I love Disneyland, I loved going when I was a kid, I love taking my kids. One year we went with our 3 month old baby and I ended up sitting out on bigger rides and walking with her around the park while she napped in her stroller. I remember just sitting behind big thunder while my big kid went on rides and thinking I just love being here. I love sitting in the atmosphere and magic that Disney creates. My feet ached from walking around and I was breastfeeding on a wooden bench but man I loved the feeling.
There are plenty of blogs that will help you optimize your Disney day, share the best tips and tricks, give you tools to make the most of your trip. This blog is not that. Rather let me share some unconventional Disney advice that I have been thinking about after our most recent trip that is more about having the best vibes and not about making every single moment count, beating the system or maximizing your Disney day.
ONE | The lines create time to build relationships and closeness with the people you are with. In the past I have dreamed about walking onto every ride and getting in as many rides as possible. A long wait time made me wonder if we should skip it and circle back when the line is not as long. This trip I realized that being in line with some of my favorite people created a moment that we don't get often in the busy lives we lead. During our Disney trip in line we are all together, there is no where else to be, there is nothing else to do and you usually have 10-80 minutes of completely free time to just talk and entertain each other. It's a gift to be able to really engage with the people around you, because there is nothing else to do. We had great conversations, laughed a lot, and honestly the lines flew by because it was just a good time to be together.
TWO | There is magic in slowing down and taking it all in. We somehow found ourselves in Star Wars land walking towards Smugglers Run in the early morning hours when no one else was there. It was incredible to just take it all in, appreciate the details that went into creating this world, and really just allowing ourselves to be immersed in it. In California Adventure the kids participated in a pumpkin hunt since we were there at Halloween. There were clues to where pumpkins were generally, but once we got to the area we had to look high and low, and some were trickier to find than others. It was such a fun activity but also allowed me to really look at the details of the different areas. I am amazed at how much care and attention is put into the smallest corners of the park and it was very fun to appreciate them more fully.
THREE | If you are going to take a ride on Tiana's Bayou with a group of adults and decide to sit in the front, you are going to get soaking wet. I was in a boat with only one child and said, yes I'll take the front seat no big deal. When I got off the ride I was dripping wet from head to toe. My shirt didn't dry completely for days. I never remember getting that absolutely drenched in this same way in the past, so prepare accordingly. Ponchos may protect you in some ways, going earlier in the day so you have time to dry out a bit, making peace with being wet. Or you can do what I did, which was to buy a whole new outfit....
In a similar vein, Grizzley River Rapids is a big gamble. If you are sitting on the edges you're probably gonna get hit with a wave or two, it's not as dramatic but you'll be wet. There are lots of drips and splashy moments so everyone is coming away some amount of wetness. But at the end there is a geyser that goes off probably every other tube, and if it goes off just right, you will be absolutely soaked no matter where you are sitting. I absolutely love both of these water rides, they are some of my very favorites but extra shoes, an extra pair of socks, a poncho, or just hitting these rides at peak middle of the day really made a difference for me.
FOUR | I tried some new food this time around and let me tell you my top three favorite meals I ate that I dream about now that I'm home and have tried to recreate but it's just not the same.
In Disneyland park Star Wars Edge there is a place called Ronto Roaster's and the Ronto-less Garden Wrap is incredible. This recipe from Happiest Vegan on Earth is actually a pretty good copycat recipe.
In Downtown Disney there is a place called Seoul Sister and they have an amazing selection of signature bowls. I got the Tofu bowl with the Japache Noodles and it was so good and so filling. Incredible.
In California Adventure I headed to San Fransokyo to Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill for the Tacos Dorados de Papa (Crispy Potato Tacos) and they were amazing.
My favorite treats around the park are an It's Lemon from the Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats, A Mickey Mouse Rice Krispy Treat from Bing Bong's Sweet Stuff or Pooh Corner (and probably a few other places as well), churros, and the classic Dole Whip.
FIVE | Consider how much time you will save when you are making decisions about how to exist in the park. If you do a little run walk to a line, how much time will it save you in that line?? Probably max 1 minute and 30 seconds. If you send someone to park the stroller so you can get in line and then have them cut through 10 groups of people how much time are you saving?? Maybe 3 minutes. If you decide not to wait for your group and then have your group cut in front of other people what are you accomplishing? A slightly better view? Making these decisions has such little pay off for the at best awkward and at worse downright rude vibes it creates.
Disneyland is this incredibly magical place but it is also a group project, we as people are part of creating the magic. I think it's important to remember that the choices we make to be considerate of the other people who are there wanting experiencing their own magical day is part of the magic of Disney. I don't mind a person who was taking their 6 year old to the bathroom sneaking back in line or a single adult trying to move through a crowd to catch up to their group. I actually do not mind a lot, but a frantic race to be the first on a ride or someone being rude to those around them, it does not pass the Disney vibe check. Slow down, stick together, and just be kind. Communication and honesty also goes a long way in making the Disney Magic happen.
Okay there are my unconventional Disneyland tips. I think it can be boiled down to slow down, be with your people, eat some delicious food and enjoy the magic of Disneyland while creating that magic for others.
What would you add to this list?
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