Doing It All At The Most Magical Place On Earth

by Tami
(Grand Junction, Colorado)

Going to Disneyland can be overwhelming, especially if it's your first time. There is so much to see and do, you wonder how you'll ever fit it all in! My best advice is to plan ahead. As soon as you get to the park, grab the park map brochure. This will tell you where all the rides are, what time the shows happen, and where to eat.

Now of course, you want to go on as many rides as possible, but you can only get one FastPass at a time. Don't think about it too much; FastPass is great but only if you can fit it into your schedule! I suggest grabbing your family FastPasses for one of the rides that's near several other rides you'd like to go on. In general the FastPass will give you a time to come back between and hour and several hours later in the day. This way, you can go on the other rides that are nearby, then head back to your FastPass ride when the time comes. If it's a longer wait time, venture a little farther away or see a show while you wait.

Speaking of shows, I suggest picking just one show you're really set on seeing. It makes for a nice way to break up the day, and get out of the sun in those peak afternoon hours. My family likes to eat lunch, then go see a show in the early afternoon while our food digests. Who wants to go on a wild ride on a full stomach?

Finally, don't try to see too much. You will have a much more enjoyable time if you pick the top three or four things you want to do and see, and enjoy doing them rather than stressing out about getting every single thing in. Most of all, have a blast!

Learn more about planning your own Disneyland vacation or Anaheim vacation, including renting a timeshare at WorldMark Anaheim or Dolphin's Cove.