My Methods at Disney

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October 14, 2010

While not as experienced as say, an annual pass holder, several trips to Disneyland has afforded me knowledge through trial and error. This is a break-down of how I maximize my days at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Touring the Park
Research before you go. I know, some people love surprises. But for the amount of money it costs for four days at Disneyland, just do a little reading. The park website is very user-friendly, and instantly you can access ride descriptions, park hours, entertainment schedules, ride closures, and other resort information. Making a general plan will help economize your group’s time in the park.

Front-load your day. This means going straight for your favorite rides, or the most popular rides, before the crowds hit a couple hours after the parks open. All of the Fantasyland rides and Space Mountain, Star Tours and Indiana Jones can have extremely long wait times just hours into the day. It’s so nice to walk right on to Space Mountain or Dumbo without fighting the crowds and heat. After the park gets flooded with visitors, take the rest of the day slowly, enjoying “rest rides” like the Mark Twain Riverboat or the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Fastpass is brilliant. The general concept of the fastpass system is that you are reserving your spot in line, leaving you free to go on another ride or catch a bite to eat. Scan your park ticket at a kiosk and it will produce a ride ticket with an hour window when you can return. The fastpass does not totally eliminate standing in line, but you can avoid a large portion of the wait. Once you have a fastpass, you cannot get one for another ride until your time window has passed. For example, if you picked up a fastpass for Space Mountain at 2pm and it says to return at 10pm, you cannot get another fastpass for anything until 10pm. Yes, the wait can be that long. A sign near the kiosk will say the current reservation times for the ride, so you do not have to get a fastpass to find out when you would need to come back.

Take a break, often. It is easy to run out of steam while visiting the parks. If your travel companion(s) need a break, pick up a frozen lemonade and find a good spot in the shade to people watch. If your accommodations are within easy walking distance, go and take a couple hours off and come back for night time festivities. You will be in a much better mood after recharging.

Remember your happy face. People can become frustrated or overwhelmed by the number of park guests, especially dealing with those who forget their manners. My sister's method of avoiding irritation at other guests is to continue to lecture her travel companion(s) that they are in the Happiest Place on Earth. In other words, forget your strife and move on - the one person who can ruin your vacation is you, so shut up and enjoy yourself. I think that is very good advice.

Disneyland for families. I have not had the experience of going to Disneyland with children, but I can imagine how magical those moments are to watch your own little princess meet the “real” Cinderella. The logistics, however, takes talent. Consult family-oriented guide books or websites for pointers. And please be courteous when using a stroller; guests are mowed down daily by aggressive stroller drivers.

Lodging
For most, the closer to Disneyland, the better. The Disneyland website lists "Good Neighbor" hotels, most of which are within walking distance. Remember, L.A. city blocks are about three regular city blocks. There is a public tram system that circulates around Anaheim hotels and the parks, but I often found them crowded and as uncomfortable as walking the long distance to the park. Parking is $15 per day, but if that amount is the difference between getting a hotel across the street from the park and staying somewhere farther away, get the hotel next to the park. You will find that for mid-day breaks, or in the evening when you are exhausted, the close proximity is beneficial.

Staying on property is definitely more expensive, but worth the experience at the Grand Californian or Paradise Pier. The Disneyland Hotel is as far away from the park entrance as the Good Neighbor hotels, but does connect to the parks via the monorail.

Dining
Theme park food is not cheap, and Disney is no exception. Disneyland offers meal plans at various levels. This system has you pre-pay for your meals, so all you need to do is present a voucher when you are at the food vendor. For example, you would typically get two meals and one snack per person per day. You do not get the change from the transaction, but it is convenient. Some also find it helpful for budgeting, as the food portion of the trip has already been paid for months in advance.

Character dining is the best for either families or adult-only groups. If you wanted to meet three princesses at the Disneyland Princess Fantasy Faire, you could stand in line for an hour. Why bother, when you could be in an air conditioned restaurant enjoying lunch and have the characters come and greet you!? A typical meal is about an hour, where you will either have a buffet or pre-fix menu service. During your meal, five characters will circulate around the room and visit each table individually. They will not have attendants, so hopefully someone in your group is good with a camera. It makes for a much more intimate character greeting for everyone, and definitely worth the cost, since you are getting a lunch and a break from the crowds.

PhotoPass
This is a genius idea and is a much-used service in the Disney parks. First, a Disney photographer will take your photo with their digital camera. They will present you with what looks like a credit card; this is your PhotoPass. Whenever you have a photographer take your photo, they will scan the card so the images are "registered" to that particular PhotoPass. You will see photographers stationed all over the parks, often at the good photo opportunity locations. Sometimes they can even scan in extras, like you holding Tinkerbell in your hands. Then, once you've returned home, register your PhotoPass card(s) on the website. From there you can review, edit and add boarders. After that, order a CD with all of the original photos plus any you have edited. In one weekend, my group can take about 100 PhotoPass images. After editing, the CD comes back with more than 300 images. The CD is not cheap, it can be $70. But considering the cost of prints, this is a good bargain.

A side note for photographs, ask any cast member (Disney Staff) to take your photo with your camera. Don't be inconsiderate and ask when they have their hands full, but they will always accommodate you. It's nice to get a quick snap shot of your group on the Story Book Canal boats or on the Jungle Cruise.

Everything Else
There are volumes of books about the right way to visit the parks. My best advice: research before you go and prepare an itinerary that best fits how you and your group like to travel. And remember, you are at the Happiest Place on Earth!

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