When I was first married, we lived on Harbor Blvd, a short walk away from Disneyland. So it was LITERALLY in our backyard. Since then, returning with three kids is much more cumbersome, rare, and expensive. Below is my methodology for visiting Disneyland and tips I’ve picked up. Big shoutout to Jessica Sprinkles. Deb Mardock and The Chouras for their contributions!

The Rules of Engagement:

1. No Complaining or talking about the prices. It is EXPENSIVE. The Plaza Inn breakfast was $43 for adults and $25 for children aged 3-9. That means our family would pay $136 for breakfast at the park. If you want to pack a lunch or some snacks, go for it. But don’t ruin the magic for your family by griping about the cost of everything.

2. Make a Mantra or a few goals for the day. Last year, when the kids were smaller and not as acquainted with all the characters, I wanted to feel relaxed, have fun and NOT stress about riding specific rides (so I would say to myself “NO STRESS, HAVE FUN!”). This year, each kid had one character we were going to TRY to see and one ride each they picked. You will NEVER do everything at Disneyland, so make smaller goals and refocus the group to make sure everyone is on the same page. REMEMBER: YOU ARE PAYING A LOT OF MONEY TO HAVE FUN. Ride as many ‘big kid’ rides as possible? See characters? Try all the wacky and delicious Disney food? If your group has different goals, offer to split up and join back after a certain amount of time.

3. Each kid gets one toy for the day and you start talking about this process BEFORE the day-of. My cousin sent us $25 gift cards for each kid (World’s Best Aunt!), which was a great tangible cue for them to pick their one item after lunch. They each picked a bubble gun (which are the bane of my existence. They are pure magic and the kids freaking love them, but you can’t invert them or they break which is nearly impossible). PRO TIP: keep your receipt because if it breaks or you need a refill, they will help you same-day. Any other “Gimmes” they ask for the rest of the day, you redirect them to their item of choice.

#PRO Tips:

• Figure out how tall your kids are ahead of time so you know which rides they won’t qualify for and avoid a broken heart after waiting in line.

• Download the Disneyland App. You can order food on there and access ride wait times!

• I have never used it, but our friends swear by the Genie Plus to help cut down ride lines. You pay extra, but the “Fast Passes” are now called “Lightening Lanes.”

• Rider Switch: Basically, after your group waits in line, if anyone doesn’t want to board the ride for whatever reason (including because they are a baby), they get a transferable ticket to come back, skip the line and bring one guest with them.

• Plan a Siesta/ Rest Period. If at all possible, try to go back to your hotel for a rest after lunch. We weren’t able to go all the way back to our hotel, so we headed to the Grand Californian Lobby. We ordered some Rose from the lobby bar and spent an hour during the heat of the day relaxing in the lobby. They have a TV with recliners for kids and (my favorite place on earth) a room with a huge hearth and rocking chairs for adults.

• Go to the next level by following some Disney accounts on Instagram for tons more tips. @the_disney_rn is one of MANY accounts with quick tips.

• The side staff tunnels are open during the fireworks so you can exit the park quickly without having to battle Main Street foot traffic. They run parallel to Main Street and are accessible on both sides (behind the first aid station and Baby Center).

• The DL stroller rentals suck. You can rent a stroller from a local delivery service instead and they can deliver to your hotel. There are air stations throughout the park if you need pump up!

• We love the Mexican food from Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante next to Thunder Mountain Railroad for dinner!

The Baby Center

• The Baby Center is located at the end of Main Street, on the right (just before the Plaza Inn). It has communal recliners in a partition that you can breastfeed or pump in

• It also has large pink custom changing tables that are glorious

• It has a vending machine with diapers, wipes, pacifiers, etc.

• There is a small kitchen with a microwave and sink

• There are tiny toilets (useful if your kid is afraid of the loud flush)

TIPS FOR VISITING CHARACTERS

• Character meals are a great way to get characters in without having to wait in long lines, if your budget allows. The Plaza on Main Street boasts Minnie Mouse, Pooh, Tigger, Perla and Suzie (lady mice from Cinderella), Max (Goofy’s son, and a few others. Goofy’s Kitchen is another great option for dinner. If you can’t get a reservation ahead of time, you can try to walk-in.

• The Princess Fair is awesome. There is a line, but then you get to visit with multiple princesses in a row.

• At the time of our last visit, Elsa and Anna were only available for visiting in California Adventure (except during the parade).

• Look for the staff in the khaki pants and red/tan polo (as pictured below). They are the keepers of the Character’s schedules. In general, the classic characters (Minnie, Mickey, Pluto, Goofy, etc.) come out from the fence behind the Mad Hatter. The Character Keepers can look at their scheduled and give you an ESTIMATE of when the characters will be visiting next. They come out and a line formed behind each character to visit and take photos.

• Mickey is always available in his house in Toon Town. Anytime you see a Disney Photographer, they will take photos for you and will give you a Photo Pass (save the card and present to the next Photog!). You can access the Photos through your Disneyland app and purchase all digital photos from the day for $24.99.

TIPS FOR WAITING IN LINES

• “I used dum dum lollipops or the Organic Lollipops from Sprouts for my kids to chomp on in lines” (Piper).

• We played Ellen’s game HEADS UP to make the time pass by” (Piper).

• ‘Lot’s To Do In Line’ is a book with tons of ideas to entertain the kiddos in line (pictured below).

• Skip The Lines… If you have a (much) higher budget, hire a plaid! They provide VIP tours with all-access to skip EVERY line, preferred seating at parades and shows and a general experience as if you were Christina Aguilera visiting Disneyland. “Ranging from $500 to $700 per hour, you and up to 9 other Guests can enjoy a customizable VIP Tour, with a minimum of 7 hours and a maximum of 10 hours. PLUS TIP.” Obviously this is a lot of $$$, but if divided by multiple families, it could be something to consider and save up for.

SAMPLE AGENDA

My cousin made this amazing agenda for us, since we were only spending one day there. We weren’t able to stick it it exactly, but I loved having a guide to work off of throughout the day. I saved it as a note in my phone to refer to.

Early Entry is 7:30.

Be in line at 7am. No excuses.

Upon entry go to the FAR right hand side entrance.

7:30-8:30 Walk straight back to ToonTown genie plus mickeys runaway railroad if possible but it's likely not going to happen. Prioritize chip and dales coaster 3 year old is tall enough. Meet Mickey in his house and do Minnie's house (she is not always in there so don't promise her) don't be in Toon Town for more than an hour. Most of the play areas will be available later in the day. It will be a good place to picnic and let the kids run.

8 am! A parent goes to plaza inn to ask for reservations. My research indicates it's likely you can get a walk up reservation. Get it for as close to 11 as possible. Pro tip if you get in make sure you tell the servers anyone character who hasn't made it to your table or special character requests they will send those ones to you.

8:45-9:45 Walk straight to Fantasyland-Dumbo, Alice and wonderland, New Snow White, Tea cups (Tip: even babies can ride the teacups!). Don't waste your time on anything else in my opinion the lines will cheat you out of other things.

9:45 Cut back to Small world and ride that.

10:15 buy the kids ears at mat hatter where they can embroider

10:30 ish Breakfast time! Pay for dining with Mickey and friends at the Plaza Inn. You get to sit down and eat, they have lots of things to take with you like milks, juices and other snacks you can wrap and take so it will get you through to dinner time. This is also your opportunity to have the kids meet a whole bunch of characters in one location. You need reservations. 43 for adults and 25 for kids.

Option B Go to Tomorrowland and get breakfast using the mobile que app. Sit outside by the Tomorrowland stage and have breakfast there. Then choose between finding Nemo and autotopia. I think 5 year old would love autotopia. This might be a good one to split up on and one of you takes baby and 3 year old to finding Nemo. Baby can't right autotopia. Th other option to consider would be Astronorbiter a real snooze fest for adults but kids love it. Any height is allowed.

11:30 Now go to the Princess Faire. Wait to meet the princesses and if timed right try and watch the show in there (10:45 AM 12:00 PM 1:15 PM

3:00 PM. I recommend the frozen drinks and the bread snacks in Maurice's cart. (I know you just ate but they are all really good.). The princess line may be long. It's so much direct interaction with three guaranteed princesses that I think it's probably worth it for your kiddos.

12:30 head to the other side of the park. Pirates of the Caribbean, Winnie the Pooh. Stop at the Winnie shop and get a tigger tale snack or Mickey Beignet at Hungry Bear

2:30 congrats! You've hit all the must dos! Now it's up to you and the crowds. I would consider Jungle Cruise, buzz light year and Mark Twains boat.

The parade starts at 3:30. If someone can sit with tired kids on the curb from 2:30 until then that will be the best way to guarantee they can see it and have a good view. Moana, Coco and Frozen characters will be featured.

After the parade go back to ToonTown and do the play areas.

Then go just outside of toon town and catch the train. Ride it all the way around the park.

Catch the monorail and take that back to downtown Disney for dinner and ambiance.

9:30 is the parade try and watch near its a small world to see Coco projected on the building or on Main Street.