyland. Again. We’ve been there so many times that I decided to write down Disneyland tips for first time visitors!
Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors!
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Disneyland is not only enjoyable for us as a family, but it’s also convenient. Because we live in Arizona, we’re able to drive to California in one day, and we like that we can take what we want, and travel at our own pace. Not only are we able to save on airfare, but we are also able to save on food since we are able to bring food with us.
Even though we visit Disneyland at least once a year, we still experience something different every time we go. We usually buy three day park hoppers, and even then, we still aren’t able to see everything. So here it goes. Here are my Disneyland tips for first timers!
Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors
- Download the Official Disneyland App
- Purchase Discounted Disneyland Tickets and/or Vacation Packages
- Make Park Reservations
- Genie+, Lightning Lanes, and Virtual Queues
- Experience Newer Attractions Earlier in the Day
- Enjoy Performances and Parades
- Book Dining As Soon As Possible
- Bring Food and Water to Save Money
- Bring a Portable Charging Device for Cell Phone
- Celebrate Special Occasions at Disneyland
- Mobile Food Ordering at Disneyland
- Take Advantage of Single Rider Lines
- Additional Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors
1. Download the Official Disneyland App
One of the essential Disneyland tips for first time visitors? Download the Official Disneyland App. It’s a lifesaver. You can link your park tickets in the app and you can also purchase Genie+ and Lightning Lanes through the app (more about that below). It not only tells you the wait times for the rides, but it also list places to eat (including the ability to mobile order food), and locations of restrooms. You can also view the photos taken by the Disneyland photographers via the Official Disneyland App.
Looking for Disneyland tips for first time visitors? From character experiences, to waiting in lines, to dining, here are some tips to keep in mind when planning a family vacation to Disneyland.
2. Purchase Discounted Disneyland Tickets and/or Vacation Packages
This is a big one. Disneyland rarely sells discounted tickets. However, I purchase my discounted Disneyland tickets through my affiliate Get Away Today.
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3. Make Park Reservations
After you purchase your park tickets, you’ll want to make park reservations as soon as possible. Click here to make Disneyland park reservations and here for Disneyland calendar availability. If you have a park hopper ticket (meaning that you can visit both Disneyland Park and California Adventure in one day), then you can switch to the other park beginning at 11 am that same day (subject to capacity).
4. Genie+ and Lightning Lanes
Disneyland recently replaced its FastPass and MaxPass program with Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. To find out more, click here. Because it costs extra, the expenses can quickly add up. During my family’s last visit to Disneyland, we pre-purchased Genie+ with our park hopper tickets through Get Away Today. It wasn’t bad as I had imagined it to be, but the more popular rides do become unavailable as the day progresses. So if there is a particular ride that you want to ride, I recommend you reserve it as soon as possible. Rides like Radiator Springs Racer, Rise of the Resistance, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway are not included in the general price of Genie+, instead those rides are paid a la carte. And the price depends on the day of your visit. My friend Leslie from Trips With Tykes has extensively written about it out and you can read her strategies here.
Additional Disneyland tips for first time visitors? Radiator Springs Racer is one of the rides where guests can purchase a lighting lane to avoid waiting in long lines.
5. Try to Experience the Newer Attractions Early in the Day to Avoid Long Waits
Others might disagree with me on this one, but I like to ride the newer attractions first thing in the morning, especially those that are not eligible for Genie+ or Lightning Lanes. Case in point, Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters in California Adventure. The line for Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters gets long so try to get in line as early as possible. Also, if you are going to try to wait in a standby line for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, I recommend doing that earlier in the day. That’s because the ride is notorious for breaking down several times throughout the day. Speaking of Star Wars, click here for my best Star Wars experiences at Disneyland, including tips and strategies.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is one of the rides that is eligible for a Lightning Lane purchase.
6. Enjoy the Performances and Parades
Disneyland is more than the rides. It’s definitely worth it to see the parades and nighttime performances. Click here to find out more info about the parades. During my family’s recent visit to Disneyland, we were able to experience World of Color at California Adventure and the fireworks at Disneyland Park.
7. Book Dining Reservations, Including Character Breakfasts, as Soon as Possible
Dining reservations can be booked 60 days in advance, so you’ll want to make sure you book dining reservations as soon as possible. We try to book at least one character breakfast for each trip to Disneyland. For example, during our last trip to Disneyland, we ate at the character breakfast at the Grand Californian (in Storyteller’s Cafe) called Mickey’s Tale of Adventure. The food was delicious and it didn’t interfere with our time in the park since it’s at a hotel and doesn’t require park admission. We were also able to make reservations for the morning we were scheduled to drive back home.
*You can also use MouseDining to get dining alerts for particular restaurants. For example, I was able to book reservations for the Blue Bayou during a previous visit, thanks to MouseDining.
8. Bring Food and Plenty of Water to Save Money
One of my other Disneyland tips for first time visitors? Bring your own food and water to save money. Disneyland allows guests to bring certain food and snacks in the park as well as bottled water. But, be sure to check the guidelines beforehand, to make sure you aren’t bringing in something that’s not allowed. We usually pack snacks and bottled water in my husband’s backpack.
Are you planning a family vacation to Disneyland for the first time? Here are several Disneyland tips for First Time Visitors, from character experiences and breakfasts to celebrating special occasions.
9. Bring a Portable Charging Device for Cell Phone
This one is very important, especially since you will be using your phone to access the official Disneyland app throughout the day. The battery to my cell phone drains fairly quickly, so I make sure to bring a portable device to charge my cell phone. Just make sure that your portable device is charged as well! I made the mistake of not charging my portable device one day, and it was difficult to look things up once my cell phone’s battery was completely drained.
Bring a portable charging device so your cell phone has enough battery to take photos of the park at night.
10. Celebrate Special Occasions at Disneyland
I love celebrating special occasions at Disneyland, from birthdays to anniversaries to first time visits! If you are staying at a Disney hotel, you can obtain a commemorative button at check-in. If you aren’t staying at a Disney hotel, though, never fear – you can still obtain commemorative buttons at the following locations: City Hall in Disneyland Park and Guest Services in California Adventure. Wear the button throughout the day and you’ll find Cast Members congratulating you!
If you’re celebrating a special occasion at Disneyland, you’ll want to make sure you get a commemorative button.
When you make dining reservations, you’ll also want to be sure to mention if you are celebrating a special occasion. During a previous visit to Disneyland, we splurged and made reservations for our favorite restaurant Blue Bayou. I told them we were celebrating our wedding anniversary upon check-in, and they surprised us with dessert! The same goes with character dining. During a previous visit to Disneyland, my family participated in a character breakfast. My husband and our son were celebrating their birthdays and proudly wore their birthday buttons. The cast member brought out cupcakes to them at the end of the meal.
We were surprised with dessert for our wedding anniversary!
11. Mobile Food Ordering at Disneyland
Yes, you can order food and beverages ahead of time at certain locations using the official Disneyland App! Click here for locations that accept mobile orders. But you’ll want to plan ahead, especially if you want a dole whip at the Tiki Juice Bar in Adventureland.
12. Take Advantage of Single Rider Lines
I’ve been known to take advantage of single rider lines for available attractions at Disneyland to avoid waiting in long lines. Not all the rides have this option and it’s subject to availability. But usually, I’m able to get in the single rider line for Space Mountain. Other rides that might have single ride lines available at Disneyland include Matterhorn Bobsleds and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. And the following rides at California Adventure usually offer single rider lines: Goofy’s Sky School, the Incredicoaster, Radiator Springs Racers, Grizzly River Run, WEB SLINGERS and Soarin’ Around the World.
While the single rider lines are a nice option, it’s more difficult to do when you are traveling with younger children. When my son was too young to ride, my husband and I would take turns watching our son, while the other would go on the ride using the single rider line. But otherwise, we’d skip the single rider line so that we could go on the ride together as a family. Still, it’s a nice option to have for those who want to avoid waiting in long lines or who want to avoid purchasing a lightning lane.
The entrance for the single rider line for Space Mountain is actually near the exit of the ride.
13. Additional Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors
Other Disneyland tips for first time visitors? Measure your child’s height before your visit. That way, you can avoid disappointment if your child isn’t tall enough for a particular ride. Along those lines, use the rider switch pass if your child isn’t tall enough to go on a particular ride. Also, wear comfortable walking shoes. And keep in mind that both parks have First Aid stations in case you or a family member needs an item like a bandaid. And last but not least, it’s not essential to stay at a Disney-owned hotel in order to experience everything. There are several Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels nearby, including the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance.
Additional Disneyland tips for first time visitors? Make sure you measure your child’s height beforehand to avoid any disappointment.
Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors.
I see a stroller can save little legs? So a stroller is a yes?
Yes, I highly recommend a stroller! We saw another family with a child that was around my son’s age – they didn’t have a stroller, and the wife asked her husband if he regretted that they didn’t bring a stroller. He didn’t directly answer her question – just said he thought the stroller would slow things down. I like having the stroller, though, and I don’t find that it slows us down much.
I love these tips for a memorable first time visit!