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
Hello, I was wondering what rides does Disney California adventure have for toddlers?
Hi Janneth! These were our favorite rides when we took our toddlers:
Jungle cruise
Autopia – where they can drive cars
Haunted Mansion
Buzz Light Year
Peter Pan’s Flight
Enjoy!
hi i am marian ,
i have 3 and 1 years old girls i want to know if we go to the disney land park , will we meet disney princesses and other characters or not? also can we visit the 2 parks with the kids in 1 day or it will be crowded and exhusting ? thank you alot
Hi Marian! You should definitely have the opportunity to meet several princesses and characters throughout the park. There is a schedule of meet and greets that you can check prior to your visit. Also, you can ask the people that work there and they can give you an idea of when certain princesses and characters will be out and about. And some of the more popular characters have meet-up experiences that you can reserve through fast pass. As far as, trying to do both parks in one day with little ones, I wouldn’t recommend it. You wouldn’t want to be rushed. With a 3 year old and a 1 year old, I would recommend spending most of your time at Disneyland over California Adventure if you have to choose. Have a magical trip!
I’m only writing to say I loved the article and I’m surprised you hadn’t mentioned Tom Sawyer Island in Disneyland! We arrive Saturday and are bringing our 2, 3, and 6 year old and can’t wait to visit the island! It’s our favorite stop at Magic Kingdom as well.
I am going to Disneyland and California Adventure for 5 days with my 2 years old (almost 3 years old) girl and my hubby, do you think 5 days are too much? Is it big enough for us to spend 5 days at both parks? We won’t get bored ? Or should we stay shorter? And my little one loves riding rides and Disney characters, should we do hopper or just single park per day?
Hi Zhenni! I think if you do 5 days, I would recommend not planning to spend the whole day at the parks each day. Maybe half a day at the park and the other half at the hotel pool or something. Or just really take your time at each park and enjoy all the shows, character sitings, food, etc. You certainly won’t have to rush from ride to ride with 5 days and you could ride the rides over and over again if your little one is loving it. I would recommend the hopper that way you can switch it up as much as you’d like. I think you’ll have a wonderful time and really get to enjoy all aspects of it as much as you’d like. Have a great trip!
We were thinking of traveling to disneyland and california adventure with our 2 sons. My son’s are 2 and 7. I feel like we are going to be split up a lot of the time because my oldest wants to go on the more challenging rides and is too old for the toddler rides. Any suggestions?? My youngest is really into disney cars and my oldest is pretty easy going and still enjoys the younger atttractions too. What’s the easiest way to manage our days at both parks with such a big age gap with kids?
Hi Diana! I think a full day at each park would be great. There’s so much to do at both parks for all ages. Your 2 year old will love just seeing everything and meeting all the characters walking around each park. There are several rides you’ll be able to all go on together and then on the bigger rides, someone could just walk around the area outside it with your 2 year old son while your 7 year old rides the ride or your younger son could ride on a smaller ride while the older is riding the bigger ride. Definitely take or rent a stroller as your 2 year old might get tired and want to nap while your older son is riding some of the bigger rides. It’s sure to be magical! Have a great time!
Hi Maegen,
Thanks for sharing your experience , this is one of the most helpful blogs I have come across.
We will be visiting disneyland for 3 days with our 3yo son, do you think getting a park hopper ticket is worth it? I was planning to do 2 days at disneyland and 1 day at DCA, do you think there is enough to do for a 3 year old at DCA the whole day, he does likes the Car movie characters a lot.
Hi Sidrah! How fun! Yes, you can definitely have a great full day at DCA with your 3 year old, especially if he likes cars. That was our favorite area! Between the rides, the characters walking around and the cars making their appearances, our 3 year old could have spent all day just in Cars Land! 2 days at Disneyland and 1 day at DCA sounds like the perfect plan. It’s sure to be magical. Enjoy!
Hello,
My family and I are pass holders, reading all the questions, I must share something that really helped me with my baby. Disneyland and DCA have baby care centers. It’s a room where you can go for a diaper change, the beds are more comfortable than the ones you’ll find on the bathrooms. Also, if you are a breastfeeding mom, they have a room with rocking chairs (all facing the same way) and curtains to have privacy. It is also very quiet, so if in the middle of your day your little one needs a break from all the people and noise, this is the place to go. They have microwaves, small tables where toddlers can sit and have snack or simply play in the carpet. Also, if you run out of diapers, diaper rash cream, formula, this is also the place to go.
The baby care center in Disneyland is located, right off of Main street, to your right, before you get to the Plaza Inn restaurant. The one on DCA is located next to Ghirardelli shop.
I hope this helps!
Hi Amalia! Thank you so so much for sharing this! So very helpful for moms with little ones. 🙂
Loved this post! THANK U so much for taking the time to write w such detail. 🙂
VERY HELPFUL!! God bless u! <3
Hi Maegan! Thanks for the tips. We’re coming from the U.K. in April and will be doing 1 day at each park. We’re staying at the castle inn which I think is also a 10 Min walk.
My daughters are 2.5 and 4.5yrs and are really excited. We’re planning on getting there early to avoid the rush but not sure how long they’ll last! Would love to watch the World of colour night show if the kids don’t have a melt down.
If we leave to go back to our hotel for a break can we get back in to the park? Or should we just plan to stay there all day? Thanks
Hi Lisa! I’m pretty sure you can still come and go from the parks all day once you have a ticket. I know a lot of people that go back to their hotel rooms for afternoon naps and then come back to the parks for evening activities and shows. I hope you all have a great trip! It’s sure to be magical!
We r going in April to either Disneyland or DCA. Which one would u recommend for a 14 Months old and a 3.5 yrs old? The baby won’t be doing rides. But the toddler will.
If the my hubby doesn’t want to do rides does he still have to pay full price? He hates rides but he maybe there with the baby.
Did u stay at the resort or did u stay close to the parks? Is it worth it to stay close? I know long days. Baby can nap in stroller. Toddler doesn’t nap anymore.
I have never been to Disneyland. And is so excited. So I want to hear what u think is best.
Hi Betty! How fun y’all are planning a trip to Disneyland! It’s a magical place no matter how old you are. I would recommend doing Disneyland with a 3.5 year old and a 14 month old. The 3.5 year old could ride most the rides and will get to see and experience all of the classic Disney characters. If your toddler is really into Disney movies, then you might consider DCA over Disneyland because almost everything at DCA revolves around the movies. Both are so fun, but he or she will get to participate in more attractions at Disneyland.
I do think your hubby will have to pay for a full price ticket whether he’s riding rides or not. Pretty sure you have to have a ticket to get in and that only kids under 3 are free.
We stayed at a hotel that was less than a 10 minute walk from the parks and it was perfect. We stayed at the parks all day though so it was just walking from the hotel in the morning and back to the hotel at night. If you want to leave during the day to go back to the hotel, you might find staying at the resort on property most convenient.
Hope this helps. Have a great trip!