Disneyland

Going to Disneyland with Someone Who has Special Needs

February 18, 2014 by danawyyc 2 Comments

Disneyland is a great place to go if you have someone in your family or travelling group with special needs. Disneyland tries extremely hard to be inclusive and accommodating so everyone can have a great experience at the Disneyland Resort.

My brother, Geoff, has Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), a rare syndrome that results in both mental and physical handicaps. Although he can walk short distances, he uses a wheelchair and would have difficulty waiting in long lines. His favorite place (okay, I’m going to be honest, it’s also the only place) he likes to vacation is Disneyland. He loves the music, the familiar characters and being able to be brave in a safe setting. We’ve gone with Geoff to Disneyland a few times before the kids were born and my in-laws have taken Geoff a few times since. This year we decided to take a big family trip with our kids, Geoff, my mom, my brother and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

Things that make Disneyland a Great Place for Geoff:

Music – Music seems to be everywhere in Disneyland. Music really resonates with Geoff so he loves this. Some of his favorite moments have been just sitting and watching musical performers on the streets of Disneyland.
Safe environment to be brave – Geoff has a strong sense of self preservation and tends to be kind of fearful about trying new things. Being in Disneyland is a whole different experience. Disneyland provides a safe environment for Geoff to take risks and be brave that he gets no where else. He gets a little bit more brave each time he goes.
There is so much more than just the rides – The rides in Disneyland are great but even if you don’t go on a single one there is a lot to see and do. There are daily parades, fireworks, musical performances, and live productions. There are also a number of walk through attractions and transportation style rides, like the train, riverboat and the historical vehicles along mainstreet.
Magic – It’s a bit cliche but there really is something magical about being in Disneyland. It’s an immersive experience in a beautiful magical world where you can spend all your time and energy focusing on your travelling companions.

Other things to make your visit awesome

Quieter spaces – There are a number of areas that tend to be a bit quieter even when the park is quite busy.
In Disneyland: Mainstreet first aid, by the Winnie the Pooh ride in Critter Country, Tom Sawyer Island (requires going on a raft to access), Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland, and outside of Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin in Toontown.
In Disneyland California Adventure Park: First Aid at Buena Vista Street, near Mike and Sully to the rescue in Hollywoodland, all areas of ‘a bug’s land’, the world of color viewing area (when not in use for world of color), Redwood Creek Challenge by Grizzly Peak.
At non-meal times the seating areas of the larger restaurants are a great choice in both parks.
On most days the California Adventure Park will be less crowded and congested than Disneyland.
FASTPASS – Many popular rides offer the FASTPASS system where you can use your park pass to receive a specific return time for the ride instead of waiting in the whole line. This can be used in addition to the Disability Access Service Card.
Disney PhotoPass – At the character greet areas and other areas throughout the park you’ll find Disneyland photographers who can take your photos and load it on a card. This makes it easy for to do what you need to do to get a great picture, including being in the picture, instead of trying to take the photo yourself. If your party ends up with multiple cards you can load them all onto one account. You can order pictures individually or get the whole lot on a Photo CD.
Food – Disneyland has recently revamped their food options making more healthier choices available and more variety of choices. I noticed many places listing foods as non-dairy and gluten-free as well.

Services for Disneyland Guests with Disabilities

On the Disneyland website you can find strategies and services for different disabilities to help make your visit a success. They also have a guide that lists details of each attraction like whether the ride has loud noises or flashing lights.

Disability Access Service Card (formally Guest Assistance Card program)

You may have heard that Disneyland recently discontinued their Guest Assistance Card program do to rampant abuse of the system. Actually, they have changed the program instead of abandoning it completely. You can get the Disability Access Services Card at Guest Relations near the main entrances to either Disneyland Resort Park.

With the new Disability Access Service Card guests with disabilities who are unable to tolerate long times are able to receive a return time for attractions based on the current wait time. Basically, you still wait in line, but you don’t actually have to stand in the line to do it. The card holder does not need to be present to obtain the wait time, but does need to go on the ride (obviously). After going on the ride you can receive another return time. Return times are valid until redeemed. This can be used in addition to the FASTPASS program.

If you do not feel the Disability Access Services Card meets your particular needs you can visit guest relations to discuss this with them and they will do their best to provide assistance that suits your unique needs.

Wheelchair Accessibility in Disneyland

Disneyland is very wheelchair friendly. Many rides have special cars that can be used even if you are not able to transfer out of your wheelchair. Most Disneyland attractions are accessible if you are able to transfer out of your wheelchair. Disneyland has a full list of their ride’s accessibility levels on their website.

If your require a wheelchair or scooter but do not otherwise require special accommodation you do not need to obtain a Disability Access Service Card. On some rides you would wait in the standard line-up, others will give you a return time and some you enter the ride through the exit. If you ask a cast member how you will access the ride before you get there it can save you some walking. Fantasyland in particular has many rides with line-ups that are too narrow for wheelchairs.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I’ve written:

I’ve also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

Disneyland Photography Tips – 11 Tips for Getting Great Photos of Your Disneyland Vacation

February 17, 2014 by danawyyc 3 Comments

Disneyland is one of my favorite places to take pictures. The backgrounds are colorful, bright and varied making it easy to take beautiful photos. Disneyland really pay attention to the small details too – for instance if you look, you can find little hidden Mickey’s throughout the park. During your Disneyland vacation your family will be doing many fun and exciting things together that you will want to remember. One of the best ways to keep the Disney magic alive when you get home is with great photographs. Here’s a few simple tips to help you get photos your family will cherish.

1. Synchronize your Cameras and Phones

If you will be taking pictures with more than one camera synchronizing the date will make it easier to organize and sort through them once you get home. On a trip where you will be doing so many different thing, even a fairly small difference can be a nuisance.

2. Bring Extra Batteries and Memory Cards

You may be able to find batteries and memory cards at the park if you forget but you’ll be paying a premium. We also move our pictures over to our computer when we get back to the hotel and charge the camera batteries over night.

3. Take the Right Camera

Your ideal camera for Disneyland is one that you can comfortably carry with you for the whole day. I have a Nikon 1, which is a mirrorless SLR so it’s pretty compact (it’s the orange camera slung over my shoulder in the picture below). I wouldn’t want to be taking a camera much bigger than that around the park everyday. We don’t leave our DSLR at home though – Disneyland is so photogenic you can take some really beautiful pictures with an DSLR. But we don’t take it to the park every day. Take it along on days where you expect to walk less and aren’t planning on having your whole group go on the thrill rides. If you are only taking one camera pick a smaller camera over a bigger one.

4. Take Off Coats, Sunglasses and Bags

You don’t have to take them off for every photo but if you are spending time in line to get character photos you might as well show off cute outfits and beautiful eyes instead of hiding them so you can get the best photo possible.

5. Photograph Different Combinations of Your Group

Try to take individual photos, different pairs, family and group photos. It can be easy to forget to take a photo of your whole group or individual ones of the kids.

6. Take Lots of Candid Photos

You’ll get some of the best expressions when the photos aren’t posed.

7. Take Reaction Shots

Sometimes getting a shot of their face while they first see Cinderella can be even better than one with her in it.

8. Take Pictures of Some of the Simple Moments

Don’t feel like all of your photos need to be of big moments or be obvious that they are taken in Disneyland. Take photos while waiting for your food, hanging out at a bench or just walking around.

9. Get in the Picture

Especially if you are taking most of the pictures it can be easy to end up with photos that make it seem like you didn’t even go on your vacation. If you are going with other adults make sure to swap photographer duties for some of the trip. Most other guests will also happily take a photo for you so you can get in the shot so don’t be afraid to ask. Additionally, at many locations throughout the park you can find Disney photographers who will take photos that they load onto a Disney Photopass card that you can purchase later – they will also take a photo with your camera.

10. Let the Kids have a Turn

If you have an older pocket camera it’ll be perfect for the job. Otherwise let them take some photos while you supervise them closely. They may not all be winners (or maybe even any of them depending on their age) but they will probably be at least entertaining.

11. Know When to Put the Camera Away

Don’t let taking photos of your vacation get in the way of having fun on your vacation. You don’t need to take a picture of every moment, sometimes it’s best just to live it and enjoy it first hand. Additionally, not every aspect of Disneyland photographs well. If you enjoy the photography challenge and have a good camera feel free to try your hand at night photos and fireworks but otherwise don’t bother. Also put your camera away when you are on a dark ride. They don’t photograph well and the light from your camera is disruptive for everyone else. You can often get some nice photos of parades but think about whether you will actually appreciate that photo when you get home or if you will enjoy the parade more if you see it without a camera in the way.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I’ve written:

I’ve also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

Practical Penny Pinching in Disneyland

February 13, 2014 by danawyyc 10 Comments

Going on a trip to Disneyland is an amazing experience but when you have to pay for airfare, hotels, park passes and food it’s not going to be cheap no matter how frugal you are. If your travel budget is strained consider delaying your trip or cutting it down by a day – you’ll enjoy your trip more if you’re not stressed about every penny you are spending.

Finding discounts or deals on airfare, passes and hotels can help but it’s hard to plan for and in my opinion, it’s not worth doing things that take time away from your time in the park to save a few dollars. At the same time there is no need to spend money that you don’t have to. Below I’ve listed 5 ways that you can make your trip a little more budget friendly that don’t require you to take any time out of your day.

1. Stay at a Non-Disneyland Hotel

I love staying at one of the Disney Hotels – it makes it so you never really leave the magic of Disneyland. There are other benefits as well such as early entry days, guaranteed entry even on busy days, and you can get into the California Adventure Park via a side entrance by the Grand Californian.

However, if you stay at one of the nearby non-Disneyland hotels, you can save a significant amount of money. Most of the hotels will have a shuttle service – some of them are even free. Many hotels are even within walking distance of the park and your hotel may even have a free breakfast or be near a restaurant like McDonald’s where you can get an inexpensive breakfast.

2. Go in the off-season

Going in the off-season can save you a significant amount of money on your hotel. Depending on your specific travel days your airfare may be cheaper as well. You’ll also find the Park much less crowded. There are trade-offs, however. The congestion will be reduced but during the off-season more attractions will be under repair or closed, park hours are reduced and some attractions will run at a reduced capacity so the time you spend in line won’t change as much as you would think.

3. Minimize the amount of food and drinks you buy at the park

You can bring refillable water bottles or get free water in a cup with a lid and straw at any of the quick service restaurants in the park. You can also share big meals (Ranch del Zocalo has large portions, the chicken dinner at the Plaza is huge and one of the turkey legs you can buy goes a long way). Evaluate the kids meals instead of automatically getting them. Some of them might be a great value for your kids but you may be better off with them sharing a meal with you, splitting an adult meal with each other or ordering individual items or sides. Having some snacks at your hotel and eating breakfast before you go to the park can also help.

4. Photos in Disneyland

In many places around Disneyland you can photos taken by a professional photographer and loaded onto a Disney Photopass Card. Although I love this service, purchasing the photos they take can be pricey. Generally the professional photographers will also happily take a picture with your own camera. Another option is to order a photo CD instead of individual pictures. You can load all the Photopass cards that your group collects onto one account and purchase a CD with the whole lot of them on it. It’s around $60 for the CD, but that’s way less than it would cost to get family photos done at home. Also, other guests at the park will usually happily take your family photo if you ask them.

5. Buy Some of Your Disney Merchandise Ahead of Time

You do not need to buy everything you might want at the park. There is something special about having a Disneyland souvenir from your trip but you can easily supplement your park souvenirs with things like Disney pajamas and t-shirts that you bought locally. The merchandise in the park is generally good quality, but it is definitely not cheap. The stock in the park is also limited – I looked at getting my daughter a princess dress, but they were all too big for her. I could have bought one at the Disney Store at home in her size and it would have cost less too.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I have written:

I have also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

6 Tips for Going to Disneyland with a Big Group

February 10, 2014 by danawyyc 8 Comments

We’ve been on two trips to Disneyland with a group of 10 people. The first time it was all adults and the second time we had our two kids with us. Travelling with a large group can be a lot of fun but it can also come with some headaches. Here are 6 tips to help make your trip to Disneyland with a large group a big success.

1. Split Up

Don’t expect to stay together as a big group very much of the time. Splitting up into smaller groups can make it easier to get around and less aggravating. People will want to do different things and you will spend less time waiting and deciding what to do if you spend most of your time in smaller groups. If there are anything you want to do as a big group make sure you talk about that beforehand and make a plan to do it.

2. Switch the Groups Around

Don’t stay in the same groups the whole time. If you change the groups around you can get more out of your trip. Maybe Mom and Dad are sick of It’s a Small World but Grandma would be happy to take the kids again or some people in the group love rollercoasters but others don’t. You are only going to be in the park for a short time, you want to spend as little time waiting around as you can. Of course I’m assuming you’re going with people you like…

3. Meet up for Meals

Split the day up into chunks where you can meet up, spend some time together as a big group and then switch the groups around. We’ve found that meals work the best for this. Make your plan to meet up at a specific restaurant and at an approximate time. Try to plan for off peak meal times (even 1pm vs noon) and you should have lots of space at most restaurants.

4. Stay Connected

Even with making plans ahead of time, it will really help to be able to let other people in your group know if you are running late or need to make a plan change. We found texting to be a good way to do this. For our group most of the time 3 phones with texting was enough as long as we shuffled the phones a little bit.

If you are travelling to Disneyland from outside of the US, make sure that you get a temporary plan that will cover you while you are there otherwise your charges can be quite high. From Canada you should be able to do a plan that will give you talk and text for the month for around $20. If you have a smart phone be sure to turn off your cell data in the settings or you will end up running up a data roaming bill (this can happen even if you think you are using the hotel wireless network).

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Begin your Day at Different Times

If you’ve got a larger group there is a good chance that you have some early risers and some night owls. Instead of trying to drag the night owls up in the morning, or waiting around until everyone’s ready make a plan to meet up at lunch or mid morning and go at different times. One morning I took my daughter (1.5 years) by myself and we had a great time together until everyone else arrived. It was way more fun than waiting around for everyone else to get ready.

6. Don’t Forget to Get a Group Picture

If you are going with a big group you are going to want a group picture to commemorate your trip. This may seem obvious but it can be easy to forget to do. We have ended up with only one group photo at the end of each of our big group trips.

There are photographers set up at different locations in the park that will take your picture and load it on a photo card so you can order photos later. The photographers are also more than happy to use your camera as well. [Note: you can load all the photo pass cards your group collects onto one account and get a CD with digital copies of all the photos which can be a good choice compared to buying photos individually if you get a lot of photos.] If there isn’t one around when you are trying to take your photo you can usually find a willing guest to take a photo with you instead.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I have written:

I have also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

The Shy (or Cautious) Kid’s Guide to Disneyland

January 31, 2014 by danawyyc 5 Comments

Going to Disneyland seems to be every kid’s dream, but it can overwhelming for especially for kids who tend to be a bit shy or cautious. Here are a few tips to help make their experience a great one.

1. Prepare them Ahead of Time

One of the best things you can do is make Disneyland familiar to your kid before you even go. Talk about the kinds of experiences they might have, show them Disney DVDs so they recognize the characters and songs. Show them pictures of Disneyland and show them what the characters look like with other kids, and look up videos on Youtube. You can also order a Disney vacation planning DVD that will include some video of the park.

2. Choose Your Rides Carefully

If you’ve already taken your kid to a fair or amusement park, you may already have an idea of what kinds of rides they might like. If you are not sure how your kid will react to the rides, I recommend starting with gentler rides and build from there. Disneyland does a great job of not making their less thrilling rides seem babyish. Many of the rides in Disneyland also have a experiential component that can make a fairly tame ride quite spooky, like Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion. It’s also important to note that the height requirements are there for safety reasons and may not indicate how age appropriate a ride is.

3. Be Prepared for Different Reactions to Characters

It can be hard to predict how your kids will react to the characters in the park. Some kids are scared of them, particularly the large animal ones like bears. Others like to see them, but don’t want to pose for pictures. Some can handle the characters that look like people but not the ones in full costume. Gordie found the fairies to be the most disconcerting because they were a lot bigger than they are in the movie. He is usually pretty outgoing but rarely wanted to pose for pictures. Nicky on the other hand is usually quite shy but surprised me by giving hugs and posing for pictures.

4. Be Flexible and Involve Them In the Planning

Being on vacation takes kids out of their typical schedule and routines which can make them feel like things are out of their control. Involving your child in deciding what to do can help them feel more secure. At the same time, be willing to deviate from your plans for the day and take advantage of something that has them excited.

5. Let Them Be the Photographer

If your kid is interested in meeting the characters but doesn’t want to get their picture taken with them, let them take pictures of the characters instead. Then when you come home they will still have a picture to remember meeting the characters but don’t have to pose for a photograph. This is something I really wish I had thought to do with Gordie while we were still at the park.

6. Try a Character Breakfast

Disneyland has a character breakfast at a restaurant in each of the two parks and one at each of the Disneyland Hotels. These can be a great way for your kids to meet some of their favorite characters in a lower stress environment. The characters at the restaurants walk around and visit each table. You can get a little more interaction from the characters instead of just a posed photo and you don’t have to stand in line. Each character breakfast has a different set of characters.

7. Use an Autograph Book to Break the Ice

Another strategy you can use with the characters is an autograph book. It can help break the ice by giving your kid a job to do and a conversation starter. You can also sneak a photo of your child with the character even if they won’t pose for a picture. This worked great for Gordie. He posed for almost no photos with the characters but was more than willing to ask for the characters autographs.

8. Check of the Other Things Disneyland Has to Offer

Disneyland has a lot to offer beyond rides and characters. For instance, you could watch a parade or enjoy the fireworks.

Take in a musical performance.

Or try pin trading.

9 . Have Some Down Time

Allow your kid to have some down time if they need it. Find a spot on a bench and watch the crowd go by, have a long lunch, watch a theatre show or take a ride on the train or the Mark Twain Riverboat.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I have written:

I have also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

11 Tips for Taking a Toddler and a Preschooler to Disneyland

January 27, 2014 by danawyyc 14 Comments

Is It Worth It?

After taking our two kids to Disneyland, the short answer is yes.

I think people have three main concerns about taking their kids to Disneyland when they are little:
1. There won’t be enough for their age level,
2. It will be a lot of work to take them and
3. They won’t remember going.

I can say without a doubt that there is a ton for even toddlers to do in Disneyland. Nicky loved meeting the characters and there were a lot of rides we could take her on that she loved. It is a lot of work to take little kids to Disneyland but that’s true of taking them pretty much anywhere. I found the hardest most exhausting part for me was the plane ride. Gordie is old enough so he will probably remember a little bit about going to Disneyland for the first time, but Nicky won’t. But that’s true of wherever you take them when they are small. If you are only planning on taking them once, it might make sense to wait but otherwise, there is no harm. I totally enjoyed the experience of taking little kids to Disneyland and they had an amazing time too. Everything is so magical when they are little and no one does magical better than Disneyland. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

11 Tips for Taking a Toddler and a Preschooler to Disneyland

1. Strollers and Carriers

Even if your preschooler doesn’t normally need a stroller anymore there is a good chance that you will find one helpful in Disneyland. Disneyland is big and you can end up doing a lot of walking in a day. Being able to put your preschooler in stroller can also make it quicker to get from one place to another and save more of their energy for doing fun things instead of walking from place to place. Unless you really need it, I wouldn’t recommend a double stroller though because it’ll make it hard to get through the crowds. Depending on the type of stroller you have a Stroller clip or carabiner can be useful.

What worked for us is taking a smaller stroller (we used the Baby Jogger City Mini) that in a pinch both kids can sit in with the seat reclined and a couple of baby carriers. Gordie was under the weather for part of our trip so he ended up using the stroller even more than we had expected. I was really grateful to have the baby carriers (I had an Ergo and a wrap) that I could use with Nicky. They also saved my arms from having to carry Nicky around the park when she was feeling a little overwhelmed.

2. Don’t Rush

There is so much to see and do in Disneyland you can easily find yourself hurrying through the park trying to do as much as you can. As tempting as that can be, your kids won’t thank you for it in the end. No matter how efficient you try to be, you are going to leave with things you’d like to do still on your list. You and your kids will have a better time if you leave some breathing room in your day. Stop and try on some silly hats, hang around on main street enjoying a treat or let your kids push all the buttons they can find in Toontown. Going a bit slower also opens you up to seeing musical performers or characters that pop up around the park that you would miss if you were rushing through.

3. Plan to Nap on the Go

Even if you are staying at one of the Disneyland hotels, going back to the hotel for an hour nap is going to take more than twice that amount of time out of your day. On top of that, your little one may not fall asleep as quickly as they do at home (or even at all). Plan to have your child nap on the go – a stroller that reclines with a large sunshade is helpful for this or a carrier that you can comfortably wear while they nap. Even if your child only naps at home, they will likely fall asleep at some point during the day – probably a bit later than usual. Nicky has only napped at home for months but still had a shortened nap every day we were in the park either in the stroller or the carrier.

At the same time, don’t be afraid to go back to the hotel for a rest if your kids really need it. Even the nearby non-disneyland hotels are close enough to take a mid-day break if necessary.

4. Say Yes Sometimes

You are inevitably going to spend a lot of time in Disneyland saying no – toys, treats, and more are everywhere. Saying no is necessary but don’t forget to yes sometimes too. Go the ride for a second time, change your plans and do something that caught your kid’s eye on the way, buy a silly hat or get them a ridiculous light up toy that you would never buy if you were at home. It’s okay to indulge them a little and it can be a lot of fun too.

5. Recognize When They Are Done Even If You Are Not

At some point during the day your kids are going to crash. Especially if you only have a day or two in Disneyland this my be long before you were hoping to leave the park. Try to recognize when they have had enough and leave wanting more instead of doing one more thing.

6. Let Them Walk in Line

Your first instinct may be to try to contain your kids while they are in the line, but letting them walk for as least some of the line can help make the wait go faster. Obviously you don’t want them to be disruptive, but you are not going to be the only parent dealing with restless kids. Disney recognizes this too – newer lines often have different things to look at and a lot of room to move around without having to worry about your kids getting lost. The Pixie Hollow line is a great example as you go through the line you can look for all the different fairy statues.

7. Bring Snacks and Refillable Drinking Cups

The food at the Disneyland Resort isn’t cheap but the items with the highest mark up is the snacks and drinks. There are lots of fountains throughout the park where you can refill water bottles. Having snacks and drinks on hand can help prevent hangry (hungry angry) children, save time and save you money too. If you do need to buy snacks in addition to the treat carts they have carts with healthier options, like fruit and hummus and crackers. They have also recently improved their menu to include healthier options and less fried food.

8. A Ride’s Height Requirement Does Not Indicate Age Appropriateness

The height requirement of the rides in Disneyland are there for safety reasons. The rides may still be more thrilling or spooky than is appropriate for your child. For instance the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride and the Haunted Mansion both have no height restriction. Babies and toddlers may not have a problem on these rides but they may scare preschoolers. We took Nicky (21 months) and Gordie (4.5) on Pirates of the Caribbean and he declared that he did not want to go on that ride again ever. Not ever.

9. Pay Attention to the Expected Wait Times

Each ride and attraction with have a sign out front telling you the expected wait time. In general they are pretty accurate although sometimes they seem to over state a ride’s wait time. Expect the character greet wait times to be accurate even if the line seems short. The lines go slowly – they let you take your time with the characters and don’t rush you.

Wait times can range from 5 minutes to over an hour. If you see a ride or attraction that your family wants to go on with a less than 20 minute wait go on it right away. If you come back later the line may be longer. I found that my kids could handle a line with a maximum wait time of about 40 minutes. If the line was longer than that we just moved on and I chose carefully for which rides or attractions we were willing to wait that long for.

10. Talk to Cast Members

Finally, don’t forget to talk to the cast members. They can help you find the closest washroom, nearest place to buy a new shirt and help you decide whether a particular ride is right for your child. Even if you don’t need something specific, you might stumble on a great experience that you would have otherwise missed just by striking up a conversation.

11. Dress for the Weather

Disneyland can be quite warm and sunny even in December so don’t forget your hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. However, it cools down a lot when the sun goes down. This was around 5pm when we were there in late December/Early January. Think about bringing along light jackets and a blanket even if you won’t need them for most of the day. You can also buy all of these things at the park if you forget something.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I have written:

I have also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

Disneyland

Things that make Disneyland a Great Place for Geoff:

Other things to make your visit awesome

Services for Disneyland Guests with Disabilities

Disability Access Service Card (formally Guest Assistance Card program)

Wheelchair Accessibility in Disneyland

1. Synchronize your Cameras and Phones

2. Bring Extra Batteries and Memory Cards

3. Take the Right Camera

4. Take Off Coats, Sunglasses and Bags

5. Photograph Different Combinations of Your Group

6. Take Lots of Candid Photos

7. Take Reaction Shots

8. Take Pictures of Some of the Simple Moments

9. Get in the Picture

10. Let the Kids have a Turn

11. Know When to Put the Camera Away

1. Stay at a Non-Disneyland Hotel

2. Go in the off-season

3. Minimize the amount of food and drinks you buy at the park

4. Photos in Disneyland

5. Buy Some of Your Disney Merchandise Ahead of Time

1. Split Up

2. Switch the Groups Around

3. Meet up for Meals

4. Stay Connected

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Begin your Day at Different Times

6. Don’t Forget to Get a Group Picture

1. Prepare them Ahead of Time

2. Choose Your Rides Carefully

3. Be Prepared for Different Reactions to Characters

4. Be Flexible and Involve Them In the Planning

5. Let Them Be the Photographer

6. Try a Character Breakfast

7. Use an Autograph Book to Break the Ice

8. Check of the Other Things Disneyland Has to Offer

9 . Have Some Down Time

Is It Worth It?

11 Tips for Taking a Toddler and a Preschooler to Disneyland

1. Strollers and Carriers

2. Don’t Rush

3. Plan to Nap on the Go

4. Say Yes Sometimes

5. Recognize When They Are Done Even If You Are Not

6. Let Them Walk in Line

7. Bring Snacks and Refillable Drinking Cups

8. A Ride’s Height Requirement Does Not Indicate Age Appropriateness

9. Pay Attention to the Expected Wait Times

10. Talk to Cast Members

11. Dress for the Weather

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