It’s Disney’s 100th anniversary, and we decided to celebrate appropriately at The Happiest Place on Earth! I hadn’t been to Disneyland since my high school graduation night, so it was about time to pay my good friends, Minnie and Mickey, a visit.
My mom celebrated her 70th birthday during the pandemic, and her wish was for us to ring in the big 7-0 at Disneyland. There was just one small problem: Disneyland was closed. Fast forward to my brother coming home recently and the last-minute decision to make this (very belated) birthday trip finally happen. I went through the (exhaustive) Disney options, and we decided to do a package deal complete with two park passes per person (one park per day), Genie+ (basically a fast pass), and a Disney hotel stay at the Paradise Pier Hotel (currently being remodeled into the Pixar Place Hotel). We weren’t worried about any construction noise since we knew we were going to be gone during the days and only returning late at night. The hotel’s restaurant and pool were closed, but you are able to use the amenities at the other Disney hotels and pick up/have food delivered as well. I would recommend planning a Disneyland trip more in advance for more lodging options, better pricing, and dining reservations, but everything worked out very well for us all things considered.
Day 1: Disney California Adventure Park (watch a video recap)
My mom, brother, and I drove from Santa Barbara to Anaheim (2.5-3 hours) and went right to the hotel to check in. After unloading our luggage, we went straight to the Disney California Adventure Park around 1 p.m. If you stay at a Disney hotel, you have early park access (7:30 a.m.) and we were able to use a separate gate across the street from our hotel and walk right into the park. Easy peasy. In my opinion, California Adventure is geared more towards adults as there are a lot more dining and alcoholic beverage options. You can even buy drinks on-the-go from stands and walk around the park with them. On the other hand, Disneyland only has two public restaurants that you can drink at, and they can be difficult to get into. California Adventure is a bit of a mash-up of Pixar and (not surprisingly) California-related activities and themes. We had snacks (Mickey-shaped ice cream!) and also ate at Lamplight Lounge which gave us a wonderful view of the park. We were able to make the tail end of their nighttime water show, World of Color, which was fantastic. The show uses 1,200 water fountains and projects images onto the water mist. We had to leave the park after the 9 p.m. show as they were closing early for a grad night (full circle).
Rides we went on at California Adventure:
– Incredicoaster (so fun!)
– Grizzly River Run (prepare to get wet)
– Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout (probably my favorite)
– Pixar Pal-A-Round (we opted for the swinging car)
– The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
– Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
We also watched the Dr. Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts show which was more kid/family friendly, but still fun and short and sweet.
Day 2: Disneyland (watch a video recap)
We started our day very early so that we could get in line and take advantage of early entry at Disneyland. Around 7 a.m. we walked from our hotel through the Grand Californian Hotel and then through Downtown Disney to arrive at the park entrance. The first thing that we did once we were in the park was to take some photos sans crowds. We went to Space Mountain and then walked straight to the Star Wars area (Galaxy’s Edge) of the park because we heard that those rides are the most popular. We ran around tackling as many rides as we could squeeze in before the park opened up to the public. I tried the Dole Whip (yum) and ate the most expensive Wetzel’s Pretzel ever (major gluten-free cheat but I was starving and it really hit the spot). I left the park and ordered wings at the Grand Californian Hotel and went back to the room for a nap (highly recommended). My mom went on the Celebrating Disney100 guided tour, which she booked ahead of time and said was worth it. We went back to the park to catch the “Magic Happens” Parade where we got to see some classic characters on floats. We were able to eat and grab drinks at the Blue Bayou Restaurant which overlooks the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride. We went back to the Star Wars area and were able to get in at Oga’s Cantina, which looks straight out of the Star Wars movies. We tried the famous Fuzzy Tauntaun (makes your mouth numb) and a blue-milk cocktail (a nod to the movies too). Were all of our drinks at Disneyland expensive? Yes. Were they all delicious? Also, yes. There is a two-drink maximum per person as well. We stayed at the park for the Wondrous Journeys firework show at 9:30 p.m. which was the perfect way to close out our magical day at Disneyland.
Rides we went on at Disneyland:
– Indiana Jones Adventure (classic)
– The Haunted Mansion
– Pirates of the Caribbean (revamped)
– Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (amazing – it’s a whole experience)
– Mad Tea Party
– Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
– Autopia (just okay)
– Space Mountain
– Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Disney packing list ideas (many linked here):
– Disney-themed mouse ears, pins, shirts, etc. (save yourself some money and buy ahead of time)
– Handheld fan
– Hand sanitizer
– Power bank (you will use the Disney app a lot and this will drain your battery)
– Sunscreen/hat
– Snacks
– Refillable water bottle
– Jacket or layers
– Plastic poncho for water rides
– Backpack or fanny pack
– Comfortable walking shoes (I wore tennis shoes)
– Sunglasses
– Wallet/ID
– Disney hotel room key (for early entry)
Tips:
– Download the Disney app ahead of time. You will use this to scan your tickets, make restaurant reservations, mobile food order, view ride times, store ride photos, etc. You can plan out your day on the app as well.
– Genie+ is worth it (it was $25/person when we went). This allows you to reserve rides in advance and return within a certain time window. You can make one reservation at a time and may book again after you redeem a ride or two hours have passed since you made the reservation.
– I think staying at a Disney hotel is the way to go if it’s in your budget. It was nice to leave the car and not worry about it, and the parks were so easily accessible. Having early entry is a major perk too. After you book the hotel, you must still make a separate reservation for your park dates.
– Grab a paper map when you arrive at the parks (you’ll have the app too, but it’s a nice backup).
– We didn’t spend much time at Downtown Disney, but I was told that the food options are often better, the restaurants have alcoholic beverages, and you can save money since you’re outside of the park. We also had a little discount (10% I believe) towards shopping and dining because of our hotel stay.
– If you are staying at a Disney hotel and purchase items in the parks or at the World of Disney store, they will deliver items to your hotel for you so that you don’t have to carry them around. No lugging shopping bags all day!
Wishing you a wonderful and extra magical time at Disneyland. It certainly brought back lots of fond memories for me, and it was fun to revisit as an adult and create new memories. Let me know if you use this guide, or please share it with someone who will be having their own Disney experience soon. Always remember, as Walt Disney said, “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.”
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