How to Have the Perfect Day at Disneyland

At Snow White’s Scary Adventures in Fantasyland, you can take a two-minute tour and say hello to Snow White and her seven dwarfs. Except for Happy, and maybe Doc, you don’t want to take on the personalities of the other colorful characters. When you enter the gates of Disneyland, the rule is that you have to be Happy. You are not allowed to be Bashful or Grumpy and you can not have the perfect day if you are Sneezy or Sleepy. Doc will tell you that it is just plain Dopey to not pay attention to the following tips on how to have the perfect day at Disneyland.

Tips on buying tickets

Knowing how to buy your tickets can save you both time and money. If you don’t buy tickets until you get to Disneyland, you may be forced to wait in a long line at the gate. While you are waiting in line, all of the smart people, who bought their tickets prior to showing up at the theme park, can just go right through the turn styles and get a head start on their Disney experience.

Buying your tickets in advance is easy when you go to the official Disney ticket site (http://disneyland.disney.go.com/tickets). You have the choice of receiving your tickets through the regular mail or you can opt to download e-tickets and print them out at home.

Remember that Disney tickets are non-transferable and only one person can use the ticket whether it is for a single day or for multiple days at the theme park. Watch out if anyone tries to sell you the remaining two days of their three-day pass, because it won’t get you into the park.

If you are looking how to save some money on your tickets, you can check the Disney ticket site for discounts. At certain times of the year they may offer reduced prices and they always have special rates for the military and people living in California.

When you buy a complete package such as airfare, hotel accommodations, rental car and Disney tickets, either through Disney, or through an authorized travel agency, you may get a lower overall price than if you purchased all of those things, including the tickets, separately.

Tips on avoiding long lines inside Disneyland

If you want to have a perfect day, you need to figure out a way to stay out of long lines and still see all of the shows and go on all of your favorite rides. The secret is to get there early before the masses arrive. Make sure you leave your hotel early enough so you can park your car and make your way over to the entrance. Disney opens at different times at different times of the year. During the busy season, including the summer months and around the winter holidays, they open early, usually around 8 or 9 am. During the slower months, like January and February, they may open at 10 in the morning. m Since Disney changes their times pretty often, to be safe, go to the Disney web site and see when they open a day or two before you go.

Once inside, you can get in the special short-line by asking for a FastPass. These passes allow you to reserve a time, usually an hour or two later for specific rides. While you wait for your time, you can go to less crowded rides or maybe grab a bite to eat.

Some veteran visitors, who know the park like the back of their hand,
also know how to avoid the crowds and have the perfect day. They go to all of the most popular rides like Space Mountain, Indiana Jones or the Haunted Mansion, early in the day and hit the less crowded rides later on in the afternoon or early evening.

Taking a break during the day

Even if you are in great shape, a full day in the hot sun at Disneyland can get to anyone. Your kids might have been bursting with energy and excited to go on all the rides when you started out early in the morning, but after about three hours, they are ready for a break. While everyone plans lunch around noon, be smart and go eat at 11:00 am. The restaurants won’t be as crowded and you can take an hour to cool off and recharge your batteries for the second half of the day.

Most of the eateries are of the fast-food type where you can get hamburgers, chicken, cold drinks and salads. There are only a few full-service restaurants inside the theme park and they can get crowded. If you want to go to the Blue Bayou or Cafe Orleans, make a reservation early in the day.

Tips for finding Mickey, Minnie and the rest of the gang

Head over to Toontown and stop by Mickey and Minnie’s house. The costumed characters hang out there and if you want an auto graph or picture with them, expect to wait in line for a while. You will also run into some of the main star’s friends in Toontown.

On the northeast corner of Main Street, there is a secret character gate where some of the colorful characters get ready before they make their entrance onto Main Street and scatter around the park. What better way to start your perfect day than to get a picture with Goofy or one of your other favorite Disney heroes?

Last minute tips before your day at Disneyland ends

As the daylight starts to fade away, stake out a good spot to see the fireworks show. The fiery display takes place behind Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and your best views are from Main Street. You can also get a good view from the path that runs between Frontierland and Fantasyland. For a moving experience, check out the firework show from your roller coaster seat on Big Thunder Mountain.

How to keep the memories when you get home

When you are walking down Main Street on your way out to your car, stop by a few of the shops and buy some Disney souvenirs. Get your kids some tee-shirts, mouse ears or other mementos to bring home. Many of the shops stay open late to catch the crowd as they are leaving after all of the attractions and shows are over.