Here are 10 Cool and Basic Tips for Visiting Disneyland in 2022. Chris and I visited Disneyland California recently and with each trip we learn a bit more. Here are a few things we learned and hopefully they can help you too!
Disneyland California is one of the most famous theme parks in the world and rightfully so! And Disneyland Resort Hotels are absolutely amazing. It is for sure to make all of your family members happy! It is a great way to make the young kids and older kids alike happy.
10 Cool and Basic Tips for Visiting Disneyland
1. Stay On-Site or Close-By
To get the most immersive Disney experience you can stay at any of the three Disneyland Hotels- Grand Californian Hotel, Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel. Grand Californian guests can even access a dedicated resort entrance to Disney California Adventure. Very convenient, indeed!
If you are not staying on-site, make sure you stay close by at any of the Good Neighbor Hotels, most are still in walking distance to the parks and a few are actually closer than the on-site hotels. Smile Destinations, my favorite travel agency, can help you find out what hotel would be right for you and your family.
2. Get Park Hopper Tickets
Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park are just a short walk from each other. With the entrances maybe a one-minute walk apart, park hopping can be an effective way to maximize your time at Disneyland. Park hopping is subject to park capacity and you must have a Park Reservation. Smile Destinations can help you find the right tickets for you and your family.
3. Download the Disneyland Mobile App and Get Familiar with Its Features (Including Disney Genie)
Download the Disneyland mobile app before you arrive. The app will have wait times, show listings, character locations, park maps, restaurant menus, virtual queues, PhotoPass and so much more. It is also a must if you are going to use Disneyland’s Mobile Order Service.
4. Use Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane
Both FASTPASS and MaxPass have been retired. The FASTPASS return entrances remain and are now called Lightning Lanes. There are two main ways to access these lines, which bypass the standard queues for a shorter time in line, Genie + and Lightening Lanes.
5. Use Mobile Order Service
No more long food lines! With Disneyland’s Mobile Order Service you can place an order through the Disneyland Mobile App. You can conveniently place your order while you wait in line for a ride, in your hotel room or walking to the restaurant, as long as you are close by.
Once you have placed your order you will be given a time to return to the quick service restaurant. You will then travel to the designated Mobile Order line to pick up your food. Easy as that!
6. Make Reservations for Dining and Special Experiences in Advance
Reservations for table-service restaurants can be made up to 60 days in advance. You’ll want to reserve early as restaurants are in high demand. You can make these reservations in the Disneyland App.
7. Visit Avengers Campus
The Avengers Campus in California Adventure is a must-see whether you are an Avengers fan or not. The food, rides, and shows are amazing and will not disappoint.
8. Save Attractions with Long Waits Until the End of the Night
Wait times for popular attractions drop the later it gets. The last few hours of park operation could be a perfect time to hop in line for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or Space Mountain. No wants to wait in the long lines! Do they?
9. Ride During Showtimes
Wait times to popular attractions drop significantly during Disneyland’s fireworks or California Adventure’s World of Color.
10. Bring Snacks and Refillable Water Bottles
Don’t let hunger creep up on you. I like keeping snacks in my bag so I can easily have something on hand, just incase mobile order is backed up or my dining reservation is a couple hours away.
Bring a refillable water bottle so you can refill at any refill stations. You can usually get a small cup of ice water at quick-service restaurants, too.
Things To Remember Before Traveling to Disneyland
- Disneyland is A LOT smaller than Disney World. There is no bus system that goes from park-to-park, since you can easily walk everywhere on Disneyland property.
- It is extremely easy to walk back-and-forth between Disneyland Park and California Adventure Park, as long as you have Park Admission. As I said earlier it is so easy to walk everywhere. We loved that we could think about what we wanted to eat for lunch and if we were in the mood for something at the opposite park or at one of the three on property hotels, we could easily walk there.
- Disneyland is easier than Disney World with little kids. Yep, I said it! Disneyland is the perfect park for kids of all ages, but if you have littles it is SO much easier. No buses to put strollers onto. No long travel to and from parks, restaurants and rides.
- Speaking of rides, Disneyland has more “kid-friendly” rides. The littles will be happy since there are more rides they can actually ride. I love Disneyland, because I am not a roller-coaster kinda gal (due to my genetic heart condition), so I have a lot more options to choose from at Disneyland verses Disney World.
- Fly into John Wayne Airport versus LAX Airport. It is so much easier to fly into John Wayne Airport since it is right there in Orange County, the same county Disneyland is in as well. It is a quick 15 minute ride, give or take, from the John Wayne Airport to Disneyland Resort.
- It’s much easier to park hop at Disneyland than it is at Disney World as I mentioned above. So grab your park hopper ticket for your next visit!
Hopefully these tips will help you and your family on your next Disneyland vacation! Have you ever been to Disneyland before? Did you enjoy it? What was your favorite part?
It is always a good idea to take a Disney vacation! Don’t forget! Give Smile Destinations a call and they can help you find the perfect place for you to stay, amongst other things. They want to help you experience the magic of Disney!
