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Last updated on September 6th, 2022 at 11:10 pm

Back in the day, Matthew and I had annual passes to Disneyland. We lived in Orange County during our first couple years of marriage, so we took advantage of our proximity to Disneyland. We gratefully got some extra money for the splurge since we really had nothing back then. It was nice to hang out at Disneyland for a couple hours on a Friday night to eat a few snacks and watch the fireworks.

These days I would love to go all the time. When you have a 3-year-old, Disneyland is a hundred times better. But right now, we can’t really afford a second mortgage payment (aka annual passes) so we settle for going two or three times a year with the SoCal Resident Special.

A few weeks ago we used our first of two Disney days. This visit was to celebrate our daughter’s 3rd birthday, and we did it with a bang. (Do we spoil her? Maybe. But she’s a good girl, and her memories of this trip will outlast any Barbie doll we could buy). We opted for spending the night and treating ourselves to a little Disney dining the next morning.

Today I’m sharing our latest trip to Disneyland, plus 10 tips for your next trip to Disneyland.

I woke up my daughter in the darkness by telling her it was time to go to Disneyland. She got out of bed immediately and picked out her Disney princess doll that would join us on our trip (it was Elsa, in case you’re wondering). We wanted to leave around 7 so we could check in to our hotel, park our car, and hitch a ride on a shuttle.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency this year, which offers a shuttle to Disneyland for $6 per adult. Last year we stayed at Hyatt House which is within walking distance of the Disneyland Resort and they let us get the complimentary breakfast the day we checked in. (Thanks, Hyatt!)

Disneyland Tip #1: If you’re staying off resort, take advantage of off-site parking and walk or take a shuttle to the resort.

We quickly put our stuff in our room and dressed our child in her Cinderella outfit. Glitter everywhere (Sorry, Hyatt), we caught the next shuttle to Disneyland.

We arrived at the park by 9:00. I haven’t been there that early since I played there with the high school jazz band…and I don’t think we were there even that early. But it was amazing. I mean, 25 minutes to get on Indiana Jones! And the crowds were tame the entire day.

Disneyland Tip #2: As we planned our trip, I made sure to check this Disney crowd calendar to figure out the best time to go. Also, going during an off-season really reduces the tourist crowds so you’re only dealing with residents who know the drill.

Character Greetings

First things first, however, we had to get breakfast and pick up our first Fastpasses. We grabbed a quick bite at the Jolly Holiday on Main Street and chased after Mary Poppins and Bert for a picture. First character meeting of the day!

Next, we had to go meet the princesses in the Royal Hall. This year the toddler actually talked to them. We also got her an autograph book that she is surprisingly still excited about. She looks at the autographs all the time and it helps her remember the whole day.

Disneyland tip #3: If you have a toddler who has a Disney outfit, by all means, let them wear it. It gives the characters something to talk about to a child who is completely starstruck. You may be completely covered in glitter by the end of the night but it’s worth it.

At this stage, character greetings are big. I never cared about it before but it brings on a whole new experience I’ve never had at Disneyland. Depending on how young your child is, that is the real Cinderella, so it makes the day more magical. 

Our favorite photo of the day:

My heart is melting.

Of course, you have to hit up the rides.

The kids’ favorites were King Arthur’s Carousel and Casey Jr. My nephew had to ride Casey Jr three times because of his love for trains.

On Autotopia, I thought my daughter was going to steer but she gave up a quarter of the way through the ride. I had to do it while avoiding hitting her in the head. She told me, “I’m just tired of driving.”

Good thing she’s not getting a license anytime soon.

We usually stick to Fantasyland, but this year our little daredevil went on Pirates of the Caribbean. The drops didn’t phase her but she covered her eyes when she saw the pirates. Whenever she gets scared, she does the Daniel Tiger thing to “close her eyes and think of something happy.”

Later on at home she described her experience on the ride. “I just closed my eyes and think about Disneyland…but we were already there!”

Look at the bright side when it comes to closures and cancellations

Main Street was under construction, which meant there were no parades or fireworks. At first this sounds really disappointing but we LOVED it. There’s a certain chaos that reigns after the parade every evening that is not enjoyable. This time the crowds were calm, and we could easily get to where we wanted to go without cast members telling us, “You can’t go that way!”

Birthday Celebration

For her birthday, my parents decided to gift the toddler with a “princess transformation” from Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. It was worth it. I know she looks tired in the pictures (she needed food and hadn’t taken a nap) but she loved it.

Disneyland tip #4: When you make a reservation at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, you have to call. No online reservations. Expect to be on the phone for 20-30 minutes before someone finally picks up.

We ended up doing the “Crown Package,” which is plenty. Your child gets to choose from 3 hairstyles (thank goodness she chose Cinderella) and she receives a cute little bag with her makeup, nail polish, comb, and shampoo. It’s a neat experience if you really want to treat your kids. I do have to remind her now that it was only a one time thing.

Maybe another visit someday.

Disney Dining with the Characters

For as many times I’ve gone to Disneyland, I’ve never done character dining. Surprisingly, it’s really fun! We joined Chip and Dale at the Storyteller’s Cafe inside the Grand Californian.

Disneyland Tip #5: Since we didn’t stay on the resort, we weren’t sure where to park…but you can park right at the hotel with 3 hours of validation from the restaurant. And they gave our kid a free coloring book as we were leaving since she wore her “birthday princess” sash to breakfast.

The 3-year-old wasn’t too sure about the dining arrangements at first but she quickly caught on. We were getting ready to leave when she kept insisting she was still hungry. She realized if she kept on getting more food she would get more visits from Chip and Dale at her table!

Our Favorite Disney Eats

*Disclaimer: I don’t have any pictures of the food because I was too busy eating it!

My husband and I were going crazy over the caramel sauce for the Mickey waffles at Storyteller’s Cafe. Ah-ma-zing. Plus the waffles were nice and crispy. (Oh my gosh, I’m so hungry!)

One of my favorites is the cream cheese filled pretzels. They used to only be available at California Adventure but now they have them on Main Street the Refreshment Corner.

It’s no secret that California Adventure has the better food, including the Food and Wine Festival. But you can find good ice cream on Main Street and everyone talks about the Dole Whips and the corn dogs.

Other Tips for Your Visit 

Disneyland Tip #6: Use the Baby Care Center

Speaking of corn dogs, there is a Baby Care Center located behind the corn dog stand on Main Street. I never knew about it before I was a parent, but it is wonderful! There are high chairs, private nursing stations, clean changing tables, and miniature potties for your toddler. I took my toddler in to use the potty and as soon as she saw the potty she exclaimed, “Oh! What a cute little potty!”

Disneyland Tip #7: Fastpass is now entirely tied to your ticket.

This is new since we last went in May 2017. If you don’t have your actual Disneyland ticket, you cannot get on a Fastpass ride, however…

Disneyland Tip #8: Download the Disneyland App.

You can access your tickets from there, which means your Fastpass is also stored there. It’s also helpful since you can find wait times, event times, and menus for all the restaurants in the park.

Disneyland Tip #9: Are you visiting the park for a special occasion? Tell a cast member!

They will give you a free button for your first trip, a birthday, or anniversary.

Disneyland Tip #10: Extra character sightings after Fantasmic

This may not work once Star Wars opens, but if you hang out along the Rivers of America in Critter Country as Fantasmic is ending you can wave to all the characters on the Mark Twain as they pass by. This was fun for our little kids.

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Although it was an exhausting trip, we were definitely satisfied by the time we got back to our hotel room. Gazing at our sleeping child in her princess best, knowing that she had a memorable trip, made all the expense worth it. After all, it’s the time we spend together making memories that counts, and this was a trip to remember.

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Are you planning a trip sometime soon? You can grab my free Toddler Day Trip Checklist from the RNL Resource Library when you sign up for the “Mom Resources” below. This is the same checklist I used for our trip to Disneyland and our recent cross country trip. You can check out the full post here.