Planning Your Resort Trip
Purchase your tickets well in advance from the online website. Disneyland is large - buy multiple-day tickets if you want to experience the whole park and resort area. However, if you don't plan to visit both parks, consider single-day option ticket visits. You can buy Disneyland tickets from their official site here.
Plan your flight and car reservations if necessary, as well as your hotel accommodations. While Disney can help with booking hotel accommodations for on-site hotels, you'll likely need to book your flights and car rental reservations separately. At Disneyland, along with the many non-Disney hotels nearby, Disney has three huge hotels and resorts that you can book, including Disney's Grand California Hotel & Spa, Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel, and Disneyland Hotel. Any off-resort accommodation bookings will need to be made separately, and many travel websites will be willing to help you make them. The most common airport is about a 45-minute drive away in Inglewood, CA (a part of Los Angeles) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). However, this is often complicated to venture through, so your discretion is advised as to the best airport to use.
Preview all the attractions online. YouTubers try to get videos of all rides from all different angles. However, if you are looking for resources of stores at Downtown Disney, previewing them may sometimes lead you up some wrong paths.
Take into perspective the hours of the parks and Downtown Disney areas. While Early Admissions for each park will differ, as will these specific hours, the parks will sometimes close earlier during non-peak times. The Disneyland website will list each days' hours, or you can contact Disney for this specific information and request. Plan enough time to see it all. While it's improbable your trip will get you to visit everything within the park (including all the restaurants and shopping and all rides), you will want to base it on your family's needs, including your children's ages and needs, as you plan time for the trip. Schedule at least one night at each park to experience both of Disneyland's nighttime shows, including the Remember...Dreams Come True fireworks and Fantasmic" at Disneyland and "Wonderful World of Color" and the nighttime parade at Disney's California Adventure.
Research rides that use the FastPass system prioritize which ones you'd be best used during your time in-park. Some attractions will be more swamped than others, so if you really want to ride a crowded one that doesn't offer a FastPass, head there right away to beat the crowd and make sure you get in or aim for a less-busy time. Health warnings may exist for some rides for some folks who are pregnant or have severe health problems. While most rides are safe and kid-friendly, some may make these conditions worse. Not all rides at Disney's California Adventure are appropriate for the younger generation as they may induce motion sickness due to being faster-paced.
Visiting the Parks
Pack your belongings before leaving for the parks. If you are only planning to visit the parks, you'll want to bring your tickets as well as some money for food and souvenirs.
Dress to suit the weather. Although Anaheim can have misty and foggy mornings, rain can be rare. But if the rain comes, it can be intense. The wind is sometimes just as bad, and the Santa Ana winds can blow cold air on you (which isn't very pleasant). You may want sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen, or perhaps a light rain poncho. Be sure that your belongings can be tucked away on rides.
Park onsite. If you stay in one of the Disneyland Resort hotels, you will be directed to park in a parking garage when you begin your hotel stay. If not, you will want to follow signage for the other parking garage instead.. If you'd like to avoid the parking garage altogether and stay at an Anaheim hotel, the chances are that there is an Anaheim Resort Transportation stop nearby, and you can save on expenses from using this service. If not, you will need to park in the structure to the west of the Disneyland Resort and the west of Downtown Disney at 1313 S Disneyland Dr, Anaheim, CA 92802. The cost to park your car at this park is about $20, and even more for different types of vehicles. Validated parking for Downtown Disney is available, as long as you get a receipt from the store and can get out in under three hours.
Use the tram between the parking garage and the park. It will take you from the parking garage entranceway to the east where Disneyland drop-off location and bag check are. You may walk on the walking path through Downtown Disney that can get you to the two Disneyland parks, or you can ride the Disneyland Monorail into the parks (provided you provide your theme park ticket to enter).
Visit Disneyland first. Disneyland has many rides and attractions that most of the family will enjoy. Although the possibilities are endless, it has many historic rides (including The Enchanted Tiki Room, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion) and Splash and Space Mountain. At its center, you'll find it's central icon figure - Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Visit Disney's California Adventure. Although faster-paced on some rides, others are offered in this park that the average park visitor will miss if they only want to visit Disneyland and not this. At Disney's California Adventure Park, you'll find rides such as Incredicoaster as well as Mickey's Fun Wheel, Radiator Springs Racers, Toy Story Midway Mania, Turtle Talk with Crush, Soarin' Around the World, and Muppet Vision 3D.
Shop at Downtown Disney. You won't need a Disneyland theme park ticket to shop here - being it's outside the parks, but it offers a wealth of shopping, entertainment, and dining here.
Pick up a park map at the park entrance you choose to visit that day. Besides the most common map language being English, each park also has maps written in Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Chinese. If you forgot to pick up a map and have a smartphone, one is accessible at the Disneyland maps website.
Provide downtime throughout the day and occasionally allow for bigger meals with breaks from lining up and riding the rides. Enjoy some of the great Disney family-friendly entertainment and shopping options.
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