Tips and tricks for Disneyland trips

Written by: Sue Green

My family went on a Disney trip recently and these are some things we did for our first timers. We had three kids under the age of 14 going and it was their first time. 

This is my family on our trip.

The first thing we did was make sure everyone is packed two days before the trip. The second thing to do was have everyone attending go over to someone's house and watch a bunch of videos about the parks. For example ride POV’s or pin trading for beginners or character meet and greet. As well as tips and tricks for my first Disney trip.

This step was fairly important for those who have never been so they know what to expect as well as so everyone will know what is important for them to do. Doing these two small things made everything so much simpler.

Other things you can do is if you are going to be going a lot more times and not just once, then you should buy a magic band. Magic bands help make checking into hotels, the parks, and rides so much easier and faster. Magic bands can be very useful however it is not a smart investment if you don’t go fairly often because they cost $50 to $70 per band. 

When it comes to where to stay, Disneyland hotels cost a pretty penny. On average a Disneyland hotel costs anywhere from $286 to $540 per night. So we found a hotel less than three miles away from downtown Disney. It costs us about $120 per night so it is a substantial difference. I highly recommend finding a hotel near the parks instead of in them. The commute is a lot easier if you stay in the Disney hotels, however it is more cost efficient to stay in one located near the parks. 

The last thing that is a pretty important tip or trick is to have all the people in your party carry a bag into the parks. My dad has had to carry the water and snacks for all of our previous trips He was so tired of it he told everyone in our party, “All of you better be bringing one bottle of water in your bags each day. I'm so tired of carrying your guys stuff.” 

Every person should bring at least one cold water bottle, trust me you save a lot of money doing it that way.  Water costs around $4 per bottle while you can buy a case of it outside of the parks for around the same price.

If you plan on buying any souvenirs I would recommend waiting till the end of the night so you don’t have to carry it around all day. However if you can not wait and you don’t want to carry it around and possibly lose it then you can rent a locker. There is a locker in downtown Disney, on main street in Disneyland, and on main street in Disney's California Adventure. 

Overall the most important thing to remember is that this is your vacation. It is a time for you to relax and have a good time, and not a time for you to be stressed. So whether you are going alone or with a big party you should still do all of these tricks. They make your trip so much more relaxing.

My family and I go about every three to four months, if possible, and we still use all these tricks to ensure we have a good time.  All of these things are just a few ways to make sure you have the best vacation ever.