Truly Magical Kingdom
Are
you heading out on a family trip to Disneyland? After going to the Magic Kingdom
in the midst of Summer vacation and Spring break, we vowed to never return
when it would take an hour and a half to park and another hour to get your
tickets, or when Main Street was so crowded, you could barely move. So our
kids’ big Christmas gift was a non-holiday weekend trip to California and
a two-day pass to both Disneyland and California Adventure. We flew in on
Thursday night and left on Sunday, giving us Friday and Saturday for big Disney-days.
DISNEYLAND AIRPORTS: If it doesn’t make a big difference
in airfare, elect to fly into Orange County’s Airport (Santa Ana or SNA).
It’s only about 15 minutes away from Disneyland/Anaheim. Other options are
Long Beach (about 20-25 minutes away) or Los Angeles (about 35-40 minutes).
DISCOUNT TICKETS? I shopped around on the Internet for discount
tickets, but basically, the most you can save is about $3-5, so don’t spend
hours on this front. However, if you have friends or family in Southern California,
convince them to purchase Southern California resident passes for the group.
That can save you major buckaroos—like $30-60 a ticket (depends on current
offers)—especially on the “2Fer Tickets,” which allow you into either Disneyland
or California Adventure one day, and the other park on another day.
FamilyTripster Tip:
Regardless of which tickets you purchase, be sure to buy
them online ahead of time. There’s nothing more aggravating than reaching
the gates, and then spending time in line to get in. There are enough lines
ahead of you!
CALIFORNIA
ADVENTURE: You can easily spend the day here, especially with older
children (7 and up). The rides you want to go and nab Fast Pass tickets to,
as soon as the park opens (veer right!): Soarin’ Over California, Toy Story
Midway Mania (3D arcade ride that’s so fun for any age) and California Screamin’
(terrific old-style roller coaster that isn’t as jarring as some, but just
as thrilling). In fact, I’d get two rounds of Fast Passes for all three of
these rides, because they’re awesome. Or you can do like we did, and go during
non-high-traffic days, and go as many times as you want to without worrying
about getting back to a ride on time. (We also had some rain, but we just
popped on our Disney ponchos and soldiered on…both days, we had part sun too,
and again, half as many people! If you go during the winter, pack some cheap
drugstore ponchos and umbrellas.)
FamilyTripster
Tip: We loved
our dinner at Wine Country Trattoria, an Italian-style restaurant that (gasp!)
serves wine. My husband and I shared a well-earned bottle of red and we all
ate for about the amount of money we would’ve spent at Olive Garden. Amazing!
The lasagna was so-so, but the chicken panini was terrific. And there were
salads that looked good and solid kid menu options. After a day of junk food,
it’s awesome. And for parents of teens, during warmer Summer evenings, I could
see letting them run and do five more rides, while the adults kick back on
the deck and drink a glass of cabernet and wait for their return.
As of Feb. 2009, they’re in the midst of revamping part of this park, Paradise
Bay, trying to make it a little more appealing with a huge Las Vegas-ish water
show that I’m betting will be fab, but that’s closed down the huge ferris/”Sun
Wheel.”
FamilyTripster Tip:
We tend to think “rides” when we go to Disneyland. Don’t miss
the Broadway-quality show—“Disneyland’s Aladdin”— or “Turtle Talk with Crush”
at Muppet Vision 3D. “Aladdin” was phenomenal—incredible staging, amazing
voice talent (So. California actor boon), and the feel of a classic theater.
Get in line early so you aren’t underneath a balcony—you’ll miss some of the
flying carpets! And the computer technology at Turtle Talk is fascinating
for young children and adult alike—I’m still shaking my head, wondering how
they made a cartoon character respond, on the spot, to audience questions,
and make us laugh at the same time. California Adventure also has their own
parades; we caught one mid-afternoon, and saw tons of characters. (Ask for
a Times Guide, a daily list of shows/parades when you enter the park or see
it here.
DISNEYLAND: You can’t miss classic Disney. We enjoyed the
old submarine ride, now the cute Nemo; we were underwhelmed by the additions
to Small World, but really didn’t care if they messed with it anyway (it’s
a classic!); liked the additional Jack Sparrow figures in Pirates of the Caribbean;
and think that the perfect day ends with the 9pm show of Fantasmics, over
on the lagoon by New Orleans Square. Again, get there an hour early to grab
a good seat, if at all possible, on a wall (center of the show is directly
across from Pirates of the Caribbean). My older kids (13 and 10) loved Splash
Mountain (another good reason to pack a poncho—you don’t have to dodge a ride!)
and my youngest (5) loved Buzz Lightyear and Star Tours. And we did almost
every ride in between.
FamilyTripster
Tip: LOCKERS
run $10 a day (toward the front of Main Street), but you can enter and exit
them as much as you want. Grab a six pack of water bottles from a convenience
store and put ‘em in here; cheaper and better for the fam than numerous sodas.
If it’s important to you to eat at one of the more fancy
RESTAURANTS in the park, make a reservation
before you go. I checked into Blue Bayou, thinking it’d be fun to eat in the
lantern-lit plaza that borders Pirates of the Caribbean, but a 9:30-at-the-earliest
reservation, and entrees running from $18-48 made us decide against it.
HOTEL: We stayed with family in Orange County, which helped
us save big money, but if we didn’t have family there, I think we would’ve
made reservations at Ramada
Maingate, because they have low rates and multi-room family rooms, and
you can park for FREE and walk over. If money was no object, we’d stay at
Disney’s Grand Californian, which is inside California Adventure, and has
the feel of an old lodge (and you can go and change your clothes after getting
soaked on the Grizzly River Run). But keep in mind you only need a decent
place to rest your weary heads—your entertainment is inside the park!
FAMILY CONSIDERATIONS:
• We went with a 13-year-old in a cast, but rented
a WHEELCHAIR at the gate (they take a refundable deposit when you rent; about
$22 per day total). They also have a limited number of electric convenience
chairs if you’re traveling with an older adult that will struggle with walking/standing
most of the day (about $38).
• You can also rent STROLLERS (I highly recommend you bring your own/rent
if you have a child that’s five or under), and there’s a Baby Care Center
at the northeast end of Main Street.
• Coming with a DOG? There’s also a Disneyland Kennel Club that will board
your dog for the day (located East of the Main Entrance; no overnight facilities.)
• Is the highlight for your kid going to be seeing CHARACTERS and/or getting
their autograph? Grab a keepsake book at one of the stores as you enter, consult
your Times Guide for appearances, and plan your day around them! (Note:
There’s a whole other set of characters in the other park!)
• Wondering if your kiddo is tall enough to go on a ride (brave enough is
another question altogether)?: The guides/maps that you get when you enter
give you a minimum height measurement, so once you have his/her height in
tennis shoes, you’ll know what’s possible.