GUIDE TO DISNEYLAND

I would not call myself a Disneyland expert at all, not even remotely, but I always like hearing people’s experiences and perspective as well as tips and tricks on Disney with small children. The last time we were at Disneyland was February 2020, just before the pandemic, and we hadn’t been since then and a lot has changed, including our kids’ ages. This time we just did Disneyland for one day, not park hopper, so this guide will focus on one simple (does it exist?) day at Disneyland.

PREP

Tickets. There is a current deal through early March on kids tickets for $50/day. Our PTA also has a $50/day deal, worth checking into if yours does as well. Our adult tickets were over 3x this much of course, but it was still a significant savings overall. We went on an off peak-season weekday and it was still PACKED. I can’t even imagine it getting any more crowded but of course, it does.

Hotels. I’m no help here because our vacations are not solely Disney centered, so we stay off site at a resort near the beach. I actually prefer it this way and it is so nice having our own kitchen and quieter pool and beach days. We hear great things about the Disneyland Hotel though, and a variety of nearby less expensive ones.

Timing. We try to get there as early as reasonable possible. We left where we were staying around 7:15am, we arrived and were parked, through security lines, and on the tram within an hour, and in the park ten minutes later. Rope drop is at 8am. These early morning hours are the best and least crowded.

Weather. Unpredictable, and we had it all, which is February in Southern California. Clouds, sun, rain, and back again, all of it. We were glad for layers. We were also glad we brought kids and adult ponchos, and even more glad that we were undercover in a line for most of the rain and we didn’t need them.

Genie+ and Lightning Passes. My sister in law prepped me on buying this and I thought no way was I spending an extra $30/person for shorter lines. Our friends that we were has passes so we did too so we could stay together and we were glad about that. Saved us hours, I am not joking. Not every single ride has this option to book a time, but the ones with long waits do, and for us, to cut down on all the waiting in lines with small kids and to get more rides in, it was worth it.

TO WEAR

For me: I want Disney but subtle. I wore leggings, a mickey tee shirt, a zip off hoodie, a crossbody bag (I love this one so much, similar here), Minnie Ears (a two pack for cheap, great for matching, a total steal because in the park they are $30 each). Shoes, and this is important: wear the sneakers, I wore my not very fashionable but tried and true daily running shoes (same style, current version here). Super happy both weather and comfort wise with my outfit and it served me well.

For girls who are into princesses: my four year old wore matching ears, and this is not Disney, but the best Hanna Andersson tulle play dress which was perfect. It isn’t available right now, but it’s tulle on the outside for the princess factor with a cotton liner on the inside which makes it comfortable all day unlike most Disney dresses. Remember the tumble shorts under. Princess dresses are great too! I’ve heard the tip about Disney princess nightgowns, which can be softer and more comfortable, or also can always wear tumble shorts or leggings under anything itchy too. Target and Amazon have lots of cute Disney shirts and outfits.

My elementary aged son wore this mickey tee shirt and shorts, and my husband wore this mickey shirt and shorts, and their mouse ears are the cheapest ever here. My kids also wear apple air tags bracelets, just on the off chance we lose each other. These aren’t perfect tracking, but something for peace of mind for big crowds.

To consider: going with friends! This was an absolute highlight (and maybe even unrepeatable?) but find yourself some great friends who are the most easygoing travel companions, and go with them. The fun parts are even more fun, and the chaotic parts are more manageable. That was such a dream and so awesome for us all.

TO BRING

In your backpack: external charging bank. Absolutely saved the day. I grabbed a cheapie $6 one the day before and we used it to charge three of our phones during the day, and if we were down three phones that really would have been a problem. The Disneyland app drains your battery very quickly, and you’re using it constantly to book rides, check wait times, take photos, etc. We also brought and were glad to have: hats, sunscreen, bandaids/a tiny first aid kit, and glow stick bracelets! Really fun in the evening. Would have liked to have had: a permanent marker and something creative beyond an autograph book to write on for character autographs: have heard of things like plastic Christmas ornaments, a pillowcase, a shirt, etc.

To stroller or not to stroller. For my kids right now (age 7 and 4), a stroller is key. I am not sure when they outgrow this, but we walked 8 miles and for getting from ride to ride quickly and easily, and for storing all the snacks, we love having this. You can rent one there, we didn’t, we brought our umbrella stroller on the plane. I saw some cool stroller hanging labels with family’s last names on them for finding quickly and easily after the rides (they often can get moved by employees keeping them organized). And they all look like the same black stroller lined up.

To download: the app, of course. For maps and genie+ and wait times and character spotting, all the things. Try to get familiar with it in advance. You can toggle back and forth at the top of the map to view attractions vs characters, etc.

TO BUY/SOUVENIRS

Best thing we bought in the park: bubble wands! (similar here). We bought Buzz Lighyear four years ago and still have it and miraculously, it still works, so we packed that. They are $30 in the park and I can barely believe we paid that last time but it was our one souvenir from the day. These are readily available in many other styles online (or at Five Below for $5 if you are in the Southern California area) and we have one of those and it has held up well. It’s pretty magical being followed by tiny bubbles everywhere and so very Disney. We also bring a small bubble refill solution because it goes fast. You are allowed to bring all of this in.

We do penny pressing for $1 + a penny. The most bargain souvenir there is and it’s fun to choose a character.

In Main Street at City Hall near the entrance/exit, you can ask for free button pins. There are a few kinds: first visit, Celebrating, Happily Ever After, etc. You can ask for which one you’d like.

THE RIDES

The rides we did: we started at Star Wars and did both of those, note that the Lightning Lane at Rise of the Resistance is an extra $26/person (too scary for our 4 yr old so her and I explored), then to Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, Autopia, It’s a Small World, the carousel, Mad Hatter Tea Party, the boat cruise near there, Mickey’s Toon Town and Thunder Mountain Railroad (my family’s favorite for all four of us and mine too as a child). Characters we got photos with: Daisy Duck, Jessie from Toy Story, Darth Vader, Merida from Brave. It is impossible to do everything in one day at Disney so you have to go with your kids top favorites and leave the rest.

On flexibility. Things change quickly at Disneyland, including weather, wait times, rides closing because of rain or for reasons you don’t know (even as you are just about to get on!) and you have to prepare yourself and your kids for those inevitable moments. It is the day of the pivot.

TO EAT

Last time, we made lunch reservations at the Blue Bayou restaurant and ordered full entrees. That was fine, but I thought we could do it more efficiently this year. This time we brought in enough snacks for the whole day. Here is a great travel tip for PB&Js: we make an entire loaf, then I wrap each in a paper towel and put them back in the bag to store them. I also pack tons of easy snacks, cans of sparkling water and cold brew lattes, and all our water bottles for refilling. Also key: I pack travel hand sanitizer spray and spray all of our people when they come off each ride.

Treats. My kids love the Dole Whip ($7). We like the specialty flavors like mango and strawberry and loaded with chili lime at the Tiki place in Adventure Land, but that line was an hour wait (!!) so we mobile ordered standard pineapple and it was ready in 2 minutes. I also love a good chocolate covered banana.

We caught the parade at 5pm, and headed out right as it ended at 6pm. There are two In-N-Out’s nearby within 10 minutes. We were all starving and this was perfect, we did this same routine last time too and I would do it again.

POST GAME INTERVIEW

Disney is so great and also can be so overwhelming and overstimulating, with the added pressure kind of like a wedding in that it’s so expensive and only one day so it feels like everything must be perfect. That’s a lot of pressure and stress! It’s wonderful, and also it’s crowded and loud and sensory overload in so many areas. Still: it’s nostalgic, excellent people watching, and extremely fun. I do not think it is my “happiest place on Earth,” but I still really enjoy it, we all had a blast and it was truly magical. I actually think it’s even more magical for me as a parent. I just love watching it all through my children’s eyes and there is an extra layer of wonder there.

I plan to print our photos in a Chatbook. I love this simple, inexpensive way to memory keep a special trip. Use code AllieSeidel-CRWJ to get your first book free (up to $10).

I view Disney not as a childhood rite of passage or something to check off, but as a privilege. It is outrageously expensive for a day, and I know not everyone gets to go. I even have some successful, well adjusted adult friends who have never been, not even once. It’s not for everyone! Overall, we all had a great time and I’m glad we did it and we all fell asleep exhausted and happy and we will likely do it again at some point. I will go on the record to say though, that when asked, my kids still say that LEGOLAND is their very favorite theme park. Maybe this has to do with their ages (4 and 7), but I get it - less waiting, more rides, still just as/if not more fun for them right now (and the best part that they don’t even realize is, our annual passes there are about the same price as one day at Disney). I love both places for different reasons. See all our LEGOLAND insider tips are here.

Disney, it’s still really something. Enjoy the magic.

GUIDE TO LEGOLAND

Legoland! My kids have declared it even better than Disneyland (!!) and shhh, on many accounts, I have to agree. It’s smaller, the crowds and wait times are shorter, the food is less expensive, season passes are readily available and so much more affordable (currently season passes at Disneyland are only available on the highest tier, costing a family of four $6,000 (YES) vs our Legoland Platinum season passes total at $749), and it’s just really fun for my kids’ particular interests and ages they currently are (6 and 3). Totally recommend if you’re visiting the greater San Diego area. Read on for more insider tips!

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO DETAILS

Annual passes. If you are going more than two days in a year, the cost is worth it to buy the passes, especially right now with the buy 3 get one free deal. We have Platinum which includes free parking (otherwise it’s an extra $27/day). There is a small discount on food/merch in the park with it as well (10-20%). If you’re flying in, look into the Legoland hotels or the less expensive nearby walkable ones: Sheraton or Westin. If you aren’t buying season passes, buy your tickets online ahead of time to save some money at the gate.

Hours and timing. The park is open 10am - 5pm weekdays, and till 6pm on weekends. It’s super important to check their calendar before you go, they aren’t open every day of the year in the off season. There is early admission at 9:30am for hotel guests, and a fun dance party for everyone the last half hour of the day near the entrance (with a DJ on weekdays, and a live band on weekends). If you can pull it off, the very best day to go is a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday (Wednesdays are my favorite). If you can, avoid weekends, summer and spring breaks, as these times can get very crowded and feel like an entirely different experience. Right now in March we hardly ever wait more than 5 minutes for a ride on a weekday. On weekends it’s common to see wait times over an hour.

Download the Legoland App. Helpful to check current wait times, nearest restaurants and restrooms, height requirements, never lose your map, etc.

INSIDER ACTIVITIES

Minifigure trading. This was a surprise and so fun. Bring any LEGO minifigure from home (or purchase in the park for three for $14, or online for less here), and you can trade it at various display areas. Sometimes there is an extra large display to choose from, usually around 10am and 3pm. You can also request a minifigure trade if it’s on an employee’s badge, and there are a couple trading cases available at all times at guest services as well. Trade as many times as you like! You only need to trade in a head/torso/legs and you can get a lot of different accessories this way.

Pop Badges. Legoland’s version of Disney’s buttons. Collect different ones for different activities. Legoland sells lanyards to display them on ($6.99), or bring in any lanyard, we got this set for about a dollar a piece here. There is a “first visit” badge near the entrance, happy birthday, first rollercoaster, etc. In Rebuild A World, there is a specific employee named Renaté who hosts a “hat trick” and if you time it right on a day she is working, you can earn any badge of your choice and play a game for it there. You can also trade with an any employee wearing one, and we’ve had kids come up to us asking if we’d like to trade with them too.

Mr. Gold Pop Badge and Mr. Gold’s Envelope. These are two extra special items to look for in the park. Legoland distributes 6 hidden Mr. Gold Pop Badges to Model Citizens (employees) every day. the goal is for kids to become comfortable talking and interacting with adults, so children (adults aren’t allowed to play) ask employees the secret question, “Have you seen Mr. Gold?” and the employee responds. It can be visible or hidden. My kids found Mr. Gold TWICE in the first five days, unheard of. They asked every employee they saw and eventually got lucky. We didn’t realize how rare this was until someone told us the odds, attendance is somewhere between 4,000 - 14,000 a day, and there are only 6 available, so it’s definitely tricky! Possible, but not easy. Mr. Gold’s Envelope: we have not found this yet but we hear the rumors! I will report back if we do.

TO WEAR

Right now in March it’s usually in the low 60s. I wear: a workout crop top, leggings, a zip up hoodie, sneakers, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. My kids wear: pants/leggings, a tee shirt, a zip off jacket, socks (two indoor play areas require them), sneakers, a hat, and sunscreen. The weather fluctuates often throughout the day and we’re often switching between layers. Walkable sneakers are key. We’ve had a couple very rainy days and on those days we wear these kids and adult reusable ponchos (I like that they button down the front instead of taking the whole thing off over the head, and they’re only around $5 instead of $20 in the park.)

Safety note: Trey wears his gizmo watch, and on busy days we use that to call each other when we get lost, especially on packed playgrounds. It’s so easy to lose each other in a big crowd and I was so glad to have that. Blaire is too young for one, but she is often worried about losing sight of me so she sometimes wears an Apple Air Tag in a bracelet. This gives us both a little more peace of mind in big crowds.

TO STROLLER OR NOT TO STROLLER

For us, our stroller is key, both to carry my kids around but also to carry all the stuff we bring. My kids are 6 and 3, and my 6 year old often asks to sit on the end to catch a ride too. It’s a lot of walking! I average around 6 miles in a full day (Trey logs 20k steps a day, even with hitching stroller rides!). You can rent a stroller there for $18 if you’re not traveling with yours. For older kids, I can see a backpack working well.

TO EAT/DRINK

Food. Legoland lists bringing in outside snacks as acceptable, or full meals for allergies. We are GF and I bring in allllll the food, and even going through security, no one cares. I pack two reusable bags in the bottom of my stroller (no large coolers allowed), one with dry snacks, and one with a ziplock of ice (you can refill at the ice stations if needed). Some things I pack: string cheese, sliced turkey, PB&J sandwiches, dried mango, banana chips, apples, trail mix, etc.

If you only buy one food item in the park, get Granny’s Apple Fries! Already GF, taste like an apple pie minus the pie crust, these are sticks of green apples fried in cinnamon and sugar with a big dollop of whipped cream, and they are famous at Legoland. Big enough to share, and our favorite park treat. The cheese pizza near Ninjago world can be made gluten free at no extra charge (!!!) $9 with my discount. The burger places are supposed to be great and also have GF buns. I think the best restaurant in the park is the Smokehouse. I love the Carolina all natural BBQ sauce, I dip my sliced turkey in it or pour it over a salad as dressing.

Drinks. I bring in one water bottle per person and refill with water and ice at the Coke vending machines throughout the day. I also pack cans of TJs cold brew and sparkling waters for me to pour over ice throughout the day (security sees all this at bag check and as long as there is no glass, they do not care, which is so nice).

TO RIDE

So many favorites. Coastersaurus, Technic Coaster, and Dragon are our favorite traditional rollercoasters. Blaire (40”) can ride all except Technic Coaster. More favorite rides: Ninjago, Lost Kingdom Adventure, Deep Sea, Queen Whatevra’s Carousel, Emmet’s Flying Adventure, Bionic Blasters (Legoland’s version of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party), Splash Battle, Driving School (age 6+) and Junior Driving School (ages 3-5). So many more, honestly. They love them all.

TO DO & PLAY

Playgrounds. There are two large ones, both are excellent, Ninjago Training Camp (new!) is very fun, and The Hideaways is our favorite. Ropes, bridges, slides, lots of places to explore and climb. We play at one or both of these every time, and this is often the place where my kids meet and make new friends.

To create. I was surprised at how many creative play stations there were set up for unstructured and interactive lego and duplo play. Some inside, some outside and covered. Such a perk. There are about five total, and these make a great rest stop, break from rides, or relief from busy crowds on peak days. These include: Dots, Ferrarri Build and Race, Build Whatevra You Wanna Build, Builder’s Guild, and Rebuild the World. Another great unstructured play area for young kids: Dino Fossil Dig. Uncover hidden dinosaur fossils in a giant sand area. For older kids: there is a new LEGO Mindstorm robotics class! Two classes, one for age 6+ and one for age 9+ class. The class is 45 minutes long and you need to register for one of few spots available, but very cool to learn basic coding if you’ve got a kiddo into STEM.

TO BUY

While the ticket is expensive enough, sometimes you want to grab a souvenir. Pro tip to save some money: while the giant bubble wands are fun, they are also $22 (they are $30 at Disney!) We found similar ones at Five Below nearby (we don’t have that in Seattle) for $5. Remember to grab the $2.50 batteries too, and still save yourself quite a bit, especially on multiples.

Minifigures are three for $15, if you buy one toy, these are fun because you can trade them and pick up many more accessories. I also love the keychains because they’re $6.99 and a fun way to remember a trip (how cute on a school backpack).The lego sets in The Big Store can often be found on Amazon for cheaper, but there are some items unique to Legoland that are fun to get there.

I gave my kids a budget and let them pick one thing from the Big Shop. Trey chose a Ninjago foam sword with the backpack holder, and at first I was trying to talk him into the cheaper one, but the backpack holder has been awesome because he carries it around by wearing it throughout the park. Blaire also chose a foam (pink and purple! To keep up with her big brother). They have fun with them together and I often hear kids say as Trey walks by “Mom can I get that sword?!” Ninjago is a Big Deal at this age.

TO APPRECIATE

I think the LEGO brand naturally attracts people with a variety of abilities, including nuerodivergent minds, and this is wonderfully present at the park in both guests and employees. There is a “sensory guide” at most rides now, listing on a scale of 1-5 the level of intensity for each sense for those with sensory differences. I thought this was such an inclusive, thoughtful addition. I love the statement of hiring neurodiverse employees as well.

THE VERDICT

We all love it. On day one of being here for a month we got the passes and my kids have begged to go every single day since. They never tire of it. I get that unless you are a Southern California resident this is impossible to pull off in this way, but even for a quick trip I’d recommend it. Twice in the last five days we’ve run into families we know from Seattle who were doing shorter trips. It’s such a blast! I think it’s totally underrated compared to Disney and such a great overall value, especially on an off season weekday.

THE ONLY 2 THINGS I BOUGHT FROM THE NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2023! I only bought two things this year, these sunglasses and this dress. The Zella Joggers and Levi’s denim jacket are two other things I think would be great things to add to any wardrobe.

The sunglasses are chic, oversized, stay on my face even when I look down, and at a great price point ($42).

The dress is for an upcoming vacation, for everything from a pool cover up to dinner. The straps are adjustable, it has a sweet v-neck detail in the back, it’s under $30, and bonus! Pockets.

It’s the Anniversary Sale, simplified. A reminder that while you need some things, you don’t need everything.