A recap of our two magical days at Disneyland and California Adventure with our three young boys, including tips for taking toddlers and recommendations on food, rides and more!
What to know before you go & what to take with you:
- We stayed at a Sheraton which was just a 10 minute walk to the parks and it worked out great. There’s also a hotel within the parks that would be really handy for going back to take a break, nap, etc. Although, we never found it necessary to leave the park.
- A good stroller with trays, if possible, for feeding if you can’t find highchairs or need to eat/snack on the go
- Lots of healthier snacks (fruit & veggie smoothie pouches, crackers, pretzels, grapes, apple slices, etc.) – try to save snacks for waiting in lines as a way to pass the time and distract them. The lines actually move pretty fast though.
- Sunscreen, wipes, hand sanitizer
- Strap on carrier, such as a Bjorn, if child is small enough (handy for standing in lines to keep them constrained)
- Download the Disneyland Wait Time App before you go and use it to reference maps, ride wait times, height restrictions, ride closures, etc.
- Have some games on your phone or find videos on youtube for your kids to watch while you’re in line. Again, the lines actually move pretty fast, but it definitely helps on the longer ones.
- Changes of clothes for everyone, including adults (anyone could get sick on anyone!)
- We just used our iphones for pics, but a lot of people had good cameras with them. I just didn’t want to risk breaking or losing it.
- Put your name, their name, and phone number(s) on a piece of paper in your children’s pockets or write them somewhere on their clothes or put something around their wrists so if they happen to get lost, there would be contact info on them somewhere.
- We did a full day at Disneyland and a full day at California Adventure. No park hopper. And we were there from open to close at both parks. Our 1-1/2 year old twins would just nap off and on in the stroller and our 3 year old just skipped napping those days, but was passed out on our shoulders on the way home. They all slept really really well both nights. And napping on the go and/or missing naps didn’t seem to throw them off since there was so much to see and do.
- If it’s someone’s birthday that you’re celebrating, you can get a birthday sticker that I think comes with some perks and deals throughout both parks. It was Baker’s birthday week, so we got the stickers at both parks, but we failed to look into the perks and deals that came along with it. Just ask as you’re walking in.
- Kids under 3 get in free! Yippee!
Disneyland – what to do and know once you get there:
- Get there a few minutes after the park opens at 10am because there are really long lines before they open, but as soon as it opens they get people in there quickly so you won’t have to wait in a long line outside the park.
- Start by going to get your picture taken by the statue of Walt Disney & Mickey with the castle in the background. Someone from Disneyland will be there to take your picture with their camera that you can then purchase online and they will take it with your camera too, which is what we did.
- End the day with a picture on the other side of the castle at night when it’s all lit up. Very pretty!
- As you’re walking out the gates at the end of the night, say goodbye and get a picture by the big lit-up Mickey in the grass. Baker loved it while the twins were already passed out! 😉
- Visit Mickey and/or Minnie – worth the wait!
- You can’t take strollers in the lines, so be prepared to leave them parked out with a million other strollers. Be sure to keep valuable items on you in a backpack or purse. If your child is small enough, bring along a strap on carrier that you can put them in while you wait in line. This will save you from having to hold them, hand them back and forth or chase them through the line.
- For kids that are potty trained, make sure you take them often between rides. That way you’re not nearing the front of the line and all of sudden they need to use the bathroom. This happened to us, so I stepped to the side and let people go in front of us while Brandon took Baker to the bathroom and when they returned, we just got back in line. Not a huge deal, but we just made sure he went often from then on out. You can check the app for the closest restrooms.
Favorite Disneyland Rides for Toddlers:
- Jungle cruise
- Autopia – where they can drive cars
- Haunted Mansion
- Buzz Light Year
- Peter Pan’s Flight
Disneyland Eats & Treats:
- Churros – several locations – yum yum!
- Jolly Holiday Bakery Café – grilled cheese and tomato soup, great choices for kiddos too
- Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor – ice cream and candy shop
- Café Orleans – coffee and Micky-shaped beignets
- Pooh’s Corner – chocolate-covered pb graham cracker, Micky-shaped rice krispie treats, cookies, etc.
- Dole Whip – several locations, refreshing and so yummy!
California Adventure Tips:
- Cars Land – all the cars parade around and take turns stopping for kids to get their picture taken with them. Super cute!
- Definitely do the Pixar Parade that afternoon with all the popular movie characters
- The World of Color water light show each night is awesome! Definitely worth staying for even if the kiddos are sleeping in strollers and on your shoulder.
- Ride the ferris wheel, but get on the non-rocking ones because we made the mistake of thinking it would be fun to get on the ones that rock back and forth really fast and it freaked the boys out! Oops!
- Go to the Aladdin Musical Show – fun and cute!
Favorite California Adventure Rides with Toddlers:
- Mayters Junkyard Jamboree
- Monsters Inc. ride
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- Luigi’s Flying Tires
- The Mickey Ferris Wheel (non-rocking)
California Adventure Eats & Treats:
- Cars Land – mini churros with cinnamon-spiked chocolate for dipping
- Cars Land Cozy Cone – chocolate dipped chocolate soft-serve cone, some of the best soft serve we’ve ever had!
- Paradise Garden Grill – great Greek food for lunch or dinner, brownie fruit kabob was so yummy!
- Ghirardelli Café – ice cream dreams come true!
- Corn Dog Castle – long line, but so worth it!
We had so much fun and lots of yum at both parks! We can’t wait to go back! It was so amazing to experience the magic of Disney with our sweet boys! They still talk about it every day and wear their Mickey ears often!
If you have any questions, feel free to comment and ask! It’s a big trip and we’d love to help you make it as a smooth and special as possible. And if you have any other tips or recommendations from your experience at Disney, please comment below so others can read them too!
~Maegan
i’m a single mom travelling with twin (at the time will just have turned 5) year old…..am worried about not being able to fit the three of us on rides as there will be no one to watch the one that can’t ride…are most rides able to accommodate 3 (1 adult, two toddlers)? also am trying to decide whether to take a stroller or not…they hate being in a stroller and Im not sure if i’ll be able to make them stay in one without kicking up a fuss….with being on my own last thing I need is to be pushing an empty stroller AND trying to hang onto two little ones, what do you suggest? Just thinking they may get tired out with all that walking…..or even though they don’t take naps anymore they may be tired enough to on the trip….
Hi Amber! How fun y’all are planning a trip to Disneyland soon! It’s such a magical place. Several of the rides have just two seats together, but there’s usually another two seats in front of or behind that the other one could sit in. You would be super close so as long as you think one of your twins would be okay sitting in front of you on a few rides, you should be good. There are some rides where it’s just two seats, but those are probably the ones they could ride by themselves or with each other anyway. Or you would all be in individual seats on some rides. There are also lots of rides where you can all 3 ride next to each other or in the same boat/train/contraption. I think you’ll be just fine to enjoy almost everything together.
I wouldn’t worry about a stroller with 5 year olds. Just plan to take breaks to sit and eat/relax every once in a while. They’ll get to sit on most the rides or to watch any shows/performances. The excitement of the park will probably keep them energized enough to make it through the day.
Hope this helps! Have a wonderful trip!
We will be traveling with a 7 month old and 26 month old. Do you think we will be able to take the baby with us on any of the slower rides? If so which ones?
Hi Angie! Yes, you can take the baby on several of the rides. Many don’t have height restrictions so the baby could just sit on your lap. Here’s a great link with each ride and any restrictions: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/disneyland/ Hope this helps. Have fun!
Tha K you so much with all the details…yruly helpful…we will be spending Halloween on Adventure Park cause they will closed till 9 PM (Disneyland will be closed at 6PM) and on the 30th we will be in Adventure Park…question we live in Canada and it’s snowing right now where we live…I check the weather in Anaheim through Google and it’s stop positive…not quite sure about what the weather will be like though.. .so I’m asking you personally In your Opinion (Which is truly reliable) at that time what is the best clothes to wear? I’m planning for my Kids to wear their costumes so I do not exactly know if it’s going to be ok. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!!
Hi Marivic! How exciting that you’ll be at Disney on Halloween. So fun! I don’t live in California, so I couldn’t say for sure what the weather will be like. We were there in May so it’s probably cooler there now than when we were, but from what I hear, the weather there is amazing most of the year round. I would recommend checking The Weather Channel right before you go to get hour by hour temperature predictions so you can plan for the whole day as you might need to bring layers for the evening hours. Hope this helps and I hope your trip is magical!
Hi Meagan,
Your post is so helpful. Thank you for writing this detailed tips. I have to choose between Disneyland and adventure park. I am going in the end of April and my boy is 2.5 years old. I have read all your replies to questions too. and I know you are recommending Disneyland for his age. But my son is not good at waiting in line, if he likes a ride, he would like to take it many times. And we are going on a Sunday. So in terms of waiting time, which park you spent less time to wait?
Thank you so much.
Katie
Hi Katie! So fun that you’re taking your little one. That’s tough because he’s definitely going to have to wait in line at either park for the best rides. The wait might be shorter for some rides, but we almost always had to wait for a bit. Overall, the waits were shorter at California Adventure, but there were fewer rides my boys were able to ride given their size and age at the time we went. Maybe base it on what he’s most into right now whether it be the Disney characters/classic Disney (Disneyland) or all the Disney movies (CA Adventure). Hope this helps. It’s sure to be magical! Have fun!
Maegan, My boys are 2 and 4. From what I’ve read Monsters Inc, Cars, Toy Story experience is best at CA Adventure? I’m just concerned that there will be few rides for them at this park. We are doing one day, one park. Will we completely miss these characters if we choose Disneyland instead?
Thanks so much!
Hi Jodell! Yes, you’re right. All of those characters/rides are at CA Adventure with little to no exposure to them in the Disneyland park. They will definitely be able to ride more rides at Disneyland given their ages so it sounds like you have a tough decision. Yikes! They’re sure to have a blast no matter what you decide. Have a great trip!
This is the cutest most sweetest blog ive read , and so helpful i save everything , im taking my toddler for his 2nd bday and im a little nervous but no so much after reading this thank you and the pictures are to die for (so cute!!)
Thanks so much for being available for questions. We’re heading to Disneyland later this month for 2 days with our soon-to-be 4yr old son (Disney is an early bday present for him:) and 14wks old infant. Yay. We haven’t exposed him to very much Disney so a lot of it will be news to him. He’ll recognize the main characters and would love to see the Cars I’m sure, but we’re debating between spending both days at Disneyland versus spending one at CA adventure… is CA Adventure really not to be missed (not that our guy would know he was missing anything but I’m feeling some FOMO)? Would 2 days at Disneyland be fulfilling and leisurely or could it get repetitive? Could visiting both be overload or is one day at each really doable at a relaxed pace if we go from open to close? I’ll be wearing our infant, taking breaks to nurse and change diapers, and just hoping he doesn’t get too fussy… so also have a little fear of exhaustion. Also we’ll have a stroller for the babe with a skateboard attachment for our older son. Do you think it’s also a good idea to bring an umbrella stroller or rent one for him so he can have a place to sit ?
Thanks so much!
Hi Maurie! So fun! I think you can’t go wrong either way. Both parks are great! Disneyland is definitely more toddler friendly overall, but there’s still so much to see and do at CA Adventure. With a newborn and wanting to really soak it all in, I’d probably recommend spending both days at Disneyland. You could definitely take your time, ride all the rides, see all the shows, visit with characters, etc. That way you wouldn’t feel rushed and could even go back to some of your favorites the next day. The skateboard attachment should be great if your son is full of energy and likes walking. If he tends to get tired or still takes regular afternoon naps, I might suggest a double stroller or an umbrella stroller where he could rest if he wants to. Otherwise, there are plenty of places to sit down and take a break. And if you’ll have someone else with you that he could ride on their shoulders when he does get tired, that’s what our oldest did toward the end of each day. Your trip is sure to be magical! Enjoy!
We will be going to Disneyland between Christmas & New Years with an almost 7 year old and a 2 1/2 year old. We are debating between buying 4 or 5 day passes, and also trying to decide whether we should do park hopper passes. It will probably be at least 10 years before we make it back there, so we want to make the most of the trip.
Hi Kim! So fun! I think if you do 2 days at Disneyland and 2 days at California Adventure you will have a great experience with plenty of time in both parks. Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Thanks for the tips! I will be bringing my 5 and 2.5 year old girls. We are thinking 4 days. Do you think we should purchase a park hopper? And did you do any character dining? If so do you recommend one? We are going in Feb. thanks!
Hi Gina! Since you’ll be there 4 days, I think a park hopper pass would be great! You could spend 2 days in Disneyland and 2 days in California Adventure and have plenty of time to explore and experience both parks. We did not do any character dining so unfortunately I can’t recommend one. Enjoy your trip!
Thanks for the tips!! We are going in 2 weeks with our 4 year old girl. First time to Disney was back when she was 2 and love it. But now that she is 4 , not sure if California Adventure will be appropriate. Are there any shows, rides, parades for her age.?
Hi Gabby! How fun! Yes, California Adventure will be so fun for your 4 year old. All the characters from her favorite Disney movies will be somewhere in the park as well as in the parade each afternoon. Our favorite rides at California Adventure were: Mayters Junkyard Jamboree, Monsters Inc. ride, Toy Story Midway Mania, Luigi’s Flying Tires & The Mickey Ferris Wheel (non-rocking). We went to the Aladdin Musical show and loved it! Our 3-year old (at the time we went) was able to ride a lot of the rides and recognized a lot of the characters. It was so much fun!