Disneyland is probably one of, if not the most crowded amusement parks in the world. That doesn’t stop any of us from picking up our favorite pair of mouse ears and spending the day in the happiest place on earth! Over the past few years as an annual passholder, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks along the way to beat the heat, the lines, and the prices at Disneyland!
Firstly, if you have a park hopper ticket (or an annual pass), I strongly encourage you to visit California Adventure FIRST. Most guests go right into Disneyland right away and then DCA towards the afternoon. Going into DCA first and getting the rides out of the way by noon not only beats the long lines, but it also beats most of the crowds!
Secondly, get fastpasses for either Guardians of the Galaxy OR Radiator Springs Racers as your first passes of the day and make sure to do it before you jump in any line. These are the two fastpasses that run out first, especially Radiator Springs, usually that one is completely out by 11am. If you don’t get the fastpass, you’re waiting in line from anywhere to an hour and a half to three hours, and that is just not worth it. One thing I always enjoy doing is getting a fastpass for Guardians of the Galaxy in the morning and then getting in the standby line. Often by the time I come off the ride, it’s time to use my fastpass, so I get to go twice and only have to be in line once!
Not many people know of this next one but visit the Animation Academy to relax in the air conditioning when you get tired! This building is hidden next to the Off the Page store in HollywoodLand in DCA and holds many fun attractions inside as well. The hidden gem in this area is the Beast’s Library from Beauty and the Beast where you can take a quiz to see which Disney Princess and/or Villain you are! If you just want to sit back and rest your feet, the main room of the academy features drawings and images of many Disney and Pixar films, and it is totally worth visiting! Getting to sit and watch the process of my favorite films come to life is always a highlight for me.
Now let’s talk about Annual Passes. Many passes provide discounts on merchandise and food but only to the person whose name is on the pass. Recently I’ve learned that a friend can use your discount if you allow them but ONLY if they pay in cash! The discount won’t work on debit or credit card because the name on your pass and your friend’s card needs to be the same. When they use cash, there’s no problem! As college students we are always trying to save money, and these discounts on food are my saving grace.
My last tip is always my favorite tip: if you’re willing to miss out on the parades and fireworks, that is when you get in line for the big rides such as Space Mountain. Most of the park guests line up hours before just to get a good parade seat, but if that’s not your thing, this is your time to get on the rides. The lines may still be long, but I guarantee they are half as long as they would be if the parade wasn’t going on. Going from place to place in the parks during the parades is always a hassle, but if you listen to the directions of the Cast Members, you’ll be just fine!
I hope this short list will help you make the best day at Disneyland! Disney tips and tricks helped me when I first got my annual pass, and I always suggest doing research before you go to make sure it really is the happiest place on Earth for the day you go!